Tag Archives: audiobook

What a Wolf Dares

Book Review of What a Wolf Dares (Lux Catena #2), by Amy Pennza

I received an audible credit for a copy of Amy Pennza‘s What a Wolf Dares.

Description from Goodreads:

What happens when the species’ most notorious womanizer meets the woman of his dreams?

As a werewolf Alpha’s daughter, Sophie Gregory was raised to understand she has two important purposes in life–to be wed and bred. When she fails at the first, she wants nothing to do with the second, even if it means spending the rest of her life alone. After fleeing a disastrous arranged marriage, she seeks shelter with a neighboring pack. There’s just one problem. Her new pack is home to the handsome, roguish Remy Arsenault: serial dater and notorious womanizer. Remy makes her laugh…and her heart pound. She’s not looking for commitment, but she might just be up for a fling. That’s all Remy is offering, anyway, right?

Remy has a reputation for being a player, but in truth, he’s ready to settle down. Too bad that’s the very last thing Sophie is interested in. He will do anything to win the heart of the woman who makes his head spin with lust–including seducing her with the most delicious sex imaginable. Sophie wants a fling. But what if he’s ready for so much more? To convince her he’s serious this time, he might just have to pull off a small miracle. 

Review:

I thought this was a perfectly adequate shifter-finds-his mate story. I didn’t think there was anything to make it stand out and shine, but nor was there anything that made me grit my teeth and hate it. 

I thought the writing was perfectly readable (or listenable, in my case) and I liked both of the main characters. I did think the villains were cartoonish in how vile they were and the person who came to the rescue in the end, wasn’t really redeemed in my eyes for waiting 20+ years to step in. I don’t believe they could have been oblivious. So, I didn’t really find their sudden backbone and moral compass believable. 

All in all, a good middle of the road book. Sophie James did a good job with it too. It was easy to listen to. And the fact that I hadn’t read book one didn’t prevent me from enjoying this one.

geist

Book Review of Geist (Book of the Order #1), by Philippa Ballantine

I was given an audible credit for a copy of Geist, by Philippa Ballantine.

Description from Goodreads:

Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists…

Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse.

But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows.

And if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in Hell is she returning to? 

Review:

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The cover* left me a bit nervous that it would be more YA than I was looking for, but Sorcha is in her 30s (late 30s, I even think), as is Raed. They were believable, capable adults. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. 

The world is an interesting one. There’s a mild romantic subplot (or two) and there’s some witty humor. I was a little less enamored with the plot than I was with everything surrounding it, but still a solid, enjoyable read. 

Lastly, I’m alway iffy about author-narrators. But, with the exception of some annoying swallowing sounds, Ballantine did an excellent job with the narration. 

*If I’m discussing the cover, I don’t know that a lion fits the description of the beast(as I understood it) and every time I look at it, I’m a bit thrown off. 

Jacked Cat Jive

Book Review of Jacked Cat Jive (Kai Gracen #3), by Rhys Ford

I borrowed an audio copy of Jacked Cat Jive, by Rhys Ford, through Hoopla.

Description from Goodreads:

Stalker Kai Gracen knew his human upbringing would eventually clash with his elfin heritage, but not so soon. Between Ryder, a pain-in-his-neck Sidhe Lord coaxing him to join San Diego’s Southern Rise Court, and picking up bounties for SoCalGov, he has more than enough to deal with. With his loyalties divided between the humans who raised him and the Sidhe Lord he’s befriended and sworn to protect, Kai finds himself standing at a crossroads. 

When a friend begs Kai to rescue a small group of elfin refugees fleeing the Dusk Court, he’s pulled into a dangerous mission with Ryder through San Diego’s understreets and the wilderness beyond. Things go from bad to downright treacherous when Kerrick, Ryder’s cousin, insists on joining them, staking a claim on Southern Rise and Kai. 

Burdened by his painful past, Kai must stand with Ryder against Kerrick while facing down the very Court he fears and loathes. Dying while on a run is expected for a Stalker, but Kai wonders if embracing his elfin blood also means losing his heart, soul, and humanity along the way. 

Review:

I gave the first two books in this series four stars, but I just can’t this one. While I still thought Kai was a fun character and the banter was there, I felt like the book didn’t accomplish anything. There didn’t seem to be any real plot. Yes, they were going to rescue the children. But mostly they got in a transport vehicle and then reacted to everything that jumped at them. And a lot of things predictably jumped at them. That seemed to be most of the book, Kai fighting one monster after another. There was a random sweet moment with the dying adoptive father, that then didn’t go anywhere. And the book ended where I would have preferred it began. Greg Tremblay did a good job with the narration though.

On a side note, I picked this up while browsing Hoopla looking for something to read. When I saw it, I thought, “I liked the first books. Sure, I’ll listen to that.” It wasn’t until near the end of the book that I remembered the author is being a bit of a prat on social media about Dreamspinner not paying a lot of its authors, translators, artists, etc. I probably wouldn’t have listened to the book if I’d remembered that at the time I borrowed it, or at least not listened to it right now.