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The Long Island Coven #1
My Kind of Town
Emma Luchessi may be a witch from Long Island but she is used to her life being quiet. Some may even say boring. Boring is safe. Like beige. One doesn't get into trouble with beige. But a wrong turn off a southern highway is about to turn Emma's beige life into everything but boring.
Kyle Treharne's a good ol' boy with a sheriff's badge and a difficult population to manage. He wishes he had to worry about gangs and drugs and car-jackings. Instead, he has to worry about big cats fighting with wolves, bears fighting over honey, and hyenas fighting with everyone. And now, out of nowhere, he's got a human outsider riling up all the locals by asking too many questions. She's just so paranoid. And doesn't trust Kyle a lick.
Of course, Kyle is a big cat. He knows how to relax and he'd be more than willing to help Emma learn how. He'd be willing to help Emma do all sorts of things if she'd just give him half a chance.
But it turns out Emma coming to Smithville isn't a simple accident. She's been brought here and she's bringing change and danger right along with her. Lucky for Emma, Kyle and the rest of the town like a bit of danger . . .
Contains mature themes.
Kyle Treharne's a good ol' boy with a sheriff's badge and a difficult population to manage. He wishes he had to worry about gangs and drugs and car-jackings. Instead, he has to worry about big cats fighting with wolves, bears fighting over honey, and hyenas fighting with everyone. And now, out of nowhere, he's got a human outsider riling up all the locals by asking too many questions. She's just so paranoid. And doesn't trust Kyle a lick.
Of course, Kyle is a big cat. He knows how to relax and he'd be more than willing to help Emma learn how. He'd be willing to help Emma do all sorts of things if she'd just give him half a chance.
But it turns out Emma coming to Smithville isn't a simple accident. She's been brought here and she's bringing change and danger right along with her. Lucky for Emma, Kyle and the rest of the town like a bit of danger . . .
Contains mature themes.
5 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 1, 2007
542 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Shelly Laurenston
46 books7,937 followersOriginally from Long Island, New York, Shelly Laurenston has resigned herself to West Coast living which involves healthy food, mostly sunny days, and lots of guys not wearing shirts when they really should be. Shelly Laurenston is also The New York Times Bestselling author G.A. Aiken, creator of the Dragon Kin series. For more info on G.A. Aiken's dangerously and arrogantly sexy dragons, check out her website at www.gaaiken.com.
Pseudonym G.A. Aiken
Pseudonym G.A. Aiken
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
July 17, 2022
I was in the mood for some shifter shenanigans and nobody else does them better than Shelly Laurenston. Also, I had no idea that there is a book of hers that I hadn't read yet.
Damn entertaining!!!
Damn entertaining!!!
June 25, 2020
3.75 stars.🌟🌟🌟🌟
Witches and shifters.
A fun and quick read.
I hope that the second story in this series gets released soon. I would definitely be up for reading it.
I simply adore this author and all of her quirky paranormal romances.
Witches and shifters.
A fun and quick read.
I hope that the second story in this series gets released soon. I would definitely be up for reading it.
I simply adore this author and all of her quirky paranormal romances.
April 22, 2023
3 Cosy Stars
Emma Luchessi is a witch, and a powerful one at that even if she doesn't see herself for the force she is. Emma likes her rather quiet life in Long Island, but when she goes on a mission for her Coven, quiet and calm is definitely not on the menu.
Kyle Treharne’s intrigued by Emma from the get go, but he knows that whilst she seems human, she's hiding something and he is determined to find out what. He and his town have their own secrets and usually ensure outsiders are kept out, but he's determined to keep her close, no matter how much she demands to leave.
Emma's fellow witches also sound very interesting and I would like to see more of them.
Parts of this made me chuckle especially when Kyle and Emma first meet.
The book needed to be more fleshed out, but it has me interested enough to read more.
Acquired via KU.
Emma Luchessi is a witch, and a powerful one at that even if she doesn't see herself for the force she is. Emma likes her rather quiet life in Long Island, but when she goes on a mission for her Coven, quiet and calm is definitely not on the menu.
Kyle Treharne’s intrigued by Emma from the get go, but he knows that whilst she seems human, she's hiding something and he is determined to find out what. He and his town have their own secrets and usually ensure outsiders are kept out, but he's determined to keep her close, no matter how much she demands to leave.
Emma's fellow witches also sound very interesting and I would like to see more of them.
Parts of this made me chuckle especially when Kyle and Emma first meet.
