Audiobook, Dragon Shifter, Paranormal Romance, Review Books, Urban Fantasy

Minimum Wage Magic (DFZ #1) by Rachel Aaron

EziChi

Minimum Wage Magic (DFZ #1)Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blurb: The DFZ, the metropolis formerly known as Detroit, is the world’s most magical city with a population of nine million and zero public safety laws. That’s a lot of mages, cybernetically enhanced chrome heads, and mythical beasties who die, get into debt, and otherwise fail to pay their rent. When they can’t pay their bills, their stuff gets sold to the highest bidder to cover the tab.

That’s when they call me. My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I’m a Cleaner: a freelance mage with an art history degree who’s employed by the DFZ to sort through the mountains of magical junk people leave behind. It’s not a pretty job, or a safe one—there’s a reason I wear bite-proof gloves—but when you’re deep in debt in a lawless city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, you don’t get to be picky about where your money comes from. You just have to make it work, even when the only thing of value in your latest repossessed apartment is the dead body of the mage who used to live there.

I really liked this spinoff although it felt like a whole new series.
Opal Young-Ae is a cleaner who is trying to survive and maintain her independence by paying her bills on time. Opal stumbled on to a house with a dead man, but his notes indicated that he died protecting a valuable secret.

While it’s set in the DFZ, we don’t get a major crossover with The Heartstriker clan although there was a mention of the dragon who protected the City. Opal lays a foundation for her own journey towards freedom from parental interference just like Julius and she also makes a key ally with another cleaner Nick. I like the subtle attraction the author intimated with Nick and Opal so I look forward to some romance in book 2.

If you loved Heartstriker series, then you will love this one as well because the creative storytelling and plot is the same. The characters are likeable and you want to root for them. Rachel Aaron is quickly becomes an autobuy author for me.
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Audiobook, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Sin & Magic (Demigod of San Francisco #2) by K.F. Breene

EziChi

Sin & Magic by K.F. Breene
I’ve agreed to work for a Demigod. My job? Find the spirit of his mother and release her before his vengeful father finds out and kills us all.

Have I lost my mind?

Thankfully, I don’t have to do it alone. Kieran has brought in help: a Necromancer who loves to flirt with danger. Bria can help me find the clues to free Kieran’s mom.

She can also help me learn my potent and extremely terrifying magic.

But as we work deeper into magical San Francisco, we uncover a minefield waiting to explode. I’m learning that there are far worse things than death.


Everything was going great. Alexis is working, Mordecai and Daisy are training. They get FOOD and rent is paid. Bria is like that co-worker not quite friend that goes beyound the boss’ instructions. While they end up being right, this path always includes hiding under beds, closets, attics and barely escaping with your life. This book was entertaining and I was very happy…until Alexis drops to her knees for Kieran.

I had to dock this one a half star, I was tempted to dock it a full star because I am quite unhappy. Kieran has this seduction power so I am not convinced that Alexis is so wildly attracted to him outside the demi-god power. I just am not on-board with whatever that is lust thing they have going on. Now, I do like Zoran and Daisy. I would like to see that relationship developed in subsequent books as she becomes of age.

Plus, I fully expected Valens to be aware of what was going on and there was no real retaliation for the trespass. I don’t buy that. The rescue of the skins was exactly what I needed to feel satisfied with this book. I look forward to the bad guy coming for vengeance in book 3


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Audiobook, Paranormal Romance, Review Books, Werewolf shifters

Five Weeks (Seven, #3) by Dannika Dark

EziChi

Five Weeks by Dannika Dark
Destiny will find you.

Izzy has always loved the freedom and adventure of life on the road, but she’s recently decided to settle down—as much as a rogue wolf can. When her boyfriend gets her a job working at a hot Shifter bar, she runs into the last person on earth she expected to see again.

Jericho isn’t the famous rock star he once was, though he still plays in a local band and loves to party. Beautiful women come and go, but music is his only passion—until a sassy redhead named Isabelle Monroe shows up unexpectedly.

Fate reunites two former friends living with one foot in the present and the other in the past. But will they have a future when one of them is forced to choose between life and death? Old habits die hard, and sometimes the toughest addictions to shake are the ones that control our hearts.

