Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #6
Unabridged
Published: 6/25/13
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Length: 9 hrs. 52 min.
Source: Library

For a two-thousand-year-old Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan is a pretty fast runner. Good thing, because he’s being chased by not one but two goddesses of the hunt—Artemis and Diana—for messing with one of their own. Dodging their slings and arrows, Atticus, Granuaile, and his wolfhound Oberon are making a mad dash across modern-day Europe to seek help from a friend of the Tuatha Dé Danann. His usual magical option of shifting planes is blocked, so instead of playing hide-and-seek, the game plan is . . . run like hell. 

Crashing the pantheon marathon is the Norse god Loki. Killing Atticus is the only loose end he needs to tie up before unleashing Ragnarok—AKA the Apocalypse. Atticus and Granuaile have to outfox the Olympians and contain the god of mischief if they want to go on living—and still have a world to live in.

My thoughts:

If you haven't tried these books on audiobook, I do suggest you try at least one. I do love Luke Daniel's narration of this series and he is the voice of Atticus in my head. His rendition of Oberon is always spot on and is capable of making me laugh. Like most male narrators, it takes me a while to get used to his female voices but it didn't take me long (like usual) to just fall into the flow and it didn't bother me at all in a few minutes.

The humor of his stories was back in this one and I loved learning about his version of mythology. There was a huge twist that I didn't expect and while I knew what the outcome would have to be, I just didn't know how it would be solved.

The romance in the book was still on the back burner but definitely there. It was cute and there was also a possible partner for Atticus that did surprise but not really at the same time. Atticus, like a lot of males, was clueless until it was too late. It really did make it interesting to see his emotions about this event (which I will evilly not tell... bwa haha).

I give this book 4 stars. My biggest niggle about the book is how it ended. It didn't quite feel like a solid end to me but it wasn't really a cliffie, it just felt unfinished and abrupt although others might tell you otherwise. It just felt that way to me. I will continue the series as I'm curious as to what else Atticus, Granuaile and Oberon have in store for us all next.

Standalone
Unabridged
Published: April 3, 18
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Amy Melissa Bentley
Length: 11 hrs. 23 min.
Source: Hoopla/Library

Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets. 

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong? 

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely. 

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

My thoughts:

I have to admit that by now I think I will read or listen to anything Jenn Bennett writes. Another good YA romance book and I am smitten with the characters. It also has some excellent (and one not so excellent... but that was intentional) secondary characters. I especially love her adopted grandparents and her mom (oh the way they are all together!). Also, I have to note that the cast was eclectic and that made me love this book even more.

It also has everything you want in a YA. It does have sex in the book, but it is handled well and is geared toward older YA. It also has bad decisions and miscommunication as you often expect in a friends to hate to love romance, but it is handled well. The drama is well placed and makes sense. It enhances the book and gives them reason to know each other again. This is a contemporary romance you should try if you haven't already.

The narrator is now my voice for Bennett's YA. I hope she does more books as the author writes them. I wouldn't hesitate to pick another with her narration.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars. If you shy away from YA contemporary romance, give this one a try. It is as well written as her other works and this author has a solid fan in me.

Standalone
Unabridged
Published: 8/15/17
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Amy Melissa Bentley
Length: 9 hrs. 58 min.
Source: Hoopla/Library

Classic movie buff Bailey "Mink" Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by "Alex." Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush. 

Faced with doubts (what if he's a creep in real life-or worse?), Bailey doesn't tell Alex she's moved to his hometown. Or that she's landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she's being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth-a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she's starting to feel for Porter... 

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex . . . Approximately.

My thoughts:

This is a YA romantic comedy and a retelling of "You've Got Mail" which is perfect for these two movie buffs. This one had me completely engaged and invested in this romance. I really enjoyed the characters and how they move from hate to sorta friends to love. This was simply a fun ride and a great audiobook. Amy did a great job narrating the story and even though I did listen at 1.5 speed I enjoyed her voice and expressions.

My only real issue was a hint of a possible "bad guy" that never amounted to much. This was supposed to affect her and give her some slight PTSD but it was pretty much dropped and I found that disappointing. I also though there would be more about her anxiety but it was solved rather abruptly. However, these actually ended up being minor niggles and I didn't want the story to end.

I give this book 4 stars. If you are looking for a good romantic summer read, then this one might be a good fun read while at the beach (can I come too? LOL)

Series: Shatter Me #2
Narrator: Kate Simses
11 hrs. 57 min.
Unabridged
Publisher: HarperAudio
Published: 2/5/13
Source: Library
Amazon Affiliate Link (Book)

tick tick tick tick tick

it's almost time for war. 

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance. 

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch. 

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. 

