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Singsong City #1
Vampires Don't Suck
One mystery, one romance, and a fire-belching bulldog.
In the heart of Singsong City, a retired assassin seeks refuge among the shelves of her beloved library. But when a familiar face from her past resurfaces, she is drawn back into a world of danger and deceit. With the help of an unlikely ally, she must unravel the mysteries of her own past before they consume her future. Will she find peace in the quiet of the stacks, or will the shadows of her past drag her back into the fray?
Vampires Don’t Suck is the first book in the Singsong City series. It is a standalone paranormal romantic comedy featuring elves, werewolves, witches, vampires, and angel assassins. It is packed with puns, battles, and a sweet, slow burn romance between an oblivious librarian assassin and the brilliant deadly vampire who rules the undercity with an iron grip. Also sushi.
In the heart of Singsong City, a retired assassin seeks refuge among the shelves of her beloved library. But when a familiar face from her past resurfaces, she is drawn back into a world of danger and deceit. With the help of an unlikely ally, she must unravel the mysteries of her own past before they consume her future. Will she find peace in the quiet of the stacks, or will the shadows of her past drag her back into the fray?
Vampires Don’t Suck is the first book in the Singsong City series. It is a standalone paranormal romantic comedy featuring elves, werewolves, witches, vampires, and angel assassins. It is packed with puns, battles, and a sweet, slow burn romance between an oblivious librarian assassin and the brilliant deadly vampire who rules the undercity with an iron grip. Also sushi.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2024
557 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
About the author
Juliann Whicker
75 books219 followersShe loves gardening, crafts, collecting craft books, and all things fantasy, particularly the urban kind.
When she isn't feeding her bernadoodle snacks, she can be found hiding in her garden writing tales of enchantment and romance. Also weirdness.
When she isn't feeding her bernadoodle snacks, she can be found hiding in her garden writing tales of enchantment and romance. Also weirdness.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
April 1, 2024
Needs to be proofread please!!! Do yourself a favor and decide what pronouns to use for the dog, for the love of continuity that dog changes pronouns from page to page and often in the same sentence, and it's clear that there was confusion on how to address the dog while writing them in. It definitely spoke more to indecision than to the dog possibly using various pronouns to identify itself by.
There's also several instances of gramatical errors which we can always forgive, but there were quite a few that were hard to ignore, such as "I'd was about to punch".
All in all this story was very entertaining, comical, and engaging, I did thoroughly enjoy reading it despite the need for a proofreading. I look forward to reading more from this author.
There's also several instances of gramatical errors which we can always forgive, but there were quite a few that were hard to ignore, such as "I'd was about to punch".
All in all this story was very entertaining, comical, and engaging, I did thoroughly enjoy reading it despite the need for a proofreading. I look forward to reading more from this author.
did-not-finish
June 24, 2024DNF 128 (43%)
While this world is very unique and interesting, I am struggling with this story. This is a very unique world with paranormal creatures, magic, assassins, and music being used to restore buildings. I was enjoying the unique world but I couldn’t get past my issues with the heroine, the lack of explanation for things that are clearly supposed to be important, and the plot being all over the place.
First Libby (I think that's her name, it's only mentioned once) is a former assassin of the House of Mercy and is now a librarian in a magical library. For being a former assassin, she is very unconcerned about her safety and also is just pretty clueless about normal things, which you would think that would be something an assassin would be trained in so they can be effective. My other issue with her is that she is very prejudiced against all monsters, but vampires especially, and yet we are never given a solid reason as to why. But she also offers her blood to a vampire a couple of times, which makes no sense.
The plot of this book was all over the place. It felt like every other chapter we were given another important plot thread that would be discussed until the next big plot thread came along. I am very confused on which plot point is the main one at this point and I made it almost halfway through the book. Also we are constantly being given references to things that are clearly supposed to be important but no follow up explanation as to why was provided. It quickly got old on top of the plot being all over the place.
TW: PTSD; prejudice against monster; brief mentions of capture and torture;
While this world is very unique and interesting, I am struggling with this story. This is a very unique world with paranormal creatures, magic, assassins, and music being used to restore buildings. I was enjoying the unique world but I couldn’t get past my issues with the heroine, the lack of explanation for things that are clearly supposed to be important, and the plot being all over the place.
