Book Review: Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia

Love Felt Like This
by Julie Olivia
Sept 8, 2026
Genre: Fake Dating, Romance, Small Town & Rural Fiction
A grumpy rock star and a joyful children’s show creator revive television magic in this standalone, cozy small-town romance.

Griffin Harvey lives his life in the spotlight. Reluctantly. The brooding famous singer-songwriter is on the cusp of composing his sophomore album . . . if only he could find the notes. But after gaining custody of his two-year-old daughter, the only music he’s writing is about shapes and counting to ten.

Enter Beverly, who lives her life in the background producing children’s television and laughter. Except joy is hard to find when her nonprofit loses funding. She sinks all of her savings to revive the children’s show by herself, but when her variety show appearance collides with Griffin’s, their banter and chemistry is caught on live television.

Suddenly, Griffin is singing a new tune. He needs a muse, and Beverly needs all the help she can get. With his secret daughter in tow, they hide out in her cozy mountain hometown, attempting to script, compose, and revive television magic. Their dynamic shouldn’t work. He’s all harsh tattoos and rough hands while she’s bright colors and gentle touches. Once their three months of work are done, they’ll return to their separate worlds. But what happens when it seems the true magic might be found in each other? 

Amazon

This was my kind of book- romance, funny, poignant, and just a great read you want to continue and get more information on the lives of the characters before and after the "epilogue".  

This was a first time read for this author, I did not want to find a stopping place so I could put the book down, and now what do I do- I want to read more of her books. Ms. Olivia has a way with words, and without words in dealing with each character.  They came alive and you felt their feelings- happy and sad- inside your heart also.  

I give this book 5 Baaarts, and a big Baaah.   

 

 

Grandma V.

About the Author:
website
Julie Olivia writes cozy love stories filled with humor, spice, and close friend groups that feel like a warm hug. She is a roller coaster fan, avid romance reader, and rainy day enthusiast.

Julie lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and their very opinionated pets.

Book Review: Hexy Beast (The Sherwood Witches Book 3) by Avery Flynn

Hexy Beast (The Sherwood Witches Book 3)
by Avery Flynn
September 8, 2026 
Book 3 of 3: The Sherwood Witches
Genre: rom-com, paranormal romance, shifters
An impulsive witch and a buttoned-up werewolf discover love is its own beast in this spicy rom-com from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

As the eldest daughter of the magical Sherwood family, I’m supposed to have everything together. Well, joke’s on them—I, Effie Sherwood, am chaos incarnate, and you’ll never be able to guess my next move.

Like jumping on the back of Darius Aetos’ motorcycle. Not only is Darius grumpy, gruff, and hot, he’s also the head of the Aetos werewolf pack.

My spur of the moment decision has quickly become a much bigger commitment, because a pack elder is convinced this hunk of a man (or wolf, depending on the hour) is my fated mate.

Even though I’m a witch and he’s a werewolf, we’re stuck together until we can find our way out of the tricky pack politics. But under the light of the blue moon, it’s almost starting to feel like Darius doesn’t want to stay away from me. And I’m not sure if it’s my magic going haywire or the starlit skies, but I can’t imagine leaving his arms either. 

Amazon

Also reviewed by KD 

This is not my normal read or style, but I enjoyed it. This was the first time read for Ms. Flynn. The "heat" part was definitely in order (or should I say over order), and the banter, comedy, and characters were the best.

The story was very good, and Ms. Flynn made you believe that all werewolves and witches were just normal and every day.

I give the novel 4 Baaarts, but I think if one of her followers read the book, it would be 5 Baaarts.

 

 

Grandma Vivian Dalton

About the Author:
website
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has sold more than a million books, which have been translated into multiple languages. She has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She lives outside of Washington DC with her family and a pack of five dogs all named after food. If she’s not reading romance or binging reality TV, she’s most definitely plotting to take over the world so she can banish Crocs from existence. Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.

Join her reader Patreon for special sneak peeks, chats, book boxes and more!

Book Review: When the Night Comes Knocking by Katherine Daniel + excerpt

When the Night Comes Knocking
by Katherine Daniel
Oct 20, 2026
In this Appalachian horror novel, two estranged siblings become trapped in a convenience store under attack by a monster from the mountains who feasts on guilty hearts.

Rattle, rattle in the dark…
The mountain’s bones seek out a heart.

Jane has not spoken to her brother Thomas since the accident that nearly killed them both. Their drive from college through the North Georgia mountains is uncomfortably silent, until they stop at a roadside convenience store, where a man stumbles in with a mutilated body, claiming to have been attacked by a monster.

At first, no one believes the man’s ravings, but when the next person to leave the store is brutally killed, they fear that local legend might be true:

There’s a beast in these mountains who feasts on guilty hearts… and someone among them has lured it out of hiding.

Jane and Thomas each harbor secrets, but so do the other patrons, and as the monster claims more hearts, the survivors turn on each other, desperate to save themselves by uncovering the guiltiest among them.

If the siblings can’t overcome the rift between them, they’ll surely become the monster’s next victims…or worse, become monsters themselves.

Amazon

Using present tense to tell the story let the reader flow into the explanations of why the character's heart was in danger was very well done. I wanted to continue on to the next chapter and not stop.

As a first novel, it is a winner from the first chapter to the epilogue. As folklore, drama, and horror, I really liked it and hope the author continues in the same manner, using stories from all areas of the country. This book should appeal to all readers: young, middle-aged, and old like me, but maybe not as a bedtime story.

4 Sheep



Vivian Dalton - Grandma Sheep

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
One

Once upon a time,

Jane looks at her brother and knows that he hates her. It is not something she has to guess at; rather, she feels it imprinted deeply against her bones and knows it is mingled in with the blood they share, as though it has claimed its very own sequence of DNA.

She understands his hatred for her. She feels it too, if not more strongly.

Between them, the music that plays from the car's speakers keeps pausing as her phone struggles to stay connected to Bluetooth. They are deep into the North Georgia mountains now, surrounded by white oaks and tall, looming pines that hold the ribbon-thin road in place. All around them the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest stretches outward, beautiful and threatening in its enormity.

Countless hikers will have taken off on the Appalachian Trail today, hoping to either find or lose themselves amidst the isolation. It turns Jane's gut cold, the thought of disappearing into the mountains for weeks or months on end, watching the trees all blur together into one sentient cage-of sleeping in the woods all alone at night, telling yourself that the footsteps crunching through the leaves outside your tent only belong to a harmless animal.

