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3.22 AVERAGE
3.22 AVERAGE
Let me tell you right up front that I think this book is only available in e-book edition. I enjoyed this one, but it was really nothing more than a fun, easy read; a good way to pass a couple of afternoons. What I liked best, I think was the setting. I would love to travel to Scotland. Forget the handsome men in kilts, I'm jealous of Allegra just for the scenery. And it was very much a part of the story, so that's good.
Allegra is a fun character, even though she seemed to have a bit of a hard time figuring anything out. If she really does have a 99.5% success rate, I don't know how she did it. She kind of bumbles around and figures things out only with luck. But still, she's fairly tough (although it does help that she has a guardian angel to get her out of all kinds of scrapes), and definitely likable.
There was a little bit of romance here, but not too much. It didn't overshadow the story, at least. It seems that this is the start of a series. Book two is already written and has been acquired by the publisher. So that's good news for those who liked this first one, but I'm afraid of the direction it'll take. I didn't think her romantic interest in her guardian angel was all that great, but I think it'll become more and more the focus. We'll see, it could be done well. I would recommend this to fans of paranormal romance, especially if you're not as interested in the romance. If you're looking for a hot and heavy bodice-ripper type novel, this isn't it.
Allegra is a fun character, even though she seemed to have a bit of a hard time figuring anything out. If she really does have a 99.5% success rate, I don't know how she did it. She kind of bumbles around and figures things out only with luck. But still, she's fairly tough (although it does help that she has a guardian angel to get her out of all kinds of scrapes), and definitely likable.
There was a little bit of romance here, but not too much. It didn't overshadow the story, at least. It seems that this is the start of a series. Book two is already written and has been acquired by the publisher. So that's good news for those who liked this first one, but I'm afraid of the direction it'll take. I didn't think her romantic interest in her guardian angel was all that great, but I think it'll become more and more the focus. We'll see, it could be done well. I would recommend this to fans of paranormal romance, especially if you're not as interested in the romance. If you're looking for a hot and heavy bodice-ripper type novel, this isn't it.
Allegra Fairweather is a paranormal investigator, and although she has no special powers of her own save for a big toe that itches when something spooky is near, she still manages to rock a 99.5% success rate for solving cases (including one involving a female big foot with a shoe fetish!). Allegra is assisted by her guardian angel, Casper. Well, assisted isn’t the best word, since he’s not allowed to actually help her solve cases, but he is there to keep her alive when she finds herself in one life threatening situation after another. Casper (not his real name, Allegra made it up when she was little) is not your typical Michael Landon angel (does anyone remember that show?), he’s more like a winged version of Leo from “Charmed,” but without the white lights. He lived many centuries ago, when raping and pillaging was all the rage, and now guards women to atone for his sins. The catch- he cannot be romantically involved with them. No sex, no kissing, and probably so much as no impure thoughts at all.
When the Dedfield Rose, also called the Flower of Death, pops out of the ground in a small town in Scotland, Allegra hops a plane from her home in San Diego and crosses the Atlantic to lend a hand. After all, the rose only blooms when disaster is about to strike- and strike it does. On Allegra’s first night in town, the wail of a banshee heralds the first death and the body of a local man (a heavy drinker) turns up on the shore near the rose, only to vanish before the cops arrive. Allegra sets out to solve the mystery of the Dedfield Rose’s appearance, stop more deaths from occurring, and perhaps get in a little quality time with her guardian angel that, unfortunately, can never return her obvious affections without getting himself permanently banned from heaven.
Janni Nell writes beautifully, and had me hooked from the first sentence. Her dialogue flows as naturally as a good conversation should and her characters jump off the page and spring to life in your head. The story is engaging and about as unique as one can get these days, when just about everything has been written already. While reading, I was a little concerned that one of the paranormal mysteries she introduces towards the beginning was going to be left hanging in the wind, and I wondered why she even bothered to introduce it in the first place, but by the end her motivations were clear and it made sense. The only thing that bothered me is that I figured out the answer to the mystery at about 49% of the way through during one specific scene that screamed “this is what you’re looking for, Allegra! This is why your toe is itchy! Think, woman, think!” It took out paranormal investigator slightly longer to put the pieces together.
