Just a Few Betwixt & Between Reviews #audio #coyer

This feature is for short reviews, reviews of books in a series where it might feel repetitive, or (as Michelle suggested) books I was too lazy to write a “real” review for. Today’s books are both from the new series from Darynda Jones – Betwixt & Between. Since I LOVED Charley Davidson, I didn’t hesitate to pick up this series

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Betwixt by Darynda Jones
Narrator: Traci Odom
Series: Betwixt & Between #1
Published by Tantor Audio on March 2, 2021
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Romance
Length: 6 hours and 45 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads

Divorced, desperate, and destitute, former restaurateur Defiance Dayne finds out she has been bequeathed a house by a complete stranger. She is surprised, to say the least, and her curiosity gets the better of her. She leaves her beloved Phoenix and heads to one of the most infamous towns in America: Salem, Massachusetts.
She’s only there to find out why a woman she’s never met would leave her a house. A veritable castle that has seen better days. She couldn’t possibly accept it, but the lawyer assigned to the case practically begs her to take it off her hands, mostly because she’s scared of it. The house. The inanimate structure that, as far as Dephne can tell, has never hurt a fly.
Though it does come with some baggage. A pesky neighbor who wants her gone. A scruffy cat who’s a bit of a jerk. And a handyman bathed ink who could moonlight as a supermodel for GQ.
She decides to give it three days, and not because of the model. She feels at home in Salem. Safe. But even that comes to a screeching halt when people begin knocking on her door day and night, begging for her help to locate their lost objects.
Come to find out, they think she’s a witch. And after a few mysterious mishaps, Dephne is beginning to wonder if they’re right.

Not at all surprised that I loved Betwixt – after the Charley Davidson series I had high expectations for humor, friendships, and a magical plot – Darynda Jones did not disappoint.

In fact, while being a completely different story, it feels very similar (in only good ways) to Charley Davidson:

• The chapters begin with the humorous headings I came to adore in Charley Davidson.
• Defiance (what a unique name!) is a fantastic character, with a very familiar sarcastic sense of humor. I love that she’s recently divorced, living paycheck to paycheck (or more accurately etsy sale to etsy sale), and in her 40s (so also, very different from Charley). It made her very relatable – minus the magic, of course.
• Her relationship with her good friend, whose name I’ve forgotten, has all the promise of Charley and Cookie. They’re hilarious together and clearly love the hell out of each other.
• SEXY mysterious male – check! I don’t want to say too much about Roan, but I look forward to seeing his story unfold.
• And of course the magic that slowly develops and reveals through a twisty plot… very Darynda Jones.

It basically has all the things I loved about Charley Davidson, but feels fresh and different. I don’t really know what genre to place it in – it has a cozy mystery meets urban fantasy feel (as did Charley Davidson).

I enjoyed the narration and I think as the series progresses I’ll probably get attached to Traci Odom. I think she delivered the voices well and brought out the personalities well. I’ll definitely continue listening.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Bewitched by Darynda Jones
Narrator: Traci Odom
Series: Betwixt & Between #2
Published by Tantor Audio on March 30, 2021
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Romance
Length: 7 hours 39 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads

Forty-something Defiance Dayne only recently discovered she comes from a long line of powerful witches. Added to that was the teensy, infinitesimal fact that she is what’s called a charmling. One of three on the entire planet. And there are other witches who will stop at nothing to steal her immense power, which would basically involve her unfortunate and untimely death.
No one told her life after forty would mean having to learn new lifeskills—such as how to dodge supernatural assassins while casting from a moving vehicle—or that the sexiest man alive would be living in her basement.
Whoever said life begins at forty was clearly a master of the underappreciated and oft maligned understatement.

Another fun read/listen from Darynda Jones. I find myself falling in love with these characters easily and I really look forward to the rest of their journey.

As always, I laughed my way through this book. From the “quotes” at the start of each chapter to the banter between Defiance and her best friend Annette and Defiance’s internal (sometimes hilariously external) monologue, the laughs keep coming. And I think the fact that Defiance is in her 40s — 45 for this book — just makes it that much more enjoyable for me. You don’t have to be a 20 something to have an adventure!

I love all the characters – her dads, Gigi, Percy, Roan, the Sheriff – they’re all well developed and I’m coming to love them all. And I think we’ve picked up a couple more that will be around moving forward, maybe? There’s also a cozy mystery element, this time Defiance slept for 6 months and woke up very afraid and with a lot of people waiting for her to help them – plus there’s the bigger thread of Defiance coming into who she is and learning about the mysteries of her magic and her past.

Traci Odom is doing a great job bringing this cast to life for me and I’m enjoying every moment, even at 2x speed. So glad to be listening to these and really looking forward to the next book!

Related Posts