The book needed to be more fleshed out, but it has me interested enough to read more.
Acquired via KU.
September 16, 2022
OMG How did I miss this series by Shelly Laurenston. I can’t believe I haven’t read this sooner. I love Laurenston. She always makes me smile and laugh with her stories.
My Kind of Town is a short story in The Long Island Coven series. It does take place in the same universe as her other shifter series, but without any character connections. The Long Island Coven series is an unfinished series, boo hoo, and I do hope/wish the author will one day come back to it; because there are more interesting coven members to explore.
Now onto My Kind of Town. It’s a cute, fun, and enjoyable read. It has a nice blend of witch’s and shifter’s. It was previously published in an anthology, Sun, Sand, Sex. I’m glad it’s out as a single novella available in KU or to buy.
Emma is a witch and a powerful one at that. She likes her quiet life, but when she goes on a mission for her Coven, her quiet and calm life changes.
Kyle is a shifter and the town he lives in has secrets. To ensure that know one finds out those secrets he try's to keep outsides out.
We are introduced to an interesting town and the characters that live their plus Emma’s Coven. There is a lot packed into this short novella, the romance is steamy, and there is also some fun moments that made me chuckle.
I do feel that this story needed to be longer and maybe more flushed out, but it was still a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed it.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
My Kind of Town is a short story in The Long Island Coven series. It does take place in the same universe as her other shifter series, but without any character connections. The Long Island Coven series is an unfinished series, boo hoo, and I do hope/wish the author will one day come back to it; because there are more interesting coven members to explore.
Now onto My Kind of Town. It’s a cute, fun, and enjoyable read. It has a nice blend of witch’s and shifter’s. It was previously published in an anthology, Sun, Sand, Sex. I’m glad it’s out as a single novella available in KU or to buy.
Emma is a witch and a powerful one at that. She likes her quiet life, but when she goes on a mission for her Coven, her quiet and calm life changes.
Kyle is a shifter and the town he lives in has secrets. To ensure that know one finds out those secrets he try's to keep outsides out.
We are introduced to an interesting town and the characters that live their plus Emma’s Coven. There is a lot packed into this short novella, the romance is steamy, and there is also some fun moments that made me chuckle.
I do feel that this story needed to be longer and maybe more flushed out, but it was still a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed it.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
June 9, 2020
Exactly what I needed - short, funny and hot. There was a surprising amount of story packed into this novella and the steamy romance didn't suffer because of it.
Think it's a real pity SL didn't give everyone of these witches her own HEA. Maybe she will at a future date.
Think it's a real pity SL didn't give everyone of these witches her own HEA. Maybe she will at a future date.
January 22, 2022
Heh. Smithville. Full of Smiths and others who have married into the Smith family. MAN, I like those wild shifters. All of them. It doesn't matter if they're wolves or bears or big cats. They're a little over the top and a lot of fun.
This time around, we also get witches. Witches who don't know they're smack-dab in the middle of a shifter town and are trying to keep things on the down low and not call attention to themselves. Which isn't difficult for Emma since she thinks she's boring and forgettable. As it turns out, she's very much NOT forgettable to Kyle.
In fact, he likes a lot of things about her even though he's convinced himself she's just passing through town. Which means he's careful to keep the truth about the town hidden since he thinks she's not going to stick around.
A little danger, more than a little magic, a town full of shifters, a sisterhood of witches, and a big cat who likes his little witch far, far more than he wants to admit. *thumbs up*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
This time around, we also get witches. Witches who don't know they're smack-dab in the middle of a shifter town and are trying to keep things on the down low and not call attention to themselves. Which isn't difficult for Emma since she thinks she's boring and forgettable. As it turns out, she's very much NOT forgettable to Kyle.
In fact, he likes a lot of things about her even though he's convinced himself she's just passing through town. Which means he's careful to keep the truth about the town hidden since he thinks she's not going to stick around.
A little danger, more than a little magic, a town full of shifters, a sisterhood of witches, and a big cat who likes his little witch far, far more than he wants to admit. *thumbs up*
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
June 14, 2020
Emma Luchessi is sent to Smithville to investigate a disturbance her coven may have caused. What she doesn't expect is to get hurt and taken to a hospital by Sheriff Kyle Treharne. Kyle wants to know what Emma is up to and he knows she is hiding a secret that he plans to discover. Emma is trying to keep the fact that she is a witch on the down lo but something about Smithville has her wondering if it may not appear to be as human as it looks.
