By Any Other Name

by Kayti McGee, M. Pierce

The locals believe the bridge to be haunted, as locals do.
The Juniper Hollow Ravine is where my story begins...

For decades, the Blackmane coven has run the small mountain town of Juniper Hollow with money and fear.
Thorn Blackmane might be the most feared of all.
Cold-blooded. Heartless. Killer.
His magic only has one purpose--to destroy the coven's enemies. Until he's ordered to kill a girl.

Rose came to town innocently enough, but her very presence is a threat to Thorn's family.
Her pure heart offers redemption from his many sins.
Her body is an opportunity to commit many more.
And her magic could destroy them all.

There is no spell as potent as obsession.
No protection more powerful than love.
Secrets. Desire. Death.
Their forbidden union could be the spark that burns Juniper Hollow to the ground.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2019

About the author

Kayti McGee lives in Kansas City.

Reviews

[Mali Mor ❤️ The Romantic Blogger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witches?! I never thought they were so... sexy! LOL 😂😱

📚 "𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚘, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸, 𝚒𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕 𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚛." 📚

Thorn is a 100-year-old witch. He loves his life in the town of Juniper Hollow - even though his job is killing. 💥
He is a heartless, cold blooded killer.
But when he is told to kill Rose, a 22-year-old woman who arrives in town in search of her family, everything gets complicated - and their lives will never be the same, because no spell is strong as love. ❤😍

📚 "𝙼𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 . 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚛. 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎, 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎. 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚢. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝." 📚

Will Rose find the answers she was looking for? Will Thorn find a way to save her...? 😱

First of all... this cover! It's just perfect!!! I knew I had to read this book as soon as I saw it! 🔥🔥🔥

I read a few paranormal books, but this was my first encounter with witches. This book was original (and HOT, damn it) and fit exactly with the Halloween vibe. 🎉

📚 "𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙸 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎”— 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚛—“ 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞.” 📚

The characters were cool and the plot was intriguing - full of mystery, forbidden love and lust. 🔥❤

But ... the paranormal genre is not my favorite one, so I'm not sure I'll continue to the second book... 😬

*** 𝕀 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕟 𝔸ℝℂ 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒𝕟 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ***

📖 ᖴOᒪᒪOᗯ ᗰE Oᑎ IᑎᔕTᗩGᖇᗩᗰ: 🎉 https://www.instagram.com/the_romanti...

[Sophie "Beware Of The Reader" · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

 

“The Juniper Hollow Ravine is where my story begins. If I start elsewhere, you may mistake me for the hero, and I am not that. All the qualities of heroism—selflessness, sincerity, bravery, and fortitude—she possessed. This story has a heroine, not a hero, and I, if anything, was only the devil on her shoulder. But I am getting ahead of myself...”

This is the opening and gives you a taste of the darkness and of the anti-heroes inside this story! It opens on a dramatic scene sucking you into this dark tale.

 

I requested this book because:

I wanted to try new authors and I had heard my friends raving about M. Pierce so why not go for two “new to me” authors in one go right?
The offer came out very last minute and it was nearly Halloween so I was in the mood for some witch story;
I wanted to read about adult fantasy as I have read many YA fantasy this year;
The blurb promised something a little bit dark and dangerous, just what I was in the mood for!

 

Now that I have read this book in one day what can I say about it?

 

First it reads effortlessly and flows easily. No need to try to decrypt what the authors meant or take long thoughtful pauses to ponder on what you’ve read it’s as easy as drinking spicy hot chocolate.

Why spicy hot chocolate?

Because it’s a lot of spicy and dark (your have witches killing innocent people!) but also a little sweet thanks to Rose sunny personality …in the beginning!

 

The second statement about this book is about journeys or more accurately opposite journeys!

In the beginning of the book Thorn was a dark witch, killing humans who had the misfortune to walk too close to his coven or ask too many questions about them. He was like Dracula, operating in the night and stalking his prey.

Thorn was also an old witch and was acting all blaze and bored with life in the beginning.

“I resented the mortals to-ing and fro-ing as the day wore on. How unfair, that they should look so purposeful and happy, while I, one of the most powerful witches west of the Mississippi, languished in boredom. How pathetic I was becoming.”

But Rose’s arrival in town with her goodness, her innocence and her mystery will pique his interest. Thorn became distracted from other killings and …invigorated again!

