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In the Spirit of French Murder
In the Spirit of French Murder
Colleen Cambridge | 2026 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Nine Bluets Gathered for Dinner
One March afternoon, Tabitha Knight is returning home from Julia Child’s when she sees a strange woman leaving the house where Tabitha lives. It turns out that she is a medium, and her warning to Grand-pere has left him shaken. But the next night, when Tabitha’s messieurs are hosting a dinner for the seven other members of their old resistance network, the evening ends with a murder. Should Tabitha be taking the warning seriously?

I tend to avoid the paranormal in the books I read, and I was disappointed to see it was a major part of this book. Worse yet, it really slowed down the beginning of the mystery. Fortunately, we did get a decent mystery with some good twists and a nice climax. And the book, at least the ARC I read, could never decide which part of March the story was set in. However, I was interested to see what happened to the characters next. And I appreciated the look at what life was like in the resistance in Paris during World War II. All told, this was a mixed bag that fans of the series will still appreciate.
  
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ClareR (6253 KP) rated Spitting Gold in Books

Jun 4, 2026  
Spitting Gold
Spitting Gold
Carmella Lowkis | 2024 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Paranormal
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’ll be honest: I didn’t know what this was going to be about. It was a case of judging the book by its cover. I didn’t even read the synopsis before I got stuck in. I was very happy indeed when the first page took me in to a woman’s prison in Paris, France in 1866 - just for a little while, until we start to learn why exactly Sylvie is in this predicament.

Atmospheric writing places the reader in Paris after the French Revolution, where Baroness Sylvie is living a perfect life with her affluent lawyer husband.

Her estranged sister, Charlotte Mothe, visits with an offer that’s hard to refuse. Their father is very ill, Charlotte needs to pay the bills, and Sylvie must come out of retirement and conduct a seance to help her out. But Sylvie is risking her marriage.

Spitting Gold is a debut, and I thought it was gripping and entertaining - it kept me reading! The characters were fleshed out, believable and colourful (to say the least!). There were moments where it made me feel very uncomfortable - was it the ghosts?

There’s a bit of something for everyone here: historical fiction, mystery, the paranormal, sapphic romance and family dynamics.

Recommended!
  
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Merissa (14056 KP) rated Alpha Mine in Books

Oct 30, 2025  
Alpha Mine
Alpha Mine
Raine Gerald | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
ALPHA MINE is the story of Monte, an Omega promised to a rival pack for many years, where it is finally happening. He's not happy with it, but doesn't see a way out of it. Everything changes on the Night of the Blood Moon, when Monte asks the Goddess for help and has a kiss with an unnamed Alpha, who sweeps him off his feet. Only trouble is, it turns out that Alpha is the brother of the one Monte is to be married to.

This was a really good slow-burn read, with Monte finding his place and Felix being all honourable. Hunter is a bit of a d!ck in this, but I'm hoping he will get a story and an HEA of his own in the future. The two scenes where Felix and Monte are together are steamy, but they don't take over the whole story.

A story that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending for other paranormal romance lovers.

** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 30, 2025