anna katherine

Susan Kearney, USA Today bestselling author:

A fantastic debut — a fun and sexy romp.

Publishers Weekly:

Starred Review

This lively tale of demons and gods, the debut effort of Katherine Macdonald and former Tor editor Anna Genoese, opens six years after witty, sarcastic Allie, a trust fund baby turned Brooklyn diner manager, inadvertently generates a door to hell in the diner’s basement[...]. Genoese and Macdonald mix multiple mythologies into a charming, biting cautionary narrative about taking responsibility for one’s actions. (more…)

Romantic Times Books Review:

Top Pick!
4 1/2 stars

Allie is the newest heroine on the scene, trading designer clothes for demon slaying. Her first adventure is filled with interesting twists on paranormal creatures, and the story is one of a kind. The action and romance is interlaced with humor, bringing a readability to tough topics. (more…)

Romance Reviews Today:

A Perfect 10

With a smart, sassy, and brave heroine whose life has changed dramatically, SALT AND SILVER makes a clever, action-packed story. Allie prefers work to her previous idle lifestyle, and she enjoys it with cheeky attitude. Ryan makes a strong, dedicated hero who annoys Allie no end. Remarkable secondary characters contribute important aspects to the business of closing the doors to hell. A fast paced and humor-laced story, SALT AND SILVER deserves RRT’s Perfect 10. Oh, FYI: salt protects and silver heals. It’s all magical stuff too good to miss. (more…)

SFRevu:

Anna Katherine turns in a fun, fast-paced paranormal romance in Salt and Silver, serving up a worthy heroine in Allie and a hot love interest in Ryan [...]. She also provides a great supporting character for Allie in the form of Amanda, whose train wreck lifestyle masks a depth of compassion and love for her friend. Perfect for fans of dark urban fantasy, Salt and Silver is an interesting, quirky book with an awful lot to say in nearly 360 pages. (more…)

Darque Reviews:

SALT AND SILVER is a taste of the unexpected. Anna Katherine spins a dark paranormal tale where anything is possible if you’re willing to pay the price. Strong characters, easily visualized scenes, and some sizzling chemistry combine to create a bizarrely believable world. (more…)

Bitten by Books:

This first thing I thought when I finished SALT AND SILVER by Anna Katherine was, “Wow.” Actually, that was the first thing I thought when I started the book. From page one, I was into this book. The plot, the romance, the mythology, all of it is masterfully crafted and wrapped in this cute little package that, if you’re not careful, has the power to eat you alive. It was like Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere with a hint of MaryJanice Davidson—well researched with amazing world-building and a level of snark that I can only hope to reach. (more…)

The Book Smugglers:

I devoured the book and I was riveted with every single detail [...] A fantastic heroine with an engaging narrative voice, some lovely romance and a fascinating trip to Hell. Highly recommended. (more…)

Romance Junkies:

Many urban fantasy novels touch on Hell and some give descriptions of it, but few touch on as many dimensions and with as much detail as Anna Katherine in SALT AND SILVER. Anna Katherine, a pseudonym for two women, have written an action-packed debut that moves forward at a steady clip. Tension, romantic and otherwise, grows as the story progresses, and the ending might come as a surprise, one of the things I liked most. [...] Overall, a terrific and unique story. (more…)

Fantasy Literature:

Anna Katherine’s world-building is well-thought-out and well-executed, and I found myself more interested in the Hell dimensions than in the love story. I really enjoyed this, and I recommend it to fans of romantic fantasy. (more…)

Paranormal Romance Writers:

The interplay between Ryan and Allie is smoldering and red-hot. They have so much sexual tension and it adds to the enjoyment of the story. Allie is not a meek heroine, but one who wants to help and is willing to take responsibility for her role in opening a Door. As she learns more about her abilities, she takes on more responsibility rather than running from it. She is definitely a role model of a strong feminist woman without losing her sensuality or love of girly things.(more…)

Literary Escapism:

Overall, not what I was expecting and I think that’s a good thing in this case. There was a lot about Salt and Silver that I liked, things that kind of bugged me, but still a really good story. It sucked me in and I had a hard time putting it down. I also think that the fact that its not what one would expect a book about a trip to hell would be like is a good thing. It throws the reader off and makes them pay closer attention. So definitely check Salt and Silver off if you’re looking for a good read. (more…)

Coffee Time Romance & More:

Salt and Silver is a comedic look into a paranormal story. It has wit, humor and sarcasm within its pages and characters that are just plain fun. This book had me chuckling at their antics and turning the pages to see what Hell had in store for them. I definitely would take the time to read this one; it is a fast, amusing read. (more…)

The Romance Readers Connection:

SALT AND SILVER is an exciting ride and lots of fun! The sexual tension between Allie and Ryan adds to the mix. This is not your average paranormal read, it is a different experience altogether, so be prepared to throw out your normal ideas of vamps and weres. (more…)

Night Owl Romance:

Ms Katherine has written an entertaining tale of two different people who manage to overcome the odds and fall in love. The way the characters struggled to find their way through the different Hells will hold the reader’s attention. This is a definite keeper. (more…)

Romance Reader at Heart:

Anna Katherine paints a picture of a strong, but damaged woman who can’t help wanting her easy life back while trying her best to clean up the mistakes she caused. It’s not that Allie was born into the life or was given awesomely magical powers to combat the evil forces—she was told point blank she had no choice and to move on. I really liked Allie and was drawn to her story. (more…)

