Paranormia by Paul Regnier

About the book:

A nerdy nobody is heaven’s newest hero. It’s too bad that the devil fights dirty…

Chris Loury is penniless and painfully geeky. So when the struggling illustrator makes a wish that grants him supernatural visions, the lines start to blur between his comics and reality. After he crosses paths with a protector who calls himself an angel, Chris must decide if being a hero is worth the danger.

When his newfound confidence helps him connect with the girl-next-door, he hopes he can balance a relationship and a superhuman secret. But after a devilishly gorgeous woman with money and an ulterior motive tempts him with career success and fame, he puts his crush, his town, and his life in jeopardy.

Will Chris fulfill his destiny and save the city from destruction?

Paranormia is an enthralling urban fantasy adventure. If you like underdog heroes, supernatural battles, and a dash of humor, then you’ll love Paul Regnier’s action-packed novel.

***********************************************************************My review:

So, for a change, the back matter description of Paranormia is spot on: it is an enthralling urban fantasy adventure with an underdog hero, supernatural battles, and a dash of humor! And I really enjoyed reading this story.

Chris is one of those characters that you want to smack upside the head most of the time, but can’t help but cheer for along the way. He such a great representation of the average human: thinks he knows how everything works, but is actually clueless; is proud of his accomplishments that mean so little in the grand scheme of things; puts off doing the little things in favor of things that sound special and exciting, but which are really just distractions from God’s will. We all have at least a little bit of Chris in us, and some of us more than others.

But the best part is when Chris finally comes to understand the reality of the supernatural around him, when he finally closes his human eyes and opens the eyes of his heart. Is he perfect from then on? Nope. But at least he tries, and that is what makes him a great hero to me.

Paranormia is a crazy ride on the spiritual warfare train. I’d highly recommend you hop on, buckle in, and hold on for a great read.

If Wishes Were Curses by Janeen Ippolito

About the book:

So I accidentally killed a shifter. On purpose.

With genie powers I shouldn’t be able to use, thanks to my curse-mark.

In my defense, the damn grizzly was threatening civilians and might have been a vampire as well. Pittsburgh is safer without him. Only the Fae court doesn’t believe my story, and the shifters are out for blood.

Now I’ve lost my job as a romantic investigator, and I’m on death row. My only hope is an oddly outgoing vegetarian vampire lawyer who seems strangely familiar. Too familiar.

Almost like we’ve met before, and this whole thing was a set-up to take us both down.

Wishing won’t get us out of this mess.
But my forbidden wish magic just might.

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My review:

So, anyone who knows me knows that I love the city of Pittsburgh; it’s one of my favorite places to visit, one of my happy places. When I saw that If Wishes Were Curses is an urban fantasy set in the Steel City, I couldn’t wait to read it…and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 🙂

I was captured by the concept: a genie who is banned from being a genie, but still manages to get in plenty of trouble. And Allis is great. She’s feisty, but fragile; determined, but unsure; and loyal, even when she’s been hurt. It ends up being a wonderfully complicated combination of traits, creating a fascinating character arc.

Filled with snarky characters, a great balance of character growth and action, and plenty of references to chipped ham, If Wishes Were Curses kept me wanting to read more. I’m definitely drumming my fingers in impatience for the next Steel City Genie installment. 🙂