Though at this point, she might actually prefer that to this car ride.

When the music gives up completely, discomfort spills into the empty silence. The car's navigation system shows their arrival time at their family's cabin rental on Blood Mountain as thirty-six minutes away.

We'll never make it, she thinks, then throws another glance toward the passenger seat. Thomas looks even more inclined to fling himself out of the moving car, if that's possible.

The wind picks up through the trees, lending a momentary white noise as leaves scatter down across the windshield in melodic succession. It's been miles since they've seen another car on the road-perhaps for the better, as any passing driver might catch a glimpse of Thomas and assume he's being held in a hostage situation.

Jane reaches toward the radio, ready to settle on a station playing good old-fashioned static, when she recalls her mother's parting words on the phone that morning: He's your only brother, Jane. Just try talking to him.

She clears her throat a few times, taps her thumbs on the steering wheel as though that might tick down the seconds faster. "There's probably not going to be any service at this place," she says.

For a moment, she thinks he didn't hear her or is perhaps fully ignoring her-this would be normal behavior, after all. But then there is the smallest nod in her periphery. She tightens her grip on the wheel as the silence drags out again and forces her attention out toward the passing forest.

The rolling hills of treetops below are a sea of burnt oranges and jeweled reds from this height, waiting to catch the sun as it falls. This used to be her favorite time of year, and yet now she can't recall having even noticed the leaves change.

"You know why they decided to not have Thanksgiving at home, right?" says Thomas, thoroughly startling her; he's barely said anything in the past hour except for What's with the hack job? in regards to the new haircut she gave herself a few days before.

Jane tucks a strand of short, choppy hair behind her ear, not yet used to it barely skimming her shoulders. "I didn't think there was any big reason," she says, shrugging. "Mom just said she and Dad wanted to do something different this year."

"Ha. I'm sure they do."

The slight sneer that reaches his mouth looks unnatural to her, as if at any moment her brother will take off the icy mask and reveal a total stranger has been beneath this whole time.

She eases the car around another steep turn, noting the way Thomas braces himself in the passenger seat. "Well, why are they doing this trip, then?" she asks, hoping she sounds calmer than she feels as the wind surges through the trees.

Thomas pushes a hand through his dark hair, messing it up with his fingers. It's a nervous tic of his, one he has had since high school, though Jane doesn't think he notices.

"The nice mountain getaway, the pre-planned family activities-it's all to soften the blow for when they tell us they're getting a divorce," he informs, far too casually. "It's about time, honestly."

Jane's foot briefly slips from the gas pedal. The red leaves spiraling down around the car suddenly turn her head dizzy as she waits for her brother to admit that he's only bored and joking.

"Oh come on, Janey," Thomas says, and she tenses at the use of his old nickname for her. He does as well, seeming to have momentarily forgotten where they stand with each other.

He clears his throat. "We're both in college now," he says. "There's no reason for them to keep up the charade anymore."

To think of their parents' marriage as nothing more than a charade makes her feel as empty as she does naive. Of course she has known her mother and father's love for each other isn't perfect, but whose is? Every couple has disagreements. No one smiles all the time.

Especially in the Wilson family.

"But I don't understand. Why now?" she asks, racking her brain for any obvious signs of discontent between her parents recently; of course she knows they're unhappy with her, but that doesn't mean they have to feel the same way about each other.

"It's not such a bad thing," her brother continues, leaning his face against the window to stare out at the passing blur of trees. "Worse things can happen," he adds quietly.

These words, Jane knows, are aimed only at her. Her knuckles turn white as she grips the wheel harder, taking another tight turn in the road.

"Does Cassie know?"

"Who do you think first guessed it?" replies Thomas, readjusting in his seat again. "Mom told her 'it would be best if Wyatt sat this one out' or some cryptic shit like that. I wouldn't want my kid's boyfriend in the audience for my breakup either."

Jane's eyes begin to blur, but she quickly forces the tears away. She will not cry in front of her brother, not now while they're stuck in a car with nowhere to go but down.

The space fills up with silence again, but Jane's mind is too preoccupied to be bothered by it. Instead, she forces her eyes to stay trained on the winding road ahead. The hardest part of this trip was meant to be coexisting with Thomas, or enduring the occasional slip in their father's Mr. Optimist mask to reveal nothing but simmering disappointment hidden underneath.

But a divorce?

It is a dull ache sinking roots inside her, ready to grow and intertwine with the rest of her flowering pain that the past few months have planted. But as Thomas so rightly reminded her, worse things can happen.

She exhales shakily, trying to ignore how high up the mountain they are now, how close the looping road is to the earth's edge. "I wonder if they'll wait till after they cut the turkey," she says, attempting Thomas's light, unbothered tone.

"I'm thinking during the toast," he replies. Beneath his words, there's a hint of a smile as he mimics their father's heavy South Georgia accent. "I'm thankful for my family, but I'm also thankful that I can break it apart. Cheers, y'all."

A bubble of sad laughter erupts from Jane, and Thomas joins in, momentarily brightening the frozen space between them. She can't remember when they last laughed about anything together; there is only a sharp before and after in her mind, where their relationship was and then wasn't.

Thomas quiets quickly, schooling his face back into the cool indifference that shatters her. The words are there on the tip of her tongue.

Don't say it, she pleads, straightening her posture. Don't say it, Jane.

But the idea of their parents' divorce and the sound of his laugh has stripped something from her, leaving her carefully placed armor for this trip askew. The drop-off in the trees to their left is too prominent, too eager, and that hungry dip in gravity claws away at her exposed flesh.

Nowhere to go but down.

"Are you ever going to forgive me?" she whispers.

In the passenger seat, Thomas's slouched-over form goes stiff. His brown eyes are firmly fixated on the cast and sling on his right arm, and she can barely watch as his jaw tightens around what he really wants to say.

"Leave it alone, Jane," he tells her, like stones being cast.

By now, she knows how this pitiful moment goes, how she will offer another useless apology-words that will fix nothing but poke and prod at wounds that have barely begun to scab-before Thomas ensures they go without seeing each other until the next familial obligation.

Will we even see each other at all if Mom and Dad divorce? Is this it, then?

He opens his mouth to say something. Then his eyes go wide as she drives around another bend in the mountain.

"Jane!"

She's barely able to stop the car before it collides with the carcass. The screech of the tires against the road ricochets through her body, and she anticipates the breathless feeling of falling, of sailing off the road down and down through the endless red trees until it all goes black again, their joint screams echoing through the mountain valley.