First Libby (I think that's her name, it's only mentioned once) is a former assassin of the House of Mercy and is now a librarian in a magical library. For being a former assassin, she is very unconcerned about her safety and also is just pretty clueless about normal things, which you would think that would be something an assassin would be trained in so they can be effective. My other issue with her is that she is very prejudiced against all monsters, but vampires especially, and yet we are never given a solid reason as to why. But she also offers her blood to a vampire a couple of times, which makes no sense.
The plot of this book was all over the place. It felt like every other chapter we were given another important plot thread that would be discussed until the next big plot thread came along. I am very confused on which plot point is the main one at this point and I made it almost halfway through the book. Also we are constantly being given references to things that are clearly supposed to be important but no follow up explanation as to why was provided. It quickly got old on top of the plot being all over the place.
TW: PTSD; prejudice against monster; brief mentions of capture and torture;
August 21, 2024
2024 Reads #459/250
3.5⭐️ Enjoyed, but it missed the conclusion of a few storylines, and the characters have a somewhat superficial/shallow emotional connection. It was a quick and fun read, though.
Online Availability:
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(Virtual Voice Narration 😒👎*)
* NOTE: I checked out the Virtual Voice sample, and it doesn't sound bad, but I prefer human, non-AI narration. All three (3) audiobooks are Virtual Voice on Audible.
3.5⭐️ Enjoyed, but it missed the conclusion of a few storylines, and the characters have a somewhat superficial/shallow emotional connection. It was a quick and fun read, though.
Online Availability:
📖 Kindle Unlimited Subscription
🎧 Audible Plus Subscription
(Virtual Voice Narration 😒👎*)
* NOTE: I checked out the Virtual Voice sample, and it doesn't sound bad, but I prefer human, non-AI narration. All three (3) audiobooks are Virtual Voice on Audible.
July 29, 2025
interesting.
I didn’t think it was funny. And The title was quite deceiving.
It was an interesting read, but quite wordy.
I didn’t think it was funny. And The title was quite deceiving.
It was an interesting read, but quite wordy.
June 5, 2024
Loving Singsong City and the cast of sushi addicted characters we're meeting. I'm up to book 3, Sorcerers Don't Sing, and each book is better than the previous.
Regarding this book - assassins, librarians, angels, demons, vampires, dragons, city healing musicians and witty interactions between matured characters. So much to love.
Highly recommend. Read through KU and will buy 30+ days after I return it.
cross posted bookbub, goodreads.
Regarding this book - assassins, librarians, angels, demons, vampires, dragons, city healing musicians and witty interactions between matured characters. So much to love.
Highly recommend. Read through KU and will buy 30+ days after I return it.
cross posted bookbub, goodreads.
May 17, 2024
An interesting premise on a well-used PNR trope
I'm am not sure if this book could be any more targeted at me: vampires, check; former assassin turned librarian, check check; urban fantasy elements; yup, super check. So, why only two stars?
It was so difficult to read. Maybe it was just me, but it almost felt like every other sentence was missing. I had to reread several passages to understand what was happening or who the dialog was from and who it was meant for. I think the author was trying to connect the character to the reader, but I found it very confusing.
If the dialog was the only issue, I could put it down as a rough first book and give it three stars. But, this was not a romantic comedy to me, so I took off another star. I am going to read the next book in the series to see if it was just a rough start to a series.
I'm am not sure if this book could be any more targeted at me: vampires, check; former assassin turned librarian, check check; urban fantasy elements; yup, super check. So, why only two stars?
It was so difficult to read. Maybe it was just me, but it almost felt like every other sentence was missing. I had to reread several passages to understand what was happening or who the dialog was from and who it was meant for. I think the author was trying to connect the character to the reader, but I found it very confusing.
If the dialog was the only issue, I could put it down as a rough first book and give it three stars. But, this was not a romantic comedy to me, so I took off another star. I am going to read the next book in the series to see if it was just a rough start to a series.
May 11, 2024
This book was odd. Good, but odd. It is advertised as a new series of standalone novels, but the whole time I was reading it, I felt like it was an extension story from another series. There was a lot about the world and characters that felt like readers should know about already that are not explained well. The characters are meant to be mysterious, which is fine. But there is a fine line between mystery and confusion and the story never settled. So while I enjoyed the world and characters, I was also rather confused and don’t think I’m going to keep reading the series.
April 11, 2024
Really unique twist on the magic in this book and a great story idea but it feels like the book was over edited and the author didn’t get to dive as deeply into this world and the characters as needed.
