Anything But Extraordinary (Extraordinary #1) by Mary Frame

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Title: Anything But Extraordinary (Extraordinary, #1)
Author: Mary Frame
Series: Extraordinary #1
Published by: Indie
Release Date: April 13, 2018
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Leah Casey
Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
Genres: Mystery
Source: Audible
Reading Challenges: CC's Goodreads Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:

Blurb:

Listening Length: 5 hours and 10 minutes

When the local authorities ask Ruby Simpson to help them find a thief in the small town of Castle Cove, she doesn’t have much of a choice. She predicted the most recent theft, and the cops have no other leads.

There are just two small problems. One, she’s not psychic. Two, she’s not Ruby Simpson.

Okay, maybe they’re not small problems. But Charlotte needs a place to lay low with her younger sister, somewhere her parents won’t find her and the locals won’t ask too many questions. Getting involved with the cops, especially Deputy “Cute Butt” Jared, isn’t a smart thing for a reformed con artist to do. But Charlotte has to make a choice: raise her little sister on the right side of the law or put food on the table. What the real Ruby doesn’t see in her crystal ball won’t hurt her, right?

My Review:

I was not expecting this story from this author.  The previous books I had read had more simmering romance in them than this.  Not to say this one was lacking, I was just surprised.

This story had a more family element to it.  I really liked about this book.  As an older sister I can totally relate to wanting to make sure my younger siblings are ok and have everything they need. And I can relate to having shitty parents as well. The mystery aspect was cozy and cute.  It took me a while to figure out whodunit and I felt not enough emphasis was on that part of the story.  Most of it was Charlotte struggling with her morality versus making sure her sister and her were able to eat and have somewhere to sleep.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all that jazz.

I can say that I was not feeling the narrator…at all.  Usually they grow on me but this one wasn’t hitting the feels like I needed.  I think this impacted my enjoyability of the story because I couldn’t really connect with the characters like I usually do.

Also, not all the loose ends were tied up in the ending.  Sure, the mystery was solved and the romance aspect was put to rest…… but we never find out about her basically stealing someones identify and how the town will feel about it once they find out.  This is pretty major since the town made her feel welcome and accepted, hence the morality issue.  I will be honest and say that I will probably not be reading the next in this series because I don’t really want to invest more time in these characters.  It was a cute cozy mystery and I’m good with letting it be at that.