Cherry Mischievous

Friday 7 October 2022

DATING TERRORS

Dating Terrors by Patricia Briggs in the anthology Heroic Hearts
Book 18.5 in the Mercy Thompson series
Narrated by Holter Graham
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook, paperback, & audiobook

About Dating Terrors:

The werewolf Asil finds a blind date might just turn into something more - if the woman can escape the dark magic binding her.

Source: Info in the "About Dating Terrors" was taken from the back cover of the book anthology Heroic Hearts edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes.

Asil

My Thoughts:

Asil is an old, old wolf and just biding his time until the Marrok kills him and finally give him relief of this world. However, he also have pack mates who are mischievous who set him up with three blind dates with good intentions. The first blind date was a novella titled Asil and the Not-Date (book number 17.5 in the Mercy Thompson series) in the anthology Fantastic Hope. Asil, for the lack of nothing better to do, went along with it. And for the heck of it! This is the second blind date. For a very short story, this novella managed to have a tiny plot and gave a wonderful reading time! Too short a reading time!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 5
Plot = 5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Mercy Thompson Series:

Click on the cover image to go to my review or to the GoodReads page of the book for more info.

About Patricia Briggs
	Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children and six horses and writes full-time, much to the delight of her fans.
www.patriciabriggs.com \| facebook \| twitter \| goodreads \| amazon

The Narrator

About Holter Graham:

Holter Graham, winner of AudioFile's 2008 Best Voice in Science Fiction & Fantasy for Sherrilyn Kenyon's Acheron, is a stage, television, and screen actor.

www.holtergraham.com | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Wednesday 5 October 2022

REFUGE

Refuge by Karen Lynch
Book 2 of the Relentless series
Read by Caitlin Greer
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Refuge:

To keep the people she loved safe, Sara left everything she knew behind. She soon learns this new world is nothing like her old one, and she struggles to make a place for herself among the Mohiri. But it soon becomes apparent to Sara and to everyone one around her that she is not your typical warrior.

As the weeks pass, Sara builds new relationships, copes with her new trainers, and tries to manage her ever-changing powers, while keeping her unique heritage a secret. Looming in the background is the constant shadow of the Master who will do anything to find her.

Sara finds herself on a journey of self-discovery that uncovers her true strengths and awakens a part of her she never knew existed. She experiences the delight of new friendships, the sweetness and pain of first love, and a loss so deep it could be the thing that finally breaks her. At the end of it all, she discovers that the one place she was supposed to be safe might not be the refuge she thought it was.

Source: Info in the About Refuge was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20883154-refuge on 30/07/2019.

Buy Link(s):

My Thoughts:

I know that the first book is titled Relentless, but I don't really get why the series is called Relentless... is it just solely because the first book is titled that?! A bit lame for a title for a series. Anyway our main protagonist, Sara, is proving to be just slightly too stupid to live (TSTL). I sincerely hope that this is not going to become a trend in this series because that would just be too bad! Because I really am beginning to like this series! And TSTL is just going to ruin it all! On the other hand, I am glad to see that Sara is discovering her other part(s) of herself and evolving into a more interesting character. The romantic angle that this book explored more than the previous book did, is also getting interesting! Love the romance! There isn't much of a plot though. But then again, this is an urban fantasy book and not a crime thriller, so forgivable from my point of view.

The author and/or publisher obviously changed the cover art for this series from "a boy and a girl" image to a more abstract water and oil art. I'm glad they did because the "boy & girl faces" is pretty boring!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = 4
Plot = 3
Narration = 3

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Meet The Author

About Karen Lynch:

Karen Lynch is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

She grew up in Newfoundland, Canada - a place rich in colorful people and folklore to which she attributes her love of the supernatural and her vivid imagination. She moved to Charlotte, North Carolina years ago and was immediately charmed by the southern people but she says she will always be a newfie.

Though she loves supernatural fiction, she has a soft spot for Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austin. She is a fan of classic rock, country and classical music but her favorite music is the sound of a good thunderstorm or a howling blizzard. Two of her favorite past times are baking artisan breads for her friends and spending quality time with her two German Shepherds.

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Monday 5 September 2022

MIND OVER MAGIC

Mind Over Magic by Lindsay Buroker
Book 1 in the Witch In Wolf Wood series
Narrated by Vivienne Leheny
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Mind Over Magic:

As a bookish, introverted database programmer, Morgen Keller never thought she was a candidate for a midlife crisis. That was before her husband divorced her, her boss let her go, and her grandmother died. Forty wasn’t supposed to look like this.

When Morgen heads up to the small town of Bellrock, Washington, to settle the estate, she looks forward to taking a peaceful break from life and figuring out what she’s going to do next.

But peace isn’t to be had. The old farmhouse is full of witch paraphernalia, a fearsome werewolf has claimed the property, and contrary to what the family was told, Grandma didn’t die of natural causes.

Embroiled in a mystery, and heir to powers she knew nothing about, Morgen must turn to the only person who might be able to help: the werewolf who threatened to rip her throat out for trespassing.

This isn’t the fresh start on life that Morgen had in mind

Source: Info in the "About Mind Over Magic" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58933375-mind-over-magic on 17/04/2022.

Buy Link(s):

My Thoughts:

This is my second series by Lindsay Buroker and Vivienne Leheny so I am kind of familiar with these two's work. But after two books into the Death Before Dragons series,my following stalled. For several years. And I am not sure if I am going to be picking it up again. The series did not have a staying power. This book however, looks very promising. So, buying the second book in the Witch In Wolf Wood series and fingers crossed.

This book wasn't that easy to get into. It took a lot perseverance to get to the halfway point. However, it did pick up towards the end.