January 28, 2026
Reader’s Notes:
*Series or Connected Books?* part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone
*Point Of View:* Libby
*Any Cursing Or Possibly Offensive Language?* none!
*Romance?* Yes! Just kisses (one with the guy’s shirt being removed during the kissing); story ends with a wedding & the couple getting to their bed (no mention of removing clothes or anything like that before the story ends)
-it is (incorrectly) once suggested that a character thought another got their position by sleeping with their boss
-there was another suggestive comment or two (unrelated to the one above)
*Things To Know:*
–magic is done through runes & music in this world
-it is mentioned that some of the magic done had characters using blood to make the rune shapes
-there are mentions of fantasy violence, blood, & death (in the past & present events)
-it is mentioned/shown that a vampire turns another character into a vampire (required multiple bites)
Review:
I removed a star mainly due to how much of the story was connected to demons and the amount of blood aspects were mentioned (both magic wise & death wise). I wasn’t fully comfortable with them.
I did enjoy learning about this urban fantasy world and how it worked. It was interesting to see how the various magical races were divided. I loved the idea of the magical library Libby worked at and how it worked. And her unexpected fire expelling dog companion was a humorous touch to the story! 😂 I enjoyed Stead’s attempts at wooing Libby too. He was cute trying to bridge the gap, but she was a bit oblivious due to her past and not really having a good example of what it’d look like. I also loved Libby’s friends and how they tried knocking some sense into her for various things. 😂
I currently don’t think I’ll continue to read this series as I’m leaning towards the idea that the other books having similar content that I wasn’t comfortable with (from this book).
Summary:
Libby is a trained assassin who left the life at the first chance she got. Now she lives in Singsong City taking care of her beloved books at the local library. Despite the change in scenery, her assassin instincts have almost gotten her into trouble even with her attempts at burying them. But it’s hard to do that when she has to cross paths with creatures based in darkness. Even harder when her boss mandates that she gather materials for one of them researching a topic that most have given up on. A topic that Libby was involved in but doesn’t know much on how it happened.
With her new life in danger from more than one source, Libby is going to have to keep an eye on her back. But sometimes help comes from the most unlikely of places… and sometimes it’s even more potent than she’d ever expect…
*Series or Connected Books?* part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone
*Point Of View:* Libby
*Any Cursing Or Possibly Offensive Language?* none!
*Romance?* Yes! Just kisses (one with the guy’s shirt being removed during the kissing); story ends with a wedding & the couple getting to their bed (no mention of removing clothes or anything like that before the story ends)
-it is (incorrectly) once suggested that a character thought another got their position by sleeping with their boss
-there was another suggestive comment or two (unrelated to the one above)
*Things To Know:*
–magic is done through runes & music in this world
-it is mentioned that some of the magic done had characters using blood to make the rune shapes
-there are mentions of fantasy violence, blood, & death (in the past & present events)
-it is mentioned/shown that a vampire turns another character into a vampire (required multiple bites)
Review:
I removed a star mainly due to how much of the story was connected to demons and the amount of blood aspects were mentioned (both magic wise & death wise). I wasn’t fully comfortable with them.
I did enjoy learning about this urban fantasy world and how it worked. It was interesting to see how the various magical races were divided. I loved the idea of the magical library Libby worked at and how it worked. And her unexpected fire expelling dog companion was a humorous touch to the story! 😂 I enjoyed Stead’s attempts at wooing Libby too. He was cute trying to bridge the gap, but she was a bit oblivious due to her past and not really having a good example of what it’d look like. I also loved Libby’s friends and how they tried knocking some sense into her for various things. 😂
I currently don’t think I’ll continue to read this series as I’m leaning towards the idea that the other books having similar content that I wasn’t comfortable with (from this book).
Summary:
Libby is a trained assassin who left the life at the first chance she got. Now she lives in Singsong City taking care of her beloved books at the local library. Despite the change in scenery, her assassin instincts have almost gotten her into trouble even with her attempts at burying them. But it’s hard to do that when she has to cross paths with creatures based in darkness. Even harder when her boss mandates that she gather materials for one of them researching a topic that most have given up on. A topic that Libby was involved in but doesn’t know much on how it happened.
