This was SUCH a good book. I enjoyed almost everything about it. I laughed, I swooned (a lot), and kept wanting to find out what happened next. It was a great world created here with an interesting combination of dark realms, shifters, normals, and Nordic myths. What I really liked, that we definitely do not get enough of, was just how realistic and believable Raven was. She knew her limits and had no illusions of her being a one woman army. She had spunk, but knew when to bite her tongue. Her internal battle of wills between her head and her body were too funny. She didn't constantly run off doing stupid shit just to prove that she could. Needless to say, I liked her.

Raven was just a normal girl, working two jobs and living in a shitty apartment thanks to her ex who left her with $50k in debt. Just because she's part Other and can shift into a bunch of crows doesn't make her that special. Or does it? She's had a rough couple years now, but she has a family she loves and who will always be there for her. Unfortunately, her twin has disappeared. And there are a lot of dangerous people looking for him.

Cole is one such person. Patron fae of assassins, Lord of Shadows...he can kidnap me any day. Raven called it to a T when she said he was 'Tall, Dark, and Dangerous'. He's not a man to mess with with his violent personality that was just so damn hot. Add to that his quick wit, superior attitude, and volatile treatment of Raven and I'm a goner. Cole knows it was Raven's brother (Bear) that stole something from him, something very powerful, and he'll use any means to get it back before anyone else.

So the two of them sort of work together in order figure out where Bear disappeared to. During which time, Raven is constantly attacked by another Dark Fae Lord and Cole is always trying to save or protect her. Who cares if a few people have to die in order for him to do so. Something Raven thinks she should feel bad about, but in Cole's presence it only turns her on. I hear ya sister. During this time Raven is also constantly fighting her body's reaction to Cole because her body wants him bad. Man, did it take long enough for them to finally get together!

The more they find out, the more questions Raven ends up having. Her search for her brother leads her to, arguably, the most powerful person around...and her learning of her real father. Something she has a lot of trouble wrapping her head around. After Raven gets kidnapped (for the third time) we learn who was behind everything and why. It was a good end with some interesting fighting and lots of bloodshed. The only thing that could be considered urk-some is her brother's declaration because it was sooooo predictable.

The very end annoyed me, but only because I would have done the opposite of Raven. And I have a feeling what she did is going to have a Riddick kind of affect. If my theory is correct, this is going to be awesome going forward and would give her and Cole no reason to be apart. I really hope I remember to keep my eye out for the next one.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy Conspiracy of ravens. This was book 1 of the Raven Crawford series and I look forward to reading the next book. Raven works two jobs to pay off the loan she stupidly co-signed for her boyfriend. She has always tried to steer clear of the Fae world, until her twin steals from the Lord of Shadows. After that her world is turned upside down. Raven who is a
PI by day for her stepfather and a waitress at night, has a lot of snark which I like...and her diner pet peeves are bang on! The sizzle between her and Cole is great, and the plot kept me intrigued throughout. I was worried we wouldn’t meet Bear, her twin, but we did, briefly....so hopefully more of him in the next book!

Rating: 3.25 stars ... Because it's more than a 3 star read but not quite 3.5 stars? I'm a little torn, haha

I really liked this book, but at the same time I got impatient with Raven endlessly oggling Cole and lusting after his "dong" (as she so eloquently puts it) and talking EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. about how he smells like a moonlit forest glade or whatever. I get it - dude smells good. You don't need to talk about inhaling his scent every time he makes an appearance.

The overall mystery-ish plotline is interesting, as one would expect from an Urban Fantasy PI book. (Why are most Urban Fantasies about private investigators, detectives, and bounty hunters, anyway?) The who/what/why are pretty well plotted, but the entire story keeps getting bogged down by Raven and Cole's sexual hijinks. And when I say that as a romance reader... Yeah, it's a bit of a problem.

Raven is really interesting (and a total badass!), and I LOVE her family of fox shifters. I definitely want to read more about her half-siblings Mike and Juni. Cole is also intriguing in that dark, broody bad-boy way (or Tall, Dark, and Deadly...) and his interactions with Raven are alternately hot and hilarious. The writing itself is really well done, but the overall story just moves kind of slowly.

This is the first book in the Raven Crawford series. It can be read as a standalone in that the major plotline is resolved within this book, but it also is left somewhat open ended to continue for further books in the series. Personally, I doubt I'll be continuing with the series.

I am a huge fan of PNR/UF but this just didn't work for me. The beginning was hard to get into and the worst of it all was that Raven is a whiney mare with an inner monologue of a sixteen year old who has never had sex the oggling of the designated Hero? Really annoying.

This book was received as an ARC from J. C. McKenzie in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was very intrigued when I was introduced to this book die to its amazing cover art and intriguing description so immediately I had high expectations for this book. My expectations were met and then some. Raven was such a mesmerizing protagonist that you could not help but support her and be on her side. While aiming to pay off her debts, Raven's twin brother gets himself into trouble and Raven will stop at nothing to save him even if it means giving up what she loves most. I also love the unique approach J.C. McKenzie took with this book and it made the book so different that it was a whole book of twists and turns. Our book club will definitely be interested in this book when it gets released.

