Audio Book Review: Guardian's Bond By Rhenna Morgan

Guardian's Bond
(Ancient Ink #1)
By Rhenna Morgan 

Narrator: Nicole Poole
Length: 9 hours and 31 minutes

For decades, he’s been alone.

Now, she’s here. His fated mate.

His to win. To protect.

To provide for and pleasure.

Priest Rahandras has lived with the darkness trapped inside himself for years. Betrayed by his own brother and forced to watch his clan’s brutal annihilation, the only thing Priest wants more than to escape the curse that haunts him—as both man and beast—is to rebuild.

Until the mate he’s longed for walks into his life with an elder from his past. She’s everything he’s wished for, and the key to the clan’s very survival.

Kateri Falsen is a woman of logic and facts. While Priest’s cat can sense her arousal, telling her they’re fated won’t be enough. He’ll have to show her his love: with his words, with his actions, and with his body.

Protecting Kateri from the evil trapped inside him is paramount. But when lost clan members are systematically murdered, he’ll have to choose between exposing his mate to his black magic, or risking her as the next victim.

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | iBooks |

My Review:

Truth be told I didn't love this book. I read this for all the wrong reasons. I was lead to believe (from reading reviews on the second book in this series) that by reading this I would be setting up the overall world building for the rest of the series. I'd like to ask where all this world building can be found because it was barely there in this novel. The way people were talking about this made me think I was going to miss a critical concept or something of the sort if I didn't read this first. 

The characters were great! They had individual personalities and helped push and develop the story along. I loved how Katie (the main heroine) had a backbone and didn't bend to the hero's will after 2 seconds in his presence. I liked how Preist had to fight for Katie and how reverent of her he was.

I would have liked more world-building in this novel or, at least, more than it had. Everything felt so small and the big-bad felt so all powerful. It was a strange dynamic for this story in relation to what I subconsciously built up in my head. Overall, this story had a nice pace to it and the writing style was easy to follow and relaxing to listen to.

P.S. I listened to the audio book so it may not have been included but it would be a great idea if the author had a glossary of some sort (like J. R. Ward does with her books) with all the important terminology pertaining to the book/story and its definitions.

The Audio Book:

I've learned to adore Nicole Poole's narrations. She's probably the only reason I finished this novel. She has an amazing range of male and female voices with and without accents. Her narration was incredible!

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: The Difference By Kaylee Ryan

The Difference
By Kaylee Ryan

Narrated By: Callie Dalton & Teddy Hamilton
Length: 6 hours and 24 minutes

I’ve kissed a lot of frogs, just to be covered in warts. I’ve been lied to, cheated on, and used more times than I can count. I don’t have it in me to keep going. I need a break from it all. I need time for the wounds to heal, and the scars to fade.

Wouldn’t you know it’s my luck, to meet a gorgeous man, after declaring my self-imposed break? He’s charming, sexy, and determined to change my mind.

I wasn’t looking for her, but when I overheard her conversation, I had to add my two cents. Within minutes of talking to her, I knew she was unlike anyone I’d ever met. Bruised from past relationships, she’s built a fort around her heart. Doesn’t she know the prince always rescues the princess?

I think about her all the time. The more I’m around her, the more I want to be. I’ve made my choice. It’s her. Now, all I have to do is prove to her that I’m the difference.

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible |

My Review:

It's been a LONG time since I disliked a book as much as I disliked this one and one stared it! I would rather not be in this situation but here we are. I don't know what I just read because it didn't have a storyline. It was just the events of the couples getting together with a lot of trust issues and a conflict that resolved within a chapter. If that sounds like a good contemporary romance to you this will be your next favorite book.

Addyson was way too woe-is-me and it was pathetic and annoying. Everyone knows that dating and putting yourself out there is hard. We also know that we're bound to catch more sh*tbags than good people. It's part of being human. Trust issues are also part of that but making this poor guy wear her down to possibly have a relationship with her was uninteresting. My biggest problem, you ask? Well, that was 80% of the story. With no other significant storyline or conflict that was big enough to constitute a plot.

Lucas was a saint. I mean literally a saint. He could do no wrong. He was too everything: too nice, too understanding, too open, too emotionally available. As unrealistic as he was, living with someone like that would drive me up a wall. It would constantly remind me of what I'm not. That's a no thanks from me, dog.

The ending was nice and boring. They get along with everyone's family so well and things move forward at a fast pace and a happily ever after ensues. I don't know what all the 5 stared reviews saw in this novel but it looks like it wasn't for me.

The Audio Book:

Both of the narrations were great! Both had enough of a range in tones and accents to carry the story, especially considering how little interaction the characters have with other characters that aren't their BFFs and their boyfriends.

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: Restraint By Randi Cooley Wilson

Restraint
(The Revelation #2)
By Randi Cooley Wilson

Narrator: Jorjeana Marie
Length: 8 hours and 28 minutes

Readers captivated by the Revelation Series will be taken to new heights in the sequel to Randi Cooley Wilson’s bestselling addictive pleasure Revelation. In Restraint, a forbidden love will become deeper, a loyalty will be tested, and only darkness will remain.

One revelation changed everything, turning Eve Collins’s world upside down, filling it with grief and questions of identity and allegiance. As she flees enemies who refuse to give up, Eve must also face the mounting attraction between herself and her gargoyle protector, Asher St. Michael. Will she ever truly be safe? How much is she willing to sacrifice and what does her future hold?

Restraint is a spellbinding continuation of the Revelation Series. Readers captivated by Revelation will devour Restraint. Intended for mature readers.

The bestselling Revelation Series is a journey of self-discovery, love, and sacrifice. Restraint is the second full-length book within the series, which is meant to be read in release order.

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible |

Check Out The Other Books In This Series:

(Linked to my review)

My Review:

You know what? I'm choosing to be done with this series for now. As interesting as the world the author created is, I can't stand the heroine and the should-they-shouldn't-they thing she has with Asher.

If only the heroine, Eve, used a brain cell or two and had a backbone this would be an incredible series! She's impulsive and puts plans into action without considering the consequences. There's the whole love-kinda-triangle she has with Gage and Asher that's a thing I dislike. She's also very whiny and as much as she trains she still pretty pathetic when an actual fight is concerned.

Asher is still on his hot and cold train. It's gotten old and stale at this point. The worse part is that it's never been explained why he and Eve can't be together. It's only ever said that they can't but (as far as I remember, please correct me if I'm wrong and missed something with all my eye-rolling) no one ever comes right out and explains why that's a thing that can't happen and that's the most frustrating part about it for me. It becomes even weirder when secondary characters in the story incentivize them being together all the while knowing they're prohibited from making it a thing.

This whole book was one big will-they-won't they between Eve and Asher. It felt like a filler and a slow-moving one at that. If the ending had been what Eve was thinking about because of her dream/premonition/magical-powers it would have made the stakes way higher. Thus making one heck of an ending!

Overall, I don't want to put myself through the rest of this series at the moment. It's not necessarily that bad (because the universe the author built is pretty cool), I just don't want to have to deal with whiny spineless characters in the books I read.

The Audio Book:

I enjoyed Jorjeana Marie's narration a lot! She has a very calming voice and it made this book fly by! She has a nice range of male and female tones and accents. From the reviews I've read on books narrated by her, you'll either love her voice or you'll hate it, so listen to the sample before doing anything.

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: Any Day Now By Lani Lynn Vale

Any Day Now
(SWAT Generation 2.0 #8)
By Lani Lynn Vale

Narrators: Ava Erickson & Jason Clarke

Length: 5 hours and 37 minutes

Amelia loves her good friend, Avery. So much so that she agrees to do the stupidest thing ever. 

A stranger photo shoot. 

You know the type. The photographer takes photos of two individuals. Two individuals that, until that day, have never met in their life. 

