About the Book
-
Author:
- Kelley Armstrong
- Genres:
- Mystery
- New Adult
- Paranormal
- Voices:
- Cis Girl
- White (Non-Specified)
Cover Story: Aw, Hell No
BFF Charm: Yay!
Talky Talk: TNT
Bonus Factors: Detectives! Tasty Business
Relationship Status: My Name Is Jenny, And I’m An Addict
Cover Story: Aw, Hell No
Okay, this is definitely one of the more embarrassing covers I’ve carried around, and not because it screams YA. No, this one screams my daily viewing of Charmed, between 8-9am is not enough to satisfy me, so I need a fix on my lunch break. Like I do.
The Deal
Savannah Levine is alone at the detective agency run by her guardians Paige and Lucas, and her best friend Adam — with whom she’s been secretly in love with since she was 12 years old — is away at a conference. When a half-demon shows up looking for help with a case, Savannah thinks this might be her chance to prove herself as a true detective. She travels to a small town to investigate the recent ritualistic-looking murders, and finds a whole lot more going on in that part of the Pacific Northwest than she bargained for.
BFF Charm: Yay!
Okay, so I’ve just met Savannah, and I’m glad I didn’t know her younger self, because I think she’s been kind of a brat. But that was the past, and now she’s 21, and she’s really trying to prove how much she’s grown up. Of course she’s still impulsive and reckless, but when you’ve grown up the daughter of a powerful witch and sorcerer, and granddaughter of a demon, with power out the wazoo, it’s kind of easy to be reckless. What Savannah’s learning, though, is that unlike her dead parents, she does care about people. And while being her friend would definitely come with a lot of occupational hazards, I think she’s worth it. And hopefully, you know, she could protect me. I certainly wouldn’t go off investigating on my own, that’s for sure.
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Since I haven’t read the earlier books in this series, I didn’t know quite how to feel about Adam in this book. I mean, I know she’s been in love with him since she was a kid, and I know he’s been nothing but a friend to her — a fact that as she’s become an adult, she’s tried hard to accept. I don’t know how this has been handled in the previous books, but I think I could have found the whole thing a little creepy? I mean, I don’t know. Whatever, I’m glad I picked up in this series when I did. This way I could pine for Adam a little bit with her, while being his friend, and wondering if he’d ever wake up and realize that we were grown up.
Adam’s keeping her in the friend zone doesn’t stop Savannah from dating all together, and there are some nice moments between her and another detective she meets. Still, this story focuses a lot more on the mystery and a lot less on the swoon.
Talky Talk: TNT
I know I already mentioned Charmed, but you know how those shows on TNT are completely ridiculous and completely addictive and if you watch one, you kind of get sucked in and watch them all, and before you know it, you’ve been parked in front of your tv every morning before work and every evening while you make dinner and are not doing the other things you normally do because you’ve got to see what happens next on Bones? Yeah. This book series feels kind of like that. I already knew I really liked Armstrong’s breezy but thrilling writing style from reading The Gathering, but this was a completely different series, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Thankfully, Armstrong excels at creating and developing interesting plotlines to go with her characters. And speaking of the plot!!! With most mysteries, I’m pretty good at figuring out the resolution long before the protagonists do, but with this one, I had no clue. I mean, I had guesses, and I was sort of right, but Armstrong pulled out plausible surprises right up to the end.
Bonus Factor: Detectives!
We put mysteries and detectives on our Milk Carton a while back, and I’m so thrilled to find this series, because it has both! With a supernatural twist! I haven’t read The Dresden Files, (but the actor who plays Harry Dresden — hello!) but I do enjoy a good supernatural detective story. I mean, without detectives like these, who would help the hopeless?
Bonus Factor: Tasty Business
Savannah eats well, and has a special love for cookies. This book had me craving diner food and fancy restaurants and baked goods.
Relationship Status: My Name Is Jenny, And I’m An Addict
I thought I could just dabble with this book. You know, one chapter wouldn’t hurt me. I could put it down at any time. Only, once I took a hit, I didn’t WANT to put it down. I just kept reading more and more and before I realized it, I was not showing up to work on time and selling off my possessions, sneaking down dark alleys with a little cash looking for my next chapter. But whatever, it’s not a problem or anything. I can quit at any time. Ohmigod when does the next book come out?!!! IT JUST DID.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a review copy from Dutton. I received neither money nor cocktails for this review (damnit!). Waking the Witch is available now.
