Hawt Flash

Midlife in Aura Cove #1

by Blair Bryan

Turning 50 is supposed to be a milestone, but for Katie Beaumont, it's the beginning of a supernatural adventure that will change her life forever.

Devastated by her husband's infidelity, Katie discovers she possesses powers beyond her wildest dreams. But as she embarks on a journey of explosive self-discovery, a century of ancestral secrets begins to unravel and threatens to upend everything she thought she knew.

Guided by her sassy best friend, a talking dog, and a ball-busting lawyer, Katie embraces her new life. But she soon realizes that her magical abilities come with a price and enemies who will stop at nothing to claim them.

Filled with hilarious revenge, outrageous female empowerment, and the comfort of family, this small-town paranormal women's fiction series will leave you breathless and prove there is a lot of life to live after 50.

This is book 1 of the Midlife in Aura Cove Series—a little Florida town with big secrets. Perfect for fans of Darynda Jones, K. F. Breene, Kristen Painter, Robyn Peterman, Deanna Chase, and Shannon Mayer.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2023

About the author

Under the pen names of Ninya and Blair Bryan, this creative powerhouse channels her passion into crafting stories that entertain and immerse readers of paranormal women's fiction, travel memoir, and contemporary women's fiction.

A risk-taker by nature, Blair Bryan fearlessly embarked on her author journey at the age of 44, bringing to life captivating tales that will leave you on the edge of your seat. She's a magnet for wild experiences, breathtaking locations, and fascinating individuals, seamlessly weaving their essence into her women's fiction novels. From unexpected encounters to daring escapades, she draws inspiration from the tapestry of her own life, ensuring an endless supply of captivating storylines that will leave you hungry for more.

If you love a good dirty joke, a cup of coffee so strong you can chew it, and have killed more cats with your curiosity than you can count, she might be your soulmate.

Visit her online www.tealbutterflypress.com
Join her exclusive facebook reader group: www.facebook.com/groups/tealbutterfly...

Reviews

[Kathy Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure

I started this book with high hopes for a fun read. It's nice to have characters who are over 30. But, it mostly read like a revenge fantasy.
I didn't hate it, but I didn't really like it.

[ANGELA · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this. I did. A main character that is not 16? Perfect! But it was not enjoyable. At all. The characters were all flat and one dimensional, the dialogue stilted. And why is it every book about a woman finding out she has witchy powers has to be preceded by her being jilted by a cliche'd cheating husband who is just despicable. It's been done time and time again. This book read more like a man hating book than a witchy fun read. Women are capable of finding themselves and becoming strong with or without a cheating husband. I was so disappointed.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is good and the premise is interesting but the whole book reads like an introduction. I expect some of that in the first book of a series but there was too much. I’m deciding whether to read the 2nd one

[Renee Rosen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was ok. I expected something more. Will not be reading the others

[Bridget Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book immediately piqued my interest because it features an older female protagonist, a demographic often overlooked in fantasy fiction. I found myself completely invested in her journey, from navigating the messy complexities of her divorce to reconnecting with her children (forgotten memories). The unfolding layers of her magical identity, coupled with the shocking revelation that her great-great grandmother is still alive, created a narrative tapestry rich with suspense and unexpected turns. It's a story that truly keeps you guessing at every corner. While the book does lean heavily into setting the stage for the sequel, acting almost as a prolonged prologue, I ultimately felt that the comprehensive world-building and character development were essential. Every detail, every revelation, felt deliberately placed, laying the crucial groundwork necessary for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the events to come in the next installment. Without this extensive setup, I suspect the sequel wouldn't be nearly as impactful.

[Lucy Takeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am grudgingly giving this four stars, although I’d probably rate it 3.5. The characters seem rather two dimensional to me. The good are just SO admirable, and jerks are SO despicable! Also, I do understand cliff hangers , but this is hanging off the cliff with a raging fire underneath! If the next book isn’t available yet, I will be extremely pissed!
Katie is a rather typical turning 50 years old wife and mother who has dedicated her life to her husband and family. Therefore, she is rather out of shape , and her only outside interest seems to be her grandmother’s gourmet chocolate shop. Her husband thinks he’s “ all that,” and spends his life indulging himself and treating her like a Potter house elf. However, when she turns 50, suddenly she is exposed to an entire new world.
I am fondest of her friend Frankie and the dog, Arlie ( although the plot suggests I will end up greatly annoyed with him).

