I love when fantasy and romance combine. What’s better than love than love with a spark of something magical? Some teeth? Check out these book reviews of recent fantasy romances I’ve enjoyed like Kiss & Spell, My Roommate is a Vampire, and Hunt on Dark Waters.
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Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Robert
Evelyn is a witch with a perfect storm of impulses: terrible taste in bed partners, sticky fingers, and a lust for danger. After she steals from her vampire ex and falls through a portal to another realm, she’s fished out of the waters by a band of seafarers and their telekinetic captain. She’s immediately given a choice—join their group or die.
Bowen has no memory of his life before he became one of the Cŵn Annwn. He and his pirate crew are bound by vow to patrol through Threshold, the magical sea in between realms, keeping the portals to other worlds safe. When he rescues Evelyn, he doesn’t expect to be attracted to the unflappably brassy pickpocket. The longer he spends in her presence, the more he begins to question if his heart is the next thing she’ll steal.
But as tension heats up between Bowen and Evelyn, danger escalates as well. Because Evelyn has no intention of keeping her vows to the Cŵn Annwn, and if she betrays the crew, both she and Bowen will pay the ultimate price….
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
As a long time fan of Katee Robert – with varying levels of success – I have to say that Hunt on Dark Waters is my favorite. Talk about a book I absolutely devoured. We love pirates, witches, sea monsters, and more! Hunt on Dark Waters is full of portal magic and bad decisions. Being dual POV is masterful to see the ways Bowen is attracted to Evelyn from the beginning as well as Evelyn’s plotting. We love a cunning tad reckless character. She’s clever with a dash of trouble and Bowen knows it.
While the chemistry is spicy and the spice is sizzling, what I loved was the core of Hunt on Dark Waters: someone who helps us question the systems we are entrenched in. To see that ‘monsters’ are relative, that we don’t always have to hunt or kill, and that the ones giving the orders aren’t always right. Witnessing Evelyn, an outsider, challenge Bowen on some beliefs that he’s been taking for granted way too long was satisfying. It’s a book that does not shy away from a bit of rebellion, insubordination, and danger. This is fun, spicy, and fiery all at once. Find Hunt on Dark Waters on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.
My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.
Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean…
Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
My Roommate is a Vampire is my latest recommended book. Seriously. I went to a baby shower as I was finishing this book and could not stop recommending. If you grew up watching “True Blood” and have wanted something lighter, contemporary, and a tad grumpy, then you have to read My Roommate is a Vampire. It’s hilarious in how accurate it would be to real life – barring the whole vampire thing right? – and adorable all at once.
While it’s mostly from Cassie’s POV which I think is a good choice because it mirrors our own confusion, but we get snippets of diaries or texts from Frederick to give us context and a little peek. I loved that we were able to see his personality outside just his direct experiences with Cassie. Don’t even get me started on how much I love communication in notes and drawings! Smitten from the beginning, in My Roommate is a Vampire there’s instant tone and character work from page one. This was funny, sweet, and tender all at once with a dose of delicious spice! Find My Roommate is a Vampire on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.
Kiss & Spell by Celeste Martin
A witch without a spell
All Ursula Caraway wished for was to live happily ever after in her hometown of Freya Grove. The self-proclaimed Jersey Shore Witch Princess was set to begin her perfect life—until a twist of fate changed everything. Now, she’s telling fortunes to the lovelorn, selling crystals at the local psychic shop, and reclaiming her missing magic. Ursula desperately wishes to shake up her life—so much so, that she’ll do just about anything. Including befriending a very cute, very enchanted prince.
A prince in search of a kiss
Prince Xavier Alder needs to find The One, but his lack of social skills has made that a challenge—and being cursed by the Faerie Queen isn’t helping either. So when Ursula, eager to believe in magic again, agrees to help Xavier find a perfect, curse-breaking kiss before Midsummer, it’s the ideal opportunity for them to get what they want. So long as they don’t let their mutual (and inconvenient) attraction get in the way.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Okay, you know when you pick up book two and didn’t realize you haven’t read book one? That’s me and Kiss & Spell. That being said, you definitely don’t have to have read Witchful Thinking, I clearly didn’t, but I think you will have a better chance at understanding Ursula’s family quicker. I think what made me love Ursula is to see her wondering when her happy ending is. I felt like this thought resonated strongly. But being able to see Xavier’s mindset gave me a soft spot for him. I loved witnessing their chemistry and meet cute!
Kiss & Spell is charming. To see them fight their feelings for each other and their own skepticism. How Xavier doesn’t believe in true love and how Ursula isn’t a fan of fairy tales. What a perfect duo! Naturally watching them fall in love is a chaotic and charismatic affair. For both of them, they have to realize that they need to be willing to open our heart. That being open and vulnerable is the brave decision. And all the decisions we have to make to never give upon our happiness and our future. While the ending seemed quick, this was super fun! Find Kiss & Spell on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.