We will consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Three and a half
Can we just stop and admire that cover artwork because it's truly beautiful and definitely caught my eye. This world the author has created has outed the paranormals in it due to the fae going to war and as this story begins its only because to the powers of Odin that an uneasy accord has been reached. Most humans quite rightly fear the fae but there appears to even be hatred for witches and shifters too. Raven is something special although most believe her to be a Fox shifter like her family. She's actually half Fae so when she does shift it's not into what you might expect. She's struggling to make ends meet due to her scumbag ex boyfriend but too proud to admit it. What she doesn't need is two scary powerful dark Fae lords tracking her down believing she knows where her twin brother Bear is. Turns out light fingered Bear has taken something valuable and Raven makes a deal that will change her life !
I loved the ideas in play here but sadly the execution let it down. The first half was so slow with superfluous, drawn out scenes that felt clunky and just didn't move the plot along. Happily the second half was much better and we finally got more information about Bear and what he had supposedly stolen. There is romance here but you have to wade through Raven making googlie eyes at Cole for an awfully long time before anything happens. The author clearly wanted to make Raven cool and the dialogue reflects this but for me at times it just felt like too much unfortunately but I did enjoy thirst I'm glad I persevered and would be interested in reading more about Raven .
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Loved this!! Raven kind of reminds me of Charley Davidson with the laugh out loud moments. I loved the chemistry between her and Cole and the mythology behind Raven's world. I can't wait for the next installment and will also have to see if JC has more books out there because her voice is one I want to read more of!

Raven Crawford – half fae, PI by night, waitress by day – is in some hefty financial trouble thanks to a scumbag ex. That’s before two fae lords turn up looking for her brother, Bear, who seems to have stolen something valuable. What follows is very typical urban fantasy but done extremely well with plenty of snarky dialogue and a smattering of sex. (Fun but not strictly necessary imo) There’s a great cast of characters and the plot is engaging. I will definitely continue the series.

Raven, and her brother Bear, have always been different from their fox shifter siblings. Their father was an Other which makes them half breeds who have to hide what they are. When Bear disappears, Raven knows he's in trouble but there are so many Others after him for stealing a magical object that she needs help. That is when she teams up with ends Cole, the Lord of Shadows. I love it when I read the first book in a new urban fantasy romance series and can't wait for the next one!

I received a free copy of CONSPIRACY OF RAVENS (Book 1 of the Raven Crawford Series) by J.C. McKenzie in exchange for an honest review. Raven Crawford is juggling two jobs. By day, she works for her family’s private investigation firm and, by night, Raven grinds the hours away by waitressing at a diner. Still, Raven doesn’t even have enough money to live in her own apartment; she’s going to have to move into her parents’ basement. Why? Her ex-boyfriend declared bankruptcy and stuck her with $50,000.00 in debt; that’s why. Raven soon finds that more than one man has gotten her into trouble. When the bad guys come kidnapping, Raven learns her twin brother has stolen something valuable and is being hunted. Now, Raven has to find her brother and return the stolen item to save herself and her family. When the bad guys are all powerful Fae Lords, Raven can’t simply fly away.

I would classify this as an urban fantasy romance series with a secondary mystery/adventure storyline. It’s a pretty good start to a series; hopefully, the future books will focus more on the mystery and less on the torrid romance.

#ConspiracyOfRavens #NetGalley

Finding a new Urban Fantasy Series is always a nostalgic experience for me. It takes me back to when I first discovered the genre and rediscovered my love for reading. I almost always see shades of a previous world. Spotting them is part of the fun, though so is seeing the way the author remixes those familiar elements. Conspiracy of Ravens reminds me of Hailey Edwards Black Dog Books, Diana Rowland’s Demon Series, and just a little bit of Charmed.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Raven and Cole. I liked Raven’s family of Fox Shifters. The world is interesting, especially the Fae and the Shadow World. But I felt like the story moved too slowly. Raven spends a lot of time investigating without finding anything. Since that’s not unusual for a Mystery or a series starter, I’d be willing to give the next book in the series a chance.

Three and a half stars.

Raven Crawford is in a bad place. Her ex-boyfriend declared bankruptcy and stiffed her with his $50,000 bank loan that she co-signed, now he's a doctor and she's had to give up college and work with her father in his detective agency to (barely) meet the bills.

There are two dark fae lords looking for her twin brother Bear, and they won't believe her when she says she doesn't know where he is. He's stolen something very valuable and both fae lords want it back.

This book has got a great world-building mythology. The fae broke into the mortal realm and started fighting over possession. Only Odin managed to stop the fae completely decimating humanity but the cat is well and truly out of the bag when it comes to the others. Raven and Bear are half-brother and sister to fox shifters but the two of them are actually half-fae, although they never knew their father.

Where I felt this fell down a bit for me, and got half a star knocked off, was that the romance overwhelmed the mystery. I wanted to find out where Bear was, and what the stolen object was, but I got a lot of shower sex and lusting after a fae lord.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this and I would like to read the next book in the series.

I received a free copy f this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This novel was an enjoyable read, bringing mythology and shifters together to weave a tale where everyone has a motive. Raven Crawford has had to hide her true heritage all her life, for fear of being discovered by those in the Underworld. Her current situation in life sucks, but she is doing what she can so she can move forward. However, when her twin brother Bear gets into some unsavory business and disappears, Raven cannot sit idle. However, she is not the only one looking for Bear. When Cole, the Lord of Shadows helps Raven, they make an oath with each other. Raven has protective instincts to those in her family and does not trust Cole, but yet cannot deny the steamy attraction they have for one another. As they travel throughout the city following up potential leads, they run into more trouble. Cole is keeping secrets, which bothers Raven, for she fears for her twin. Much is at stake for both Raven and Cole, for the real danger will not reveal themselves until the right moment. Looking forward to the next novel in the series!

This is my 3rd read from JC McKenzie. It's a new PNR series that includes fae and shifters so far. Raven is a no nonsense kind of gal who gets caught in a tangled web of schemes, betrayal, and deceit because of her brother. Through, this she meets Cole, who is a dark fae lord and super hot. They go up against a big bad. Some lines are blurred. Identities are shattered. A lot happens. We wrap up nicely with this installment but are definitely left wanting the second book to come out soon!