With her new life in danger from more than one source, Libby is going to have to keep an eye on her back. But sometimes help comes from the most unlikely of places… and sometimes it’s even more potent than she’d ever expect…
April 7, 2024
I’ve always been a sucker for a slow burn romance, but since signing up for Kindle Unlimited recently, I’ve been almost exclusively entranced by paranormal/urban fantasy slow burn romances. This is definitely one worth reading. It’s a stand alone, which is nice to read as a break from series reading. I both liked and disliked both the main character and her love interest at the beginning and then grew to like them more as the book advanced, which is always nice. There were enough intriguing additional characters to make me hope for their stories to be told. The storyline, world, and plot were different enough from other books to draw me in and hold my interest, but not so detailed and convoluted to be exhausting or needing additional reading to explain. Would I be interested to read more? Yes. But I’m satisfied with this book as a stand alone.
August 19, 2024
This is actually about a 3.75, a good read. The fmc, Libby, is unusual. She has some pretty severe ptsd due to some family and other horrible trauma, and her life is consumed by routine and ritual. She's not misanthropic, but she doesn't trust people easily and is terrible at socializing like a neurotypical. Anyway, the mmc is very respectful of her traumas and it's a fairly sweet little love story in an interesting world where public works are run by musicians and music. I'll prob check out the rest of the series.
April 25, 2025
I really loved this
I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. I loved the witty back and forth and the characters.
I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. I loved the witty back and forth and the characters.
March 15, 2024
So much fun!
Love it so much, I am now listening to the audio book 💕
Love it so much, I am now listening to the audio book 💕
April 23, 2024
Hmm
It was really weird. And hard to follow. The beginning - and even up through the end - alludes to things that happened before this book takes place. But, no; I verified with the author that this is the first book and there is nothing before it. So it was a conscious choice on her part.
I also thought there would be more banter and playfulness than there was. This reminded a bit of the drier, British humor, so maybe that is why it was lost on me. But I didn’t find it funny. Or even as lighthearted as expected and what I was looking for.
The main characters sort of read as autistic a bit. Incapable of truly feeling, understanding or expressing emotions. Not understanding social cues and nuances. And this led to the romance being anything but romantic.
As I said, it was weird.
It was really weird. And hard to follow. The beginning - and even up through the end - alludes to things that happened before this book takes place. But, no; I verified with the author that this is the first book and there is nothing before it. So it was a conscious choice on her part.
I also thought there would be more banter and playfulness than there was. This reminded a bit of the drier, British humor, so maybe that is why it was lost on me. But I didn’t find it funny. Or even as lighthearted as expected and what I was looking for.
The main characters sort of read as autistic a bit. Incapable of truly feeling, understanding or expressing emotions. Not understanding social cues and nuances. And this led to the romance being anything but romantic.
As I said, it was weird.
April 12, 2024
This book was everything I wanted and needed
Was it a little confusing? Sure. Did it jump into a fully formed world with zero explanation? Yes to that too. Did I absolutely want more of everything in this book? YES! I will be looking up this author because this book had the ultimate hallmark of a great book- a sigh of contentment and a deep sense of regret that it was over.
Do yourself a favor and read this!
Was it a little confusing? Sure. Did it jump into a fully formed world with zero explanation? Yes to that too. Did I absolutely want more of everything in this book? YES! I will be looking up this author because this book had the ultimate hallmark of a great book- a sigh of contentment and a deep sense of regret that it was over.
Do yourself a favor and read this!
November 10, 2024
I really enjoyed the idea of this book, but it felt like it was missing a whole lot of detail. For example: where and when does this take place? They listened to some of the same music as us, so is it supposed to be America? What is the government like? Near the end, it mentions someone is the "Junior Senator of Texas." So...are they in Texas? What season/time of year is it? What is the weather like? They seemed to make a big deal about the Scholar not knowing about Libby's assassin past, but then when it comes out in the end, it's not treated as a big reveal or anything. Shouldn't there have been some kind of reaction from someone? The ending felt really rushed, without enough relationship building to justify the happily-ever-after. It seemed like there must be a whole lot more story going on behind the scenes that we weren't privy to.
Also; it was supposed to be funny? Maybe the degree to which everyone is overly obsessed with sushi is funny? MFC reads as neurodivergent, which is good for representation, I guess. She also seems to have an enhanced lifespan. She's 51 by my calculations but comes across as twenty something. Is everyone long lived by our standards, or is it because of her unique background? About her background: how did that happen? What were her parents' backgrounds? Come to think of it, who was her mom? Was she ever even mentioned? She seems to not have a regular metabolism either. The amount of food it describes her eating in one sitting would make a normal person sick. Then she goes four days without eating at one point, but seems fine?
