Love Bites

Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery #1

by Cynthia St. Aubin, Stella Hunter (Narrator)

A girl’s gotta eat—and so do her three cats. Recently divorced art history grad student Hanna Harvey has just fibbed her way into a job as the assistant to dangerously drool-worthy art gallery owner Mark Abernathy. For Hanna, working in the field she desperately loves provides the perfect opportunity to begin putting her life back together. Soon her cheese budget is in the black and her feline life partners are no longer eyeing her like a six-foot can of Fancy Feast.

But when her boss's lady friends start turning up dead, Hanna finds herself in the cross hairs of a murder investigation. Even worse, hunky homicide detective James Morrison fears hers might be the next body he discovers.

With the "help" of the gallery's quirky cast of resident artists, Hanna will have to hunt down the truth about Abernathy’s dark secret—before it hunts her.
Read the entire Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery series in order:

Love Bites
Love Sucks
Love Lies

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Audiobook

8 pages, Audiobook

First published November 4, 2019

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Cynthia St. Aubin wrote her first play at age eight and made her brothers perform it for the admission price of gum wrappers. A steal, considering she provided the wrappers in advance. Though her early work debuted to mixed reviews, she never quite gave up on the writing thing, even while earning a mostly useless master's degree in art history and taking her turn as a cube monkey in the corporate warren.

Because the voices in her head kept talking to her, and they discourage drinking at work, she started writing instead. When she's not standing in front of the fridge eating cheese, she's hard at work figuring out which mythological, art historical, or paranormal friends to play with next. She lives in Colorado with the love of her life and three surly cats.

Reviews

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a Kindle Unlimited read - I have to say that I'm rating this a 4/5 stars purely due to the fact that more than once, I snorted and laughed through my nose.

And during a time when I need all the laughs I can get - it's WORTH a read. Def grabbing the next one just to see if it will make me laugh too.

- Semi clean (not a ton of spice)
- Fast Read - fast paced plot which made it easy working background listening

Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was just delightful! I read this mostly because Ilona Andrews recommended it in their newsletter and advertised it as a “funny, light paranormal romantic comedy,“ “with medium heat and very little angst.“ And that’s exactly what this is - just the right thing after finishing a Malazan novel.

Meet Hanna, recently divorced, in debt, with a degree in art history, and in desperate need of job; she finally finds one in an art gallery, that comes with a hot enigmatic owner, Mark Abernathy. The dynamic between the two reminded me a bit of Barrons and Mac in Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series, only much more light-hearted and less dramatic. We don’t yet know, however, whom she will end up dating - him or James Morrison, the attractive detective (ooh that rhymes), who is investigating a string of murders which seemingly point to Abernathy.

I just enjoyed myself so much reading this. It’s incredibly funny and well-written and I can only recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick 280-page, fun paranormal romance with some murder mystery. I‘m not sure how many books are in this series but I‘m definitely continuing with the next book!

Just one side note: I would have loved to help the author with her German.

Here are some of my favorite excerpts to give you an idea of what you’re getting with this book:

“Do I make you nervous, Miss Harvey?” Abernathy asked, glancing up from the resume.
Ever noticed how there’s no good answer to this question?
Such as: No, my anxiety disorder does.
Or maybe: No, my face always looks like it’s bracing for a shovel.
Even better: Yes, you scalding-hot dumpster fire of a man. Yes, you do. Now stop looking at me before I pull my dress over my head and run screaming from your office because I don’t remember how to people.
“Me? Heck no.” My answer would have been infinitely more convincing had my voice not broken on the last word of this sentence.
Abernathy nodded and resumed his leisurely perusal of the paper.
An entire civilization rose, achieved enlightenment, and fell in the time it took him to read through my one-page document. The entire time, my eyes stayed fastened on his face, scanning for the slightest sign of trouble. When his eyebrows knit together, I tensed, ready to vault over the laundry pile and make a break for it if he asked me something I couldn’t answer.
“Looks good.“

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Nice to meet you,” I said. Penny Bailey. Her name was the phonetic equivalent of her perfect bottom. My name sounded like a horse sneeze by comparison.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dave? My ex-husband Dave? Really? I blinked and rubbed my eyes, hoping this might be a temporary jetlag induced lapse in visual acuity. No such luck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Jesus Christ, Hanna.” Abernathy interrupted. “Are you ever not thinking about food?”
While I thought about this, a frosted pink doughnut floated through my head like a mental screensaver. “I’d prefer not to answer that.”