[Jolene MacFadden · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Can All Agree Turning 50 Should Have Some Perks

The first book in the Aura Cove series was intriguing. It is not, to me at least, unputdownable.. it is a good story with a delightful premise but has some overdone situations as well. By that I mean the lady turned 50, she discovers her husband cheated on her, turns out all through their marriage, and files for a divorce with the best woman divorce lawyer in town. That was great as the dud is a lawyer too.

Along with three grown children, a wacky best friend (gotta have one of these), and her ever supportive grandmother who tells her she gains special powers now that the has reached 50 but she will have to watch out for her great-great mother( who still looks 40) who wants her newly developing powers.

The first book ends on a cliffhanger...has strong female characters

[Widget83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean PWF - my preferred type.

Blair Bryan has done a wonderful task on the first book/series in a new genre. I was hooked from the first chapter. A few minor editing slips, but easy enough to move passed (I am a spelling and grammar analist [I did not mean analyst ;) ] hahahaha).
The world building works well. The characters have been well thought out as well.
Whilst I believe an extra sentence would have concluded this first in series and left a great lead in for the next book more securely, don't be alarmed that you may be missing part of the book, I confirmed the ending is as intended.

I still eagerly await Flash Mob when it is released.

Keep going Blair, you are doing the genre proud!

[Jennifer Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept seeing this book in my feeds and advertisements. There were lots of good things to say about it. So, I bought it. It was a quick read, that almost didn't happen. The opening paragraphs left me heading back to the synopsis to make sure i had purchased the right book. I had. I finished this read in about 3 hours. It's entertaining, with decent character development.

My reason for 3 stars is more about how it ended. I am all for books in a series that are heavily linked. But, I do like for each book to be complete. The ending clearly demanded you purchase the remaining books for the synopsis to make sense. It's definitely a cliffhanger. However, I am not sure I loved the storyline enough to buy the remaining books.

[Paulina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was meh. It was too slow a build up, the magic part wasn’t really introduced until almost halfway through the book. The first part was just the cliched, obligatory jerk of a misogynistic husband cheating. Katie is too doormat-like, even after she finds her husband is a cheater (with everyone in her life, not just her husband), her grandmother refuses to tell her important information she needs to keep herself safe, and her best friend kinda sucks (I wouldn’t have forgiven her for opening the memory box after I told her not to). I was frustrated with many of the characters, but mostly the main character for most of the book, which ended very abruptly. Not interested in reading the rest of the series.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed

I thought this book was going to be funny and entertaining for " women of a certain age". I found it to be pretty much a "man hatin' book". Sure, Jeff was a horrible human but not every man is. There was a lot of hatred toward men coming from almost every woman in the story; it quickly became tiresome. Jeff's reprehensible behaviors and Zoya's malevolence were so off the charts that it caused me to have nightmares after I read 75% of the book before bed. This is a series I won't continue. I nearly DNF'd it, but I stuck around to see Jeff's comeuppance.

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being as my husband likes to say “a woman of a certain age” this seemed like an intriguing premise. The writing style is okay but I’d prefer more show, don’t tell. I might have rated this higher, but it commits my mortal sin of storytelling: doesn’t finish the story. Instead it ends with a cliffhanger worthy of a network TV show. Can we please go back to a time when “first in a series” meant the first of multiple tales concerning a certain theme/setting/group of characters? Because I’m sufficiently annoyed that I don’t think I care enough to continue.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story of an upperclass couple. Katie left college to work multiple jobs to put her husband, Jeff, through college and still care for her three children. Upon her 50th birthday she discovers not only her husbands ongoing infidelity but also her magical abilities. Besides dealing with divorce and trying to reassure her adult children, she learns from her grandmother, Zuli, not only about magic but abou5 her great-great-grandmother, Zoya.

