MIDLIFE MAGIC & MAGNOLIAS by Meredith Carlisle

Title:  MIDLIFE MAGIC & MAGNOLIAS
Series:  Magic at Midnight #1
Author:  Meredith Carlisle
Publisher:  Meredith Carlisle
Publish Date:   03.09.2022
Category /Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Chick Lit
Recommended for:  18+
Grammar/editing:  received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from:  Meredith Carlisle
Goodreads link: Midlife Magic & Magnolias
Date completed: 03.18.2022
 
Description from the publisher:
A house with “personality.” One ridiculously tall leprechaun. Two nachtmares. And three geriatric defenders straight out of the retirement village.

These are my ducks, and they are not in a row.

It wasn’t until I lost everything—my home, my marriage, even my career—that I started to wonder if our “family curse” might be more than an unfortunate turn of phrase.

Now turning forty-five, the age at which every woman in my family dies, I need answers not only for myself but for my two daughters. And I’ll see every specialist in the country if that’s what it takes.

But when a lifelong friend discovers a link between my strange family history and an abandoned estate, I can't pass up the opportunity to learn what happened before the death certificates started piling up.

What I find may mean it’s too late to change my fate, but that doesn’t mean I won’t die trying. If there’s a curse on our family, I’m coming for it with everything I’ve got.

Might as well make use of these raging hormones and decades of suppressed emotions while I still can…

The time for surviving is over. It’s time to start living.

If sarcasm is your love language, this new humorous Paranormal Women's Fiction series is for you! Perfect for fans of Shannon Mayer, K.F. Breene, and Robyn Peterman. Get it now!
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MIDLIFE MAGIC & MAGNOLIAS is the first book in the Magic at Midnight series.  This will be an ongoing storyline, so expect to read them all and in the order of release.
 
A wonderful witch cozy mystery with intriguing characters and a secret mansion.  I loved the world that Meredith Carlisle created.  It is fun, funny, and fresh.
 
This is a first book from this author, and she knocked it out of the ballpark!  I’m looking forward to continuing this series with her. 
 
Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Story Origin, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
 
Magic at Midnight Series:
1.      Midlife Magic & Magnolias
2.      Midlife Magic & Medusa (releases 08.31.2022)
3.      Midlife Magic & Mayhem (releases 12.23.2022)
4.      Midlife Magic & Menaces (coming 2023)
5.      Midlife Magic & Might (coming 2023)
 

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LOVE AND CURSES by Carrie Pulkinen

Title:  LOVE AND CURSES
Series:  Crescent City Ghost Tours #3
Author:  Carrie Pulkinen
Publisher:  Carrie Pulkinen
Publish Date:   03.28.2022
Category /Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Recommended for:  18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing:  received as an unedited ARC
Received from:  Carrie Pulkinen
Goodreads link: Love and Curses
Date completed: 03.03.2022
 
Description from the publisher:
Trish Bennet's bestie is a medium. In fact, most of her friends have psychic abilities, so she isn't the slightest bit afraid of ghosts. When she gets the chance to run a bed and breakfast in a historic New Orleans mansion, she expects to meet a spirit or two.
 
What she doesn't expect is to be hit with a nasty curse or for the remedy to be marrying the flirtatious younger man who's been asking her out for years. He'll only break her heart if she says yes, but now she doesn't have a choice.
 
Eric Landry has had it bad for Trish from the moment they met. At twenty-four, he's six years younger, and though the sizzle between them is hotter than hellfire, she's made it clear his age is a problem.
 
He'll do anything to prove his feelings for her are real, including pretending to be the best husband she could ever have.
 
Trish may think it's just a game, but when her life is on the line and he's the only one who can save her, how can she say no?
 
If you like haunting mystery and men who would move heaven and earth for the women they love, you'll adore this steamy, friends-to-lovers, fake marriage romance.
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LOVE AND CURSES is the third book in the Crescent City Ghost Tours series.  Though it will stand on its own, I highly recommend reading the full series for better understanding and enjoyment.
 
I loved Trish and Eric’s story.  Trish is letting a little number get in the way of believing Eric is serious about his flirtations with her.  Luckily fate has a hand in bringing them together (in the guise of his grandmother).  With a few more paranormal twists that lead to their destined happily ever after, I was cheering for Trish and Eric from beginning to end.  BTW there is a big number between my hubbie and me – he’s 14 years older than me and some think that’s too much; it’s not!
 
This is a wonderful friends to lovers paranormal romance and I’m looking forward to another trip to New Orleans with my favorite PNR author.
 
Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
 
Crescent City Ghost Tours Series:
1.      Love & Ghosts
2.      Love & Omens
3.      Love & Curses
Also from Carrie Pulkinen:
·         Azrael (Speed Dating with the Denizens of the Underworld #3 – releases 06.2022)
·         Bewitching the Vampire
·         Escorting Jessica
·         Reawakened
·         The Rest of Forever
·         Sign, Steal, Deliver (Gods of Thunder MC #2)
·         Soul Catchers
·         Sweet Release
Crescent City Wolf Pack Series:
1.      Werewolves Only
2.      Beneath a Blue Moon
3.      Bound by Blood
4.      A Deal with Death  
4.5  A Song to Remember
5.      Shifting Fate
Haunted Ever After Series:
1.      Love at First Haunt (previously To Catch a Spirit)
2.      Second Chance Spirit (previously To Stop a Shadow)
3.      Third Time’s a Ghost (previously To Free a Phantom) 
New Orleans Nocturnes Series:
1.      License to Bite  
2.      Shift Happens
3.      Life’s a Witch
3.5 Santa Got Run Over by a Vampire
4.      Finders Reapers  
5.      Swipe Right to Bite 
Shift Creek Series:
Up Shift Creek
1.      Flipping the Bird  
 

