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!