This book came to me directly from the author, for whom I’ve reviewed several books before:

• Inside Outside Part 1 – Black Wings: The Death Angel & The Griffin
• Inside Outside Part 2 – Black Wings: The Death Angel & A Seraph
• Inside Outside Part 3 – Black Wings: The Valkyrie & Her Wyvern

The Premise

With her single-parent family struggling to get by, McKinley’s “purchase” by the wealthy Mr. Dimitri Komarov is a welcome income source. But Komarov, the mayor of the town of Ivanov, doesn’t want a wife; he wants a witch. In their superstitious society, he knows a witch will grant him more respect and fear than his finances could ever buy. But with the smart-mouth, mischievous Koldun’ya (Russian for “witch” or “sorceress”), Komarov gets far more than he bargained for. So does Sascha, Komarov’s right-hand man. Danger follows McKinley’s power — but fortunately, Sascha is ready to risk it all to save the impertinent imp that has stolen his heart.

The Pros & Cons

This was a great, fast-paced read with a main character that flew off the pages to make me laugh and smile. McKinley’s power is multifold — her effect on others is more farcical than fantastical, and it was thrilling to read her mischievous ways as her influence in the town grew. Despite her silliness at times, she genuinely loved and cared for her townsfolk, especially the father figure of her “employer” Komarov and her love interest Sascha. Her actual powers, when those were revealed, were simply an extension of her traits, as she was able to do so much without actual magic! I loved the dialogue and the relationship with Sascha, who was a thrilling character in his own right. My only con is that the villain was merely a blip on the radar in terms of the pacing, as the book was quite short and most of its real estate was dedicated to McKinley’s naughtiness!

Conclusion

This was a fabulous short read if you like your romance with a bit of a fantastical twist. As usual, this author does not disappoint: her heroines are powerful and memorable, and her heroes are dynamic and supportive of their ladies. This was a pleasure to read, and I was happy to get something a bit more light-hearted from this author, who also did a great job with darker fiction in her “Inside Outside” series I’ve already reviewed. This one is also a bit less on the hot-and-heavy side than that series, so it would also be good for teenagers. I will gladly recommend this to readers if you love your characters and your stories swift, sexy and snarky!

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