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Magical Romantic Comedies #1
Playing with Fire
alternate cover edition of ASIN B01MYDYKD0
Warning: This novel contains excessive humor, a fire-breathing unicorn on a mission of destruction, magic, romance, and bodies. Proceed with caution.
Catering to the magical is a tough gig on a good day, but Bailey has few other options. Spiking drinks with pixie dust keeps the locals happy and beats cleaning up the world's nastiest magical substances. She could live without serving Police Chief Samuel Quinn most days of the week, especially after destroying his marriage.
But when she's targeted with a cell phone bomb containing gorgon dust capable of transforming her beloved home into a stone tomb, she's tossed head first into a mess with her sexiest enemy. Add in his ex-wife angling for revenge, and Bailey must use every trick up her sleeve to survive.
The last thing she needs is to fall in love with Manhattan's Most Wanted Bachelor.
Saving Manhattan will be tough enough.
Warning: This novel contains excessive humor, a fire-breathing unicorn on a mission of destruction, magic, romance, and bodies. Proceed with caution.
Catering to the magical is a tough gig on a good day, but Bailey has few other options. Spiking drinks with pixie dust keeps the locals happy and beats cleaning up the world's nastiest magical substances. She could live without serving Police Chief Samuel Quinn most days of the week, especially after destroying his marriage.
But when she's targeted with a cell phone bomb containing gorgon dust capable of transforming her beloved home into a stone tomb, she's tossed head first into a mess with her sexiest enemy. Add in his ex-wife angling for revenge, and Bailey must use every trick up her sleeve to survive.
The last thing she needs is to fall in love with Manhattan's Most Wanted Bachelor.
Saving Manhattan will be tough enough.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2017
1724 people are currently reading
3569 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Blain
81 books1,319 followersRJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 669 reviews
July 28, 2018
Michelle, what did you give me? I feel like I just came off a high but if it was from delight or despair I can't say.
This book was so bizarre. I don't even know how to respond. Do I castrate it for its numerous imperfections? Delight in its hilarity and romantic tension? Shake my head and give up attempting to understand it? Maybe all three?
Pros: The title says it all: Fire. Magic. Romance. Comedy. This book contains lots of great one liners, unexpected occurrences, and a very sexy hero. I never guessed what came next. Partially because I had no idea what was going on...but even that was enjoyable. Light, fluffy, fun writing. Creative characters - I particularly loved Perky.
Cons: Stereotypical main female character is hot but doesn't believe it cliche, references to panties on fire, the CONFUSING world building and info dumping, the fact that lust overwhelms plot 85% of the time, hero getting all alpha male and physically restraining heroine, the use of the term "kinky" far too often, and finally, the fact that in the end this book stands as little more than Crazy mixed with Wish Fulfillment. This is the story of a woman with a host of emotional issues that prevent her from realizing her crush is obsessed with her, his finally pushing through after multiple misunderstandings, and the many ways they indulge their lust for one another. I appreciate that this book specializes in the Fade To Black indulgence of lust, as anything more would have alienated me from the book. However, any actual plot just takes a back seat to wish fulfillment.
Sooo.....2.5 stars. My gut says 3 stars for personal enjoyment and my brain says 2 stars when you weigh the flaws. Can't say I recommend it. It sure is a wild ride, though.
This book was so bizarre. I don't even know how to respond. Do I castrate it for its numerous imperfections? Delight in its hilarity and romantic tension? Shake my head and give up attempting to understand it? Maybe all three?
Pros: The title says it all: Fire. Magic. Romance. Comedy. This book contains lots of great one liners, unexpected occurrences, and a very sexy hero. I never guessed what came next. Partially because I had no idea what was going on...but even that was enjoyable. Light, fluffy, fun writing. Creative characters - I particularly loved Perky.
Cons: Stereotypical main female character is hot but doesn't believe it cliche, references to panties on fire, the CONFUSING world building and info dumping, the fact that lust overwhelms plot 85% of the time, hero getting all alpha male and physically restraining heroine, the use of the term "kinky" far too often, and finally, the fact that in the end this book stands as little more than Crazy mixed with Wish Fulfillment. This is the story of a woman with a host of emotional issues that prevent her from realizing her crush is obsessed with her, his finally pushing through after multiple misunderstandings, and the many ways they indulge their lust for one another. I appreciate that this book specializes in the Fade To Black indulgence of lust, as anything more would have alienated me from the book. However, any actual plot just takes a back seat to wish fulfillment.
Sooo.....2.5 stars. My gut says 3 stars for personal enjoyment and my brain says 2 stars when you weigh the flaws. Can't say I recommend it. It sure is a wild ride, though.
August 8, 2020
Let me say up front that this book probably doesn't actually deserve the rating I'll give it. Its mix of snark, fast pace, and brazen creativity hooked me. The worldbuilding is whacky with a side of hijinks but holds itself together by being internally consistent (or vague enough to fake it) and not cheating just to let the plot or characters do interesting things.
But I'll admit that my main engagement was Bailey. She's gutsy and determined and always does the right thing even when she knows the stakes are high and favorable outcomes unlikely. And that's exactly my jam. There's a hint of special girl about her that escapes being a Mary Sue by including a huge case of fatalistic insecurity. It's well-earned or it wouldn't have worked and crops up even when inconvenient and troublesome. It was fortunate that Quinn was immune and that his delight in her was infectious to those around him. But seriously, her life sucks and no small part of it is how she expects it to do so for the foreseeable future.
Quinn was a lot of fun, too, though maybe a little too perfect (both "perfect for her" and "perfect in general"). I bought it and didn't care for Bailey's sake. Well, that and he was the perfect snark partner.
It would have been easy to kill the entire story if the plot had been weaker or if the pacing had dragged. Bailey and Quinn come together around a third into the story and that's really early for what is, at heart, a romance. Their connection is solid, but Bailey's deep-seated insecurities are such that we really needed that long tail on the romance to completely invest in it. I was delighted that Blain didn't feel the need for any trickery to throw random conflict to "spice" things up. There's no dark moment or other shenanigans and I'm so glad it worked out as well as it did (and without being boring or weak).