Great story, Kyle has charm and swagger. I liked Emma a lot, she is a delight to read.
Great story, Kyle has charm and swagger. I liked Emma a lot, she is a delight to read.
May 1, 2021
Do yourself a favour and grab this to read.
Great to see this being re-released and in Kindle Unlimited, hope the next book will be too.
Wonderfully humorous, entertaining and full of interesting and slightly crazy characters.
The family dynamics between Kyle, Tully and Katie were also fun and at times cute. Talk about fight like cats and dogs.
The reactions of the townspeople and how this plays out was great.
Emma and Kyle really have a great sizzling chemistry.
Kyle is a jaguar shifter and a police officer.
Emma is a witch with a few secrets and problems.
When the rest of her coven turn up, things really start getting even stranger and I loved where this ended up.
The interactions between the ladies of the coven had me in stitches. The talk about visiting hell had me thinking of another series by a different author and laughing out loud.
Loved how strong Emma was, especially with her coven sisters. Talk about a love/hate relationship those girls have going on.
Was book one in The Long Island Coven series in Sun, Sand and Sex many years ago.
I am not sure but believe the author has gotten her rights back and will hopefully be releasing the next book, Jamie’s story and hopefully adding Seneca and Mac’s books as we never did get their stories.
Read this time through Kindle Unlimited.
ORIGINAL REVIEW for MY KIND OF TOWN in SUN, SAND AND SEX way back when.
Read for the Shelly Laurenston story.
These two really have a great chemistry but both seem to fight it.
Wonderfully humorous story with likeable characters in Kyle and Emma plus all the others we meet.
Kyle is a shifter and a police officer.
Emma is a witch with a few secrets and problems.
When the rest of her coven turn up, things really start getting even stranger and I loved where this ended up.
Loved how strong Emma was especially with her coven sisters. Talk about a love/hate relationship those girls have going on.
I have read and reviewed this book many, many, years ago but my reviews are missing.
Never a hardship to reread but I notice these books are no longer available.
Great to see this being re-released and in Kindle Unlimited, hope the next book will be too.
Wonderfully humorous, entertaining and full of interesting and slightly crazy characters.
The family dynamics between Kyle, Tully and Katie were also fun and at times cute. Talk about fight like cats and dogs.
The reactions of the townspeople and how this plays out was great.
Emma and Kyle really have a great sizzling chemistry.
Kyle is a jaguar shifter and a police officer.
Emma is a witch with a few secrets and problems.
When the rest of her coven turn up, things really start getting even stranger and I loved where this ended up.
The interactions between the ladies of the coven had me in stitches. The talk about visiting hell had me thinking of another series by a different author and laughing out loud.
Loved how strong Emma was, especially with her coven sisters. Talk about a love/hate relationship those girls have going on.
Was book one in The Long Island Coven series in Sun, Sand and Sex many years ago.
I am not sure but believe the author has gotten her rights back and will hopefully be releasing the next book, Jamie’s story and hopefully adding Seneca and Mac’s books as we never did get their stories.
Read this time through Kindle Unlimited.
ORIGINAL REVIEW for MY KIND OF TOWN in SUN, SAND AND SEX way back when.
Read for the Shelly Laurenston story.
These two really have a great chemistry but both seem to fight it.
Wonderfully humorous story with likeable characters in Kyle and Emma plus all the others we meet.
Kyle is a shifter and a police officer.
Emma is a witch with a few secrets and problems.
When the rest of her coven turn up, things really start getting even stranger and I loved where this ended up.
Loved how strong Emma was especially with her coven sisters. Talk about a love/hate relationship those girls have going on.
I have read and reviewed this book many, many, years ago but my reviews are missing.
Never a hardship to reread but I notice these books are no longer available.
August 11, 2021
Going to the dogs
Well really it’s going to the cats, but regardless this book is amazing! I love the humor the author sprinkled in with the action and danger. It gave the story a more realistic feel and made it so easy to fall in love with the characters. And the characters were fantastic! I love the slow easygoing of those southern boys and the fast paced energy of the yankee ladies. The author enthralled me from the beginning and, even at the end, I wish there was more. I would love to see what HEAs Bear, Tully, Katie, and the rest of the coven finds for themselves.
