Book Review: Smoke Show (Deadlights Cove #1) by B. Perkins and Aimee Vance

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Paranormal Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: B. Perkins & Aimee Vance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 19th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When the dean of Bishop College in Boston threatened to close Petra Ambrose’s Pre-Revolutionary American History department, she could feel all of her work towards her dream career slipping through her fingers. To her dismay, students weren’t interested in American Puritanical culture and the status of women in their time, not unless it involved trendy witches glamourized in modern society.

In a last hope to save her job, Petra was tasked with finding something new and exciting to draw in more students. Not exactly sure where to start, she headed up the coast to explore sites other than cliche and touristy Salem.

Small-town Maine had her imagining a quaint village straight out of a romance novel on the water. To some extent, she found it, with the quirky, nosy neighbors, but Deadlights Cove was entirely too dingy to be run by its no-nonsense mayor. Plus, everyone in town seemed to be in on some joke at her expense, none more so than the mischievous and overly friendly bartender, Blaze. Far too handsome for his own good, the man had the unfair ability to irritate her more than anyone else ever had while simultaneously setting her heart racing.

With obstacles popping up at every turn, Petra was ready to throw her hands up and go back to the drawing board for a new strategy until she wound up at the center of a murder investigation.

Nothing was as it seemed in Deadlights Cove, and Petra could have just unearthed more than she’d ever imagined. But was discovering the truth about this town worth giving up everything she’d worked so hard for?

Follow Petra and Blaze’s story, along with the quirky band of local misfits, through the Deadlights Cove series, beginning with book one, Smoke Show.

GREAT FOR THE SEASON.

Read this on a whim (and from a friend’s recommendation) and it hit the spot. This is a hidden gem for the paranormal romance genre!

I loved this small town and all of the characters. There’s all sorts of mythical types (demons, angels, shifters, witches, etc.) and they all fit into the story perfectly. Great autumn vibes for the setting that set the mood.

Petra was a great FMC. Had no major complaints and just enjoyed watching her explore Deadlights Cove and coming to terms with the new world surrounding her. Blaze was a swoony cinnamon roll. I loved their connection and build. It’s a bit insta-y for me, but over time I thought it all worked out just fine. There were a lot of good communication moments and I loved the way the third act was handled.

This leans on the lighter side and absolutely made me laugh out loud a few times. I can’t wait to read book two.

Overall audience notes: