Review: Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett

Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett
Series: Roaring Twenties, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9780425269572
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Jenn Bennett Reading Order

Aida Palmer makes her living as a spirit medium performing in speakeasies, but unlike many others, her performance is genuine. When her boss asks for her assistance freeing bootlegger Winter Magnusson from a haunting, Aida has no idea that the simple task will ultimately change her world forever. For the hex put on Winter is just the beginning, and he needs Aida’s help banishing the ghosts an unknown enemy keeps sending after him. Even the chilling presence of spirits can’t dampen the heat between Winter and Aida. Soon the two are throwing caution to the wind and embarking on an affair that could cost them everything if they don’t exorcise the ghosts of their own pasts and defeat the enemy now targeting them both.

Bitter Spirits is a wildly original paranormal adventure through Prohibition-era San Francisco. Jenn Bennett brings sizzle to her first Roaring Twenties romance, but what really makes Bitter Spirits stand out is the unusual setting, well-crafted mystery, and sly humor.

Aida and Winter are lively, spirited (no pun intended) protagonists who’ll grab your attention from the start and not let go. Each is unusual in their own way, and both are incredibly independent and wary of letting others in. Sparks and delightful banter fly as they circle one another, and when they do give into their desire for each other…get ready for some serious steam. Ms. Bennett doesn’t make their romance uncomplicated, however. Winter and Aida have both been hurt badly in the past and it’s left them reticent to risk their hearts. It was easy to become invested in their love story, and the two of them alone could have made me devour Bitter Spirits.

While Winter and Aida are undeniably the heart of Bitter Spirits, Ms. Bennett’s richly-drawn version of 1927 San Francisco gives the book body and further substance. I loved delving into Chinatown and the surrounding areas and found the setting incredibly unique for a historical romance. As for the mystery of who is targeting Winter…well, let’s just say that I love being kept guessing and Ms. Bennett managed it. I have to give Ms. Bennett high marks for how perfectly that storyline was orchestrated.

I highly recommend Bitter Spirits. It’s impossible not to be charmed by Ms. Bennett’s wry humor and her ability to bring not just Winter and Aida, but the supporting characters to vivid life. The spellbinding setting further added to my enjoyment of Winter and Aida’s book, for it’s wonderfully different. Consider me a Jenn Bennett convert, as I’ll be glomming up her backlist while I wait for the next Roaring Twenties novel, Grim Shadows!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.