Harriet Klausner at Alternative Worlds:

Though urban romantic fantasy has flooded the market especially starring women turning from social deb to superheroine, fans will enjoy the latest entrant and her adventures in Brooklyn as she may not prove a tree grows in the largest borough, but demons do. Allie’s war with Ryan the hunter provides humorous asides to the fight they make to keep paranormal evil off the streets of the city. The couple turns Anna Katherine’s super entry into the subgenre into a fun thriller. (more…)

Sherri at The Top 5 Reasons I Do What I Do:

This book has a bit of everything — myth, religious lore, magic, adventure, struggle, and love. The characters engaged me from the start. There’s chemistry between Ryan and Allie that keeps them real. The setting descriptions balanced the action without slowing the story down. It was a well paced and fun, first person point of view, ride. I love first person because it really pulls you into the story but I also know it is a challenging way to write and maintain the tension needed for a good story. Anna Katherine (a pseudonym for two friends) manages this well in this debut novel. I look forward to other books by this duo. (more…)

Victoria Janssen at eHarlequin.com:

I really enjoyed the breezy, funny first-person voice. [...] Overall the voice made it for me, and I had a great time reading it. (more…)

svilleficrecs:

In a field crowded with cookie cutter, phoned in, often confusing, over-sexed (or undersexed or improbably sexed) stories starring heroes I find boring and heroines that don’t sound like any supposedly smart/capable twenty-something I’ve ever met, Salt and Silver is a fast paced, thoroughly enjoyable, *fun*, sexy paranormal adventure with a good sized helping of romance, a plot and a heroine and a hero I enjoyed from start to finish and a largely original world that I would like to visit again – if the author is so kind as to write a sequel. (more…)

Elizabeth Loupas at elizabethloupas.com/blog:

What I liked best was the mythology, the bits of folklore about demons and vampires (Salt and Silver has some very unusual vampires), werewolves and hollow-tree women, door-hounds and lamia; I also loved the details from the magics and underworlds of different cultures and societies throughout history. I am an absolute sucker for that sort of thing. It’s hard to tell what’s real (well, not real, but you know what I mean) and what the author made up, as my mother would say, out of the whole cloth. It’s seamless. (more…)

Janicu at Janicu’s Book Blog:

Really liked this one – I had a hard time putting it down and it was a fast read. It has a bit of a quest in different dimensions in it which is something I like reading (looks like the authors enjoy researching magic and superstition), and the romance was sweet – good friends becoming more. [...] The ending is in a good, satisfying place and I’m definitely putting whatever else Anna Katherine writes on my wish list. (more…)

Beth at My Hobbies:

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars [...] I loved this book from start to finish. From the minute I picked it up to the moment I put it down. I read this book in a day. (more…)

Heidi Bitsoli at Associated Content:

Sometimes when I see a little mass-market paperback tucked into a display at the book store, I wonder if it’s worth my $6 or $7. Many of these books tend to have a fat page count and a skinny storyline. But I was not disappointed by Anna Katherine’s “Salt and Silver.” One could almost call it a good beach read; that is, if you find a story about battling demons, trying to shut doorways to hell amid a budding romance, to be a fun little escape. I certainly did. (more…)

Sonia R. Polinsky at Curled Up With A Good Book:

Anna Katherine succeeds in making a great heroine to lead this novel from run-of-the-mill to spectacular. Readers, be prepared to burst spontaneously into laughter throughout — this heroine takes sarcasm and dry humor to new levels. (more…)

TopFantasyBooks at Thoughts.com:

This book fully satisfies, with humor, poignancy and fast-paced action. The sexual tension between Allie and Ryan heats up the further they travel, and the memory of one shared kiss will have you seeking shade. (more…)

Jenny Girl at Royal Reviews:

Allie and Ryan are two halves of a black and white cookie. They need each other and complement each other perfectly. They are a sweet, kick ass couple. Salt and Silver was a very entertaining read and I would certainly pick up another of “Katherine’s” books. (more…)

Angiegirl at Angieville:

[Allie's] simultaneous pining for and territorial attitude around Ryan filled me with mirth and I was instantly rooting for them to overcome the barriers engendered by their different backgrounds (to put it mildly) and the fact that one of them is a wicked cool demon hunter and the other the manager of a diner who stumbles around opening doors to hell in her spare time. I laughed over and over again reading Salt and Silver and it was a rather welcome relief to read an urban fantasy with a healthy devil-may-care attitude and not so much angst and drama. (more…)

Fantasy Girl at Best Fantasy Stories:

It was a good read, it’s a very original storyline, and I was quite glad to find it – right now there are so many authors trying to fit into the urban fantasy craze that it was great to find someone who knows how to write a truly good paranormal romance! (more…)

Aja at Bookshop:

Salt & Silver is hellbent on giving you dark social satire with your demonslaying. In addition to populating the book with a host of complex, dark, memorable characters of all sociocultural backgrounds [...] the authors have gone one further and taken us on a taut, well-paced journey straight from our privilege zones directly into Hell; and, you guys, Hell is New York City, with all its excess and oblivion and disconnection from reality on display in horrific, compelling beauty. (more…)