I'm not sure if I'll read any of the other books in the series, although maybe they'll have more backstory for the other characters. 🤔
Also; it was supposed to be funny? Maybe the degree to which everyone is overly obsessed with sushi is funny? MFC reads as neurodivergent, which is good for representation, I guess. She also seems to have an enhanced lifespan. She's 51 by my calculations but comes across as twenty something. Is everyone long lived by our standards, or is it because of her unique background? About her background: how did that happen? What were her parents' backgrounds? Come to think of it, who was her mom? Was she ever even mentioned? She seems to not have a regular metabolism either. The amount of food it describes her eating in one sitting would make a normal person sick. Then she goes four days without eating at one point, but seems fine?
I'm not sure if I'll read any of the other books in the series, although maybe they'll have more backstory for the other characters. 🤔
dnf
July 19, 2025DNF 43%
I liked the premise of the book, but this felt more like a continuation of some previous novel where we were suppose to know all the ins and outs of the world building- instead of the author just throwing things on the page and we are meant to fill in the blanks? Is this a companion novel to another series? The Blurb says it's standalone....so...
The magic system is complex, but not fleshed out. Is the heroine human? Witch? Can any one do magic? How old is she actually- at least 30 years, but she's aging backwards because she look younger now? What is Sing and Song in relation to anything else? Fae, werewolves, vampires all coexisting- if they are all on the dark spectrum what is light? Musicians and people who do magic- assassins who do magic are fighting for good- but the leader of the magical assassin institute is bad? Just endless questions.
Regardless, a lot of questions I could have happily overlooked if the writing wasn't so stilted and the characters had chemistry. The writing could be seen as having an oddball sense of whimsy at times- while other times just felt robotic and jumbled. And same goes for the characters- they were giving weird and charming one min then weird and off-putting the next.
Also Zero chemistry despite the writing telling me they had this strange enigmatic pull towards each other. Would have kept reading for the murder mystery/demon plot line, but was getting a bit tired of reading to continue. 😞
I liked the premise of the book, but this felt more like a continuation of some previous novel where we were suppose to know all the ins and outs of the world building- instead of the author just throwing things on the page and we are meant to fill in the blanks? Is this a companion novel to another series? The Blurb says it's standalone....so...
The magic system is complex, but not fleshed out. Is the heroine human? Witch? Can any one do magic? How old is she actually- at least 30 years, but she's aging backwards because she look younger now? What is Sing and Song in relation to anything else? Fae, werewolves, vampires all coexisting- if they are all on the dark spectrum what is light? Musicians and people who do magic- assassins who do magic are fighting for good- but the leader of the magical assassin institute is bad? Just endless questions.
Regardless, a lot of questions I could have happily overlooked if the writing wasn't so stilted and the characters had chemistry. The writing could be seen as having an oddball sense of whimsy at times- while other times just felt robotic and jumbled. And same goes for the characters- they were giving weird and charming one min then weird and off-putting the next.
Also Zero chemistry despite the writing telling me they had this strange enigmatic pull towards each other. Would have kept reading for the murder mystery/demon plot line, but was getting a bit tired of reading to continue. 😞
May 6, 2024
I took a chance on this series based on Amazon recommending it to me. (They know me so well.) It's paranormal romance/urban fantasy and free on Kindle Unlimited. I was very pleasantly surprised. It took me a few beats to get into the characters, but once I realized the writing style was showing the awkwardness of the heroine, it clicked and become very funny to me.
The premise is that long ago, angles and demons fought on earth, and were forced back to their respective realms before they could nuke us. They left magical light and dark descendants, though. And Singsong is a magical city founded on mutual tolerance and cooperation. The city is falling down around everyone's ears, though, and needs a lot of magical upkeep in the form of music.
The main story is about a librarian at the library of antiquities, topside in Sing, connected to the Lab library underground in Song. She's an orphan and former assassin, living her best life translating dead languages and eating lots of sushi. She literally runs into the Scholar, a very old vampire, and is assigned to help him on a research project that just happens to overlap her personal research project and big secret. Then it starts to get funny the more complicated and intricate the plot becomes. There's an HEA by the end, too.
