Series: Mystic Bayou

Review: A Farewell to Charms by Molly Harper

Posted May 25, 2022 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: A Farewell to Charms by Molly HarperReviewer: Holly
A Farewell to Charms by Molly Harper
Narrator: Jonathan Davis, Amanda Ronconi
Series: Mystic Bayou #6
Also in this series: How to Date Your Dragon (Mystic Bayou, #1), Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues, How to Date Your Dragon, How to Date Your Dragon, Selkies are a Girl's Best Friend, One Fine Fae, Shifters in the Night
Publisher: Audible Original, Audible Originals
Publication Date: January 13, 2022
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Plus
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Length: 7 hours and 26 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
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two-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Queen of paranormal romantic comedy Molly Harper delivers love and laughter in this magnificent series finale—available in audio first!
Eva Boudreaux keeps the truth about her life before arriving in Mystic Bayou a carefully guarded secret, flying under the radar as a talented boat mechanic. In the swampy little town filled with powerful supernatural beings, Eva never expected to strike up a charged flirtation with one of the Bayou’s human residents.
Alex Lancaster is far too polished for Eva’s taste—not to mention the danger that comes with his high-ranking position in the League, which could expose her secrets. Trouble is, she can’t resist his disarming sense of humor or the chemistry that crackles to life whenever he’s near. Will Alex be able to handle a woman like her? Or will her difficult past keep them apart?
Either way, they’ll need to join forces to solve one final mystery in Mystic Bayou. The fate of the town—and their hearts—depends upon it.
©2021 Molly Harper, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC

A Farewell to Charms by Molly Harper is the 6th book in the Mystic Bayou series. These are Audible First releases (meaning they are released only in audio first) and I really enjoy the narrator. The series is fairly light with a lot of humor. I really enjoyed Eva in the previous books and I was anxious for her story. Sadly, this was my least favorite Mystic Bayou novel to date.

Alex is the League Director in Mystic Bayou. As a result, he has a hard time making connections with the others in Mystic Bayou. While they include him in their activities, he’s kind of socially awkward and knows he has to maintain some distance since he’s their boss. When he meets Eva, he has a hard time staying away. She’s so wonderful he just wants to be with her all the time. Which is why, when he looks into her past and and inadvertently finds out some of her secrets, he makes a mess of things for Eva with the others in Mystic Bayou.

Eva has always been attracted to Alex and she thought he felt the same, but she should have known better. She’s never had great luck with men, and Alex is out of her league. He proves that when he looks into her past and she realizes he was only interested in her to find out her secrets.

I wanted to like this book, but Alex’s actions in the beginning really squicked me out, and then Eva acted like an idiot toward the end of the novel. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite people from previous books and I liked that gender reversal (Eva is stronger than Alex, who is a mundane human), which is why I gave it 2 stars, but there wasn’t a whole lot else to recommend it.

This felt like the end of the series. I’m not sure if Molly Harper plans to continue it or not, but if this is the end, I am sad it ended like this.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Mystic Bayou

two-stars

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Review: Shifters in the Night by Molly Harper

Posted August 25, 2021 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Shifters in the Night by Molly HarperReviewer: Holly
Shifters in the Night by Molly Harper
Narrator: Amanda Ronconi, Jonathan Davis
Series: Mystic Bayou #5
Also in this series: How to Date Your Dragon (Mystic Bayou, #1), Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues, How to Date Your Dragon, How to Date Your Dragon, Selkies are a Girl's Best Friend, One Fine Fae, A Farewell to Charms
Publisher: Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: September 21, 2021
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Plus
Point-of-View: Alternating Third Person
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Length: 6 hours, 43 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2021 Goodreads Challenge
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

A chance meeting leads to a wild ride in this irresistible audio-first romance by Audie Award-nominated author Molly Harper! 

Lia Doe came to Mystic Bayou for one simple reason: to get her job done. Namely, to build a housing complex for all the new residents flocking to town since word of its supernatural population got out. But from the moment Lia arrives, it's clear that nothing about the job is going to be simple.

First, there's the mysterious guy she meets in the middle of the night while they're both cavorting in their alternate forms. Spending time with shape-shifters is nothing new to Lia, but there's something special about Jon Carmody…and the magical pull she feels whenever he's near. There's also a sense of homecoming and belonging in Mystic Bayou that makes her want to stick around - despite the dangers brewing from mysterious forces.

Will Lia complete her project with her heart unscathed, or will her life shift forever?

