Mirror, Mirror

by Tami Lund

A paranormal halloween romance

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary

50 pages, ebook

Published September 28, 2016

About the author

Author. Wine drinker. Award winner. Lover of romance.

As Tami Lund, I write contemporary - suspense, romcoms, rock stars - happily ever after guaranteed.

As TJ Bell, I write paranormal, fantasy, and sci fi. Shifters. Vampires. Aliens. Demigods. Monsters. Happily ever after eventually guaranteed.

Reviews

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: 2.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I wasn’t in love with the writing)
Feels: 🦋🦋 (I was more annoyed than anything)
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (It was more focused on the present actions, not a lot of character depth)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ (I didn’t feel much tension because the hero was with another woman throughout most of the story and I felt the majority of interactions were between the heroine and her spectral helper)
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (I didn’t take good notes but I think there’s a full scene at the end a partial before that)
Humor: Yes, this is a lighthearted story with humor
Perspective: first person only from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character-ish
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: very soon into the story
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 6 months later
Format: listened to the audiobook from my library (hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I have this one my spooky TBR list for October but I can’t recall how I came across it...I feel like maybe on a goodreads recommended list when I was looking at other books? I was sucked in by the cover, which looked cute.
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

Should I read in order?
I believe this is a stand alone novel.

Basic plot:
Adelle sees her platonic roommate in an enchanted mirror and is told he is her soul mate.

Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance with some light paranormal magic
- Halloween vibes
- love triangle – the hero has another love interest when the heroine decides to fight for him
- roommates/friends to lovers
- camping
- shorter story
- average steam – I think there’s 1 full scene and a partial in this short story

Ages:
- didn’t catch either

First line: Taken from audio. Probably butchered.
Adelle Hendrix glanced down at the filmy peasant shirt, ruffled brown skirt, and colorful scarf tied around her waist.

My thoughts:
I just couldn’t get into this one! I think I had a bit of disconnect with the writing style. There was a lot of ‘stupid’ and ‘idiot’ and it was all from the heroine’s POV. I wasn’t in love with the way the Romani fairy godmother was depicted and the focus on her droopy boobs (though meant for humor, it just didn’t strike me as funny). The hero was with someone else most of the book which usually drives me nuts. I’m glad this was a shorter novel.

But I think others could like it – it’s light hearted, and shorter and I do hope you enjoy if you give it a go.

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This was my first
Average rating: 3 stars
Favorite book: This one??

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- the heroine was left at the alter when she found out her fiance had a wife and 3 kids (happened 4 years ago in this story)
Author content warnings? Didn’t hear any on audio


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:

Safe sex: I don’t recall...I don’t think so? I’m didn’t pay close attention...
Hows the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? (Please note this is the best to my memory/note taking. If you see something I missed please feel free to message!) No children in the story and I don’t think there’s any mention of children. No pregnancy.
There’s a bj and sex scene at the end of the book


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgement (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (4) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


Find me
Instagram || The Storygraph || Bookbub ||

Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

How you gonna have a “friends to lovers” plot yet the MMC spends most of his time with OW? And seems genuinely uninterested in the FMC until 93%?? I mean he even stood her up one night for another girl. I was annoyed more than anything.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun and sexy read. We can all picture what it is like to be going to a wedding with a significant other where everyone is talking about their boyfriend, husband, etc. To avoid the awkwardness, Adelle brings along as her date, her best friend and roommate Ben. She has always found Ben attractive but he was a player when they met in college and he still is. Adelle doesn’t date after finding out the night before her wedding that he ex had a whole other family with a wife and kids. So Ben is a safe date or he was until she meets the bride’s fortune teller aunt who has her look into the magic mirror which shows her that Ben is her soul mate. Now she can’t help but look at him in a whole new light. Except Ben is about to hook up with the groom’s cousin. Ew.
This story is full of humorous exchanges with the fortune teller and almost catching people in awkward predicaments. It is also full of touching moments where true friendship and caring are visible. While funny and sweet, this book is really pointing out that the guy who is your best friend is a much better match than any bad boy and opposites may attract but they don’t always make good partners. This was a quick fun read and highly recommended.

[Tami Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Bad idea, Adelle,” her boss said an hour later.
“I’ve cleared my desk. I literally have nothing to do until Monday,” Adelle pleaded.
“The fact I don’t give you enough work aside, I don’t think you should go chasing after this guy like some pathetic Scarlett O’Hara.”
“Scarlett was a resourceful woman who managed to take care of herself despite the odds stacked against her.”
Her boss waved a veined hand. “She was awfully pitiful in the beginning of that book. Convinced she needed a man to feel good about herself. You don’t need that.”
“I’m pretty sure that was all an act, and she was actually an incredibly intelligent and forward-thinking woman for the era she lived in.”
“Tomahto, tomato. I’m going to deny your request.”
“What? You can’t. I mean, I guess, technically, you can. But come on. You have to let me try. And by the way, this is my personal life, so I’m not sure how much of a say you really have.”
Her boss let out a gust of breath strong enough to let Adelle know she’d eaten broccoli with her lunch. “Fine, fine. HR already has it in for me, and I don’t need you making things worse by complaining. I’ll approve your time off, but mark my words, Adelle. This is a bad idea.”

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a FUN book! I like the whole magic mirror and gypsy set-up. Adelle is clueless that a great thing (Ben) is right in front of her and she can't see it. Along comes Vivienne, what a woman she is! Vivienne has an eclectic and interesting wardrobe. She also has vulgar and funny dialog as she helps Adelle with her love life. There were laugh out-loud moments. I liked Adelle and Ben they were good characters. But Vivienne is a diamond in the rough, literally. Fun book, fast read, I want more!