Rose took an opposite path and turned to “the dark force of the light” if I may say so.

Sunny innocent twenty something in the beginning of the story what she’ll witness and go through, what she’ll uncover about her past will tremendously change her. Power is so tempting and can corrupt even the bests!

She will be brutally awakened to a world where witches are real and deadly!

 

I don’t want to tell more or I would risk spoiling your fun let’s just say that you have:

-characters in shades or grey and the limits of what’s good and what’s wrong are blurred many times;

-witches and magic, all kind of magic, necromancy included;

-betrayals and secrets;

-a sexy and powerful witch hitman;

-a love story.

 

I would recommend this series to Amelia Hutchins fans as I got some similar vibes reading it.

 

Thanks for reading!

 
Sophie

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[Dana aka ♥Belladonna♥]

Holy Shit! M. Pierce has a new book out?



How did I not know this?
Preparing one-click finger now!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was unexpected!

Finished a werewolf book, jumped into a witch book and I’m the one who doesn’t do paranormal. It’s just too unrealistic!

I wonder if I had my DNA tested it would say I’m part fairy. I’ve always wanted to be a fairy. Or a princess. Preferably fairy though, like Tinkerbell.

So witches. Rose isn’t really a witch to begin with. She’s an unwoken witch. Hasn’t had her Hogwarts letter. No owl. No wand. No grimoire. I didn’t even know what a grimoire was. I had to look it up. And necromancy, looked that up too as I was worried it was shagging dead bodies and even Kayti wouldn’t do that would she? M Pierce definitely wouldn’t.

Thorn Blackmane sounds like a brooding sex God. Looks like a brooding sex God. Fucks like a brooding sex God. Tattoos with a thorn from a rose. I’m thinking I’m sprinkling some of my magic fairy dust on that piece of sexy witch.

Top tip use the google to look up the words. My brain has grown in all kinds of Wizarding ways just by reading this book.

A very enjoyable Halloweeny read. I’ll have the treat please. More Thorn.

[Carrie Youngcourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the blurb for this book it sounded good and with it being Haloween I was in the mood for a good paranormal book and let me tell ya it did not disappoint me! Right from the very first page your drawn into the book as your going along things get even more interesting and make it so you can't put the book down! I can't wait to see what happens with Rose and Thorn in the next book! I will definitely be getting more books by these ladies!

Thorn is a 100 year old witch and truly enjoys being the town's legend of why so many people have died in that town. Thorn is tasked with killing Rose but from the moment he see's her he is drawn to her.

Rose has come to town to meet her Uncle and find out more about her mother but when she meets Thorn little does she know that her life will be changed and will never be the same. Rose learns about her family and the man that has been tasked to kill her but for some reason he can't kill her. Will Rose learn about her birth mother's secrets and will Thorn listen to his family's request to kill her or will they find a way for Rose to live?

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I have always believed that no matter what happens in our present reality, infinite other realities exist in which all possibilities play out, but I am not so sure anymore." I'm sure, very sure that this writing team packed a paranormal punch that places them - and their characters - in the realm of Rice and her Mayfair Witches. If you read any McGee and/or Pierce, you know both straddle the cusp of literary and genre fiction, a plane that welcomes picky and pleasure readers alike. Together, they've created a very intimate character-driven novel of star-crossed witch lovers that reads as if the plot takes place within a crystal ball (as in how AHS Coven was shot): very mystical, mysterious, eerie, alluring, and enthralling from beginning to ending. And that ending? Very creepy, especially since my students read, "Annabel Lee," by Poe Friday.

Are we awaiting Beltane 2020 for the sequel?

I've got it on my calendar, so I hope so :).



I was provided an ARC. My opinions are honest and may make no sense to anyone.

Since it was an ARC, I won't drop a half star for the annoying subject/object pronoun fumbles. The content, diction, pacing, thought-provoking commentary, and well-placed similes & metaphors/allusions supersede my nit-picking about ACT Grammar pronoun issues I teach during bell-ringers. I doubt most people will notice them.

[Picky_Book_B1tch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love it. It sounded so good and right up my ally.

The premise was great. The execution just didn't do it for me. Maybe for others but I needed more story, more background, more guts. I love being in characters heads but this could have gone so much deeper. In the end, it lacked spark.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pushes all my witchy hot buttons.

I can't begin to explain how much I love this book. The fantasy/hero's journey arc intertwines so seamlessly with the romance - it's a thing of beauty. It's been years since I've read a story so captivating. The witchy elements feel so authentic. The emotional arc is perfection. Kayti and M 's voices mesh like a heavenly choir. This book is Mayfair witches good - and for me that is a mile high bar to clear.

This may very well be my Top Read of 2019.

Look out Anne Rice!!!

[The Smutbrarians · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feels 2
Steam 1
Storyline 4.5
Overall Rating 4.5
Kindle eArc provided by Author
Reviewed by Stephanie

That cover? Beautiful. And two amazing authors teaming up to write a paranormal and then that blurb? I am totally in. This book was full of mystery, magic, suspense and of course a love story. Not your conventional one by any means, but oh it was a good one.

“The Juniper Hollow Ravine is where my story begins. If I start elsewhere, you may mistake me for the hero, and I am not that. All the qualities of heroism—selflessness, sincerity, bravery, and fortitude—she possessed. This story has a heroine, not a hero, and I, if anything, was only the devil on her shoulder. But I am getting ahead of myself...”

Thorn Blackmane is a witch and a damn sexy one at that. His family is a legend around the small town of Jupiter Hollow and people that live there have a tendency to stay away from the mountains and ravine because of all the mysterious deaths. Thorn knows all too well that the deaths aren’t that mysterious. After all he is the one mostly responsible. His family has secrets that he must protect and he will do anything to protect his family. It is the way it has always been until Rose comes to Jupiter Hollow.

Rose was adopted and has always been happy with those who loved and raised her. Yet there was always something different about her. When she receives information that she has an uncle in Juniper Hollow, she sets off to find the person who may have the answers to questions she’s had all her life. Thorn has always done what was expected of him for the family but when he is ordered to kill Rose something changes. He knows there is something about her but the big question is does she know who she is? Does she know the power she has that may threaten to destroy the Blackmane family or will they destroy her first?

“For the first time in years, I wanted to know what this mortal had done to deserve death at my hands. And, for that reason, I didn’t ask.”

Okay I love when two authors team up and bring us amazing reads and this book definitely did not disappoint. I loved Rose and I LOVED Thorn. This book had so many great aspects that just worked so well together to bring us a dark and mysterious story with forbidden romance thrown in the mix. I love that with this read we got Witches and amazing Witches at that. I feel like a lot of the paranormal I read can sometimes feel like the same kind of story. There were so many elements that just made this book feel different and I loved that. It does end in a cringeworthy cliffhanger that had me cursing the authors. But it was a fantastic read and I can’t wait until the next book!
If you are in the mood for a great paranormal that will give you something a little different then definitely check this one out!

“She should have been mine to nurture and train. She should have been mine in bed, my witch mate, the spark to the dead tinder of my life. If not all of that, then why had our paths intersected? The hand of fate was on me, but it was on me in jest.”

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading M. Pierce again after all these years is just what I needed. I've never read Kayti McGee, but now I'll check out her prior work.
Loved reading this, very atmospheric. The witchy world drew me in and held me tight, and seeing how strong Rose became was exciting to experience.
I only learned there is a sequel coming when I got to the middle of the book, but that's to my delight as I was enjoying this so much I didn't want an end too soon.
Now, that ending! Was not expected, but oooooh they got me!

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s like Romeo and Juliet with black magic. Kind of.

I thought the first half of the book was written really well with good pacing and plot development. The voices of the two main characters were distinct and interesting, so much so that I even forgave the fact that their names were Rose and Thorn.

The pacing in the second half of the book was really weird, though. I know they spent a lot of time in that Summerland painting and that confused the passage of time. However, the ending still felt super rushed, like they realized they had twenty pages to tell the other half of the story so they just started summarizing events. And then suddenly, the book just ended, and the cliffhanger would’ve felt more shocking if it hadn’t already felt like I was careening off a cliff for the past ten chapters.

Also:

First of all, the timeline of events doesn’t make sense. Thorn is 108 according to him and Rose is 23. If Rose and Thorn’s parents died in the same land dispute, they should be much closer in age. Either that or Thorn would have known about the death of Rose’s parents since he was the guy killing people for his coven. Why neither of them question the timeline of events frustrates me so much!

