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For those Who Love Enemies to Lovers: Like in Love with You and A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

14 Jan

Like in Love with You
by Emma R. Alban
Like in Love with You is a charming Regency Romance set in Bath, England in 1817 about two Queen Bees who start as rivals for the same gentleman and then realize that they are actually falling for each other. The first half of the novel was a page turner waiting to see if the two would ever announce their feelings for each other or continue their battle for a man they don’t have feelings for. Of course even when/if they do there is still the issue of the prejudices of the time period for them to overcome. I liked that Alban is able to depict Catherine and Rosalie’s scheming while keeping the two likeable. This book will have you rooting for the couple. Make sure you have plenty of time before starting this story, you won’t want to put it down. You can also borrow her Victorian romances Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend (about two debutantes who try and setup their widowed parents, but fall in love with each other instead) and You’re the Problem, It’s You (about a Lord and a Second Son who are rivals, but fall for one another).

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
by Sarah Hawley
A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon is a cozy contemporary romance/fantasy about a witch, Mariel, who accidentally conjures up a demon, Ozroth and is bound to him until she completes a deal for her soul. When her demanding mother catches them together she lies that he is her boyfriend and shenanigans ensue. What Mariel doesn’t know is that Ozroth has been secretly cursed to have a soul during another bargain. He struggles with atypical feelings for a demon including burgeoning feelings of attraction and possibly even love for her. Besides the romance story additional drama comes from Mariel and her friends attempts to block the building of a spa that threatens the magical forest that surrounds their town. If you enjoyed Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villian Anymore, then you will also want to check out this story. You can also borrow Hawley’s other two novels in her Glimmer Falls Series: Book 2, A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch, about her best friend, Calladia, and Book 3, A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire about her boss, Ben.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Holiday Whodunnits: Five Golden Wings and Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings

24 Dec

Five Golden Wings
by Donna Andrews
It is wedding time again in the funny Meg Lanslow Mystery series. In Five Golden Wings, it isn’t one, but two weddings that are happening between two of Meg’s feuding cousins who have chosen the same day to celebrate their nuptials in Caerphilly. This is mystery thirty-eight in the series, but you do not have to be familiar with the previous book to enjoy the mystery and humor in this novel. I’ve often bailed on series after they go on to long and stop being fresh, but Andrews’s writing continues to be engaging with another fun mystery and her always charming cast of characters. I also liked that in cozy novels sometimes characters can seem too perfect, but the stress of the wedding is making even Meg and some of her sweet family members get a bit cranky. The first in the series Murder with Peacocks also centered around wedding preparations so if you enjoy this one definitely check the original out as well. Andrews also has several other holiday themed entries including Halloween as well as Christmas in the series.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings
by Liz Ireland
Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings was our holiday pick for this year’s December Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion. This year we decided to have added fun by inviting the Mystery Discussion members to join us. There are six books in the series so far including the latest Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine. The first book takes place not long after April married Nick Claus and moved with him to the North Pole where he is taking over the role of Santa after his brother passes away. When a grumpy elf named Giblet Hollyberry dies after discovering a black widow spider apparently hiding in his stocking, April decides to help solve the crime and hopes that it will exonerate her husband who the night before had been decried by Giblet. I liked that though there is a sense of whimsy in some of the description that this still felt like an adult novel and not overly juvenile. April’s adjustment to her in-laws and worries about the fact that she had a short engagement before marrying Nick are those many new brides experience. Ireland builds on bits of Santa legends and adds interesting twists of her own such as the sled reindeer all being female (based on the real life fact that males lose their horns in early fall/start of winter and females keep them through the spring). If you enjoy this unusual spin on the Claus Dynasty you may also enjoy Sara Raasch’s romance about another version of the North Poler rulers, Nightmare Before Kissmass.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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