The 13th

                                                   
                                                                    The 13th

Magic in Strega Bluff is like parking meters in other cities.  The quaint New England town is home to a large community of witches, warlocks -- and many secrets.  Jade Hansen loved living there until the untimely death of her parents.  After a much-needed sabbatical, she returns to find the peaceful hamlet turned upside down. A string of murders haunts the city and everyone is a potential target, but even worse, they are all suspects.  A family secret puts Jade in the middle and her loved ones in danger.  Dodging an evil warlock set on revenge, she is a race to stop the killer before it's too late.

Author: Shadow Stephens
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I really enjoyed this book!  The author does a fine job of painting the town of Strega Bluff, the people who live and visit there, and the rich paranormal history of the town.  Jade and Asher are well-rounded and have  more to their personas than sex appeal and spell casting (although there is a lot of both!).  Jade's relationships with others are varied and realistic, without "cookie-cutter" characters or a re-hashing of an old plot.  Jade and Asher are fun to read because they have fun in their lives, and have hope in the face of fear.  It was refreshing to read a paranormal story that is relatively angst free!  This was a fast read, and kept my interest.

Mini spoliers: Recommended for 18+ because of frequent sex scenes.  While these scenes are not overly graphic, there is no doubt as to what is happening or how the participants are interacting.  However, other than the sex, the book reads almost as if it is for young adult readers.