The tattoos on your heart matter more than the ones on your skin.

Two years ago, Lizard Monroe was Berkeley’s newest delinquent on parole. Now she’s a hot young realtor with a great life, an awesome guy, and enough friends to chase away the ghosts of her past.

Almost.

The crystal ball has spoken—life isn’t done messing with her yet. And neither is the need brewing in the eyes of the man she loves.

The eve of Halloween approaches. And whatever the sexy poet realtor wants to believe, moving beyond your past isn’t the same as facing the future.

A cute paranormal romance novella that had plenty of action and an interesting enough plot but not a lot of reality. I did like the part about helping juvenile delinquents find a way to a better life. Jake believed Romy was an untutored young witch and tried to rescue her from a detention center for kids.

It turns out that 1/3 of Americans are meeting the loves of their lives on line and the data shows these romances are good for the long haul. 

 

Romance Novels often feature dating agency of some kinds but I would love to see more Romances where the couple met through the online dating site or the agency.

 

One of the reasons that relationships that begin on line tend to be successful is that each person is looking for commitment. The goal of dating is clear. 

 

I like that in my Romance Novels as well--the hero and the heroine want a relationship. Refreshing!.

 

Here are some fun Romances featuring Dating Agencies. 

 

 

1. Infatuation by Alison Kent 

 

"Hell on wheels...in bed" someone had written on Rennie Bergen's business card. Now Rennie's card rested with many other men's in the glass "booty"--all up for grabs by the female dating pool in Milla Page's office building.

Three dates! That's all Milla needed to write a sexy, juicy story on San Francisco hot spots for her online column. Was it fate she drew Rennie's card?

The two of them had a history. Infatuation, wild sex, sneaking around--followed by a painful explosive breakup. But Milla was still hot for him six years later.... And it was clear Rennie felt the same. Could they have a shot at rewriting history?

 

2. Meant to Be  by Kathryn Shay 

 

In MEANT TO BE, thirty-four year old Cole Matheson gets himself entangled with Beth Montgomery, forty-five, while he’s lying to her about his age. When he finally tells her the truth, she reluctantly forgives him. But he’s unable to be completely honest with her and, eventually, Beth cannot deal with his consistent deceit. Now, sexy, adorable Cole must convince her he can be the kind of man she deserves. 

 

3. Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye

 

A vivacious vampire with a flair for accessorizing, Lil Marchette is unlike most of her kind. She prefers lively shades of pink to dismal black (soo not her color), plus she’s a hopeless romantic. In need of a steady paycheck to support a compulsive cosmetics habit, Lil starts Dead End Dating (DED), a Manhattan-based matchmaking service that helps smart, sophisticated singles like herself find eternity mates–and may even help her stake a claim to her very own Count Right!

When Lil meets geeky vampire Francis Deville, she knows he’s the perfect first client. If she can hook up Francis–after a little revamping, of course–she will prove her skills to the vampire community and turn DED into the hottest dating service in the Big Apple. But just as her business takes off, Lil meets the (literally) drop-dead gorgeous bounty hunter Ty Bonner, who is hot on the chase of a serial killer. Instantly drawn to the luscious vamp stud, Lil really wants a taste. But as a made vampire, Ty can’t procreate–and Lil will settle for nothing less. Luckily, between “vampifying” Francis and helping Ty solve his murder mystery, Lil has no time for silly romantic entanglements . . . even if Ty is all that and a Bloody Mary chaser!

 

4. Beauty Dates the Beast by Jessica Sims 

 

WANTED

Single human female to join charming, wealthy, single male were-cougar for a night of romantic fun—and maybe more.

 

Me: The tall, sensuous, open-minded leader of my clan.

 

You: A deliciously curvy virgin who’s intimately familiar with what goes bump in the night. Must not be afraid of a little tail. Prefer a woman who’s open to exploring her animal nature. Interest in nighttime walks through the woods a plus.

 

My turn-ons include protecting you from the worst the supernatural world has to offer. Ready for an adventure? Give me a call.

 

Vampires and doppelgangers need not apply.

 

5. Match Me If You Can  by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 

 

Annabelle's endured dead-end jobs, a broken engagement . . . even her hair's a mess! But that's going to change now that she's taken over her late grandmother's matchmaking business. All Annabelle has to do is land the Windy City's hottest bachelor as her client, and she'll be the most sought-after matchmaker in town.

 

Why does the wealthy, driven, and gorgeous sports agent Heath Champion need a matchmaker, especially a red-haired screw-up like Annabelle Granger? True, she's entertaining, and she does have a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of success -- the perfect wife. And to make an extraordinary match, he needs an extraordinary matchmaker, right?

 

Soon everyone in Chicago has a stake in the outcome, and a very big question: When the determined matchmaker promised she'd do anything to keep her star client happy . . . did she mean anything? If Annabelle isn't careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town.

 

6. Love at Stake  by Victoria Davies

 

Abbey is the lone human working for Fated Match, a company that pairs members of the supernatural community with their eternal mates. To snag a young vampire socialite as her next client, Abbey journeys to the home of Lucian Redgrave, the most respected vampire on the East Coast. But he's not willing to recommend the agency to the vampire world... unless Abbey can first find his perfect match in a month.

 

 As Abbey coaches Lucian through his dates, she can't deny the chemistry between them. But humans are toys for vampires, and risking her heart isn't a part of the plan.

 

7. Troll-y Yours by Sheri Fredricks

 

SHE TAKES A CHANCE. 

