A review by wulfwyn
South of Salem by Janni Nell

4.0

This is book 2 in the Allegra Fairweather Series. If you haven’t read book 1 do not let that stop you. There are a few references to book 1 but they are not essential to the enjoyment of the story. They do leave you intrigued about the first book though.
Allegra is a paranormal investigator with a guardian angel – a hot, sexy but totally off limits angel. She has a perfect mother and sister, neither of whom acknowledges the paranormal. That is until Allegra’s mother believes that her husband, a politician, has become possessed. Then it turns out there is a family curse on him and her sister Lily’s husband. The witch who cursed the family is also after Lily’s unborn child. This would seem to be a dark read except for the snarky wit that is sprinkled throughout the book. There is some sibling rivalry but I found it to be believable as Allegra and her sister don’t get along and yet can and do count on each other. There is also reference to Allegra’s father who disappeared years before. Although her mother believes him dead Allegra knows this is not the case. It is something I think will come up again in future books in the series. The characters are well defined. I especially appreciated the background on the witches who were involved with the curse and how they related to the family. Allegra has a best friend who is a witch and helps her on this case. I think we will be seeing more of her either in this series or perhaps a spin off series.
I found this to be a fast but entertaining read. I enjoyed it enough to pick up the first book and be interested in the next book in the series. I particularly want to see where the relationship with Allegra and Casper, her guardian angel, goes. If you have been reading heavy books and are looking for a break with some light, pleasant reading I would recommend South of Salem. It has action, snark, good character and plot development, realistic family dynamics and some sexual tension. There are no heavy sexual scenes so it is fine for those who prefer cleaner reads. It is an enjoyable paranormal book.

I received this book from Net Galley. No compensation was offered or received. A review while appreciated was not mandatory.