AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: EVEN TREE NYMPHS GET THE BLUES

Patrol Log:  12710162019

Audiobook Review On:  Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues, (Mystic Bayou Book 2.5)

By Molly Harper

Narrated by Amanda Ronconi and Jonathan Davis

RATED IT

Ingrid Asher is the newest resident of Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where shapeshifters, vampires, witches and dragons live alongside humans.

Ingrid doesn’t ask for much. The solitary tree nymph just wants to live a quiet life running her ice-cream shop in peace. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to shake her new neighbor, Rob Aspern, head of the League’s data science department and so good looking it just isn’t fair.

If there’s one thing Ingrid doesn’t need, it’s someone poking around in her business. But the more she gets to know the hunky mathematician, the more she finds herself letting her guard down. Can she trust him with her secrets, or will her past destroy everything?

Even Tree Nymphs Get The Blues was a cute little story about Ingrid a tree nymph.  She moved from NY to Mystic Bayou in the hope of living a peaceful life with her tree, a sort of going back to her roots kinda deal, no pun intended, and also to run her own ice cream business.  I truly enjoyed returning to the Mystic Bayou world and the authors comical characters that she has created.  The world building was a cross over from the authors Jane Jameson and Half-Moon Hollow series, so the environment was very warm and friendly for me to enter.  The people, the surroundings, and the shenanigans in this story were like coming home after a long reprieve.  

Ingrid's character was old world, a bit rough around the edges.  It took me a minute to connect with her and although I did not dislike her character, there was nothing very special or dramatic about her to increase the wow factor of her tale for me.  I enjoyed my stay in Mystic but the main attraction fell short for me.

NARRATOR REVIEW

We have a duo narration for this book, woo hoo!  So Amanda Ronconi teams up with Jonathan Davis.  Well, if you're a PY fan, then you know how I feel about Amanda, she is FAB-U-LOUS!  Amanda's tone, sarcasm, comedic timing and acting skills are a real treat to listen to.  Amanda's voice is so ingrained in my brain that I could single her out in a voice off!  

Now for Jonathan Davis, he was not to shabby, not one bit.  He did a pretty good job along side Amanda, and held his own.  Now I'm not saying this cause he's an Audible's Narrator Hall of Famer!  I actually just discovered that when looking him up on social media, after I wrote my review, thank you very much.  The man has skills and a voice made for radio.  Check him out for yourself!  Social links will be below.

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: MOON CALLED

Patrol Log:  12607172019

Audiobook Review On Moon Called, Mercy Thompson Book 1

By Patricia Briggs

Narrated by Lorelei King

RATED IT

Mercedes Thompson, aka Mercy, is a talented Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. She also happens to be a walker, a magical being with the power to shift into a coyote at will. Mercy's next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a bus for a vampire. This is the world of Mercy Thompson, one that looks a lot like ours but is populated by those things that go bump in the night. And Mercy's connection to those things is about to get her into some serious hot water...

Mercedes Thompson is a loner, only having her cat, her auto repair shop, and former shop owner/friend, Z. Until one day a young boy walks into her shop, looking for short term work. Mac is scared, tired and hungry. Without saying a word, Mercy knows this about him and takes him in. Little did Mercy know that this one act of kindness would turn into the biggest shit storm of her life!

The story paints a very clear and distinct picture of the world Mercedes, aka Mercy lives in. Mercy is a shifter, better known in this world as a skin walker. The paranormal creatures in this world are vast, including werewolves, vampires and fae. The “lesser” type fae have come out of the closet to the humans, and this has left the other supernaturals on edge. It's natural to think that it is only a matter of time before the humans figure out that there are others than the fae, and how will they handle that?

Mercy keeps to herself, because she is the only one of her kind that she knows of. She is not welcome in the werewolf community, even though their forms are similar. So when a young and scared werewolf appears at her shop looking for work, she has no choice but to contact the local wolf packs alpha, Adam. Life from here takes a quick “oh shit” turn, leaving an aftermath of dead werewolves, and Adam's daughter missing, with Mercy right smack in the middle of werewolf business. A place she doesn't want to be in nor does the wolf pack want her there.