I laughed out loud enough, and was charmed so thoroughly, that I'm giving this all five stars. It's a fragile five stars, though, and if any of those elements don't connect for you, it's unlikely you'll agree. The worldbuilding and creativity romp are dialed up to eleven and if you don't buy in, it's going to be a slog. I bit, though, and was entertained.
A note about Chaste: There's sex, including Bailey's first time, but none of that hits the page. There are no explicit descriptions and the flirting stops short of being racy. You get indications and expressions of appreciation and such, but to me, it remains chaste. If you're at all strict about chaste designations, you'll probably disagree. This is weird in an alt-history contemporary fantasy and the only thing keeping this from PNR categorization I think.
But I'll admit that my main engagement was Bailey. She's gutsy and determined and always does the right thing even when she knows the stakes are high and favorable outcomes unlikely. And that's exactly my jam. There's a hint of special girl about her that escapes being a Mary Sue by including a huge case of fatalistic insecurity. It's well-earned or it wouldn't have worked and crops up even when inconvenient and troublesome. It was fortunate that Quinn was immune and that his delight in her was infectious to those around him. But seriously, her life sucks and no small part of it is how she expects it to do so for the foreseeable future.
Quinn was a lot of fun, too, though maybe a little too perfect (both "perfect for her" and "perfect in general"). I bought it and didn't care for Bailey's sake. Well, that and he was the perfect snark partner.
It would have been easy to kill the entire story if the plot had been weaker or if the pacing had dragged. Bailey and Quinn come together around a third into the story and that's really early for what is, at heart, a romance. Their connection is solid, but Bailey's deep-seated insecurities are such that we really needed that long tail on the romance to completely invest in it. I was delighted that Blain didn't feel the need for any trickery to throw random conflict to "spice" things up. There's no dark moment or other shenanigans and I'm so glad it worked out as well as it did (and without being boring or weak).
I laughed out loud enough, and was charmed so thoroughly, that I'm giving this all five stars. It's a fragile five stars, though, and if any of those elements don't connect for you, it's unlikely you'll agree. The worldbuilding and creativity romp are dialed up to eleven and if you don't buy in, it's going to be a slog. I bit, though, and was entertained.
A note about Chaste: There's sex, including Bailey's first time, but none of that hits the page. There are no explicit descriptions and the flirting stops short of being racy. You get indications and expressions of appreciation and such, but to me, it remains chaste. If you're at all strict about chaste designations, you'll probably disagree. This is weird in an alt-history contemporary fantasy and the only thing keeping this from PNR categorization I think.
April 12, 2017
20% in. Maybe it's just me, but generally fantasy doesn't drastically change how people react in different situations. I'm not finding a lot of humor but too much sheer stupidity of the characters, the absolute low so far being the hospital room hallucination scene where the Chief removes his shirt. Seriously?
I really wish there were reviews accompanying the low stars given. I'll update my review if I find any redeeming qualities but I'm not holding out much hope.
2/3 in and I don't think I'll waste the time reading the rest. Characters rolling on the floor laughing does not make a situation funny.
I give up--I have better things to do and better books to read.
I really wish there were reviews accompanying the low stars given. I'll update my review if I find any redeeming qualities but I'm not holding out much hope.
2/3 in and I don't think I'll waste the time reading the rest. Characters rolling on the floor laughing does not make a situation funny.
I give up--I have better things to do and better books to read.
April 19, 2021
So when I first saw this book cover, I automatically asked if that was a black unicorn next to the guy. Then I was thinking - holy shit, if it is .. I need to dive into this. So, spoiler alert - I dove into Playing with Fire.
Now I'm not going to lie. This book was completely bizarre. So bizarre that I'm not even sure how I exactly enjoyed anything about it. Yet, I did enjoy this. Maybe it's all the snark I got or maybe it's just because this flew by for me. Either way, I enjoyed it and that's that.
In it, you will meet Bailey and Sam. These two were a wild adventure with a dash of perfection. It didn't seem to matter what the stakes were for Bailey. She was determined to do things anyways. As for Sam, he was just Mr. Perfect basically. Perfect for bantering and such.
Besides that, this does dive into the romance department which I devoured. Even if some things were a smidge predictable. These two had chemistry and some sort of connection that just made me enjoy watching them be them. Which is so weird to say but I did.
In the end, I'm not sure what the next book will bring me but I hope it's equally entertaining but with more world building please!
Now I'm not going to lie. This book was completely bizarre. So bizarre that I'm not even sure how I exactly enjoyed anything about it. Yet, I did enjoy this. Maybe it's all the snark I got or maybe it's just because this flew by for me. Either way, I enjoyed it and that's that.
In it, you will meet Bailey and Sam. These two were a wild adventure with a dash of perfection. It didn't seem to matter what the stakes were for Bailey. She was determined to do things anyways. As for Sam, he was just Mr. Perfect basically. Perfect for bantering and such.
Besides that, this does dive into the romance department which I devoured. Even if some things were a smidge predictable. These two had chemistry and some sort of connection that just made me enjoy watching them be them. Which is so weird to say but I did.
In the end, I'm not sure what the next book will bring me but I hope it's equally entertaining but with more world building please!
May 19, 2017
I Loved This Book
I have difficulty finding paranormals with a good dose of levity. This book delivered humor as promised. One of the best reads ever. Only problem is that Bailey and Quinn deserve a 13-book series, and the author gave them only this one. Find her. Persuade her. We need lots more like this!!
I have difficulty finding paranormals with a good dose of levity. This book delivered humor as promised. One of the best reads ever. Only problem is that Bailey and Quinn deserve a 13-book series, and the author gave them only this one. Find her. Persuade her. We need lots more like this!!
December 12, 2021
I loved this so much. I chortled and chuckled and then teared up. It was so much fun!! I don’t know how I found this one but I’m so glad I did. I loved the meat-eating, fire-breathing sarcastic unicorn/human and her caring and perceptive cop. This is a romp of a story. Over the top and full of banter. I usually don’t like when my heroines struggle with their self confidence but I loved how real it felt and that her guy could see how amazing she was and tell her so.