Tremors tear through her limbs as they remain perfectly grounded with the glittering fall trees swaying gently to their sides. "I'm sorry," she gasps, swallowing down bile. Her voice is a trembling wire as she faces Thomas. "It just came out of nowhere. Are you okay?"

Her brother barely nods. There is a bright terror in his eyes that she is certain matches her own, and he clutches his right arm tightly to his chest, squeezing it every few seconds as if to make sure it is still attached to him.

"Pull off here," he mutters.

She eases the car around the roadkill and into a patch of dirt alongside the road. Thomas hops out before the car has even stopped moving, and he leans against the rocky mountainside with his eyes squeezed shut.

She presses her forehead against the steering wheel. "Shit."

Talking was a bad idea.

After a few more deep breaths, she gets out of the car, not entirely certain her legs will hold. "Oh God." Her hand flies up over her mouth, just as Thomas comes to stand at her side.

The animal in the road used to be a deer. Now it is a smear of blood and crushed bones with its chest cavity split open down the center in a precise, clean cut.

Jane shrinks against the car as Thomas shifts closer to the carnage. His eyes trail the spill of guts onto the pavement followed by the wide radius of sticky red that surrounds it.

"How could a car do this?" he says. "The cut looks nearly perfect," he adds, beginning to circle it in the same pattern as the large vultures flying overhead in the dark orange sky.

"It looks like it just happened," she says, swallowing hard. She twists to eye a puddle of fresh blood, where the wispy clouds overhead reflect back in crimson hues.

Thomas stares at the eviscerated animal, squinting closer at its chest before assessing the entrails hanging out. "That's weird," he comments, looking around at the nearby road.

Jane takes a small step closer. "What is?"

He frowns down at the deer, and she swears she sees something like a shiver pass through his shoulders. "I think its heart is gone," he says.

Jane gags, forcing her eyes to the sky. The vultures have multiplied, creating various circles over the treetops the farther the forest stretches. She tries to ignore that the swirling patterns of black seem to lead north up the mountain, exactly where she and her brother are headed.

A shiver reaches her own shoulders. "Can we leave, please? It doesn't feel safe to be parked here like this."

Thomas finally steps back from the deer and nods. They turn to leave, but Jane freezes when an icy chill starts at the top of her neck and traces its way down her spine. She turns and looks both ways down the empty curve of the road, then straight across into the line of spindly trees where the sun has begun its slow amber descent.

Thomas follows her gaze to the tree line across the road. "What is it?"

Her throat is bone dry as she lifts a wobbly finger. There on the forest floor, mixed in with the dirt and dead leaves, lies another deer.

"Jesus," he mutters, shaking his head.

The baby is in a similar state as its mother, though its unblinking stare seems to fall directly on Jane. "What could have done this?" she asks. She is certain that when their father slices the Thanksgiving turkey tomorrow, this is all she will see.

Thomas scans the tree line once more, his eyes dragging along where the blood's red shine catches against low-cutting beams of sunlight. "There are bears up here," he says, shrugging. "These guys were probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

I know the feeling, Jane thinks while forcing her eyes away from the fawn's dead ones. Her entire body feels cold, and not because of the fast-fading sun.

"Cassie's calling," says Thomas. He swipes the screen of his phone and brings it to his ear. "Hey, Cas. Yeah, we're not too far out." His eyes only briefly meet Jane's before he slides into the passenger side of the car.

She can still feel the deer lying there as she gets into the driver's seat, but Thomas's agitated voice grabs her attention.

"She's right here, Cas. Yes, I'm telling the truth. For the love of-" He turns on the speakerphone. "Say hi to her, please."

Jane raises her eyebrows. "Hi, Cas."

"Fine, fine," their older sister says. "I just wanted to make sure you two were actually coming up together." Then Cassie sighs, long and dramatic in a way that Jane has learned is like a gun going off at the start of a long-distance race.

"Things have been an absolute nightmare so far," she says. "We got a flat tire coming down the driveway to this place because there's this ridiculous pothole. You'll have to be super careful driving in, because we need to borrow your spare, Jane."

Thomas sighs deeply. "Jeez, that sounds rough, Cas-"

"So after the car situation, Dad lit up a cigar as soon as we got inside, and you know how Mom just despises the smell," Cassie continues. "So naturally, Mom's now half a bottle deep on the chardonnay, talking about how she would have been a flight attendant if she'd never had kids. I swear she's told me this on three separate occasions now. Like, girl, just go be a flight attendant-"

About the Author:
website
Katherine Daniel is a fiction writer based in Atlanta, Georgia, where she loves to explore the dark and twisty parts of what it means to be human through storytelling. She received a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Georgia State University and is represented by Cheyenne Faircloth of Handspun Literary Agency. Her debut horror novel When the Night Comes Knocking is being published by Penguin Random House on October 20th, 2026.

5 Sheep Book Review: World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon (Supernatural Entanglements) by Olivia Dade

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon (Supernatural Entanglements)
by Olivia Dade
Aug 11, 2026
Genre: paranormal romance, romcom
An oracle who can see the future teams up with the far-too-hot demon from her past to avert catastrophe, in this steamy paranormal romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Zomromcom.

Gwen Wexloff might be able to see the future, but not when it matters. Her visions invariably involve piddling issues, which means—unlike most oracles—she’s spent her life predicting for everyday humans instead of international power brokers. After a clutch of brain-slurping zombies escapes from their walled-off compound, though, Gwen experiences the first genuinely world-altering vision of her life . . . and now she needs help.

Unfortunately, that help comes from Hugh Blacke, the same starchy (but annoyingly cute) demon who watched her bomb her oracle verification test years ago. To Gwen's dismay, the two of them will need to work together to unravel the deadly conspiracy behind the zombie breach, despite their complicated past and the secrets they’re keeping.

Even with her newfound power, she couldn't have foreseen how quickly they'd both want more than a simple partnership. But the clock is ticking—and with the fate of humanity at stake, Gwen and Hugh will have to decide how much they’re willing to risk for an unexpected, passionate love...and a future together that might prove very short indeed.

Amazon

What a read. Ms. Dade out did herself with this novel. I really enjoyed all the characters, comedy, excitement, sexy commentary, and her story setting explanations were just too real not to believe--like "a demon rules Hell in the lap of luxury, and the Devil doesn't exist." 

