| Title | : | January Blues (Northarbor Coven, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 186 |
| Publication | : | First published January 30, 2023 |
Contracted to ruin Cody's life, Toth tries everything within the rules to break the perpetually cheerful man. Nothing he does seems to work, and he is pressed to try something else: seduce Cody.
Cody's hidden magic soon has Toth under his spell and has to decide if his freedom or Cody's heart are more important.
January Blues is a spinoff from the Sweetwater Pack series but can be read as a standalone.
January Blues (Northarbor Coven, #1) Reviews
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![Lilly [Hiatus due to School]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1663899589i/10381707._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
"I reached up to press my lips against his. He opened his eyes, smiling as they landed on me. I saw forever in that look. A happy life with a man that understood and accepted every part of me."
January Blues was a charming novella! We have Toth, a demon summoned and contracted to make Cody a witch with no apparent magical ability to mess up and be depressed enough that he will lose out on a promotion. However, this does not go exactly to plan as hidden things become revealed, and feelings change.
I found Toth to be adorably sweet as despite being forced to hurt Cody, he could never bring himself to do anything that would cause him problems.
Cody was a darling, no matter what went wrong, and despite his inner turmoil, he always had a smile. He kept going and was not deterred.
I loved the found family aspect of the story! Some family secrets come unravelled and fated mates (which I always love), and we get introduced to a bunch of new characters for whom I am excited to see future stories! Damon's story next, maybe??
It was fast-paced, and I think it would have been better if it had been a bit longer, as things seemed rushed at times. Overall it was a great read and a great start to an exciting series! -
We've all had a case of the January Blues am I right? The magical time of the holiday season is over and now all those credit card bills come due. Not to mention the few extra pounds that seem to linger from all those Christmas cookies. Or maybe that's just me? Well poor, basically magicless witch Cody is having a tougher time than most during this particular January. His entire family has up and left him to parts unknown. Someone also recently hired a hitman to kill him. Although, that particular event could be seen as a positive. You'll get it once you read the book. Or likely it could just be that someone has summoned a demon to make his life utterly miserable. Yeah, that's most likely it.
Toth aka the demon summoned to fuck with Cody HATES being called to the human realm. He's quite happy living his demon life in his own dimension with his farm and hell cat. I immediately took to him. He's funny and sarcastic. He's also got a few morals I admired, though he's still a demon so don't be expecting a saint. Though he tries his hardest to get Cody down, it continually backfires which leads him to option 2: Seduction. I bet he never thought his plan would lead him to the love of his life.
I really enjoyed this novella. It was a lot of fun and also introduced us to some new characters *cough Damon cough* that I would LOVE to see in a future book. This novella is a spin off from the Sweetwater Pack series, but don't fret if you haven't read them yet, (WHY HAVENT YOU READ THEM YET!!?) because January Blues can most definitely stand alone. I do think it may up your enjoyment a tad more since there are a few small cameos, but nothing that would cause confusion. -
Off it goes to be edited!
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2 stars
Very low angst fated mates
I got this as a freebie a while back and for some reason it has been calling to me lately. Maybe I built it up too much in my head but I was really disappointed by this.
It wasn't bad, the prose was actually pretty good. It just really wasn't for me.
There were no stakes or angst or really any tension either. I found both villains to be absurd. I felt like I was dropped in the middle of a story with very little information, and I know this is a spin-off but my questions don't seem related to that series. Basil, Austin and Damon were really lacking backstory.
Toth and Cody just randomly become fated mates halfway through the book and I didn't even get to enjoy any of the build-up to it, where Toth reluctantly is trying to ruin Cody's life while Cody miraculously bounces back from everything, because it was all done so quickly.
It was way too easy to find Cody's father and whatever vibe he has with his assistant, and with Cody's friend Damon got on my nerves.
All in all, I did not have a good time reading this and only finished it because it was so short. -
Toth can be summoned, he has a killing strangling contract with witch Basil.
The contract is almost done, after this job he’ll be free. The job? Ruin Cody’s life.
Easy peasy, ha! Not!