Determined to forge a better life, Ella launches her new business with high hopes—until a sexy Centaur bumps into her and throws her life off course forever. Voted “Most Eligible Bachelor in Boronda”, Aleksander shakes up her world and tilts her in more ways than one. 

HE’S IN DANGEROUS TERRITORY. 

Years of warfare and countless bedroom encounters have stolen Kempor Aleksander’s luster for life. He never expects to rediscover his zeal in the small, redheaded form of Ella the Troll, who fires his blood hotter than the deepest caverns in the forest. 

A PASSION SO HOT. 

But as trouble lingers in their midst—and edges ever closer—Alek and Ella spiral into troubled terrain. Turning to each other, the pair face down dangers that run impenetrably deep in their mythological world. But will the two lovers discover a passion that runs even deeper?

 

8. Sex, Lies, and Online Dating by Rachel Gibson 

 

Sex . . .

What is it about men anyway? Bad cars, bad jobs, even bad teeth—nothing convinces them that they can't snare a Size Two Babe with a D-cup chest. And after way too many internet dates with men named "luvstick" and "bigdaddy182," Lucy Rothschild should know.

 

Lies . . .

But sitting across from her now is "hardluvnman," and he seems different—sensitive, honest, and hot! He says he's a plumber, while Lucy claims she's a nurse! She's really a mystery writer, dating online while researching her next book. Hey, everyone lies a little, don't they?

 

And Online Dating . . .

But Quinn's really an undercover cop hunting down a serial killer, and he sees Lucy as his top suspect. And while he could really go for this smart, sexy woman with the killer bod—if that's the only thing "killer" about her—he knows he needs to wine and dine her and discover the truth. Hey, he realizes the dating scene can be deadly—but this is ridiculous!

 

9. Big Boy  by Ruthie Knox 

 

I read this and the second book in the series and I think I am going to probably stop there. The author Debora Geary started off with a really cool idea. What if there were witches out there and based on modern times are starting to see there kind dwindle. A group of witches in CA and those in Nova Scotia have trained and been family and friends with each other for decades.

One of the witches who is apparently a complete coding genius (Nell) and her younger brother (Jamie) created a "fetch" spell in order to find new witches out there. Well due to an accident a woman who does not realize that she is a witch is fetched and has her life turned upside down.

Though the book synopsis makes it seem as if Lauren is the main character in this book she is not. Instead there are several characters who heads we pop in and out of during the course of the book with Nell and Jamie just a couple of the character's we beep bop in and out of during the course of the book.

There is a bare whisper of a plot in this book and more often than not is forgotten by describing people just eating ice cream, cookies, and disparaging eating anything that is leafy or green.

There is also barely any description of certain witches powers or what they mean and often I was just confused about what it meant to have a power fire, water power, or mind power. Also if the witches are tied to the four elements I honestly don't see what element anyone with mind powers or the power to teleport (or port as it is called in this book) comes from.

And that fellow readers is the main issue I have with this book. There is not enough backstory or explanation for anything in this first book. If you are going to world build on the scale that Ms. Geary is trying to do here there should be some explanation for things and how they all tied together. All I really learned in this book is that males can be witches too.

This and the lack of character development with anyone introduced into this book just made this a very dry and not enjoyable read for me. Every character from Lauren, Nell, Jamie, Lauren's best friend Nat, Moira (the grandmother of some but not all of the witches) has the exact same voice. You would think that Jamie being a male would be distinctive, but honestly no he and the rest of the characters all sound exactly alike. It does not help that Ms. Geary does not describe any of the characters she is talking about. Instead we hear that Jamie is tall dark and handsome. Okay, but how tall is tall? Does he have dark black hair, or dark brown hair, what color are his eyes? The same problem continues when Ms. Geary tries to describe a place (like Chicago) besides saying it is cold and wet outside I could be in any city on the east coast in the middle of winter. There is no real flavor to anything she describes.

To make the book better I think having the chapters broken up with the character who was narrating that section/chapter of the book (also the layout of the book was confusing with weird breaks here and there) so that way a reader would not get confused. Also it would have been better to keep the main plot line being about Lauren and her discovering that she is a witch. Instead we had other characters' issues bubbling up in this book and you just want to throw your hands up and say who cares. There is also no real tension or issue to resolve so that also makes it a very flat read. I am not saying you need to go up against a big bad in every book but there should be something there that is going to keep readers interest. Just reading about people using spells, coming into magical powers, and eating a lot of cookies and ice cream gets boring.

A Different Witch (A Modern Witch, #5) -...

The newest addition to an unbelievable series. I eagerly await each and every novel by this multi-talented author.

I usually read each of Ms Geary’s offerings with several tissues nearby. A Different Witch is a “different” type of heart wrenching.  Not only does it evoke strong emotions, it makes you THINK.  This novel tackles some issues which in today’s society might make people uncomfortable.

Bravo, Ms Geary. Your honesty and research shine throughout the story.  Ms Geary’s fans are in for a special treat with a Different Witch. The writing is superb, the expansion of the storyline is growing with each novel. In addition, we find our seemingly nonflappable witchy community somewhat at a loss to deal with an issue in which they have no experience and just friendship and acceptance won’t fix.

Ms Geary has no need to get on a soap box to get this message across.  She does it with seamlessly through her characters and their feelings.  Don’t miss this novel!

A Different Witch is currently available on Kindle for $3.99 and on Audible.com for $13.96 or 1 credit.  It's more than worth it.


Highly Recommend!!

(Note:  check out an exceptional cause initiated by several authors called, Fill the Shelves. A way to ensure underfunded school libraries get help filling their shelves with books for their students. For more info check out their Facebook page or check out their website here:  http://filltheshelves.org