Perhaps it's all the MISS FISHER MYSTERIES I've been watching, but I've longed for a good flapper romance for quite some time. BITTER SPIRITS was worth the wait. Take Jenn Bennett's usual sexual chemistry and dial it up to eleven, and you have this lovely, ghostly romance filled with fashion, passion, and bootlegging.

From the first chapter, the sexual curiosity between our tiny, freckled heroine and the beefy, Nordic hero is palpable and contagious. The 20's creates a unique social setting where there is both the possibility of a sexual relationship but the societal constraints that may prevent it. Our heroine is independent, but not foolhardy. Reading along as these two face danger, solve mysteries, and negotiate the chemistry between them was ridiculously satisfying.

I would not be at all surprised if BITTER SPIRITS achieves "re-read 5 stars" in the near future, as I already can't stop thinking about this story. Regardless, I know this is a series I'll be fervently following.

FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW.

Sexual Content: Sex scenes.

Reread #1 (5/6/15): I'll admit, I only came back to this book for the scenes between Aida and Winter. Their sexual curiosity about each other was both memorable and specific (Winter's reaction to Aida's freckles in particular). Their chemistry was as engrossing as the first time around, though it was easy to separate from the mystery side of things.

10/22/17: After the disappointing relationship and spiritualism in The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie, BITTER SPIRITS was a nice palate cleanser.

10/19/18: I still love the specific bodily fascinations these two have for each other.

I'm going to keep this very brief because Janice already told you all you need to know and stole all the good words. But I just had to add my two-pence worth and say I loved it too! Me, me, I did, I did!

First of all—the era, the setting, the clothing, the language, the hints of magic, all layered together to make one deliciously sumptuous paranormal world unlike anything I've read before. I loved the 1920's details—they gave it such a unique flavour!

Second—you may or may not know that I have a real soft spot for the big, grumbly bear-type characters. Those ones that are alpha enough, but not so alpha they make me want to hurl things. Kinda stern-looking on the outside, marshmallow on the inside. A that is exactly what Winter was and IlovehimIlovehimIlovehimIlovehim!

Thirdly—Aida. Oh, my God, Aida. She was wonderful! You've got to give her credit for at least pretending she was resistant to Winter's allure for all of five minutes at the beginning. It's a lot longer than I would have lasted!

And the last thing that stood out for me were the end scenes. Another great choice for setting/location that was very vivid and somewhat surprising!

Oh, and I loved Winter's sister. And Bo. There's more to those two, methinks. And I can't wait to meet his brother in book two and...oh, heck, I just liked it ALL!

5 Stars! ★★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.