There are a few things that weren’t tied up clearly, but not so bad as to annoy me... just keep me curious.
There are a few things that weren’t tied up clearly, but not so bad as to annoy me... just keep me curious.
January 5, 2022
5 Stars because it was hilarious! I loved it. I couldn't put it down and I couldn't stop laughing.
November 8, 2020
An okay read.
At first I thought I was going to be blown away, but it went downhill with all the retelling and repetitions. Something happens and then you get one of the characters tell someone about the event in great detail as if we weren't the ones reading it. I understand that 'feature' in a series when you have to be reminded of certain things, but in the same book and only a couple of pages is pretty annoying.
The fact that I didn't buy the chemistry between the protagonist and her love interest didn't help either. It really went south when Quinn's family was introduced - over-the-top would be an understatement.
The 'mystery' was all over the place too and the guilty party and the resolution felt too convenient.
However, I like the idea (or a promise) of this world with all its beings and their abilities, which more often than not saves a book from a 'I didn't like it' rating for me.
At first I thought I was going to be blown away, but it went downhill with all the retelling and repetitions. Something happens and then you get one of the characters tell someone about the event in great detail as if we weren't the ones reading it. I understand that 'feature' in a series when you have to be reminded of certain things, but in the same book and only a couple of pages is pretty annoying.
The fact that I didn't buy the chemistry between the protagonist and her love interest didn't help either. It really went south when Quinn's family was introduced - over-the-top would be an understatement.
The 'mystery' was all over the place too and the guilty party and the resolution felt too convenient.
However, I like the idea (or a promise) of this world with all its beings and their abilities, which more often than not saves a book from a 'I didn't like it' rating for me.
November 21, 2017
Hilarious. A bit confusing at times and a few loose ends but it was cool.
May 22, 2023
Enjoy these characters
What a wacky world, love it! I want to be a cindercorn when I grow up. Don't know if I want the main characters starring in the next book or advising from the sidelines while another couple takes the stage. Can't wait to see where the author goes from here.
I did lose track of the body count, I may need to re-read and see what number I come up with on that read.
What a wacky world, love it! I want to be a cindercorn when I grow up. Don't know if I want the main characters starring in the next book or advising from the sidelines while another couple takes the stage. Can't wait to see where the author goes from here.
I did lose track of the body count, I may need to re-read and see what number I come up with on that read.
February 29, 2024
3 stars. I was enjoying this until near the end when I felt like the storyline just got too wild for me to follow. There was so much happening and so much of it was just SO RANDOM that I seriously wondered what drugs the author took while writing this book. I mean… she’s either got a crazy imagination, or she was high. And tbh, I’m leaning heavily towards high.
The beginning and middle of the book really kept my attention, I liked the story and there was a decent amount of humor mixed in.
I do have a couple more gripes besides just how random the story got. I also didn’t like that the heroine was a virgin and it was mentioned SO MANY TIMES and a few times was in a way that made it feel like a virtue. The hero was SO thrilled to be her first. The hero had been married and his ex wife was all kinds of nuts and trying to hunt down the heroine in order to breed with her. Yep… 🤪 that won’t make sense without reading the book. It really didn’t make sense after reading either.
There was also a scene when they discuss when the hero had sex with his ex wife, with what frequency, the exact days, etc. and I just don’t need those details. It was just such a random thing to even mention, and I definitely would have preferred the author just NOT go there.
Overall… this book was wild in a fun way, but it went a little too wild near the end for my taste. Oh and all of the sex scenes are VERY awkwardly closed door. The author discusses sex and sexuality openly, but then it comes to doing the deed and it’s like entire chapters are just cut out of the story. We get a time jump and just mentions of how good it was. I really think that even fade to black sex wouldn’t have left the book feeling so obviously lacking in this aspect.
Safe(ish)
Heroine virgin (mentioned a million times)
Hero not a manwhore
Hero celibate since divorce from ex wife (couple years prior)
Hero hired the heroine to catch his ex wife cheating on him, he was not heartbroken
Heroine did know hero while he was married, they admired each other even then
There’s no major OM drama
There’s some jealousy caused by OW and heroine thinking that hero took her home with him, which turned out to not be the case
Hero’s ex wife also causes drama, but he’s not interested in her
Hero falls first
No scenes with anyone, no cheating
The beginning and middle of the book really kept my attention, I liked the story and there was a decent amount of humor mixed in.
I do have a couple more gripes besides just how random the story got. I also didn’t like that the heroine was a virgin and it was mentioned SO MANY TIMES and a few times was in a way that made it feel like a virtue. The hero was SO thrilled to be her first. The hero had been married and his ex wife was all kinds of nuts and trying to hunt down the heroine in order to breed with her. Yep… 🤪 that won’t make sense without reading the book. It really didn’t make sense after reading either.
There was also a scene when they discuss when the hero had sex with his ex wife, with what frequency, the exact days, etc. and I just don’t need those details. It was just such a random thing to even mention, and I definitely would have preferred the author just NOT go there.
Overall… this book was wild in a fun way, but it went a little too wild near the end for my taste. Oh and all of the sex scenes are VERY awkwardly closed door. The author discusses sex and sexuality openly, but then it comes to doing the deed and it’s like entire chapters are just cut out of the story. We get a time jump and just mentions of how good it was. I really think that even fade to black sex wouldn’t have left the book feeling so obviously lacking in this aspect.
Safe(ish)
Heroine virgin (mentioned a million times)
Hero not a manwhore
Hero celibate since divorce from ex wife (couple years prior)
Hero hired the heroine to catch his ex wife cheating on him, he was not heartbroken
Heroine did know hero while he was married, they admired each other even then
There’s no major OM drama
There’s some jealousy caused by OW and heroine thinking that hero took her home with him, which turned out to not be the case
Hero’s ex wife also causes drama, but he’s not interested in her
Hero falls first
No scenes with anyone, no cheating
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2022
I finished. Yippee. (IYKYK)
October 16, 2020
This book was high.
