Aranha is the last of her kind, a spider shifter who preys upon the dregs of society in an attempt to validate her existence and feed her hunger.
Welcome to one of the February 11th stops on the blog tour for A Spider in the Garden by Courtney Davis with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts & interviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.
About the Book
A Spider in the Garden
by Courtney Davis
Published 8 February 2022
5 Prince Publishing
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Page Count: 231
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Aranha is the last of her kind, a spider shifter who preys upon the dregs of society in an attempt to validate her existence and feed her hunger. She’s lived alone for two hundred years, no family and no friends; always watchful for those who would kill her.
Dag is one of a dying species, vampires who can walk in the day. They have lost their companions and live in dread of the day that they too will become extinct; leaving the earth to the vile creatures who prey upon humans without mercy.
Aranha sees danger in Dag’s face, Dag sees the future in hers. Neither can believe the other exists and their lives are about to get very complicated. Together they embark on a mission to save a young human from the vampires and learn the reality of what their two species were doing in The Garden of Eden.
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Excerpt
She didn’t like the idea of being in his space, but the public was no place for this conversation. She didn’t trust him, but she was curious as to what he could possibly think she needed his help with, and how did he even exist? She had as many questions as he did, she was sure. She couldn’t keep Jonah and herself safe if she didn’t know what was out there; maybe he wasn’t the only one and she needed to be aware of them as a danger too. She decided she had no better option. “I will follow you,” she agreed.
He nodded and held the door open for her gallantly. She didn’t move. “I said I’ll follow you.”
“You should trust me,” he said quietly.
His blue eyes stared straight into hers, it touched her soul and she had to steel herself against the threat of feelings she had no use for. “Why?” she hissed.
“I don’t think you have anyone else,” he said quietly, then went out the door and up the stairs.
She bristled at the truth in his words. Other than Jonah, she didn’t have anyone, but she didn’t have to trust him, she had no reason to think he meant her anything other than harm. She tucked her knives away and locked the door behind them. Three brown spiders crept out of the dark and looked up at her. “Cover the door, make sure it looks unused and unwelcoming.”
My Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
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I was granted complimentary access to A Spider in the Garden as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
Ever since I started book blogging and accepting books for review I’ve discovered a whole lot of subgenres and new spins on old archetypes that I didn’t know were out there. I was starting to think I’d seen it all, but this was a new one! We’ve got a badass leading lady who happens to be a spider shifter (yup, I said spider!) and the accidental adoptive mother of a werewolf. Oh, and she seems to be the last of her kind. Life’s complicated. Imagine how much more complicated it gets when she meets a vampire who was never human and learns that they, their species, are two sides of the same coin.
What I loved: Pretty much everything about Aranha. Who she is, what she is, and the situations she ends up in. I could read a whole series about this woman! Beyond this, all of Davis’ main and secondary characters are interesting, layered, and unique, and I really enjoyed getting to know them.
What I’m not as fond of: I was warned that this was a fantasy romance, and shifter stories tend to be romances, but wow that was some weird and explicit adult fun time. It’s a risk I took willingly, I’m not fond of those sort of scenes, so I mention it here for the sake of future readers who don’t care for them either. Some of these scenes do reveal vital information, so they cannot be skipped or skimmed.
Overall: This is a solid paranormal adventure that moves fast and introduces us to great characters. If you don’t mind scenes that get quite steamy and you love shifter stories, read this now!
About the Author
Courtney Davis is an author of urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural fiction with a little romance and humor thrown in. She loves creating worlds and exploring human, and inhuman, interaction. She lives in North Idaho with her husband and children where she teaches and enjoys time spent relaxing in the summer sun and winters by the fire. She has always had an affinity for reading and writing and a goal to make a career of it. There is no greater joy than to know her words took a reader out of reality for a time and into another world.
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Giveaway Alert!
Courtney Davis will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Feb 7 | Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! | Feb 8 | All the Ups and Downs |
| Feb 9 | Literary Gold | Feb 10 | Fabulous and Brunette |
| Feb 10 | Straight From the Library | Feb 11 | Christine Young |
| Feb 11 | Westveil Publishing | Feb 14 | The Key Of Love |
| Feb 14 | fundinmental | Feb 15 | Read Your Writes Book Reviews |
| Feb 16 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews | Feb 17 | Gina Rae Mitchell |
| Feb 17 | Long and Short Reviews | Feb 18 | Kit ‘N Kabookle |
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review my story! I appreciate the honest opinion and am so glad you enjoyed it. One thing I’m really proud of is that i do feel i had a unique idea with this story.
Sounds like a good book.
I think so, of course lol. Thank you for stopping in and reading about it!
Great excerpt, Courtney, A Spider in the Garden sounds like a fantastic read for me with some unique elements for me to enjoy! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks, Jenna, for sharing your great review! Have a terrific weekend!
I’m glad you stopped in to check it out! I think it’s a really easy book for people to enjoy.
Have s great day!
Thank you for sharing your honest review of this book, it sounds like a very interesting read