I am very sad to say that this book is just awful.
There are so many different things wrong I don't know if I can even be bothered to list them all.
I didn't expect something so bad in every aspect especially because I've enjoyed her Magical Romantic Comedies series.
In stark contrast to Playing with Fire which made me laugh until tears, most of the humor in this book fell completely flat. It was either cringe-worthy or just not funny.
Even apart from the attempts at humor, basically all the dialogue reads stilted and plastic. That is probably partly because the author tries to convey a huge amount of worldbuilding through dialogue which is a hard thing to do naturally and she fails miserably at it in this case. I want to say that the book might have worked a lot better by starting earlier in the MCs story so the author would've had more time to explain the world in a more natural fashion if there wasn't the plot.

From here on out I will spoil stuff up to chapter 10 which is a bit over one-third of the book.

The plot premise is not meant to be humorous but is nonetheless completely absurd in every aspect of it. And there are a lot of details, none of which make even the slightest bit of sense.
The normal democratic senate of the US is passing laws that are literally worse than Hitler. MUCH WORSE. There is no huge authoritarian government ruling with an iron fist and enforcing insane ideological ideas, no, it's just people voting for the killing of 20% of the population. And there isn't even some good reason for it. There isn't some horrendous crisis or anything. The majority of people are apparently just living their lives thinking, hey, I wouldn't mind if 20% of people I know were murdered by the government because they don't have enough magic. Oh, and while we are already at it, let's force breed all magically strong females too.
I am sorry, but excuse me? WHAT?
I explained the circumstances in a more extreme way than the book does of course. It's not actually presented in this way but if you think through the implications that is the only conclusion you can come to. Maybe the author just didn't think it through at all and didn't realize this.
And this is not meant as a joke or something. That is literally the premise. And you know how the MC is going to prevent that? By registering as private investigators. I am not kidding you.
This is by far not the only bullshit the author is trying to sell but it's the one that stood out to me the most.

This gets a no-star rating from me.

I could have looked past the awkward attempt at less expository world-building and the off-the-mark humor. I was intrigued by the initial premise of the MC being a scarred ex-bodyguard that changed her identity to escape her past and work as a librarian. I actually loved this setup. I even enjoyed her old boss that very obviously had more romantic plans for the MC for a long time, catching up to her again and trying to take over her new life but getting his ass handed to him by the strong-headed MC. That was a very cute and enjoyable romance setup. There were many components in this book that could've made for a wonderful and cute romance. And I expect some of this is probably where this story is essentially going too. But I just couldn't ignore the blatant disregard for even the slightest bit of common sense in terms of the murder mystery plot.
( )

Excellent book; interesting world, with magic integrated into the modern world...and politics messing it up. Lots of rules and regulations defining what you can do depending on your power level and the type of magic you can handle - apparently most people have one specialty, an innate preference for one type of power. Our Heroine is an exsanguinator, controlling blood - anything from bursting someone's heart to keeping the blood flowing where it ought to go despite a bullet wound to the aorta. There's a romance which neither participant is willing to admit to, though external forces are advancing it - his mother, mostly. The story starts with a murder, which they're supposed to be solving - but 99% of the story is politics, either jumping through regulatory hoops to get permission to investigate, or trying to figure out why the murder (of a Senator) happened; probably because of a bill he was supporting. But whether he was murdered to stop the bill, or to push it further...a lot of speculation. And the story just...stops. There's a few minor resolutions, but none of the major arcs - murder, romance, permission to investigate, heck, even the renovation of the library is still in the planning stages. I hadn't realized the next book isn't even due out until late this year or early next, bah. Very enjoyable story - and a chunky book, over 500 pages - but I need the next one now, drat it! The most enjoyable part of the book is the characters, and the way they bicker and argue and still strongly support one another. I laughed aloud many times while reading, and I suspect the characters will stick with me for quite a while. Hope they stick long enough I don't have to reread when I get the next book. ( )

Terrific start to a new series

I absolutely loved this book. While different from the Magical Romantic Comedy series (also a favourite!) it takes place in the same world setting where magical abilities are the norm.

The central character, Janette, is a sometime bodyguard who was almost killed protecting her principal and is now living under a false identity as a librarian (librarians rock!). The book is packed with a richly diverse set of characters whose wrangling provides a lot of entertainment. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between the two main characters and their respective parents.

It will be a long wait for the next book in this series while the author writes other books, but I will read anything she writes so I will happily restrain my impatience.

Highly recommended. ( )

Protagonist’s cat is realistic!

I enjoyed this book tremendously. So many authors who write about cats clearly have never lived with (and loved) a cat. The cat in this charming novel behaves like a cat!

So many interesting things are incorporated into this fantasy novel—libraries and librarians, struggles with an injury/disability, politics and legislation, classism, work as a body guard, a romance, fast cars and spicy food!. The “step-away” from our world is a scheme of magic abilities that is fully integrated into society and affecting the organization of society.

This is the first book in a projected five book series, and while the murder mystery is not solved, this book’s equivalent of a “scooby gang” appears to have been formed by book-end, so there is a satisfying book end (and a HEA in sight)—even though I am anxious for the next book to be written, published and released.

This cover is so pretty! I love the purples, blues, and pinks not to mention the cat. Janette visually reminds me of a more alluring and magical version of Velma from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (just from the cover). The author's love of cats definitely doesn't hurt 😽 - I usually assume (in this case incorrectly) that they're merely a "decoration" of sorts. The appearance of pistols in this book as well as cars and Janette's love of them was surprising but made me like her even more. I wish that our world could have safeties and safe locks that were dependent upon being handled by the correct DNA.

The importance piled onto the purity of magical blood isn't a new concept for but the percentage rating applied to magic was. I'd be curious to see it applied to Harry Potter wizards that claim "pureblood" status to see where they fall. The intricacies of the magical world in this book is really interesting and fleshed out well. Even though it takes place in the States this United States runs like a mesh between what we've got in our own world and a caste system based on magic rating and rarity. Your magical rating directly affects your societal standing and even so far as the insurance you're able to receive. There are quite a few similarities between the political and social unrest of the United States in the book and what we're experiencing in our own reality now. There is quite a bit of explanation into the magical, political, and societal aspects of Janette's world which could be a little exhausting for some readers. Since this is the first book in the series I am putting my money down on that being introductory and hopefully won't be as extensive in the following books in the series.

I really enjoyed Janette's quirky cat and book-loving personality - she reminds me quite a bit of myself when you throw in her penchant for fast cars and weapons. The supporting characters were well done and further developed the complexity of the magical world in this book. I think that we'll learn even more about this cast of characters when the next book in the series releases. I'm not entirely sure if the author is a fan of Magic the Gathering and if that's where Ajani's name comes from but if it is - I love it even more, I love that game! If you're hoping for a quick murder mystery series where it's tied up at the end of the book this series may not be for you. I would consider Booked for Murder essentially what it is - an introduction into R.J. Blain's new series Vigilante Magical Librarians.

I would highly recommend Booked for Murder to readers who enjoy magic, political intrigue, strong female protagonists, punny banter, and last but certainly not least cats. This book took me totally by surprise and I will definitely be following this series. A big thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this sleeper of a book. ( )