The premise is that long ago, angles and demons fought on earth, and were forced back to their respective realms before they could nuke us. They left magical light and dark descendants, though. And Singsong is a magical city founded on mutual tolerance and cooperation. The city is falling down around everyone's ears, though, and needs a lot of magical upkeep in the form of music.
The main story is about a librarian at the library of antiquities, topside in Sing, connected to the Lab library underground in Song. She's an orphan and former assassin, living her best life translating dead languages and eating lots of sushi. She literally runs into the Scholar, a very old vampire, and is assigned to help him on a research project that just happens to overlap her personal research project and big secret. Then it starts to get funny the more complicated and intricate the plot becomes. There's an HEA by the end, too.
September 30, 2024
Two things up front. Firstly, this book is barely funny - but that's okay, it doesn't need to be, it's imaginative and fast paced. (you won't miss the laughs). Secondly, there is no sex. None. A couple of hot kisses, a few naughty longing thoughts. but there is a sizzle factor that heats up gradually as this progresses. so it still gets a tick for the romance.
A lot was going on with this story - almost too much as the author throws a lot of random crap at you and not everything is needed, or ever mentioned again... so??? And despite a lot of explanation of angels, demons, sing, song, above and below - it came across as badly, bluntly done. There had to be 407 easier ways of getting across the world building.
And all the teasing about Libby and the fyre and her past - only bogged it down further, and 80% of it felt irrelevant.
I liked Libby (for the most part) and found her connection with the Library awesome and she had a unique way of thinking that was refreshing. Although her naivety on the dating front smacked of girlish stupidity.
The scholar was intriguing, and barely put a foot wrong.
This tale needed a damn good streamline edit - to get the world building in line and erase a lot of inconsequential extra stuff that bogged it down.
still, I enjoyed our h, the library, the romance and even the adventure - it just could use a lot of polishing.
A lot was going on with this story - almost too much as the author throws a lot of random crap at you and not everything is needed, or ever mentioned again... so??? And despite a lot of explanation of angels, demons, sing, song, above and below - it came across as badly, bluntly done. There had to be 407 easier ways of getting across the world building.
And all the teasing about Libby and the fyre and her past - only bogged it down further, and 80% of it felt irrelevant.
I liked Libby (for the most part) and found her connection with the Library awesome and she had a unique way of thinking that was refreshing. Although her naivety on the dating front smacked of girlish stupidity.
The scholar was intriguing, and barely put a foot wrong.
This tale needed a damn good streamline edit - to get the world building in line and erase a lot of inconsequential extra stuff that bogged it down.
still, I enjoyed our h, the library, the romance and even the adventure - it just could use a lot of polishing.
June 18, 2025
I loved the love story and the two MCs. It was quite sweet the way the Scholar courted the Librarian. And it was sweet the way the Librarian soaked up the attention. The world-building aspect was interesting but needed help. I kinda got it, but not really. I went with it because I was enjoying myself, and so I didn't stop and ponder things as much as I usually would.
Still, I had so many questions, even though I tried to just go with the flow. Libby was in a cage (Why and put there by whom exactly?) I think she was held there by vampires (but why??) She was bled out (again why?) To save herself she does a spell using her blood and a symbol she might have seen somewhere? (um what?) And then, boom, a forever fire, and she's out of the cage, struggling with PTSD. Okay i can buy that last part, but I would have liked those details to make it make more sense.
I kept feeling like I'd walked into the middle of a conversation with too few context clues to get the entire story, but I know a BIG THING happened off stage before the beginning of the book. UGH!
A vampire and dragon parentage is wicked clever! An angel and a demon parentage, I was meh about. Still, these two were able to draw me in and make me care.
So again, the two MCs were what I chose to focus on, but the story around them needed some work.
Still, I had so many questions, even though I tried to just go with the flow. Libby was in a cage (Why and put there by whom exactly?) I think she was held there by vampires (but why??) She was bled out (again why?) To save herself she does a spell using her blood and a symbol she might have seen somewhere? (um what?) And then, boom, a forever fire, and she's out of the cage, struggling with PTSD. Okay i can buy that last part, but I would have liked those details to make it make more sense.
I kept feeling like I'd walked into the middle of a conversation with too few context clues to get the entire story, but I know a BIG THING happened off stage before the beginning of the book. UGH!
A vampire and dragon parentage is wicked clever! An angel and a demon parentage, I was meh about. Still, these two were able to draw me in and make me care.
So again, the two MCs were what I chose to focus on, but the story around them needed some work.