Well really it’s going to the cats, but regardless this book is amazing! I love the humor the author sprinkled in with the action and danger. It gave the story a more realistic feel and made it so easy to fall in love with the characters. And the characters were fantastic! I love the slow easygoing of those southern boys and the fast paced energy of the yankee ladies. The author enthralled me from the beginning and, even at the end, I wish there was more. I would love to see what HEAs Bear, Tully, Katie, and the rest of the coven finds for themselves.
January 23, 2022
Quick(ish) Review
This is a re-read and it’s still as fun as I remember. Kyle and Emma have great chemistry and it reminded me how sexy Shelly Laurenston’s writing can be. The humor still works for me and there’s some action. I wished this was a full series.
This is a re-read and it’s still as fun as I remember. Kyle and Emma have great chemistry and it reminded me how sexy Shelly Laurenston’s writing can be. The humor still works for me and there’s some action. I wished this was a full series.
dnf
September 28, 2022I'm sure the deputy was supposed to be "cute". But I just found him overbearing. I hate when females are told what to do.
May 5, 2020
3 1/2 stars
My Kind of Town by Shelly Laurenston was a fun and quick read with all of the humour I expect from this authors storylines and characters. Kyle and Tully were hilarious - the stepbrothers take sibling rivalry to the next level and I enjoyed reading all of their interactions. I did find it a little repetitive how often it was reiterated by Emma how plain and boring she was, but other than that I did enjoy this read. 3 1/2 stars when I compare it to other works I have read by the author.
My Kind of Town by Shelly Laurenston was a fun and quick read with all of the humour I expect from this authors storylines and characters. Kyle and Tully were hilarious - the stepbrothers take sibling rivalry to the next level and I enjoyed reading all of their interactions. I did find it a little repetitive how often it was reiterated by Emma how plain and boring she was, but other than that I did enjoy this read. 3 1/2 stars when I compare it to other works I have read by the author.
July 11, 2020
3.5
An ooooooold Laurenston nugget of fun buried in a don’t waste your money due to others boring authors included Anthology released as a single tale 15 years late. This tale is Laurenston-lite, with hints of her balls to the wall side splitting humor to come, and the raw smexy times she stopped including in most current works that are missed (sigh). Witches are not my favorite to read about, but tigers, lions, bears, and wolves balance that Coven crap out. Fun!
An ooooooold Laurenston nugget of fun buried in a don’t waste your money due to others boring authors included Anthology released as a single tale 15 years late. This tale is Laurenston-lite, with hints of her balls to the wall side splitting humor to come, and the raw smexy times she stopped including in most current works that are missed (sigh). Witches are not my favorite to read about, but tigers, lions, bears, and wolves balance that Coven crap out. Fun!
May 26, 2020
Amazing
First time reading from the author and I have to say I think I found a new author to start to read from. this book made me laugh out loud so many times. it was sexy and a great storyline.i loved it very much
First time reading from the author and I have to say I think I found a new author to start to read from. this book made me laugh out loud so many times. it was sexy and a great storyline.i loved it very much
May 10, 2020
Fabulous!
I absolutely LOVE the world of paranormals that Shelley Laurenston has created and I hope she keeps letting us visit our friends and their families for many years to come!
I absolutely LOVE the world of paranormals that Shelley Laurenston has created and I hope she keeps letting us visit our friends and their families for many years to come!
June 18, 2020
Hoo boy, was this disappointing! I recently read the first book in Laurenston's 'Honey Badger' series and I totally loved it. If it weren't for a few of the jokes in this book, I would have thought it was written by a completely different person.
Everything in this book is bad, starting right from the discombobulated world building. I had to stop and google to double check that this was first in the series, because it was such a mess. I gave up trying to figure out the bones of the plot beyond "Vague BAD thingy in town full of shifters. Dark witches need to move in... because bad thing is there and maybe, possibly they could do... something to or with it in another book, maybe." Really, I can't tell you.
The main couple has nothing going for them beyond instant sexual chemistry. Nothing. Honestly, nothing in common, no conversation or feelings ever mentioned or considered. No conflict, other than he's a bit of a jerk. She has more of a connection with his siblings than him.
The characters are all flat and one dimensional. Kyle is a cocky hot guy. That honestly is his entire personality. Emma is shy and boring (as she tells us more than once, she drives a beige Toyota) oh but she's fiesty underneath. I suppose that is a second dimension, if a total trope. Her coven mates include a ditzy cheerleader, a nerdy girl who wears shirts that say "I am the Lord of the Rings (see, that's how you can tell she's nerdy! She likes video games and fantasy stuff!) and two strong cousins, one the leader, one a fighter, who are basically defined as the black ones.
