Bitter Spirits (Roaring Twenties, #1) by Jenn Bennett

Synopsis (via Goodreads):It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog-covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…

Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.

Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her.

On the hunt for the curseworker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise…

"Everyone wants to be reassured that there's life after death, but I always beg them not to forget that there's life before death--and that's the only thing we really have any sort of control over."

I thought this would be an excellent book to read during October--and I was right! It was wonderful!  It's like the green eggs and ham of books. I would read it in a house, with a mouse, in a box, with a fox-- I would read it anywhere! I honestly could not get enough of this book.

I really enjoyed Aida's character. She's confident, determined, and unafraid of sex and the more risqué things in life. She is okay with who she is as a person, and she isn't looking to change something about herself. It was really refreshing. She may have gotten a little flustered at times, but she still maintained her flirty, daring attitude. I also liked that she knew what she wanted and went for it, even if that meant attacking making a move on a more than willing bootlegger in the back of a taxi.

When it comes to steamy sex scenes, Bitter Spirits doesn't disappoint. I read this at work when I wasn't busy, and there were a few times I couldn't keep the goofy grin off of my face. This book is infectious! It wasn't just about the romance either, the story is solid and intriguing. It's also unpredictable, which always makes things more enjoyable.

“I love you, damn it.”