Abandoned at three—whose parents want a kid who sees ghosts?—I learned the world is quick to punish misfits. I try my best to be a normal, boring human, but the call of the supernatural just won’t be ignored.
When a stranger shows up on my doorstep in the middle of the night, it’s no sexy tryst. Instead, I’m off to the graveyard, digging up the corpse of a murder victim at the demand of the local vampire coven—and that small felony is just the start.
The spirit of the woman has gone missing—something that shouldn’t be possible—and everyone is looking to me for answers. There’s Kase, a vampire who’s both terrifying and secretive. Grant, a mage with a bad attitude and a lot of power. Troy, the possessive werewolf-detective next door and Hunter, a mysterious bad boy who isn’t even close to human.
It’s a race not just against time but against everything to figure out where the spirits are going, who’s behind it and if I can trust the men who now share my bed.
Jayce Carter lives in Southern California with her husband and two spawns. She originally wanted to take over the world but realized that would require wearing pants. This led her to choosing writing, a completely pants-free occupation. She has a fear of heights yet rock climbs for fun and enjoys making up excuses for not going out and socializing.
None of these men have ever heard of knocking it seems.
It feels like a good majority of this book is just random guys walking through her door unannounced, breaking it down, or just straight up sneaking in when she's not aware.
Yeah this book wasn't terrible but pretty meh. I didn't really like any of the guys nor the FL. Everyone was kind of annoying.
A woman that can speak to ghosts and four guys with boundary issues. I liked Ava and the seeing ghosts thing, even if there was only one ghost. I just didn’t like the guys. Kase, bossy vampire and possessive annoyance number one. Troy, next door neighbor werewolf and possessive annoyance number two. Grant, carefree mage hired by Kase and Hunter, the hellhound throwing accusations around. It has its moments, I liked how she tries to get rid of them and that Kase can’t drink her blood. Probable big bad being the usual suspect. Mentions abandonment and tattooing of a three year old. I’m curious where this one will go but the guys need to mature. Favorite character was Gran.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm brand new to reading Jayce Carter, this being my first read by her. I came across a recommendation in a fb group that led me to this awesome, fast paced, hilarious find. This is one of those reads where I kept trying to slow down my pace, and I kept watching the page count near the end and I'm panicking because I NEED more NOW! So glad to see book two comes out next week!
This book grabbed me with the opening sentence.
"I wished a floating, nearly headless body at three in the morning were an unusual thing for me, but this was the fourth time this one had visited me in as many weeks. A squinty gaze at my watch made me groan. At least she’s punctual. “Avenge me!” the apparition demanded in an over-the-top ghostly voice."
The fmc is this sweet, sad, snarky, hilarious mix, and her inner monologue is so damn funny. I'm right there with her. These aren't your typical guys or typical harem line up either. There is so much mystery and suspense around both what Ava (fmc) is, where she originated from, what she's capable of, as well as the looming threat of a void and shadow devouring souls. Throughout all of that are the sprinkles of snarky wit and humor that keep the story straddling that fine edge between lighthearted and heavy. In a word, it was delicious.
This wasn't in my tbr list for this month, but I'm so glad I took the detour. I shall now commence polite stalking of the author and am eagerly holding a spot open to devour book two on June 8th!
Other hilarious quotes **********
"There wasn’t really a way to refuse that was there? I was pretty sure if I pushed any further, I’d end up gagged and tied, and while that might be wonderfully fun on my days off, I just didn’t think this vampire was a fan of safewords."
He took his hand off my mouth but didn’t move away. “Stay still,” he whispered against my ear. “Why? Is it coming back?” “No. I just really like looking down your robe.”
Ratings (out of possible 5) Character building: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ - Ava (fmc) is fairly well fleshed out. The guys are less so but they all stand out as very unique personalities and "voices". There are also a few side characters, especially Gran, who are being built out and will clearly have a key role in the story and in Ava's life.
World building: 🌎 🌎 🌎 🌎 - The world building is strong. You can picture each scene clearly but it's not as immersive as it could potentially be.
Romance: 💓 💓 💓 💓 - there is some sweet and delicious heat and tension between Ava and the four potential guys. This is only book one and it was so good. Can't wait to see how the feelings expand
Heat/steam: 🔥 🔥 🔥 1/2 - a couple of smexy scenes in the book but fairly tame in this first story.
