A “master class in storytelling and survival.” —Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)Welcome to The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar. I’m Sam Quinn, the werewolf book nerd in charge. I run my business by one simple rule: Everyone needs a good book and a stiff drink, be they vampire, wicche, demon, or fae. No wolves, though. Ever. I have my reasons.I serve the supernatural community of San … supernatural community of San Francisco. We’ve been having some problems lately. Okay, I’m the one with the problems. The broken body of a female werewolf washed up on my doorstep. What makes sweat pool at the base of my spine, though, is realizing the scars she bears are identical to the ones I conceal. After hiding for years, I’ve been found.
A protection I’ve been relying on is gone. While my wolf traits are strengthening steadily, the loss also left my mind vulnerable to attack. Someone is ensnaring me in horrifying visions intended to kill. Clive, the sexy vampire Master of the City, has figured out how to pull me out, designating himself my personal bodyguard. He’s grumpy about it, but that kiss is telling a different story. A change is taking place. It has to. The bookish bartender must become the fledgling badass.
I’m a survivor. I’ll fight fang and claw to protect myself and the ones I love. And let’s face it, they have it coming.
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The reviews are in:
“Kelly (Welcome Home, Katie Gallagher) introduces fierce, lovable heroine Sam Quinn with this master class in storytelling and survival. Seven years ago, Sam was attacked, raped, and forcibly turned into a werewolf, putting an end to her life as she knew it. She’s since made a home for herself in San Francisco, opening a combination bookstore/bar catering exclusively to the supernatural community. A loner by nature and still contending with her trauma, she’s content to lie low without a wolf pack of her own. But when dead bodies begin piling up across the city and Sam receives a threat from an unknown source, she finds herself surrounded by a phalanx of friends she never realized she had. Among them is Clive, the leader of the city’s vampire community, whose good looks attract Sam “like a zombie to brains.” Kelly pulls off an impressive feat, weaving the sensitively handled story of Sam’s emotional recovery through a rollicking adventure. The unique setting and endearingly quirky side characters only add to the charm. Readers will delight in both the humor and the heartache of this powerful urban fantasy, and they’ll be eager to see where Sam goes next.” (Publisher’s Weekly (starred review))
“This action-packed paranormal series launch will appeal to readers who enjoy a plot-driven, female-centric journey of growth with a side of romance. Great for fans of Patricia Briggs’s Alpha and Omega series.” (Book Life (Editor’s pick))
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Holy. Goodness. This story is one of my all-time favorites. I adore Clive and Sam and all of their friends! I am totally enthralled by this world Kelly has created and cannot wait until the next installment!
After reading and enjoying Seana Kelly’s first book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her second. This bit of urban fantasy is just what I needed to completely escape from the messy world we live in. It had just the right balance of sexual tension and suspense to make the relationship between Sam and Clive believable, even though she is a werewolf and he is a vampire which I know means you need to suspend your imagination for that. And, I will say Clive is my ideal alpha hero. He is strong without being a macho ass. If you’re looking for a great escape and urban fantasy is your thing, I would pick this one up.
Fabulous Urban Fantasy/PNR debut!
This novel contains unforgettable characters who pulled me into their story and engaged my emotions. Sam, Clive, and the entire supporting cast of characters kept me rooting for them on every page. I simply could not put his urban fantasy down.
Fans of Patricia Briggs and Darynda Jones will find Kelly’s novel a welcome addition to their bookshelves.
This series has a fascinating paranormal world, great conflict, and complex characters. I’m hooked on the series and patiently waiting for the next book!
Absolutely loved the book. I have been fortunate to go to Egypt 3 times in the 80s and the whole storyline was great. One of those books u can’t put down. You want to keep reading but then u don’t want it to end
Very good, lots of action,
Funny and hairraising
The world created here is fantastic. The themes empowering. The writing is crisp and clever and the pop culture references are spots of sunshine. ALL the emotions are present and accounted for. This is primarily a paranormal suspense story with a side dose of a romance storyline. But the romance storyline plays into the suspense and also adds a sweet element to what is otherwise pretty darn creepy and scary.
Sam is the badass female protagonist we all want to read and her vulnerabilities make her a sympathetic hero. Clive is the romantic hero we all want to have crazy for us. Owen and Dave are the friends we all want in our lives. The rest of the assorted secondary characters add charm and humor to the story.
This is a great read that I could not put down! Can not wait to dive into the next book.
Poor Sam just keeps getting into trouble, you just can’t help but feel for her, as well as enjoy all the “friends” she keeps getting help from, as well as energizing her inner warrior!
Interesting new urban fantasy with a wide spectrum of supernatural creatures set in San Francisco.
TW: Depictions of past assault and the resulting trauma.
Rated 3.0-3.5 stars.
The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar follows the wild adventures of owner Sam Quinn, werewolf extraordinaire. When women start showing up murdered and marked with scars identical to the ones Sam carries, her life takes a tailspin into crazy. Now Sam has to watch out for werewolves, psychic visions that entrap her to kill, and angry customers. Partnering up with her sarcastic demon cook, wichee employee, and protective vampire lord, Sam sets out to remind everyone that she is a survivor. A survivor that won’t be put down again.
I will warn readers that this story does have trigger warnings of sexual assault and torture that are mentioned throughout the story, but not on-screen.
The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar was an enjoyable quick read. The entire premise of an underground supernatural community and the bookstore/bar that services them fits nicely into my favorite genre of urban fantasy. Defying the stereotypical ferocious female bartender norm, Sam Quinn is a gentle and kind soul that has endeared herself to the supernatural community of San Francisco. The glimpses of Sam’s backstory that Kelly gives us helps explain the strength and depth of Sam’s character. However, I felt like the story lost a lot of this strength and depth amidst the constant and repetitive psychic attacks. While I loved the interplay between Sam and Clive, the hot vampire master intent on saving Sam, their interactions sometimes painted Sam as the “helpless” girl instead of the survivor she truly was. I will add that the ending of the book does redeem Sam the survivor, but the middle portions of the book do not necessarily paint this picture.
Besides the romantic interactions and character presentation, The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar created a new concept of urban fantasy to offer readers seeking something close to home but still imaginative. Although certain aspects of supernatural living in San Francisco is hinted at in Kelly’s story, the wealth of details about community regulations, species explanations, or even patron interactions in Sam’s bar/bookstore was sorely missing. Adding more information into the story about how the community actually functions would have seriously contributed to this story, setting it apart from other urban fantasy stories. As it is, Kelly wrote a fun introduction to the world of Sam Quinn, but with almost 300 pages in the book it seems like there was a lot of unused space.
Overall, this was a fun read that introduced the supernatural scene of San Francisco without overwhelming readers with details. The stage is set for the adventures of the residential bookstore/bar owner. Despite the length of the book, the story was missing a depth of details that would vault it from ordinary yet interesting to compelling and engaging. Sam Quinn’s adventures will make you laugh and perhaps keep you engaged long enough to continuing reading what happens next.
loved the book. i am impatiently waiting for the next installment!!
Not your usual vampire book
This book was wonderful, the characters were well developed.
I loved the San Francisco setting, and the clever ways of incorporating so many supernatural beings into the story.
Wow, the main heroine is a superhero at survival, which makes for an action filled story., which keeps you guessing to the end. Calamity continues to happen, even though there are some greatly powerful characters at hand to help. Cue in a swoon worthy love interest. Great, fun dialogue ensues, and the world building is interesting and fresh. I really enjoyed this, and look forward to the next one.
5 Cranky Stars
Sam is a lone wolf in San Francisco looking to rebuild her life after losing her mother and being attacked at her uncle’s house. She decides to open up the slaughtered lamb bookstore and Bar, and decides that she will have a life alone. She has a witch and a demon that works for her at the slaughtered lamb, many patrons of the fae folk around her. One of her patrons, Clive, the master vampire of San Francisco stop saying once a month I have a whiskey. She has an attraction to Clive, not knowing but he also has an attraction to her. When all of a sudden a dead body lands in front of her bar, and this kicks off a world wind of attacks against her. Clive is there to protect her and keep her safe, and the love that blossoms between the two of them is the stuff of fantasies. This is an amazing book, well written, and worth all the time it takes to read it.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
The is my first book by Seana Kelly. It won’t be the last. She has spun a magical tale of paranormal living among us but also in their own little world.
Do you know what I mean? I often get lost in the worlds of the books I’m reading and forget about the one I’m living. It’s easy to do when you’re sucked into a good book. This one is no exception.
There is a lot going on in this book. The setting is in a paranormal bookstore and bar. I think it would be really cool to visit if you could get in. Sounds like it would be one of the best places to snuggle up with a book and study people.
While Sam, the bookstore bar owner, is completely clueless about the paranormal community that supports her and knows more about her than she realizes she’s made a few close friends. Those friends will be put to the test in this story though. So will Sam.
I enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to reading the next on in the series. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal books this one should be next on your list. I highly recommend it.
Urban fantasy has always been by far my favorite genre, and I do like a little bit of romance running through it if it’s not the main part of the story. It’s been hard finding trad published ones, so I was excited coming across this one. I admit at first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this. But with excellent writing and interesting characters, I was drawn in. By the end of the book, I knew I couldn’t wait to come back to this unique and interesting world. I would like a little more explanation of the bar and bookstore next time, though. This is a good series starter, but there is reference to the protagonist’s past rape for those who have triggers. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
Before I begin my review for The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar by Seana Kelly, I would personally like to thank the author, the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and I have reviewed it honestly.
A fast paced, tragic and death defying supernatural tale, The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar tells the tale of a scarred werewolf as she overcomes her horrific past. Death haunts her at every turn as we explore captivating characters, smouldering romance and undying friendships.
The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
NA fantasy
Supernatural beings
Supernatural bar
Magic and spells
Werewolves
Smut
Vampires
Witches (wicches)
Assassination attempts
Protagonists with a dark past
Scars
My overall rating for The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar is…
5 Stars!
Prepare for a panic attack because this one was a gripping tale that hit me right in the feels. Female protagonists with scars and a dark past always hold my heart in their fists and I love experiencing their transformations with them as they overcome their life’s horrors. Also, her name is Sam and that’s a pretty cool name in my professional Sam opinion. Back to the book, I loved the authors engaging and fun writing style and the horrific, exciting and romantic events that made this book unstoppable. Supernatural readers will devour this book.