As Mercy goes along with helping Adam find his daughter, we the reader find out bits and pieces of Mercy's past. Her life has been twisted with the wolves because of her upbringing, and the whole politics of it all is rather complex. Mercy has connections to some very powerful wolves, which until now, she has never spoken to, let alone asked them for any help. Mercy's character was strong, smart and independent. She has a very likable personality, and a strong sense of what's right and wrong. I like her, but a lot of her personality traits ran closely to other heroines I've read in books recently which turned me off a little. If it wasn't for the unique story line, supporting characters and awesome narrator, I most likely would have dropped the book. But after a recent discovery, Moon Called was published much earlier than those other stories, so I did feel better about Mercy's character.

Adam, Samuel and Mercy love triangle. Ah yes, my favorite part of PNR. Samuel is Mercy's ex from when she was a teenager, and a very old wolf. Adam is the local alpha and her next door neighbor that was instructed to “keep an eye on her”, whom also has some feelings of claim on Mercy. Which one am I rooting for, Team Adam or Team Samuel? Well lets examine what I know. Samuel appeared to love Mercy, but she later found out he just wanted a suitable mate to procreate with and was not so much “in love” with her. That was a kick in the gut. Adam apparently put some wolfy claim on Mercedes before he even met her! They rarely spoke, and frankly she didn't seem to even like him as a person. BUT, as their journey to find Jessie drew out, they became friends, and Adam even put trust in Mercy unwarranted, which he didn't really have to. I will state for now I am Team Adam, but I do reserve the right to change my vote. This book most definitely was not a disappointment, I'm just sad that it took me this long to read/listen to it.

The Narrator

Lorelei King, one of my favorite narrators of all time! Lorelei's tone is very smooth and confident. She delivers her lines with perfection, and her comedic timing is classic! Her transition from female to male voices is great, because most want to lower their register and that just sounds bad, but not Lorelei. This narrator is and will always will be a 5 Fang rating!

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BOOK REVIEW: PROTECT THE PRINCE

Patrol Log:  12507132019

Book Review On Protect The Prince, Crown Shards Book 2

By Jennifer Estep

**ARC copy from the publisher for an honest review**

RATED IT

First, Evie has deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown.  As if that wasn't bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.  

Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance.  But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian King, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his country men in the Seven Spire massacre.  

But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that on one is safe.  Worse, Evie's immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.  

But Evie's magic, life, and crown aren't the only things in danger - so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian King's bastard son and Evie's... well Evie isn't quite sure what Sullivan is to her.  

Only one thing is certain - protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen...

Everleigh Blairs' whole world was changed with the war waged on Seven Spire by the evil King of Morta. They killed her Queen and her entire family. With Everleigh being the last of the Royal line, she is thrown into a power that she has no idea how to handle. Can Queen Everleigh keep her kingdom from being destroyed, all while trying to find her voice and unlock her powers to their full potential?

Protect The Prince is the second book in the Crown of Shards series. I had not read the first book in the series, but I was willing to jump into the middle of this story because I do love Jennifer Estep's work. The story line had a classic taste to it in the sense of a kingdom fighting an evil that is trying to destroy their people. It wasn't hard to follow because Estep did a great job with inserting the previous books highlights into the story with a series of flashbacks and recaps during the current stories dialogue. The people in this world are magical. The different magics appear to correlate with their family line. But since Everleigh kept referring to herself as a “mutt”, I felt like she never really knew what her capabilities were and this was a journey of discovery for her. Key players in Eveleighs court had her back and wanted her to succeed, but her biggest battle within her own kingdom was the people. All of the noblemen were more concerned about her marital status than their own safety from the Morta Kingdom. Seven Spire was a small and humble castle in comparison to others, so Everleigh sought an alliance with the Andvari Kingdom. There was much reluctance from her magier enforcer of the Black Swan troup, Lucas Sullivan, regarding this alliance. Lucas is the bastard son of Andvari's King, and had left his kindom behind that never sought him as a true Prince. Needless to say, Lucas had some daddy issues. Everleigh felt like she had no choice though, because Maeven, the bastard sister to the King of Morta, was at it again. She sent an assassin to kill Queen Everleigh in her own throne room. Little does everyone know that Everleigh's power is special.

