Stacey Rourke

Embrace (The Gryphon Series) by Stacey Rourke continues the mission of the Garrett siblings to save the world from evil. Celeste struggles with her role as the Conduit and how to live a normal life with such a calling. Kendall and Gabe seem to balance life and their supernatural duties better than Celeste. Celeste's sarcasm keeps the reader on the edge of a giggle through much of the book and keeps the serious moments in check. At times Celeste's naivete will frustrate the reader even though show more the reader understands why she so desperately wants to believe in the good she thinks she sees even in the bad guys. Rourke's storytelling makes the reader want the bad guys to be telling Celeste the truth even when every instinct screams they're not. Rourke even manages to inject a healthy dose of humor into the fight scenes leaving the reader on the edge but smiling at the same time. Embrace is a fun, fast read that leaves the reader begging for more. show less

4.5

Book source ~ Tour

Octavia Hollows can bring people back from the dead with a touch of her hand and a funky green light show. She and her pet pig Bacon have been traveling around the country on her motorcycle ever since she lost the love of her life. The pain nearly cripples her, but she’s determined to find out what happened to Elba. She’s being stalked by someone sinister and while she does get some help from friends along the way, will they be enough?

I really love this story and show more the narrator. Octavia is a great character! Full of pain and doubt she really has room to learn and grow through the book and the best part? She does! Her journey is our journey. The writing is not overly complex allowing it to flow along at a consistent pace and the characters are wonderful. There really wasn’t much I didn’t like about this story. The villain is a little underwhelming, but overall I have very much enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It is no fault of the book that it took me so long to finish it. That’s all on me and my crazy life. show less

Wake the Dead by Stacey Rourke
The Journals of Octavia Hollows series #1. Paranormal cozy mystery novella. Urban fantasy
Octavia Hollows is a necromancy on call. With the touch of her hand, she can restore life. When the man she loved died and she was t able to save him, she decided to retrace the path for answers.
In Seattle, Washington a neonatal nurse is dead and her young patient is aging at an alarming rate. Octavia brings the nurse back to life, hoping to find the otherworld answers for show more the family. As Octavia uses her powers, her prior witch coven comes to remind her of the magic rules.

Off the wall crazy cozy. Octavia is chasing down paranormal horror monsters using her necromancer powers to help get answers. While traveling around on her motorcycle with her pet pig. The snarky humor is over the top. In this first story, the nurse that’s brought back to life naked in the morgue thinks it’s just another after party with her sometime hookup mortician. Octavia and the nurse trade quips and insults and go to fight the problem. Octavia’s reanimated corpses are fully alive and cognizant but their time is still limited to the case.
What’s the story with the pig? Hoping we find out in one of the upcoming stories.

Hilarious monster fighting and addictive storytelling. show less

Reaper vs. Ripper by Stacey Rourke
Fear the Reaper series #1. Paranormal mystery, fantasy novella.
The Reaper is going after souls of the dead. Nyx is known by several names and stories. Here she is the Reaper, taking the souls to Lucifer and giving the victims a little piece. Souls that don’t want to found. First, Blackbeard with his many misdeeds and foul smelling history. Then
Jack the Ripper. Nyx gathers the details she needs from the victims he killed, but Jack doesn’t act as show more suspected and it throws Nyx off.
Ezekiel makes the triad of mixing the angels and giving the next assignment to Nyx.

🎧 audiobook narration done by Poppy Royana with a slight accent and a smoothness that is compelling and captivating.

“You can’t kill Death.”

Intriguing setup in this first book. Nyx clearly has her own issues to deal with, using snark and quips to divert, Lucifer hides something important and Ezekiel seems to be a friend and listens with compassion.
Obviously multiple layers of story here that I can’t wait to dig into with the next book. show less