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KISSES OF A REBEL ROGUE by Samantha Holt

Title:  KISSES OF A REBEL ROGUE
Series:  The Duchess’s Investigative Society Series #5
Author:  Samantha Holt
Publisher:  Helstone Press
Publish Date:   03.28.2022
Category /Genre:  Historical Romance
Recommended for:  18+ due to sexual content.
Grammar/editing:  received as an unedited ARC / errors excused.
Received from:  Samantha Holt
Goodreads link: Kisses of a Rebel Rogue
Date completed: 03.16.2022
 
Description from the publisher:
The only thing darker than his reputation is his desire for her…

From homeless street thief to business owner, Charlotte Bailey has come a long way. Which makes it all the more distressing when an old friend arrives, asking her for the impossible. She never thought refusing him would put her life in danger. And she certainly wasn’t prepared for a sinfully attractive rake with a past darker than her own to step into the role of her protector. But, here she is…

Peregrine Morgan can’t abide a mystery—and the lovely Charlotte is indeed a mystery. Initially, he thought she was involved with the dangerous criminal he’d been hunting. But now, he’s not sure of anything. He has no idea why he feels so compelled to rescue her. Even more perplexing is his desire to keep her by his side (and in his bed) even after the threat has passed…

With danger lurking around every corner, will Charlotte be able to put her faith in Peregrine—and in love—when it matters the most? Or will happily ever after remain elusive for this reluctant heroine and her unlikely hero?
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KISSES OF A REBEL ROGUE is the fifth book in The Duchess’s Investigative Society Series.  Though the other four books must be read as a unit, this one will stand on its own.  The sisters of the first four books are patrons of Charlotte’s bakery and as daughters of a duke their patronage have assisted in making the bakery fashionable and desired.
 
This was probably my favorite story of the series.  I loved Charlotte’s pluckiness and Peregrine’s dedication to his neighborhood and community.  I especially loved that we have two ordinary citizens of London.  Not gutter-snipes and not aristocrats, the hard-working everyday people that I can truly relate to, not just fantasize or wish to be.
 
This was a wonderful, entertaining, and romantic read.  I highly recommend it to romance lovers, especially if you want a bit of intrigue mixed in to your story.
 
Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC via BookSprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
 
The Duchess’s Investigative Society Series:
1.      Secrets of a Duke’s Daughter
2.      Temptations of a Duke’s Daughter
3.      Wagers of a Duke’s Daughter   
4.      Seductions of a Duke’s Daughter
5.      Kisses of a Rebel Rogue
Also from Samantha Holt:
·         The Angel’s Assassin
·         Buckle Down
·         Christmas Seduction
·         The Crimson Castle
·         Eden’s Fire
·         Heart of a Viking
·         Her Dream Cowboy
·         Her Highland Defender
·         How to Marry a Rake in Ten Days
·         Hunting His Highland Lass
·         Kissed at Midnight
·         Knight’s Captive
·         Love or Loyalty
·         Loving Her Highland Enemy
·         Must Love Lords
·         Not Another Soldier
·         Once Upon a Rake
·         The Rake Who Rescued Me
·         The Sexy Bartender’s Virtual Seduction
·         A Summer Siege
·         Tempting His Mistress  
·         Too Much to Lose
·         Warriors
·         The Warrior’s Reward
·         A Whole New Duke
Bluestocking Brides Series:
Lavinia and the Laird
1.      Amelia and the Viscount
2.      Julia and the Duke
3.      Emma and the Earl
4.      Catherine and the Marquis
5.      Lilith and the Stable Hand
Borderland Legacy:
1.      Borderland Bride
2.      Borderland Beauty
3.      Borderland Betrayal
Cynfell Brothers Series:
1.      Sinful Confessions
2.      Sinful Deeds
3.      Sinful Liaisons
4.      Sinful Cravings
5.      Sinful Possession
6.      Sinful Temptations
7.      Sinful Secrets
Highland Fae Chronicles:
1.      To Steal a Highlander’s Heart
2.      To Dream of a Highlander
3.      To Avenge Her Highland Warrior
The Inheritance Clause Series:
1.      There Are Plenty More Dukes in the Sea
2.      A Rake Never Changes His Spots
3.      Once a Wallflower, Always a Wallflower
4.      All’s Fair in Love and Debauchery
The Kidnap Club Series:
1.      Capturing the Bride
2.      Stealing the Heiress
3.      Taking the Spinster  
4.      Kidnapped at Christmas  
The Lords of Scandal Row Series:
1.      The Taming of a Wicked Rogue
2.      The Tempting of a Devilish Lord
3.      The Tantalizing of a Scandalous Rake
One Knight Collection:
1.      One Knight
2.      Black Knight
3.      White Knight
4.      Highland Knight
Regency Fairy Twists:
1.      Wake Me with a Kiss
2.      The Beast Who Loved Me
3.      Dance with Me at Midnight
Rogues of Redmere Series:
1.      You’re the Rogue that I Want
2.      When a Rogue Loves a Woman
3.      Waiting for a Rogue Like You
4.      What’s a Rogue Got to Do with It?
Spinsters Club Series:
1.      Gentlemen Prefer Spinsters
The Wallflower Brides Series:
1.      Married to the Rake
2.      Married to the Lord 
3.      Married to the Earl
 

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