If urban fantasy could be bottled, then this story is a shot-glass full of awesomesauce.

Lessons Learned from Maggie for Hire:

1. My life will not be complete until I have a Brownie of my very own. (Pipistrelle, if you’re out there…I need you!)

2. “Fairy glamour. It is not just for seducing the ladies.” – Killian

3. Engraved stakes make classy gifts.

4. One should always keep Ambrosia Nectar on hand for visiting elves. Failing that…a beer will do.

5. “Life is too short to waste daytime cell minutes being yelled at by a vampire.” – Maggie

This story had everything I love in an urban fantasy, from an evil uncle to a priest with attitude, all served up with a twist of humor that kept me laughing out loud and flipping the pages. The writing is fast-paced and playful, and packed with entertaining dialogue. I especially loved the interaction between Killian and Maggie – they spent most of the novel playing straight-man and comedian, and the chemistry was perfect.

I popped open my glove compartment and handed Killian a Glock.

“I do not use guns.”

“Who said it was for you?”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Listen, some ladies make men carry their purses. All I’m asking is for you to carry my extra gun.”

Don’t let the humor fool you, though; the world – or rather, worlds – where Maggie lives aren’t full of fluffy werewolves and sparkly vampires. The creatures she’s hunting are scary and evil, and the battles are appropriately bloody.

I enjoyed the fast-paced plot – being dropped straight into the action is my favorite way to start the story, and at no point during the tale did I feel bogged down by worldbuilding details or back story. There was just enough of it at just the right times to keep me engaged and entertained. If anything, I’d have liked to see the plot drawn out a little longer, with more time spent on developing some of the relationships in the story. That being said, I think the snappy pace of the story fits the sassy protagonist perfectly, and there was enough of an ending to make the story feel complete, even if I was sad to see it end.

A kickass heroine with a snarky sense of humor and a colorful cast of supporting characters make this a fast, fun read – but only for those with a sense of humor strong enough to handle a little tongue-in-cheek action!

Don't miss Kate's giggle-worthy interview on Dark Side of the Covers!

I had a tough time bonding with the lead character, maggie. She has interesting family and a host of supporting friends, but I felt like something was missing to give me the tie to care about her and her mission.

(Let me just say that I read this book during one of my book hangovers so I wasn't in the best frame of mind when I read this book) This was a fun little read but it was not grabbing my attention at times and I really had to force myself to continue reading during some parts, mostly the reason I continued to read it was Killian... of course, The story was okay I'm hoping the next books will be better story wise and more development for the characters! I really enjoyed the sense of humor in this book I was laughing out loud at some parts, i'm excited to read the next books in the series.

a lot of fun and really entertaining. a unique storyline, and something to keep me company and entertain me throughout these days when i'm too stressed over school to read anything serious. what more do i want in life?

the romance was kept at a minimum, which was kinda nice and a new change, but at the same time imma real sucker for cute romance with banter like what was being hinted at here. if i continue the series then i hope there's a building romance.

i kinda found the timeline with collapsing portals and stuff confusing, but if i could be bothered then i'm sure i could have just reread the confusing sections and understood it. i probably didn't understand it because my brain's too dead right now.

anyway, lots of fun and kick-ass heroines, and i thanks amazon kindle and the author for the free copy! god knows i love a free book :)

This was overly simplistic, clichéd and had clunky writing. It was vaguely annoying to wade through the story, although I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong with the style writing exactly.

The characters were superficial and not really believable, plus the "twist" was telegraphed right from the beginning. Or perhaps it was just that it was soooo clichéd it was instantly spottable?

Anyway, it wasn't so terrible I couldn't finish it, but I definitely won't be reading any more by this author. Unless they significantly improve, of course.

I really liked this book! The main characters were fairly well defined for a first book in a series, but you're left not knowing enough to want to know more. Maggie reminded me of Sookie Stackhouse, but if she had always known what she was, embraced it & ran with it. Killian reminded me of Eric, but the Eric when he lost his memory & was more fun. We have a cute little Brownie sidekick that really reminded me of Dobby (from Harry Potter) only a lot more helpful.

I'm generally a sucker for books about vampires & this one is no exception. The world we're introduced to in this book is a lot like the True Blood world with all kinds of supernaturals involved & the hijinks that go along with them. I will definitely be looking for the rest of the books in this series!

This book is cute but it is following in that arch that so many are - the super bouncy main character can be mistaken for a thirteen year old based on her language skills. She calls the evil guy things like "jerk face". Seriously? She uses dammit the same way a tween would - for effect from adults around her. I literally forgot at times that it was not a YA, which might have been a good thing because it made it at least vaguely amusing, rather than annoying.

Oh, and my latest pet peeve - guys who can't take no for an answer. When I tell you to drop the sexual innuendo and you don't it's called sexual harassment. I do not find that super sexy, no matter how good looking the guy is. If he's ugly and you wouldn't want you saying it to you and you tell him to stop and he doesn't then it's harassment. Being hot does not excuse it.

The story is quick and draws you in based on the level of pure fluff. You can poke one thousand holes in the plot and story line. It is not meant to be the next great American novel, so for what it is - a quick cheap read, it works.

And for the love of god - "Yah" makes me think of Sarah Palin. Everytime I read that word I started making her speak in that annoying Sarah Palin twang and it drove me a little crazy.

Unfortunately I will not be able to read the next book. The main character was too immature and while I never considered throwing the book away the way I do some I read it quickly simply to get it over with and finish it, not to get to some stellar ending that I could not wait for. Predictable and immature is not a recipe for success in my book. Did not suck so if you are looking for a cheap, quick read and like the fluff on top of fluff absolutely recommended.

a novel that made me laugh out loud, which is a wonderful accomplishment.

I got this book because I read an excerpt that made me laugh and made me want to read more. I had high hopes but for me the book as a whole didn’t live up to that excerpt. That said, it was an enjoyable, quick read. It just wasn’t as special as I thought it would be. I also felt that the ending was rushed. We were in the middle of a fight and suddenly everything was wrapped up.