That's it, that's all I've got. So I'm gonna go and recommend this to my friend Jilly who I know will really be able to truly appreciate this wild ride of a book high on crack.
July 31, 2019
Well this has to be the gosh-darn weirdest book I can remember reading in some time, and yet I didn't hate it.
I feel like this book must be experienced to be believed. I'm honestly not sure how to properly describe what is going on here. It's like if you took every single Supernatural creature, chucked them all in a book with a human(ish) protagonist, shrugged and went "figure it out." I should hate this book because there's soooo much going on it's impossible to keep things straight, but I don't. It's oddly compelling and fun despite it's shortcomings.
Bailey is a human barista working in a coffee house for supernatural creatures that slings pixie dust with every order. After someone tries to murder her in her apartment using gorgon dust (which is basically supernatural Anthrax) she sets off on a series of adventures to figure out why someone wants her dead and who will help her. Luckily her big crush is also the police chief but Bailey informed him of his wife cheating on him, and she's pretty positive he wants nothing to do with her. However we all know this is a romance novel so they're going to get together at some point. Throw in an angry ex wife, some gorgons, angels, incubus, centaurs and oh yeah, she can somehow turn into a unicorn(?!) and you have a formula for an over the top supernatural romance.
Playing with Fire has barely a plot, some very annoying stylistic choices regarding unicorn dialog, and a lot of talk about banging (though the author never actually writes a sex scene). If you're not here for having to write out a family tree including gorgons, angels, humans and incubus's in order to understand the second half of the book, move on right now. If you're down for weird shit, give it a try. Sure there's lots of issues with the book including the fact that there isn't much of a central plot or story to actually follow, but the characters are so strange and likeable it really didn't matter much to me. Perky is the best. The dialog is snippy and funny, and even if it's overwhelming, the book is never boring. It moves along with one odd situation after another, so I never wanted to chuck it across the room or fall asleep.
It's not the best written book I've read in the genre, but it isn't bad in the slightest. The covers for this series are GORGEOUS for being small press/self published, and if I saw it on a shelf I likely would have grabbed it and checked it out based on that alone. In terms of technical writing it's probably a 2 but in terms of fun and joy, it's a 5 from me. I'd rather read this than most literary, depressing fiction any day, so in that aspect it's a winner. 3.5 stars.
Blog / Twitter
I feel like this book must be experienced to be believed. I'm honestly not sure how to properly describe what is going on here. It's like if you took every single Supernatural creature, chucked them all in a book with a human(ish) protagonist, shrugged and went "figure it out." I should hate this book because there's soooo much going on it's impossible to keep things straight, but I don't. It's oddly compelling and fun despite it's shortcomings.
Bailey is a human barista working in a coffee house for supernatural creatures that slings pixie dust with every order. After someone tries to murder her in her apartment using gorgon dust (which is basically supernatural Anthrax) she sets off on a series of adventures to figure out why someone wants her dead and who will help her. Luckily her big crush is also the police chief but Bailey informed him of his wife cheating on him, and she's pretty positive he wants nothing to do with her. However we all know this is a romance novel so they're going to get together at some point. Throw in an angry ex wife, some gorgons, angels, incubus, centaurs and oh yeah, she can somehow turn into a unicorn(?!) and you have a formula for an over the top supernatural romance.
Playing with Fire has barely a plot, some very annoying stylistic choices regarding unicorn dialog, and a lot of talk about banging (though the author never actually writes a sex scene). If you're not here for having to write out a family tree including gorgons, angels, humans and incubus's in order to understand the second half of the book, move on right now. If you're down for weird shit, give it a try. Sure there's lots of issues with the book including the fact that there isn't much of a central plot or story to actually follow, but the characters are so strange and likeable it really didn't matter much to me. Perky is the best. The dialog is snippy and funny, and even if it's overwhelming, the book is never boring. It moves along with one odd situation after another, so I never wanted to chuck it across the room or fall asleep.
It's not the best written book I've read in the genre, but it isn't bad in the slightest. The covers for this series are GORGEOUS for being small press/self published, and if I saw it on a shelf I likely would have grabbed it and checked it out based on that alone. In terms of technical writing it's probably a 2 but in terms of fun and joy, it's a 5 from me. I'd rather read this than most literary, depressing fiction any day, so in that aspect it's a winner. 3.5 stars.
Blog / Twitter
February 25, 2022
This book had SO much potential! In the beginning, I loved it and thought it was easily going to be a 3 or 4 star book for me.
Unfortunately, the execution wasn’t there for me.
The good: so funny! I was in stitches at times and I loved the uniqueness of the world. I also liked the characters and how they interacted. I really loved Bailey and especially when she turned into a cindercorn!
The not so good: what even happened? I am still utterly confused on the plot. Why was Audrey obsessed with Bailey? Why did she turn herself into a gorgon in the first place? Why did she try to turn Bailey into a gorgon? What did her poor sex life with Quinn, which apparently got super hot when Bailey dosed him with pixie dust, have to do with her motivation to gorgon dust bomb Bailey? Why was she trying to turn Quinn into a gorgon?
Quinn as a character - his motivations just made no sense to me. He married someone (who apparently he wasn’t attracted to) in order to stop bachelorettes coming on to him? What?? And then when she cheats on him and he has to get a divorce - instead of taking his next relationship seriously he gets re-married like 3 days after kissing Bailey for the first time? And how exactly could he be “falling in love” with her over the years when his interactions were either to buy coffee from her at the coffee shop she worked at (where she tried to get rid of him as quickly as possible) and apparently some work interactions? Maybe if we’d seen more of those work interactions before the plot really started it would make more sense. Also - how do his powers work and why is he “incapable” (word used so many times it lost his meaning) of staying married to someone who cheats on him or being able to cheat himself?
Consent - let’s talk about how obvious consent (like rape) was handled vs less obvious consent. At one point a gorgon tries to rape Bailey and she calls it out for what it is - rape, and defends herself and defends her defense.