I liked Izzy and her independent streak. It must have been so hard being around Jericho, her best friend and having a front row (pun intended) seat to his self-destructive behavior.

I am shocked that she moved in with such a douche-bag like Hawk, a guy that she knew nothing about, not even his birthday. I felt like she was using him for a place to stay and he knew that so he took liberties and was using/grooming her as well.

Jericho’s brothers and his band mates treated Izzy with disrespect. And how Jericho would say that Izzy was his best friend but believe she would rob him and leave him for dead in the state he was in, just boggles my mind. Wheeler and Denver, while protective of Jericho, didn’t have to treat her in the way they did so I didn’t really care for them in this book. Packs can protect their own without browbeating a lone shifter.

This book had various shifters, bear, eagle, deer etc. I like that we got to see traits of other animals manifest in their human actions. I also liked the bar where Izzy worked. It gave it an MC feel at the same time it had a Rock romance feel.
At the end of the day, Izzy and Jericho made this story entertaining. I do like that they found their way back to each other and that Jericho worked to maintain his sobriety. He sounds like a much better person without the ugly side of his rock star lifestyle.

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Audiobook, Book Club, Fiction, Monday Book Club, Reading Plan, Suspense & Thriller

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

EziChi

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

BLURB: How long can you protect your heart?

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life – until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

I didn’t love this story like others did. I did love this story as a testament to survival and human resilience. Kya Clark grew up in an abusive home with an alcoholic father who beat the mom and later the siblings. Eventually the mom and remaining siblings all ran away leaving a 7-yr old Kya alone with an alcoholic father. She managed to survive even after he dad, dodging CPS sent social workers and managed to live on her own at the marsh. She became friends with Tate and later with Chase, the murder victim. Both relationships have profound effects both positive and negative on her development and her life. But it was her relationship with Chase that landed her on trial for his murder.

The writing of the character Kya was interesting. I felt sorry for her for most of the novel, but she wasn’t a victim or maybe she started out as a victim but adapted to her circumstances. While she was lonely, Kya was able to actually thrive in her circumstances. I do think the author’s story became too unbelievable both in Kya’s abilities but in the apathy of the small community. I mean, No one cared that a little 7-year-old girl was by herself? She came to get groceries or books by herself and no one asked her how they could help her or if there was an adult around. I didn’t buy it. 

Nevertheless, this story wasn’t a love story but there was love, true love here. I saw this book as Kya’s Journey without much guidance from a mother or father, but learning to navigate society by spying from the outskirts. Learning how to be a woman from watching others etc.
That’s what I enjoyed most about this book.
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Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Review Books

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

EziChi


From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.



I’ve enjoyed the three books by this author that I’ve listened to but this one didn’t work for me.
From the beginning, the author introduced Hannah Martin as this flighty or a bit of a mess young woman trying to find herself. She lacks direction and at first glance, she seemed to lack self worth. She goes “home” to live with her best friend Gabby while she figures out life. Two monumental things change the course of her life…or so we wish to believe.
There is an accident and then there is an accidental occurrence. Hannah goes from being a bit of looser moral lady to turning her nose up.

I didn’t buy it and the author didn’t really develop her character enough to make it plausible. Instead, the author began presenting various endings/paths for the heroine and her predicament. Frankly, it was confusing in audiobook. I would have enjoyed it more if the author committed to one path and developed both the plot and the characters towards that resolution. I think i could have gotten invested in the story if it were more linear like that. It was like one of those chose our own ending boosnthar I despised as a kid, this various paths were giving me whiplash and I just didn’t know what was reality anymore

I also didn’t know how I felt about Ethan since it was Hannah’s POV and I didn’t trust her narrative.

I did believe in her relationship with Gabby was the best part of this story. It was solid, reliable and believable. I enjoyed their unwavering support and loyalty towards each other. There were really more like sisters. Regardless, this story fell short of my expectations.

Audiobook, Paranormal Romance, Review Books

Accidental Sire by Molly Harper (Half-Moon Hollow #6)

EziChi

TITLE: Accidental Sire
AUTHOR: Molly Harper
SERIES: (Half-Moon Hollow #6)
TIME: 9hrs, 8 mins

BLURB: In Molly Harper’s newest paranormal romantic comedy, Ben, Gigi’s old boyfriend, must find a way to save his new love after a freak Ultimate Frisbee accident. But will she want to live after she finds out how Ben had to save her?

In this exciting addition to Molly Harper’s beloved Half-Moon Hollow series, the focus is on Gigi’s ex-boyfriend Ben. When his new girlfriend is killed in a freak Ultimate Frisbee accident, he’s determined to save her, no matter the cost, even if it means bringing her into the darkness of vampire life!


I was bored, okay? Just bored. This is supposed to be a series that I could chuckled though and lift my mood. I loved book 1 in this series and laughed my way through the first 3 books. But it has been a steady decline since then. I used to enjoy the humor and snark but it hasn’t been the same.

This book features Ben (Gigi’s ex whom she dumped when he proposed to her in book 3) and a fellow college student Meagan who seemed to have a secret crush on each other.
At a school mixer, Meagan was nearly killed in a terrible accident and had to be turned to save her life. When Ben went to visit her, she accidentally turned him since she was a thirsty newborn.
This book was their journey as they struggled to accept their new “undead” reality and process their relationship now.

I didn’t feel the chemistry between Meagan and Ben. I found Jane Jameson annoying as usual. The story was just slow. The narrator was still excellent but this story wasn’t engaging or interesting. This installment was a miss for me.

Audiobook, Contemporary Romance

Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin by Mariana Zapata

EziChi

TITLE: Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin
AUTHOR: Mariana Zapata
Narrator: Carly Robins
TIME: (9hrs, 8 mins)
Blurb: Listening time 9 hours 8 minutes
Twenty-six-year-old Gaby Barreto might be a lot of things (loyal, sarcastic, one of the guys and a pain in the butt depending on which family member you ask), but dumb isn’t one of them. When her twin brother invites her to go on tour as his band’s merch girl, she isn’t exactly screaming at the top of her lungs with joy.

With no job opportunities pounding on her door, an ex-boyfriend she would still like to castrate, and no end in sight to moving out of her parents’ house in Dallas… it would be dumb to say no to the chance of a lifetime. Two bands, three continents, one tour. Spending the next ninety-plus days with three beloved idiots and eight complete strangers shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

If only the singer of the headlining band didn’t have tattoos… a great personality… a fantastic body… and if he wasn’t so funny….

Let’s be real: Gaby never had a chance against Sacha Malykhin.

Gaby Barreto just got dumped by her boyfriend of two years and kicked out of their apartment, all while not having secured employment after graduating with a degree in History.

So when her twin brother invited her to tour with his band as the head of Merchandising, she couldn’t refuse. There she met Sacha Malykhin, lead singer of the other band on the tour, and they became instant friends.

Anyone who has read a Mariana Zapata book knows that she builds friendships, simmering attraction and angst before she introduces the actual romance. So her books aren’t about hot sex and stolen moments but they feature lasting bonds of romance.
That’s why when I wasn’t connecting with the audiobook initially, I put it down. I knew it was probably a mood thing and I was right. When I came back to it, I listened to the book in two days.

Gabby (“Flabby”) and Sacha (“Sassy”) were really cute. Their relationship was sweet and playful. Both characters felt authentic and relatable. I also enjoyed the camaraderie, even though at times it was over the top. Some of the playful instances, like taking a poop in a plastic bag and the name calling felt like High School than a college graduate age adults. That’s why I docked the story half of a star. It was a bit juvenile and got old quickly. I did love the personal growth in how they dealt with the growing feelings between them. They always seemed to be aware of the other and in their own way, take care of the other. I like friends to lover tropes more than my friend’s sibling trope and this book had both. Gabby and Sacha finally got on the same page that was soothing like beautiful music to my sould. (HEHEHEHE!)

On a side note: I am trying to remember how Gabby was portrayed in Kulti because that book was mentioned and Gabby was big into soccer. I may have to re-read Kulti sometime next year.

This book won’t be in my Top 5 Mariana Zapata novels, but it is still an enjoyable read for those who prefer romance over steamy and smutty love stories.