Caffeinated Reviewer | A Malicious Menagerie by Josie Ryann
3rd Sep
A Malicious Menagerie by Josie Ryann is the first in the Fangs & Fabes series. Anna accepts a job at Mars Mathis’s Mystical Menagerie and discovers rare supernatural creatures, from Wendigo to a wolf held in captivity. As she takes care of the creatures and forms bonds, she must choose between their freedom and protecting her ailing grandmother.
A Malicious Menagerie
by Josie Ryann
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Source: Author
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Rating: 
Heat Level: 
Welcome to the menagerie, and please, mind the fangs…Twenty-two-year-old Anna Carmichael is down on her luck. Even juggling three dead-end jobs, she’s struggling to keep herself and her ailing grandmother afloat. When she’s offered a position as caretaker for an eccentric rich man’s collection of exotic animals, she jumps at the opportunity despite the ominous nondisclosure agreement. The reason for all the secrecy is revealed when Anna discovers that the residents of Mars Mathis’s Mystical Menagerie aren’t exotic—they’re mythological.
Her boss’s chilling warnings leave no doubt—these creatures are his property, and he’ll protect them at any cost. Anna’s moral compass shatters as she befriends the very beings she’s meant to cage. And an unexpected but irresistible passion ignites with Chase, the enigmatic wolf, as powerful and protective as he is trapped. Caught between her unwavering loyalty to her grandmother, the menagerie’s deadly threats, and a love bound by iron bars, Anna must decide—what is she willing to sacrifice?
A paranormal romance perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Patricia Briggs!
A Malicious Menagerie is the first paranormal romance in the Fangs & Fables series. I believe these stories will be independent, but in the same world, and I’m looking forward to the second book.
The story begins when we meet twenty-two-year-old Anna Carmichael. Anna is working three jobs to support herself and her ailing grandmother. Anna was attending school to become a veterinarian but left when her grandmother became ill. She currently pays for her to live in a facility and is behind on the monthly payment when she gets offered a caretaker position. The job is with exotic animals and comes with fantastic pay and benefits, not to mention a serious NDA.
Welcome to Mars Mathis’s Mystical Menagerie. On the first night on the job, Anna discovers the creatures she’ll be taking care of aren’t exotic; they are mythological. We’ve got every kind of creature, from those of fairytales to a wendigo. All locked up in an exotic (zoo) collection for a wealthy man who likes to show them off to his clients and friends. Mostly, Anna is left on her own aside from John, her grouchy co-worker, who sees the creatures as nothing more than animals. Anna, of course, befriends all the creatures and struggles with their being locked up.
A friendship/romance develops between Anna and a wolf whom she assumes is a dire wolf, but eventually learns he is a shifter who was taken in Alaska. We witness one of Mathis’s events and discover the savage conditions he keeps a vampire in. Of course, Anna tries to assist, all while falling in love with our wolf. When she discovers he is to be traded, Anna knows it is time to act. Can she save these creatures and protect her grandmother? You’ll need to read and discover for yourself.
There is a second romance that we learn about, and I hope that is developed in book two. Rory, a secondary character, was a favorite. I am hoping he and Mathis tangoed. I like the idea of just desserts.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. The pacing started slowly as the author fleshed out the world, and while the romance was the situation that pushed Anna to take action, it was served as a side dish to the menagerie. The ending felt a little rushed for me, but I closed the book satisfied and curious about the next book.
If you enjoy paranormal tales and mythological creatures, you’ll want to read A Malicious Menagerie.
*kindleunlimited
About Josie Ryann
A veterinarian by trade, Josie Ryann’s lifelong love of animals has always extended to mythical beasts and cryptids, and it was that passion that inspired her first book, A Malicious Menagerie. When not saving animals or writing paranormal romance, Josie loves to travel with her husband in search of mermaids and jackalopes.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat.