Cody is more human than a witch, he got almost zero magic. He’s all alone, left behind by his family.
He got one friend, the ever-optimistic Damon, a hitman who got the job to kill Cody but fell in love with him.
Toth is not different, he tried everything, and now at last he has to seduce Cody and break his heart. Instead, something else is happening.
This was an eventful story, surprising turns, with awesome magic, and magical characters.
Captivatingly written with not one dull moment, there are harsh moments but mostly it’s on the sweet side.
A wonderful spinoff from the Sweetwater Pack series. -
Toth is a cranky winged delight, and Cody is the sweetest little cinnamon roll. I loved all the side characters and want all their stories, too. This was the perfect length, with great pacing, and you don’t need to have read Sweetwater to enjoy this companion novella. It was a great read for a dreary January day!
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“I could hardly grasp the concept. Mates were rare in the demon dimension. I never thought to meet mine. Yet one kiss had told me that not only was {he} part demon, he was all mine. My mate.”
This novella is an excellent bridge between the Sweetwater Pack series and this new Northarbor Coven series. Lots of new characters (that obviously deserve a future HEA 😉) and cameo’s from the Sweetwater Pack.
I would consider this fairly low angst but with that said my heart bleeds for Cody! Not being accepted by his family and many of his peers and when he finally started to get answers, unraveling the lies hiding him from his true self, he was further ostracized. But he continued to look for the bright spot in each situation to give him strength to get through it. Him and Toth are so perfect together and side note are super hot!
I hope we see more of the demon world in future books. I loved all aspects of it thus far, royalty, castles, world description, Toths hellcat and hell-spice apples! -
Ahh so freaking good
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Why did I wait so long?
OK, why did I wait so long to read this? Seriously? Love demons and love witches combined make my favorite kind of stories!
Jax does not disappoint with this new spinoff series from her popular Sweetwater Pack series( which will admit haven't read all of yet, have time be in a mpreg mood). A great introduction to this universe, and I can not wait to see who gets paired off next!
So yes, it can be read as a standalone, short quick read to introduce you to Jax paranormal writing style (which I love!). So dive in and enjoy! -
I don't venture into the world of paranormal romance often, but Jax Stuart's January Blues pulled me from contemporary and I am so glad that it did. This book was amazing, even if not my usual fare. I could not put it down.
January Blues is the story of Toth and Cody. Toth is a demon who is contracted to ruin Cody's life when it looks like he'll get a promotion over his professional rival. Either to ruin his life or to seduce him if it doesn't look like he can ruin his life. The first part of the story shows Toth attempting to fill his contract - and being more and more drawn to his target. Which of course leads us to option two and the second part of the book.
The second part of the book is filled with some interesting twists and turns. Which I mean you should expect twists and turns in a book about the supernatural where demons, shifters, witches, fae, elves, and everything else exists. The second part is also filled with a cute love story between Toth and Cody.
Toth and Cody had amazing chemistry and were great characters. I loved Cody and all of his awkward charm. I loved his friendship with the hitman that had originally been contracted to kill him (and will hopefully be reading his story at some point.) I loved Toth and his general personality. I especially loved Toth's hell cat.
Side note: Jax, I would like a hell cat. Please and thank you.
This book was a fun pallette cleanser, something different than my usual fare. And it doesn't have MPreg, so if you're like me and don't really care much for MPreg, then proceed. (There are mentions to MPreg with other characters because it does exist in this universe.) This is also the same universe as the Sweetwater Pack, but you don't have to read them to get into this one. I can say that 100% as I've not read the Sweetwater books.
I recommend this book. Its a fun little romp. -
‘Cody didn't have magic. Or at least what little magic he had was undetectable. However, there was something very different about him. I'd felt it when I'd touched his hand that first day we'd "met". A zing of something had passed from him to me, unnoticed by Cody. That thing was growing as the weeks passed.’
When Cody, a witch with very little magic, is targeted, demon Toth must, as he is forced to do so, create tons of trouble to create upheaval in Cody’s life. But an unexpected connection changes each of their worlds.