The moment she shows up at the photo shoot, she knows that she made a terrible decision. 

Why? Because the total stranger about to be in an intimate photo shoot with her is the hottest thing that’s ever walked the streets of Kilgore, Texas. If not the entire US of A.

*** 

Adam wasn’t sure why the hell he agreed to something so stupid. 

Call it temporary lapse of sanity. 

When the photographer who shot his photo for the Kilgore Police Department’s benefit calendar asked him for a favor, he couldn’t say no. Not without looking like a jerk seeing as it was benefiting the Fallen Officer Foundation that he played a rather large part in. 

Whatever it was that made him agree, he quickly realizes that it’s not worth it. Not when he walks into the studio and sees the massive bed with blood-red sheets dominating the middle of the room. 

So uncomfortable he is at the sight, he’s about to head straight out the door and not look back when she walks in. Amelia steals his breath away with just one glance, and all of a sudden, getting this stranger into his arms with his mouth on hers sounds like the best idea ever.

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | iBooks |

My Review:

This book was exactly what I was looking for! It was a quick, fun, and intriguing contemporary romance and it made the time go by that much quicker. This is actually the first book in quite some time that I've read and enjoyed by this author. I loved that there was a solid storyline going throughout this whole book that kept me interested.

The chemistry between Amelia and Adam was off the charts from the beginning! I will admit it was a little too insta-lovey but it worked for this story. I liked their banter and how they actually used their words and communicated with each other. There was no unnecessary drama between them throughout the story and it was pure bliss!

The ending was something I vaguely knew how it would happen based on past books by this author because she does have a formula down for these books. What I didn't foresee was how intense it would be. The author's writing has definitely improved since I've read a book by her and I like where it's going.

The Audio Book:

The narration was great! I enjoyed both narrator's narrations. The male narrator even won me over (considering I usually dislike guys narrating books). All the characters were distinguishable from each other in each narration and there were no strange background noises. Though my one wish would have been for this to have been dual narrated.

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors By Annette Marie & Rob Jacobsen

Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors

(The Guild Codex: Warped #1)

By Annette Marie & Rob Jacobsen 

Narrator: Iggy Toma

Length: 6 hours and 34 minutes

My name is Kit Morris, and welcome to my warped life. 

Picture the scene: Me, an average guy with psychic powers—not that my abilities are in any way average—just trying to scrape by in a harsh world. So maybe I've conned a few people, but did I really deserve to be thrown in MPD jail alongside magic-wielding serial killers?

According to Agent Lienna Shen, one-hundred-percent yes.

But her hardass attitude and “Arcana prodigy” status aren’t enough to bring down my former best friend, who slipped through the MPD’s fingers and is days away from unleashing untold horrors upon the city. Or he’s going to steal something. I don’t really know.

Whatever he’s up to, that’s why I’m sitting in an interrogation room with Lienna. And that’s why I just offered myself as her temporary new partner for the purposes of thwarting my ex-accomplice.

And that’s how I’m going to escape. I might even help with the case before I cut and run.

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible |

Check Out The Other Books In This Series:

(Linked to my review)

My Review:

This was an okay book considering the circumstances. By circumstances I mean that had this not been part of the bigger and intertwining story arc of the Guild Codex series by Annette Marie I would not have picked this up on my own. I love the idea of the intertwining stories the Guild Codex has going on but I really don't gravitate towards books with a male lead and that's where it started off on the wrong foot for me.

Kit was actually a very interesting character but his pop culture references were useless to me and didn't add much to the story. Out of every 10 references he made I got 2, maybe 3. Though I understand why he went back after all I can't help but think what if he hadn't and have his story end there and leave Tori, Robin, and the gang to solve whatever mess comes up. Those are just my wishful thoughts because I don't want to have to put myself through Book #2 of this spin-off series.

