Review: Grim Shadows

GRIM SHADOWS
Roaring Twenties #2
Jenn Bennett
Adult Paranormal/Historical Romance
325 pages
Berkley Sensation
Available June 3rd
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
It’s the Roaring Twenties in foggy San Francisco. Prohibition is on, inhibitions are low, and dark magic is rolling into town…

Archaeologist Lowe Magnusson is packing something everyone wants. The djed amulet, a priceless Egyptian artifact, will fetch Lowe a hefty paycheck from one of San Francisco’s wealthiest. But when the handsome Swede runs into his patron’s uptight daughter, what he once considered easy money becomes maddeningly complicated…

Cursed with deadly spirits as her constant companions, curator Hadley Bacall must keep calm to hold her dangerous specters at bay and prevent them from lashing out at anything—or anyone. Trouble is, Lowe is driving her crazy, but her father needs the artifact he’s transporting. While Hadley can feel the amulet’s power, she can’t fathom the destruction—or the desire—it’s about to stir up.

MY THOUGHTS
Grim Shadows is yet another story in which Ms. Bennett’s ability to write perfectly matched couples shines, the individual strength of both Hadley and Lowe extraordinarily high, but the two of them together prove to be nothing short of combustible. What’s perhaps most satisfying about Ms. Bennett’s romantic pairs is their ability to communicate, and though Lowe is a self-proclaimed liar and is upfront with Hadley on some things while keeping others to himself, their willingness to talk things out allows us to enjoy this story without fear of a massive blowup. That’s not to say their isn’t a climactic relationship moment because their certainly is, but through their highs and lows we know the two of them will use their words and their trust in one another to sort everything out.

Hadley is a striking combination of driven scholar and vulnerable woman, relatively alone in a field dominated by men with a tough outer shell in place as a result, but underneath her quick wit and sharp mind is a fear of being touched stemming from an incident in her youth. While her touch phobia can be debilitating and embarrassing for her at times, she’s perfectly honest about it with Lowe, explaining herself early on in their relationship before bruised pride and hurt feelings on his side can cripple something she wants desperately.

For Lowe's part, he is equally candid with pieces of himself he hasn’t shared with anyone else, taking care with Hadley when her emotional fragility makes itself known, but also humorously battling her will with his own when the shadows of her past remain firmly in the background. He does withhold some hugely significant pieces of information regarding his role in their Egyptian artifact treasure hunt, but it’s hard to work up too much irritation at him when his charm and his clear affection for Hadley dance so beautifully across the pages. The sparks between them are given the utmost care and a great deal of time to grow into full-fledged flames thanks to Hadley’s aforementioned phobia, but when her fear can douse them no longer the two of them thoroughly impress with the incendiary nature of their chemistry.

Overall, Grim Shadows is a thoroughly enjoyable follow up to Bitter Spirits, delighting once again with another member of the Magnusson family and ensuring this is a series that easily stays on our list of favorites.

Rating: 4/5
 

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.