Did anyone else expect Rose’s upcoming birthday to become an important event, and it never paid off?

Poor Tessa. Not only does her old college friend come mooch off of her, but then she’s kidnapped by a crazy coven. I bet she lost her job, and a bungalow in Boulder ain’t cheap.

Why did they go to the woods to have a seance with Luna and that was safe, but Thorn couldn’t just take Rose to find the grimoire at her uncle’s place? He kept impressing upon her the risk of leaving his warded house, but I guess they could’ve all along?

I’m just glad it didn’t turn out that Rose and Thorn were siblings all along. I couldn’t have handled that, and I had been mentally preparing for the possibility.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this paranormal story of magic and witches and give it 3 stars. There are some aspects of the novel which made me reluctant to give it a higher rating, and I'll get into them in this review.

First, the things I liked about this book. The writing was very crisp, very fresh. I enjoyed the humor. The writing style was initially reminiscent for me of the "Beautiful Creatures" series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. A good percentage of the book felt like stepping into a whole new world. It felt real, dark, spooky, and magical. I liked Thorn Blackmane, even if his name - along with the name of the character, Rose - did make me want to roll my eyes. He's got long black hair, hers is red, he's a thorny, irascible individual, she's sweet as a flower; we get it. I strongly dislike when an author decides to use a character's name to tell us everything we need to know about them; how about working a little harder & being more creative than that? Nevertheless, I liked that Thorn seemed to be a fully-formed character with flaws, desires, and apprehensions. I liked that the authors did not merely present him as a guy who wears black, throws people off of bridges, and falls in love with the most improbable, probable character (he literally encounters no other people. Who else would he fall in love with?). He's a 108-year-old witch who has been trained to be his coven's assassin, and he does the job very well. Though he rather coldly, unflinchingly throws humans off of bridges and wipes their memories, he was still intriguing. I still wanted to know more about him. The descriptions of his tattoos, his home, and his magic were all very well-drawn.

The story surrounds Thorn Blackmane's coven, and the wooded valley of Juniper Hollow, Colorado, where they reign supreme. The woods are mysterious, the witches numerous and ruthless, the humans (too) conveniently absent and oblivious. When the young, beautiful Rose arrives on scene in the small town seeking more information about her birth family, Thorn falls for the naive human who doesn't know she's actually a witch. Thorn is ordered to kill Rose by the Maven, Miriam, the leader of his coven. He cannot outright refuse her command so he seeks to learn what it is about Rose that Miriam wishes to silence, and instead becomes obsessed with her. He hides her in his expertly warded and protected mountain cabin while she strengthens her magic. Hijinks ensue, including accidental & intentional murders of other witches in Thorn's coven. Unfortunately, the final showdown on Samhain of Thorn + Rose vs. the Blackmane Coven proves to be unimpressive and unmemorable. Over 200 pages of building up the power and strength of the Maven and the coven and the fight is concluded in a mere 9 1/2 pages in Kindle format. The ending felt rushed, the final scene uninspiring. The last half of the book definitely did not carry over the magic the first half of the book held.

I liked Rose, but she was kind of a lackluster character for me. I felt like the authors' decision to merely name her parents "Mother" and "Father" with very few details beyond that was just lazy writing. All the reader knows is that they are Rose's adoptive parents, and her mother received a recent diagnosis of cancer, they live in Missouri, and Rose wasn't sure they really truly loved her as much as they would have a biological child. That's it. There's no humorous anecdotes of growing up or physical descriptions of them. They're the true ghosts of the novel, despite moments of literally raising the dead. Those lack of details work for when the authors want Rose to disappear in the mountains of Colorado for most of the novel with a murderous 108-year-old hot warlock and have hot, magical sex. If Rose isn't close to her family there's no need for calls home to explain what the hell she's doing leaving her job, her apartment, and her entire life behind in Missouri to go to creepy, witchy, ghost town, Colorado.

A few other points of contention:
1. Remind me, what was it about Rose that made the Maven want to kill her so badly? Just that she was the daughter of the murdered Luna Brennan, a daughter of the Brennan clan, true owners of the land of Juniper Hollow? *Shrug.

2. It seemed very improbable and unbelievable that the wise, powerful, all-seeing, aged Maven would not know that Thorn was two-timing her for the entirety of the novel. He's a 108-year-old killing machine and he can't find this one, measly, inexperienced human hiding in the woods? Right.