Her writing "imagination" is just as amazing as the characters she creates to make that imagination become a reality. 

I would give this novel by Ms. Dade a deserving 5 Baaarts.

Grandma Vivian

About the Author:
website
Olivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing pajamas all day as a hermit-like writer and enthusiastic hag. She currently lives outside Stockholm with her delightful family and their ever-burgeoning collection of books.

4 1/2 Sheep Book Review: Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe

Entities to Lovers
by Mallory Marlowe
Oct. 13 2026
A connection that’s more than supernatural emerges between two rival tour guides who wish they could ghost each other in this sparkling romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Mallory Marlowe.

Paranormal medium Rory Woods spends her days offering psychic readings at Ye Olde Spirit Shop and nights haunting the streets of Boston as a ghost-tour guide. Sure, business could be better, but she’s proud of the shop she runs with her mom.

Enter Ezra Blackwell: adjunct history professor, noted thorn in Rory’s side, and—though she’d only admit it under threat of medieval torture he surely knows too much about—a distractingly handsome, charismatic coworker.

Rory can’t stand Ezra’s know-it-all, show-offy behavior. Ezra loves to tease the gorgeous, brilliant medium at the shop. And when the two are forced to host a tour together? It’s no wonder they end up hexed after disturbing a matchmaking ghost.

Saddled with perpetual bad luck unless they’re physically near each other, Rory and Ezra will try anything, from séances to kissing, to stop the jinx from wreaking havoc on both their lives. But in their quest to appease the spirit, they realize that growing closer might not be the curse they once thought it was.

Amazon

Entities to Lovers by author Mallory Marlowe is a romcom filled with tons of paranormal laughter and some spooks to keep the spirits causing mayhem.

For the Fall season, this feels like a must read. It's all kinds of pumpkin spice and eggnog, sitting by the fire and reading a cozy tale. I enjoyed it for the laugh out loud moments and light hearted nature. Truly a sweet and sincerely entertaining ride.

It's a slow burning tale that takes the reader on a journey to what we all know is coming for our main couple. Made me want to take another walking ghost tour! Gets all the love this one absolutely deserves!

4 and 1/2 Sheep

 

 

 

KD

 

About the Author:

website

Mallory Marlowe is the USA Today Bestselling author of Love and Other Conspiracies and Love at First Sighting. Seriously right-brained since childhood, her love of telling stories began with highly elaborate plots for her Barbie dolls and taking elementary school writing projects too seriously. She studied Writing for Film and TV at Emerson College.

While romance is her truest love, she also loves to write across several genres from paranormal to fantasy to horror. When she isn’t writing, she’s likely reading, stuck in L.A. traffic, or fallen down a weird internet rabbit hole. She lives in Los Angeles, CA and writes video games by day. 

5 Sheep Book Review: The Stolen Crown (The Ever Seas) by LJ Andrews

The Stolen Crown (The Ever Seas)
Book 4 of 4: The Ever Seas
by LJ Andrews
October 6, 2026
Genre: romantasy
Love and duty are thrown to the treacherous deep sea in the next Ever Seas book from bestselling author and TikTok sensation LJ Andrews.

She is the life of the party. He is the villain you never wish to meet alone.

Tait Heartwalker may be the cousin of the Ever King, but royally good company he is not. He’s ill-tempered and unapproachable, sharpened by the hard responsibilities of life and loyalty. But to the dismay of Mira Sekundär, princess of the glamour fae, he’s also intoxicating to look at.

Despite doing their best to avoid each other, fate has other plans when an otherworldly storm shipwrecks Tait and Mira far beyond the boundaries of the Ever Kingdom. They are forced to break through the thorny barriers between them and work together to find their way home. One wrong step and they’ll never return alive…

Yet as their feelings deepen, a new threat rises from the waters. And this enemy is so dangerous, even the history books tried to forget their existence.

The Stolen Crown can be read as a standalone set in the Ever Seas world. 

Amazon

The Stolen Crown (The Ever Seas book 4) by author L.J Andrews is some love found 'under the sea' and I do love some motion of the ocean!

Okay, that was a bit over the top but this one is sunken treasure that not even Davy Jones can compete with. It's so freaking hot and baby it burns, even in the cold depths of the deep. I loved the whole cast of mystical characters and the fae world that comes to life in the most vulnerable ways.

From start the finish this is a fantastical ride of danger and adventure that sailors could sing songs about. TONS of exciting romance had me turning the pages at record speeds. Loved it!

Getting 5 Sheep

 

 

KD

About the Author:
website
Stay up to date with all LJ Andrews releases by joining her mailing list here: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/f1a4x1

LJ Andrews is a USA Today Bestselling author of fantasy romance. She could live in dark worlds with brutal romantic heroes all day. When she isn't writing she's keeping her four kids alive, spending time with her hot husband, or enjoying the mountains of Utah.

Feel free to contact LJ with thoughts, concerns, book musings at ljandrewsauthor@gmail.com.

Book Review: The Secrets of Everlight (Shattered Kingdoms Book 1) by Julie Hall

The Secrets of Everlight (Shattered Kingdoms Book 1)
by Julie Hall
October 6, 2026
Genre: historical fantasy
A thief turned spy must unravel an assassination plot against the fae prince by disguising herself as a princess competing for his heart in this entrancing romantasy by USA Today bestselling author Julie Hall.

For nineteen years, Rowan has fought to survive: first on the streets scavenging for scraps, then bound by a decade-long contract to a corrupt master. She longs for freedom but spends her days stealing from the highborn to pay off her servitude.

When a mysterious fae buys her contract, Rowan seizes her chance to escape. But her freedom comes at a price: she must uncover the assassin targeting Prince Dryden of the Ember Kingdom. To do so, she will pose as a princess among the royals competing for his hand in marriage.

Thrust into a world of silks and finery, Rowan has just weeks to master her role while hunting a killer hidden in plain sight. Eavesdropping and sneaking through gilded halls may come naturally, but the bonds she forms with the other princesses—and Dryden’s growing interest in her—are complications that threaten to unravel everything.

As whispers of danger beyond the kingdom rise, Rowan realizes the stakes are far greater than she imagined. And every stolen glance with the prince pulls her closer to a desire that could cost her not only her future but the kingdom itself.

Amazon

The Secrets of Everlight (Shattered Kingdoms) by Julie Hall is filled with Fae and some steamy forbidden romance!

An assassination plot keeps this moving along to uncover the who done it. Tons of mythical creatures laced with magics and some very hard hitting ladies kept me moving right along the plot lines.