Shifters in the Night (Mystic Bayou #5) by Molly Harper brings us back to the magically eclectic town of Mystic Bayou, where magie (magical beings of all kinds) have lived in harmony for centuries. Thanks to the recent outing of magie in the world, people are flocking to Mystic Bayou in droves. As a result, there’s a housing shortage. Lia Doe is the project manager in charge of building a housing complex in town. She’s surprised at how at home she feels in town, considering she’s always been a big-city girl. Meeting local Jon Carmody is just the icing on the cake. Amid weirdness from her boss and putting out fires he creates, she really settles into life in Mystic Bayou.

Ever since a kraken attack left him scarred, Jon has mostly turned into a curmudgeon. His brother, Will, has been trying to get him out and about more, which is how he realizes the beautiful creature he swam with late at night in his lake, and whom he thought was a figment of his imagination, is really the new construction project manager. Determined to get to know her better, she attempts to get outside his comfort zone.

This is such a fun series, I always love returning to Mystic Bayou. I really love the entire town and the cast of characters from previous books. I didn’t love the story as much this time around. I really liked Jon and Lia separately, but I didn’t love the conflict that keeps them apart, or their romance. I really wish they would have just communicated with each other instead of jumping to conclusions. That was a minor part of the story, however, and didn’t run my enjoyment as a whole.

While this wasn’t my favorite book of the series, it was a good listen and I’m always glad to return to Mystic Bayou.

Rating 3.75 out of 5

Mystic Bayou

three-half-stars

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Review: One Fine Fae by Molly Harper

Posted March 31, 2021 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: One Fine Fae by Molly HarperReviewer: Holly
One Fine Fae by Molly Harper
Narrator: Jonathan Davis, Amanda Ronconi
Series: Mystic Bayou #4.5
Also in this series: How to Date Your Dragon (Mystic Bayou, #1), Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues, How to Date Your Dragon, How to Date Your Dragon, Selkies are a Girl's Best Friend, Shifters in the Night, A Farewell to Charms
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: December 8, 2020
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Plus
Point-of-View: Alternating Third Person
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Length: 3 hours, 10 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2020 Goodreads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Publisher's Summary

Take a trip to the beloved supernatural town of Mystic Bayou in this brilliantly funny new stand-alone novella - written for audio-first!

Charlotte McBee knows she’s in for a challenge when she accepts a job as midwife for a dragon and a phoenix shifter. Being a fairy herself, it isn’t the supernatural world that scares her. It’s the thought of delivering a giant metal dragon’s egg, which has her gritting her teeth in pain for poor Jillian, the anxious mother-to-be.

While preparing for the big event, a handsome town resident catches her eye. Leonard is kind, charming, and a little bit mysterious. He’s also suffering from a highly unusual condition brought on by an ancient fairy curse, and he’s too wary of Charlotte to allow her to get close.

Will love overcome fear before the end of her assignment?

©2020 Molly Harper (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Charlotte is a midwife to magical creatures. Mystic Bayou has been home to magi for years, but thanks to a rift that opened due to a magical artifact, humans and magi alike have been gaining strong magical powers. Charlotte is hired to help the residents with their pregnancies, a prospect she’s pretty thrilled with. Leonard is Fairy-Cursed. Any time he gets stressed, he turns clumsy, which causes all kinds of calamites to happen in his presence. Charlotte and Leo are attracted to each other, but her magic makes him nervous, which means his curse kicks in even more when she’s around than normal.

This was a cute short story. I don’t believe it stands alone well, since it heavily features characters from previous books. The new romance was sweet and I liked seeing some of my favorite characters pop up again. I don’t love the male narrator, Jonathan Davis, but the female narrator, Amanda Ronconni, is a favorite. I definitely recommend this for fans of Molly Harper and Mystic Bayou.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Mystic Bayou

three-half-stars

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Review: Selkies Are a Girl’s Best Friend by Molly Harper

Posted October 7, 2019 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Selkies Are a Girl’s Best Friend by Molly HarperReviewer: Holly
Selkies are a Girl's Best Friend by Molly Harper
Narrator: Amanda Ronconi, Jonathan Davis
Series: Mystic Bayou #3
Also in this series: How to Date Your Dragon (Mystic Bayou, #1), Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues, How to Date Your Dragon, How to Date Your Dragon, One Fine Fae, Shifters in the Night, A Farewell to Charms
Publisher: Audible Original
Publication Date: August 27, 2019
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Escape
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Length: 6 hours and 33 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2019 GoodReads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

MOLLY HARPER IS BACK WITH THE NEXT WICKEDLY FUNNY, WILDLY ENCHANTING MYSTIC BAYOU NOVEL - AVAILABLE IN AUDIO FIRST!

Sonja Fong isn't afraid of a little chaos. As director of the league's research center in Mystic Bayou, a tiny town in Louisiana that's home to supernatural creatures and humans alike, she's responsible for making sure things run smoothly. It's not an easy task when her daily memos include lines like, "new equipment is needed because the old equipment was destroyed by a temper tantrum involving dragonfire."

He job puts her in the path of Dr. Will Camody, a mysterious shifter who's returned to Mystic Bayou after a long absence only to find that he's now considered an outsider. To make matters worse, the rift - a tear in the fabric of the universe that is leaking supernatural energy into the bayou - is unraveling at an alarming rate. Now Sonja and Will must team up to fix the rift and save Mystic Bayou from certain disaster, all while their own romance is heating up. Can they have a future together while the whole world is falling apart?

©2019 Molly Harper (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC

Selkies are a Girl’s Best Friend is the third full-length book in Molly Harper’s Audible First Mystic Bayou series. Set in a tiny Louisiana town filled with various supernatural creatures, we’re once again brought back to the problem of the open rift that’s changing non-magical beings into magical ones. As the League tries to find a way to close the rift and prepare for the eventual outing of supernaturals to the rest of the world, it seems someone – or a group of someones – may be working against them.

When Sonja Fong discovers some discrepancies in some financial reports, she starts investigating the cause. When Will Carmody, the new town doctor, shows up, he upends her carefully controlled world.

We met Sonja Fong in the first book. Jillian’s super-capable best friend with more connections than the phone company, she was sarcastic and hilarious. I was really looking forward to her book. Harper definitely delivered. Sonja was everything I’d hope she’d be and I really liked Will. The two of them together were sweet. I loved returning to Mystic Bayou and seeing all residents and their zany antics.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Mystic Bayou

four-stars

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Summer Reading Challenge Review: How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper

Posted August 7, 2019 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Summer Reading Challenge Review: How to Date Your Dragon by Molly HarperReviewer: Casee
How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper
Narrator: Amanda Ronconi, Jonathan Davis
Series: Mystic Bayou #1
Also in this series: How to Date Your Dragon (Mystic Bayou, #1), Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues, How to Date Your Dragon, Selkies are a Girl's Best Friend, One Fine Fae, Shifters in the Night, A Farewell to Charms
Publisher: Audible Studios
Publication Date: July 24, 2018
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Escape
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 214
Length: 6 hours and 24 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Casee's 2019 GoodReads Challenge, Casee's 2019 New to Me Challenge, Casee's Summer Reading Challenge, Goodreads Challenge, New to Me Challenge, Summer Reading Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The first book in Molly Harper's uproariously funny, sinfully sexy new Mystic Bayou series!

Anthropologist Jillian Ramsay's career has taken a turn south.

Concerned that technology is about to chase mythological creatures out into the open (how long can Sasquatch stay hidden from Google maps?), the League for Interspecies Cooperation is sending Jillian to Louisiana on a fact-finding mission. While the League hopes to hold on to secrecy for a little bit longer, they're preparing for the worst in terms of human reactions. They need a plan, so they look to Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where humans and supernatural residents have been living in harmony for generations. Mermaids and gator shifters swim in the bayou. Spirit bottles light the front porches after twilight. Dragons light the fires under crayfish pots.

Jillian's first assignment for the League could be her last. Mystic Bayou is wary of outsiders, and she has difficulty getting locals to talk to her. And she can't get the gruff town sheriff, Bael Boone, off of her back or out of her mind. Bael is the finest male specimen she's seen in a long time, even though he might not be human. Soon their flirtation is hotter than a dragon's breath, which Bael just might turn out to be...

This book is based on the Audible Original audiobook.

This is my first book by Molly Harper as well as one of the books that Holly chose for me for the Summer Reading Challenge.

Jillian Ramsay works for the League of Interspecies Cooperation. Few humans know of its existence, nor do they know that shapeshifters exist. The League knows that the secret of shapeshifters will come to light soon enough and they want to be prepared. To help that preparation along, Jillian travels to Mystic Bayou. Mystic Bayou is a town that humans and shifters live together. Harmoniously. The town is thriving and Jillian is there to find out how.

Bael Boone is the local sheriff and he has no intention of letting Jillian learn the town secrets. He’s going to drive her away, no matter what it takes. Sending her away becomes harder when they realize they are attracted to each other. While Jillian is down for an affair with Bael, Bael wants more. That was actually refreshing because it’s usually the other way around.

This book was a light, quick read. It was funny and sweet. Don’t let the title deter you from reading it (as it did me). I loved Bael and how he expected Jillian to fall in line with his plans. I loved Jillian for being who she was and not taking his alpha crap. Well, most of the time. I am looking forward to reading Zed’s book.

I wasn’t crazy about the narrators, but they didn’t make the story any less sweet.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5.

Mystic Bayou

four-stars

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