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A Fawn Malero Mystery #1
A Life with Beasts
“A Life with Beasts is a story of intrigue and attraction that is especially recommended for mystery readers who enjoy more than a light dose of paranormal encounters and a touch of romance.” — D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review
So who’s dumping all the dead cats in Fawn’s territory?
Fawn Malero has gone out of her way to live a normal life. It was a little hard to do what with her father being a powerful magician and head magistrate over all supernatural activity in the greater Seattle area. But she tried, even to the point of neglecting her part of the city assigned to her to watch over.
Then the dead cats started showing up, and so did Logan, a werewolf with whom she had had an uneasy childhood. Next thing she knew, she was hiding a vampire in her basement as well as a young warlock on the run. Did I mention the roommate who was a ghost?
Before she knew it, Fawn had a whole posse to help her solve the mystery. So much for her so-called “normal human” life.
So who’s dumping all the dead cats in Fawn’s territory?
Fawn Malero has gone out of her way to live a normal life. It was a little hard to do what with her father being a powerful magician and head magistrate over all supernatural activity in the greater Seattle area. But she tried, even to the point of neglecting her part of the city assigned to her to watch over.
Then the dead cats started showing up, and so did Logan, a werewolf with whom she had had an uneasy childhood. Next thing she knew, she was hiding a vampire in her basement as well as a young warlock on the run. Did I mention the roommate who was a ghost?
Before she knew it, Fawn had a whole posse to help her solve the mystery. So much for her so-called “normal human” life.
- GenresCozy Mystery
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2022
About the author
Courtney Davis
19 books111 followersCourtney Davis is an author of urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural fiction with a little romance and humor thrown in. She loves creating worlds and exploring human, and inhuman, interaction. She lives in North Idaho with her husband and children where she teaches and enjoys time spent relaxing in the summer sun and winters by the fire. She has always had an affinity for reading and writing and a goal to make a career of it. There is no greater joy than to know her words took a reader out of reality for a time and into another world.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 20, 2022
“A Life with Beasts” by Courtney Davis is a fun adventure/mystery.
Fawn is a magician who wants nothing to do with other supernaturals. She runs a yoga studio and is learning to be a veterinarian. But when someone starts dumping dead cats in her territory, she is dragged into the world of “beasts” that she wants to avoid.
As she encounters and deals with one mystery after another, accompanied by a team of supernaturals of various kinds, she realizes that a life with beasts is not what she expected it to be.
Courtney Davis brings a fresh perspective to the supernatural creatures we are all familiar with without sacrificing the original ideas associated with them. She creates an exciting world of werewolves, vampires, witches/warlocks, magicians, trolls, and many others.
The book is easy to read and fast-paced. It’s a great read for the summer holidays or when you want a light, fun read. Can’t wait for the sequel!
Also, there is a healthy dose of romance, which can tend to be a bit much for those who don’t read romance (like me). However, Davis has done a great job of making the romance central to the plot, so I found it quite enjoyable.
All in all, I’d say go for it. “A Life with Beasts” is definitely worth a read.
Fawn is a magician who wants nothing to do with other supernaturals. She runs a yoga studio and is learning to be a veterinarian. But when someone starts dumping dead cats in her territory, she is dragged into the world of “beasts” that she wants to avoid.
As she encounters and deals with one mystery after another, accompanied by a team of supernaturals of various kinds, she realizes that a life with beasts is not what she expected it to be.
Courtney Davis brings a fresh perspective to the supernatural creatures we are all familiar with without sacrificing the original ideas associated with them. She creates an exciting world of werewolves, vampires, witches/warlocks, magicians, trolls, and many others.
The book is easy to read and fast-paced. It’s a great read for the summer holidays or when you want a light, fun read. Can’t wait for the sequel!
Also, there is a healthy dose of romance, which can tend to be a bit much for those who don’t read romance (like me). However, Davis has done a great job of making the romance central to the plot, so I found it quite enjoyable.
All in all, I’d say go for it. “A Life with Beasts” is definitely worth a read.
June 29, 2026
A Life With Beasts completely surprised me in the best way. I expected a fun paranormal fantasy, but I ended up getting so much more. This book has humor, mystery, romance, and a cast of characters that quickly felt like family. From the first few chapters, I was hooked and genuinely looked forward to seeing how everything would unfold.