Loved all the detailed built in this world of fantasy, high stakes and romance. It runs a tad bit long with some scenarios getting a smidge long winded. But for those that like that extra depth, you'll enjoy this one.

Getting 4 Sheep

 

 

KD

About the Author:
website
Julie Hall is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author who traded her career in movie marketing for worlds filled with magic, danger, and slow-burn romance. She writes the kind of fast-paced, heart-wrenching fantasy stories that leave readers with epic book hangovers and a desperate need for more.

Her love of all things fantasy and supernatural started early—thanks to Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathons and a dog-eared collection of L.J. Smith paperbacks—and she’s been chasing that same blend of heart, humor, and high stakes ever since.

Her stories have captured readers around the world and are known for fierce heroines, morally gray love interests, and twists that make you gasp out loud. She lives in Colorado with her husband, daughter, and two furry chaos-makers, forever chasing stories where love burns bright in the darkest moments.

Instagram: Julie.Hall.Author
TikTok / Facebook: JulieHallAuthor

5 Sheep Book Review: Demons and Diplomacy (Ministry of Supernatural Affairs) by Megan Frampton

Demons and Diplomacy (Ministry of Supernatural Affairs)
by Megan Frampton
August 25, 2026
Book 1 of 1: Ministry of Supernatural Affairs
A tantalizing pact between an ordinary woman and the silver-tongued son of the Devil is all that stands between Britain—and all hell breaking loose.

1851, London. All supernatural species have emerged from hiding, a result of The Great Revelation, led by Her Majesty, the vampiric Queen Victoria, and her dhamphir consort, Prince Albert.

Cora Hastings is the British government’s Species Ombudsman, a human tasked with keeping the peace between supernatural creatures. It’s run-of-the-mill work: enforcing the newly created shifting parameters, negotiating contracts between species, and generally making certain all Londoners are treated equally.

That is, until the Devil himself decides he wants to leave his hellish home and see the results of Prince Albert’s greatest accomplishment, the Great Exhibition. His arrival could upset the uneasy peace between creatures, and worse—he’s brought his son.

The Marquis of Hell is diabolically good-looking, unnaturally perceptive, and, well, a demon. Cora navigates her sinfully seductive diplomatic assignment as best she can, until she catches wind of a secret conspiracy set to come to fruition at the opening of the Great Exhibition. This leaves her with an impossible choice: Either Cora enters an unholy alliance with the Devil’s son, or she watches as her world is torn asunder….

Amazon

"A Ministry of Supernatural Affairs Novel" as a description to "An Incomplete Guide to Navigating Supernatural Species in the Post-Revelation World" really sounds dull. But--let me tell you--this was the most fun read I have experienced in the last couple of books I have read. Be prepared to laugh, snicker, and think that can really happen.

Ms. Frampton was a first time read--I cannot wait to find more of her books--and the characters were funny, clever, sexy and just about all you want to have in a story. Every word and description of the "Post-Revelation World" sounded like it was happening now--for real. The book was cleverly written and made you want to read and finish the complete book in one sitting--it was very hard to put down and go about my non-revelation world navigation.

I highly insist you read this book and will give the book 5 Barts- wish there were more to give.

Grandma Vivian

 

About the Author:

website

Megan Frampton writes romantasy and historical romance under her own name and romantic women's fiction as Megan Caldwell. She loves reading danmei, listening to K-pop (SHINee!), and defending the Oxford comma. She lives in Brooklyn with her daughter. 

Book Review: Keeping Score by Brittany Kelley

Keeping Score
by Brittany Kelley
August 25, 2026
Genre: contemporary sports romance
Love is on the line, and this goalie is playing for keeps, in this steamy soccer romance from Brittany Kelley, author of Relationship Goals.

Michelle Oxford lives and breathes soccer. After an injury that ended her dreams of going pro, she snagged the next best thing: a position as the director of operations for the LA Aces. And even if it’s not quite what she imagined it would be, it’s still better than cutting out soccer altogether.

The only problem? Carefree, wonder boy goalie, Tristan Gold.

Tristan has wanted more than just friendship with Michelle since the moment he laid eyes on her, but nothing would kill her career faster. When she loses a bet, the team gleefully insists she has to take lessons on “being chill” from Tristan himself.

They couldn’t be more different, but Tristan’s always met her perfectionist tendencies with good-natured goofiness, so she reluctantly agrees. The more time she spends with him, the more she likes what she sees . . . and Michelle starts to think that with him by her side, she could do just about anything—even saying goodbye to the future she thought she always wanted.

Amazon

A very easy read with Everything: in-depth characters, fun, romance, comedy, and soccer. Ms. Kelley kept each chapter interesting and flowing with each character title. This was a first time read for this author, and I would consider any previous or up-and-coming novel as another read.

I give "Keeping Score" 4 Barts

 

 

Grandma Vivian

About the Author:
https://www.brittanykelleywrites.com/
Brittany Kelley writes romantic comedy with a shot of spice. If there's a chance she can tip it into the absurd, still spike up the heat, and get the characters to a happy ever after? Well, she's going to write it. From monster rom-coms to haunted halloween romances and spicy sports romps, Brittany's going to add her brand of humor and heat.

Brittany lives in the northeast US with her family, overgrown garden, and too many pets to name here. 

Book Review: I Punched an Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy by Kimberly Lemming

I Punched an Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy
by Kimberly Lemming
August 18, 2026
A zany and sexy romance about a woman who finds herself stranded on a far-off planet and mated to the warlord alien king, from USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Lemming.

It’s not in Blair’s nature to just give up. Not when she’s beamed up to a spaceship and then dropped on an alien planet. Not even when she’s in the middle of a forest fire surrounded by dinosaurs. And definitely not when she’s captured by an arrogant alien king. If King Osid thinks he can break her, he’s in for a shock. Blair lives by one motto: If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.

But absolutely nothing could have prepared her for finding out that she’s that arrogant King Osid’s mate.

Despite recent hiccups, the alien researchers are determined to get their breeding program back on track. With that in mind, Blair and Osid are bundled off to the research center for what they’re told is couples counseling. As they face a series of increasingly dangerous challenges, it soon becomes clear the research aliens may have confused an episode of The Bachelor with Survivor. Bonding over their common enemy, and shall we say...encouraged by love darts, Blair and Osid let down their walls (and take off their clothes). When they discover that there are—somehow—even more secret plans in the works, another hilarious, steamy, over-the-top adventure is in store.

