Jenn Bennett

For such a likeable and charming man, the hero certainly has a lot of people trying to kill him. It's his own fault in most cases and he can hardly be surprised but it's certainly an inconvenience. Barely making it out of Egypt with a priceless artifact, he's attacked at the train station. Before the men set upon him though he meets the heroine. Dour and dressed in plain black, he thinks she's no beauty and honest her presence at that moment is a inconvenience. But he can't very well leave show more her to die so he brings her with him. In the process, he notices two things. First, she's got a hidden fire burning inside manifesting in the provocative and sexy undergarments she's hidden under her funeral clothing. And secondly, she has THEE greatest ass he's even seen. The heroine is cursed with the power to summon up ghost/demons when she's angry or upset. So she learns to be emotionless and void any human contact. Therefore she's developed a fear of being touched. But around the hero, she's awkward and he brings out in her the horrible habit of verbal diarrhea. He's going to sell the artifact to her father and so she must be around him even though the idea both thrills and scares her. But the hero is in the game of forgeries. Determined to set his own path apart from his rich bootlegging brother, he's sold fake artifacts to the wrong people and now, he must forge another fake to buy his way out of the hole he's in. But when he realizes that the magic in the artifact is the key to saving her fathers life, he knows he can't go through with it. He's also quickly falling hard for the heroine who's so much more than what he first pegged her for. He begins to see her as the most stunning woman he's ever seen and is dying to see her again, no matter the reason. Together they go on a hunt for the 4 crossbars to make the artifact complete and along the way discover the truth between them. I loved this freaking book so much I can't express it in words. The heroine tries very hard to be treated with respect among her piers but the demons she's controls don't always allow her to have the most freeing life. She tries to keep them repressed but there are times when her jealousy and bitter feelings draw them out and afterwards she's ashamed. She's horribly lonely and the attentions the hero shows toward her both scare her to death but at the same time make her long for something more. The hero is charming and easy going but he's far from perfect. He doesn't much pay attention to the consequences of his actions. He thinks that any problem he causes can be fixed but sometimes this is not the case. He's obviously a good person and cares deeply for the people in his life but it's his actions that cause their suffering. He's also a compulsive liar and tells fantastic tales to suppress the true. But with the heroine, he feels the need for her to truly see him. They make a pact that when he holds her hand in the hand where he's missing a finger, she can be positive what he's saying is the truth. I thought this was very sweet. The action was great, I loved the characters because they were so flawed and you honesty can't beat the time period. This author is a perfect 10! show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.

While naming this series the Roaring Twenties certainly has historical precedent, there is an argument to be made for “the Steamy Twenties“. Amid the magic and intrigue, Bennett creates two nuanced and well developed characters who chase treasure, test wits, and generate enough sexual heat to curl this book’s pages.

If I were going to list my favorite things about GRIM SHADOWS, I’d start with the sexual fireworks between Lowe and Hadley, show more followed by the singular impact of Lowe’s dirty talk, and follow these closely with the mix of quiet and spectacular magic that Bennett so deftly describes. Lowe himself doesn’t quite manage to displace his older brother as my favorite Magnusson man, but that’s a simple matter of preference between the “dashing adventurer” and the “dangerous business man” tropes. Fans of HEART OF STEEL’s Archimedes Fox, or even The Mummy’s Rick O’Connell, will enjoy Lowe’s swoon-worthy dashing.

While the character development, world building, and romance elements of GRIM SHADOWS out performed some of the flashier action scenes, flying gryphons and flame goddesses were still a ton of fun to read. Another fantastic romance wrapped up in adventure, the Roaring Twenties is my new favorite historical paranormal series.

Sexual Content: Sex scenes. show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy, allthingsuf.com

A perfect balance between romance, period fiction, and ghost story, Jenn Bennett’s BITTER SPIRITS is the flapper romance I’ve been waiting for. Fans of the Arcadia Bell series already know Bennett can generate some heat, but dial it up to eleven for this lovely, ghostly romance filled with fashion, passion, and bootlegging.

There are few historical, paranormal romances that feel credible enough to work for me, a fact thrown in show more sharp relief by the solid characterizations in BITTER SPIRITS. Aida Palmer is independent, performing on stage and supporting herself, but also cognizant of the dangers around her. Regardless of time period, Aida feels like a single woman on her own, strong and savvy about the risks worth taking. From the first chapter, the sexual curiosity between our tiny, freckled heroine and the imposing hero is palpable and contagious. The 20′s creates a unique social setting where there is both the possibility of a sexual relationship but the societal constraints that may prevent it, and I loved every moment of their courtship dance. Reading along as these two face danger, solve mysteries, and negotiate the chemistry between them was ridiculously satisfying.

While Aida’s paranormal abilities given her a spotlight on stage and a meet-cute with Winter, she is so grounded in reality the ghosts could fade away to the background without destabilizing her character. A sizzling historical romance with just the right blend of ghostly danger, BITTER SPIRITS is a must read for fans of period and paranormal romance alike. I put down this book ready to jump right into the next installment, thank goodness GRIM SHADOWS is coming out this June.

Sexual Content:Sex scenes. show less

Quick & Dirty: A fast-paced ride fraught with danger and the buddings of a new relationship.

Opening Sentence: I knew better than to be preoccupied when Tambuku Tiki Lounge was overcapacity.