This book is straight-up paranormal mystery. While there is a slight attraction between Allegra and Douglas, the man who hired her to solve the mystery (more on Douglas’ part), as well as an obvious attraction to Casper on Allegra’s part, romance only makes up a few paragraphs of the book. With a very likable lead character, a back story with bits and pieces that leave me wanting to learn more, I’ve already added her next book to my Amazon Kindle wish list.
Note- This review originally appeared on my blog Pretty Opinionated
When the Dedfield Rose, also called the Flower of Death, pops out of the ground in a small town in Scotland, Allegra hops a plane from her home in San Diego and crosses the Atlantic to lend a hand. After all, the rose only blooms when disaster is about to strike- and strike it does. On Allegra’s first night in town, the wail of a banshee heralds the first death and the body of a local man (a heavy drinker) turns up on the shore near the rose, only to vanish before the cops arrive. Allegra sets out to solve the mystery of the Dedfield Rose’s appearance, stop more deaths from occurring, and perhaps get in a little quality time with her guardian angel that, unfortunately, can never return her obvious affections without getting himself permanently banned from heaven.
Janni Nell writes beautifully, and had me hooked from the first sentence. Her dialogue flows as naturally as a good conversation should and her characters jump off the page and spring to life in your head. The story is engaging and about as unique as one can get these days, when just about everything has been written already. While reading, I was a little concerned that one of the paranormal mysteries she introduces towards the beginning was going to be left hanging in the wind, and I wondered why she even bothered to introduce it in the first place, but by the end her motivations were clear and it made sense. The only thing that bothered me is that I figured out the answer to the mystery at about 49% of the way through during one specific scene that screamed “this is what you’re looking for, Allegra! This is why your toe is itchy! Think, woman, think!” It took out paranormal investigator slightly longer to put the pieces together.
This book is straight-up paranormal mystery. While there is a slight attraction between Allegra and Douglas, the man who hired her to solve the mystery (more on Douglas’ part), as well as an obvious attraction to Casper on Allegra’s part, romance only makes up a few paragraphs of the book. With a very likable lead character, a back story with bits and pieces that leave me wanting to learn more, I’ve already added her next book to my Amazon Kindle wish list.
Note- This review originally appeared on my blog Pretty Opinionated
My first thought after finishing this book? Allegra kicks some behind! She's funny. She's quick on her feet. She's a paranormal investigator for goodness sake! What more could you ask for? Allegra makes this book and I just loved every minute of her journey.
Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator is the type of book that is never dull. An extremely well written mystery/thriller, it gives you just enough to keep you following along without every revealing too much. I admit, when I opened to the first chapter I was worried some harrowing romance might ensue. I should have known better. Allegra is a woman with a mission! Men aren't part of that mission. Well except maybe Casper, but he's off limits.
My favorite part about this story was definitely the twists! With the paranormal slant thrown in, you're never quite sure where the plot is going and it makes for a really enjoyable read. I'm always disappointed when I figure out the ending of the book before I even get there. With this book there was no chance of that! In fact when I got to last few chapters my mouth actually fell open. WHAT? I didn't even think of that! (No spoilers here, but I promise it's great!)
If I had one complaint, it would be that I wanted to know so much more about Allegra as a person. Janni Nell does a great job of giving you bits and pieces of her past life throughout the story, but I craved more! I can only hope that there will be more Allegra Fairweather books to come and I can learn more about her in those. Oh, and Casper. I definitely wouldn't mind more Casper.
Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator is the type of book that is never dull. An extremely well written mystery/thriller, it gives you just enough to keep you following along without every revealing too much. I admit, when I opened to the first chapter I was worried some harrowing romance might ensue. I should have known better. Allegra is a woman with a mission! Men aren't part of that mission. Well except maybe Casper, but he's off limits.
My favorite part about this story was definitely the twists! With the paranormal slant thrown in, you're never quite sure where the plot is going and it makes for a really enjoyable read. I'm always disappointed when I figure out the ending of the book before I even get there. With this book there was no chance of that! In fact when I got to last few chapters my mouth actually fell open. WHAT? I didn't even think of that! (No spoilers here, but I promise it's great!)
If I had one complaint, it would be that I wanted to know so much more about Allegra as a person. Janni Nell does a great job of giving you bits and pieces of her past life throughout the story, but I craved more! I can only hope that there will be more Allegra Fairweather books to come and I can learn more about her in those. Oh, and Casper. I definitely wouldn't mind more Casper.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Allegra is a detective. A detective of paranormal happenings. Her most recent case takes her to Scotland where a bleeding rose has been discovered. While this may sound odd enough, we get to throw in a banshee, two dead bodies, a ghost, a shapeshifter, and Allegra's own guardian angel.
At first I thought the author was going to have a hard time trying to tie all of these strange happenings up into one cohesive story, but she did an excellent job. I was surprised and excited at the events as Allegra hikes through the small village trying to do her job.
Although initially pegged as a romance, there was not much of it to be found. While it was there, was not the main drive of the story and more of a pleasant background threading its way through. Again the characters were a bit stagnant (my biggest complaint of "romances"), but the plot made up for it quite a bit.
4/5
At first I thought the author was going to have a hard time trying to tie all of these strange happenings up into one cohesive story, but she did an excellent job. I was surprised and excited at the events as Allegra hikes through the small village trying to do her job.
Although initially pegged as a romance, there was not much of it to be found. While it was there, was not the main drive of the story and more of a pleasant background threading its way through. Again the characters were a bit stagnant (my biggest complaint of "romances"), but the plot made up for it quite a bit.
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Allegra's voice. She's tough but vulnerable, and she tries her hardest for her clients. Loved the inclusion of Casper, the friendly guardian angel, and their dilemma. Will be going onto book 2 :)
I really liked the sound of the premise for Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator. A heroine with attitude, a hot guy or two and a variety of otherworld creatures. As a fan of Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy genres it's an appealing combination.
Allegra, as she mentions a bit too often, is a paranormal investigator and she investigates, well, the paranormal. In this case, Allegra is almost over run with phenomena, a Deddflower harbinging mass destruction, a wailing Banshee, a vengeful ghost, mysterious chanting in the woods and something lurking in the loch. It's not exactly suprising then that Allegra is a little directionless, and as a consequence so is the plot. There are false leads, red herrings and asides that Nell tends to reveal rather than have Allegra investigate. I wanted Allegra to be more active in her investigation, which we don't see until nearing the climax. The mystery behind the appearance of the Deddflower, the reason Allegra comes to Scotland in the first place, is never really resolved either though the mystery of Lady Justina is nicely concluded.
I do find Allegra likeable, a little sassy with an individual voice. We learn a little about her personal background but I would have liked to know more about her seven years of paranormal investigation.
Allegra's relationship with Casper is an interesting one and Douglas's interest in her creates some nice tension between the three. There is no HEA so Nell has potential to exploit the relationship in further installments.
I think Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator has promising protagonists for a paranormal romance series with a tighter storyline.
*Read for review from NetGalley.com
Allegra, as she mentions a bit too often, is a paranormal investigator and she investigates, well, the paranormal. In this case, Allegra is almost over run with phenomena, a Deddflower harbinging mass destruction, a wailing Banshee, a vengeful ghost, mysterious chanting in the woods and something lurking in the loch. It's not exactly suprising then that Allegra is a little directionless, and as a consequence so is the plot. There are false leads, red herrings and asides that Nell tends to reveal rather than have Allegra investigate. I wanted Allegra to be more active in her investigation, which we don't see until nearing the climax. The mystery behind the appearance of the Deddflower, the reason Allegra comes to Scotland in the first place, is never really resolved either though the mystery of Lady Justina is nicely concluded.
I do find Allegra likeable, a little sassy with an individual voice. We learn a little about her personal background but I would have liked to know more about her seven years of paranormal investigation.
Allegra's relationship with Casper is an interesting one and Douglas's interest in her creates some nice tension between the three. There is no HEA so Nell has potential to exploit the relationship in further installments.
I think Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator has promising protagonists for a paranormal romance series with a tighter storyline.
*Read for review from NetGalley.com
Thoughts
The author could have done so much more with a very interesting premise. I’m not sure if it would have been more enjoyable if it were in the third person, or maybe from two points of view. The book felt as if it were the second in a series as there appeared to be a lot of back-story missing, which detracted from enjoyment of the book.
For a Full review vist :- Allegra Fairweather Review on BookChickCity.com
The author could have done so much more with a very interesting premise. I’m not sure if it would have been more enjoyable if it were in the third person, or maybe from two points of view. The book felt as if it were the second in a series as there appeared to be a lot of back-story missing, which detracted from enjoyment of the book.
For a Full review vist :- Allegra Fairweather Review on BookChickCity.com
Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator was a fun romp in paranormal Scotland. I liked the book well enough, and I'd give it 3 1/2 stars, but I can't do that at Goodreads. The only reasons it's not a 4-star book is that sometimes the action fell a little flat and sometimes details were lacking. I was amused by the main character, though she's so far outside of the typical paranormal female lead that it was hard to keep her description in mind. I enjoyed the tingling in her big toe when she encountered the supernatural, though I pretty much had the big twist figured out once she went into the attic and though she hadn't found anything. I'm intrigued by the interaction between Allegra and Casper, and I'd like to see how that relationship turns out. Impossible but tempting, adding great conflict. I'd also like to hear more about her previous exploits instead of the teases the author puts in--there's lots of room for sequels. Overall a very good debut that could use some world-building and more integration of details.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC.
Allegra Fairweather is a paranormal investigator who has traveled to Scotland to see a paranormal rose that seems to be causing trouble in a small loch village. What else would a paranormal investigator be doing? Well, she is in Scotland, and discovers that--oh mi gosh!--her employer is HOT. I think Douglas is kind of slimy, and shorter than her! It doesn't work for him like it does for Henry from Blood Ties.
So Allegra starts investigating this whole rose thing and hears a banshee wailing, then people turn up dead, and of course she has to investigate that, too, and wow, it all ends up being part of the same dastardly scheme plotted by...Well, I can't tell you, because it would spoil the mystery.
Here's the part you won't expect--Allegra and her sexy guardian angel don't walk into the mist holding hands. You heard me. No HEA! What's up with that? I didn't even love the book, but now I have to get the next one as soon as it comes out because I have to find out if she gets the sexy angel! Ugh!
Bit of a slow starter, but it picked up about a quarter of the way through. I also took off a star because the ending seemed a bit too hurried and convenient. I really like the second half of the book, though. (Besides the ending.)
Allegra was a likable, if a bit unemotional, character, and Casper was a smokin' hot sidekick, but I would've liked to see Allegra acting more competent. She talks about being able to take care of herself and being tough, but she never proves it with actions. Casper is always swooping in to rescue her, and what does she do? Get pissed that he didn't come sooner, of course. Psht.
Some of the coincidences in the story were a bit... too coincidental, and that threw me off too much to actually get involved in the plot for more than five minutes, but I really liked the characters. I don't know what it was about them, but they did their absolute best to draw me into a story that wasn't all that interesting.
In conclusion, Nell is good at characters, bad at plots, and has forced me into adding the next book to my TBR, if there is another coming. I assume that there is, though, based on the ending.
So Allegra starts investigating this whole rose thing and hears a banshee wailing, then people turn up dead, and of course she has to investigate that, too, and wow, it all ends up being part of the same dastardly scheme plotted by...Well, I can't tell you, because it would spoil the mystery.
Here's the part you won't expect--Allegra and her sexy guardian angel don't walk into the mist holding hands. You heard me. No HEA! What's up with that? I didn't even love the book, but now I have to get the next one as soon as it comes out because I have to find out if she gets the sexy angel! Ugh!
Bit of a slow starter, but it picked up about a quarter of the way through. I also took off a star because the ending seemed a bit too hurried and convenient. I really like the second half of the book, though. (Besides the ending.)
Allegra was a likable, if a bit unemotional, character, and Casper was a smokin' hot sidekick, but I would've liked to see Allegra acting more competent. She talks about being able to take care of herself and being tough, but she never proves it with actions. Casper is always swooping in to rescue her, and what does she do? Get pissed that he didn't come sooner, of course. Psht.
Some of the coincidences in the story were a bit... too coincidental, and that threw me off too much to actually get involved in the plot for more than five minutes, but I really liked the characters. I don't know what it was about them, but they did their absolute best to draw me into a story that wasn't all that interesting.
In conclusion, Nell is good at characters, bad at plots, and has forced me into adding the next book to my TBR, if there is another coming. I assume that there is, though, based on the ending.