Amazon

When I started reading the prologue, I thought, "Could this get any zanier than the title?", and it did. A very fun, enjoyable read. At least Ms. Lemming had characters and places with names I could pronounce- and funny also.

This was also a first time read for this author, and I am sure I all her previous and up-and-coming novels are and will be just the same great read. Her characters and situations may be alien, but are they? She has a way of making a situation seem like a normal occasion or just an everyday happening.

I give the book 4 1/2 Barts.

 

 

Grandma Vivian

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1
Blair
July 5, 2025, Earth
I loved Porsha, but she made you realize why they put "Warning: contents may catch fire" on a blowtorch. "You stole a bush viper?"

Our drummer nodded enthusiastically. "A spiny bush viper," she corrected. "Isn't she pretty? Look at her coloring!" She held the little snake higher, showing off spiky bright-yellow scales that screamed "I'm fucking venomous." To drive that fact home, the snake locked eyes with me and hissed. "They also had a red one, but it was more of a muddy red, and I figured the fans would be able to see her bright-yellow coloring better. I named her Piper."

I struggled to clip the skull mask to the shoulder of my lucky jacket, but the clasp snapped back into place too soon, clamping down on the end of my finger. "Ow!" I shook my hand. The skull's jaw fell open, as if in shock. I chose to believe the snake was the reason, instead of my inability to hook a mask onto a damn jacket. I could go on without it. But the skull's eyes had a glowing red light that I had programmed to light up during certain chords of our songs. Combined with the jacket's neon-green color and pins from my favorite bands, it always made me feel like a true rock star. I am nothing if not a thematic bitch.

Jackie took pity on me and set her eyeliner aside to hook the skull in place. Naturally, because it hated me, the skull snapped in on her first try. She gave me a look.

I returned it in kind. "Well, I loosened it."

"Sure."

"Anyway, Porsha, my dear friend, my reason for day drinking-"

"Hey!"

"Why?" I asked, abandoning my jacket on the dresser table to face her. "Why did you steal a bush viper?"

Porsha fixed me with an incredulous look as if the answer was obvious. Seeing that I still wasn't picking up what she was laying down, Porsha yielded and said, "Blair, this is the finals! If we want to win this thing, we need a gimmick. You know Stray Planet is gonna come in hard with a crazy light show. If we want any kind of chance of winning against oiled-up
K-pop dancers with strobe lights, then we need this. Besides, we're literally named the Vipers; she's the perfect mascot."

She wasn't completely wrong. K-pop wasn't the usual genre seen at the Emergenza Festival, but Stray Planet came in and dominated with the younger audiences. On stages full of rock, indie, and alternative bands, their group stuck out like a shining beacon. I couldn't even just blame it on the light show or glistening pecs either. K-pop might not have been my usual genre, but I couldn't deny that their music was fire.

"Oh Porsha." I reached out to pat her pretty, empty head, but thought better of it seeing as she was still holding her contraband viper. "I want to know what possessed you to immediately jump to a deadly animal as a gimmick. Where did you even get that thing?"

"Didn't I tell you? My uncle got me a part-time job at the zoo. The snake guy always spends his lunch breaks in his truck, so all I had to do was sneak into his office and snag his little snake grabby thing and one of the portable cages. She didn't even fight me when I picked her up." She held the snake near her face and cooed lovingly at its death glare. "Cause you're a sweet girl, aren't you, Piper?"

The snake hissed, causing Porsha to rear back with a start and all but toss the poor abductee back into her cage.

"See?" I shouted. "She damn near tore your face off. That's what you get for stealing snakes like a damn fool. After the show, you're bringing her right back to where you found her."

"No, come on, Blair, give her a chance. Look, we've been building our fan base for the past two years, and look at where we are. Still no record deal, no major exposure outside of the US, and we're still competing for scraps in every music competition we can afford to enter. If we want to make it big, we need to up our social media game. The best way to do that is with some kind of gimmick. Like how Ozzy bit the head off that bat."

"Ah, uh, no. I'm not biting the head off no damn snake. Porsha, you lost your mind."

"No, no! Nothing like that at all. Just give her a little kiss on the head before the show. It will be just like the bat thing but more humane. That's the kind of thing that will go viral on TikTok!"

"Yes, I can see the caption now. 'Dumbass lead singer dies live on stage after kissing a snake.' I'm sure you and Jackie will make a fortune selling T-shirts with my obituary on them."

Jackie snorted behind me, not even bothering to pause putting on her makeup. "As if anyone would buy a shirt with your face on it."

I met her gaze through the reflection in the mirror. "I hope you get sick."

She snort-laughed into her makeup, causing blush to plume around her face until she was left coughing.

Colton appeared in the doorway. "Vipers, you're on in ten." The stage manager held up a finger when Jackie opened her mouth to speak, pressing his other hand to his earpiece. He left just as quickly, shutting the door behind him.

"It's now or never," Porsha said to me. "Come on, just give her a-"

I cut her off with a wave of my hand. "No, we are not doing the snake thing. We made it this far into the competition without any silly gimmicks. We don't need a light show or a bush viper."

"But-"

"No," I stated firmly, grabbing my guitar. My phone buzzed in my pocket. The caller ID read "Red Car." I blocked the number, then set my phone down on the counter and checked my eyeliner.

"Bad date?" Porsha asked.

"No, they were fine. And we move on."

"Damn, that's cold."

I shrugged. "What do you want me to do, send them a fruit basket? We had some fun in the sun, the pool, Jackie's greenhouse-"

"What?" cried Jackie.

"And now we go our separate ways," I finished.

Porsha shook her head. "Girl, you need to be careful playing with these hearts."

"Excuse you, I'm clean. All my partners get tested."

"I meant attracting crazy people, Blair." Porsha stuck a hand on her hip, glaring at me the way she always did before launching into another true-crime safety briefing. "There was this guy who offered a woman his watch, only to report it stolen and have her arrested. Just so she would be brought back to him and be under his control!"

I rubbed at my temples. "Porsha, darling, sweetheart, that was Alchemy of Souls. We watched it together."

Her mouth fell open before she patted her hair and turned away. "Oh."

"Forget my dating habits. After we win this competition, I'll have enough money to abscond to a beach somewhere anytime I need to get away from a clinger. I haven't met anybody yet that could match my freak, and I refuse to settle for a damn thing."

