112) Demons in my Driveway by R.L. Naquin

The Blurb :

Zoey Donovan Aegis and co-opted protector of all things supernatural is moving up in the Hidden world. Actually, she's being drop kicked onto the front lines of a fight between the newly formed Cult of Imagination and Hidden governments everywhere.

The Cult is opening portals and unleashing demons, vampires and werewolves, growing closer to breaking the lock that holds back the zombie apocalypse with every world they crack open. Oh, and they want every last Aegis in the world dead, and a roving band of Hidden worshippers is only too eager to assist.

On the upside, Zoey finally has her mother back. But having another Aegis around one with very different ideas on how to run things is proving difficult. For their own safety, they're stuck inside Zoey's home. What was once a haven is now a prison, further straining maternal relations and alienating her reaper boyfriend. Taking down a cult and saving the world again would be a lot easier if she could go farther than her own driveway.

My Thoughts :

They say variety is the spice of life.  Well this series really has a lot of variety but I am not too sure about the life.  When I first started reading this series I was in awe of the different kinds of unusual creatures and the very unique concept.  However as the series continues I only become confused and unsure about the whole package.  There is so much to remember and a lot of characters to distinguish that I find myself getting a slight headache trying to keep up with everything.

Huge points to the author for coming up with something colourful, unusual and interesting but I am sorry to say that Demons in my Driveway was my last visit to Monster Haven.  If I didn't have so many books to read and a huge list of series I need to finish/carry on with I may keep this one on my radar but I feel like I am wasting my reading time with this series.  It requires a lot of concentration and you really need to know what is what and who is who.

I am not hating this series or the authors work but it is all becoming too complicated and over the top.  I am just not invested enough in this series to keep following Zoey's journey especially after some of the events that happened in this fifth installment.

Try for yourself, this is definitely a series worth checking out and making your own decision.  I can see why people would love the strange Hidden world the author has built but I am going to let them continue without me.

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51) Golem in my Glovebox by R.L. Naquin

The Blurb :

In her role as Aegis, Zoey Donovan has rescued and cared for hundreds of monsters and mythical creatures. Now humans are the ones in need of her help. Someone with a personal vendetta against the Board of Hidden Affairs has kidnapped all the other Aegises in the country--including Zoey's mother.

With the Hidden government in shambles and a string of deadly clues to follow, Zoey and her reaper boyfriend set out on a cross-country chase to stop the kidnapper from killing the captured Aegises. Along the way, they pick up a miniature golem who's on a quest to find his humanity...and may be the key to solving the grisly clues.

If Zoey succeeds in defeating this new evil, she'll finally be reunited with the mother she lost over twenty years ago. But if she fails, she'll become the final victim.

My Thoughts :

I have been too distracted, tired and busy to read lately and my to be read pile would have fallen over if it wasn't digital!  So it was time to at least get one review book off the pile and this was the next one up.  I have been following the Monster Haven series ever since I came across the first installment, Pooka in my Pantry, and have been enjoying the story, characters and very interesting paranormal elements.

This fourth part in the series takes the main character and her partner on the road.   An interesting development that I wasn't really expecting but there was good reason and it made for great reading.  The whole story this time around came across as more mature and well thought out.  The writing style is the same but I got the feeling that the author has found her flow.  Golem in my Glovebox really shines above the other books and I finally felt like things were being taken more seriously now.

There are quite a few developments in this new addition to the Monster Haven series and I very pleased with the progress made and enjoyed the story a lot.  Now that Zoey knows more about the Hidden I know more about the Hidden and together the whole adventure is much more fun and definitely more interesting.  The author has used a wide variety of paranormal elements and it makes for great reading.  I wonder what else she has up her sleeve and look forward to finding out.

You can't really go wrong with this series and it is certainly worth a try.  As the series continues I find it is beginning to feel more like a Paranormal Urban Fantasy than just a Paranormal cozy/romance/comedy/mystery.  I am glad I picked up this fourth part and I will be keeping my eye out for the next installment.

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126) Fairies in my Fireplace

The Blurb :

A migration of mythical creatures has begun, and more and more of them are landing on Zoey Donovan's doorstep. As the only Aegis left in the country, it falls to her to protect the Hidden and keep them safe—and her house has become a sanctuary for water sprites, goblins, harpies, djinn and more.

