Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Bi, Lesbian, Sapphic
Reviewer: Linda
Get It At Amazon | Publisher | B&N
About The Book
Butcher and Blood Mage, Callie Payne, once left a city behind for a different life. But when she is forced to return to the streets of Seattle, the woman and the things she thought she left behind come to reclaim her.
Callie Payne once ran with the Jackson Street Roses, but she left Seattle—left the Roses—to marry a rancher. After his death, she returns to take over the family butcher shop; a fitting career for an out-of-practice blood mage. When the leader of the Roses, Eileen “EJ” Jordan, stops by, Callie knows it isn’t just to buy T-bone steaks. What does the suave gangster really want after all these years?
EJ needs Callie’s magic against rival gangster Paul Underwood, who is horning in on Rose territory. Callie refuses to get involved; she won’t risk violating the Laws of the Covenant forbidding intentional harm. Then EJ tells her Underwood was responsible for the death of one of the Roses years ago. Callie is compelled to get revenge however she can.
A three-day incantation to repel Underwood re-establishes and strengthens Callie’s connection to the Roses, particularly EJ. Old feelings return, but EJ worries a personal relationship will endanger Callie. Their desire, however, proves impossible to ignore.
Days after Underwood threatens them, he’s found dead in an area awash in magic residue. The cops and the Covenant Investigation Office are eyeing EJ and Callie for the crime. Whoever is responsible knows magic well enough to be a step ahead, and they’re setting up EJ and Callie to take the fall.
EJ is determined to find the culprit, no matter the cost, and Callie is willing to bend the Laws for her. Can they catch the killer before more blood is spilled?
The Review
It’s the 1930’s the age of bootlegging, magic, revenge, and romance.
Callie Payne left behind the Jackson Street Roses to marry a rancher, and has been gone for over ten years. With the death of her husband, she returns home to take over running Payne’s Meats, as her father has passed away too. Since her return, she has not reconnected with the Roses, concentrating instead on the butcher shop.
When EJ walks into the shop to ask Callie for help to stop Paul Underwood from trying to take over her businesses, Callie can’t say no. Callie will not go against the Tribune and murder or harm anyone, but she is willing to place a spell that would remove Paul from her premises. Reunited with most of the Roses, she realizes that she married and moved away with the hope of having a normal life, but it was a mistake.
As Callie, EJ and the rest of the Roses prepare for the spell, Callie also realizes that she wants to be with EJ, and that’s the feeling that prompted her to leave in the first place. Callie is a blood witch, with the power to cause real damage if she goes too far. Until the spell is completed, Underwood continues to create havoc for EJ, leading to the death of one of her men.
EL reveals to Callie that Janie – a young woman who was part of the Roses – was killed by Underwood, and for that alone Callie wants to hurt him. But as much as she wants to kill him, she won’t go against the Tribunal laws. Still, Callie will do anything to protect EJ.
This book is filled with romance, gangsters, danger, bootlegging, murder, revenge and betrayals. Two women who have finally reconnected try to find peace, but Underwood is just one of many gangsters trying to control the Y-J, so their fight will be ongoing.
This book had me from page one until it ended – which was four in the morning! The main characters, Callie Payne and Eileen “EJ” Jordan, are amazing.
Five stars.
The Reviewer
I am an avid reader the mother of 3 sons and grandmother to seven grandchildren. Since retiring I have been doing more reading while volunteering as a CASA worker. CASA is an organization that works with the family court system to ensure that children are in the best living situation. There are way too many children that get overlooked in the foster care system and I visit homes and make visits to the parents. I was born and raised in New York and my husband of 50 years and I live in Upstate New York.