They didn't mention the skin tone of the other girls. There was a moment when Kyle's sister calls some town girls bitches and says "their kind are all like that." She means that the girls are hyena shifters. Emma is confused, because she doesn't know yet that shifters exist. She thinks "Their kind? Funny, they all looked white to her." and the moment passes without further comment. Wha?!? We are going to let this go? Emma is from New York, and the town Kyle is from is in South Carolina (I think.) He hates "Yankees". They mention a few times that, as a Southerner, he is a "good ole boy" and a "rebel". I live in the South, and if you describe a white boy as a "rebel," most of the people I know will assume you mean a guy who proudly flies a confederate flag. It all made me go "Gahhh! Yikes!" a few times. 😬🤨😰
I've been reading self publushed, free books from Kindle Unlimited recently. Books that obviously were never even proofread, and most of them were better than this. I am shocked at the quality. I'm going to read the other two honey badger books, and forget this exists.
Everything in this book is bad, starting right from the discombobulated world building. I had to stop and google to double check that this was first in the series, because it was such a mess. I gave up trying to figure out the bones of the plot beyond "Vague BAD thingy in town full of shifters. Dark witches need to move in... because bad thing is there and maybe, possibly they could do... something to or with it in another book, maybe." Really, I can't tell you.
The main couple has nothing going for them beyond instant sexual chemistry. Nothing. Honestly, nothing in common, no conversation or feelings ever mentioned or considered. No conflict, other than he's a bit of a jerk. She has more of a connection with his siblings than him.
The characters are all flat and one dimensional. Kyle is a cocky hot guy. That honestly is his entire personality. Emma is shy and boring (as she tells us more than once, she drives a beige Toyota) oh but she's fiesty underneath. I suppose that is a second dimension, if a total trope. Her coven mates include a ditzy cheerleader, a nerdy girl who wears shirts that say "I am the Lord of the Rings (see, that's how you can tell she's nerdy! She likes video games and fantasy stuff!) and two strong cousins, one the leader, one a fighter, who are basically defined as the black ones.
They didn't mention the skin tone of the other girls. There was a moment when Kyle's sister calls some town girls bitches and says "their kind are all like that." She means that the girls are hyena shifters. Emma is confused, because she doesn't know yet that shifters exist. She thinks "Their kind? Funny, they all looked white to her." and the moment passes without further comment. Wha?!? We are going to let this go? Emma is from New York, and the town Kyle is from is in South Carolina (I think.) He hates "Yankees". They mention a few times that, as a Southerner, he is a "good ole boy" and a "rebel". I live in the South, and if you describe a white boy as a "rebel," most of the people I know will assume you mean a guy who proudly flies a confederate flag. It all made me go "Gahhh! Yikes!" a few times. 😬🤨😰
I've been reading self publushed, free books from Kindle Unlimited recently. Books that obviously were never even proofread, and most of them were better than this. I am shocked at the quality. I'm going to read the other two honey badger books, and forget this exists.
March 12, 2023
This was a quick listen, with our mains trying to hide their secrets from each other. Of course, that doesn’t really work. Attraction is undeniably, interfering family and friends, a few giggles, and a town that doesn’t know what hit them!
May 13, 2020
★★★★☆
May 5, 2021
If you're looking for a romance: go for it. If you're looking for more of a fantasy: don't even bother to start.
Had I just met the author for the first time, I would've finished here. I don't like romance (didn't even know she writes romance at first until I was looking for a continuation of The Badgers Chronicles). I don't like it when some he and some she don't even know each other and they drool at the mere sight of each other. Don't really like it when EVERY situation they are put in is heading into sex direction. There's not even much space for the fantasy part.
It's good I started with The Badger Chronicles because they showed me that Laurenston is a great fantasy author indeed, and humorous as well. But not in this one. This one is mostly annoying.
Had I just met the author for the first time, I would've finished here. I don't like romance (didn't even know she writes romance at first until I was looking for a continuation of The Badgers Chronicles). I don't like it when some he and some she don't even know each other and they drool at the mere sight of each other. Don't really like it when EVERY situation they are put in is heading into sex direction. There's not even much space for the fantasy part.
It's good I started with The Badger Chronicles because they showed me that Laurenston is a great fantasy author indeed, and humorous as well. But not in this one. This one is mostly annoying.