The characters... Everleigh was a likable character for me, right off the bat. Sure she doubted herself as a Queen, but she has a strong will, amazing powers, and fighting skills but she also has a heart and good intentions that are all strong qualities for a Queen to have. Even though Everleigh was never bred to be Queen one day, nor was she raised with the Royals, she stepped up and kicked ass! Lucas Sullivan, he's kind of a bitch. He allowed his feelings to get in the way and ran away like a child all because he felt like his father didn't love him like he loved his other two sons. They were born from a Queen, he was not, but still lived in the Kings castle and was raised with his brothers and father, so suck it up bitch! No you will never be King because you're a bastard child, shit happens, move on. Despite this personality flaw of Sullivan's that I did not like, he had a connection with Everleigh, they understood each other, and they had an undeniable attraction that could melt butter. Everleigh's entourage; Paloma an ogre morph, Cho a dragon morph, Serilda a gladiator, and Xenia an ogre morph were all a powerful and loyal force to be reckoned with. They all had a unique knowledge and power that when combined, helped Everleigh along the way to becoming a true Winter Queen. It wasn't even a second thought for me to cheer this Kingdom on in the good fight!

The story... was good, and kept me on my toes. There was a “who dunnit” plot that was entertaining to read along with. While Everleigh was visiting King Heinrich to seek an alliance with his kingdom, I was introduced to his world and meet some nice and not so nice characters. Some of them were just straight up shady as hell, but they all gave a pretty damn good basis for a plot twist and a Oh My God ending. Now there was some loss and heartache, but the story also gave me hope with a triumph and a lot of love. The only thing I regret is not having read the first book yet, cause it sounds amazing! I highly recommend this book!

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GIVEAWAY: FIFTY KINDS OF DEAD

Patrol Log:  12404082019

Giveaway for Fifty Kinds of Dead by J.A. Fredericks

*This is a serial and intended for readers over 18. The installments are not novel length.* 

After Ava Lewis is mistakenly claimed by a reaper then brought back to fulfill an unknown purpose, she's forced to sever all ties to her former life and figure out how to survive despite not having a heartbeat or anyone to help. It would seem all hope is lost until she meets Liam, the hot ghost with a dirty mind, and then Jackson, the sexy human she has an unrelenting attraction toward.

Conflicted by her feelings, Eva finds herself struggling to define what it means to be undead while giving in to her darkest desires. When Jackson's kisses awaken a part of her she thought she lost when she died, her endless hunger will threaten to consume them both. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. A. Fredericks is the OTHER pen name used by Jennifer Ann.   When writing menage romances. Just like her characters, she’s really into music, tattoos, and motorcycles. When not riding on the back of her husband's Harley or attending concerts, you can sometimes finding her driving tractor in southern Minnesota.

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THE GIVEAWAY

Enter to win One (1) signed copy of Fifty Kinds of Dead by J.A. Fredericks, and some amazing book swag!  One entry per person, and you must be 18 years or older.  US Residents Only Please.  

How To Enter:  Follow PY by any social media means.  Follow the Author on any of her socials.  Leave a comment here and that's it!  Good luck everyone!  Giveaway ends on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.

GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: BECOMING HENRY

Patrol Log:  12303252019

Graphic Novel Review:  Shattered Lives:  Becoming Henry, Issue #1

By Rissa Blakeley

Reviewed by Spiffy Nerd

**Novel provided by the author for an honest review**

RATED IT

Violent nightmares.
A haunting past.

As an orphan, government recruiters, entwined within a secret project, place Luke Richards into a military school in the East End of London. He quickly discovers who he can trust and who will stand against him. Upon finding the government selected him and several other capable recruits, Luke fears what will happen to the one person he confides in.

Reading the first issue of this series was a fun trip; between the snips of visions Luke has and the seemingly everyday life he goes through living in a military academy, it gives you plenty of reasons to keep turning the page in wonder of what will happen next and how it all connects. The art for the comic, while different than what you typically find, shares a host of emotions with the characters and their actions. Stepping into the first couple of pages you can easily spot the type of character Luke can potentially be. Delving further into the story you get to meet other characters like his roommate and my personal favorite so far, Lauren. The story is rich, with not just character development, but also relationship growth for our protagonist amongst his inner circle.

The story definitely leaves questions as to what will be happening to these characters, especially after the older gent who came in to really change things up and raise even further questions to the future of these kids. Questions like who is he and what exactly is his agenda with these cadets? This graphic novel does a great job on investing you into Luke and wondering how all these things are going to shape him further along in the series.

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GIVEAWAY: BLOOD DESTINY BOX SET

Patrol Log:  12202232019

Giveaway:  Blood Destiny Box Set

By Connie Suttle

** This is a complete set of 10 books in the Blood Destiny Series by Connie Suttle. **

Lissa's life as a vampire begins on the day her husband is removed from life support.  Turned by rogues her wager her life, Lissa is running from her maker who is determined to kill her, hunted by the Council, who has branded her a rogue and blackmailed by werewolves, who utilize her newly-developed talents for their own gain.

