paranormal – Page 10 – Sincerely Karen Jo

Northwoods Magic

(Northwoods Fairy Tales #1)

5 ★ – Fantastic Paranormal Romance

PUBLISHED BY CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform JULY 24, 2017

GENRE(S): FANTASY, PARANORMAL, ROMANCE

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Quinn Reynolds is desperate for answers. After a near fatal accident, Quinn’s life changes and she is suddenly plagued by dreams of ravens, magic, and a boy with copper-ringed eyes. Told by her doctors that she is delusional, Quinn travels to the Northwoods of Minnesota to find out the truth. But Quinn has another problem that she hasn’t shared. Not only does she dream of magic, she also possesses her own power as well and it scares the hell out of her.

Corbin Olsen has been battling his own demons for the last ten years. After sacrificing everything to save Quinn’s life, she forgot about him completely. He’s thought of her constantly in the years she’s been gone, but nothing prepared him for the woman she has become. Although angry at her for leaving him, Corbin isn’t able to dismiss his need for her.

But Corbin and Quinn are running out of time for a meaningful reunion, the real evil is back and hunting the prey that escaped them all those years ago.

Northwoods Magic by Desiree Lafawn will leave you spellbound for days and eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Lafawn’s writing is enchanting and easy to read. The world building is well-developed and fascinated me. I’ve always loved the supernatural and the idea of magic so I definitely enjoyed that part of the book. The storyline is so creative and intriguing. Lafawn also does a terrific job creating suspense and slowly unraveling the mysteries that I had a difficult time putting the book down. The characters, magical or not, are interesting, quirky and likable. I also really loved the humor, playful teasing, and heartwarming moments that had me smiling and laughing.

Quinn is withdrawn, socially awkward, and seemingly weak in every way. BUT given her past, I could see why and my heart just broke for her. While she lacks self-confidence, I definitely don’t see her as a damsel in distress. In fact, she’s quite determined, a bit feisty, and stronger that she could ever imagine. I enjoyed watching her grow and transform into the type of heroine I always root for to no end. I’m really excited to learn more about her and the magic she possesses.

Corbin…where do I even begin with him?! He’s definitely the more than meets the eye irresistible brooding love interest. He’s charming, devastatingly handsome, and sexy. On top of that, he has quite a unique past and history. I don’t want to give too much away, but I was immediately drawn to him and could not stop myself from swooning.

So in case you haven’t guessed, there is definitely a strong insta-love in this book. This is probably one of the most intense insta-love I’ve read in a while, but oddly enough, it just worked for me. Was it over the top? YES. Cheesy? A bit…okay a lot. And honestly, I loved every moment of it. I’m a big romance addict and I’ll take it in every which way. Not to mention Quinn and Corbin are totally adorable together. Their chemistry is absolutely insane and gave me all the FEELS.

This story is engaging and full of intrigue. It has the perfect balance of magic, mystery, angst, humor, and romance. But more than anything, Northwoods Magic has heart. I love the themes and important messages weaved throughout the story. So be prepared to be enthralled, to love, to cry, and to laugh. I definitely did, and I’m absolutely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I received an copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Follow and Connect with Desiree Lafawn: Website / Facebook / Goodreads

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely Karen Jo

BBOtGTour

Hello lovelies and welcome to my stop for the Black Bird of the Gallows blog tour. I’m really excited to be part of this tour and rave about this book. If you’re new to my blog, welcome to Sincerely Karen Jo. Hope you enjoy reading my review and leave a comment down below.

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4.5 – DARK THRILLING PARANORMAL ROMANCE

PUBLISHED BY ENTANGLED PUBSLISHING SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, ROMANCE, PARANORMAL, FANTASY

PAGES: HARDCOVER 300 PAGES

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Synopsis

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.

What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

Review

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel is a wonderful debut novel that reminded me of the reasons why I love paranormal romances. It’s deliciously dark, satisfyingly eerie, and absolutely enthralling.

Kassel’s writing is beautiful and utterly captivating. I really liked the premise of the story and the spooky atmosphere. This book also gave me some Twilight FEELS and I loved it! The world building is fantastic and very imaginative. I’ve never read anything about harbingers or beekeepers, so that part definitely fascinated me. The plot has plenty of action, mystery, suspense and drama that kept me on the edge and completely hooked. The characters are genuine and likable that I couldn’t help but root for them all. The romance is a bit weird at times (you’ll find out when you read the book), but I still enjoyed it. The paranormal aspects can be quite disturbing, but I didn’t mind it at all. I was completely engrossed the entire time that I didn’t want the story to end.

I liked Angie right off the bat. Her personality is inviting and that made it easy for me to connect with her. She’s also a fantastic heroine. Despite going through something horrible and having insecurities, she’s quite resilient, determined and very brave.

Reece is enigmatic, alluring, and has that “bad boy” vibe going on. You just know there’s something more about him, but whatever he’s hiding doesn’t really matter. He’s charmed his way into your heart and you just can’t resist him. I don’t know what it is exactly, but there’s something intriguing about the brooding tortured soul that always gets to me. Not to mention Reece is sweet, caring, and really handsome.

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While there is an insta-love in this book, I thought it was quite well done. There’s a backstory (kind of creepy, but reasonable in the supernatural way) that helped explained why Angie and Reece were drawn to each other. I also thought that their relationship progressed at a really good pace. They didn’t rush into anything or immediately declared their feelings. They both kept each other at a distance to some extent. But no matter what, the spark between them was undeniable. I enjoyed seeing them interact and deal with their attraction. Their bantering was super adorable and had me smiling. Their kisses were steamy and so swoony. They’re just so cute and I absolutely loved their chemistry.

With gorgeous writing, an engaging story line, fantastic characters and sweet romance, Black Bird of the Gallows had me enchanted all the way through. There are so many things I love about this book and I honestly can’t recommend it enough. While this book is perfect for paranormal romance lovers, I definitely think anyone looking for a fun thrilling read would enjoy this too.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Excerpt

His soft voice clashes with the intensity of his gaze. “You’re adorable when you’re trying to be mad at me. You needn’t work so hard at it, though. We aren’t meant to be adversaries.”

“I, um…” My thoughts disband, leaving nothing for communication purposes. I’m adorable? Adorable has many definitions. I think my dog is adorable, for example. “That…wasn’t what I was going to ask you.”

He inclines his head. “Okay, then. Ask.”

But that “adorable” echoes through me, clinking around like a penny down a well. “What are we meant to be, then?”

His lips curls up at the corners. “That wasn’t your question, either.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meg Kassel is an author of paranormal and speculative books for young adults. A New Jersey native, Meg graduated from Parson’s School of Design and worked as a graphic designer before becoming a writer. She now lives in Maine with her husband and daughter and is busy at work on her next novel. She is the 2016 RWA Golden Heart© winner in YA.

Follow and Connect with Meg Kassel

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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