3. Thorn has been trained to kill since he was 12-years-old. He's been offing irritating, nosy humans in this area for 96 years at the behest of his coven, and yet the rest of the humans don't catch on? There's countless wooden crosses, memorials, pictures and flowers of those individuals which (clearly) lackluster investigations later proved had thrown themselves off the bridge, and there's no word on stepping up precautions about the failing bridge, beyond just a chain link fence? Again, lazy writing.

4. The bit when they left Thorn's cabin and raised Luna totally confused me. Why were they able to perform such powerful magic, when up until that point Thorn had been holding off from letting Rose perform such a spell? The rest of the coven would feel it, they would know Rose was there, death magic is too powerful to hide, yadayadayada. I didn't get it. The scene itself was spooky though.

5. The Maven was uber powerful, and yet we don't get to "see" her death. That's lame. Rose loves Thorn. She predicted his death in her visions, and was desperate to prevent it, yet we don't see her reaction to coming to and finding him dead with a knife in his gut? We don't learn how she manages to get out of there with friend Tessa in tow, as grieved and distraught as she was likely to be? What happens to all the bodies of the Blackmane coven - did the corpses of the raised Brennan coven drag them underground? How are 40 or so people, citizens of Juniper Hollow, magical beings notwithstanding, able to disappear and no one bats an eye? The Blackmane family is notoriously wealthy and charitable, so surely someone would miss them, right?

*Sigh. I did enjoy this novel, but there were a lot of plot holes and too many unanswered questions for my liking. I think the authors began with this vision of a dark, murderous, sad witch - Thorn Blackmane - and wanted to bring his story to life. He definitely came through as the clearest, most finely drawn character, and they built up this world around him. It is fascinating to think, what would a 108-year-old witch be like? How would he move through the world? Unfortunately, the answers this novel provided proved lackluster, rushed and uninspiring. Despite all of this, I will probably read the sequel, and hope for the best.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Dark and magical, this story introduces us to a world of witches who harbor secrets and willing to kill anyone who challenges those secrets.

From the outset, the male protagonist, Thorn Blackmane tells us he is not the hero of this story. And I bought into that initially. However, things change when a young woman, Rose Perry enters the small town of Juniper Hollow, Colorado, in search of a family member she discovered via DNA testing.

Rose is adopted and has longed to discover more about her family. It is upon meeting her long-lost Uncle, Rune Underwood, that she quickly learns her family's history is far from normal.

Thorn, being a warlock, also senses something different about this young woman, something that threats his coven. While he intended to destroy her, he ends up doing the complete opposite, protecting her from the witches in the area who mean her harm. It is during this first encounter that a bond forms between them.

What was I doing, letting her go? Not only had I warned her of the imminent danger in the valley; I had also shown her my power. I had cast right in front of her. I had protected her from my family, whom I was sworn to protect. But it was Rose, for reasons unclear to me, who presented the real threat.

Despite his warnings, Rose isn't a very good listener, and tempts fate more than once. Lucky for her, Thorn's concern for her well-being overrules his orders to kill her. I was surprises how quickly/easily he switched allegiances, it is clear Rose has him under her spell, so to speak. Also surprising his how I initially pegged Rose as a naive fool, but she is much more cunning and powerful than I expected.

There are some interesting twists as the Maven, the head of Thorn's coven, goes to extraordinary lengths to get to Rose. Thorn does his best to protect those efforts, but I don't think even he could have anticipated how things played out.

“Purge yourself of this fear. Make your peace with death. When you call, we will be waiting.”

As this is part of a duet, expect a big cliffhanger. While I was not happy about the turn of events in the epilogue, I did love the last few paragraphs, and look forward to seeing how this all plays out in book two. This was a provoking and entertaining read from this author duet, perfect for those who enjoy fantasy with some seriously smoking scenes in-between.

*An ARC was received for an honest review.

For more reviews, visit

[mary Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s taken me a while to write this review! Maybe it’s because this is my first paranormal book!! But I love reading both of these authors, so I knew I was in for a treat!” While this is my first paranormal read, I will admit a was lost for a bit. As a first timer, I spent a fair amount of time with a dictionary/google learning witch terminology! So, being enlightened a bit I began my odyssey into the land of witches and warlocks!