THE AUTHOR

Reinvention/Reincarnation. Those words describe Connie best. She has worked as a janitor, a waitress, a mower of lawns and house cleaner, a clerk, secretary, teacher, bookseller and (finally) an author. The last occupation is the best one, because she sees it as a labor of love and therefore no labor at all.

Connie has lived in Oklahoma all her life, with brief forays into other states for visits. She and her husband have been married for more years than she prefers to tell and together they have one son.

After earning an MFA in Film Production and Animation from the University of Oklahoma, Connie taught courses in those subjects for a few years before taking a job as a manager for Borders. When she left the company in 2007, she fully intended to find a desk job somewhere. She found the job. And the desk. At home, writing.

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THE GIVEAWAY

Enter for your chance to win the first 10 Kindle version books in the Blood Destiny Series by Connie Suttle.  PY also has an exclusive swag package to go along with the books, all from Author Connie Suttle!  Swag pack includes one "I love Larentii" fleece blanket, one Subtle Demon fan, one I Love Larentii coffee mug, one Subtle Demon spiral notebook with pen, one Subtle Demon note pad, one Subtle Demon letter opener, one Subtle Demon carabiner, one Subtle Demon chapstick holder with keychain attached, one Subtle Demon pen with light, and one pen w/o light, one Subtle Demon thumb drive, various Connie Suttle bookmarks, and various Connie Suttle postcards.  See picture below.  One lucky winner will be chosen via random.org on March 18, 2019.  US Residents Only.  You must be 18 years old to enter.

HOW TO ENTER:

• You must be a PY follower.  Subscribe to email updates, or by social media.
• Follow the author by any of her social media outlets listed above.
• Leave a comment here and share how you stalk the author and PY.  

GIVEAWAY: CRAVING LOVE AND DEATH

Patrol Log:  12101302019

Giveaway:  Craving Love and Death

By Haven Cage

Most women in the 1950s dream of a perfect life, pleasing their bread-winning husbands and raising happy families. Vivienne...well...she dreams of a life in which she doesn't need to murder the men she sleeps with.


She may play the role of a quiet, docile nightclub singer and waitress for her friends and family, but, behind closed doors, Vivienne gives into an insatiable lust and hunger no man can escape.

She just wants to ignore her disturbing temptations. However, when Vivie's best friend convinces her to join an impromptu double-date with two handsome sailors, her plan gets blown to bits.

Sexy, dark, and sly as hell, Naval Lieutenant Dean Vitson may be the only man who can give Vivie a reason to nix her "bad habits"--but he's running from his own dirty past. And his secrets could turn her world upside down.

Can Vivienne change her murderous ways to be with Dean?

Will she want to after she finds out what he's hiding?



Craving Love & Death is a dark Romantic Suspense and the first standalone installment in The Perilously Pretty Series, a compilation of wicked romance novels about bad ass women from all eras and walks of life.


Warning: Contains adult language, sexual content, criminal content

THE AUTHOR

Haven Cage lives in the Carolinas with her husband and son. After many years of dabbling with drawing, painting, and working night shift in the medical field, she decided to try her hand at writing. Unfortunately, her love for books came later in life and proved to add a healthy challenge during her writing journey. Determined to hone her craft though, she soaks up as much information as she can, spends her free time tapping away in her favorite local coffee shop, and keeps a good book in hand whenever possible. 

What began as a hobby has grown into a way of escape and the yearning to take her journey farther, her love for writing and reading deepening along the way.

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THE GIVEAWAY

Here is your chance to win a signed copy of Craving Love and Death by Haven Cage!  Along for the ride are some pretty cool bookmarks, key chains, and other amazing book swag for you pleasure.  We only have 1 copy of this book signed, so only 1 winner will be randomly chosen by random.org.  Good luck and may the force be with you ;)  Giveaway will close on Monday, February 18, 2019.  US Residents Only.  Must be 18 years old to enter.

HOW TO ENTER:

•  You must be a PY follower.  Subscribe to email updates, or by social media.
•  Follow the author by any of her social media outlets listed above in BIO.
•  Leave a comment here and share how you stalk the author and PY.  **Make sure you are logged in so I have a way of contacting the winner!