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Ragdoll #1
The Banshee Bartender
Aaron is a witch both rich and powerful. His search for the missing sibling of an ex leads him to wintry Fairview and a bar that caters to the city’s supernaturals, the Ragdoll. When the bartender catches Aaron’s eye—because of his looks and the secrets he keeps—Aaron is pulled into something much darker than he bargained for.
Ilya wasn’t handed the quiet life he built for himself. He had to work for it. When a handsome yet smug witch walks into the Ragdoll, Ilya’s psychic abilities aren’t enough to warn him about the chaos the witch will bring.
Ilya doesn’t trust easily, and Aaron—too disarming, too handsome—could ruin the rhythm of Ilya’s carefully balanced life. Before long, a string of kidnappings and murders turn a bad situation into a truly sinister one, and Ilya and Aaron find themselves right at the center of it.
The Banshee Bartender is intended for adult audiences and contains instances of abuse and captivity, trauma, and violence.
Ilya wasn’t handed the quiet life he built for himself. He had to work for it. When a handsome yet smug witch walks into the Ragdoll, Ilya’s psychic abilities aren’t enough to warn him about the chaos the witch will bring.
Ilya doesn’t trust easily, and Aaron—too disarming, too handsome—could ruin the rhythm of Ilya’s carefully balanced life. Before long, a string of kidnappings and murders turn a bad situation into a truly sinister one, and Ilya and Aaron find themselves right at the center of it.
The Banshee Bartender is intended for adult audiences and contains instances of abuse and captivity, trauma, and violence.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2024
12 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Alexa Piper
74 books184 followersAlexa Piper writes steamy romance that ranges from light to dark, from straight to queer. She’s also a coffee addict. Alexa loves writing stories that make her readers laugh and fall in love with the characters in them.
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https://subscribepage.io/ksHV9g
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 28, 2024
Absolutely fantastic!!!
This was such a good book, an amazing start to the series and am incredibly sweet love story. I love everything about how the characters in this were written. Even characters who are only briefly on page draw you in (James the brownie!!) and I’m now really hoping that we will get to see stories for pretty much everyone else we met in this book. I think my favourite secondary characters are Valerian and Jirou (or as also thought of them murder baby and cutie pie lol). But by far, Aaron and Ilya steal the show. They are a perfect mix of push and pull and I love that it’s not static in how that plays out between them. Couples aren’t always the vulnerable/hesitant one and the confident/forward one in respect of love/building the relationship. It ebbs and flows and that’s what builds a fantastic relationship ship on page. Aaron and Ilya weren’t stuck in their designated positions and whilst Aaron was absolutely the surer of the two of them that what they had was solid that didn’t prevent him from sometimes needing reassurance or from Ilya being able to know, bone deep, that Aaron was his (even if he questioned that knowledge). I can’t wait to hopefully see more of them and also see more of the other characters in this. I know we get to meet Rob, Ilya’s boss, in the next book and I’m super excited for it!
This was such a good book, an amazing start to the series and am incredibly sweet love story. I love everything about how the characters in this were written. Even characters who are only briefly on page draw you in (James the brownie!!) and I’m now really hoping that we will get to see stories for pretty much everyone else we met in this book. I think my favourite secondary characters are Valerian and Jirou (or as also thought of them murder baby and cutie pie lol). But by far, Aaron and Ilya steal the show. They are a perfect mix of push and pull and I love that it’s not static in how that plays out between them. Couples aren’t always the vulnerable/hesitant one and the confident/forward one in respect of love/building the relationship. It ebbs and flows and that’s what builds a fantastic relationship ship on page. Aaron and Ilya weren’t stuck in their designated positions and whilst Aaron was absolutely the surer of the two of them that what they had was solid that didn’t prevent him from sometimes needing reassurance or from Ilya being able to know, bone deep, that Aaron was his (even if he questioned that knowledge). I can’t wait to hopefully see more of them and also see more of the other characters in this. I know we get to meet Rob, Ilya’s boss, in the next book and I’m super excited for it!
July 5, 2025
This is the second book of the author's I've read and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the first one! The writing style was great, the world-building was fantastic and done really organically, and I loved the characters right from the start.