I didn't see the appeal that Lienna had. She's a rookie bad*ss with awesome spells she comes up with. Other than that she's mostly deadpan or maybe that was how the narrator made her seem to me. Considering I already wasn't a fan of hers this book didn't help much to change my opinion.

The ending was an interesting surprise! I appreciated the suspense that led to all the questions of how he was going to get out of the MPD situation this time. I'm glad things worked out and I'm interested to see how Kit's story intersects with the overall Guild Codex storyline.

The Audio Book:

The narrator pick could have been much, much worse so yay? This narrator didn't grate on my nerves but I've also heard better (that's just a personal annoyance of mine and shouldn't be taken into account). Due to the fact that I've been listening to the past books in the series, this narrator pronounced a few keywords to the universe of these books differently than the female narrator for past books and it did take me out of the story here and there.

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: Revelation By Randi Cooley Wilson

Revelation
(Revelation #1)
By Randi Cooley Wilson

Narrator: Jorjeana Marie
Length: 8 hours and 35 minutes

In the dark world of protectors, futures are fated, love destroys, and sacrifices are certain. From bestselling author Randi Cooley Wilson comes a darkly romantic twist to an epic paranormal romance story about a divine secret, a loyal protector, and a forbidden love.

Eighteen-year-old Eve Collins started college unaware that one revelation would challenge everything she’s believed to be true about her family, life, and future. Around every corner, danger, secrets, and lies quickly become her new reality. And holding all the answers is the very attractive Asher St. Michael. Dark and mysterious, Asher is appointed to protect Eve at all costs. Bound by his oath of loyalty to mankind, he is forbidden from loving her.

Drawn to one another by their forbidden attraction, they descend into a world filled with treachery, deceit, and darkness. A world where they find themselves caught in the middle of a centuries-old war. A world where they are forced to decide what they will sacrifice for love.

Revelation is a journey of self-discovery, love, and sacrifice. It is the first full-length book within the Revelation Series, which is meant to be read in release order. Intended for mature readers.

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible |

Check Out The Other Books In This Series:

(Linked to my review)

My Review:

This book started off very interesting! I love mythology-based stories, it gets even better when it's mentioned that one of the creatures that are part of this story are gargoyles. Having more obscure creatures be a big part of a story is amazing to see.

The writing style is a bit too descriptive for my taste but that was lessened by speeding up the audio narration. One thing the author does well is create tension and angst between Eve and Asher. There were some points where it could be cut with a hacksaw and it still would have taken some work. Though it got frustrating towards the end because it was never explained why they couldn't be a couple in the first place other than "that's a no-no".

Eve started off very innocent and sweet and I don't mean that as a compliment. There was bearly any spunk to her at all. Her friends dictated her life in terms of going out and "being social". Personally, I wanted her to have a bit more personality. When things started going it didn't get any better because everyone kept everything from her always. There were small tidbits here and there that she would overhear but it never made much sense because she didn't know any background on anything anyway. This trope of keeping the main character in the dark with the reader is one of the tropes that can go so wrong when not done properly. I think the story would have been better had this been executed better.

Asher was a mysterious and standoffish character that I disliked at first. His tender moments eventually overpowered his bad moments and I concluded that he was the lesser of two evils. It's implied that he's still keeping a big secret from Eve and I'm close to pulling my hair out in annoyance due to all the secrets making up this story. Can everyone ever get on the same page?!

I had an inkling that something was going to go wrong with their idiotic plan at the end. I wasn't surprised if I'm honest. Most of the girls Eve hung out with throughout the novel didn't really stand out to me. They all blurred into one, except the B with an itch whose name I don't care to remember (she can go die in a ditch somewhere for all she adds to the story).

The Audio Book:

I've seen a lot of criticism thrown this narrator's way and I have to disagree. I really enjoy her narrations! She has a good enough range where each character has a distinctive voice and accent, which means I don't get lost in conversations with 3+ people. Personally, she reads at a slower pace than I find comfortable so I fixed that by speeding the audio book up to x1.25. What we can take away from this narration is that taste is subjective and that's totally fine! Everything will not be for everyone!