It didn’t take long before I found myself totally enchanted by Thorn Blackmane. Thorn is a crotchety old warlock. Tasked with the job of protecting his coven by using his magic to eliminate the threat. Yeah, he was the one who knocked people off. A job that he was increasingly become bored/tired of. That is until Rose, she was his next victim and he was really being pushed by his aunt to take care of her.

Rose was adopted but was eager to discover more about her biological mother’s family. She came to Juniper Hollow to meet her uncle. It was here she wants to learn more about her family. It was at this meeting that her uncle told her to get the hell out of Dodge and never come back! But it was like telling a child not to do something only to be even more determined to do it.

Like a moth being drawn to flame, there was a magnetism about Rose that made Thorn want to be with her. Dare I say he coveted Rose? He soon found that keeping Rose safe was becoming his foremost mission. Protecting her from the other witches even though he put himself at risk.

There were so many things about Thorn that endeared him to me. First how protective of Rose he was but also recognizing that she was a witch. A witch who had never been versed in the things that witches do. He took his time with her, teaching her spells and things she knew nothing of. It’s during this time the chemistry between them is consummated. The intensity between them had a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe to it… you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Loved Thorn and Rose. ❤️I
Loved the intensity.
Loved the story.

All I can say is HURRY UP Beltane!!!

[Claire Cronin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, not very often a PNR read focuses on just witches and nothing else - very well written, engaging from the start it really does pull you in, dark and wicked with lots of intrigue!

Thorn is a 100 yr old witch or rather a warlock, but he appears to be in his late 20's, dark, brooding, HAF, covered in tattoos and extremely powerful. He is used by his coven as a killing machine, exterminating their enemies, that is until he is told to kill a girl called Rose.

Rose was adopted but has had a DNA ping back saying she has a living relative, which she goes to explore. Unbeknownst to her she is about to find out that magic is very real. Her descendants turn out to be witches and enemies of Thorns, but she has untapped power within her, and Thorn is drawn to her light, her innocence, her beauty and her naivety. He goes against his covens orders of killing her and tries to save her instead.

A very unique and enticing read, Rose and Thorn's chemistry was off the chart, I loved her tenacity and watching her learn and grow with her powers. It was dark and grisly in places, the coven focusing their whole strength trying to find Rose whilst Thorn keeps up the pretense of trying to find and kill her whilst hiding and keeping her safe, teaching her witchcraft. There are plenty of plot twists, lies, deceits and betrayal to keep you on your toes. I loved the in depth witch spells, rituals and lore that go with this story!

Being part of a duet this does end in a big cliffhanger so be prepared, but otherwise very much worth the read, I loved its uniqueness and can't wait for the second book!

[Beyond The Covers Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmm, on the heels of Halloween comes this original story about witches.  By Any Other Name by Kayti McGee will have you spellbound and waiting for the conclusion of the story due out next year.  The story is unique and gripping and will leave you thinking about witches in a whole new way, both good and bad.  With spells and rituals and sex the story is a paranormal work that might push you over the edge while you are growling at the last page!  5-stars for By Any Other Name by Kayti McGee.
Thorn Blackmane is his coven’s death witch, when a problem arises it’s up to Thorn to take the troublemakers for a walk on the old trestle bridge.  The Maven has given Thorn a task, one that he quickly wishes hadn’t been given to him.  Thorn is to kill a young beautiful red head that is new to town, but for once Thorn wants to know why he must take a life.  Rose has never had the urge to find out where she came from until an overpowering need consumes her.  Rose picks up her life and drives to the little town of Juniper Hollow to find an uncle that she has just learned about.  To Rose’s surprise she finds her uncle and he gives her a warning to leave and never come back, the same warning that the gorgeous stranger gives her.  Now even though Rose is scared to return to the small town she is more scared if she doesn’t. Now not only is Rose’s life in danger but a beautiful man that has taught her what real magic feels like.