Aaron's confidence was so refreshing. I loved that he immediately knew Ilya was going to be something more than temporary, and was unashamed and honest in how he felt. It was such a lovely dynamic between them, with Aaron supporting Ilya, and them working together to solve what was happening to supernatural creatures in the city. Ilya was a fantastic balance to Aaron in the way he was reserved and tried to avoid making connections with people around him, mostly due to the advice of his mother. He was so sweet and gradually became more confident, both in himself, but also concerning his feelings for Aaron.
I really loved the way magic was shown in the book. The rhyming spells were so cool and I love how the counteract spells worked.
I really liked the reveal near the end, with the scene of Aaron rescuing everyone. It was so tense and atmospheric, but it also showed just how badass Aaron is as a character. His stubborness and dedication to protecting those he loves is fantastic and it was highlighted especially well in that scene.
This was such a good read and I truly loved every second of it.
Aaron's confidence was so refreshing. I loved that he immediately knew Ilya was going to be something more than temporary, and was unashamed and honest in how he felt. It was such a lovely dynamic between them, with Aaron supporting Ilya, and them working together to solve what was happening to supernatural creatures in the city. Ilya was a fantastic balance to Aaron in the way he was reserved and tried to avoid making connections with people around him, mostly due to the advice of his mother. He was so sweet and gradually became more confident, both in himself, but also concerning his feelings for Aaron.
I really loved the way magic was shown in the book. The rhyming spells were so cool and I love how the counteract spells worked.
I really liked the reveal near the end, with the scene of Aaron rescuing everyone. It was so tense and atmospheric, but it also showed just how badass Aaron is as a character. His stubborness and dedication to protecting those he loves is fantastic and it was highlighted especially well in that scene.
This was such a good read and I truly loved every second of it.
December 5, 2024
The Banshee Bartender - Aaron & Ilya
“Love is a thing that grows, darling. It’s growing between us, and trust is good at feeding love. And because it sounds like you think I would want to keep a secret from you, let me make this clear: I don’t want that. If you think I have any issues with your power, I don’t. I do magic, you read minds. It’s just part of who we are.”
What a delectable couple we find in witch Aaron and his banshee bartender!
Once again, Alexa Piper creates a fantastical story rooted in the reality of love. Lots of humor finds a variety of paranormal creatures doing what they do best, but we feel the underlying hope and anguish that show the particular characteristics of each being.
Excited to know Piper’s The Ragdoll series will continue sharing more amazing stories for readers to love!
“Love is a thing that grows, darling. It’s growing between us, and trust is good at feeding love. And because it sounds like you think I would want to keep a secret from you, let me make this clear: I don’t want that. If you think I have any issues with your power, I don’t. I do magic, you read minds. It’s just part of who we are.”
What a delectable couple we find in witch Aaron and his banshee bartender!
Once again, Alexa Piper creates a fantastical story rooted in the reality of love. Lots of humor finds a variety of paranormal creatures doing what they do best, but we feel the underlying hope and anguish that show the particular characteristics of each being.
Excited to know Piper’s The Ragdoll series will continue sharing more amazing stories for readers to love!
November 27, 2024
I loved this book!
The two MCs are amazing and everyone in the cast adds something interesting to the story.
Aaron is sweet and tender with Ilya, but he is a badass action hero. He protects his bartender with body and magic and after obeys every order Ilya can think of.
Ilya is in awe of his witch, the witch will submit to him, loves to have his mind read and is willing to relocate to Fairview in order to be with him.
The action, the snark, the sweetness, the spice, the magic, I really loved this book.
It`s well written with attention to details and edited with care, the characters have depth and are well developed, the story is interesting... It has it all.
I heartily recommend it!
The two MCs are amazing and everyone in the cast adds something interesting to the story.
Aaron is sweet and tender with Ilya, but he is a badass action hero. He protects his bartender with body and magic and after obeys every order Ilya can think of.
Ilya is in awe of his witch, the witch will submit to him, loves to have his mind read and is willing to relocate to Fairview in order to be with him.
The action, the snark, the sweetness, the spice, the magic, I really loved this book.
