Cafes, Baby Dragons, and Romance are on the Menu for Today's Review

 

image copied from Goodreads

Full disclosure, this fall has been much busier than I anticipated. I've been traveling each month quite a bit to be with my mom as she battles cancer. She's doing very well and is halfway through her treatment plan. But being on the road so much has meant that I've had lots of time to listen to audiobooks to make the drives more enjoyable. So, rather than review The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman as I'd originally considered. Today, I'm going to review the latest audiobook I listened to that also has food as part of its theme with The Baby Dragon Cafe by Aamna Qureshi. It's a cozy fantasy that was just what I needed this time of year amidst the usual holiday busyness and the additional travel to be with my mom.

Saphira is a kind and relatable character, following her dream to open her own cafe and be around the dragons that she's always loved. It is also a way for her to cope with the grief of losing her grandmother, the only family that Saphira had. But opening up her business to baby dragons and their riders has been much more difficult than she realized. It costs much more in upkeep to have a cafe where some of the clientele can be a fire hazard. Despite loving her unique business and being a popular spot in town for people to come and get their coffee fix or a chai latte, Saphira is hanging on by a thread. One that seems about to snap. Enter reluctant new baby dragon owner, Aiden. He and his baby dragon Sparky have been struggling to bond since Sparky hatched. In fact, Aiden's baby dragon doesn't seem to like him at all. But Aiden is determined to find a way to make it work as Sparky is the last gift Aiden ever received from his brother before Danny died in a tragic accident. 

Saphira and Aiden meet by accident, and Sparky is instantly enamored by the cafe owner. Saphira it seems has a natural way with both animals and people. Aiden immediately decides to enlist her help by hiring her to train Sparky after hours at the cafe. With the money he is offering that could enable Saphira to make some much needed repairs at her business, yet again, and the chance to be around an adorable baby dragon one-on-one, it doesn't take much for Saphira to agree. However, the arrangement is an unorthodox one. In Starshine Valley, only those from dragon-rider families are usually allowed to train and closely interact with dragons. Saphira is definitely not from one of these uppercrust families. But she is a natural when it comes to interacting with Sparky and understanding what he needs in terms of guidance. 

I have to say that while I did like both Saphira and Aiden, Sparky the baby dragon stole the scenes for me every time he was in them. As a character, Qureshi somehow made this mythological baby seem real and engaging. Sparky is both intelligent and sweet with attributes all his own. I wouldn't say he could be compared to real-life animals of any kind completely. Instead, Qureshi develops him with characteristics similar to any baby animal pet, curious, energetic, sometimes willful, while also giving him many traits that a baby dragon would have. I loved that about the story and her characterization. In addition, the romance that develops between Saphira and Aiden is a slow-burn one. They start out as friends and then blossom into something more. I appreciated the fact that it is obvious that Saphira is inspired by the author's own Muslim and Pakistani cultural background. Aiden too has diverse characteristics of his own. Though it isn't given a label, he comes across as a neurodivergent individual who seems like he could be in the autism spectrum in some way. But despite his initial gruffness and reluctance to participate in Sparky's training from the start with Saphira, she remains determined to help them bond, but patient with Aiden as much as she is with Sparky. The class system in this story is also clear and well developed. While it adds conflict and tension for the characters to overcome, it isn't insurmountable and gives both Aiden and Saphira additional dimension to their story and what they learn to accept about one another.

Since I listened to this as an audiobook, I'd be remiss in not mentioning how well I thought the voice actors did in narrating for each character. The slight inflection that voice actress Ash Raju gives to Saphira hints at her cultural heritage, and also conveys her warm and caring personality. While Hunter Johns, who narrates for Aiden, manages to highlight his neurodivergence by adding in brief pauses in his speech and thought patterns in the narration. It is just the right amount to give his characterization the clues for the listener to understand that Aiden doesn't always process the world in the same way as everyone else. It makes his character a very empathetic one as he struggles not to be overwhelmed by social settings or by processing emotional or visual cues from the other people he interacts with. Add in the charm of the setting, a village surrounded by mountains where dragons fly high above, a cafe where delicious coffees, chai and baked goods are offered and of course the adorable baby Sparky and this is a warm and cozy story I found it easy to sink into. I warn you though, The Baby Dragon Cafe will make you long for a baby dragon of your own.