"Say it again; it sounded so sweet," Jackie said, smiling. She got up from her chair and clasped each of us on the shoulder. "Fuck settling, fuck my dad; Porsha, I don't know who pissed you off-"

"Darius, from my spin class."

"Then fuck Darius too! After today, we'll be swimming in record deals and more money than we know what to do with."

"Oh my god, I could quit my job," Porsha gushed. "No more cleaning up animal shit!"

"You mean pay your bail after they found out you stole that snake," I corrected.

"Don't stress, it'll be fine. I just have to get her back before they do the security rounds in the morning. They take that shit pretty seriously after a sea lion got shot in a drive-by."

"I . . . bitch, what zoo do you work at?"

"Hey, guys?" Jackie asked.

"Look, I'm telling you it's fine. And I still think we should give the snake a try."

"Guys?" Jackie called again.

I held up a finger to Jackie and shouted, "For the last time, I am not kissing a snake."

"Guys!"

"What?" Porsha and I yelled in unison.

"Where's the snake?" Jackie asked in a voice way too damn calm to announce that a venomous snake was now on the loose.

I looked over to see an empty cage. Porsha sucked her teeth. "Well, that's not good."

"Oh shit," I screamed, jumping up on the counter. "Porsha! Porsha, where's the damn snake?"

Porsha held up her hands, eyes darting around the room. "All right, nobody panic, she couldn't have gone far, she's only eight inches long."

"That's worse!" Jackie screamed, jumping up next to me. "That little death bringer could be anywhere! Girl, why the fuck didn't you lock the cage?"

Porsha crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, there's a lot of finger-pointing going on, so why don't we all just take a breath and look around the room? She probably just curled up somewhere warm."

Carefully, very carefully, Porsha and I searched the dressing room for any signs of the viper. Yet among all the musical equipment, changing outfits, and the small outlet store amount of makeup scattered among every available surface, we may as well have been searching for a needle in a haystack. One where you died if the needle pricked you. Fun stuff.

"Vipers, you're up!" Colton said, peeking his head through the door. When he noticed Porsha and me searching around the floor while Jackie was still firmly planted on the counter, he cocked his head to the side and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Well, fuck. Now what do we do?" Jackie asked.

I got to my feet and put on my best customer service smile. "Hey Colton, could we maybe go on after the next band? We kind of-"

"Absolutely not." The schedule's made well in advance, if your band can't compete, you automatically forfeit."

"We just need-"

"No exceptions, perform or don't. There're plenty of other bands waiting to take your spot. Are you coming or not?"

Both my bandmates looked at me. I clenched my teeth, calming my nerves. "We're coming."

Colton nodded and left.

I snatched my jacket from the counter and put it on. Then quickly checked the inside pocket just to make double sure there was no snake hiding inside. Thankfully, the pockets were empty, save for my pistol and lip gloss. "Looks like it's now or never. Grab your shit, girls; we'll lock the door on the way out and find the snake after."


Nothing got your blood pumping like the moment just before you struck your first chord onstage. The dimmed lights, the silent anticipation of the crowd, the pounding of your heart as your mind dances on the cusp of that high you can only get from roaring applause.

I steadied my breathing as the announcer made his introduction. Up here I wasn't just a fry cook. Up here, I wasn't a forgotten member of my own family. Up here, people listened.

And when the music started to play, the magic of their attention felt like gold in my veins. Unfortunately, the music was far too loud for me to actually listen to them. At the first scream of "SNAKE!" I thought maybe the crowd had come up with a new stage name for one of us. It wasn't until I heard the telltale hiss against my ear that I looked to my shoulder to find Piper half uncoiled from her hiding place in the skull of my jacket. In the corner of my eye, I could see Porsha throw her drumsticks aside and lunge for me. She wasn't fast enough. The snake poised to strike and shot out to bite my face.

A blinding white light flashed. The snake's fangs were frozen mere inches from my eye. I couldn't move an inch. My body became weightless as I was hurled toward something in the sky.

"Is that a damn spaceship?"

Chapter 2

Blair

Monsoon 54, Year 10, Waffles

Terrible squawking noises woke me out of a dazed slumber. I rubbed at my tired eyes, only to be startled by the sound of sloshing water as I brought my hand up. I opened my eyes to see a cracked glass pane that obscured most of my view. A thick green liquid came up to my neck and gushed out of the crack in the glass in a steady stream. Just beyond the glass, I could make out the blurred shapes of what looked like panicked birds fighting off a much bigger, snarling blob.

There was a shriek, then an orange bird slammed against the glass, causing the crack to spiderweb even further until the glass broke completely, and I fell from the tank in a rush of the green liquid. The room was in utter chaos. Freaky looking owl creatures were locked in battle with the most pissed off lion I'd ever seen. Rows of cylinder tanks like the one I'd been in lined the room, each of them held their own floating unconscious occupant.

"What . . . what's happening?"

Someone screamed, and I followed the noise to find a woman with wild red hair holding what looked like a cattle prod. She swung at the freak owls like a mad batter before bolting out of the room, several of the owls hot on her trail. The lion noticed the girl's departure and tried to run after her. A blue owl zapped him with his cattle prod. The lion gave off an enraged roar before sinking his teeth into the bird's skull. There was a crunch, and the bird fell limp. The lion tossed it aside and took off in the direction the girl ran.

The remaining birds flew out of the room in absolute chaos. One chirped loudly into a mic on the wall while owls in white coats rushed in to cart off the wounded. Several larger looking birds grabbed cattle prods from a shelf on the wall and chased after the lion.

I slowly stepped away from my broken pod. Glass crunched beneath my boots, alerting the owl shouting commands into the mic. His large yellow eyes locked in on me. Both of us froze to a standstill. Then the owl shrieked, pointing at me with his little clawed hand as he began shouting new commands into the mic.

I whipped my pistol from my jacket and took aim, but water gushed out of the barrel. Not knowing what else to do, I pocketed the pistol, picked up the unconscious orange owl from the pile of broken glass, and chucked it at the screeching snitch, effectively shutting him up. Before I could find out who the bird was calling, I darted out of the room toward where I saw the girl and lion escape. For all I knew, the redhead had found a way out, and I sure as hell didn't want to stay in the creepy-ass lab room with the rest of the floaty tube women.

About the Author:
https://www.kimberlylemming.com/
Kimberly Lemming is on an eternal quest to avoid her calling as a main character. She can be found giving the slip to that new werewolf that just blew into town and refusing to make eye contact with a prince of a far-off land. Dodging aliens looking for Earth booty can really take up a girl's time.