Fawn is such an easy character to root for. I loved that she wasn't the typical overconfident heroine. She has incredible magical abilities, yet she's content living a quiet life teaching yoga, studying veterinary medicine, and surrounding herself with animals. Her love for animals made her feel so kind and genuine, and it was refreshing to read about a main character who wasn't chasing power but simply wanted peace. Watching her slowly step into the responsibilities she'd been avoiding was one of the strongest parts of the story because her growth felt natural instead of forced.
The relationship between Fawn and Logan was another highlight for me. Their history gave every interaction weight, and I loved that their relationship wasn't rushed. There was hurt, resentment, attraction, and plenty of tension, which made their connection feel real. Logan isn't just the typical protective werewolf. He has his own pain and reasons for keeping his guard up, and I appreciated how the author allowed both characters to earn each other's trust instead of making everything easy.
I also really enjoyed the mystery surrounding the injured vampire and how that single event pulled Fawn into a world she had been trying so hard to avoid. Every new revelation made me want to keep reading because there was always another question waiting to be answered. The pacing kept me engaged, and I never felt bored.
One thing I didn't expect to love as much as I did was the humor. Fawn's ghost roommate stole so many scenes for me. She brought so much personality to the story and balanced out the darker moments perfectly. The interactions between the different supernatural creatures were entertaining, and I loved seeing the friendships develop throughout the book. The found family aspect was honestly one of my favorite parts because every character added something unique to the story.
The world building was easy to follow and never overwhelming. Courtney Davis introduced the magical world gradually, allowing me to learn alongside Fawn. Instead of dumping information all at once, the story unfolded naturally, making it easy to become immersed in the world of magicians, werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural beings.
By the end of the book, I found myself emotionally attached to the characters and wanting to spend more time with them. I laughed, smiled, and found myself completely invested in Fawn's journey of accepting who she is and finding where she truly belongs. This wasn't just a story about magic and supernatural creatures. It was also about forgiveness, healing, friendship, and discovering that sometimes the family you choose can be just as important as the one you're born into.
Overall, A Life With Beasts was an incredibly enjoyable read that exceeded my expectations. Courtney Davis created a magical world full of heart, memorable characters, and a story that kept me turning the pages. I would happily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal fantasy with strong character development, romance, mystery, humor, and plenty of supernatural adventure. I can't wait to continue this series because I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.
Fawn is such an easy character to root for. I loved that she wasn't the typical overconfident heroine. She has incredible magical abilities, yet she's content living a quiet life teaching yoga, studying veterinary medicine, and surrounding herself with animals. Her love for animals made her feel so kind and genuine, and it was refreshing to read about a main character who wasn't chasing power but simply wanted peace. Watching her slowly step into the responsibilities she'd been avoiding was one of the strongest parts of the story because her growth felt natural instead of forced.
The relationship between Fawn and Logan was another highlight for me. Their history gave every interaction weight, and I loved that their relationship wasn't rushed. There was hurt, resentment, attraction, and plenty of tension, which made their connection feel real. Logan isn't just the typical protective werewolf. He has his own pain and reasons for keeping his guard up, and I appreciated how the author allowed both characters to earn each other's trust instead of making everything easy.
I also really enjoyed the mystery surrounding the injured vampire and how that single event pulled Fawn into a world she had been trying so hard to avoid. Every new revelation made me want to keep reading because there was always another question waiting to be answered. The pacing kept me engaged, and I never felt bored.
One thing I didn't expect to love as much as I did was the humor. Fawn's ghost roommate stole so many scenes for me. She brought so much personality to the story and balanced out the darker moments perfectly. The interactions between the different supernatural creatures were entertaining, and I loved seeing the friendships develop throughout the book. The found family aspect was honestly one of my favorite parts because every character added something unique to the story.
The world building was easy to follow and never overwhelming. Courtney Davis introduced the magical world gradually, allowing me to learn alongside Fawn. Instead of dumping information all at once, the story unfolded naturally, making it easy to become immersed in the world of magicians, werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural beings.
By the end of the book, I found myself emotionally attached to the characters and wanting to spend more time with them. I laughed, smiled, and found myself completely invested in Fawn's journey of accepting who she is and finding where she truly belongs. This wasn't just a story about magic and supernatural creatures. It was also about forgiveness, healing, friendship, and discovering that sometimes the family you choose can be just as important as the one you're born into.