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

My thoughts:

I'm glad I read the prequel and it did set things up nicely for this book. So, do get to that one first if you can. And yes, this one does set up things for the dreaded love triangle. I don't like triangles, but I don't have the aversion to them as others have when immediately hearing a series or a book has them. I've actually read good triangle books but I will concede that they are few in number. And how do I feel about this one? I'm not sure. It is too early to tell, but so far I'm intrigued by how it is set up. In some ways it makes sense depending on who Juliette decides who she IS in the end. She is still a child, growing and learning so she has things to think about. Even though she gets jumbled up in her head and needs to leave that space more often, she still finds a way to figure out, in baby steps, who she wants to become as she learns more about her world. Now, that I do appreciate and that is really what drives me along in the book. The triangle for me is just another way for her to explore herself more even if you might get frustrated with her confusion from time to time. It is good to remember her formative years were quite stunted.

I admit this one took me a while to get though. It was no fault of the book, and I was always glad to get back to it, but I also didn't have a problem letting it go from time to time. Still, by the end of the book I was very curious to how Juliette would progress and how all her friends fit in it.

I give this audiobook 4 stars. The narrator, Kate Simses, does the voicing of the various characters well and it is easy to get lost in her telling of the story. I really like how they took this visual book and made it work in audio. I do think I'll continue this one on audio if I can and it does look like the library has the next two. I do recommend the audiobook format.

Honor Among Thieves
by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre
Published: 2/13/18
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan–a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers. 

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned to along with fellow Honor Beatriz, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time, along with a devotion she’s never experienced before. Yet nothing—not her Honors training or her street smarts—could have prepared her for the dark, dangerous truths that lurk behind the glitter of starlight. 

Honor Among Thieves is the first book in a daring new sci-fi series by bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre.

I feel the stars.

Energy pulses against my skin, murmuring secrets about this small galaxy, about orbits and alignments and asteroids streaming in space. Impulse makes me want to dive and swim those currents, but I control these urges.

I shift my attention to the flutters of life within my skin.

Marko glows orange with crimson streaks. He is warm, always the easiest to find. Just now, he stands and stares at the blue-green orb swirling below us. I cannot swim down to see what he remembers of this place. The planet’s gravitational pull would break my bones. But he shows me flashes: smiling faces, a field of flowers, an old woman with eyes like slices of sky.

“I’ll miss you,” I tell him.

He starts, surprised to hear me, as if he’s ever truly alone. “Me too. It was a good run.”

He once told me that it’s strange when we talk; he thinks I should find him as insignificant as he does the bacteria in his stomach. But I have had time to acclimate to the strangers in my system. I safeguard the small voices, as is my privilege and duty. There will be more to my life, but only when I’ve proven myself.

The stars sing again, this time in strong, seductive harmony. I resist their melody, but the call is growing stronger.

Despite my passengers, I am empty in a way I cannot name. Marko tells me it is because our voyage is over; he calls this sadness. Perhaps I have learned this feeling from him. My first Honor gave me a human name, Nadim, and I have kept it safe, along with the other words and shapes and colors that shade my new existence. Like sadness.

I do not like this low orbit, but I must wait. I have been ordered to wait.

My new Honors will come.

16/20 audiobooks

Series: The Others #1
Narrator: Alexandra Harris
18 hrs. 32 min.
Unabridged
Published: March 5, 13
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Source: Library (Interlibrary loan)

As a "cassandra sangue," or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut--a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg's Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard--a business district operated by the Others. 

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she's keeping a secret, and second, she doesn't smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she's wanted by the government, he'll have to decide if she's worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

My thoughts:

Series: The Raven Cycle #4
Ending book
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Narrator: Will Patton
Unabridged
11 hrs. 53 min.
Source: Hoopla/Library

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater. 

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

My thoughts:

This one was surprising. All of the books did seem to lead up to this one and the writing followed through beautifully. In one way it felt like stream of consciousness writing where things seem disjointed and pulled together at once, but in a closer look, it fits the story of finding a mythical king in a mythical forest surrounded by his magicians. Did we find the king? No and then yes. Did he grant the wish. No and then yes. All things flowed in this direction gave you the answer you didn't want and then find that it was the only answer you could have gotten. Curious? I hope so.

This is a series that must be read in order. You need that order to get to know all the characters in the book. Not everyone gets an HEA but then there was no way a mythic journey could grant all HEAs in a story. Some sacrifices were made and some were taken. You also find unexpected twists that you didn't know you wanted until it happened. I loved the romantic twists in the end and it just felt right even though it took you (and the characters) by surprise. This is one dream that you weren't sure you wanted it to end even though you know how you wanted it to end.

Will Patton also does an exceptional job voicing all the characters and setting the tone of the story. I really enjoyed listening to him tell this tale. This was a good story on audio.