But when she’s not running from fate, she can be found writing diverse fantasy romance. Or just shoveling chocolate in her maw until she passes out on the couch.

Book Review: Maggie and Arthur's Magic Moment by Leslie René

Maggie and Arthur's Magic Moment
by Leslie René
July 28, 2026
Genre: romantasy, witches romance
A dangerous spell gone wrong forces the passionate professor of incantations to share tight quarters with her magical college’s leading—and most brooding—alchemist.

Despite the college’s budget cuts that slashed her syllabus, Linguistics and Incantation Translation professor Maggie Linden has almost made it to the end of the spring semester. To celebrate, Maggie attends a magical masquerade on Beltane. Maybe the end-of-year frenzy explains why she kissed a masked stranger at the festival, though her celebration may have come too soon….

An accident in the lab of famous (and famously broody) alchemist Arthur Taliesin sets loose a dangerous, haunting magic called a pall that renders the nicer parts of their academic building uninhabitable. Maggie is assigned to share her tiny basement office with none other than Taliesin himself. With his insufferable attitude and unfortunate good looks, Arthur makes it impossible for Maggie to concentrate on anything—her research, her students’ final exams, or tracking down her mysterious Beltane suitor.

She’ll do anything to get Arthur out of her office, including offering to help him reverse the magic that threatens the school. But Maggie is starting to realize her officemate may not be the conceited grump he pretends to be. In fact, much of what she thinks is true about Arthur is merely a mask….

Amazon

Ms. Rene has a winner with this delightful story of magic, gloom & doom, and romance. The characters were real and fun. She provided a glossary with the book, but it was not needed. As she wrote the passages, you completely understood the meaning of the moment. The story was very well written, maybe a couple chapters a little too long into the scene, the romance very romancey, but as I continued to read, I really enjoyed the book.

I give Leslie Rene's "Maggie and Arthur's Magic Moment" 4 Barts. And I hope another novel is in the offering soon to earn more Barts.

Grandma Vivian Dalton
4 out of 5

About the Author:
website
Leslie writes books with a little magic and a lot of yearning. She is an experienced science writer and editor, an avid reader, and she’d love to tell you a story.

4.5 Sheep Book Review: Hexy Beast (The Sherwood Witches, Book #3) by Avery Flynn

Hexy Beast (The Sherwood Witches, Book #3)
by Avery Flynn
Book 3 of 3: The Sherwood Witches
September 8, 2026
An impulsive witch and a buttoned-up werewolf discover love is its own beast in this spicy rom-com from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

As the eldest daughter of the magical Sherwood family, I’m supposed to have everything together. Well, joke’s on them—I, Effie Sherwood, am chaos incarnate, and you’ll never be able to guess my next move.

Like jumping on the back of Darius Aetos’ motorcycle. Not only is Darius grumpy, gruff, and hot, he’s also the head of the Aetos werewolf pack.

My spur of the moment decision has quickly become a much bigger commitment, because a pack elder is convinced this hunk of a man (or wolf, depending on the hour) is my fated mate.

Even though I’m a witch and he’s a werewolf, we’re stuck together until we can find our way out of the tricky pack politics. But under the light of the blue moon, it’s almost starting to feel like Darius doesn’t want to stay away from me. And I’m not sure if it’s my magic going haywire or the starlit skies, but I can’t imagine leaving his arms either.

Amazon 

Hexy Beast (The Sherwood Witches) book 3 of The Sherwood Witches in this rom-com paranormal series. It is freaking hilarious!!!

Talk about banter and snark, this one is dripping with many actual laugh out loud moments. I loved all the back and forth between our leading couple. They are super believable as a couple and just overall the whole world this author created.

Tons of added spicy moments and deep love connection between two people you are actually rooting for. Add in some really touching heartfelt pages and overall this one is a fun adventure in a light-hearted story.

Enjoyed it from start the finish!

Getting 4.5 Sheep

 

 

KD

About the Author:
website
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has sold more than a million books, which have been translated into multiple languages. She has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She lives outside of Washington DC with her family and a pack of five dogs all named after food. If she’s not reading romance or binging reality TV, she’s most definitely plotting to take over the world so she can banish Crocs from existence. Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.

Join her reader Patreon for special sneak peeks, chats, book boxes and more!

Book Review: I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell by Mackenzie Reed

I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell
by Mackenzie Reed
Sept 1, 2026
Genre: urban fantasy
When staying late at the office leads to witnessing an exorcism, Brie Benson's mundane life takes a hellish turn…literally.

After her parents' death, twenty-seven-year-old Brie has mastered the art of compartmentalization to survive her mind-numbing routine as a receptionist at a life insurance company. But when she accidentally catches her hot, uptight boss, Luke, performing an exorcism on Debra from accounting, her carefully ordered world implodes.

Swearing Brie to secrecy, Luke reveals he's from a line of demon hunters and that demonic activity is spiking. But when her emotional support coworker vanishes, Brie is determined to find her. With nothing left to lose, she convinces Luke to let her join his rescue mission.

The problem? Their destination is hell. And the entrance is in Times Square.

Now Brie and Luke must navigate a corporate underworld of monsters and bureaucratic nightmares while racing to save their colleague and repair a tearing veil between worlds. All before their growing feelings become irrelevant and hell claims them forever.

Amazon

I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell by author Mackenzie Reed is a funny and enjoyable Urban Fantasy story that would translate very easily to TV.

This one is an absolute ride that takes off after a pretty normal and average start. I wasn't sure where it was going, but wow does this one just kinda take off. It was super enjoyable and crosses over in such an epic way from the human world, to Hell.

Like mentioned from the start, this story could very well be an ongoing show. It has all the great points you would want to see come to life from page to screen. Hopefully the powers that be can make that happen at some point!

Fantasy in the world of today done in just the right way, recommend this one!

Getting 4 Sheep

 

 

 

KD

About the Author:
website
Mackenzie Reed is the author of young adult fiction, including her debut thriller THE ROSEWOOD HUNT and upcoming novel THE WILDE TRIALS. She cultivated her love of storytelling at Nazareth College, where she graduated with a BA in Communication and Media. A native and resident of Rochester, New York, she loves going for brainstorming walks when the weather’s behaving and spending time with her family. In the sparse moments she’s not writing or daydreaming about her next book, she’s usually winging her eyeliner and hunting for the best slice of pizza in town.