September 25, 2025
"Where in the world did a quiet librarian learn a spell like that?”
“Books. Never underestimate a librarian, particularly the quiet ones.”
I love her fire, and that she uses crayons as weapons, her love of sushi, and her total awkwardness with all of humanity. With her history, it feels accurate that she wouldn't really know how to just be. Her connection to the library is something I felt in my bones.
“If you touch a hair of my heart, I will see you and your family hunted to extinction.”
The Scholar is a canny hunter, with his clear interest, his oranges, and his ancient Persian poems. His charm runs deep, and the fact that he supports her bombastic tendencies endears him to me. I love that he adores all of her quirks, and takes things mostly at her pace.
“I think that you’re flirting with me.”
“I’m also propositioning you, but subtly, so that you don’t notice.”
Thoroughly enjoying this world and it's magics, infernal and angelic. SingSong and it's attunement to music magic is different than anything I've read before.
“Books. Never underestimate a librarian, particularly the quiet ones.”
I love her fire, and that she uses crayons as weapons, her love of sushi, and her total awkwardness with all of humanity. With her history, it feels accurate that she wouldn't really know how to just be. Her connection to the library is something I felt in my bones.
“If you touch a hair of my heart, I will see you and your family hunted to extinction.”
The Scholar is a canny hunter, with his clear interest, his oranges, and his ancient Persian poems. His charm runs deep, and the fact that he supports her bombastic tendencies endears him to me. I love that he adores all of her quirks, and takes things mostly at her pace.
“I think that you’re flirting with me.”
“I’m also propositioning you, but subtly, so that you don’t notice.”
Thoroughly enjoying this world and it's magics, infernal and angelic. SingSong and it's attunement to music magic is different than anything I've read before.
June 19, 2024
4.5 rounding up
Overall a really fun and interesting read! It took me a minute to get committed, but then I was all in! Honestly, I wish this book had been longer because there were scenes I wish had been included but were just mentioned in a paragraph. The ending was epic but felt a bit rushed, which kind of took some of the awesomeness out of it. And I want to know more about the characters (like the FMC's background that we are teased with but never fully given) and the City and the library. I know there are more books, but they are centered on other characters which isn't really what I want.
It felt like the whole ending from the Scholar's "offer" to the final fight and the final "resolution" were too quick. This book could have been 100 pages longer (or have a whole series just on a story with the same FMC and MMC), and then I would have loved it epically. It was still a really wonderful read, though, and I recommend it!
Overall a really fun and interesting read! It took me a minute to get committed, but then I was all in! Honestly, I wish this book had been longer because there were scenes I wish had been included but were just mentioned in a paragraph. The ending was epic but felt a bit rushed, which kind of took some of the awesomeness out of it. And I want to know more about the characters (like the FMC's background that we are teased with but never fully given) and the City and the library. I know there are more books, but they are centered on other characters which isn't really what I want.
It felt like the whole ending from the Scholar's "offer" to the final fight and the final "resolution" were too quick. This book could have been 100 pages longer (or have a whole series just on a story with the same FMC and MMC), and then I would have loved it epically. It was still a really wonderful read, though, and I recommend it!
February 15, 2025
Take my rating with the disclaimer: I was overtired and trying to stay awake at an airport when I read it. I question my judgement.
The story follows a retired assassin, now contently working as a librarian wrangling magical books. She has one friend (who sometimes remembers her), an obsession with sushi, and a serious hatred for all things undead. Unfortunately, her past is about to catch up with her and then bye-bye to her relaxed life...
The book is creative and a little all over the place. The worldbuilding reminded me of Terry Pratchett. I thought the heroine's random trains of thought were funny and there were several one-liners that still have me smirking.
The romance grew on me throughout the story and I appreciate that it kept things clean.
Overall, very fun. I can't wait for the next one in the series.
The story follows a retired assassin, now contently working as a librarian wrangling magical books. She has one friend (who sometimes remembers her), an obsession with sushi, and a serious hatred for all things undead. Unfortunately, her past is about to catch up with her and then bye-bye to her relaxed life...
The book is creative and a little all over the place. The worldbuilding reminded me of Terry Pratchett. I thought the heroine's random trains of thought were funny and there were several one-liners that still have me smirking.
The romance grew on me throughout the story and I appreciate that it kept things clean.
Overall, very fun. I can't wait for the next one in the series.