I give this last installment 4 stars. Despite what I said above I would have liked a bit more coherence in some of the aspects of the story. I did like the dream-like state of the characters world, but they also had to function somewhat in ours and that is where I would have liked it to come together a bit better. However, this really is a small niggle and one series I do think ended well. I highly recommend it to those that enjoy YA stories of mythic proportions.

Novella
Narrated: Zachary Quinto
2 hrs. 19 min.
Unabridged
Publisher: Audible Studios
Published: 10/4/16
Source: tbr pile (free until Nov. 2, 16)

One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life.

Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher - a licensed, bonded professional whose job is to humanely dispatch those whose circumstances put them in death's crosshairs, so they can have a second chance to avoid the reaper. But when a fellow Dispatcher and former friend is apparently kidnapped, Tony learns that there are some things that are worse than death and that some people are ready to do almost anything to avenge a supposed wrong.

It's a race against time for Valdez to find his friend before it's too late...before not even a Dispatcher can save him.

My thoughts:

Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: Charley Davidson #10
10 hrs. 40 min.
Unabridged
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: 6/28/16
Source: Library

As a Part-time PI and fulltime grim reaper, Charley Davidson has asked a lot of questions throughout her life: Why can I see dead people? Who is the hot supernatural entity following me? How do I get gum out of my sister’s hair before she wakes up? But, “How do I trap not one malevolent god, but three?” was never among them. Until now. And since those gods are on earth to kill her daughter, she has little choice but to track them down, trap them, and cast them from this dimension. 

There’s just one problem. One of the three stole her heart a very long time ago. Can the Razer, a god of absolute death and destruction, change his omniscient spots, or will his allegiances lie with his brothers? 

Those are just a few of the questions Charley must answer, and quick. Add to that a homeless girl running for her life, an innocent man who’s been charged with murder, and a pendant made from god glass that has the entire supernatural world in an uproar, and Charley has her hands full. If she can manage to take care of the whole world-destroying-gods thing, we’re saved. If not, well…

My thoughts:

Finally got to this one! I wasn't disappointed either. :D I did become worried about Reyes when a lot of people who had read/listened to this one before me was complaining about him being less that forthcoming. I didn't want a stupid misunderstanding to get in the way of this couple (that is usually how it goes). Luckily my fears were unfounded. While there was miscommunication, it was cleared for our couple and for the reader.

Oh so much was clarified! We got to know more details about what is going on and yet there are still more mysteries to be had. I think what I really loved about this one is how much more confident Charley feels to me. She is still learning what she is and who she is because of it, but she really is accepting of those parts as they come and is learning to use her powers. I think I really like this Charley. I cannot wait to see what comes next and I cannot wait to get to know Beep. I have a feeling she will be more than a handful to both parents. :)

I also swear that if Lorelei King stops narrating this series, I might have to read them instead of listening to them. I don't say that often, but she is the voice of Charley and does such an excellent job of the other characters. I think it would be too jarring for me to hear anyone else narrate it. If you haven't tried this one on audio, do try it. I think you'll love it. Might also be the series to get you into audiobooks. :D

I give this book 4 stars and highly recommend it to those that love UF and snarky humor.

Series: Kate Daniels #6
Narrator: Reneé Raudman
Unabridged
15 hrs. 6 min.
Publisher: Recorded Books
Published: July 30, 13
Source: Library

Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost. 

Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta. 

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…

My thoughts:

Series: Cassandra Palmer #5
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
14 hrs. 51 min.
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Published: June, 27, 11
Source: Library/Hoopla

Cassandra Palmer recently defeated a god, which you'd think would buy a girl a little time off. But it doesn't work that way when your job description is Pythia-the world's chief clairvoyant. Cassie is busier than ever, trying to learn about her power, preparing for her upcoming coronation, and figuring out her relationship with the enigmatic sexy master vampire, Mircea. 

But someone doesn't want Cassie to become Pythia, and is willing to go to any lengths to make sure the coronation ceremony never happens- including attacking her mother before Cassie is even born.

My thoughts:

This was a long audio, but since I've had Cynthia Holloway read the last book to me, I knew I would enjoy it. I like her character voices and how she creates a nuance and inflection in their voices.

In this book we learn quite a bit about Cassie's lineage and past. We also learn more about Pritkin and Mircea. We come to find out what past incidences colored the way they see things now. There is a chance for growth in all characters, but we see it the most in Cassie.

This book was also filled with action. Almost too much for me. I felt like I ran a marathon after this book. I wouldn't know how Cassie would have remained sane with one thing happening after another. However, our heroine is sometimes outmatched but she never gives up. It is her tenacity that sees her through... along with some heavy hitter paranormal friends.

I do think I enjoyed most of my running stay with Cassie, especially learning and having a much deeper understanding of the main characters. The ending, however, is not my favorite. While it wasn't the worst cliffie I've had, it was a cliffie nonetheless. :p No! After 14 hrs and you do that to me! It really is more of an introduction to an added arc (I suspect) than not answering lingering questions in this book, but I still hated it. And yes, cannot wait to get to the next book as well. Darn it. :)

I give this book 4 stars. It is a fast paced book that gives you no time to rest. Oh and those looking for some hot action, you will not be disappointed here. Yea, she had a little time to enjoy herself more than once. *waggles eyebrows* I recommend this series to those that love UF.

Series: Talon #3
Narrators: Caitlin Davies, MacLeod Andrews, Chris Patton, and Tristan Morris
Unabridged
10 hrs. 59 min
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 4/26/16
Source: Audiobook Jukebox, and publisher for review

When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organization Talon and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chose to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She's lost any contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side. As Ember and Riley hide and regroup to fight another day, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George, to spy on his former brothers and uncover deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragon-slayers alike, placing them all in imminent danger as Talon's new order rises.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed the last book in this series on audiobook, so when this one came up for review I jumped at the chance. I enjoyed how all the narrators in this series work. Each narrator takes a chapter and a character. When it is that character's POV, the corresponding narrator takes over that chapter. It really helps for those that normally have problems with multi-POV but I've not had a problem with that aspect of the series even when I read it.

Each narrator is excellent for their characters. While it might throw you a bit when voicing the other characters, it isn't enough to draw you out of the story and they are actually pretty consistent in inflection of the voiced characters. Mostly it was the male narrators voicing the female character and vice versa where you really noticed the difference. This is often the case in any audiobook you will encounter, however and was a minor niggle overall.

The story really seems to pick up speed from the last book and I though it wrapped up some of the events that was building from the last book. I wasn't sure how the triangle would play out, but it wasn't bad and while things wasn't quite worked out, it didn't bother me as well. Revelations made that triangle more twisty which actually made it more interesting. So those that don't like triangles be wary but don't shy from the series either.

As far as the rest of the book... oh twists galore... and one very wicked twist in the end. However, having read this author's other works, I trust that things will work out in a interesting manner and one that I will accept. Right now I'm still reeling with the last twist in this book. Sorry, all I will say.

I give this audio 4 stars. I really like the way the multi-POV is done on this audio and I so need that next book now. Need to know what happens next. NEEDS I tell ya. LOL

Series: Charley Davidson #9
Narrator: Lorelei King
10 hrs. 11 min.
Unabridged
Published: 1/5/16
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Source: Library

In a small village in New York Charley Davidson is living as Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around. 

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her-even from her new and trusted friends-the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

My thoughts:

I almost couldn't wait for this book on audio. The ending for the last book left me reeling and I needed to know what was going on. Finally found time and the audio at the library (couldn't get it streaming, but had it on CD! WHEE!). And as with the other books in the series I found myself enjoying all the characters and the smaller mysteries Charley always seems to find even in this state (don't want to give too much away if you haven't read the others). Laughter as always (bathroom scene with horse... all I'm sayin') and quite a few "aw" moments with Reyes. *sigh* The end is quick and quite dark and no evil cliffies in this one. Of course the arc mystery only deepens and we must have the next book to find out what comes next (I've recently been accosted by great reviews of the next book which only makes me drool for it more. Hey! Library! Get on the job and get me the next audio pronto!).

As I said, this gave you the answers you were seeking from the last awful cliffie (I hate all cliffies, no exceptions) but doesn't answer all questions in the story arc. I give this book 4 1/2 stars and need the next audio NOW. :D I highly recommend this seres for those that love a good UF/PNR, humor and mystery. Also, I highly recommend them on audio and I love Lorelei King's narration and that has made me want to do the whole series on audio.

Share book reviews and ratings with Melissa, and even join a book club on Goodreads.

Series: Covenant #5
Narrator: Justine Eyre
10 hrs. 9 min.
Unabridged
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Published: 5/21/14
Source: Library/Hoopla

It's a beautiful day for a war. As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all. And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time. Alex faces a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear...or the end of herself.

My thoughts:
Finally! The last book. Good and bad thing to have in a series you enjoy. :) Ending books aren't usually my favorite so I didn't go into this one expecting fireworks, but I did find myself enjoying the last book in this series.

I do NOW get why everyone is all about Seth. He did grow on me in the last 2 books but he really made me like him in this one. So, I will definitely have to go onto his offshoot books next. And while I did love the romance (Aiden!!!) and the action, it did feel predicatable. Even the twist at the end wasn't a surprise. Still, I didn't mind it and while this one didn't quite wow me, I did enjoy my time here and I did like the ending. It felt solid and I'm happy with that.

The narration was the same for me. Had a bit of a problem with the inner dialog's monotone, but still kept this one at 1.25 speed which corrected this for me. Otherwise I loved her voices for all the characters.

I give this book 4 stars and I highly recommend this series for those that enjoy YA PNR with a good dose of Greek mythology.