On the menu for next month, I'll be reviewing a couple of mysteries. One will be a historical mystery romance by Mimi Matthews and the other will be a cozy fantasy mystery that takes place in a festive town in the North Pole. Both the cover images and blurbs are copied from Bookshop.org. Until then, for those who celebrate American Thanksgiving, I hope you have a very happy one! For those gearing up for the holiday season, I hope you enjoy this time to spend some extra time with family and friends.

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincey starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

And for a holiday mystery, I'll also be reviewing...

Have yourself a very Merry Witchmas in Holiday Haven, where the magic and mystery of Christmas is snow joke!Hardworking witch, Rudie Hollybrook, adores her quaint town of Holiday Haven, located near Santa's Workshop at the North Pole, but can't help feeling like an outsider. Not only does she have the unique ability to see ghosts, but she also runs the Hollybrook Funeral Home with her sisters. In a town where the holiday cheer is turned up to eleven all year round, Rudie's slightly eerie abilities make her feel like a misfit. While volunteering at the Christmas Market days before the big celebration, Rudie witnesses a tragedy. One of the volunteer club's chairwomen is murdered by poisonous hot cocoa, sending the charming town reeling.When Rudie's tasked by the dead woman's ghost to find her killer, she teams up with her crush at the local paper to do some sleuthing. Together, they uncover embezzlement, bribery and an illegal potions ring, all with ties to the murdered woman. Could it be the rebellious teenage granddaughter with a less-than-stellar taste in men? Or maybe the town doctor with a mysterious past? Rudie's investigation even leads her to suspect her nemesis, the bully with a history of getting what she wants--no matter the cost. With the countdown to Christmas nearly at an end, and the restless spirit threatening to haunt her holiday, Rudie races to catch the cocoa killer and make her beloved town safe again. Will Rudie unmask the culprit and prove she's a vital member of this charming Christmas town? Or will a murderer roam free and ruin Christmas for all of Holiday Haven?Grab your cup of cocoa, sit in a comfy chair by the cozy fire, and find out now in Cocoa Curses ! And be sure to check out the other magical mysteries of the Winter Witches of Holiday Haven series!

Blog Tour Spotlight of The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

 Today, I'm honored to host this spotlight of an amazing new historical mystery romance by Mimi Matthews that is out today! I am beyond pleased to offer this spotlight on this novel that I absolutely loved. I'll also be giving a full review of it for my first blog book review of December. Until then, enjoy this spotlight of the book, the author, and a brief excerpt from the newly released novel The Marriage Method.

image provided by Penguin Random House

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

     When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.  

     When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

 

author photo credit to Vickie Hahn 2021

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, a miniature poodle, and two Siamese cats.

Enjoy this excerpt of The Marriage Method:

Gloved hands folded neatly in her lap, she waited for Mr. Quincey’s questions. But he didn’t give voice to them. Not immediately. He only looked at her with a pensive frown, as though something about her person prevented him from pursuing his logical course.

“Forgive me,” he said at length. “Mrs. Royce failed to mention that you were lately bereaved. Had I known of your loss, I would never have pressed you to—”

“I am not bereaved,” Nell said.

“No?” He swept a glance from her black-veiled hat to her lusterless black mourning dress with its tight-fitting bodice and wide, untrimmed skirts. “You can doubtless understand my confusion.”

Nell would have thought it plain enough. “I travelled alone from the Academy. I preferred to do so unmolested.” She paused, adding, “Widows are generally accorded a degree of respect not offered to unaccompanied young ladies.”

Mr. Quincey didn’t bat an eye at her explanation. She suspected he was a man who wasn’t easily surprised. “In other words, it’s a disguise.”

Nell’s expression tightened. Leave it to a man to reduce a woman’s desire to protect herself to a childish pantomime. “It’s a practical necessity,” she said.

“I see. And do all teachers at Miss Corvus’s Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies employ such arts? Or is it only you who…” His words died away as she pushed back her veil. 

Ah. Perhaps he was capable of being surprised after all.

Nell met his gaze, a hint of a challenge in her own. She wasn’t vain. Neither was she guilty of false modesty. She knew herself, both her weaknesses and her strengths. “Feminine ingenuity isn’t limited to the staff room at the Academy,” she informed him. “Though, I assure you, it’s in no short supply there.”

Mr. Quincey collected himself in a blink—so quickly Nell wondered if she’d imagined the look of masculine alertness that had flared in his eyes on first seeing her face. Clearing his throat, he very slowly and very methodically returned his pen to the brass holder on his desk. “Something else Mrs. Royce failed to mention.”