[Suzette Skidmore · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first two books of this series. The first one was a lot of man bashing. The second book brought in more negative things. I really wanted to learn more about Katie's journey of stepping into her power. Unfortunately I walked away sad at the choices the author used to describe her journey. Too much male bashing, too much negative ideas that no mother or older woman would tolerate. Not worth reading in my opinion.

[Nikole · Rating 4 out of 5]

If only turning 50 really did bring about magical abilities! Well, outside of the ability to no longer give AF about what people think ;-)
It's a fun read and a good concept, though some parts are rather immature and more like a revenge fantasy for someone much younger than 50. Still, I've already bought the next book since it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Just okay. If I had to read about someone wanting to “manifest” something to make it happen one more time, I was going to barf. I get it, but I don’t think the author realized how many times she used that word as a verb. The book wasn’t particularly well written. I’m not going to read book 2. I’m guessing Arlo the dog will be turned back into a man and will be the new love interest.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. Katie and her friend Frankie are up to some serious high jinks after Katie discovers she needs a divorce! Add a little hereditary magic that Katie didn't know about, and some fabulous chocolate, and you are in for a wonderful read between hot flashes!

I'm looking forward to reading book two.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly felt like this was someone writing a book that had a great concept but delivered it like a 9th grade writing assignment. Conversations were not adult-like, "revenge" was pretty childish, I just didn't find it believable. Of course, it's fiction! But the magic of good fiction leads you to believe what you're reading, and I didn't here.

[Kay Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for something new and different here it is!

Looking for something new and different I discovered this series. I just finished book one. I look forward to the future adventures and discoveries ahead of Katie. I found the characters and storyline refreshing. I am intrigued and want to continue the journey with Katie her family and friends.

[Kherri Bilbro · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!!!!

I can't wait to read the second in this series!! What a cliffhanger!! The hilariously diabolical pranks Frankie and Katie did to Jeff, had my "12 yr old boy mind" cackling!!! Not to mention Zoya's revenge!!! I'm like do I love her or do I dislike her. I think both! Lol! The plot is so good!!!

[Dena · Rating 3 out of 5]

the driving was slow

So this was slow going with the divorce and family divide. I would think that we would see more powers being developed with Katie. The storyline for me was awesome I want to see that family drama and Katie helping people. However I felt the writing was so slow going that it was like pulling teeth to get there for me anyways.

[Rebecca Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not just another midlife women’s book about empowerment. I mean it has all that but it also has more. While Katie struggles with rebuilding her life after discovering her husband’s latest infidelity, she grows and her family seems to grow in their acceptance with her. Her friend is hilarious and the supernatural elements to this book are fascinating.

[Karen Massie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Enjoyment

This is the first book I have read by Blair Bryan. Hawt Flash did not let me down. I completely inhaled it. Once you start it, the storyline sucks you in. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hawt Flash

A rip roaring good time! This book will appeal to the over 40 set of women who have lived a little bit of life, empty nesters, single ladies and lovers of magic! Pour a glass of wine and enjoy!

[Lena Camacho · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of Midlife Paranormal. I liked the pacing of this book. It begins to explain Katie's backstory and introduces characters well. I look forward to finding out more about Katie's family history in the next book.

[M.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series Intro!

Usually first-time series are kinda of boring setting the backdrop for the series, but this book had great tempo and kept me engaged.
If you're looking for a great book with a strong set of women, and a fantastic story, Hawt Flash is that book.

[Angi James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would. How cute is the title? It took me awhile to relate Hawt Flash to hot flash. I think it was Frankie that made me realize it. I wish I knew what Zoya was up to.

[Sharon Eastvold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revenge of the Wronged Woman!

I enjoyed the story very much. I’m sure many women have found themselves past their prime with a cheating husband. The story would give them hope of justice in the end. A real page Turner I enjoyed it thank you.

[Renate Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining

Really enjoyed this book. It’s not something I usually read, but o found it hard to put down! The only thing is the ending. Left me hanging for the next page!! Guess I have to see what’s next.

[Lyn Branscomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read all six books in this series. They were a fun read when I was sick with pneumonia. The series was entertaining about a line of women with powers. The plots addressed family dynamics and feminist themes. Definitely aimed at women over 50.