It`s well written with attention to details and edited with care, the characters have depth and are well developed, the story is interesting... It has it all.
I heartily recommend it!
November 23, 2024
What a great book. Aaron is a powerful witch and in Fairview to help his ex try to find his sister. He goes in a bar called Ragdoll to get out of the snow and cold temperatures. He eventually meets the night bartender Ilya and is quite smitten with him. When he shows a picture of the sister Dora, Ilya said she is dead. The story starts from there with Aaron learning that Ilya is a banshee and helping solve the mystery of who was taking humans and Otherkind. Great world building, high heat and chemistry between them. Love this world and cannot wait for more.
December 1, 2024
I really enjoyed the late-night bar setting. We meet such an array of characters that I am already looking forward to seeing some romances for! I loved that Aaron was good guy despite being a very powerful witch. He took care of his own even going so far to try to help find his ex's sister. He was so meant to meet the sweet IIya. Aaron was instantly drawn to Ilya, and they had nice chemistry. I adored Aaron fierce protectiveness of Ilya as they worked together and become intimate as well. This was my first read with a Banshee and I was quite invested in learning about IIya and this world.
December 6, 2024
What a great read! Our dear Piper, once again, gives us such a fabulous world in the first book of what should be a great series. Aaron, witch from basically "other" royalty, and Illya, our sweet banshee, meet up trying to solve the disappearance and death of Aaron's friend. Their efforts allows us to meet such wonderful secondary characters who need stories as well. Come on, a Kelpie, a Brownie. I need a brownie in my life! Aaron tries so hard not to overwhelm Illya but he just wants to take care of him. And they are so sexy together. Their journey is told in third person, dual pov, with elements of hurt/comfort and past SA/violence. Read the content notes. We get a hint there will be an ongoing suspense plot line, "You may need it before long". I can't wait.
Note: If you're reading this and it seems familiar, Piper got back the rights to Night Bartender, shuck it out, add some, took away some and made it better!
Note: If you're reading this and it seems familiar, Piper got back the rights to Night Bartender, shuck it out, add some, took away some and made it better!
November 23, 2024
The Banshee Bartender is the first book in the Ragdoll series. This is the story of Aaron a powerful witch and Ilya a banshee. I loved how these two had such steamy chemistry. This book is another great story by Alexa Piper. I love the world building that was created here. Can these two work together to find out who is kidnapping humans and Otherkind, you will have to read the book to find out. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book.
December 26, 2024
I adore Ilya and Aaron! Aaron just jumps right in with both feet, determined to win over the banshee. Ilya doesn’t quite know what to make of it because he doesn’t trust easily. These two are destined to be together and who better to keep a banshee’s secret than a witch from a powerful family? I hope to see more of these two, even if just as side characters. I am quickly becoming addicted to anything this author puts out there.
November 26, 2024
I LOVED THE CHEMISTRY WITH IIYA AND AARON!
An excellent read from this author. Loved, I mean loved the word building in this book, and the characters are so well developed. Aaron is a powerful witch, and IIya is a banshee. These two are so wonderful together.
An excellent read from this author. Loved, I mean loved the word building in this book, and the characters are so well developed. Aaron is a powerful witch, and IIya is a banshee. These two are so wonderful together.
January 5, 2025
Aaron & Ilya
The start of this series was a very entertaining read. Aaron and Ilya go through quite a bit during their story but it was all very interesting.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
The start of this series was a very entertaining read. Aaron and Ilya go through quite a bit during their story but it was all very interesting.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
February 26, 2025
Just great
Paranormal MM is my absolute favorite and Alexa Piper is one of the best. This book had interesting, well-conceptualized magic alongside hot chemistry between the MCs and some good worldbuilding. I look forward to reading the next one!
Paranormal MM is my absolute favorite and Alexa Piper is one of the best. This book had interesting, well-conceptualized magic alongside hot chemistry between the MCs and some good worldbuilding. I look forward to reading the next one!
December 31, 2024
Started off interesting… then went completely off the rails.
April 26, 2025
Love this take on the banshee, I need lots more from the Ragdoll
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews