Amethysts & Alchemy Series by Rachel Rener

I used to eat rocks as a child. The family doctor diagnosed me with pica, dooming me to years of intensive therapy and extensive dentistry work... moreI used to eat rocks as a child. The family doctor diagnosed me with pica, dooming me to years of intensive therapy and extensive dentistry work. It wouldn’t be until much later that I would understand the all-consuming, insatiable craving that spurred me to eat a variety of rocks and minerals wasn’t a mental disorder, but an innate gift that allows me to extract the magic contained inside them: tourmaline for speed, celestite for strength, augite for a powerful laxative effect (that I had to discover the hard way). Twenty years later, I’ve hidden my abilities beneath a white lab coat, working as a small-town pharmacist who creates proprietary “naturopathic” tonics that treat everything from memory loss to erectile dysfunction. Those tonics, in turn, fund my expensive lifestyle of solo flying around the world to search for more rocks. What more could an airplane-loving, mineral-munching, magical alchemist want? Unfortunately, my arch nemesis, Heath Spencer, has recently taken it upon himself to single-handedly ruin my life. No longer content with annoying me from afar with his overpriced, tacky rock shop, Heath has decided to further antagonize me by dangling the opportunity of a lifetime right in front of my face: traveling to an ancient copper mine in China, which is home to some of the rarest and most stunning minerals on Earth. It’s not until after I’m trapped halfway across the world with my least favorite person on the planet that I’m forced to come face-to-face with three terrible realizations: everything I thought I knew about Heath Spencer is wrong, some minerals were never meant to be ingested, and – worst of all – I’m not the only one who’s been keeping secrets. .. less

My name is Delaney small-town pharmacist, certified pilot, and first-known genetic inheritor of supernatural pica. Hand-in-hoof with my emotional support pig, I travel the world tasting every mineral I can get my hands on, alchemizing their special essences into “parascientific” potions. Until recently, life was lonely but simple…. And then along came Heath Spencer, Disrupter of Solitude and Disseminator of Chaos... moreMy name is Delaney small-town pharmacist, certified pilot, and first-known genetic inheritor of supernatural pica. Hand-in-hoof with my emotional support pig, I travel the world tasting every mineral I can get my hands on, alchemizing their special essences into “parascientific” potions. Until recently, life was lonely but simple…. And then along came Heath Spencer, Disrupter of Solitude and Disseminator of Chaos. Thanks to our recent discovery of ancient Hunnic treasure, we now find ourselves racing across Hungary to find Attila the Hun’s legendary golden tomb before a swarm of rival archaeologists gets there first. To make things exponentially worse, one of those rival archeologists happens to be Heath’s brilliant and beautiful ex-girlfriend, Julie. Suddenly, being the first to find Attila’s long-lost tomb is no longer a matter of pride; it’s a matter of proving my worth. Because if Julie finds it before I do, I’m convinced Heath will realize he made the wrong choice. With so much at stake, I’ve got no other option but to rely on my parascientific powers more than ever before, taking risks that threaten far more than mere bodily safety. It’s funny; I used to hate wet socks more than anything. Now – between danger, heartbreak, and glamourous tomb-raiding exes – I can confidently say wet socks are the least of my problems. *I rarely say this for a sequel, but I loved this better than the first book! (How is that possible? !) Perhaps it’s because I went in already being familiar with Delaney, and her emotional support pig, Topie. Or, perhaps, it’s simply that Rachel knows how to write such magical words! I say the latter! -Goodreads review,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. They're baaaaccccccccck! This time better than ever! This second installment in this series is even better than the first book (and believe me the first book is pretty amazing as well)! Every single word is with purpose and takes the reader through a checklist of emotions along the way. I live for books like this. -Goodreads review,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. This book… it was wonderful. Rachel Rener has once again created a story that grabs you and drags you in (willingly, of course)! It’s truly a breath of fresh air in a trope-filled genre. This one stands out. Read it, you won’t be disappointed! -Goodreads review,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Thanks Rachel, you're on a very short list of authors that has yearning slow burn down to a science (LOL OBVIOUSLY) that has me desperate for more. Also the last page of the book. .. BRILLIANT! -Goodreads review,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Wow! ! What a sequel! I absolutely loved this continuation of Delaney and Topie’s story! ! The growth of the characters was impressive, the way Delaney and Heath grow together is heartwarming. A must read! ! -Goodreads review,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I couldn’t put the book down! It was equal parts funny, had me on the edge and had me swooning. Heath is a total green flag of a man. -Goodreads review,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. less