Burn Level: Medium/Fast burn (the smexy times start relatively soon in the story but it didn't feel like insta-love at all)
Drama: 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀
Suspense: 💣 💣 💣 💣
Action: 🍿 🍿 🍿1/2
Dark: 💀 💀
Triggers: Murder and mutilation (not overly graphic) of small side characters.
Ending: Cliffhanger - don't worry! Book two is out next week.
Anyone for supernaturals gone rogue? Some paranormal persecution? This is my first Jayce Carter book and it won’t be my last. She has a way of pulling you right into the story, freaking you out, and then tossing in a hilarious Ava joke or one-liner that has you laughing out loud.
Well, that’s how it always goes. Everyone thinks their death will be some great sacrifice, some noble leap, but that isn’t what it is.
Ava was okay with her life as an insurance saleswoman and a medium to the undead until she is persuaded by vampires, werewolves, mages, and hellhounds to discover why normally controlled supernaturals are brutally murdering local humans. Not to mention the spirits of the dead are being torn away from their bodies. What does that have to do with Ava, you ask? Well, she’s not so sure herself, but everyone says she’s more than what she thinks. Unfortunately, Ava knows nothing about her past other than she was abandoned by her parents and placed into the foster care system. So between graverobbing, seances, and visiting purgatory, her work is cut out for her. Oh, and did I mention she is accompanied by Kase, the handsome and stoic vampire, Troy, the possessive silver-haired werewolf, Hunter, the sexy hot Hellhound, and Grant, the playful mage. Lucky girl! 😉
I love Ava’s pluck and sarcastic wit. Her independence stays true as she battles many unnatural forces and very masculine and sexy distractions/protectors. When she finally lets her true powers out during a life or death situation she gets closer to the menacing force causing such havoc. However, she needs to decide who to trust and how in the Hell she is going to deal with the killer. By the way, my favorite testosterone-filled scene was the fight between two of her jealous bodyguards while she and the other two watched on the sofa eating popcorn. Classic! LOL
I recommend this suspenseful, yet playful, paranormal romance filled with magic, some MFM action, and a hunt for a killer. And did I mention this book has a cliffhanger? Not my favorite, but I am definitely snatching up book 2 as soon as I can.
Thank you to Ms. Carter for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
This woman is written like a child. In the latter part of this book, I imagined an 8 year old or even a petulant teen just kicking rocks acting like an overly emo Eeyore. What is it with writing female characters with trauma and then making them childlike? This was a tedious one and I won’t go one to the next.
The most frustrating, immature, naive, incapable, judgemental and weak heroine i've ever read!! She couldn't put on her "big girl pants" and deal with her problems , she just wanted to float in her big "cloud" of denial like a lost cause.
I am not going to lie, this story is confusing as hell. The FMC is also the narrator and since she seems to know absolutely nothing beyond the sphere of herself, we the readers are left just as confused and lost as she is through the majority of the book.
That lack of world building means a lot of info is fed to us as the plot demands and it makes it really hard to sink into the story. The RH element doesn't help as they are all apparently thrown at her at roughly the same time but some have deeper attachments that had me flipping back to see if I missed something, especially since Ava reminds us every chapter of so that she has kept out of nearly all the supernatural circles so where and when did the two that claim she's their mate realize that??
Because of that and the lack of world building, this book reminds me of fan fiction that's been scrubbed of the source material to be published as an original work, in this case the Anita Blake series. I'm not saying that to be rude or dismissive, there is loads of original content and it's hardly a rip-off though there are a lot of things reminiscent of Circus of the Damned, my point is that this feels like a 2nd or 3rd book in the series and not the first. Like we should already know a lot more than we do at this point. An example of this is when Ava first mentions her scars we have no idea that came from mystical tattoos, so I thought she self-harmed or was abused or something until a few chapters later we find out that mystical tattoos are a thing which seems to surprise Ava, even though earlier she made a point of saying how strange someone else's tats were, clearly hinting to readers to pay attention. Yet this girl who talks to ghosts has always attributed her own, put on her when she was a toddler, meant crazy, druggie parents and not possibly a mystical thing despite having an OP source she trusted and could ask?
Overall I liked the premise and hope the next book finds its feet and addresses the issues I have so I'd rec this, but would also warm others that it could be hit or miss for them.
