Happy book birthday to A LITTLE TOO FAMILIAR by Lish McBride! I’m so happy to be on the book tour today for this fantastic paranormal romance and am grateful to Turn the Pages Tours and the author for providing me with a copy of the book. Let’s check it out!
About the Book:
Title: A Little Too Familiar
Author: Lish McBride
Series: An Uncanny Romance #1
Page Length: 316
Publication Date: May 17, 2022
Genres: Adult Romance, Adult Fantasy, Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Devo-Lish
Synopsis: Louise Matthews has got it good. Wonderful job? Check. Loving family? The best. Roommates? Pretty fantastic, thank you. All of this helps her stay focused on what she wants: to finish out her apprenticeship and become a fully licensed Switch – an animal mage who bonds familiars to their witches.
Only a problem has just moved in – a hot, occasionally wolf-shaped problem.
Declan Mackenzie doesn’t want to be a lone wolf, but he doesn’t have a choice. Girlfriend? Gone. Sister? Starting a new life. Parents? In prison where they belong, thankfully. All he wants is a fresh start – a new home, new job, new life. What he gets is a house full of witches, a fledgling phoenixe named Dammit, and rogue ferrets who won’t stay out of his business. And he could handle all of that if it wasn’t for Louise. It’s not great to crush on your roommate, it’s even worse when you realize she wields the kind of magic that sends you running for the door.
Still, Declan is no pup, and he’s not going to let this set him back.
Until the past comes back to haunt him – the parents he put in jail have busted out. They want revenge.
And the only thing standing between them and Declan is Louise and the very magic he vowed never to go near again.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
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My Review:
A Little Bit Familiar is a fantastic paranormal romance with an interesting storyline, great characters, a swoon-worthy romance, and the absolute best found family! I adored the story so much that I it in one sitting. It was so good, I couldn’t put it down until I knew what happened to Declan, Lou, and all of the others.
Lou is a great protagonist! Caring and empathetic, she is so understanding and such a great support to her friends and family. And she’s hilarious! She has a strong narrative voice, and some of her observations and comments are completely hysterical. I also adore Declan. He is also a caring person, and he always thinks of others before himself. He loves to take care of the people in his life, which he totally does with his new roommates. I love the sweet ways he shows his gratitude and affection. Declan has such a tragic story, and he has suffered a lot over the course of his life, and I just wanted to reach into the book and give this man a hug.
The love story between Declan and Lou is amazing!! Ugh, the chemistry between these two is to die for! They have so many obstacles thrown at them, and their forced proximity after an accidental magical connection creates even more problems for them, but Declan and Lou deeply care for each other. I love how Lou shows Declan what it means to be unconditionally supported and accepted. She doesn’t show him pity and seems to understand him on such a deep level, which he hasn’t really experienced before. She also fights for him as much as he fights for her, much to his surprise. Lou treats Declan in a way he’s never been treated before – with respect, admiration, and unequivocal support, and it’s wonderful to see him slowly let down his walls and let her in. I love watching them fall for and be vulnerable with each other, and I so rooted for them to find happiness.
Now, I need to talk about Lou’s family and friends because they are one of my favorite parts of the story. They are all so fantastic! Fun and funny, loyal and supportive of each other, these people welcome Declan into their fold so easily and happily. It’s such a change for Declan, who has been subjected to more than his fair share of toxic relationships. But he made the best decision in moving because it’s once he meets his roommates that he finds his pack, which is something he desperately craves. I love that he finds the family he deserves in Lou, his other roommates, and Lou’s family.
I also like that the story highlights the positive effects of therapy. I think there’s still such stigma attached to going to therapy, so to see Declan advocating for himself, willingly going to counseling, and benefitting from it is powerful. Mental health is important and not something to be ignored, which Declan, Lou, and most of the secondary characters understand and embrace. Other messages about control, the abuse of power, love, and family are also powerful and thought-provoking.
The world-building is creative and unique and includes a multitude of supernatural people, animals, and elements. It’s interesting to see how the human world and the paranormal world mesh. I also have to do a shout-out to the fabulous animals in the book, including the fiery phoenix Dammit, two rambunctious and gossipy ferrets, and the pigeons who get together and do what they do best. These animals are sweet, charming, and often hilarious additions to the story.
This is an excellent paranormal romance by Lisa McBride with dynamic, layered characters, an exciting and suspenseful plot, a found family that I want to adopt me, vivid and original fantasy elements, a ton of humor, and a swoon-worthy and sexy romance. I’m so thankful to DevoLish and Turn the Page Tours for providing me with a copy of the book and would definitely recommend it to romance, paranormal romance, or romantic suspense readers.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance!
- The characters.
- The found family trope.
- The fantasy elements.
Favorite Lines:
He ran a hand over his face before propping both hands on his hips, which let me tell you, really showed off his chest. I wasn’t going to make it. I would die right here, burned down to cinders. Tell my mom I loved her.
“I love you, but you’re about as subtle as a party cruise ship covered in fairy lights.”
About the Author:
Lish McBride is a writer, former bookseller, and amateur goblin living in the PNW. In the crime of the century, she tricked not one but two universities into giving her degrees, ending up with an MFA from the University of New Orleans. (They cannot have it back, either, as she has invoked the ancient law of “no backsies.”) When she is not writing or reading, she’s usually hanging out with her family and friends…and talking about writing or reading. Her ultimate dream is to have her own castle and one of the libraries with the wheely ladder.
You can find her online in all of the usual places under the handle @lishmcbride, usually posting pictures of her dogs.
Oooh, this one sounds fun and different! Great review!
Thank you! I really enjoyed it!