[Laurenreadsx_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a random audio find and I really wanted to enjoy it but unfortunately I didn’t. I didn’t like how majority of the book was him essentially with another woman and giving no time of day to the FMC. They make plans and he blows her off and doesn’t even tell her until she contacts him 🙄 I didn’t feel like even for a novella you got much of a personality from the MMC. (Ngl I’ve forget characters names already) concept was cute but just didn’t hit right

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

MIRROR, MIRROR by Tami Lund gets a 5-star from me today, because it was the exact escapism read I was looking for after several days of feeling blah. I will read seasonal stories any time of the year, and although this one says Halloween, it's definitely one you can pick up and enjoy in January when the snow is falling or July when it's time to lounge by the pool or beach.

It's a fast, fun read with a likable heroine, hot and hunky roommate, and a spooky/wise matchmaker who made me laugh. If you're looking for a slow-burn romance with supernatural elements, pick up MIRROR, MIRROR.

*NOTE: I would have read this novella in one sitting if I hadn't been interrupted by "life" stuff. It's a quick read and perfect for a car ride, relaxing by the fire in the evening, or reading on breaks at work.

[Luna Bokhorst · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was not great. I found it on Storytell and thought it might be a cute little Halloween read, but it was actually quite bad. The main characters didn't really have any chemistry. They barely spent time together, and he didn't seem interested in her at all. I normally love friends to lovers, but this one was not it. Also, when they finally do end up together. She does not ask for consent before kissing, straddling, and starting to undress him. I know that to some people, that might not be a big deal, but it very much rubbed me the wrong way, this was written a while ago, so I tried to keep that in mind, but the guy did ask for consent multiple times, so it shouldnt have been that hard. The narrator is a man, while the book is written from the female main characters' perspective, which was a bit weird to me.

[Jacqi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute paranormal romance

Just in time for Halloween, a cute but sexy friends to lovers romance with lots of sass -- and Jack-O-Lanterns. Quick, fun read to put you in the spirit of the season.

[Sue :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirror Mirror is a fun romance

Tami Lund wrote the best friends to lovers rom com that I have read in awhile. With just a touch of the supernatural this is a perfect story for spooky season.

[Coral Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adelle is shown her soulmate, her friend Ben. A fun friends to lovers story. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Glenda Bettin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book

[Melinda Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirror, Mirror

This was a short, fun, best friends to lovers romance with a paranormal twist. It does occur near Halloween, after all!

[Lisa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely Halloween theme short story! I enjoyed the characters and got pulled into the romance quickly.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, quick read. Friends to lovers with a liberal dose of sass from the mystical Vivian. The perfect read to get you in the mood for spoopy season.

[Jamie Cary · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3⭐️ super quick read

[Nat's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was super cute and a quick read! A nice little Halloween romance!

[Nicole Mahaffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[angela gunstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirror, mirror : a Halloween fairy godmother romcom

this book has amazing characters loved the storyline so it's definitely a five star and I would recommend this book to everyone

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute

A big nudge and a big shot of bravery needed here.
This is a very cute paranormal friends to lovers story.

[Elizabeth F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute, fun read. Very entertaining. Highly recommend!!

[Anne :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed that book.There a lot of smut though.It had the friends to lovers trope,i thought the plot was good.And the bringing mg best friend as i date to a wedding trope too.The mirror thing was rlly cool and i read thsi book for halloween and it’s a good halloween romance

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun, light-hearted quickie of a romance!

Read full review in the 2017 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Majanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...

In Mirror, Mirror, Adelle Hendrix doesn’t believe in hocus pocus, or in happily ever after. When an enchanted mirror shows her the reflection of her best friend, Ben Jackson, who is supposed to be her soul mate, she doesn’t believe she and Ben are meant to be more than friends. After all, he’s always been a player, and although he’s her best friend and she always thought he was attractive, that’s just it – right? Wrong.

This was a fun, entertaining and fast read. The story kept putting the characters in hilarious situations. The writing was excellent and fast-paced.

Anyone who enjoys a funny, quirky paranormal romance read should definitely pick up this book.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun light paranormal read for sure! Lots of fun thanks to Adelle and Ben in this story but especially props to the brides aunt who happens to be a fortune teller who just happens to tell Adelle that Ben is her soul mate! Let the good times roll in this books. Lots of humor in PNR and it's a quick read overall so if your just having one of those blah days this is a book to pick up and just laugh. You even get some awkward situations as a bonus in it. While it is a fun book it also is a sweet read at times.


For sure a fun read which really made me laugh. Highly recommend if you searching for some chuckles!

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love stories that make me laugh and this one had me laughing a lot. Adelle sees a fortune teller (Vivienne) at her friends wedding and she keeps showing up at the weird times and places. Adelle is surprised that the magic mirror shows her best friend is who she should be with. Is it to late, has Ben moved on or is he he interested now that Adelle sees him in a different light. This is a cute short story with a lot of funny moments. I really enjoyed reading this book. I was gifted a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun and hilarious read with a few frustrations thrown in. Adelle and Ben are best friends and roommates. The old gypsy woman is a kick in the pants throughout this whole story. Tami Lund really knows how to make her stories stand out and draw a person in.

I received this book for an honest review.

[SOMDReigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirror, Mirror is a friends to lover’s story. A fun novella full of humor and friendship. Well written and entertaining. Good characters especially the fortune teller who keeps showing up and “helping”.
Thank you to the author for providing this read via newsletter.

[Vanessa]

This was a charming story that I would read again.

[Elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, I did NOT expect this. But it IS the perfect Halloween story and is funny and delightful and definitely a TREAT!