But then she’s brought to a courthouse in another state (and WHY? Why did they have to go to Virginia - it made exactly zero sense why they couldn’t get married in NY) to get married to Quinn, but…he’s never even proposed. She doesn’t even know why they’re there. He contacts her abusive parents without her knowledge…or consent. He literally chains her to a wall at some point. Seriously, what the hell.
Her parents - we also never get a satisfactory explanation as to why her relationship with her parents suck. Did they really try getting their child killed at one point? Why not just get a divorce. Why do they hate her simply because the didn’t use birth control and were “forced” to get married in order to keep an inheritance? Why did her father want to keep his vanilla human status so badly?
The world building - was so confusing, I could barely keep up with what all the rules were and when some rules applied and some didn’t. The entire gorgon rules were poorly explained, supposedly because Bailey didn’t pay attention to gorgon biology and sociology classes…if she left her parents’ home in order to “prove” herself and is as stubborn as they make her character out to be - why wouldn’t she pay attention?
Bailey’s relationships and virgin status - she says that she wanted to make friends and have relationships, but in the eleven years since she left her parents she hasn’t ever had friends or a boyfriend? It seems like she has a good relationship with her boss and Perky seems to like her, but she’s convinced she’s a bitch (mentioned wayyy too many times). Also - it’s very unbelievable that if she wanted to lose her virginity (which we’re lead to believe), that she couldn’t. Also - I hate this trope that the woman needs to be a virgin when she finds her true love - it reeks of purity culture and is a personal pet peeve of mine, especially when the character doesn’t want to be a virgin/isn’t waiting for something particular and is older.
Plot holes - SO MANY PLOT HOLES. I really wish I had been a beta reader for this before it was published because I have so many questions and am dying for answers. What happened to Mary/Baikey’s coworkers? Why did they just never show up? Did Audrey have something to do with it and what?
WHAT IS BAILEY? I suspected she was part god early enough in the book, but why is it never confirmed and what’s the point of making her part god if there’s no real reason for it?
Seriously - what the hell was Audrey’s goal? Why would she want to be part gorgon? How did she even know how to make gorgon dust? Why did she cheat on Quinn? Why did she believe some gorgon supremacy craziness? Did she know Bailey was part god and that’s why she wanted her as a surrogate? If so, how? What did Quinn being dosed on pixie dust have to do with it? How did she petrify Ozmose’s mate in order to force him to make dust before she had dust to become a gorgon herself? Bailey also said she was too weak to petrify after she got kidnapped. What happened to Bailey while she was unconscious? Why was she out for 8 days? What knocked her out if she’s immune to most things? Why would the CDC risk using phoenixes (highly unstable and unpredictable) vs napalm which is VERY stable and predictable? Why did Audrey want to ensure Bailey wasn’t “tainted” by Quinn? Why did she pose her brother in reverse cowgirl when she killed him? Was she behind the bombing of 120 Wall Street? Why? How did she get access to the building? How did she get the knowledge of how to mix gorgon dust and gasoline? How did she make everything? WHY?
It definitely read like Audrey was just a one dimensional villain because she cheated on Quinn. Look, she’s a whore so she has to be the villain, even though no motivation was ever really explained. It made no sense and while I don’t condone cheating, it felt very slut shame-y to make her the entire book’s bad guy simply because she cheated on her husband (who married her for selfish reasons and wasn’t even attracted to her?? - again, issue of consent - why did she marry him? Was she in love with him or did she know she was just a prop to ward off other women for him?).
I have so many lingering questions - if you have answers or theories, PLEASE share them. This book is going to stay with me in the worst way possible where I second guess everything I read until my brain explodes.
Unfortunately, the execution wasn’t there for me.
The good: so funny! I was in stitches at times and I loved the uniqueness of the world. I also liked the characters and how they interacted. I really loved Bailey and especially when she turned into a cindercorn!
The not so good: what even happened? I am still utterly confused on the plot. Why was Audrey obsessed with Bailey? Why did she turn herself into a gorgon in the first place? Why did she try to turn Bailey into a gorgon? What did her poor sex life with Quinn, which apparently got super hot when Bailey dosed him with pixie dust, have to do with her motivation to gorgon dust bomb Bailey? Why was she trying to turn Quinn into a gorgon?
Quinn as a character - his motivations just made no sense to me. He married someone (who apparently he wasn’t attracted to) in order to stop bachelorettes coming on to him? What?? And then when she cheats on him and he has to get a divorce - instead of taking his next relationship seriously he gets re-married like 3 days after kissing Bailey for the first time? And how exactly could he be “falling in love” with her over the years when his interactions were either to buy coffee from her at the coffee shop she worked at (where she tried to get rid of him as quickly as possible) and apparently some work interactions? Maybe if we’d seen more of those work interactions before the plot really started it would make more sense. Also - how do his powers work and why is he “incapable” (word used so many times it lost his meaning) of staying married to someone who cheats on him or being able to cheat himself?
Consent - let’s talk about how obvious consent (like rape) was handled vs less obvious consent. At one point a gorgon tries to rape Bailey and she calls it out for what it is - rape, and defends herself and defends her defense.
But then she’s brought to a courthouse in another state (and WHY? Why did they have to go to Virginia - it made exactly zero sense why they couldn’t get married in NY) to get married to Quinn, but…he’s never even proposed. She doesn’t even know why they’re there. He contacts her abusive parents without her knowledge…or consent. He literally chains her to a wall at some point. Seriously, what the hell.
Her parents - we also never get a satisfactory explanation as to why her relationship with her parents suck. Did they really try getting their child killed at one point? Why not just get a divorce. Why do they hate her simply because the didn’t use birth control and were “forced” to get married in order to keep an inheritance? Why did her father want to keep his vanilla human status so badly?
The world building - was so confusing, I could barely keep up with what all the rules were and when some rules applied and some didn’t. The entire gorgon rules were poorly explained, supposedly because Bailey didn’t pay attention to gorgon biology and sociology classes…if she left her parents’ home in order to “prove” herself and is as stubborn as they make her character out to be - why wouldn’t she pay attention?