The plot was a bit thin on the graound. But this is urban fantasy, not crime fiction, so I was not looking for plot twists. I was looking for a rollicking magical adventure in this modern world that is realistic. This book has it!

The ending was a cliffhanger of course but at least it sort of resolved the main dilemma in the book.

Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 5
Pace = (7 hrs and 25 mins listening time)
Plot = 2.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Witch In Wolf Wood Series:

Meet The Author

About Lindsay Buroker:

Full-time indie fantasy/scifi author who loves hiking, tennis, and vizslas.

The Narrator

About Vivienne Leheny:

For over two decades, Vivienne Leheny has worked professionally in New York City and Los Angeles as an actor, voiceover artist and writer. She’s appeared on Off-Broadway and regional theatre stages, been screened at numerous film festivals (including Sundance in the 2019 opening night film: AFTER THE WEDDING), toured the northeast doing stand-up, and her writing has been published in national publications.

Vivienne has built a successful audiobook narration business, reading under her own name as well as under the pseudonyms, “Nola Zandry” and “Lily Collingwood.” She has a home studio and records using punch & roll software. Currently narrating six ongoing series, she also has numerous stand-alone book narrations, all of which are doing brisk sales on Audible, Amazon and iTunes. She’s narrated titles for Harper Collins, Macmillan, Recorded Books, and Simon & Schuster, among other audiobook publishers.

Vivienne will soon be recording her 150th audiobook narration.

Her audiobook narration course, The Voice in their Ear, has been a sell-out Maine Media Workshops+College, where she’s also taught her Putting Your Voice to Work: Building a Career in Voiceover curriculum, while her Breaking Into Audiobooks seminar for the SAG Foundation fills up quickly and with long wait lists. She’s also taught audiobook narration at the Caymichael Patten Studio.

She’s recorded over a thousand promotions for NBC programming (Saturday Night Live, Nightly News, Days of our Lives, Late Night with Conan O’Brien), including over a decade with The Today Show. She’s also done promotional spots for HBO, Showtime, and Bravo. Vivienne has voiced numerous national commercial campaigns, including Coca Cola, Fruit of the Loom, Florida Orange Juice, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Maxwell House and Revlon.

Her narration work has run the gamut, from Chain Gang Girls on Oxygen to Charles and Di: Once Upon a Time on TLC, from Fine Living’s Esquire’s Man at His Best to the six-part series Killer Outbreaks on Animal Planet, where she was the voice of the Bubonic Plague and West Nile Virus. She’s also the voice for the mysterious and disturbing “Phoenix Project” in the popular video game Assassin’s Creed, Unity.

www.vivienneleheny.com | twitter | facebook | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Friday 5 August 2022

MISFIT FORTUNE

Misfit Fortune by Stephanie Foxe
Book 3 of the Misfit Pack series
Narrated by Amanda Dolan
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Misfit Fortune:

It’s the brightest light that casts the deepest shadows…

Magic, blood, and politics hide an enemy the pack never saw coming. One with more power than anyone understands.

Enemies are closing in on all sides, but they’re nothing more than a distraction to hide the real threat. It isn’t just the pack at risk –– not anymore.

Magic itself is being threatened.

Amber and her pack are trapped in the middle of a centuries long war, and the time has come to pick a side.

But it’s a choice she won’t be able to take back.

Nothing is as it seems. Trust is a valuable commodity that is sorely lacking in an increasingly dangerous world.

Amber must step up and take her place in the game, shattering illusions and pulling the truth from the shadows.

Source: Info in the About Misfit Fortune was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45214932-misfit-fortune on 17/10/2019.

Buy Link(s):

[Image Credit: Wes-Talbott]

My Thoughts:

Being the third book, I can say with confidence that this series is a keeper!

At first I did not like the way Ceri is keeping secrets because it seems like the start of the breaking-up of the pack! It soon made sense after reading a little bit further.

The author has added a new twist to the "war of angels and demons" christian mythology that I was not really expecting, and it spiced things up a little bit more! Way to go Stephanie Foxe!!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (12 hrs & 10 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries

Meet The Author

About Stephanie Foxe:

Stephanie Foxe was born and raised near Houston, TX. She grew up playing in the pond and woods in her backyard, and devouring every book she could get her hands on.

Her teen years were spent transitioning slowly from reader, to writer. She spent most evenings on the phone with her cousin writing the first few pages to many books that would never be finished.

Her adult years were spent toiling away at a corporate job until one fateful day when she heard about a little writing project called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). From there, the idea of writing a book went from a fanciful dream to a finished manuscript. The first book in the Witch’s Bite series was written, and Stephanie was addicted.

Now, she has plans to publish everything from paranormal fantasy to science fiction.

One book at a time.

Join the Newsletter to be kept updated on any new releases. Sign up today to receive Unsteady Magic, the short story prequel to the Witch’s Bite series, for free!

The Narrator

About Amanda Dolan:

Amanda is a New York City based actor, improvisor and voiceover artist, who has recorded over 100 audiobooks. She has an MFA in acting from Brown University, and is a member of Actors’ Equity.

Born in Astoria, New York, but lucky enough to have been transplanted to sunny Orange County, CA, Amanda’s upbringing was a perfect mix of East meets West (And by East she means bagels, not sushi).

Amanda loves to develop new plays and musicals. She has workshopped new work with Trinity Rep, Pipeline Theater Company, Soho Rep, Marginal Man Theater Company, The Lark Play Development Center, Playwrights Rep, Brown University and many more.

In addition to stage and film work, Amanda can be heard voicing hundreds of characters in over 100 audiobooks for Audible, Inc., AudioGo (BBC Audiobooks America), Blackstone Audio, John Marshall Media, HarperCollins, and Tantor Media.

www.amanda-dolan.com | facebook | youtube | pinterest | goodreads