“What might that be?”

“How young you are.”

Nell stiffened at his tone of disappointment. She wasn’t used to anyone implying that she was lacking in wisdom or experience. Quite the reverse. In times of crisis, people generally looked to her for guidance. During Miss Corvus’s recent illness, Nell had all but been running the school. “Is my age of importance to your inquiries?” 

“Only as it pertains to your tenure,” he said. “You can’t have been in your position long.”

“I have been employed as a teacher for five years, sir.”

He sat back in his chair, frowning at her again with an attitude of impatience. One would think she had wasted his precious time. “Mrs. Royce led me to believe you had been present at the Academy’s founding, nearly twenty years ago. It’s why I consented to meet with you instead of pursuing an interview with Miss Corvus herself. I had anticipated your providing certain information about the institution’s origins.”

Nell at once grasped the cause of his irritation. He’d wrongly presumed she would be a much older woman. One who had spent the whole of the past eighteen years teaching at the charity school. “Mrs. Royce did not mislead you.”

“Not only Mrs. Royce,” he replied. “You, as well, Miss Trewlove. Your letters gave me to understand that you had decades of experience at Miss Corvus’s Academy.”

“I do,” she said. “Or nearly that long. I was one of its earliest students.”

Understanding registered on his face. He stared at her with renewed attention. “You were an orphan?”

Nell’s chin ticked up a notch. “That’s correct.” 

There was no shame in it. Not as far as she was concerned. It was just as she often told her girls. One wasn’t accountable for the circumstances of one’s birth, only for the choices they made and the actions they took. It was that which defined a person, not pedigree.

“As are all the students at the Academy?” Mr. Quincey asked. 

“To a one,” she said. “They come to us from all over the county. I flatter myself that we do our best for them.”

“Your best being…?”

She lifted one shoulder in an artfully casual shrug. “We feed them, house them, and provide them with an education that will best help them meet their potential.”

Mr. Quincey narrowed in on the word with single-minded precision. “Their potential for what, exactly? 
Nell’s mouth curved in a slow smile. She comprehended the unspoken crux of his question. He believed the Academy was a home for dangerous revolutionaries. Budding feminists and crusaders for equality, willing to go to any ends to achieve their goals, even if that meant destroying the occasional man who got in their way. 

He wasn’t wrong.

Excerpted from The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews. Copyright © 2025 by Mimi Matthews. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727469/the-marriage-method-by-mimi-matthews/

By Popular Demand....Da-dum, dee-da!!

                  

image copied from Goodreads

 

By popular vote today's book review will feature the novella omnibus set by Gabrielle Landi, Tales of Cake and Comfort which are prequels to her novel Once Upon a Cat from her The Galamere Chronicles series of fairy tale retellings. 

image copied from Goodreads

But since this was such a fast read, I'm also going to review another novella, The Tea Witch's Secret by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade. It's a novella from their Purple Oak Oasis series. 

First things first though, let's talk about Tales of Cake and Comfort. This was a cute cozy fantasy novella omnibus. In the first novella, the two main characters, Thea and Nat, have a meet cute involving a cake and then a cake competition. Nat has left his small hometown in the mountains where he feels unwanted and aimless to head to the big city of Riyel. There he literally runs into Thea who is on her way to the first round of a baking competition for her family's bakery to win a commission to bake for an event for the queen. In return for helping Thea arrive safely, her parents offer Nat a job and a place to stay in their bakery. Thea and Nat begin to fall in love from there, though there are instant sparks between the two when they first lay eyes on one another. It is a very sweet low-spice cozy fantasy. One of the things I really appreciated about it is the way the author gave both characters distinctive voices so that you're never left trying to remember which point of view you're in when the chapters switch between characters. I also liked that meet-cute moment that was very reminiscent of a Hallmark movie. The baking competition is not like a Bakeoff on TV though. The contestants only have their finished products judged that they bring to the judging location on the day of each round of competition. There is some tension for each round, but it isn't the same as you might expect if you're thinking this is going to be like the The Great British Baking Show. However, the first novella ends with a happy-ever-after for the couple with some foreshadowing of problems to come. 