July 22, 2021
DNF - quit at 50%
I had a hard time appreciating this & struggled to make it to the 1/2 way point. The world building is slim, & it definitely felt like a novella, more than I would have liked for 126 pages. It also was too light on character development. I’m not a big fan of so much snarky attitude, which this book was loaded up with, & from just about all the characters. I just wasn’t feeling the attraction or chemistry between them. The story was just not enough for me to want to continue.
At my age (approaching 60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
I had a hard time appreciating this & struggled to make it to the 1/2 way point. The world building is slim, & it definitely felt like a novella, more than I would have liked for 126 pages. It also was too light on character development. I’m not a big fan of so much snarky attitude, which this book was loaded up with, & from just about all the characters. I just wasn’t feeling the attraction or chemistry between them. The story was just not enough for me to want to continue.
At my age (approaching 60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
July 13, 2021
So bad. The 'love interest' Kyle is horrible. He has no personality other than possessive. And boy was he possessive. To be honest, it was more stalker and nonconsensual than hot. This is not what a romance should look like. The ONLY nice thing I can say about Kyle is that at least he didn't sleep with her when she was black-out drunk. That's it.
June 20, 2023
Laughing still. Smithville... another one. First copyright 2007../2nd, 2020. big bad coven is "called" to a North Carolina beach resort called Smithville. For those fans of this author...yep, THAT kind of Smithville. Still honoring Ms. Garwood who died last weekend. Sigh. I hate losing authors.
December 2, 2020
DNF
Snarky banter can be endearing when written right. This aint it.
Snarky banter can be endearing when written right. This aint it.
January 5, 2023
Kyle gripped the fighting woman around the waist, dragging her back against him with one arm. Ignoring how much her tiny fists and feet were starting to hurt, he turned his body so she faced in the opposite direction and with his free hand, swung up and back, slamming the back of his fist into the muzzle of the black and orange striped Yankee bastard hellbent on getting his tiger paws on the woman in Kyle’s arms. Tiger males only had to get a whiff of a female and they were on them like white on rice.A rare occasion where insta love does not grate on my nerves, because when everything else is just so funny and utterly absurd, that part is so totally inconsequential.
But there is this
“I can’t believe I did that,” she groaned. “I want us to be clear”—she peeked over the pillow—“I do not do this often or anything.”
Kyle nodded. “I could tell.”
...
Shrugging, he told her, “Darlin’, you were a little too tight to be well used.”
Clearly confused, she stared at him. “Huh?”
Unable to feel stressed about anything, Kyle sighed out, “Your pussy, sweetheart.” He stretched against the couch like the big satisfied cat he was at the moment and smiled. “Tight and perfect.”
This passage (and many others just like it in books by tons of other authors) caused me some major eyeroll and after a number of books, is more proof that SL's brand of sexy time and after-sex talk is not for me. But then I don't read her books for that, I read them for the sass and humour and for the fun that is the utter impossibility of humans turning into various predatory animals at will and all the shenanigans that ensue from there as they find their 'one'! But at least she includes condom use, something that o many more romance authors could take note of.
Emma closed the door of her hospital room bathroom. She groaned when she realized it didn’t have a lock and knew she couldn’t waste any time. Flipping open the cell phone she’d snagged off the deputy’s jeans when he’d been leaning over her and denying Emma her personal freedom, she quickly dialled a number and waited.But there is so much that is ridiculous about this author's characters that just gets to me, every single time!
“These people are freaking me out. They’re all so nice. But maybe a little too nice. And everyone is huge. Like, abnormally huge. And they’re not on any maps. I mean, I searched every map, and nothing.”
“What are you saying?”
“Two words. Government. Experiment.”
“Did you hit your head a little hard on that steering wheel, hon?” Jamie asked. “Maybe crack your skull open?”
Shelley Laurenston never fails to entertain me and despite her decidedly non-sexy sexy-times, I aim to read every book single absurd book that she has ever written!!!
(Re-up from export file following the Great GR Data Loss of Oct 2022
November 30, 2021
Series: The Long Island Coven #1
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
Emma is a witch who has been sent down south to figure out if her coven has unleashed a monster. Instead, she finds herself in the town of Smithville and is stuck with a deputy who won’t leave her alone.She knows there is something off about this town but she doesn’t expect it to be shifted.
As a fan of Laurenston’s work I was surprised to find that I missed the rerelease of this book last year. This series takes place in the same world as her Pride series but in the town of Smithville. She doesn’t know shifters exist though so it was an unexpected surprise for her. I liked Emma and found her awkwardness around Kyle to be entertaining.