Bailey’s relationships and virgin status - she says that she wanted to make friends and have relationships, but in the eleven years since she left her parents she hasn’t ever had friends or a boyfriend? It seems like she has a good relationship with her boss and Perky seems to like her, but she’s convinced she’s a bitch (mentioned wayyy too many times). Also - it’s very unbelievable that if she wanted to lose her virginity (which we’re lead to believe), that she couldn’t. Also - I hate this trope that the woman needs to be a virgin when she finds her true love - it reeks of purity culture and is a personal pet peeve of mine, especially when the character doesn’t want to be a virgin/isn’t waiting for something particular and is older.
Plot holes - SO MANY PLOT HOLES. I really wish I had been a beta reader for this before it was published because I have so many questions and am dying for answers. What happened to Mary/Baikey’s coworkers? Why did they just never show up? Did Audrey have something to do with it and what?
WHAT IS BAILEY? I suspected she was part god early enough in the book, but why is it never confirmed and what’s the point of making her part god if there’s no real reason for it?
Seriously - what the hell was Audrey’s goal? Why would she want to be part gorgon? How did she even know how to make gorgon dust? Why did she cheat on Quinn? Why did she believe some gorgon supremacy craziness? Did she know Bailey was part god and that’s why she wanted her as a surrogate? If so, how? What did Quinn being dosed on pixie dust have to do with it? How did she petrify Ozmose’s mate in order to force him to make dust before she had dust to become a gorgon herself? Bailey also said she was too weak to petrify after she got kidnapped. What happened to Bailey while she was unconscious? Why was she out for 8 days? What knocked her out if she’s immune to most things? Why would the CDC risk using phoenixes (highly unstable and unpredictable) vs napalm which is VERY stable and predictable? Why did Audrey want to ensure Bailey wasn’t “tainted” by Quinn? Why did she pose her brother in reverse cowgirl when she killed him? Was she behind the bombing of 120 Wall Street? Why? How did she get access to the building? How did she get the knowledge of how to mix gorgon dust and gasoline? How did she make everything? WHY?
It definitely read like Audrey was just a one dimensional villain because she cheated on Quinn. Look, she’s a whore so she has to be the villain, even though no motivation was ever really explained. It made no sense and while I don’t condone cheating, it felt very slut shame-y to make her the entire book’s bad guy simply because she cheated on her husband (who married her for selfish reasons and wasn’t even attracted to her?? - again, issue of consent - why did she marry him? Was she in love with him or did she know she was just a prop to ward off other women for him?).
I have so many lingering questions - if you have answers or theories, PLEASE share them. This book is going to stay with me in the worst way possible where I second guess everything I read until my brain explodes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2017
I have only myself to blame for not reading any of R.J. Blain's work sooner. And I will definitely be reading much more.
Because it's a romantic comedy, there was never any question that Chief Quinn and Bailey Gardener were going to get together, only of what contretemps would happen along the way. Gardener is a wonderfully clueless narrator who is completely oblivious to the meanings inherent in how people react to her. (I blame her parents.) She is also prone to saying the first thing that pops into her head, with delightfully chaotic results. And she's got secrets, of course.
Meanwhile, Quinn is a long-suffering police chief who works with Gardener as a contractor and keeps trying to let her know that he's interested. And he's got his own things to hide, although that doesn't come out until later in the book.
Wonderful supporting characters, fun take on Manhattan (and other locales) with magic, and some marvelous dialogue make this a quick, engaging read.
My favorite line from the book is "I'm bringing phoenixes to a gorgon fight" -- but it was really hard to choose. Highly recommended.
Because it's a romantic comedy, there was never any question that Chief Quinn and Bailey Gardener were going to get together, only of what contretemps would happen along the way. Gardener is a wonderfully clueless narrator who is completely oblivious to the meanings inherent in how people react to her. (I blame her parents.) She is also prone to saying the first thing that pops into her head, with delightfully chaotic results. And she's got secrets, of course.
Meanwhile, Quinn is a long-suffering police chief who works with Gardener as a contractor and keeps trying to let her know that he's interested. And he's got his own things to hide, although that doesn't come out until later in the book.
Wonderful supporting characters, fun take on Manhattan (and other locales) with magic, and some marvelous dialogue make this a quick, engaging read.
My favorite line from the book is "I'm bringing phoenixes to a gorgon fight" -- but it was really hard to choose. Highly recommended.
January 18, 2019
This might be the worst written book I can recall reading... the weird thing is, I still enjoyed it. The plotvrambled instead of arced, there were countless small and large typos, the characters were flat, and many plot holes were so large they had their own plot holes within plot holes. Too little information is given about the rules of the world, yet there is still repetitive infodump.
The thing is, it was still fun to read. The world building is fascinating. I want to know more. The heroine is funny and interesting. I want to know more. There were multiple adventures. I want more adventures.
Rating wise, this book deserves 0 stars for technical skill and at least 4 for fun. I don't think I'd buy more books by the author unless they were on sale, but I seriously considered starting a gofundme for her to pay for an editor, because with some HARDCORE editing, this book would have been amazing.
The thing is, it was still fun to read. The world building is fascinating. I want to know more. The heroine is funny and interesting. I want to know more. There were multiple adventures. I want more adventures.
Rating wise, this book deserves 0 stars for technical skill and at least 4 for fun. I don't think I'd buy more books by the author unless they were on sale, but I seriously considered starting a gofundme for her to pay for an editor, because with some HARDCORE editing, this book would have been amazing.
May 30, 2017
"Working as the only human barista at a coffee shop catering to the magical is a tough gig on a good day."
Bailey is testing out her magic when she gets ensnarled in trouble when Chief Quinn asks for her help. Years later, he's divorced, unhappy and blames Bailey for his woes. Now, Quinn's former brother-in-law asks for her help. She know she should say no but she can't resist his come-hither gaze. Bailey's in for the ride of her life and just when she's got a handle on things, Chief Quinn's ex-wife makes Bailey's life miserable.