[Chriss · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Kayti McGee and M. Pierce have woven their magic and in doing so take us on a journey to Juniper Hollow where we meet Thorn and his Rose. But it's paranormal I hear you cry!!! Well, you need to get past that and see By Any Other Name for what it is which is a delicious love story filled with all kinds of mystery and magic that will undoubtedly find a place in your heart. Rose finds herself in Juniper Hollow looking for answers about her birth mother and instead finds Thorn who has been tasked with taking care of Rose and I don't mean in a good way. As our star crossed lovers discover the secrets of the past will they be able to keep each other safe from those that want to destroy them? Yes and no is the answer to that and so we wait for Book 2 to find out exactly what awaits Rose and Thorn. Although the book is paranormal it's not overly heavy on the witchcraft side of things and doesn't distract from the romance of the story. It's written beautifully and the characters are engaging. Being a fan of A Discovery of witches I found By Any Other Name a very enjoyable read.

[Eileen (Bangor Belles) Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book centers around Thorn Blackmane, witch/warlock and assassin for the Blackmane Coven. We begin with Thorn’s task of Eliminating Rose. He never questions orders, but this time something about Rose makes him hold back.
Rose is in town to discover information about her family, and through Thorn she learns that she is actually a witch herself.
The chemistry between the two is explosive, as they grow Thorn becomes not only her protector but also her lover. The twists and turns, finding her powers, learning to use them, the lies, the deceits, the betrayals it all comes slipping out.
I enjoyed this read, well written, great characters, but at times i did feel that it was a little drawn out. Lots of fizzle and sizzling. to keep me turning the pages but i kept waiting for the bang. Such a strong build up and i really expected a boom at the end, and felt a little deflated that it was just a pop.
Still a good book worth a read and looking forward to the next installment !

[thehotmesslibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a first time read author for me and it was a little different from the books that I would normally read. This book looks at Thorn Blackmane and the Blackmane family, a coven who have ruled the small mountain top of Juniper Hollow for centuries. They rule with money and fear and are even killers. There is no one like Thorn Blackmane who is cold-blooded, heartless and kills on demand. With the arrival of new girl, Rose. The threat to the Blackmane family is real and puts the Blackmane family in immediate danger. Thorn must eliminate the threat by any means necessary.

This book was a good read, it has witches and magic. It flows really quickly and you’re never left guessing about what is going to happen. It has a hot main killer character (literally) and a somewhat innocent young woman caught up in the middle of it all. How will she survive without becoming bad herself etc? As well as intrigue, secrets and a bit of darkness. A good Halloween read.

ARC received for a fair and honest review.

More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com

[Bloody Blogger Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Incredible Journey

I would like to recommend this book to all 18+ readers out there. Sure to be a much needed journey to book lovers!
Rose is an incredible heroine as is her lover, Thorn! I was just elated from beginning to end. On the edge of my seat most of the book, it had all the feels! Sex, lust, love, Anger, Adventure, Murder, Mystery, shit, you name it! Witches, witches, witches. I truly enoyed this wonderful read and you will too. One-click now and prepare to be entertained, 5 Stars!

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Juniper Hollow Ravine is where my story begins.'

And oh my god, it did! I am a first time reader for these authors and I was totally hooked from the first page. I'm a lover of pnr and haven't really read that many books about witches so this was a refreshing change.

The anticipation, omg I was literally on the edge of my seat, flipping page after page!

This was like reading a role reversal, the good and innocent turn to the darker side and the darker side takes a trip the the lighter side! It was fab!

And that ending. I need more!

[Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book about paranormal Romance. I like both MC just fine and the mystery and Romance buildup is well written. The only reason I cannot give more stars is that I felt lost around 80% of the book and I feel like it's a bit rush. I need to see how powerful the heroine can be but got a cliffhanger which I really hate. I'm not sure if I really anticipated for the second book.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to see another book by M. Pierce (finally!) While sci-fi/supernatual is not my usual cup of tea, I did enjoy this book. There will be a part 2 in Spring 2020, although this book could be a standalone and does not end on a cliffhanger.

[Rachel Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love till the end

Unique book, writing was amazing. Ending was a little, ahem... sucky for the reader. That epilogue was crap, but I get another book is coming. I read all day for no conclusion at all.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the h and the witches plot and execution. This was a very interesting and unique fantasy. can't wait for the sequel

[Cristina Reinbold · Rating 5 out of 5]

O próprio livro é um emaranhado de feitiços, jogados sabiamente a prender você pelas linhas tortas da história...

[Luthien1000hotmail.Com · Rating 3 out of 5]

End

[Heidi R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. I’m looking forward to the next book!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Interesting but not fabulous.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

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