Sophia Rose Reviews - Monster in the Moonlight by Annelise Ryan

 

Monster in the Moonlight by Annelise Ryan

#4 Monster Hunter

Cozy Mystery

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:  1.27.26

Pages:  336

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Do werewolves exist? That’s the question skeptical cryptozoologist Morgan Carter has to answer in the latest entry in this USA Today bestselling mystery series.

The discovery of a dead body along Bray Road in Wisconsin sparks rumors of The Beast of Bray Road, a werewolf-like creature that is said to inhabit the area.

The dead woman has been mutilated by some kind of large animal. The community is convinced that the legendary beast is not only real but responsible for this brutal killing. In an effort to prove them wrong, the police bring in cryptozoologist Morgan Carter, who soon finds that the mystery runs considerably deeper than whether or not one mythical predator is on the prowl.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Taming Demons for Beginners by Annette Marie

 

Taming Demons for Beginners by Annette Marie

#1 Guild Codex: Demonized

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Self-Published

Published:  9.11.19

Pages:  315

Rating: 5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Rule one: Don't look at the demon.

When I arrived at my uncle's house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don't practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else.

Rule two: Don't listen to the demon.

My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I'm supposed to act like I don't know how illegal and dangerous it is.

Rule three: Don't talk to the demon.

All I had to do was keep my nose out of it. Pretend I didn't find the summoning circle in the basement. Pretend I didn't notice the shadowy being trapped inside it. Pretend I didn't break the rules.

But I did, and now it's too late.

--
From the author of The Guild Codex: Spellbound comes a new series that will plunge an unprepared young woman into the darkest magic of the mythic world.

Sophia Rose Reviews - The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz

 

The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz

Paranormal Romance, Suspense

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:  1.6.26

Pages: 329

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz dives into an enthralling new romantic suspense novel filled with deeply entrenched grudges, psychic dangers, and a conspiracy that threatens not only two families but also the entire paranormal community.

The Harper and the Wells families have regarded each other with deep suspicion for four generations. The Harpers have been known to offer their psychic talents for less-than-legal purposes, and the powerful Wells clan has a reputation for playing both sides of the street. But for all the years of history and distrust between them, there is a mysterious pact binding the two. They share the responsibility for protecting a long-buried and very dangerous secret.

Sophy Harper and Luke Wells are shocked to learn that her aunt and his uncle have been sleeping together—and now they are both missing. Not only that, but the last traces of them are at the scene of a murder soaked in negative paranormal energy. Clearly, someone is willing to kill to obtain the secret their families have been charged with protecting. Despite their mutual distrust, which, as far as Sophy is concerned extends to Luke’s hellhound of a dog, they both know that the terms of the pact must be honored. 

Their investigation uncovers a psychic trail leading to a bizarre desert art colony where nothing is as it seems. But Luke and Sophy are concealing a few secrets, too. By a strange twist of fate, a Harper and a Wells have no choice but to trust each other and the fierce attraction that is binding them as surely as the pact between the families.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - The Purloined Portrait by Christina Dudley, narrated by Katherine Anderson

 

The Purloined Portrait by Christina Dudley, narrated by Katherine Anderson

#5 The Hapgoods of Bramleigh

Historical RomCom

Publisher:  Tantor Audio

Published:  10.7.25

Time:  10 hours 45 minutes

Rating: 4 stars

Format: audio

Source:  Tantor Audio

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Youngest of the Hapgood daughters, Edith is the petted darling of her family, her artistic ability a source of pride to all. But with a heart full of painting, there’s no room for romance, not even with Lionel, her brother-like distant cousin who has long adored her. But when Edith’s art career stands in jeopardy, Lionel champions her, at the cost of his own future. Will the eyes of her heart be opened too late, or can she somehow rescue their chance for love?

Sophia Rose Reviews - Constituent Service by John Scalzi

 

Constituent Service by John Scalzi

#2 Third District

Science Fiction

Publisher:  Subterranean Press

Published:  11.10.25

Pages: 86

Rating: 4 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

The aliens are here . . . and they want municipal services!

Ashley Perrin is fresh out of college and starting a job as a community liaison for the Third District—the city’s only sector with more alien residents than humans. Ashley’s barely found where the paper clips are kept when she’s beset with constituent complaints–from too much noise at the Annual Lupidian Celebration Parade to a trip-and-fall chicken to a very particular type of alien hornet that threatens the very city itself.

And if that’s not terrifying enough, Ashley is next up at the office karaoke night.

It's Parks and Recreation meets the Federation of Planets in this fast and funny audio exclusive by Hugo Award winner and Audible best seller John Scalzi.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: Head Witch in Charge by Avery Flynn

 

Head Witch in Charge by Avery Flynn

#2 The Sherwood Witches

Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Berkley Romance

Published: 9.2.25

Pages:  348

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Trade Paperback

Source:  Berkley

Sellers:  Amazon

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Goodreads Synopsis:

When two witches with a tangled history are forced to team up, it spells disaster in this steamy rom-com from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

It’s the curse of every family’s heir to be the responsible one. My family being the most powerful family in all of Witchingdom doesn’t eliminate that fact, it only makes it worse—and that’s why I, Leona Amber Sherwood, never do the unexpected. Except for that one time I did.

Believe me, I have rued the day that I got married in a midnight ceremony under a full moon to Erik Svensen, the heir to my family’s deepest, bitterest enemies, and now, he won’t agree to a divorce unless we return an ancient spell book to his family’s secured facility.

But on our road trip to return the book, I learn more about Erik as we encounter trolls, nymphs, satyrs, and more. The longer we work together, the more I’m convinced that he might not be the evil trickster I assumed he was. Any more time together will leave me even more enchanted with my husband and that’s the last thing I want. And if I keep telling myself that, maybe I'll start to believe it.

Sophia Rose Reviews: A Damsel and a Demigod by Annette Marie, narrated by Nelson Hobbs

 

A Damsel and a Demigod by Annette Marie, narrated by Nelson Hobbs

#.5 Guild Codex: Spellbound or #4.5 Guild Codex world

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Tantor Audio

Published:  10.13.20

Time: 2 hours 29 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: audio

Source:  Library borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Only one thing matters to Kai: getting the job done, and doing it better than anyone else.

But when a beautiful thief crashes his security gig, claiming she's trying to protect the valuable artifact he's guarding, all his careful plans go up in flames. He doesn't believe a word she says—until the item is stolen right out from under them.

Recovering the artifact before the real thief can unleash its ancient magic requires insider knowledge—information the mysterious trespasser possesses. Teaming up with a stranger isn't Kai's idea of smart, but he'll need all the help he can get to take on a notorious rogue and arcane power from the time of the gods.

--
This novella can be read as part of The Guild Codex: Spellbound series, as an introduction to The Guild Codex world, or as a standalone adventure. All proceeds from its sale will be donated to youth and youth literacy charities!

Originally published in the limited-time charity anthology, Love Potion.