What a fantastic magical romantic comedy! The plot moves lightning quick and I laughed out loud many times. Bailey's my favorite character and her inner dialogue is reason enough to buy this book. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5+ stars
Bailey is testing out her magic when she gets ensnarled in trouble when Chief Quinn asks for her help. Years later, he's divorced, unhappy and blames Bailey for his woes. Now, Quinn's former brother-in-law asks for her help. She know she should say no but she can't resist his come-hither gaze. Bailey's in for the ride of her life and just when she's got a handle on things, Chief Quinn's ex-wife makes Bailey's life miserable.
What a fantastic magical romantic comedy! The plot moves lightning quick and I laughed out loud many times. Bailey's my favorite character and her inner dialogue is reason enough to buy this book. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5+ stars
March 23, 2019
Loved it. Light hearted and very funny
February 10, 2019
It didn't work for me... I can't put my finger on why.
Buddy read with Layla
Buddy read with Layla
December 19, 2023
A book on acid where nothing and everything makes sense.
FL/ Bailey:-A barista with high ranking CDC certification for handling dangerous materials including A+++ grade pixie dust, gorgon bile and Napalm; Bailey or Calamity queen is also a unicorn when given transformative pills—a unicorn who loves fire and eating explosives such C4 or napalm.
ML/ Samuel Quinn:- Chief of police who hired Bailey to find his cheating wife. Now that he is divorced, he regularly visits Bailey to get his dose of caffeine. His ancestry is INTERESTING and a fucking mix to say the very very least.
Review
No world building through paragraphs of info dumps. But an entire world emerges through action.
There is so much sarcasm and craziness going on, you feel like just riding that high. I read the book so fast because I know something would happen in the next page and I was here for it. There was bombing of Bailey's apartment, taking down an entire skyscrapper because of infection, then angels with halos singing... Ah! Hilarious.
Unicorns, Gorgons, Incubus, Angels, Centaurs, Pixies, Phoenixes... you name it and this book has it. And oh, humans too.
Basically, you will keep laughing out loud with such a suspension of every belief, that it borders on disbelief, but is still viable? Yeah... acid!
P.S. I don’t think this book is for everyone, especially if you are in a mood for something emotional. Or if you are adamant about plot lines and arcs.
About the romance
Quinn and Bailey do get together. And also get married in a hilarious sequence. But this is a clean romance. So no sexy scenes beyond kissing and gropping.
FL/ Bailey:-A barista with high ranking CDC certification for handling dangerous materials including A+++ grade pixie dust, gorgon bile and Napalm; Bailey or Calamity queen is also a unicorn when given transformative pills—a unicorn who loves fire and eating explosives such C4 or napalm.
ML/ Samuel Quinn:- Chief of police who hired Bailey to find his cheating wife. Now that he is divorced, he regularly visits Bailey to get his dose of caffeine. His ancestry is INTERESTING and a fucking mix to say the very very least.
Review
No world building through paragraphs of info dumps. But an entire world emerges through action.
There is so much sarcasm and craziness going on, you feel like just riding that high. I read the book so fast because I know something would happen in the next page and I was here for it. There was bombing of Bailey's apartment, taking down an entire skyscrapper because of infection, then angels with halos singing... Ah! Hilarious.
Unicorns, Gorgons, Incubus, Angels, Centaurs, Pixies, Phoenixes... you name it and this book has it. And oh, humans too.
Basically, you will keep laughing out loud with such a suspension of every belief, that it borders on disbelief, but is still viable? Yeah... acid!
P.S. I don’t think this book is for everyone, especially if you are in a mood for something emotional. Or if you are adamant about plot lines and arcs.
About the romance
Quinn and Bailey do get together. And also get married in a hilarious sequence. But this is a clean romance. So no sexy scenes beyond kissing and gropping.
November 10, 2022
I hate to give a one star review. Even if I don't like a book some one still did the work to write it, just because I don't like it doesn't make it bad, etc.
This book is just not good. For starters, the narrator has a strong regional accent that borders on unintelligible. I guess it's a plus the main character is actually of that region..? & that right there is the nicest thing I can say.
As for the rest: it's a mess! You know how a horse & a tiger cannot have offspring? Well not in this magical world! In fairness, there are no tiger-horses but there are angel-centaur-gorgon hybrids. There's also a child services adoption process that sounds more like fight club than anything else, as well as some of the most poorly written sex scenes ever (double spoiler-there is no sex in them, just allusions to past sex. Or future sex).
All of that would be not exactly alright but not burn it down now bad if the writing had been at all engaging. Nope. For example, there's a chase scene requiring among other supernatural paraphernalia phoenix feathers wrapped in dead babies blankets (why? who knows), phoenixes being fed ambrosia (what's that mean? who knows), the aforementioned child adoption fight club & so much other crap all slammed into the final 10% of the book with almost no explanation.
I say "almost no" because the narrator did describe what was happening, but without any explanation of why. There is no context to anything. Even the beginning, where the narrator is ditched by her boss for an open to close shift for no reason anyone ever gave. Her co-workers ALL took the day off, again no reason. Just a weird coincidence that allowed the next thing to happen. This whole book is one unexplained incident leading to the next unexplained incident.
Do what you want, but I actually went to the trouble of hiding this series on my digital reader. I am taking no chances on wading through this mess ever again
This book is just not good. For starters, the narrator has a strong regional accent that borders on unintelligible. I guess it's a plus the main character is actually of that region..? & that right there is the nicest thing I can say.
As for the rest: it's a mess! You know how a horse & a tiger cannot have offspring? Well not in this magical world! In fairness, there are no tiger-horses but there are angel-centaur-gorgon hybrids. There's also a child services adoption process that sounds more like fight club than anything else, as well as some of the most poorly written sex scenes ever (double spoiler-there is no sex in them, just allusions to past sex. Or future sex).
All of that would be not exactly alright but not burn it down now bad if the writing had been at all engaging. Nope. For example, there's a chase scene requiring among other supernatural paraphernalia phoenix feathers wrapped in dead babies blankets (why? who knows), phoenixes being fed ambrosia (what's that mean? who knows), the aforementioned child adoption fight club & so much other crap all slammed into the final 10% of the book with almost no explanation.
