Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper, Narrated by Amanda Ronconi

A review of both the audio and kindle version...

Better Homes and Hauntings is a standalone novel by one of my favorite author/narrator teams; Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi. I often wonder if they share the same brain waves because, without fail, Ms. Ronconi performs the story exactly the way I imagine Ms. Harper meant it to be performed.

Blurb…

When Nina Linden is hired to landscape a private island off the New England coast, she sees it as her chance to rebuild her failing business after being cheated by her unscrupulous ex. She never expects that her new client, software mogul Deacon Whitney, would see more in her than just a talented gardener. Deacon has paid top dollar to the crews he’s hired to renovate the desolate Whitney estate—he had to, because the bumps, thumps, and unexplained sightings of ghostly figures in nineteenth-century dress are driving workers away faster than he can say “Boo.”

But Nina shows no signs of being scared away, even as she experiences some unnerving apparitions herself. And as the two of them work closely together to restore the mansion’s faded glory, Deacon realizes that he’s found someone who doesn’t seem to like his fortune more than himself—while Nina may have finally found the one man she can trust with her bruised and battered heart.

But something on the island doesn’t believe in true love…and if Nina and Deacon can’t figure out how to put these angry spirits to rest, their own love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

My thoughts…

I really am a huge fan of Molly Harper’s stories, with the Jane Jamison series being my favorite. Reading the stories is a great experience but nothing beats listening and reading along at the same time as Amanda Ronconi brings it all to life.

Though it took a little while for Better Homes and Hauntings to grab me, I enjoyed the whole book. Because this is a standalone, there was a lot of time spent on character introduction and plot set-up which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering there are actually 2 romances taking place – 3 if you count the dearly departed couple who are the foundation and driving force behind this story.

The bottom line…

If you’re interested in trying her work without investing in a series, Better Homes and Hauntings is a great place to start. It’s an entertaining story with awesome characters and lots of witty dialog. It’s romantic, steamy, funny, and spooky, and I really wish Ms. Harper would write more ‘ghostly’ tales.

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi

With her best friend Zeb’s Titanic-themed wedding looming ahead, new vampire Jane Jameson struggles to develop her budding relationship with her enigmatic sire, Gabriel. It seems unfair that she’s expected to master undead dating while dealing with a groom heading for a nuptial nervous breakdown, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and the ugliest bridesmaid dress in the history of marriage.

Meanwhile, the passing of Jane’s future step-grandpa puts Grandma Ruthie back on the market. Her new fiancee, Wilbur, has his own history of suspiciously dead spouses, and he may or may not have died ten years ago. Half-Moon Hollow’s own Black Widow has finally met her match.

Should Jane warn her grandmother of Wilbur’s marital habits or let things run their course? Will Jane always be an undead bridesmaid, never the undead bride?

Combining Mary Janice Davidson’s sass and the charm of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, this is an incredibly satisfying read for fans of paranormal romantic comedy.

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Audio Book Review

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men, the second book in Molly Harper's Jane Jameson series, is another fun, witty, quirky romp through Half Moon Hollow.

The Story:

With Zeb and Jolene's wedding day quickly approaching and more and more obstacles being thrown in their path to wedded bliss, Jane seems to have become their couples counselor - much to her chagrin. But with Gabe and Jane's relationship feeling no small amount of strain, can Jane help her best friend make it to the altar while dealing with her own less than supportive relatives and a boyfriend who might be cheating on her?

My Review:

As I said in My Review of Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, the writer/narrator team of Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi makes these stories shine in a way that reading from a book just can't match. The story itself is funny, quirky, unique, sexy and poignant, but with Ms. Ronconi narrating - it comes to life.

I'm not usually a fan of stories where there's not a happily ever after for the hero and heroine at the end of their book, but Gabriel and Jane's relationship dynamic works for me. I do have to admit, though, I'm starting to wonder what Gabriel's secret is, and I hope we find out soon. Too much dragging out of the main character's happily ever after makes me lose interest, but I'm looking forward to the next book and hoping those nagging questions are answered.




Shelves:

2013-reads, 4-stars, amazing-narration, author-molly-harper, chick-lit, contemporary-romance, format-audio-book, funny-witty-dialog, great-secondary-storylines, great-supporting-cast, hypnosis, interfering-future-mother-in-law, is-he-cheating-or-not, marriage, narrated-by-amanda-ronconi, own-have-read, paranormal-romance, sassy-heroine, sexy-mysterious-hero, shifters-werewolves, steam-3-of-5, vampires, wedding-plans