Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett

Bitter Spirits (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…

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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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​

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 January, 2014: Finished reading
  • 4 January, 2014: Reviewed