The second novella begins with those problems emerging right from the start. Nat must return home and leave Thea and Riyel behind. However, the separation of the two lasts much longer than either anticipated and they eventually lose touch. Much later, Thea leaves Riyel to start over someplace else and unknowingly ends up in Nat's hometown. Thea decides that this time rather than open a bakery like her parents did, she'll instead open a cafe. She sees that a storefront in the village is available for rent and upon seeking out the landlord comes face-to-face with Nat again. He is her new prospective landlord. Nat immediately agrees to rent Thea the space and the story continues to unfold from there. In this one the dual POV works as the two still maintain a distinctive voice in the narration. However, a new point of view is introduced later in this novella, that of a kitten Thea finds and takes in. Like with the other two characters the narration from the cat's perspective is very in keeping with that of a cat. There is of course, some tension when one of the townspeople realizes that Thea's cafe will give his business competition as another place the villagers can come for a meal. This troublesome character has been used to having a monopoly on that. But as with any good Hallmark story, this one has a positive resolution for Thea. I did enjoy this novella, but I liked to first one the best of the two. The second one is very much a prequel to lead into the full-length novel of second chance love for Thea and Nat. So, there is no firm resolution for their relationship in this second novella as in the first. The other thing I was hoping for in this second novella was some resolution as to why the two characters lost touch in the first place. But perhaps that will be explained further in the novel to come Once Upon a Cat. I would be interested in reading that fairy tale retelling as well as some of the others in this series. In looking at the blurbs for some, Landi gives some fun twists on the old fairy tale tropes, such as having Nat turned into a cat instead of a frog in his and Thea's novel that is advertised as a Frog Prince retelling. The other stories in the series have equally fun twists as well. 

image copied from Goodreads

The other novella that I read, The Tea Witch's Secret was just as engaging in its own way as Tales of Cake and Comfort. It is also part of a series of novellas cowritten by British authors Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade. This novella had a very interesting magical system right from the start and I liked how the authors describe it at work in the story. Hana is a healer and derives her magic in part from magical tea. I suppose her inherent abilities are enhanced by the tea. She calls herself a tea witch for this reason. While her love interest in the story, Oliver, is a ward. At first, it isn't clear what the duties of a ward are, but later in the novella Hana and Oliver in comparing their gifts touch on all of the various ways wards can protect their community. Wards like Oliver have their powers enhanced by having a bond with a familiar. In Oliver's case his familiar is an adorable owl named Howie. Like the other novella's by Landi, this one is told from dual points of view of the two main characters. However, unlike Landi's stories, I did have a bit more trouble remembering whose point of view I was in at times in this novella. However, I did love both characters and enjoy the setup for their conflict. It seems this community is jointly run by four founding families that are descended from different magical beings, tea witches, dryads, and wards. According to local lore those three groups did not always get along and so decided to keep the peace by running things jointly, but also keeping their families separate to avoid future conflicts. As such, though the children of these families were encouraged to be friends, it was with the understanding that they could never be more. This is a problem for Hana and Oliver since the two are very much attracted to one another and this story gets much steamier than Landi's books. As this is a cozy fantasy though, they do get their happy ever after of sorts. However, the ending is left somewhat open for them. I am guessing this means that eventually in the series this will all be resolved for the good. But the authors do leave this story somewhat open-ended. Like with the other series, I would definitely be interested in reading the other stories in this one and in checking out other works of the individual authors. 

If you'd like some fast cozy reads for the busy holiday season, I would recommend all of these novellas. Both feature relatable characters and romance mixed with a fun fantasy elements. Tales of Cake and Comfort by Gabrielle Landi is low spice and geared more towards a younger reading audience, I'd say. While The Tea Witch's Secret by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade is definitely higher in spice and very much for an adult audience. So, it is dependent on what level of steamy you go for if you're into cozy fantasies. 

For my next review I'm thinking of going with an audiobook that I've been listening to The Baby Dragon Cafe by A.T. Qureshi. It's a fun cozy fantasy with baby dragons as the name implies, magic and a cute cafe where they serve delicious and diverse baked goods along with traditional ones and of course coffees and teas. It also features a neurodivergent character. I've copied the cover and book blurb below, both copied from Goodreads. Until then, for those who celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving!

When Saphira opened up her café for baby dragons and their humans, she wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult to keep the fires burning. It turns out, young dragons are not the best magical animals to keep in a café, and replacing all that burnt furniture is costing Saphira more than she can afford from selling dragon-roasted coffee.

