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Mystic Bayou #2
Love and Other Wild Things
Welcome to Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where shape-shifters, vampires, witches, and dragons live alongside humans. The town formed around the mysterious energy rift in the bayou, which helps keep the town’s magic in balance. But lately the rift has been widening and destabilizing - threatening to send the town’s magical population into chaos.
Energy witch Danica Teel has been sent by the League to figure out what’s going on, with the help of bear-shifter Mayor Zed. While working on the case, Zed falls head over paws for Dani, but she’s reluctant to engage in anything beyond a roll in his cave. Dani’s family is counting on her to get the job done, and she has no time for distractions. But when an ominous presence begins stalking Dani through the bayou, they’ll need to band together to make it out alive.
Listening 6 hrs 41 mins
Energy witch Danica Teel has been sent by the League to figure out what’s going on, with the help of bear-shifter Mayor Zed. While working on the case, Zed falls head over paws for Dani, but she’s reluctant to engage in anything beyond a roll in his cave. Dani’s family is counting on her to get the job done, and she has no time for distractions. But when an ominous presence begins stalking Dani through the bayou, they’ll need to band together to make it out alive.
Listening 6 hrs 41 mins
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 4, 2018
571 people are currently reading
1139 people want to read
About the author
Molly Harper
57 books7,966 followersMolly Harper is the author of more than 40 romance titles including the Half-Moon Hollow series, the Mystic Bayou, the Starfall Point series, and her first murder mystery, A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR. She lives in Michigan with her family. For more information, go to www.mollyharper.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 612 reviews
July 28, 2019
This book is just like a blueberry muffin that only has one blueberry in it. It's pretty good, but you feel like it should have been MORE. So, although you like the muffin... why oh why are they cheating you out of blueberries? What, is there a blueberry shortage? Maybe they were just super super literal so when it says "blueberry" they don't mean "blueberries". Whatever. Still need more.
Maybe they were worrying that this would happen. It would be blasphemous! Look at how accurately that muffin looks like Jesus. Someone call the Pope! This is truly a miraculous muffin!
The book series has so much potential. The magic is fun, the people are quirky, the town is awesome. But, it fell short over and over again.
The town is made up of different shifters and humans. There are even some creepy gator shifters that have a tendency to watch ladies change their clothes through their windows if they don't close the curtains. That is comedy gold, baby!
This is important information to know. You want to make sure you can properly identify your baby-eating monster. Also, I hear the crocs aren't as peeping-tommish as the gators. They understand boundaries.
There is also a magic pie shop - which I totally approve of - and dragons who hoard, and every kind of animal shifter ever. Even the yucky animals.
So, why wasn't the town and the people who lived there not shown more? They needed to be set free and let their freak-flags fly some more. Instead, it was just a couple of people that we get to know.. .and not very well. I want more of this town!
Next, there is the sex. It's weird because wording is used that tells you that there will be some freaky sex scenes that are explicit. But, that doesn't happen either. The sex is boring, expected, and mostly cut to black. That's fine, but it just doesn't live up to the dirty talk beforehand. Hmmm, sex not living up to its hype by the sex-giver? Never happens in real life.
eh hem.
I applaud his honesty.
Finally, the romance. It was okay, but nothing special. They want to bone immediately, and then they do. There isn't much in the way of heat or build-up, or even angst. You know I'm not a giant fan of angst, but the reality is that this was all just too easy. Easy is never as much fun as hard.
See? My generation had a tough life. And we are stronger for it! Stronger, dammit!
So, overall, the book was good, but not special. I will keep reading because I know that Molly Harper can bring it. She just didn't in this one.
Maybe they were worrying that this would happen. It would be blasphemous! Look at how accurately that muffin looks like Jesus. Someone call the Pope! This is truly a miraculous muffin!
The book series has so much potential. The magic is fun, the people are quirky, the town is awesome. But, it fell short over and over again.
