Bretta

Not to be confused with The Coven by Harper L. Woods, this is an extended world of books that is still growing. There are currently six offshoot/parallel series that are all tied together. The Elemental Magic series follows Tegan and Tennessee who are the primary FMC and MMC. The additional sets are Academy Magic, School of Magical Arts, Fae Magic, Vampire Magic. Also included in this world is Old Magic, which has small standalones of characters who tie into the major story in some way. The structure of the coven is tied to the Tarot, with there being a member tied to each of the major arcana and having magic that is unique to each of them.
For Elemental Magic you get to ride along with Tegan, who has just turned 16, as she discovers she is a witch with a twin who has had her magic bound for the majority of her life. She and her twin have the marks of the High Priestess and the Empress, which they received as infants. This put them in danger so their parents had their magic bound and separated them in order to keep them safe from some rogue witches. The characters in this series are very in-depth and really well developed, and as you move further into the series you move from one FMC and MMC set of characters to another. There are multiple POVs, but this one is done similarly to the Black Dagger Brotherhood in the sense that it’s done slowly so you don’t get overloaded trying to keep them straight.
While this series is marketed as YA fantasy, it has developed more into New Adult Fantasy as the characters have matured. But one of the great things about Lavaun is she has created adaptations of the later books that are PG-13 that she makes available upon request through the Kindle app.

The 40-proof series is by Shannon Mayer and sprung from a group of 13 authors who wanted to write books focused on more mature heroines. They wanted to define an area of fiction just for this, and thus we got Paranormal Women’s Fiction. In this particular series, we follow Breena, a recently divorced 41-year-old who has returned to her hometown of Savannah, GA, and things are going to get interesting. As a child, Breena had the ability to see things that many considered crazy, and as a teen all she had wanted was to be normal, so she met a man, fell in love, and asked her grandmother to take away the things she could see. Twenty years later she has been burned, lost her grandmother to cancer and is fully embracing the world she once walked away from.
This series is an amazing ride, with characters who make you laugh out loud. Breena is the most honest telling of a 40+ FMC who wants to be a badass I have read to date. Her inner monologues are funny, self-deprecating, and inspiring. Throughout the series we get drawn into the shadow world, where Bri encounters all kinds of mystical creatures to include a bigfoot, fairies, goblins, and way more.
Kicking ass and taking names, she fumbles her way through becoming a savior in this series. It is a story that shows just because you're considered old you don’t have to act your age or give up. There is love, friendship, found family, and high stakes, all of which revolve around a chosen one trope that is uniquely told. If you want to be entertained by an FMC, who is not the typical 20-something, this is a great series that I have read multiple times.

Priceless by Shannon Mayer, and the subsequent series, are awesome! I love, love, loved the players Mayer created and found myself on many a night fighting to keep my eyes open to get in just one more page.
Rylee Adamson is a sword-wielding, foul-mouthed tracker, who spends her time searching for children who have gone missing. While she isn’t a saint, by a long shot, she is dedicated to her cause. Her drive to find these children stems from her own tragic story where her sister, Berget, went missing while the two were at a park alone together. FBI Agent Liam O’Shea, another primary character, is convinced Rylee had something to do with Berget’s disappearance and has harassed her ever since. When she takes on a new salvage (that’s what she calls her jobs) eerily similar to Berget’s case 10 years ago, down to the park and date, she can’t help but wonder if they are related. Not only does Riley have to contend with the tumultuous emotions this salvage brings about, but now Agent O’Shea seems to think he’s got her number once again…
While there is nothing about the cover of this book that makes me go gaga, its simple depiction of a tough heroine was enough to get me to read the synopsis. That being said, once I got the gist of the story, and read a couple reviews – I was antsy to get started.
In addition to Rylee and Agent O’Shea, there is a rag-tag assortment of humans and supernatural creatures who make up her inner circle. Her BFF and ‘sister-friend’, Milly, is a witch who has been under the same roof as her for nearly ten years. Alex, is her perpetually goofy and happy, stuck-mid-shift werewolf companion. And Dox, is her giant, but gentle, ogre friend who was introduced to us in the prequel, Elementally Priceless. There are many more players, obviously, but these are the ones who I think warrant their own special introductions.
This is a fast-paced book, and I can’t help but love the way Mayer uses humor and action to keep you completely enthralled. Alex’s dialogue and his toddler-like demeanor cause the werewolf to work his way into your heart and he brings comical moments into what are some very serious situations.
Aside from a minimal number of typos, there is really nothing I didn’t like about this book. The story is well developed, the characters are complex, and the ability to visualize what I was reading was 100% there. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to someone who enjoys paranormal fiction and found myself devouring the whole series for a second time not long after completing the final book.
Mayer gets a huge thumbs up from me! Take the time to check out her website and start the Rylee Adamson series, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Whether it’s the first time you laugh out loud to Rylee cussing up a storm, or Alex saying “yuppy doody”, the story is completely worth being added to your library.
Warning: If you don’t like cussing, this book has it in spades, so you can either move on, or in the words of Rylee Adamson, suck it up.