I say "almost no" because the narrator did describe what was happening, but without any explanation of why. There is no context to anything. Even the beginning, where the narrator is ditched by her boss for an open to close shift for no reason anyone ever gave. Her co-workers ALL took the day off, again no reason. Just a weird coincidence that allowed the next thing to happen. This whole book is one unexplained incident leading to the next unexplained incident.
Do what you want, but I actually went to the trouble of hiding this series on my digital reader. I am taking no chances on wading through this mess ever again
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2025
I've come to the conclusion that I really like funny, OTT books, not so much the silly kind but genuinely funny and creative. And this is another series that I'm going to love as well. I've previously read one of the novellas and loved it so much I've been collecting the books.
The world building carries through the series with all the different supes but the characters not so much. A pity as I really loved Bailey, the Calamity Queen. This episode features Gorgons, not a supe that gets very many books, and you'd think they'd make the perfect villain and they do, but also the perfect hero.
Can't wait to read more of this series.
The world building carries through the series with all the different supes but the characters not so much. A pity as I really loved Bailey, the Calamity Queen. This episode features Gorgons, not a supe that gets very many books, and you'd think they'd make the perfect villain and they do, but also the perfect hero.
Can't wait to read more of this series.
January 14, 2020
Hilarious
This book is so funny. Laughed like a crazy woman while reading, so yeah, not dissapointed. Will read the next one. 4 stars.
This book is so funny. Laughed like a crazy woman while reading, so yeah, not dissapointed. Will read the next one. 4 stars.
December 18, 2025
3.5 stars
I'm starting with this book was not for me. I enjoyed parts of this book, was confused because I needed some more explanations. But at no point did I want to dnf this book.
So if you think the blurb is interesting, give it a try.
I'm starting with this book was not for me. I enjoyed parts of this book, was confused because I needed some more explanations. But at no point did I want to dnf this book.
So if you think the blurb is interesting, give it a try.
March 30, 2022
My Kindle has been haunting me with a commercial for this book. I think it has been displayed non-stop on my screen since last summer. While I was tempted with the picture of a unicorn, I thought it would be cliched PNR so I ignored it.
Recently, I saw my bookish friend Sandra, gave 5 stars to this book, so I decided I give it a try after all.
I DO NOT REGRET IT.
IT WAS AWESOME!
I do not remember when I had so much fun reading an urban fantasy novel. The richness of world-building reminded me of the 'Heartstrikers' series by Rachel Aaron while the craziness and randomness had The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy vibe.
After all, who can say what is the correct reproductive cycle of gorgons or if angels have a head? Not me. Never seen them. xD
If you are looking for a crazy and different urban fantasy - give this book a try. You won't be disappointed.
Recently, I saw my bookish friend Sandra, gave 5 stars to this book, so I decided I give it a try after all.
I DO NOT REGRET IT.
IT WAS AWESOME!
I do not remember when I had so much fun reading an urban fantasy novel. The richness of world-building reminded me of the 'Heartstrikers' series by Rachel Aaron while the craziness and randomness had The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy vibe.
After all, who can say what is the correct reproductive cycle of gorgons or if angels have a head? Not me. Never seen them. xD
If you are looking for a crazy and different urban fantasy - give this book a try. You won't be disappointed.
May 22, 2023
3.5 stars! It's a funny, wild ride with lots of magic and snark!
July 7, 2017
3.5 stars Amazon; 3 stars Goodreads: Not deep, a bit OTT, but generally entertaining
The assorted supernatural beings, their interactions and their [reproductive] habits were original, including the bizarre version of angels, and especially the "cindercorn" (a firebreathing, napalm-eating unicorn!) that transformation potions turn the heroine into. The plot was never boring, if requiring heavy suspension of disbelief (e.g., a gorgon and a centaur somehow mated, and their offspring appears completely human?!).
However, there's too much emphasis on her sexual fantasies about the hero, especially for a fade-to-black book with a personally inexperienced heroine. I've enjoyed many books containing romances both with and without the smexy stuff, but this sends mixed messages/ sets up false expectations. I prefer the building of an emotional connection to be better depicted, not just statedd.
She's also selfishly hypocritical re. incubus powers, etc.: she refuses to be seduced (she's no pushover!), but allows a situation where someone else will be. Her abysmal self-esteem (her parents are caricatures of emotional abuse) and her lack of verbal self-control both get to be a trifle overdone.
The writing itself was no problem, and the editing was good — I only caught a couple minor typos or grammar issues, less than in many "major house" publications.
My massive Kindle queue contains several [first-in-series] freebies and bargains I've picked up by this author (her summaries and samples draw me in!), but this is the first title I've (finally) read in full. Given my preferences, starting with the only self-described "comedy" may have been a poor decision, but I expect her other series' will be less silly. I definitely still intend to read them.
The assorted supernatural beings, their interactions and their [reproductive] habits were original, including the bizarre version of angels, and especially the "cindercorn" (a firebreathing, napalm-eating unicorn!) that transformation potions turn the heroine into. The plot was never boring, if requiring heavy suspension of disbelief (e.g., a gorgon and a centaur somehow mated, and their offspring appears completely human?!).
However, there's too much emphasis on her sexual fantasies about the hero, especially for a fade-to-black book with a personally inexperienced heroine. I've enjoyed many books containing romances both with and without the smexy stuff, but this sends mixed messages/ sets up false expectations. I prefer the building of an emotional connection to be better depicted, not just statedd.
She's also selfishly hypocritical re. incubus powers, etc.: she refuses to be seduced (she's no pushover!), but allows a situation where someone else will be. Her abysmal self-esteem (her parents are caricatures of emotional abuse) and her lack of verbal self-control both get to be a trifle overdone.
The writing itself was no problem, and the editing was good — I only caught a couple minor typos or grammar issues, less than in many "major house" publications.
My massive Kindle queue contains several [first-in-series] freebies and bargains I've picked up by this author (her summaries and samples draw me in!), but this is the first title I've (finally) read in full. Given my preferences, starting with the only self-described "comedy" may have been a poor decision, but I expect her other series' will be less silly. I definitely still intend to read them.
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