[TheConnieFox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was a quick and fun read! It was humorous, mysterious and lighthearted. It also came with adventure! This was my first time reading a book that was written by this author and I was pleasantly impressed! I will definitely be reading more books from her. It came with lovable and witty characters, especially the protagonist Hanna! I felt that out of all the characters, she was my favorite. However, I really enjoyed the other characters in this book as well!

It was fun getting to know each of them and humor they came with. I felt that the side characters in this story stood out as well. This novel is both a mix of plot and character driven. Hanna’s cats in this novel really made me laugh! This came with an interesting mystery and memorable characters. I found it to be addictive, especially with the paranormal element it had. It is beautifully written, easy to read and well structured! Overall, I rate this novel a 4 out of 5 stars!

I think fans of the movie “Practical Magic” would absolutely love reading this! Content warnings include sexual content, death and murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Cynthia St. Aubin and Tor Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book’s new edition is expected to be published on September 9, 2025!

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Bites by Cynthia St Aubin
Tails from the Alpha Art Galley series #1. Paranormal mystery romance.
Hanna takes a job at an art gallery and is soon in the middle of more than she could imagine might be real. From a mysterious gallery owner, to the usual artists, to the police investigator, Hanna’s world is changed forever.

Quote
“Monkey spirit doesn’t want to sell, I noted on my pad, this job had officially become responsible for the some of the strangest sentences I had ever spoken, written or thought in my life.”

Entertaining. I can’t wait to read more of this series. The last sentence in the book is a shocker and a great hook to continue.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 17 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge

When one of your favourite authors expresses a favourable opinion of another writer's book, you take notice. When my library didn't have this one and it wasn't available via interlibrary loan, I realized I was going to have to part with some cash. I now declare that it was worth every cent. Next, I must turn my attention to ordering volume two.

So, what was it that I liked? To begin with, it's my preferred genre, urban fantasy. We get to watch our main character Hanna, who is navigating a bitter divorce, get a job to support herself and her three felines. But she soon starts having doubts about her boss, Abernathy—what the heck is wrong with him? Why won't he answer simple questions? How does he run a business without a computer or a cell phone? Why is his office such a tip? What's with all the torn, muddy, ruined clothing? Something's up, but she's still looking for mundane solutions.

My second reason for enjoying this novel was the mystery aspect. It seems that any woman who interacts with Abernathy soon turns up dead. Does Hanna work for a serial killer? How can she suspect this and still desperately want to see him naked? Is it just because it's been just her and the cats for months?

Third, there's a sexy detective, Morrison, who has definite opinions about Abernathy and they're not positive. But his jeans reveal a very nice ass, which she spends entirely too much time thinking about. Apparently he has been thinking about her too.

Fourth, there's the art gallery that Abernathy owns and that she, as his assistant, is trying to organize. Plus the collection of cantankerous artists who have studios there. They are a puzzling crew, but they do seem to produce desirable art.

It's a great opening salvo for the series. I got just enough information to hook me and enough of a cliffhanger to make volume 2 a necessity. I'll be heading to my local bookstore to order Love Sucks.

[Stacey]

DNF at 23% no rating as I did not finish this story

Unfortunately, Once Upon a Werewolf was not a winner for me. I found the heroine to be beyond silly and a little too hopeless. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be humorous but it missed the mark with me and had me rolling my eyes in frustration instead. I also seem to have picked up a few 'cat lady' books recently, and with a high allergy to cats, I found it hard to relate.

Do not judge Once Upon a Werewolf by my review alone, please take the time to check out other reviews, and you may find that this story is perfect for you.

[Katyana · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 54%

Look, there is a fine line between quirky and brainless, and this FMC is on the wrong side of it. That plus her inexplicable acceptance of an asshole boss treating her like shit - it's okay because he's hot, apparently, and she can't stop thinking about screwing him (and whining that it has been THREE WHOLE MONTHS since she had sex - that seriously was said at least 4 times in the 54% of this book that I got through) - and I'm noping right out of here.

[Juliette Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza! Funny, fascinating, sexy and a downright awesome new paranormal romance. St. Aubin has created something fresh and new with this brand new series. I am DYING for book 2!