Keeping track of her boarders is a full-time job, and Zoey's already got her hands full trying to run her wedding planning business. Good thing she has a resident closet monster to keep her organized, and a hot Reaper boyfriend to help her relax every once in a while.

But she can't keep up monster-triage indefinitely, and as more Hidden arrive, it becomes clear that someone—or something—is hunting them. In the midst of planning an event for a notoriously difficult client, Zoey's got to figure out who's behind the hunt…and she's got to stop them before there are no Hidden left.

My Thoughts :

I came across this author purely by accident while searching for ARCs over on Netgalley.  I can't believe that I would have come across this series otherwise and that would have been a huge shame.  Something so wonderful and full of supernatural should not be missed and I am loving this series more and more as things progress, twist, turn and unfold.

Monster in my Closet and Pooka in my Pantry showed that R.L. Naquin has some real talent.  Fairies in my Fireplace shows that the author has even more talent that I thought.  As the plot unfolds and it becomes clear why Zoey's house is becominig such a huge Monster Haven it is hard not to want to applaud the author over and over again for her extremely good world building and how much fantasy she has put into this series.

My only little problem with this series is that while the amount of action, characters and great plot is amazing I also find it hard to keep up with some of the story.  So much goes on in one book and it is really easy to miss something important.  However I don't think I would want the author to change things.  Afterall a lot of the books I read sometimes could do with some of this fast paced, get on with it, action and not drag things out.  It takes a bit of getting used to at the beginning but once you are in there you can't really come back out.  So my stange and special things are packed into this series.

So if you are looking for something really fresh, wonderfully fantasical, fun and yet serious, you should really give this series a try.  I can only highly recommend it and hope that people take a chance on this author because it really is worth it.

 

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41) Pooka In My Pantry by R.L. Naquin

The Blurb :

Zoey Donovan—empath, wedding planner, go-to girl for monsters with personal problems—has been marked twice for pickup by Death. On both occasions, Riley the smoking-hot reaper has refused to follow through. For his breach of protocol, Riley is now on probation. For her refusal to die on schedule, Zoey's right to live is challenged. She will have to undergo a life-or-death trial, but she won't know when or where it will happen…

Staying alive might not be so difficult if the Leprechaun Mafia hadn't strolled into town. Now every business owner with the slightest connection to the supernatural community is being threatened with the most appalling bad luck if they don't pay up. Mirrors are smashed, bodies are dropping, and Zoey's still got clients waiting for fabric samples.

With a little luck, she might be able to save everyone and still have time for a second attempt at a decent first date with her favorite reaper.

My Thoughts :

When I read and reviewed, 'Monster in my Closet', the first book in this series, I was pretty sure that things could get more interesting and mad. However Pooka in my Pantry outdoes the debut in the Monster Haven series and introduces the reader to even more strange and weird monsters, paranormals and supernaturals. Take all those little known about fairy tale characters or old wives tales and you can be sure to find some of them packed into this book.

The mass and mess of elements in this book is sometimes not pretty. The story goes off on tangents and even though you have the feeling that everything does fit together somehow the writing style (or the main character) manages to come across as a drug induced weirdo. It doesn't sound pretty but it actually is. It sounds strange but it works and some how I can't help but praising this weird and wonderful sequel.

No holds barred and some exceedingly nice twists and turns really make this one stand out. Reapers, sea serpents, Leprechauns and yes, as the title suggests, a Pooka, is only the tip of the iceberg when you delve into this fanscinating 'hidden' world the author has created. Your imagination can run wild and what you didn't think was possible can and will happen inside this book. I throughly enjoyed it.

Zoey and her band of friends and monsters make for good entertainment. Her love interest is slowly taking some shape and her friendships are getting well established but her future seems a little up in the air. Some of the strangeness in this book shows that there could be some really hard times ahead for Zoey. Swimming in the newness of the whole 'Hidden' world she has been thrown into to may leave her tired and needing some air but she is turning out to be stronger than she looks.

If you are a Nicole Peeler fan or enjoy some Ben Elton or Douglas Adams then you may find this series to be right up your street. You need a sense of humour and an open mind to love this book but it pays off. I can't wait to see what happens next and despite the 'all over the place' feel of this series so far I can see it for what it is. Special.

Pooka in my Pantry is due out on the 25th of March and is only available in E-book form. Check out the debut Monster in my Closet to catch up with the story so far.