My Rating:
&½

Audio Book Review: Half Wolf By Aimee Easterling

Half Wolf
(Alpha Underground #1)
By Aimee Easterling

Narrated: Angel Clark
Length: 7 hours and 17 minutes

Every werewolf knows the meek don't inherit the earth.

Fen Young is a half-shifter whose inner beast is more mouse than wolf. Home is her castle, the only place she's ever felt safe.

Enter Hunter Green, an uber-alpha strong enough to stop traffic with a single look. He's handsome and enticing and seems like just the ticket to broaden Fen's horizons...until the uber-alpha brushes off his admirer and summarily rejects her from her home pack.

Now treading water in the no-man's land of outpack territory, Fen must confront a missing pack mate, a tantalizing stranger, and a serial killer targeting half-werewolves. Will she be able to shore up her waning power in time to save her friend...and half-breeds everywhere...before it's too late?

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo |

My Review:

* I received a free copy of the audio book for this novel from Free Audiobook Promo Codes. All opinions in the following review are my own.

What was I thinking when I decided I wanted to read this book? I'll tell you what, I wasn't thinking. Had I bothered to skim its Goodreads page we wouldn't be here now. This book wasn't for me, that's for sure!

Fen was whiny and annoying. She let herself be convinced way too easily by her so-called pack. She also "accepted" people into her inner circle way too easily for someone on the run. If I were her I would never have wanted to see Hunter's face again. Also, in what world is she considered an "alpha"? She bearly has control of her pack as it is.

Hunter was stoic and uninteresting. I didn't understand his appeal. Though don't worry, we all know he's an uber-alpha because it was repeated 800+ times during the 7+ hours of this audio book.  I also don't understand why Hunter did what he did to Fen in the first place. What did he gain from setting her on her own? She was defenseless, to a degree, but she still welcomed him in. 

Her "pack" was one big blur. None of them were memorable enough for me to remember their names. They were all kids (for the most part) and helped Fen make decisions that would involve the whole pack. The only one that separated herself from the others a little bit, at first, for being extremely annoying and later turned into a whole other situation was the "trouble twin" (it's how she was referred to by Fen multiple times throughout the novel). 

What happened at the end of this novel would have come so much more easily and sooner had everyone stopped and had an actual conversation with one another. The pack loved to throw accusations but they ended up picking the wrong bad guy. It's a wonder how my eyes are still attached to my head considering how much I rolled them during the 7+ hours of this audio book.

The Audio Book:

The narration was magical compared to what this story put me through. Though be advised that this narrator doesn't have a nice range of male and females voices. Most of the characters sounded alike (especially when 3+ characters were having a conversation) and it did get confusing.

My Rating:

&½

Audio Book Review: Sin & Chocolate By K. F. Breene

Sin & Chocolate
(Demigod of San Francisco #1)
By K. F. Breene

Length: 9 hours and 56 minutes
Narrator: Khristine Hvam

Some people are ordained for greatness…

Those people usually have a lot of drama in their life. Drama I happily do without. I live in a forgotten corner of nowhere for a reason: there is safety in anonymity. I have enough problems just trying to get by.

But when Kieran, a sinfully sexy demigod at the pinnacle of power, crashes into my life, suddenly my whole world is turned upside down.

He’s harboring a deadly secret, one that could destroy all he holds dear. He thinks I’m the key to his salvation, and he wants me to help him claim vengeance.

He also wants me with a passion that burns my body from the inside out.

To ignore him is impossible, but to give in to my desires, even for a night, would thrust me into danger I might not survive.

Remember what I said about drama? Now I’m in it up to my eyeballs, and I’m not sure if I should run...or fight.

Available At: | Amazon | Audible |

Check Out The Other Books In This Series:

(Linked to my review)

My Review:

I've tried and failed to read through quite a few books by this author. The stories and concepts she writes about are amazing but the writing style isn't for me. Her stories tend to be more on the description side with a slow and steady pace to everything. With determination, I overcame that for this story.