The Review:

Kindling the Moon explores a universal truth; we can never live up to our parents expectations, even in the paranormal world. Parents everywhere (myself included) create in their minds what our children’s lives will be like. What they will grow up and do professionally and whether or not they show more will go to college. When they will find the right person to settle down with (along with our stamp of approval, of course) and raise grandbabies to spoil. And no matter how successful or content with their life that our children may be, it will never 100% match up with what we wanted for them. Parents forget that we too were once children, and we disappointed our parents as well. Arcadia Bell’s parents had a planned future for their daughter that she had not lived up to. While most parents moan and lament over our children’s shortcomings, Arcadia’s parents go a little extreme. But, I jump ahead of myself.

Arcadia Bell is in hiding. Seven years ago, her parents were wrongly convicted of murdering several people and were forced to fake their own deaths. At the same time, they convinced Arcadia to go into hiding in order to help them all “stay safe.” Now her parents have been spotted, alive and well, on TV, and Arcadia’s years of hiding have come to an end. The families of the victim’s, and the magical organizations they belong to, want blood, and they don’t care where they get it from. Arcadia has been given two weeks to either find evidence proving her parent’s innocence or present herself for execution on her parent’s behalf. During this time, she is constantly being attacked and hunted by demons and bounty hunters alike. Can Arcadia even survive long enough to find the evidence she needs before time runs out?

Arcadia has put her parents on an impossible pedestal. She believes that they love her unconditionally and stay separated from her for her own safety. For this reason, she is willing to do just about anything to see them set free. This is Arcadia and her rose-colored glasses. Her courage and fortitude are all centered around the idea she has of her parents. Her feelings of duty push her to extreme lengths. What will she do if her parents disapprove of her life choices? Will she change to make them happy or will she fight for her own life? All of her current problems stem from them. When she found out that her parents were spotted, she could have fled and changed her identity again without getting involved. But had she done that, she would have never had the opportunity to find something for herself; a chance to truly begin living her own life and not one for the sole benefit of her parents.

Lon Butler is an ass. He is an Earthbound demon and a father of an enthusiastic 13-year-old boy named Jupe. He also knows all about other demons. So when Arcadia approaches him in search of a rare demon that may have caused the killings her parents were framed for, he declines. The man only looks out for himself and his son, not some desperate human magician that drags trouble in her wake. Yet, despite all that, he changes his mind and decides to help her after all. He uses his considerable resources to try and locate this demon for her. And even though his social skills are sorely lacking, he declares his interest in her. What is it about Arcadia that has Lon all tied up in knots? Is she worth it?

Arcadia and Lon have the most realistic courting I have ever read in a paranormal book, apart from all the life-threatening situations. There biggest obstacles are centered around basic “human” relationship hurtles and not some off-the-wall supernatural “Acts of God.” They have an age gap. Lon has a teenage son that Arcadia is closer in age to than himself. His ex-wife also happens to be a former supermodel (not what a new girlfriend wants to be compared with). And Arcadia holds her past close to her heart. They both are working through their personal insecurities while trying to find a common ground in which to create a lasting relationship on. Those are the same themes that every adult relationship I know of goes through. They each have their own lives and priorities that may or may not be compatible with one another. But at least they are willing to try, which cannot always be said of others. Of course, all of the danger gives the two of them the extra push they needed in the “sexual tension” area. Would they have gotten together if their lives weren’t constantly in danger?

But even when it seems that these two have found a way to be with one another, there is still the issue of her parents. Arcadia’s loyalties begin to split between the parents she has always put first and her “newly won” relationship with Lon. Her priorities shift under the weight of growing into her own life apart from the people that raised her. Arcadia’s parents have high expectations of her and she is no longer measuring up. Living the life you want in contrast with the life planned out for you is a classic ideal. A part of growing up is about taking a hold of the reigns and steering your own way, so to speak. Of course, this particular set of parents takes their role to a whole new level and gives it a twist that leaves the reader as dumbfounded as the characters themselves.

This book offers its readers several likable characters, enough action to keep you entertained, and themes that everyone can relate to. Arcadia Bell and Lon are swiftly becoming one of my new favorite couples. I look forward to finding out what is in store for the two of them next.

Notable Scene:

“You gonna invite me in, or you wanna talk out here?”

I moved from the doorway and gestured for him to come inside. Ten o’clock on a Friday night, and I as letting strange men into my house while I was half dressed. I reminded myself that he had, at one time, been studying to become a priest. That meant he took a vow of chastity, didn’t it? I idly wondered if he stuck to it after he got kicked out, then decided that he didn’t look all that chaste to me.

“Have a seat,” I said, pointing toward the sofa in front of the television. At least the downstairs wasn’t too messy. My bedroom looked like a bomb had gone off in it, and the master bath was disgusting. “I’ll be right back. I need to… put something on,” I murmured as he sat down.

The trek up the stairs was excruciating. Why a thong- why today? I guess it could have been worse. I mean, yes, the lower half of my rear was hanging out, but at least I wasn’t wearing cheap multipack cotton panties, full of holes with the elastic worn out, like half of my others. When I got the nagging feeling that his eyes were on my backside, I wondered if it would look cowardly if I took two stairs at a time.

“Nice ass.”

My bent leg hesitated on the step. I turned my head to glare, but found him staring intently at the screen of his cell phone-as if he’d never said a word. For a second, I wondered if I’d imagined it, but I hadn’t. Thoroughly uncomfortable now, I continued my climb in silence without responding.

The Arcadia Bell Series:

1. Kindling the Moon

2. Summoning the Night

2.5 Leashing the Tempest

3. Binding the Shadows

FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books provided me with a copy of Kindling the Moon. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payment received came in the form of hugs and kisses from my little boys. show less