Read
April 15, 2025I checked this book out from Kindle Unlimited literally a year ago to the day before I read it. I was trying to clear out the backlog of books and this one still seemed interesting to me- and it was! The world and magic were super unique, with a music system of creating spells and maintaining the city, and an upper and lower city. Plus I will literally read any book with a librarian.
I did love the banter between Michael and Libby, and I enjoyed the extended cast of characters, especially Cross. However, some parts just felt off, in a way I can’t explain, and it was slightly distracting that the dog kept changing genders (I do not believe it was a plot point or on purpose.)
Overall a fun somewhat lighthearted read, and I may read further selected entries in the series based on which characters I liked best.
I did love the banter between Michael and Libby, and I enjoyed the extended cast of characters, especially Cross. However, some parts just felt off, in a way I can’t explain, and it was slightly distracting that the dog kept changing genders (I do not believe it was a plot point or on purpose.)
Overall a fun somewhat lighthearted read, and I may read further selected entries in the series based on which characters I liked best.
June 7, 2025
Who doesn't love sushi? The FC in this story has a love of the stuff and between her obsession with sushi, her magical library and a fire belching bulldog this story has a great foundation! A city held together with song, multiple factions moving with purpose, some nefarious plots conspiring to rip Libby out of her comfort zone... yep this book is a page turner! And who could forget about the Vampire?! I will say no more, just read the book if you love snark, a good mystery and plot and a slow burn romance.
I have enjoyed this entire series and fortunately each book is a one shot, so HEA is a guarantee!
I have enjoyed this entire series and fortunately each book is a one shot, so HEA is a guarantee!
September 16, 2024
The Librarian rocks
I have been having a hard time finding a series that I like. They are either too dark, authors insist on killing secondary characters, or they are forever long and take way too many books to tell a story. I enjoyed the characters, the setting (especially the library and the musical magic), and the plot. The story was contained in one book, but leaves just enough To entice you to read the next story with a different couple. Finally, a series I will continue reading!
I have been having a hard time finding a series that I like. They are either too dark, authors insist on killing secondary characters, or they are forever long and take way too many books to tell a story. I enjoyed the characters, the setting (especially the library and the musical magic), and the plot. The story was contained in one book, but leaves just enough To entice you to read the next story with a different couple. Finally, a series I will continue reading!
January 1, 2025
lots to like - more though left me scratching my head. The world building (backstory) was clunky and delivered in a heavy nonsensical manner. And there was just something so very 'clean' about the romance that it prevented any real heat from building between our leads - our heroine suddenly almost too naive to be believed when it comes to interacting with men - which just made me think the author didn't want to go there - fine, I don't need a big sex scene but I need way more connections & interactions of a hormonal nature than what I got.
April 6, 2024
That was different
I want sure what to expect with this book. This genre (romance) isn't really my usual playground, but this was more an urban fantasy than a romance (though it definitely was the latter).
I really enjoyed Whicker's slightly manic delivery, and her premise was fascinating. The latter is what made me pick up the book, but the former is what made me stick around. I really enjoyed this - I think I may check out the next in the series.
I want sure what to expect with this book. This genre (romance) isn't really my usual playground, but this was more an urban fantasy than a romance (though it definitely was the latter).
I really enjoyed Whicker's slightly manic delivery, and her premise was fascinating. The latter is what made me pick up the book, but the former is what made me stick around. I really enjoyed this - I think I may check out the next in the series.
April 8, 2024
I was 2/3 of the way through this book before I finally felt like I was "getting into it." I don't know if it was the constant mention of sushi, the gender of the dog changing every sentence, sometimes even in the same sentence, or repeatedly giving the same character info, we get it the BFF has memory issues! I felt like it could be a good story but this book was just too slow for me. I don't think I will read the next in the series.
April 23, 2024
Fabulous
I couldn't put this one down. It was the perfect blend of awkward hilarity and serious adventure and music and magic. I loved Libby and Michael. I particularly liked Libby. She really came into her own in the end and her friends were a great balance to her overpowered plus humble self. The romance was solid and amusing and clean without sacrificing any of it. I loved it and wan't another book!
I couldn't put this one down. It was the perfect blend of awkward hilarity and serious adventure and music and magic. I loved Libby and Michael. I particularly liked Libby. She really came into her own in the end and her friends were a great balance to her overpowered plus humble self. The romance was solid and amusing and clean without sacrificing any of it. I loved it and wan't another book!
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