Highly recommended to PNR lovers.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I'm going to start with a complaint. The title has no relevance to the story. Sure, it's pithy and sharp, but there is no love or romance in the book. The main character hooks up with one guy and there's a another that she'd like to, but there is no romance or even thoughts of love. Nor is there anyone who is love-averse such that the term Love Bites might be inferred to be in the pejorative. I understand the author has a naming convention going on with the series (Love BLANK), but a title of Love Bites has no relevance to the story in this actual book.

Ok, moving past my admittedly pedantic complaint...I enjoyed this. I thought it was a lot of fun. I appreciated Hanna's sense of humor and the banter between her and most everyone. Sure, there was a lot of "no one would actually say that in that situation," but I'm not reading an urban fantasy book for the realism of it. Hanna and crew made me smile.

And while I might comment that there's no love in the story yet, I did very much liked that Hanna was allowed to have a hook up (even sans love interest), enjoy it, and I didn't have to sit through any passages of shame (be it from her or anyone else). She was just allowed to be a sexual adult and I appreciated the simplicity of it.

The book does end just about the time the plot looks like it might be moving past set-up. But I'd be happy to leap into the next book.

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Bites by Cynthia St. Aubin is a snarky supernatural mystery romance about Hannalore “Hanna” Harvey, a recently divorced art history grad student who fakes her way into a job as an assistant at a quirky art gallery run by the dangerously alluring Mark Abernathy, only to find herself in over her head when several of his lady friends start turning up dead and she becomes enmeshed in murder, magic, and a tangled love triangle with Mark and Detective James Morrison, the rugged cop who might want her safe or might want her heart as much as he wants answers. It kicks off the Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery series with wit, paranormal intrigue, and quirky characters.

From the first scene, I found myself smiling at how warmly human and hilariously chaotic Hanna feels, a woman whose priorities, saving herself, solving a grisly mystery, and most importantly feeding her three cats set the tone for a story that blends humor with real stakes. Hanna’s voice is sharp, self‑aware, and brimming with art‑lover charm, which made her emotional journey from heart‑ache and instability toward confidence deeply relatable. The gallery’s cast of eccentric resident artists added delightful layers of warmth and comic relief, while Mark’s enigmatic presence had me both swooning and questioning at every turn, especially as clues hinted that he might not be entirely human.

The tension between him and the grounded, increasingly protective Detective Morrison gave the romance that delicious hesitance of who do you really trust when danger is watching too? While the plot’s pacing occasionally leans into chaos by design, the mystery stays engaging and the banter keeps it light and utterly fun.

Rating: 4 out of 5. I’m giving Love Bites this score because it feels like curling up with a playlist of clever one‑liners, cozy chills, and unexpected heartbeats: it’s funny, smart, and just spooky enough to feel like a treat.

If you love paranormally tinged mysteries with a heroine who feels real, adorable chaos, cats with personality, and romantic tension that bites back, this book is a delight that left me eager for the next in the series.

[A.A.B · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5*s. This book is fast paced and well written enough to merit 3.5 or even 4 *s, if not for 2 things: it's not a finished story (cliffhanger ending) and nobody in this book can ever answer a straightforward question.

I understand the commercial appeal of splitting overly long books into chunks and pretending it's a series, but when the book is this long and still doesn't manage to get its plot straighten out and concluded, it's time for the editing chopping block, not series marketing.

The lack of clear answers reached critical mass around midpoint and then ungracefully toppled over into the awkward territory of looking like the author couldn't (or was too lazy to) come up with answers and was desperately stalling for time. Since the half-book (quarter-book? tenth-of-a-book?) ends with no answers produced, I guess the stalling tactic worked, but the result is a very frustrating and unpleasant reading experience.

The writing and banter are fun, but they're not enough to compensate for overstretched, meandering, abruptly interrupted plot, and lack of progression in the world building and information revealing.

We are given so little relevant information about the characters that when some of them die, I couldn't summon enough basic knowledge to care (beyond the nominal 'someone dies unexpectedly = sad' sentiment) or even clearly recognize who the dead characters were.
In the absence of pertinent information sharing, the characters are left to exchange bodily fluids as the only means of interaction, which does not make for solid relationship building. So we end up with very flimsy connections trying (and spectacularly failing) to masquerade as budding (and invariably unhealthy) relationships.

The resulting mess is bad enough that I don't care to continue the "series".

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read more by this author!! 4.5 solid stars!!