Aiden is a local gardener, and local heart-throb, more interested in his plants than actually spending time with his disobedient baby dragon. When Aiden walks into Saphira’s café, he has a genius idea – he'll ask Saphira to train his baby dragon, and he'll pay her enough to keep the café afloat.

Saphira’s happy-go-lucky attitude doesn’t seem to do anything but irritate the grumpy-but-gorgeous Aiden, except that everywhere she goes, she finds him there. But can this dragon café owner turn her fortunes around, and maybe find love along the way?

Fall into this Cozy Fantasy Mystery about a Reluctant Magical Librarian and her Possibly Sentient Magical Book

 

Image copied from Goodread

I"m loving the popularity of cozy fantasy books, lately. For that reason, I was thrilled when I was given permission to read a digital ARC of Witches of Dubious Origin by author Jenn McKinlay by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing. Unlike some others in the genre that take place in epic fantasy-based realms, this one takes place in the real world. It reminds me of some of the popular cozy fantasy mysteries of the late 90s and early 2000s like Madelyn Alt's Bewitching Mystery series or Annette Blair's Accidental Witch trilogy. Like those, Witches of Dubious Origin follows a young woman who must discover her own power and learn to embrace who she is to defeat evil.

Zoe Ziakas is a librarian who is content to lead a quiet life in a small town in Connecticut. Until a mysterious book arrives where she works that is locked by a strangely engraved metal band. When Zoe asks her friend, and stand-in mom, Agatha about it, she learns that it is a grimoire. Zoe's family grimoire and as the last of her family line, it has found its way to her. I thought Zoe was a very relatable character. She is opposed to embracing anything to do with magic because of the all the pain it caused her family. It even drove her mother to relinquish Zoe's care to Agatha before she disappeared from Zoe's life. After so much trauma and loss, I could understand how Zoe would want nothing to do with a magic book. However, being a librarian she is also curious to discover what's inside it, even if she swears to herself she'll never use it.

The catalyst for the story of a mysterious and puzzling book that a curious librarian can't help but want to solve was a fun one. From there we learn that there is a Museum of Literature that contains an entire collection of Books of Dubious Origin (BODO) and I would say of dubious power as well. That discovery introduces us to the cast of characters that works in the BODO collection who are all interesting and unique in their own way. Miles with his knowledge of magical history, Tariq with his gifts of potions, and Jasper who works in containment and who Zoe finds irresistibly hot. Even Olive adds an element of fun to the cast, though she is anything but lovable with her Wednesday Addams vibes. Beyond all of this there is definitely an edge of danger to the story, too. Not long after the grimoire appears in her life, Zoe begins to be plagued by undead minions of their own dubious origins who are sent to steal her book from her, even if it means getting rid of Zoe to do so. The mystery that unfolds as Zoe learns more about her family legacy, and about what truly happened to her mother and grandmother added another intriguing element to the novel, one that kept me wanting to turn pages to solve it. 

Altogether this story full of magic, family secrets, possible murders, hidden powers, found family and learning to embrace one's own gifts to overcome past trauma and defeat those intent on causing harm, made this a very enjoyable read. One that was a perfect bridge between Spooky Season and the rest of Fall. If you are a fan of cozy fantasy that is set in the real world and that has a blend of mystery, light romance, and humor, then I encourage you to check this one out. I hope this is the first book in a series with many more to come. 

As November has four Sundays, I still have three other books to read in the cozy fantasy genre. I'm going to try to stick with food and/or drink related ones in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the States. Here are some of the ones that I'm considering. To read more about these selections, simply click on the title. All cover images copied from Goodreads. Tag lines copied from Bookshop.org or Amazon. Feel free to leave me a comment on which of these you think I should read next!

 The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman

If you found a recipe for the perfect man, would you bake it?

Tales of Cake And Comfort: A Cozy Fantasy Omnibus (The Galamere Chronicles) by Gabrielle Landi

Tales of Cake and Comfort is a cozy fantasy omnibus combining two previously published novellas with additional bonus chapters. It follows Thea Greene from a royal baking competition in the city to starting her own café in the Northlands. Along the way she finds romance, new friends, and a faithful companion in her orange cat, Ginger.

Tusks, Tails and Teacakes by T.L. Stone

One part Legends and Lattes, one part Hallmark rom-com, and a generous sprinkle of cottagecore coziness.

Welcome to The Tusk & Tail Tavern where the fire is always crackling, the meat pies are rich and savory, the air is filled with laughter and bard-song, and friends are like family. At least, it used to be...

