Two Dragon Series, Ghost-Catching Coffee, and a Vampire on the Prairie

by James Russell

This is a middle grade dragon adventure, and it's the safest pick on the list for reading aloud. One reviewer read it with kids aged 3 and 7 and called it quick-paced, with a mildly scary climax and an AR app that sets it apart. It's sitting at 4.33 with over 700 ratings, which is solid for a kids' series starter.

“3.5 Stars ✨ Fun and exciting start to this middle grade dragon series. I picked this up to check out for my kids and I think they’ll really enjoy it. It has a Swiss Family Robinson feel to it but with dragons! Love the family dynamic- looking forward to checking out more books in this series. Would ”

by Marc Alan Edelheit

This is book five of the Eli Chronicles, so don't start here. If you're already in, it's the one to grab, since Eli is bound to Nyx, the dark goddess who spared him, and he's clearly not his own man anymore. Readers are calling the turn of events jaw-dropping, and a 4.64 across 458 ratings is the highest score on this list. Also on the trail are Mae, the ranger-in-training Kora, and the goblin-god fallout.

“After their escape from the goblins and their dark god; Eli, Mae and their Ranger-in-Training Kora have to divert their pursuit of Mik'Las. Eli'Far has a debt to pay, and Nyx means to extract her payment. Sending Eli (and his friends) north into hostile territory, Eli finds opportunities to get that”

by Charity Tahmaseb

Katy catches ghosts with coffee, and I love how weird that is. Her grandmother has crossed over, so she's running the family ghost-hunting business alone while something sinister stalks her. At 3.92 with more than 1,300 ratings it's well liked but not universally loved. One reviewer got tired of the coffee gimmick by the end, so it may be best taken in small doses. Cozy paranormal fans should be happy.

“This collection is strange. It is the story of a young woman who catches ghosts with coffee, I love coffee by the end of the book(s) I was weary of the words Kona and the 3 black, 3 sugar only, 3 cream only and 3 extra sweet and light. WEARY! I was also tired of her getting burned, scalded, scarred ”

by Tessa Knox

A traveling nurse takes a six-month contract in Ironridge, and a wolf shifter motorcycle club president fixes her engine on a dark road without saying a word. You can guess where it goes. It's a quick, short read, and readers like the practical, no-nonsense heroine. It holds a 4.13 across about 200 ratings, though one reviewer got stuck on a continuity detail and couldn't let it go. Fated mates fans are the audience, and it's free.

“Overall, this book was great for a quick read about a hardnosed wolf shifter motorcycle club president and a practical no-nonsense traveling nurse. The tempo is kept relatively high with little drag between intense scenes. There are a few mistakes here and there, mostly logistical details about the ”

by Monique Singleton

Onida was sent to the dragon station to die and simply refused, which is a great setup for dark romantasy. Reviews are split on pacing. One reader skimmed ahead because the start felt slow, and another found it a page turner from the first chapter. The 4.22 rating from 139 readers suggests the payoff is worth it if you can get past the opening. It's a brutal, cruel-emperor kind of world, so pick it up for the heroine and not for comfort.

“OK so maybe I skipped a little.... I loved the concept but this was so slow to start it was either skim ahead or DNF. It felt more like a really, really long prequel novella - because, honestly, not much happened until the very end. Also the FMC was quite annoying and hard to like”

by Bradford Tatum

This is a vampire story set in the old West, narrated by Emma May Shinnecock, who grew up wild on the 1820s prairie and is now a Beguiler. The premise is excellent. The reception is more mixed, with a 3.8 from 84 ratings, and one reviewer felt it started with promise and then lost them fairly quickly. It's not for everyone, but it's reflective and quieter than most vampire books, and it's free, so I'm tempted to try it.

“This had such promise, was pushed heavily on my feed, and looked like something I'd love. Vampires in the old west, count me in! Then, very quickly while reading this book became a count me out. It's a confused mess of lore, bizarre relationships and choices from a main character that I simply had n”