The town is made up of different shifters and humans. There are even some creepy gator shifters that have a tendency to watch ladies change their clothes through their windows if they don't close the curtains. That is comedy gold, baby!
This is important information to know. You want to make sure you can properly identify your baby-eating monster. Also, I hear the crocs aren't as peeping-tommish as the gators. They understand boundaries.
There is also a magic pie shop - which I totally approve of - and dragons who hoard, and every kind of animal shifter ever. Even the yucky animals.
So, why wasn't the town and the people who lived there not shown more? They needed to be set free and let their freak-flags fly some more. Instead, it was just a couple of people that we get to know.. .and not very well. I want more of this town!
Next, there is the sex. It's weird because wording is used that tells you that there will be some freaky sex scenes that are explicit. But, that doesn't happen either. The sex is boring, expected, and mostly cut to black. That's fine, but it just doesn't live up to the dirty talk beforehand. Hmmm, sex not living up to its hype by the sex-giver? Never happens in real life.
eh hem.
I applaud his honesty.
Finally, the romance. It was okay, but nothing special. They want to bone immediately, and then they do. There isn't much in the way of heat or build-up, or even angst. You know I'm not a giant fan of angst, but the reality is that this was all just too easy. Easy is never as much fun as hard.
See? My generation had a tough life. And we are stronger for it! Stronger, dammit!
So, overall, the book was good, but not special. I will keep reading because I know that Molly Harper can bring it. She just didn't in this one.
May 4, 2020
4.5 Stars. Great characters who’s friendships are strong and relationships even stronger. This was a fun lighthearted book, with some sex. I like that the characters from book 1 are also in book 2. I certainly enjoyed this book.
November 17, 2020
Wild Things...I think I love you...
Love all the wild things about Mystic Bayou. The second instalment was just as good as the first one. Crazy funny, plenty sexy and so very entertaining. I really hope Molly Harper has plenty more in this series and keeps the narrators the same.
Love all the wild things about Mystic Bayou. The second instalment was just as good as the first one. Crazy funny, plenty sexy and so very entertaining. I really hope Molly Harper has plenty more in this series and keeps the narrators the same.
June 15, 2022
The gift of the magique!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 🤨🥹🙂😣🥰
The Hero: Zed - a bear shifter and mayor of Mystic Bayou, Louisiana. Zed played a big part in the first book in this series How to Date Your Dragon and he was terrific. Mystic Bayou is home to all types of supernatural beings (called “Magique”) and in the bayou there is an energy rift in time/space which originally is what drew the Magique to the town. However, recently it has been getting stronger and changing some humans into Magique.
The heroine: Danica - she works for the International League for Interspecies Cooperation and is an energy witch sent to Mystic Bayou to study the rift and see if she can help the town to stabilize it so it doesn’t keep growing.
The Story: Danica comes into town to research the rift and see if her gifts can help to stabilize it. She is interested in Zed from the start and he her. I like the fact that Zed explains so much about Mystic Bayou, the Magique and the rift very early on in the book. This background information and summary of the first book sets up this book perfectly.
The narration was dual narration and the book was told from dual points of view. Narrators Amanda Ronconi and Jonathon Davis are pretty awesome and have a bunch of different voices and accents including southern, cajun and more which were used for different town residents. So it almost sounds like a full cast audiobook.
Zed has been feeling a bit lonely lately since his best friend Bael got a mate and has been spending a lot of time with her. So Dani came along at just the right time. Though she has things going on back home in Wisconsin. The storylines are just as interesting than the first book. I also love the fact that the story and the romance take precedence over the steamy scenes in this series, though there are still some steamy scenes. I just like a good story and this series so far has been good for that. Adding all the whimsical elements of a supernatural community, I just really enjoyed it.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 🤨🥹🙂😣🥰
The Hero: Zed - a bear shifter and mayor of Mystic Bayou, Louisiana. Zed played a big part in the first book in this series How to Date Your Dragon and he was terrific. Mystic Bayou is home to all types of supernatural beings (called “Magique”) and in the bayou there is an energy rift in time/space which originally is what drew the Magique to the town. However, recently it has been getting stronger and changing some humans into Magique.
The heroine: Danica - she works for the International League for Interspecies Cooperation and is an energy witch sent to Mystic Bayou to study the rift and see if she can help the town to stabilize it so it doesn’t keep growing.
The Story: Danica comes into town to research the rift and see if her gifts can help to stabilize it. She is interested in Zed from the start and he her. I like the fact that Zed explains so much about Mystic Bayou, the Magique and the rift very early on in the book. This background information and summary of the first book sets up this book perfectly.
The narration was dual narration and the book was told from dual points of view. Narrators Amanda Ronconi and Jonathon Davis are pretty awesome and have a bunch of different voices and accents including southern, cajun and more which were used for different town residents. So it almost sounds like a full cast audiobook.
Zed has been feeling a bit lonely lately since his best friend Bael got a mate and has been spending a lot of time with her. So Dani came along at just the right time. Though she has things going on back home in Wisconsin. The storylines are just as interesting than the first book. I also love the fact that the story and the romance take precedence over the steamy scenes in this series, though there are still some steamy scenes. I just like a good story and this series so far has been good for that. Adding all the whimsical elements of a supernatural community, I just really enjoyed it.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
April 15, 2020
Love and Other Wild Things
By: Molly Harper
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Amanda Ronconi
Series: Mystic Bayou, Book 2
Book 2 continues the series with a new employee coming to the town. The rift is getting bigger and they brought in a witch to help monitor and control the rift. Someone once her to stop, or die! The Brown bear shifter has got his eyes on her! 😁 A fun, sexy, but with a mystery, read with supernatural characters! Great narrators!
By: Molly Harper
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Amanda Ronconi
Series: Mystic Bayou, Book 2
Book 2 continues the series with a new employee coming to the town. The rift is getting bigger and they brought in a witch to help monitor and control the rift. Someone once her to stop, or die! The Brown bear shifter has got his eyes on her! 😁 A fun, sexy, but with a mystery, read with supernatural characters! Great narrators!
February 14, 2020
3,5 stars
Still a lot of fun and Dani is a totally nice character, though I was disappointed in her abilities as a witch - most of the time she appeared quite clueless & helpless and had to be saved again and again by others.
But the town of Mystic Bayou still continues to be awesome. I love the brownie Siobhan and her awesome pies!!
Still a lot of fun and Dani is a totally nice character, though I was disappointed in her abilities as a witch - most of the time she appeared quite clueless & helpless and had to be saved again and again by others.
But the town of Mystic Bayou still continues to be awesome. I love the brownie Siobhan and her awesome pies!!
September 13, 2018
First let me say this a a cute and entertaining story. The world building is interesting and carries the story forward. If you are a Molly Harper fan, I totally recommend.
Now down to the nitty gritty. If you’ve never read a Molly Harper book, I don’t suggest starting here. I love the author dearly but I suspect a limited word count made this story suffer.
SPOILERS AHEAD! You’ve been warned.
This story has a bad case of insta love but I’ll get there.
At the crux of solving the mystery, I was baffled by Zed’s annoyance with Danika. He chided her for not coming to him and telling him her problems/secrets regarding her family. Scratches head while she rolled over like a dog and apologized when they weren’t even in a relationship according to her. Why would she have confided in him? They hadn’t developed that level of intimacy or friendship between them.
I also didn’t get why Zed having her father call her was a big deal??? Wouldn’t helping her pay the debt be more important. That plot thread led no where and turned out to me wasted words if a limit on them really stifled the story as I suspect.
Second, why did everyone come down on her for not mentioning the woman who as it turns out didn’t work for the league. Again Danika rolls over and takes it. But she did bring it up and her boss led her to believe she knew about the woman. So why is it Danika’s fault????
