A review by janetted
Notorious by Charlie Cochet, Macy Blake

4.0

What more do you need than mystery, romance and espionage?

On its face, Charlie Cochet & Macy Blake build a compelling world of paranormal romance with plenty of action & suspense that manages to incorporate just enough elements of historical romance to create something really unique. On the PNR side, you have a shifter society representing a myriad of animals ruled by the almighty Dragon King. The titled aristocracy, extravagant balls, and social propriety are all a nod to Regency romance. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine combining two of my favorite genres in this way would work, but it just does. Perhaps because traditional shifter societies typically have a social hierarchy and rigid structure? Maybe but honestly, whatever it is, I’m not questioning it.

Cochet & Blake waste no time setting up what looks to be a series-long whodunit paired with an improbable romance between two strong characters. Rather than a slow steady build, it catapults forward in leaps and bounds with some of the emotional evolution happening off page or in solo scenes and affirmed by later events. Overall it's an exciting, captivating tale that will leave readers hungry for more.