I'm so glad that i stumbled upon this book because this right here is how you do justice to a reverse harem book!!!
Such a fantastic start to a series and I honestly cannot wait for more. We have a great female MC, promising (and very swoon-worthy guys), humor some sexy times, as well as an actual plot (Thank you Jayce for this).
I hope the next book gives us an in depth look at the guys, their powers as well as answers to Ava's origins and her powers. Oh...and more sexy times because...who says no to that?? Also Gran..... who or what is she???
This book definitely needs to be edited again. There were a lot of wrong words and missing words. I tried to like this book but there is just something missing. It started out good. The characters are introduced pretty quickly. I just couldn't embrace them. The relationship between her guys lacked something. There were lots and lots of questions with no answers. It might have been helpful to get a crumb thrown to the readers by the end. We're still left in the dark. Oh well, I always encourage others to read for themselves.
Cool. I think I may know what she is or what she's supposed to be, but I'm excited to watch the story play out. Now that she's accepted her fate and her powers, where will she rank? Will her companions feel unworthy? I mean, Troy already does, but I digress. Intricate and fainting at once. Well written. Shall continue.
Really enjoyed this book, great pacing, intrigue. Hearing all of her internal dialogue was so much fun especially with all the guys gathering around her after being ignored most of her life. Spicy MFM scene, 🔥 I adore all the unique energies of the guys... I am looking forward to continuing this series!
Siempre es un placer participar en una colaboración y más si está traducida por Laura Bailo. No sabía nada de historia salvo que el título me llamaba mucho la atención. La he encontrado sorprendente y fresca. La primera razón por la que la recomiendo es la protagonista porque a la pobre la pasa de todo y conoce a mucha gente (hombres) que quieren algo de ella. La segunda razón es la trama ya que se va desarrollando poco a poco y cuando llegas al final hay cosas que no te esperas. La tercera son los hombres que van apareciendo en la vida de la protagonista. Cada uno tiene sus motivaciones y personalidad y eso hace que les cojas cariño. La cuarta son las escenas subidas de tono que no recomiendo leer en un espacio público. En resumen, un libro perfecto si buscas emociones fuertes y chicos guapos.
this was incredible, the characters are all so spot on to what you want it was a bit fast paced and sometimes i wanted to smack the main character but overall i really loved this book it sucked me into the story and kept me hanging on until that cliffhanger ending !
one thing i need to know is who is she why is there a connection to these guys when she is only “human” and why does important “people” want to kill her .. so many questions!
It had fun moments, but nothing special really. Couldn't decide what to read next so went for this sense it seemed like a quick read 🤷♀️. fyi: the FMC is a bit annoying, in my opinion
I think it says enough, when you know a book will be on your mind far after you have read it. I just know this is what’s going to happen with this book, I’m going to be picturing what’s going to happen every night before bed until the next book comes out. It happens when I become obsessed with a book, and I can tell you this book is my latest obsession. I love the fmc Ava, I can relate to her on a spiritual level when it comes to never feeling like enough. I love that she has those humanistic emotions but also that she still has enough confidence in herself to keep moving on. She’s a bad ass in her own right and comedically fearless in a way that I very much enjoyed. As far as it goes I liked the guys enough and they are all attractive in different ways. However on that note, spoilers.
One of them did have an important significant other who they lost (a mate) and whenever I read a story like this I always worry about whether their love for their past lover will be more than how they feel for the fmc. I’m not a fan of that so I’m curious about how well this author will handle this subject. One of the guys also has a past I wouldn’t say lover, but someone who he has had a lot of transactional sex with in past, and the fmc has to interact with them and it just wasn’t for me. But what also really threw me for a loop is that there’s a betrayal that happens that has me questioning a lot, so I guess I can say more than anything I’m really on the fence about all the guys? I do hope I can really crystallize my opinion on them in the next book.
