Sunday, June 1, 2014

Review: Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett

Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett
Series: Roaring Twenties, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance Grim Shadows Cover
ISBN: 9780425269589
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Jenn Bennett Reading Order

It’s the Roaring Twenties in foggy San Francisco. Prohibition is on, inhibitions are low, and dark magic is rolling into town…

Archaeologist Lowe Magnusson is packing something everyone wants. The djed amulet, a priceless Egyptian artifact, will fetch Lowe a hefty paycheck from one of San Francisco’s wealthiest. But when the handsome Swede runs into his patron’s uptight daughter, what he once considered easy money becomes maddeningly complicated…

Cursed with deadly spirits as her constant companions, curator Hadley Bacall must keep calm to hold her dangerous specters at bay and prevent them from lashing out at anything—or anyone. Trouble is, Lowe is driving her crazy, but her father needs the artifact he’s transporting. While Hadley can feel the amulet’s power, she can’t fathom the destruction—or the desire—it’s about to stir up.

Magic and mayhem go hand in hand in Grim Shadows. There’s no sophomore slump for the Roaring Twenties series – Jenn Bennett knows how to keep the thrills coming and Grim Shadows lives up to the promise of its smart, sensual predecessor, Bitter Spirits.

Lowe Magnusson is a smooth-talking archaeologist with an easy smile and a penchant for spinning tales. Hadley Bacall is a curator trying to make a name for herself in a male-dominated field. She’s also got a curse hanging over her head and has to keep her emotions tightly bottled for fear of disaster. On the surface, the two are like night and day, but they just click. The banter between Lowe and Hadley – when balanced by the emotional revelations each makes – made them a truly captivating couple to read about. Both are supremely intelligent and are more than what most people see them to be; traits that come in handy as they become semi-reluctant allies on a quest to find the missing pieces of a supernatural artifact. Their action-packed treasure hunt through the streets of Prohibition-era San Francisco had me avidly turning the pages of Grim Shadows. Ms. Bennett has some wonderful twists and turns in store for readers (even the ones you can see coming are exciting to watch play out).

As she did with the first Roaring Twenties book, Ms. Bennett brings 1920s San Francisco to vivid life, then gives it her own unique spin by adding in the paranormal and placing events in less posh areas than those generally showcased in historical romance. I flat-out loved delving into Ms. Bennett’s world once again, though the mysteries uncovered in Grim Shadows are decidedly different from those in Bitter Spirits. Ms. Bennett has a way of writing that draws you into the story and doesn’t let go. I look forward to getting lost in Lowe and Hadley’s adventure-filled romance many, many times while I impatiently wait for the next Roaring Twenties book!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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