The Tea Witch's Secret by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade

Hana knows she shouldn't fall for Oliver, even if his familiar training constantly leads him back to her for healing.

image copied from Goodreads

Vampire Hunter by John Evans may just be my new favorite urban fantasy series to follow. It opens with Tobias Halson in the middle of a hunt, chasing down a newly turned redneck vampire. Right away I was swept into the action of this version of Philly and Tobias's calling to protect his city from bloodsucking monsters. Make no mistake, in this series, vampires are not the angsty, goth "Anne Rice kind" as Tobias explains. They don't leave little love bites on your neck. When these vampires feed there is nothing conflicted or pretty about it. They rip and tear into their prey in an overwhelming need to feed. 

Evans does a masterful job of opening the novel by giving plenty of information about this world without sacrificing any of the tension or pacing to do it. For instance, in addition to explaining what vampires are really like we also get hints that they aren't the only supernatural beings that exist. While there are some clues given that magic wielders might also be out there, Halson isn't one of them. He is a vampire hunter who has been successful in exterminating them when needed, but he does so with careful planning, cunning weapons specially developed for the task, and skill alone. He is as he says, just a "vanilla human" at the end of the day. This kept me turning pages as the stakes were pretty high throughout each encounter with these monsters in the book. How could Tobias succeed in some of the tight situations he gets into when he doesn't have any special abilities, I often wondered? 

The characterization of Tobias was deft as well. He was a very relatable character with a tragic backstory that has made his focus being a hunter detrimental to having a personal life, meaning he's socially awkward and tries to disguise the fact with snark and smartass comments. He isn't a complete loner though. Early in the book, he explains that he's been working with a special division of the Philly PD to take care of special pest problems that he is uniquely skilled at handling. In large part, this is because the head of that division, Detective Bullard, witnessed Tobias's prowess firsthand. Since then, Tobias has been on-call for Bullard and his partner, the beautiful Alex Benson, when needed. This has allowed Tobias to do well enough to pay his rent, have an office and even hire on a secretary, Anita. I loved the small group of allies who are in the know about the supernatural that Evans gives his character. It makes for a nice respite at times from the action but also serves to raise the stakes even more for Tobias as he has people to lose. Something that being a complete loner wouldn't give him. 

As I was reading, I could see how some who've read this series could see some nods given to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden from his Dresden Files series. However, while they are both around the same age at the start of both series, and while each have trouble with authority and not being wisecracking smart mouths, Harry has magic. He also works with the police in Chicago, but largely with them thinking he's a nutcase and with them being in the dark that the strange cases they are called to investigate do actually involve the supernatural or magic. In Tobias's case his police contacts fully know what they're up against, at least in Bullard and Benson's case. I appreciated these distinct differences. 

Another thing that I like about urban fantasies in general are that they are essentially mystery thrillers with fantastic elements. That means that there is always a crime to solve. The mystery plot in this case is whether or not a prominent CEO of a large corporation was killed by a vampire or not. The clues seem to point to no. But Bullard isn't so sure and hires Tobias to do some snooping. Halson is reluctant, he isn't a private detective after all, he's a vampire hunter. But he is also curious about the murder and agrees if only to serve as a distraction to the would-be assailant. But as Tobias digs for clues, more and more questions arise. I truly enjoyed trying to piece things together along with Tobias. Evans gives us an intriguing plot, that while I did hazard a guess pretty early on about who was behind the murder, still left me questioning the how or why behind the crime. All of the elements kept me hooked and made this a fast and entertaining read. I"m very happy that the next book in the series, Werewolf Hunter, is already out for me to read. After the way things ended in this book, I'm very interested to see how things will unfold for Tobias from here. I really hope there will be more books to follow as well. If you enjoy fast-paced urban fantasies with interesting and well-developed characters, then I urge you to read this series. You won't be disappointed. If you'd like to get your own copies, just click on the title and you'll be taken to bookshop.org to obtain one. 

I'm not sure what my next book review theme will be for November. But I'm thinking of making it cozy fantasy month as I've been able to read some really fun cozy fantasies recently. But for a roundup of other books I've read in honor of spooky October, here are some titles to check out. Again, just click on the title and it will take you to a link for bookshop.org where you can read all about them. Admittedly, most are not spooky at all. But hopefully you'll be able to find some new great reads! 

The Keeper of Magical Things

 

Hollow

A Curious Kind of Magic

Witches of Dubious Origin