[Jessen Reads Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: this book does not have an HEA. This is a trilogy with the romance playing out over the course of the series.

Hanna is a bit of a hot mess heroine, but her quirkiness really grew on me! She's a recent divorcée trying to squeak by on the minimum. Meaning she has no qualms about fibbing a little on her resume to get a job at an art gallery. Abernathy is in sore need of someone to bring his business out of the dark ages. Hanna is itching to start organizing, but right after her interview, a detective barges in accusing Abernathy of murder! This is a light and fun read with tons of quirky characters from the mains themselves to the resident artists living at the gallery.

One thing I didn't love was the love triangle element. It felt completely unnecessary since we know that Hanna and Abernathy will end up together by the end of the series. I really hated that Hanna and Morrison slept together. It makes me not want to read the next one if he is a prominent love interest again.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently divorced art history grad student Hanna Harvey, desperate for a job ASAP just fibbed her way into a new job. She is now the new assistant to a gorgeous art gallery owner, Mark Abernathy. Abernathy is a bit eccentric and messy so Hanna has her work cut out for her. When one of Abernathy's former lady friends is found murdered, Abernathy is the prime suspect. Hanna finds herself in the middle of the murder investigation and caught gets between her boss and the head detective James Morrison.

This is a hilarious start to a new mystery series. The characters are wonderfully quirky. The mystery is well-developed, moves at a quick pace, and is full of twists and turns. The storyline has something for everyone: comedy, romance, paranormal, and pets. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a copy of this book at my request, and I have voluntarily left this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 67%. I’m bored and irritated. I feel like I’m supposed to be emotionally manipulated by this weird love triangle thing. But I just feel confused by why the author is jerking me around and puzzled by the characters. Her ex-husband as villainous is bizarre.

Enh. One more DNF cause I cannot care enough to keep reading.

[Leanna Streeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun surprise! I went into this expecting something light and quirky, but it ended up being exactly the kind of paranormal romcom plus mystery blend I love. Hanna is recently divorced, broke, and just trying to get her life together so of course she lies her way into a job at an art gallery run by a man who is way too handsome, way too dramatic, and absolutely surrounded by chaos. And I ate up every second of it.

The humor in this one is top tier. There were so many moments where I genuinely snorted because Hanna’s narration is just that funny. She has this slightly messy, slightly frazzled energy that feels real, and the rest of the cast just amplifies the absurdity in the best way the eccentric boss, the detective who may or may not become a love interest, the quirky artists, the cats. It all works.

The mystery moves quickly, and even though it’s lighthearted, it’s still engaging with good twists and that “I’ll read one more chapter” energy. I really loved the combo of paranormal touches, romcom chemistry, and cozyish murder mystery vibes. It never leans too angsty, which I appreciated so much.

Honestly, this was just a delight: fast-paced, funny, charming, and easy to devour in a couple sittings. I’ll definitely continue the series because I need more of this cast and this world.

[TacoFan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed because of poor decision making and stupid love triangles. Can no one be an actual adult? I did enjoy it for a bit but I can't take people making dumb decisions. Cop shouldn't be hooking up with someone during an active investigation. Not a fan of how casual the hook up was. Also she had zero self preservation even when faced with evidence that she could very well be next. dnf at 70%

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/29/2020)! 🎁

[Yuuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitabın kapağı kesinlikle çok yanlış. Bende çik-lit yada romantik komedi okuyacağım bir his verdi.Değişik bir olay örgüsü vardı hatta sonlara kadar neden fantastik kitap olarak kategorilendirdiğini anlamadım. Polisiye, gizem , komedi (ki bence Hannah ın diyalogları çok komikti) ve fantastik unsurların iç içe geçtiği bir kitap olmuş. Havada kalmış aşk konusuna diğer kitapları okuduktan sonra yorum yaparım 😃

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Reads #622/250

Read for the Sights of Sweden Challenge 2024-2025
September 20, 2024 - January 10, 2025

Online Availability:
📖 Kindle Unlimited Subscription/$
🎧 Audible Plus Subscription/$/Credit
🎧 Everand Subscription - Audiobook

[Kitty Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVING this series!

I was in a book funk, and having a moment of thinking: "OMG I don't know I I'm even attracted to FICTIONAL men anymore" which was going to be a 5 alarm fire situation, but NOPE, I'm totally in fictional love with Mark Abernathy... murder suspect and potential werewolf.