Spoiler end: All I can really say is I love where the plot is going and that you won’t regret reading this book. If you are like me you won’t be able to put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The writing and editing of the ARC version of the manuscript was clean, with no typos that I found and well constructed sentences. The world building was vivid, with the races of this paranormal world coming to life. The characterization was great, with the heroine being deeply sympathetic and funny, and the heroes being more of a mystery since the whole novel takes place in the Point of View of the heroine. The development of the romantic relationship was minimal, with more sensual connection than emotional connection or development. The heat level in this novel was three or four chili peppers. The plot was tight and exciting, with an absorbing mystery. As a consequence, the pacing was quite quick. There was low angst and high stakes throughout, which tends to be one of my preferred narrative structures for a romance novel. This novel used the Chosen One trope. The world building, plot, and pacing were all four stars. The characterization was four stars and the development of the romantic relationship was three stars. I therefore gave this novel a combined rating of four stars. The novel ended on a cliffhanger ending instead of a Happy Ever After ending, so that was a big drawback. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy well written urban fantasy romance with a funny, snarky heroine and reverse harem elements. I may read the next novel in this series when it releases, because I did enjoy this one quite a bit despite the cliffhanger ending. I do not plan to buy myself a keeper copy of this novel.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1. Protagonist who can communicate with ghosts gets recruited by vampire to look into a mysterious death/disappearance. In the process, she presumably (I mean, it's strongly hinted but I stopped reading at 30%) stirs up (a) supernatural things left alone, (b) her own Mysterious Past & Powers (TM), and (c) an increasing number of hot supernatural guys all invested in protecting her. For some reason.
2. Look, I swear it's not that I object to harem narratives in principle. I've read enough harem manhwa to make that claim reliably. But within the first few chapters (30%!) we are introduced to four potential love interests and absolutely none of them are more than a stereotype. My softest spot was for the Vampire (I am a sucker for the suckers pun fully intended) but there's only so much suave annoyances can do for me before they too get old.
3. The protagonist is somehow even worse. Ava is this baffling combination of "I WILL look into this incredibly dangerous thing" and "I have no interest in knowing anything at all that will allow me to survive this incredibly dangerous thing" that is just... ugh. I can tell why there's a whole ass rotating shift of protectors hovering around her- she clearly needs them.
4. Just- sigh. I was hoping for more. But it's pretty clear I'm better off picking up another book.
I really enjoyed this story and couldn't stop turning the pages. Ava was strong, very accepting of her abilities, though she did not know everything. Her attraction to Kase, Troy, and Hunter was definitely strong. There was plenty of action, surprises, and witty interactions with all the main players. I highly recommend this story and look forward to more from this author.
I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
Interesting urban fantasy, with a reverse harem and quite racy scenes. I very much liked the introduction of Hell Hounds and I really want to learn more about Gran.
Good for anyone who likes sex filled urban fantasy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love the blurb and title for this book. The characters are diverse and have many secrets to uncover. The fmc, Ava has no self confidence. She started to get on my nerves, plus parts of the book just dragged.
This is giving me some Kristy cunning vibes and I AM SO HAPPY
This gives me all the pretty monsters vibes and I have been looking for something that has the same kind of feels for YEARS
Witty FMC, easy story to fall in to - the main character isn’t weak but also isnt the biggest bad ass out there - Heaps of mystery, a little bit annoying that the FMC is deliberately being ignorant, and the abandonment issues are starting to get a little old, BUT, I still loved this
Great character build Single POV Slow burn, and not too smut heavy - the plot is really intriguing and I can not wait for more!
Ava Harlin sees dead people, quite literally and quite often. In fact they often have unfinished business that they want resolved. Only you can’t always get what you want, the same is true in death. Her life gets a bit more complicated when the local vampire coven requests her help, unfortunately for Ava it wasn’t a request as such. Something is very very wrong in the underworld, the only one who can help is Ava. That would be awesome if she knew how.
A great introduction to a new series, highly recommended!
Ava is anything but simple. Her life is so not normal on its own regular basis. Well she has no idea that her crazy life is about to be flipped on its head. Seems every person she deals with adds another twist and more questions. In the end she is no closer to going back to the status quo. I have a feeling her and her harem have only just started their quest.
The premise is interesting, but I can’t stand the FMC. I kept going, even read book 2, but she’s still just as frustrating. She’s judgemental, self pitying and deliberately ignorant. She doesn’t have much of a personality, so why these dudes seem to be into her, I really don’t know. She doesn’t show any strength at any point and continually whines about her situation and then whines about any advice she’s given to improve her situation.
I was bored. I couldn't get into this book, Avas characterisation is lacklustre and for her age naive. I would expect her reactions to be from someone who had no idea supernatural beings existed.
At 35 years old how is she still sticking her head in the sand? She has no protection at all, if it wasn't for Gran I'm sure she would have been a ghost herself.