Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

"On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina. And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything."

I absolutely loved Clean Sweep. It was the first book I've ever read by best selling authors Ilona Andrews (a husband and wife team), suggested to me greatly by my husband, who is a big fan of her Magic Bites series. Dina is a strong female character more than capable of protecting herself. Her Inn reminds me of Heterodyne Castle from the Girl Genius webcomic, just magic fantasy and not steampunk. I’ve never been a fan of books with werewolves and vampires, but the initial interactions between Dina and the werewolf Sean were highly amusing, especially when his “welcome is withdrawn.” Clean Sweep is an intriguing blend of fantasy magic and sci-fi tech. Clean Sweep was originally posted chapter by chapter online for free reading, but I quite enjoy having a physical copy in my hands. The next book of the Innkeeper Chronicles, Sweep in Peace, can also be read for free online here: demo.ilona-andrews.com I've read the first four chapters already and look forward to also owning a printed copy of that book once it is released.

Up next on my to read list:
The Nameless Dwarf by D.P. Prior
Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani
Thorn by Intisar Khanani