Bitter Spirits: A Roaring Twenties Novel (Roaring Twenties, #1)

by Jenn Bennett

It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog-covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…

Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.

Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her...

On the hunt for the curseworker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise…

• ISBN10: 0425269574
• ISBN13: 9780425269572
• Publish Date: 7 January 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425269572

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

This was a lot of fun!

I have fallen in love with Bennett via her YA contemporary books, and have been wanting to read her adult books. As always, Bennett did not disappoint.

All the things she does so well were also present in this book:
• a fierce and independent heroine
• a swoony and caring hero
• open and sexpositive discussion
• fun and witty banter

In addition to all that, we also got some suspense and a little bit of a look back at the roaring 20s.

Fun and fabulous with an ending that left me way too happy.

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[Angie]

I was very excited for Bitter Spirits! The 1920s! San Francisco! A spirit medium! Bootlegging! It sounded awesome, so I have no clue what happened. But I just did not connect with this book at all. It's like I was reading without really reading. I felt nothing except the occasional annoyance. It started off fine. Winter has been cursed to draw ghosts to him, so he hires Aida to get rid of them. Of course, he has to figure out who is doing this to him and why, and he keeps Aida close since she can banish spirits. Plus he's attracted to her, obviously.

Bitter Spirits was okay. I really should have loved it, but I just didn't. I was annoyed with Winter and Aida in the beginning, because he's constantly talking about her freckles. He's never seen so many freckles! And he's always hard in her presence. Then she's always going on and on about how she's never seen such a big man! He's so tall and huge and imposing! Like, I get it. She's covered in freckles and he's a large man. No need to remind me 30 times per chapter! I did like that Winter wasn't this super gorgeous man though. He has a pretty bad scar across his face and one eye is permanently dilated.

Bitter Spirits just left me underwhelmed. I was just reading to get through it, it felt like. The mystery didn't engage me. The booze raids didn't excite me. The romance wasn't as steamy as I hoped despite all of the sex. The ghosts weren't interesting, since Aida got rid of them before they could do anything. If they were even able to do anything. I just didn't care.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[celinenyx]

The twenties, bootlegging, spirits and a sparkling romance. That's what Bitter Spirits brings to the table in one neat package.

Aida is an independent spirit medium that travels the country with her act. One night she meets Winter through her boss. He is one of the biggest bootleggers (both metaphorically and literally) in San Francisco. They immediately feel attracted - but is there more than just attraction?

The first half of Bitter Spirits focusses a lot on the budding romance between Aida and Winter. Because there are barely any side plots - something that's usually a good thing - the book is very intense. We get scene after scene with both of them in it, and tons of attraction. It was all well done in my opinion, especially because Bitter Spirits manages to stay clear of the instalove phenomenon, but a bit much for the non-romance reader that I am. It was good that they spent time together to get to actually know each other before they started something.

The main mystery hinges on the fact that there is someone trying to harm Winter. As a big person in the San Francisco illegal alcohol trade and thus the underworld, there are plenty of candidates. The resolution of the mystery is a bit odd, but I guess it works for the story.

Bitter Spirits brings an interesting setting to the table, but only skirts the flapper lifestyle. Chinatown, and other Chinese characters were heavily represented though. Aida was very stubborn and proud, something I really appreciate in heroines (probably because it reminds me of myself). The resolution of the romance was sweet. Although Bitter Spirits wasn't the Gatsby-esque book I was expecting, it delivered on a decent romance, fun plot, and original setting.

[kimbacaffeinate]

4.5 stars
I really enjoyed the unique characters Bennett presented in Bitter Spirits. Aida is strong, talented, naïve and brilliant. She is not your typical beauty. She is freckled and endowed. I adored how independent she was, and the things that came out of her mouth made me laugh. Winter is a tortured soul and yet fearless when it comes to business and those he loves. Again he is not your typical hero. He is scared both physically and emotionally. The attraction they feel for each other is immediate, and I loved how Bennett made us privy to their initials thoughts. Despite the attraction, the romance develops slowly, allowing the characters to be fleshed out first. As we grow to love them, their relationship becomes heated, complicated and positively yummy. Other characters, such as Bo, Winter’s right hand man and his sister, Astrid, add to the tale. Already I am eager for their stories. The Chinatown community and those of the prohibition outlaws make for some colorful and interesting scenes.

Bitter Spirits is at its heart a romance but Bennett weaved in paranormal elements and an intense mystery that kept me completely enthralled. She does a wonderful job of bringing 1920’s San Francisco, and the prohibition era to life. I loved how accurate her portrayal was from the culture to the terminology. I completely fell in love with Aida and Winter. Their banter, heat and interaction were fantastic. I found myself laughing, swooning and cheering them on. The romance is steamy and well crafted, with just the right amount of details. The mystery was an equally compelling thread and Bennett beautifully balanced the two. At no time did I feel the urge to skim as the pace and flow of the tale was seamless. After finishing I immediately researched book two. I am delighted these will work as standalone and cannot wait to continue. The next book focuses on Winter’s brother an archaeologist and the third on Astrid his sister.


Copy received in exchange for unbiased review​. Full review originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer​