OLD DOG, NEW TRICKS by Hailey Edwards

Rating: B
Synopsis:
While Thierry is away, the Morrigan will play. Snatching the crown from her daughter-in-law’s head wasn’t the motherly thing to do, but Thierry doesn’t mind trading the throne in Faerie for the ratty couch in her Texas apartment. The old crow is welcome to it. But ruling one world is not enough. The Morrigan wants an all-access pass to the mortal realm too. 

An attack on the marshal’s office leaves Thierry shaken…and Shaw missing. Now the fight brewing since Thierry took up the Black Dog’s mantle has landed on her doorstep, and the only way to save the man she loves is to defend the title she never wanted. 

My thoughts on the book:
I really loved this entire series, and while this book was my least favorite, it still was a good ending to this part of the story. From my understanding, the next book set in this world will follow Mai's adventures. Part of me is looking forward to that, and the other part of me isn't, but I digress. The character development in this novel is pretty good, the world-building is well-done, and the writing is decent. The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, and I didn't really get into the story until about the 60% mark. That's why I gave this novel a B instead of an A.

Thierry is a strong character, and I've enjoyed reading from her perspective. She's a bit temperamental at times, but that just makes her seem real. I also have quite the temper, so I can relate to her pretty easily. She doesn't disappoint in this book. Not only was she unselfish for the most part, but she also learned to appreciate her fae heritage more. I really enjoyed reading her interactions with Mac. Speaking of Mac, he's a terrific character, and I'm glad we finally got to know him some in this installment. I would have liked to have seen Shaw some, but I know his disappearance was key to Thierry reaching who she was meant to be as a person. I also liked seeing Rook evolve over the course of the novel. Mai wasn't in the book much, but she isn't my favorite, so I didn't mind not having her around. 

As I said, the pacing is a bit slow in the beginning, but I think that was to give Thierry's relationship with Mac some time to develop, and that was nice to see. Most of the book was set in Faerie, and it was interesting to see the denizens, both old and new. Things moved along organically, if a bit slow, and I really enjoyed seeing all of Faerie through Theirry's "tour through the seasons." The ending tied up Thierry's story nicely, but left room for the spin-off with Mai. I'll read that one, I'm sure, just to see if I can tolerate Mai better from her perspective. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to fans of Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance. Edwards has created a beautiful world with charming characters. 

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