Jax Stuart creates a spin-off novella from the Sweetwater Pack series, in January Blues. An although this is a shorter read, it is quite thrilling and romantic and paranormal, with witches, demons, shifters, and humans sometimes living in the same place.
I really enjoyed reading this and will head back to read this entire series! -
This was a perfect starting novella for this new series! Just the right amount of world building so you do not have to have the read the other series, but also has some cameos of the previous characters to enjoy as well! Cody is the sweetest witch despite all that happens to him and his inability to use powers. Toth our demon sent to torment Cody just wanted to be on his own with his cat. I found his reluctance to deal with others amusing. Cody however brought out his sweet side too. I adored these two and cannot wait for the rest of the series.
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1/5 🌶️ Rating
This had a strong start for me with a decent writing base. The character's were pretty... not bland but there wasn't a whole lot of depth to them, and the depth that was there seemed more surface level.
And while it started off strong, I did feel it taper out towards the middle. There was a moment where it felt like the happy ending should have happened, and that the author wanted to quickly close off the loose thread still waving around.
Smut in this was of the softer variety, sweeter than spicy.
All together, not bad. -
The poor human who just can't catch a break and the sweet cinnamon roll of a demon who is sent to make his life miserable. Toth doesn’t want to be at some stupid worthless witch’s beck and call. He just wants to take care of his “cat.” OMG Jax Stuart, these two are divine! I love this world you have created here with the Sweetwater Pack and everything adjacent. But it just can’t get any sweeter than the clueless witch with no magic who somehow makes everyone fall in love with him except for the dude who keeps sending people to kill him. Really?! Yes really! This is too adorable! I mean Damon is the bestest bestie to ever hold the title and he is the assassin who was supposed to do the deed. Now Toth has to ruin his life? Yeah not gonna happen. 🤣 Poor Cody! At least he benefits from these attempts, even if nothing else seems to go right for him. Cody and Toth are sheer perfection and I hope they show up in future books. I can’t get enough of these guys! ❤️🔥 I also want a Hela of my very own. She was amazing like ALL cats are of course!
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January Blues
Toth and Cody
I just love this author's characters. This is a super sweet novella. Although I could have read an entire novel about them. I just want more of all these characters. -
ARC received from the author for an honest review.
Toth is conflicted in that he wants free of his contract but he doesn't want to hurt Cody. Cody is concerned when he starts seeing shadows and everything starts going wrong. When Cody starts showing signs of magic he becomes more concerned. When Toth and Cody start getting closer more revelations come out. Will these revelations be good or bad?
This is a well written science fiction, paranormal romance. It's also a short story that is fast paced. It feels a little rushed to me and I would've liked more time with the revelations that come to Toth and Cody as well as time with their developing relationship. Definitely worth the read. -
Short and easy book. There aren’t many spicy scenes, but the ones that don’t fade to black are quite good. For some reason I did not connect to the characters.
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This was definitely an interesting book. But I made the mistake of reading before I read the Sweetwater Pack series. I will have to reread it once I get to the Sweetwater books to see if the story line flows better.
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Toth and Cody will be going down as favorites for a while! Their story is just so loving. Yes there is angst and just a bit of wanting to hurt a couple not great characters! But they will get us coming to them! 😈
I loved Hela! She was a perfect addition to Toth and Cody’s story!
Finding love can be difficult just in your day to day but add in the complexity of Toth being sent to not be nice and it could go completely off the rails!
Cody is just the sweetest most positive character! He is exactly perfect for Toth!
Pure perfection! -
I really enjoyed this book ❤️ Toth and Cody are so bloody sweet together their chemistry was on point.
Mori is a funny one that I want more of and im looking forward to finding out what Damon's gonna do to certain people 🤨 -
I really enjoyed this one, the surprises just kept on coming. I adored Cody / Toth and their chemistry was freaking hot.
Mori and his fascination will a certain someone has left me intrigued. Keeping my fingers crossed the author writes a HEA for these two.
