BITTER SPIRITS is Book 1 in Jenn Bennett's Roaring
Twenties series set in 1920's San Francisco. BITTER
SPIRITS is part historical romance, part mystery, and part
spook show. All of these elements work cohesively to make a
riveting story. The detailed descriptions littered
throughout the story skillfully paint a picture for
readers and is very evocative of detective films from the
early 1930's. Words like "hive" and "beekeeper" take on new
and sinister connotations in this intriguing romance with
a Chinatown backdrop.
Aida Palmer and Winter Magnusson had never met until the
opening of the story, despite both working in professions
which rub shoulders--he being a bootlegger and she being
a medium working in speakeasies. Their meeting feels like
kismet, and Jenn Bennett does a good job of conveying the
electric connection and intense attraction Aida and Winter
have with each other. The intimate scenes between them are
infused with a sensuality and raw sexuality that is very
compelling.
In addition to the steamy romance, the hunt for the elusive
and shadowy figure intent on cursing Winter and other
bootleggers makes for an exciting read. The mystery doesn't
distract from the romance but enhances it and adds depth
to the main characters. Aida and Winter are both flawed,
but still likable characters. Aida is an independent and
modern working-woman, yet still emotionally tender from
being orphaned at a young age and then losing her brother,
adoptive parents, and home all within a relatively short
period of time. Comparatively, Winter Magnusson is an
extremely masculine figure but has an interesting
vulnerability at the same time.
I think Aida and Winter have a lot in common. They are both
haunted. However, rather than being haunted by the sort of
eerie apparitions that Aida sees on a regular basis, she and
Winter are both haunted by feelings of guilt and sadness
that comes from losing someone close to them. Aida lost her
brother to war, and Winter lost his parents and wife in an
accident. Both losses were defining moments for them, and
the ramifications are still being played out in their
current lives.
BITTER SPIRITS by Jenn Bennett is a sizzling romance,
exciting mystery, and a spooky good time. I look forward to
seeing what's in store for Bo, as well as Winter's brother
and sister. I eagerly await the next book in the unique
Roaring Twenties series!
It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog- covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…
Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.
Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her...
On the hunt for the curseworker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise…