ARC Review: Coven of Ill Repute (Eternal Enemies, Book 1)

This book was gifted to me by S.L. Prater through BookSirens. This in no way impacts the rating of the book. All of my reviews contain my honest opinions.

Title: Coven of Ill Repute	Author: S.L. Prater
Series: Eternal Enemies	Genre: Fantasy, Gothic, Romance
Publisher: Independently Published	Page Count: 289

Content Warnings:

• Graphic:

• Moderate: blood, death, sexual content

• Minor: murder

Trapped in a haunted castle with my immortal enemy… The Duke of the Damned is dead. When my coven is blamed for his murder, I'm desperate to clear their name before my sisters are arrested and I lose the only family I've ever known. But I only have one week to find the culprit, and the new heir to the duchy is none other than Detective Liam Rorick, my enigmatic ex-partner and archenemy. It doesn't matter if Rorick is a competent investigator. He's the most cantankerous vampire I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. There's a reason I swore I'd never work with him again. And yet that's exactly what I have to do. Now we're trapped together in the malevolent castle he's just inherited, trading insults and fighting magical monsters to survive. I want nothing more than to go back to pretending he doesn't exist… but Rorick protects me like I'm precious and keeps looking at me like he regrets our past. With each close call and each revealed clue, it becomes harder to fight our undeniable connection. But even the castle's hungriest creatures aren't as frightening as opening my heart to the one man capable of devouring it whole.

★★★★★ — obsessed
🥵🥵🥵 — sweltering  

This book left me in absolute awe! The mystery at the core of the narrative was reminiscent of the classic Sherlock Holmes tales, and I found myself completely taken aback when the true identity of the culprit was unveiled. The methodical and detailed approach employed by the main characters to unravel the mystery had me captivated, my eyes glued to the pages. The anticipation for the next installment in this series is already building up within me, as I now regard these two as my all-time favorite crime-solving pair!

The slow-burning evolution of the relationship between the two main characters, Quiet and Rorick, was nothing short of exquisite. Their journey from being friends, to foes, and ultimately lovers, established a strong base for their complex relationship, filled with animosity and affection in equal parts.

The haunted castle, the setting of the story, was an entity unto itself. Its dark, eerie atmosphere reminded me of Whimbrel House by Charlie N. Holmberg, only with a more sinister twist. Every detail, every secret corner of this castle, was a joy to uncover.

S.L. Prater's writing was truly exceptional. The story was so engaging and detailed, with well-rounded characters and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat, that I breezed through the book effortlessly. The narrative was so gripping that it held my interest from the moment I turned the first page until the very last word. I cannot wait to devour more of this author's work in the future.