*I voluntarily read this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's* -
found family twist
Maybe a little too Pollyanna (who charms a hit man into a personal assistant anyway), but sweet story of a lonely guy with a big heart finding people worthy of his love. -
This was such a sweet novella and the perfect bridge between the Sweetwater Pack series and the new Northharbor Coven spin-off series. We get wonderful cameos from the Sweetwater Pack, and the wonderful Poppy is the MC’s cousin. Even though it is a spin-off, you can read it as a standalone series. The world Jax created is immersive and starts immediately. I do think you’ll get a lot more enjoyment if you read the Sweetwater Pack series too!
In this novella, the magic-less witch Cody has a hit out on him. The first person sent to do the job couldn’t do it, knowing that Cody was completely innocent - and he was quite charming. Instead of k!lling Cody, he protects him, and Cody definitely needs protecting of the weird shadow lurking around him is any indication. But the only thing that seems to be happening is a never ending series of annoying and inconvenient mishaps.
The mishaps are courtesy of Toth, a contracted demon who’s sent on his master’s order to disrupt Cody’s life enough to make him lose his job. The plan is to send Cody into a depression, the January Blues, even breaking his heart if necessary. Each disturbance increases Toth’s guilt because the witch is incredibly adaptable and likable, but he can’t think of a way to get out of the contract. When Toth’s plan transitions to in-person, he decides to let Cody in on as much as he can so Cody won’t be harmed. Not only do they have an instant connection, Toth is able to help Cody deal with some unexpected developments in Cody’s newfound ability to do magic, as well as protect him.
There’s a lot of story packed into the novella, and sometimes it felt a little fast-paced. Mostly I would’ve liked to see more of Toth’s perspective when he was trying to depress Cody. There’s a lot to love about the story, especially Toth’s delightful hellcat and Cody’s journey to self-discovery. The found family aspect is so strong, with the community of supernaturals growing in their alliances and networks.
This was a great low-angst read that sets up this next series in a way that makes me really excited to see what’s to come!
CW: mild language about physical violence/torture toward an MC -
This was a fun low angst read by a new to me author, so while this is a spin-off of the Sweetwater Pack series, don't fret if like me you haven't read them yet, this standalone perfectly well.
Cody is a witch with very little power who has been abandoned by his family because of this fact and is now being targeted by an unknown person. First, he was sent an assassin, who decided not to follow through, thank goodness and has become Cody's best friend (I'd love a best friend like Damon). Now he seems to be having an awful run of bad luck as well as nightmares and seeing things from the corner of his eye. Despite this Cody still manages to remain far more positive than I would be able to be in his shoes.
Toth is a demon under contract to an unscrupulous witch who sells his abilities to the highest bidder. In this case, they want him to ruin Cody's life. Toth was not a happy demon (who would be when they are forced to do things against their will), but there is some sort of connection with Cody that has him feeling disconcerted and impacts how he does his job.
Cody is in for plenty of surprises once he comes in contact with Toth and there are some sweet and sexy times ahead for them both.
This could have been quite a serious story in another writer's hands, but Jax Stuart brings humour and sweetness to this story of magic and treachery and it all ends with a HEA, just the sort of light read I enjoy. I look forward to more in this series and will be looking to read the Sweetwater Pack series in the near future as we get to meet some of the members in January Blues. -
Plot: 😈😈😈😈
Steam: 🔥🔥
Angst: 😨
Swoon: 💖💖💖
Tropes:
💟 Fated Mates
💟 Magic
💟 Witches, demons & humans
💟 Discrimination
January Blues is a sweet & fun novella and the first book in the Northarbor Coven Series. I was entertained from the very beginning and completely engulfed in the wonderful Universe which Jax Stuart creates.
Eventhough, I haven’t read extensive supernatural MM books, I was immediately spellbound by Cody’s & Toth’s amazing love story.
The pace is well-timed throughout the book and supports a plot which is both interesting and exciting.
The chemistry between Cody and Toth is depicted through fun and flirty dialogue and a few, sweet “mating sessions”.
In addition, a vast number of engaging side-characters are introduced in this first installation of the series - and I can’t wait to see where this is going in the next books. Personally, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some hot omegaverse heat and a bit of mpreg. One can only hope, right?