The overall story is very interesting! The world the author created feels big and ominous. The stakes feel real enough to drive the characters along without it feeling forced.

I like Alexis' sense of humor. She has the uncanny ability to drive people in circles all the while convincing them they're going in a straight line. Though the swear words disguised as silly phrases didn't really mesh with what was presented. It gets even stranger because her wards swear more than her.

I love to hate Kieran. He's just the right amount of caring and vulnerable to offset how creepy, stalkerish and domineering he can be. There were moments I wanted him to burn in a lake of fire but then he'd say something sweet or *gasp* apologize for something that he did. I just don't know what to think of him at this point in time.

I usually stay away from novels that have kids in them. I consider Malachi and Daisy children regardless of how old they are because they are in the care of Alexis. What ended up surprising me was how much I liked Malachi. I still want to know what ends up happening to him and his situation. Daisy's antics were also fun to listen to. If this series doesn't end up presenting a happily ever after for them I would love to get a spin-off series.

Overall this novel was only the tip of a very slow melting iceberg. There were a few really good moments and a lot of filler (for my taste). I'd like to know what happens next with Alexis and her team of misfits.

The Audio Book:

The narration was good. The voices were different enough for me to follow the dialogue throughout the story and not get lost on who was saying what. I will say that the narration is more on the slow side and even speed up to 1.25x it sounded completely normal.

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: The Boy And His Ribbon By Pepper Winters

The Boy And His Ribbon
(The Ribbon Duet #1)
By Pepper Winters

Length: 14 hours and 4 minutes
Narrators: Will M Watt & Hayden Bishop

“What do you do when you meet your soul mate? No wait…that’s too easy. What do you do when you meet your soul mate and have to spend a lifetime loving him in secret?

I’ll tell you what you do. You lie.”

REN

Ren was eight when he learned that love doesn’t exist—that the one person who was supposed to adore him only cared how much he was worth.

His mother sold him and for two years, he lived in terror.

But then…he ran.

He thought he’d run on his own. Turned out, he took something of theirs by accident and it became the one thing he never wanted and the only thing he ever needed.

DELLA

I was young when I fell in love with him, when he switched from my world to my everything.

My parents bought him for cheap labor, just like they had with many other kids, and he had the scars to prove it.

At the start, he hated me, and I could understand why.

For years he was my worst enemy, fiercest protector, and dearest friend.

But by the end…he loved me.

The only problem was, he loved me in an entirely different way to the way I loved him.

And slowly, my secret drove us apart.

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | iBooks |

My Review:

* Anything in red in the following review are spoilers.

I'll start off by saying how not my style the relationship between Ren and Della was. When this book was close to getting released my Goodreads timeline was filled with reviews of this stating how amazing, incredible, beautiful this story was. All I can say is that I tried seeing where most people were coming from but I still feel way too icky to agree with it. 

I found out a few chapters in that the writing style and pacing weren't for me. The writing style was too descriptive and detailed which ended up setting a very very slow pace to the story. There's too much detail in big chunks of this book where nothing happens. Things could have been summarized in a paragraph or two to cut down on the story. I only got through it because I sped up the audio book.

I can sympathize with Ren's situation and how hard and sad it was. I don't understand how Della mistakenly, at a year old at best, zipped herself up in his backpack but that's a discussion for a different day. I can also push myself enough to understand how he eventually cared for and raised her. The age difference doesn't bother me with their relationship. My problem is just the idea of falling in romantic love with your guardian/the-minor-you-raised crosses a line that I didn't know I had set in the first place. This is the second novel that features this type of relationship that I've read and I'm pretty sure it'll be the last. 

Maybe it's just me but I wished we could have gotten more of Della's point of view after she was old enough to have coherent thoughts. The essay format her chapters had were weird and only took me out of the story.

The ending/cliffhanger was strange. Della essentially self-sabotages with the intent to cause Ren harm by proxy. Which, I'll be honest, I found quite dumb and foolish (but she is still a teenager I guess?) and it works a little too well. 

The Audio Book:

Both narrations were great! I love it when audible does books in dual narration. That makes it so I can stand a male narrator with too deep of a voice that can't do a believable female voice reading to me because there's an actual woman reading lines meant for a female voice.

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: Moon Severed By Jennifer Snyder

Moon Severed
(Mirror Lake Wolves #3)
By Jennifer Snyder

Length: 4 hours and 21 minutes
Narrator: Nicole Blessing

Sometimes admitting defeat is the only option...

Mina thought her questions would be answered once Violet woke. Instead, she learned Violet doesn't know any more than she does about who's behind the pack member disappearances. However, there is something wrong with Violet. Her werewolf healing should have kicked in days ago, but it hasn't.

Continuing the search for answers is the only option Mina sees. Too bad the alpha has given Eli and Mina a chaperone who's hell-bent on making sure their every move is one of caution.

While slow and steady might win the race, it hinders the discovery of a missing pack member and leaves the newly formed trio with only one option: Mina giving herself over to the vampire in charge as a prisoner.

Return to the world of werewolves and mystery in book three of the Mirror Lake Wolves series and get ready for more action and suspense!

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible |

My Review:

This series is slowly starting to get better, but it's still barely averaging out as what I would consider a 3 star story. I appreciate how much bigger the world the author created is becoming but it still feels like something is missing somehow.

Mina still has the personality of a wall. Things seem to bounce off her because of how dense she is. Until she has an ah-ha moment and goes after/does whatever it is she intends to do. Though I will say that her conversations/disagreements with Dorian were the closest she ever come to having an interesting personality.

The love triangle seems to be over but I feel like I need to call BS or something. It was resolved WAY too easily and with no apparent consequences. The guy who "lost" almost seemed to have the ability to read minds or see the future. He was calm in an icky way (if that makes sense) and it's still making me apprehensive.

Eli was great as always! I like how he can joke around with Mina and still be serious and command authority when needed. The bet they have is also very adorable and I'm somewhat invested in their story now.

I was SO glad to see almost nothing of Alec in this story. I despise the kid. Even more so now with the revelation of what his uncle did/does(?). He does nothing for this story or Mina. There doesn't seem to be all this chemistry Mina keeps talking about between them. It almost feels like wishful thinking of both their parts.

The mystery Mina and Eli have been trying to solve gets a few revelations in this novel. It's not much but it's a start. I think their plan going forward is ludicrous. Though I'm still invested in this series, it feels more like a trainwreck that I can't look away from at this point.

Overall this series and its characters are getting easier to read about because I'm somewhat invested in the mystery that's been presented. 

The Audio Book:

This series as a whole continues to be on the list of the handful (as of now) books that I can only listen to sped up to 1.25x. The narrator just isn't for me. She doesn't have a good range of male and female voices. She also loves long pauses in between words that I can't stand for more than a few minutes at a time. Her voice sped up sounds completely normal, if that doesn't speak volumes I don't know what does.

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: I'm Fine...and Other Lies By Whitney Cummings

I'm Fine...and Other Lies
By Whitney Cummings

Narrated By: Whitney Cummings
Length: 9 hrs and 10 minutes

A hilarious and emotional personal account of the life, times, mistakes, and crippling codependence of comedian, producer, director, actress, and writer Whitney Cummings.

After getting her start as a stand-up comic and then breaking out with the wildly successful CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls (she's the cocreator, writer, and executive producer), Whitney Cummings has seen a few things and is turning to the written word to tell us all the stuff she's too scared to say onstage.

