The only experience I had with Emily Rath before this was the Jacksonville Stingrays series—so stumbling across this on NetGalley? Yeah… immediate grab. And honestly? I’m so glad I did.
This one leans hard into paranormal chaos with a why-choose dynamic, a generous amount of spice, and a plot that actually holds its own. Which we love. Which we need.
Here’s the official blurb
From New York Times bestselling author Emily Rath comes a dark, spicy MMF paranormal romance set on a haunting New England island, where the fates of a witch, a wraith, and a mortal become dangerously intertwined…
Dáinn the Devourer has spent the last two hundred years bound to a dark witch, carrying out her dirtiest work. Devouring corrupt souls may not be fulfilling, but it keeps him alive—well, undead.
When he’s sent to Burr Island with orders to consume the soul of a powerful rival witch, Jasper Prescott, the job seems straightforward… until a human interferes. With a single word, she does the impossible—she stops him mid-feed and quite literally takes his breath away.
Shaken, Dáinn is forced to watch as the soul he was devouring slips back into the dying witch. Now he’s left with questions. Who is this human? What kind of magic does she wield? And why can’t he stay away from her?
That human is Birdie Rhodes—a quiet historian and part-time shop girl—who unknowingly works for the very witch Dáinn was sent to kill.
Meanwhile, Jasper Prescott isn’t as dead as he should be. A powerful witch with a coven at his command, he’s determined to uncover the truth behind the chaos unraveling on his island. Why is a wraith haunting his tea shop? Who wants him dead? And why does everything seem to circle back to Birdie?
As Dáinn, Jasper, and Birdie are pulled deeper into each other’s orbit, their connection ignites into something dangerous—a tangled, magical love affair that could just as easily destroy them as bind them together.
:Tropes You’re Walking Into:
- Shadow daddy
- Unrequited instalove
- Age gap
- Why Choose / Polyamory
- MMF
- Dysfunctional throuple
- “Lurking is my love language”
- Grumpy witch x grumpy demon x sunshine human
- No one gets to kill you but me
- The cat is… not a cat
My Thoughts (so far… because I have things to say):
First of all—the humor? Unexpectedly top tier.
Dáinn is literally an absolute peach. Which feels wild to say about a soul-devouring wraith, but here we are. He’s funny, dramatic, a little unhinged, and somehow carries real emotional weight… even when he’s technically just bones. And then when he gets his physical form? Sir flips a switch and suddenly we’ve got this chaotic, slightly desperate, lowkey “pick me” energy that I did not see coming—but didn’t hate either.
The whole vibe honestly gave me Mystery Inc. energy… except instead of Scooby, we’ve got Pickles. And Pickles? Suspicious. I don’t trust that cat (def not a cat btw), but I also adore him and he’s got his own humour….but in cat form. I can’t wait to see what Emily does with him.
Then there’s the spice.
And listen—there is plenty of it. But what I appreciated is that it doesn’t feel thrown in just to hit a quota. It’s well-written, intentional, and actually builds into the relationships instead of replacing them.
Birdie? Sweetest girl. Truly. And watching these two absolute disasters slowly unravel her in the best (and worst) ways? Perfection.
Figuratively and… yeah, literally too. I said what I said.
I’m a little sad that I’m at 85% already. I can honestly say that I devoured this book. I am not ready for it to end, and it doesn’t even come out until August, so who the hell knows when I’m going to get a next book (if there is a next book).
I hate historical fiction, but I just might have to bite the bullet and check out Emily’s Second Sons book. I really try to avoid all things from that timeline unless there is a vampire or something, but I need more. Hell, this lady managed to get me to read an entire series of hockey romance (I’ll get to posting that eventually), so maybe it’ll surprise me.
Soooo I came for the chaos, stayed for the emotional damage, and somehow fell in love with not just Birdie and Jasper, but also a literal soul-devouring menace?? 10/10 would spiral again. I’m at 85% and honestly a little sad it’s almost over 🖤
Quotes I loved:
“He’s a Shop owner, not my freaking pleasure dom.” – Birdie
“What Can I say? I guess I like my Romances with a hefty side of hopeless.”- Birdie
“Spending a couple hours walking around town with a cat seems like a good use of my Saturday”. – Birdie
“This cat only knows how to knead biscuits one way: violently.” – Birdie
“I’m not going down without a fight. I’ll kick. I’ll scream. I’ll bite his stupid gloved hand like a feral freaking raccoon.” – Birdie
“Chaos on a cracker, I’m free. The cage can’t hold me.” -Dainn
“I am woman, hear me roar…tomorrow. After I’ve had my Coffee.”- Birdie
“History is told by the victors, Birdie. But it’s remembered best by the survivors.’ – Hortie
“I don’t rip out spines. I’m a civilized wraith.” – Dainn
“Home. My own magic whispers to me with a thrill. Speaking the wraith’s name aloud feels like coming home. This is so fucked.” – Jasper
“She’s like a Kraken of kindness, a mythical monster of motherly affection.” Birdie about Hortie
“Oh fuckity fuck on garlic shrimp toast.” -Ezra Howe
“ Hold too tight to a free spirit like Birdie, and she’ll fly away. An open hand is the only way to see her stay.” – Jasper
“This is just one wraith’s opinion, but you should try infusing a little more whimsy into your clinically boring life!” – Dainn
“I think you might be my home.” Birdie to Jasper
“Death is on his knees before me.” -Birdie
“We want you to rise, Birdie Rhodes. Take to the sky like the phoenix you are and burn for us.” – Dainn
“The human, the witch, and the wraith. What an odd throuple we make.” – Birdie
“This is the first official meeting of The Lonely Hearts Club, and there is one rule: Truth Always.” – Birdie
“No gods here. Only monster roam these woods.” – Jasper
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