Favorite quote: (the discussion of leather pants as appropriate business attire)
“You can't go to a business meeting like that!”
"What? Why?"
“Leather pants? That's it. Your entire outfit for a business meeting is leather pants?" "Do you not like them?"
"You know I like them. They just aren't appropriate for a business meeting.”
So, if you are looking for a brief intermezzo from your daily hamster wheel, then let yourself be swept away on demon wings to a world where:
✅ Magic Demon Oil is used instead of lube
✅ Dating apps are replaced by Fated Mates
✅ No adult toys are needed - that’s what a tail is for
✅ Touching someone’s Demon ears is the equivallent of touching the private parts
✅ Bye bye God - Hello Goddess
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review -
I’m so thrilled I was able to grab an advanced copy. Cody is a struggling witch (or is he?), abandoned by his own family, Cody has worked through his emotional baggage (for the most part) and continues to be both unflappable and a ray of sunshine. After an assassination attempt, he manages to secure a new best friend in Damon, who is a quintessential fantastic secondary character and shows Cody unwavering love and care.
As Cody strives and is succeeding to gain a promotion at work – Enter Toth who has been tasked to throw the ray of sunshine into chaos and throw him off balance. What happens next will change their lives forever.
Toth the lusty and disgruntled demon gets summoned by his ‘master’ for yet another ridiculous human job. He brings along his hellcat Hella (who, honestly steals the show IMHO). Toth tries and fails to send Cody into a tailspin, using his best demon tricks, when that fails, the next obvious solution is to try and seduce him, in his human form as Quill, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome, this is no hardship for either man.
This is where the story really gets interesting and for the sake of not giving away any spoilers, I will say, this is a sweet, sexy and super fun story, Jax Stuart has created an awesome world, I love her depiction of the realm known as “hell” and she has delivered such a fresh approach to magic, deities, and found family. Her secondary characters are strong, and her world building paints an incredible picture. I highly recommend this story, and will definitely be reading it again. -
This novella is a spin off from the Sweetwater Pack series but you can most definately enjoy this as a stand alone. This is the first book from either series that I have read. I absolutely loved it! My only concern is why did I wait so long to read it. This is the story of Cody and Toth. Cody is a bright young witch that everyone loves. He is well respected at work and generally happy. But one person doesn't like Cody. First he tried to have an assassin kill Cody but they ended up becoming best friends instead. So instead, he has a demon summoned to ruin Cody's life. This is where Toth comes in. He is a demon who is forced by a contract to work for a witch. Toth is somewhat sarcastic and grumpy. I loved him from the start. He starts to try and make Cody miserable. Nothing seems to work. Cody just bounces back from all attempts. When seduction becomes the method of distraction, both Toth and Cody are in for a surprise. This is their story. It is very well written and a pleasure to read. You will have a smile on your face the entire time you are reading this book. My only complaint is that I wish the book was longer. I didn't want it to end. The good thing is, this is just book #1 in the series. I am looking forward to future books by this author. I really loved this book.
I received a free copy of the book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. -
This is such a wonderful spin off from the Sweetwater pack series. Ashamed to say that I haven't read them yet but that will be fixed as soon as possible after reading this!
Cody is a total sweetheart but someone has it out for him and so Toth is contracted by them to ruin Cody's life, making it so they come out on top. All would be fine if Toth wasn't so drawn to the young man.
I loved how this story developed. With it being a short story, they can often feel rushed but this moved at a good pace, keeping things interested and relevant. Toth's anger towards others is often entertaining whilst his connection to Cody eventually makes for a wonderful relationship that grows, starting as friends, though initially under nefarious circumstances, but then moves onto who they are meant to be, individually and together. There's an interesting side plot regarding Cody and his lack of magic that brings intrigue and surprise but also helps Toth with the situation he's been in with another witch. The side characters are a lot of fun, especially Damon, Cody's best friend, and wasn't that under weird circumstances. I'm really hoping we get his story soon!
I received a copy in exchange for beta feedback and an honest review.