Kyle is a pushy alpha male leopard who knows instantly he wants Emma and is determined to keep her. I liked Kyle but did find him slightly annoying at times because he sometimes would just ignore Emma’s requests. Emma’s coven was interesting and all very unique women. I really liked the little bit of information we got about them and can’t wait to learn more about them.
One of my issues with this story was that the monster Emma’s coven is hunting was never clearly explained. It was kind of just glossed over after the first brush with the monster. I wish this novella had been slightly longer to explain more about that. Overall, this was an interesting mash of shifters and witches. I hope Laurenston writes more books in this series because I really want to know more about the rest of the coven, and how they will fit in this shifter town.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
Emma is a witch who has been sent down south to figure out if her coven has unleashed a monster. Instead, she finds herself in the town of Smithville and is stuck with a deputy who won’t leave her alone.She knows there is something off about this town but she doesn’t expect it to be shifted.
As a fan of Laurenston’s work I was surprised to find that I missed the rerelease of this book last year. This series takes place in the same world as her Pride series but in the town of Smithville. She doesn’t know shifters exist though so it was an unexpected surprise for her. I liked Emma and found her awkwardness around Kyle to be entertaining.
Kyle is a pushy alpha male leopard who knows instantly he wants Emma and is determined to keep her. I liked Kyle but did find him slightly annoying at times because he sometimes would just ignore Emma’s requests. Emma’s coven was interesting and all very unique women. I really liked the little bit of information we got about them and can’t wait to learn more about them.
One of my issues with this story was that the monster Emma’s coven is hunting was never clearly explained. It was kind of just glossed over after the first brush with the monster. I wish this novella had been slightly longer to explain more about that. Overall, this was an interesting mash of shifters and witches. I hope Laurenston writes more books in this series because I really want to know more about the rest of the coven, and how they will fit in this shifter town.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
October 4, 2025
I liked this but found that it’s the promise of its elements for future books the most intriguing.
Rating: 3.5⭐️
My Kind of Town by Shelly Laurenston is a paranormal shifter romance that was previously written for and published in another anthology. I didn’t read that one. And it was the cover and the author’s fantastic honey badger series that drew me here.
I liked this but found that it’s the promise of its elements for future books the most intriguing. The main couple is engaging if not fully explored.
Thats primarily the issue with this story. Great ideas, an interesting storyline with fascinating magical characters and elements but none of those are really explained or given any meaningful foundation here. A coven with their powerful dark magic and found family ? Absolutely to know more.
A dying coven with different powers and magical abilities? Ok, so what happened to them?
The story offers up more questions than answers about the characters and never answers the original story plot about what brought Emma Luchessi, the Long Island witch down to the southern town of Smithville.
That gets forgotten totally.
So yes, I enjoyed it. Saw so much promise, and hope that the author ventures back to Smithville to finish what this story begins.
Pretty much instant sex, instant lust, well, you get it.
Cover design by Cynthia Lucas.
Rating: 3.5⭐️
My Kind of Town by Shelly Laurenston is a paranormal shifter romance that was previously written for and published in another anthology. I didn’t read that one. And it was the cover and the author’s fantastic honey badger series that drew me here.
I liked this but found that it’s the promise of its elements for future books the most intriguing. The main couple is engaging if not fully explored.
Thats primarily the issue with this story. Great ideas, an interesting storyline with fascinating magical characters and elements but none of those are really explained or given any meaningful foundation here. A coven with their powerful dark magic and found family ? Absolutely to know more.
A dying coven with different powers and magical abilities? Ok, so what happened to them?
The story offers up more questions than answers about the characters and never answers the original story plot about what brought Emma Luchessi, the Long Island witch down to the southern town of Smithville.
That gets forgotten totally.
So yes, I enjoyed it. Saw so much promise, and hope that the author ventures back to Smithville to finish what this story begins.
Pretty much instant sex, instant lust, well, you get it.
Cover design by Cynthia Lucas.
May 13, 2023
2.5
Good premise and potential to set up a really interesting series but I won't be reading anymore. First book by thus author, don't think I'll try another.
The characters weren't well fleshed out, the dialogue was really snarky and unpleasant and the world building was average. The guys are all real alpha bossy dicks with terrible communication skills, with each other as well as the MFC. I get how their 'natures' might cause them to need to establish a pecking order but they all grew up together, surely they sorted that years ago? It just seened ridiculous that their world 'functions' like that. Less of that and more about who the MMC was, other than a bossy jerk/Southern good ol' boy, would have helped up his likability. The MFC seemed interesting, obviously has some self-esteem issues due to family trauma but it's not explored at all. Neither is any of her background as a witch.
