5 out of 5 stars
E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 188 pages. Published January 4th 2018
Blurb:
Devon Murphy has never believed that there were fairies at the bottom of the garden, but when he’s in an accident on his way to his grandmother’s house and comes face to face with the biggest, baddest wolf he’s ever seen, he’s forced to reconsider.
When his grandmother asks him to look into a string of suspicious accidents, he finds a much bigger mystery to unravel. From his childhood best friend to the too-attractive Deputy Wade Hunter, everyone in Rowan Harbor seems to have something to hide. Devon has to get to the bottom of it all before the accidents turn deadly.
This novel is intended for adult audiences, and contains swearing and sex scenes.
Likes:
- First chapter hooked me.
- Cute and fluffy, but with some mystery and tension.
- Devon, immediately.
- Wade, eventually.
- The romance was sweet.
- All kinds of side characters.
- Siobhan’s easy acceptance of Devon’s sexuality.
- Great introduction to the series.
- Devon sees how hard it is for outsiders in Rowan Harbor.
- Read it in a day.
Dislikes:
- Would have liked more smut.
- Have to wait until book 4 to get more about Devon and Wade.
- Wish Devon had learned more about his abilities.
The single best compliment I can give a book is to say that it was hard to put down. As in, I finished it in a day. Blackbird in the Reeds had a great blend of mystery, cute fluff, and low angst romance that was exactly what I needed.
The first chapter hooked me fast. Devon was easy to like. I tend to gravitate towards family-oriented characters, and a guy who drops everything to visit his grandmother when she calls definitely goes on my good-guy list. He’s got his demons, but was searching for a place to belong.
I especially liked that, while Devon was welcomed back by the townsfolk with open arms, he sympathized with ‘outsiders’ like Maria because he knows what that’s likes. His decision to make sure Maria was included in his friend group was incredibly nice.
Wade took a little more time to warm up to, but that was intentional. Even Devin came away with a bad impression of him the first time they met. But Wade quickly showed that he had a good heart.
Their romance was sweet, but is far from over at the end of the book. They’re only starting to date, which is why I was a little disappointed that I’ll have to wait until book 4 to get more of their story. Not to mention more smut. Only one quick sex scene in the entire book! Despite that, the little hints that were dropped about Jesse, who’s the main character of the next book, make me excited to read his story.
There were all kinds of great side characters, including people of color. And Devon’s Gran, Siobhan, deserves a shout out for her easy acceptance of Devon’s sexuality.
The various mysteries, both personal and town-related added a lot to the book. There was always something new and interesting for Devon to do and discover. I do wish Devon had learned a little more about himself and his mysterious abilities, but I have hopes for his next book.
Overall, I think Blackbird in the Reeds is a great introduction to the series. Devon only scratched the surface of the town’s uniqueness. I’m sure there’s a whole lot more yet to be discovered.
Check out my rave reviews for the rest of the series Wolf and the Holly (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #2), Fox and Birch (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #3), Hawk in the Rowan (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4), Succubus and the City (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4.5), Stag and the Ash (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #5), Adder and Willow (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #6), Eagle in the Hawthorn (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #7), as well as Sam Burns’s collaboration with W.M. Fawkes on Poisonwood (Poisonwood & Lyric #1).
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