Also, note there is an updated cover, and I highly recommend you check out the. new cute cover art! (not pictured)

[Hannah | Reading Under Covers · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One idea rose above the cacophony of panicked, useless thoughts. I could be next."

This one is for the fall readers looking for a fun time and may also happen to be #TeamJacob 😏

Despite the many deaths in this story, the plot felt very low stakes, which was just what this anxious reader needed, and the cats, donuts, and all the organizing warmed me in a very specific way.

Thanks to Tor Books for the early copy for review - out September 9!

[Tamye Whitener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attention Keeper!

The narrator did an awesome job. She's great at the various accents and depictions of all the different characters.

I'm not sure if I liked this book or not. Okay, the book yes, the ending, not so much. So many questions are still not answered. And I require answers. Which means i'll be loading the next book in the series up.

I'd have to compare this book to a TV series and each book an episode. I normally binge-watch a whole season or more. Unfortunately, I didn't know this when I started, and the characters are so fascinating and the story so intriguing I need to read on. This totally messes with my scheduled reading, but "needs" must be asaged.

I highly recommend this series. The whole series...

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book; this is the first book in the Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery series written by Cynthia St. Aubin. This was such a great book, I kept me reading way past my bedtime! Hanna Harvey is recently divorced from a douchbag and is struggling to find a job so she and her three cats can eat. She has fibbed on her resume but is offered a job as an assistant to the sexy art gallery owner Mark Abernathy. She finally has a good paying job which she loves even though everyone at the gallery is a little strange. When her boss’s lady friends start turning up dead with their throats ripped out she start to get worried and is wondering if she is next. Her sexy boss is also acting strange and she starts looking at signs thinking he might be a werewolf. This book kept me guessing until the end on who the killer was, and then left me wondering what is going to happen next in Hanna’s life. I can’t wait until the second book in this series comes out. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. I can’t wait for the next book by this awesome author!

[Hanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, this was bad. Seriously, I wish I could go back, rewind and never pick this book in the first place or at the very least thoroughly scrub it from my mind.
I really hate to diss on a namesake, one with a German-connection too boot, but man, she was stupid. Like you wouldn't believe. Her willful blindness to all the warning signs and red flags, her utter lack of self preservation... were just a few of the things that made her quite unlikeable.
I liked Morrison initially but he turned out to be as big of an asshole as Abernathy.
The story/plot itself were convoluted and messy, full of inconsistencies, plot holes, and cheap plot devices like love triangles, cliffhangers, and the inability to provide any straight answers.
When you read almost 300 pages of a book and know about as much about the characters and the story at the end of the book as you did in the beginning, something went very obviously wrong...

[Dumbledore11214 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl’s gotta eat—and so do her three cats. Recently divorced art history grad student Hanna Harvey has just fibbed her way into a job as the assistant to dangerously drool-worthy art gallery owner Mark Abernathy. For Hanna, working in the field she desperately loves provides the perfect opportunity to begin putting her life back together. Soon her cheese budget is in the black and her feline life partners are no longer eyeing her like a six-foot can of Fancy Feast.

But when her boss's lady friends start turning up dead, Hanna finds herself in the cross hairs of a murder investigation. Even worse, hunky homicide detective James Morrison fears hers might be the next body he discovers.

With the "help" of the gallery's quirky cast of resident artists, Hanna will have to hunt down the truth about Abernathy’s dark secret—before it hunts her.

I got the book on Kindle Unlimited.

Review:

Dear Cynthia St. Aubin,

A friend mentioned that Ilona Andrews recommended your book on their blog. I went and glanced and I saw the article with the recommendation, but I have not opened it ( I saw the first sentence but that is it).  The reason why I am mentioning it here is  because if something in my review resembles anything Ilona Andrews said in theirs, it was totally accidental and I apologize in advance if that would happen.

Apparently there are six books in these series.  I overall liked this one a lot, but not hundred percent sure whether I am ready to invest in reading the rest of them.

The main reason I liked this one? I thought that it was really REALLY well-written. I have read the first sixty percent of the book on my kindle during my morning commute to work and had I not arrived to my office I would have continued to read it, I was that engaged in the story.

As blurb tells you Hanna desperately needs a job and she managed to convince the mysterious and sexy gallery owner that she would be his perfect assistant.  Hanna never worked as an assistant, but she starts her job with gusto and her first self imposed task is to help her boss organize his office. On one hand he does not mind, on another he is more than a little resistant as to having some modern technology, for example he did not have a computer before Hanna started working for him.