Full of intellect, pathos, and profundity, I'm Fine...and Other Lies is, in Whitney's words, her first book, which means her last date. With her signature incendiary edge and self-deprecation, Whitney comes clean about what has shaped her into the trailblazing comic that she is today. She recounts her struggles with codependence, love addiction, workaholism, eating disorders, and vagina steaming. This intimate, no-holds-barred look at Whitney's mistakes and subsequent life lessons makes for juicy schadenfreude, no doubt. However, it's also an astute, poignant, and, most importantly, honest tale of what it means to live in today's world and Twittersphere, with all the insecurities and anxieties that come with that territory. That said, at end of the day, no matter her situation, she's fine. And other lies.

Available At:

| Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | iBooks |

My Review:

I first found out about this book because it was nominated in the Goodreads 2017 awards in the Humor category. Before that, I had no idea who Whitney Cummings was or what she did for a living. What pulled me into wanting to read this book was the title. It reminded me of the type of humor I usually go for and like to read about. It's slightly dark and a little bit twisted.

The overarching theme to this book was mental health or more specifically how twisted someone's psyche can get due to how they were raised and society in general. 

Before this book, I didn't know very much about the stand-up comedy world. Seeing a glimpse of it through the eyes of a woman who has made a carrier as a stand-up comedian was interesting. The author also hit on the note of life speeding up and how the biological clock ticks away and eventually takes the choice of motherhood from a lot of women who eventually want kids of their own. 

This novel also made me realize how messed up life can get if you don't have the right support system in place at home and school. The damage those early years cause later in life in all departments is scary. I also had no idea there was a disease involving love.

Overall it was eye-opening to see how broken people are. It's also amazing to see them taking care of themselves and still making a point to live life to the fullest regardless. 

The Audio Book:

The narration was great! There were moments where she would crack up while reading what she had written, and there were moments where she would tear up and prove how deep what she was saying truly went. She also misread a few sentences throughout the narration and kept her ramblings in the audio book and made fun of herself because for it. 

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: Love and Other Wild Things By Molly Harper

Love and Other Wild Things
(Mystic Bayou #2)
By Molly Harper

Narrators: Jonathan Davis & Amanda Ronconi 
Length: 6 hours and 41 minutes

Welcome to Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where shape-shifters, vampires, witches, and dragons live alongside humans. The town formed around the mysterious energy rift in the bayou, which helps keep the town’s magic in balance. But lately the rift has been widening and destabilizing - threatening to send the town’s magical population into chaos.

Energy witch Danica Teel has been sent by the League to figure out what’s going on, with the help of bear-shifter Mayor Zed. While working on the case, Zed falls head over paws for Dani, but she’s reluctant to engage in anything beyond a roll in his cave. Dani’s family is counting on her to get the job done, and she has no time for distractions. But when an ominous presence begins stalking Dani through the bayou, they’ll need to band together to make it out alive.

Available At: (This title is exclusive to Audible for now. eBook Version is going to be released 6 months from September 2018) | Audible |
My Review:

I don't know why, but I simply couldn't connect with anything or any character in this novel. This book features a good well-paced story with somewhat interesting characters. It felt like something didn't click between me and this story.

Danica was a headstrong woman who knew what she wanted from the start. She was used to drawing a line in the sand and having people respect that. The "mystery" she was involved in was very janky and not set up all that well throughout the story. I liked her dynamic and eventual relationship with Zed.

Zed was a sweet and caring guy. It was a nice change of pace compared to the last few books I've read. Character's like him are few and far between, especially when most novels feature "alpha" douche bags as the hero. I loved how he respected her space but at the same time was straightforward about what he was looking for/wanted and how they could compromise.

The ending was sweet and predictable (which wasn't a bad thing for this story). I would have liked the secondary characters to have been more memorable and to play a bigger part in the story.

The Audio Book:

I disliked Jonathan Davis's voice for Zed on SO many levels. At times he made it hard to understand him in basic conversations. Amanda Ronconi chapters were fine as far as understanding what the characters were saying. I listened to this audio book while trying to fall asleep so I don't really remember her accents or if she even had to do any at all.

My Rating: