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My Review:Title: Moonlight and Magic
Author: Darynda Jones
Series: Betwixt & Between #4
Published by: Tantor Audio
Release Date: October 25, 2022
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Traci Odom
Length: 5 hours and 22 minutes
Genres: Paranormal
Source: Hoopla
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 Audiobook Challenge, Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 1, Lenoreo's 2023 Finishing the Series Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ IndieBound ✩ iTunes ✩ Book Depository ✩ Libro.FM ✩ Chirp
My rating:
Blurb:Forty-something Annette Osmund always knew she was psychic. She’s not, but that didn’t stop her from giving those non-existent abilities her all. What she is, however, is a very powerful witch who has just inherited magics she never dreamed possible.
Starting over in a new town with her BFF has been an adventure. Defiance’s status as a powerful type of witch called a charmling has kept Annette busy. But while Deph, a seeker, is still learning to use her magics, to control the power at her fingertips, Annette is overcome with powers of her own. Turns out, her being besties with Deph was not an accident. They were drawn to each other even before their powers emerged, and Annette learns she is also a charmling, a healer, and an alchemist. But what does that even mean?
Fortunately, there’s one way to find out. She consults the house they’re living in. Or, more to the point, the delicious entity haunting the house. Because, like her, he was once an alchemist. Maybe he will have the answers she so desperately seeks before she kills someone. The fact that he was once a stunning specimen of masculinity has nothing whatsoever to do with her desire to learn from a man who may or may not have been a powerful warlock.
3.5 stars — The humour of these characters is still absolutely fantastic, but I found that I noticed the lack of progression even more in this one. I think my frustration with drawn out mysteries from the reader was showing a bit more.
Annette was also extremely frustrating in her obliviousness…or something. There is a character who shows up in this story that you can guess from almost the very beginning, and given how easy it was for the reader it was kind of hard to take that Annette took the whole book to figure it out. I mean, I suppose she’s got a lot going on, but the longer it took for her to figure it out, the more frustrated I became. Maybe it’s supposed to make her look ordinary? Maybe because we, as the readers, have read Deph’s books we can put together clues that Annette couldn’t because she didn’t have the same knowledge? I don’t know, it just didn’t work for me.
That same character ends up being a bit of a love interest, and I will admit I’m a bit reluctant about it. I don’t even know why, it’s just a personal taste thing, and I’m sure I’ll be swayed to the dark side with time.
As for the mystery and shenanigans, they were pretty fun. It was interesting to see into Annette and how insecure and doubtful of herself she could be. It was great to get some background and learn about what happened to her brother in the past.
I think my problem is that I’m not a very patient person, and so I end this book still not having answers to some questions that have been niggling me, as well as more questions and more unresolved situations. I’m obviously going to keep going in this series, but I am a bit bummed with the pacing of information and stuff like that…I’m just too greedy.
COYER Community: I buddy read this book with Brandee, and while she enjoyed this one more than me, I think we’re both still very excited about this series. She rated this one 4 stars, see her review here.
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