I've read books this length that explore character and world build so I do not think that is inherently the problem although the author could definitely have expanded this book easily. Honestly I just think it was a cool idea poorly executed.
Good premise and potential to set up a really interesting series but I won't be reading anymore. First book by thus author, don't think I'll try another.
The characters weren't well fleshed out, the dialogue was really snarky and unpleasant and the world building was average. The guys are all real alpha bossy dicks with terrible communication skills, with each other as well as the MFC. I get how their 'natures' might cause them to need to establish a pecking order but they all grew up together, surely they sorted that years ago? It just seened ridiculous that their world 'functions' like that. Less of that and more about who the MMC was, other than a bossy jerk/Southern good ol' boy, would have helped up his likability. The MFC seemed interesting, obviously has some self-esteem issues due to family trauma but it's not explored at all. Neither is any of her background as a witch.
I've read books this length that explore character and world build so I do not think that is inherently the problem although the author could definitely have expanded this book easily. Honestly I just think it was a cool idea poorly executed.
September 18, 2020
I absolutely love Emma and Kyle.
I fwel like i read this book a long time ago. But even so i love this book so I plan to reread it again further down the lane. I really enjoy Emma and Kyle. Even though I read Tully and Jamie book first. I always wonder how these two met and how the coven got here.
In Jamie's book its slightly mentikn but I love to see that there is a book for everyone in the Smith town. Or so at least I do hope so.
I love how Emma is this sweet little bit but at the same time she has claws. The way she handle herself is something I look forward to everytime I turned a page.
As far as I know there is only books for Kyle and Emma and Jamie and Tully. Hopefully Shelly Laurenston will continue witb this little town. And write books for the other witches. I am definitely looking forward to those books as well.
I fwel like i read this book a long time ago. But even so i love this book so I plan to reread it again further down the lane. I really enjoy Emma and Kyle. Even though I read Tully and Jamie book first. I always wonder how these two met and how the coven got here.
In Jamie's book its slightly mentikn but I love to see that there is a book for everyone in the Smith town. Or so at least I do hope so.
I love how Emma is this sweet little bit but at the same time she has claws. The way she handle herself is something I look forward to everytime I turned a page.
As far as I know there is only books for Kyle and Emma and Jamie and Tully. Hopefully Shelly Laurenston will continue witb this little town. And write books for the other witches. I am definitely looking forward to those books as well.
June 3, 2024
Would definitely like to read more
I would definitely like to read more about this town of Smiths and the coven that protects it. I feel like this short barely scratched the surface. I’m not sure how this fits in with the rest of the series, if it was abandoned or not, but I’m going to check.
I like witches.
Did just read my highlights though (wasn’t aware I could scroll and see them… as I never scroll lol) and wanted to say: I didn’t appreciate the mixed line. It read really racist. Like sure, a mixed person can call themselves a mutt. But the author, to my knowledge, is white. So like, let’s not do that in future, mkay. Maybe you got a mixed person pass from someone but much akin to the fabled n-word pass, it only works on that person, not for the whole of your reading audience.
I would definitely like to read more about this town of Smiths and the coven that protects it. I feel like this short barely scratched the surface. I’m not sure how this fits in with the rest of the series, if it was abandoned or not, but I’m going to check.
I like witches.
Did just read my highlights though (wasn’t aware I could scroll and see them… as I never scroll lol) and wanted to say: I didn’t appreciate the mixed line. It read really racist. Like sure, a mixed person can call themselves a mutt. But the author, to my knowledge, is white. So like, let’s not do that in future, mkay. Maybe you got a mixed person pass from someone but much akin to the fabled n-word pass, it only works on that person, not for the whole of your reading audience.
April 24, 2023
I had an Audible coupon so picked this book up for a whole 65 cents. This is a fun tale that isn't very long and I keep hoping that Shelly will get around to revisiting the coven and Smithville, NC. It can be read with no knowledge of the author's Pride world but it's an awesome little snack to read for those of us who enjoy that world and Shelly's quirky sense of humor. Emma is a witch. From Long Island. Kyle is a black panther and deputy sheriff in Smithville. He's just a good ol' country boy. Oil and vinegar mixes better than these two. Fun times.Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews