Hello Lovelies,

One thing the lockdown has been useful for is giving me a lot more time and desire to read. I have really struggled the last few months trying to get into anything. But April had me wrapping up The Oz Principle and diving into Charmed and Lethal. I got Charmed and Lethal as an e-book from the authors for a review when it was released a year ago. I started it then, but my life was in so much upheaval that I just couldn’t get into it or any of the other books I picked up at that time. I was a bit nervous to find myself in a similar situation and expecting similar feelings.

But that was not the case at all. Without further ado, let’s get to the  book review of Charmed and Lethal by Christine Eller and Lin Ryals.

Genre

Urban Fantasy

Synopsis

Best Friends living a normal teenage life find themselves caught in the middle of an ancient war between the Guardians and the Were. With their new-found powers they must choose the right path. But which side is good and which is evil? Follow Renee and Lydia on their road of self-discovery, forbidden love, personal growth, and friendship as they make friends and enemies that could ultimately mean life or death.

My Thoughts

Don’t miss my first thoughts video:

This is a debut novel for this writing duo and it took me a minute to get my stride with it. Despite the two main characters being so different, often I had to check the chapter heading to confirm who was speaking. Which is interesting because I have known both the authors for more than half our lives and, just like the main characters, on the surface they are very different people. But I think the similarities of their internal dialogues are indicative of the deep bonds they hold.

However, there was definitely a distinct difference in the characters’ thought processes when facing conflict and struggle. I appreciated how consistent the characters were in that respect. Each trying to grow in different ways, but each still having their “primal” reaction, if you will. Watching people go through trauma and life experience, I have found that tends to be the case with most people. Certainly, it has been the case for me. My gut reaction is always to respond in a specific way. Despite years of trying to improve myself, that first instinct is always the same.

But I also loved how they demonstrate that we can overcome that initial instinct. It doesn’t make that initial feeling go away, but we can be more than just our instincts.

I know, way deeper store that I got from it than what was perhaps intended. But I got what I needed from the story, what I was not prepared to get last time I read the story.

I also got more. This really is a fun read of two young women discovering themselves and realizing that they are more than just their birthrite, more than just a prophesy, and that despite their innermost self-talk they can choose to be whatever they wish. It is also about love.

At the beginning I was hardcore shipping one couple and felt the other was… creepy. That creepiness gets explained partway through and I felt vindicated. At the end, I was totally shipping them too. And the way it ended was just so cruel! Come on, man!

I know there will be more in this series and I very much look forward to reading them. While there were a few grammatical errors, I will certainly forgive it as the next book I read by a big traditional publisher had far more errors. *Sigh*

If you enjoy shifter stories and a dash of romance with your urban fantasy, then you should definitely take a look inside Charmed and Lethal today!

Until Next Time,

Keep Reading!