But never fear everything is going to change now.

“Sounds like you’ve been busy out there this morning,” he said around a yawn. He scratched at the dark stubble shadowing his jaw. “Indeed I have! Now it’s your turn.” “My turn for what?” I picked up the laptop box and laid it in the small clearing before him on the desk. “Merry Christmas,” I said. He blinked at the box like it was a large insect that had just lighted on his desk. “It’s a laptop,” I informed him.

“I can see that.” “You know, for sending emails, organizing electronic files, keeping track of receipts. Crazy things like that.” “I don’t have any electronic files.” “Ta da!” I lifted up the scanner for him to see. “What’s that?” I blinked in disbelief. “Please tell me you’re joking.” Dark eyes regarded me with guileless invitation. “This is the Canon Pixma TR8550 compact MFD,” I explained. “Only the best thing that ever happened to office equipment. It scans business cards, documents, and receipts and creates electronic copies.””

The whole story is written strictly from Hanna's POV and her narration is snarky and funny like that and I enjoyed that.

Very soon after she starts in the gallery she meets the cast of characters that work/live there and she begins to notice that some of them are a little strange. Moreover, one of the women whom she imagined being a girlfriend of her new boss turns up dead and her boss is amongst the suspects ( or probably the only suspect for most of the book) and then more women of his acquaintance turn up dead and the story speeds up.

Did he do it or did he not?

As I said I enjoyed the story a lot, even though it does not have a full resolution by the end of it, which I kind of expected, because it is a book one of six. The villain is revealed, but a very significant information is revealed in the last line of the book ( talk about a good hook for the next one) and quite a bit of the information still is not revealed.

What I did not quite enjoy?  I know that I should not be annoyed about that, because despite it being a mystery, it had a vibe of the romantic comedy and of course when Hanna and Mark meet as a potential boss and employee it also felt as a meet cute of the potential love couple, but Hanna ? He is your boss, maybe a little less commentary about his hotness and how much you want to sleep with him? It is funny and all that, but was a little much.

Do not get me wrong Hanna did seem to want to be a good personal assistant ( not as if she fully neglected her work, what with all the murders around), but she really really wanted Mark too. A lot.

““Hanna.” “Hanna.” “Hanna, get up. We’re late.” I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. The last wisps of dream evaporated, and I yawned and indulged in a delicious stretch. “Mmmm.” My voice was a sleep-heavy purr. “I knew you’d come. After our shower last night…” “Our shower?” My eyes snapped open. Abernathy loomed over me, larger than life in a freshly pressed suit and shirt.

His dark hair fell around his eyes as he leaned forward. He’d shaped his stubble into a rough goatee. Breakfast anyone? My own state came to me in spastic bursts. I was in a hotel room. I was in Germany. I was in a t-shirt and underwear, in the presence of Abernathy. I sat bolt upright and pulled the floral comforter to my chest. “What are you doing in my room?””

I also appreciated that the author managed to make me wonder whether the love story will go in the direction I expected or not, but at the same time that is one of the main reasons I am not sure if I want to continue with the series.



Grade: B

[Crystal P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hanna Harvey lies her way into a job as Mark Abernathy’s assistant. It is most certainly a “that was too easy” moment and she should have been expecting all that would be thrown her way. To be honest, I think she did and was up for a little chaos and mystery… so long as she and her cats were able to enjoy some food outside of the bare minimum to survive.

There is snark aplenty and an abundance of laugh out loud moments as we learn, or at least begin to question, this world Hanna is now a part of! There is a fun little mystery, a rather combustible relationship with a detective, and a lot of twists and turns!

It has a cozy mystery feel, but the paranormal element and the quick wit make it read very differently. This book will leave you slack jawed and ready for book 2!

[~♥*Marianna*♥~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heroine isn’t as silly as the reviews say and she wasn't actually helpless, not in my opinion! She saved herself and helped out others multiple times!
The plot does get crazy at the end so thats why it’s four stars. On top of that the cliffhanger reveal was just too unexpected. However, by the time I got to the end I was hoping this would be a series and since that ended up to be the true I’m pretty happy!

[Heather Mood Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so quirky and it was freaking hilarious. I absolutely loved it!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by Ilona Andrews so of course I have to read it!