Overall, A Life With Beasts was an incredibly enjoyable read that exceeded my expectations. Courtney Davis created a magical world full of heart, memorable characters, and a story that kept me turning the pages. I would happily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal fantasy with strong character development, romance, mystery, humor, and plenty of supernatural adventure. I can't wait to continue this series because I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.
May 21, 2023
A Life With Beasts: A Fawn Malero Mystery was a captivating, charming, adventurous, fun, creative, magical, unique, playful, romantic, relatable, and can't put down read! This book seriously has everything you could ever ask for! I'm obsessed! I used to read fantasy all the time in my teen years, but didn't read it much later in life. This book was not simply a good fantasy, it was so incredible that it had me wondering why I all but abandoned the genre. This story was completely unpredictable! There were micro, mezzo, and macro surprises/mysteries which kept me gasping the entire time. The plot was full of twists, the writing phenomenal, and the characters instantly captured my heart! This story is unlike any other book I've read before! I love how the author utilizes the main character's bias and stereotypes to add to the complexity of the characters and the world she is creating. Just like the main character our assumptions of what the supernatural world should be like are slowly challenged. The supernatural world this author has created might just be my second favorite after the Percy Jackson series. I cannot wait to read book 2!
Fawn is a sheltered magician who does everything she can to fit into the human world. Despite having immense power in the supernatural world due to her family's position and having her own territory to look after, Fawn spends no time around other supernaturals. That is until her childhood enemy, a hot werewolf named Logan, shows up with a passed out nearly dead vampire in his arms asking for sanctuary. Logan does not take no for answer and soon the three of their lives are entangled. The reality of the supernatural world is completely different from what Fawn expected. For the first time in her life she makes real friends, steps up as a leader, falls in love, overcomes her bias, faces danger, mends broken relationships, and offers her home as a place of refugee to many supernaturals in the long-term and short-term. It is beautiful to see Fawn grow throughout the book. It is full of humor, drama, romance, and tons of mystery. I was repeatedly wondering what could possibly happen next and was always on the edge of my seat! This book is a must read! A hidden gem in the literary world!
Fawn is a sheltered magician who does everything she can to fit into the human world. Despite having immense power in the supernatural world due to her family's position and having her own territory to look after, Fawn spends no time around other supernaturals. That is until her childhood enemy, a hot werewolf named Logan, shows up with a passed out nearly dead vampire in his arms asking for sanctuary. Logan does not take no for answer and soon the three of their lives are entangled. The reality of the supernatural world is completely different from what Fawn expected. For the first time in her life she makes real friends, steps up as a leader, falls in love, overcomes her bias, faces danger, mends broken relationships, and offers her home as a place of refugee to many supernaturals in the long-term and short-term. It is beautiful to see Fawn grow throughout the book. It is full of humor, drama, romance, and tons of mystery. I was repeatedly wondering what could possibly happen next and was always on the edge of my seat! This book is a must read! A hidden gem in the literary world!
July 9, 2022
This was a fast read and I really enjoyed it. It gave me some high school Twilight memories but brought more supernatural beings into play. There were several mysteries and problems being solved but they didn't feel jumbled and usually one was resolved before another one occurred. I found the characters likeable and funny. I do wish there was a little more steam and Fawn and Logan sorted out their feelings before the last chapter. However I feel like the next book will have more of their relationship.
February 24, 2024
A fun and entertaining novel. It's Mystery Inc. on steroids! This definitely belongs in the Urban Fantasy category.
Elaborate characters and their backgrounds, continuous pace, a lovable MC… There is not a dull moment in this read.
Fawn Malero won me over immediately: She's a young woman trapped between the worlds of the supernatural and humans —and her parents—, and there isn't one more problem that she needs to fall on her lap.
ALWB is not as dark as other books from Courtney Davis's, making it enjoyable to a broader spectrum of audience.
I thank Mrs. Davis for this splendid share of her imagination emporium.
Elaborate characters and their backgrounds, continuous pace, a lovable MC… There is not a dull moment in this read.
Fawn Malero won me over immediately: She's a young woman trapped between the worlds of the supernatural and humans —and her parents—, and there isn't one more problem that she needs to fall on her lap.
ALWB is not as dark as other books from Courtney Davis's, making it enjoyable to a broader spectrum of audience.
I thank Mrs. Davis for this splendid share of her imagination emporium.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews