Review: Witches Be Burned by Stacey Kennedy

Witches Be Burned
Magic & Mayhem #2

Stacey Kennedy

Paranormal Romance
Loveswept
May 19, 2015

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In Stacey Kennedy’s steamy paranormal romance novel, a rookie guardian sworn to combat the undead risks life and love in a world of violence, witchcraft, and seduction.

Nexi Jones has lost her family, she’s been stripped of her guardian duties, and she’s still learning the ins and outs of white magic. At least she has Kyden, the smoldering hot elite guardian who’s been there for her every step of the way. But just as Nexi completes her training, tragedy strikes the Otherworld when a fellow guardian is murdered by a group of rogue vampires. Ready or not, she and Kyden trek into the Earthworld to hunt down a killer—and Nexi alone will be put to the ultimate test.

Although Kyden knows that Nexi must fight her own battles, his guardian instincts are raging as he struggles to keep her close. The ruthlessness of these vampires is like nothing he’s ever seen. And at their helm is the Black Witch Astoria, a demon with one burning desire: to shed Nexi’s blood in the name of vengeance. What troubles Kyden even more, though, is the warlock who covets Nexi’s heart. Let the devil do his worst . . . all Kyden can do is love and protect Nexi until his last breath.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Though this is the second book of the series, I hadn't read the first and had no problem jumping right into the story (there's an informative prologue at the beginning explaining book one). However, I think my enjoyment was not as complete as it could have been, therefore, I recommend reading the first book for character and world building.

The best part of the novel was the supernatural world created by Ms. Kennedy-- I loved the myriad of supernatural creatures. It made for a complex world that really pulled me in. I liked the characters, not just the main characters, but all of the interesting secondary characters that made this an intriguing read.

Down side-- I thought the story started a tad slow, my mind wandered a few times. But about a third of the way through things picked up, leading to lots of action and suspense. I recommend this title to ages 18+ due to the graphic nature of some steamy love scenes. Main characters Nexi and Kyden were both strong, kickass characters with some strong chemistry between them-- just what I like in an urban fantasy.

If you like paranormal romance/urban fantasy, Witches Be Burned is definitely one to check out.