While I ignore insta love in PNR books, usually there is world building to explain it. These two spent very little time together on the page outside of sex to warrant either of them declaring love so early in the book. It would have been better saved towards the very end as I didn’t buy it before then. She had been so against a relationship, she sort of accepted being in one without a good reason.
Overall, slightly disappointed as the story was disjointed as if in the editing process portions were cut out or things were moved around with a good read through after to ensure the story flowed.
The narration by Amanda Ronconi was excellent as always. She didn’t need a male POV as it jolted me out of the story. Their voices were so different I didn’t like Zed when he read him. He was a good narrator but I would have preferred Amanda read the entire book solo as she’s done in the past.
Now down to the nitty gritty. If you’ve never read a Molly Harper book, I don’t suggest starting here. I love the author dearly but I suspect a limited word count made this story suffer.
SPOILERS AHEAD! You’ve been warned.
This story has a bad case of insta love but I’ll get there.
At the crux of solving the mystery, I was baffled by Zed’s annoyance with Danika. He chided her for not coming to him and telling him her problems/secrets regarding her family. Scratches head while she rolled over like a dog and apologized when they weren’t even in a relationship according to her. Why would she have confided in him? They hadn’t developed that level of intimacy or friendship between them.
I also didn’t get why Zed having her father call her was a big deal??? Wouldn’t helping her pay the debt be more important. That plot thread led no where and turned out to me wasted words if a limit on them really stifled the story as I suspect.
Second, why did everyone come down on her for not mentioning the woman who as it turns out didn’t work for the league. Again Danika rolls over and takes it. But she did bring it up and her boss led her to believe she knew about the woman. So why is it Danika’s fault????
While I ignore insta love in PNR books, usually there is world building to explain it. These two spent very little time together on the page outside of sex to warrant either of them declaring love so early in the book. It would have been better saved towards the very end as I didn’t buy it before then. She had been so against a relationship, she sort of accepted being in one without a good reason.
Overall, slightly disappointed as the story was disjointed as if in the editing process portions were cut out or things were moved around with a good read through after to ensure the story flowed.
The narration by Amanda Ronconi was excellent as always. She didn’t need a male POV as it jolted me out of the story. Their voices were so different I didn’t like Zed when he read him. He was a good narrator but I would have preferred Amanda read the entire book solo as she’s done in the past.
October 27, 2018
For me, 4 stars equals a solid B. This book was just good. I didn't like it as well as the first book, but the characters were fairly entertaining, especially Zed, the bear-shifter mayor of the small, supernatural town of Mystic Bayou, Louisiana.
Honestly, I didn't care for Dani that much. I felt that her "snark" was a little too forced and her I'm-okay-with-being-a-big-girl attitude was a little too unrealistic. I mean, if you have to talk about it all the time and say how fine you are with it, are you really? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The llamas on the majority of her clothing because it was her spirit animal was kinda cute, though (imo).
As part of the Audible romance package, this book was free. I wouldn't recommend using a precious credit to purchase it.
Honestly, I didn't care for Dani that much. I felt that her "snark" was a little too forced and her I'm-okay-with-being-a-big-girl attitude was a little too unrealistic. I mean, if you have to talk about it all the time and say how fine you are with it, are you really? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The llamas on the majority of her clothing because it was her spirit animal was kinda cute, though (imo).
As part of the Audible romance package, this book was free. I wouldn't recommend using a precious credit to purchase it.
May 19, 2020
Love and Other Wild Things is book two in the Mystic Bayou series by Molly Harper and Narrated by Amanda Ronconi & Jonathan Davis.
With the Mystic Bayou series we are treated to two POV’s, hero and heroine. I like this set-up for the series. As a standalone romance, it can be enjoyed without reading book one first, however the world building and overall series arc are established in How to Date Your Dragon.
Danica is an energy witch and a headstrong woman who knows what she wants. The mystery surrounding her is a little dis-jointed and not set up well. The dynamics between her and Zed where great.
Zed is a bear-shifter, major of Mystic Bayou, and a sweet and caring guy. I like his friendship with Bael. I loved how he respected Danica and her space and was also straightforward with her about what he wanted.
Dani and Zed experience a mutual attraction at first meet, but both must meet a balance. Dani is dealing with financial issues and trust issues while Zed knows she’s his mate and he must take it slow. We continue to dig deeper into the rift and its mysteries. The ending is sweet and yes, predictable, which isn’t necessarily bad.
Narration: We are treated to a duel narration, with Amanda Ronconi reading the parts told in Dani’s POV and Jonathan Davis reading the parts told in Zed’s POV. Honestly I loved Jonathan Davis and wish he could have narrated the whole book. His voices where the best and appealing to my ear. The voices that Amanda Ronconi did for Jillian and Dani sounded similar as did Bael and Zed, which caused confusion and it took away from the story, which slowed things down. These two narrators styles and sounds are so different that it took time to readjust to the narrators when the switch came.
In the end, I enjoyed Love and Other Wild Things. I like the mystery around the rift and Mystic Bayou and the romance is sweet and adorable.
Rated: 3 Stars
With the Mystic Bayou series we are treated to two POV’s, hero and heroine. I like this set-up for the series. As a standalone romance, it can be enjoyed without reading book one first, however the world building and overall series arc are established in How to Date Your Dragon.
Danica is an energy witch and a headstrong woman who knows what she wants. The mystery surrounding her is a little dis-jointed and not set up well. The dynamics between her and Zed where great.
Zed is a bear-shifter, major of Mystic Bayou, and a sweet and caring guy. I like his friendship with Bael. I loved how he respected Danica and her space and was also straightforward with her about what he wanted.
Dani and Zed experience a mutual attraction at first meet, but both must meet a balance. Dani is dealing with financial issues and trust issues while Zed knows she’s his mate and he must take it slow. We continue to dig deeper into the rift and its mysteries. The ending is sweet and yes, predictable, which isn’t necessarily bad.
Narration: We are treated to a duel narration, with Amanda Ronconi reading the parts told in Dani’s POV and Jonathan Davis reading the parts told in Zed’s POV. Honestly I loved Jonathan Davis and wish he could have narrated the whole book. His voices where the best and appealing to my ear. The voices that Amanda Ronconi did for Jillian and Dani sounded similar as did Bael and Zed, which caused confusion and it took away from the story, which slowed things down. These two narrators styles and sounds are so different that it took time to readjust to the narrators when the switch came.
In the end, I enjoyed Love and Other Wild Things. I like the mystery around the rift and Mystic Bayou and the romance is sweet and adorable.
Rated: 3 Stars
September 5, 2018
I want one of these a week.....
September 12, 2018
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
I was so delightfully surprised when I saw this book on Audible, because I HAD no idea that this book had been released or was going to be released. It just became available about a week ago, so its pretty recent. I adored book one so I just had to grab this one since I fell in love with this small town "Mystic Bayou" in Louisianna. We have some solid narrators for this book. Its a dual POV so we have two narrators. Now I liked both, but I do feel that the heroine's narrator was way better because she really shows the humor so much better but I like the voice of Jonathan Davis, he just doesn't show the humor too well (but not too many male narrators can do humor like female narrators do so I am not shocked by it, and it doesn't both me too much since we see more from the heroine's perspective than the hero anyway) But other than that, they did a great job implementing this book.
This story was quite a delightful read and I had a blast with it. The short gist of this book, is our heroine has come to Mystic Bayou, for a job. She is trying to figure out what is going on with the rift, which is causing higher shifter turns and rates and she is trying to discover what the problem is and fix it if possible. She needs the money for this job, since her horrible father stole her grandparents money and double mortgaged their farm which has been in the family for generations and she is trying to save it. She then meets the handsome mayor, a bear shifter. Danica is nervous around Zed because he makes her feel things she doesn't feel comfortable with. She isn't at ease with emotional intimacy, she has normally only done casual encounters with men. But Zed makes her want more than just sex in a relationship. Zed is such a fascinating hero, I would say he is a alpha/beta mix, I love how weird he is (a big bad bear shifter, loves blueberry pie and honey, bubble baths and even has bath toys that squeek and breaks things on a constant basis and will do anything for his mama bear) The romance is fiery hot and sweet....I loved Zed and Danica together and they just made me happy whenever we see them banter and interact with each other. And we have a plot other than the romance, and again, this author shocked me because it wasn't who I thought it was that is the villain and boy I love that, its rare for a author to surprise me like that (all those Nancy Drew books I read as a girl).
I highly recommend this book....its sexy, flirty, hilarious in every scene and has a sexy hero that you want to keep for your own and a heroine that can fight her own battles!! I am hooked on the Mystic Bayou and the diverse characters that sweep you up!! I can't wait for the next one!!!
[foogallery id="59726"]
I was so delightfully surprised when I saw this book on Audible, because I HAD no idea that this book had been released or was going to be released. It just became available about a week ago, so its pretty recent. I adored book one so I just had to grab this one since I fell in love with this small town "Mystic Bayou" in Louisianna. We have some solid narrators for this book. Its a dual POV so we have two narrators. Now I liked both, but I do feel that the heroine's narrator was way better because she really shows the humor so much better but I like the voice of Jonathan Davis, he just doesn't show the humor too well (but not too many male narrators can do humor like female narrators do so I am not shocked by it, and it doesn't both me too much since we see more from the heroine's perspective than the hero anyway) But other than that, they did a great job implementing this book.
This story was quite a delightful read and I had a blast with it. The short gist of this book, is our heroine has come to Mystic Bayou, for a job. She is trying to figure out what is going on with the rift, which is causing higher shifter turns and rates and she is trying to discover what the problem is and fix it if possible. She needs the money for this job, since her horrible father stole her grandparents money and double mortgaged their farm which has been in the family for generations and she is trying to save it. She then meets the handsome mayor, a bear shifter. Danica is nervous around Zed because he makes her feel things she doesn't feel comfortable with. She isn't at ease with emotional intimacy, she has normally only done casual encounters with men. But Zed makes her want more than just sex in a relationship. Zed is such a fascinating hero, I would say he is a alpha/beta mix, I love how weird he is (a big bad bear shifter, loves blueberry pie and honey, bubble baths and even has bath toys that squeek and breaks things on a constant basis and will do anything for his mama bear) The romance is fiery hot and sweet....I loved Zed and Danica together and they just made me happy whenever we see them banter and interact with each other. And we have a plot other than the romance, and again, this author shocked me because it wasn't who I thought it was that is the villain and boy I love that, its rare for a author to surprise me like that (all those Nancy Drew books I read as a girl).
I highly recommend this book....its sexy, flirty, hilarious in every scene and has a sexy hero that you want to keep for your own and a heroine that can fight her own battles!! I am hooked on the Mystic Bayou and the diverse characters that sweep you up!! I can't wait for the next one!!!
[foogallery id="59726"]
December 28, 2018
We return to Mystic Bayou as the League establishes more of a presence in the town beyond the anthropologist Gillian from the first book in the series. Now we have Danica, an energy witch, who's come to the town to work with the unstable Rift that's been turning normals into magique and appears to be becoming more unstable. Danica is a wonderfully laid-back person who immediately catches the eye of the Mystic Bayor mayor and bear shifter Zed.
Formulaic, but if you're reading a Molly Harper book, you're probably here for the formula: likable protagonists in a pleasantly quirky community with a cast of fun characters. Our leads have to negotiate a relationship while under a mild well-telegraphed criminal threat while ideally checking in with characters from previous books. This is early enough in the series that the checking in part isn't overwhelming the rest of the story.
This series is an audible originals one where the audiobook comes out six months before the print version. I read the print version of the first book this month and moved onto the audio for this. Chapters alternate between the leads with different narrators being used for each of them, Amanda Ronconi for Danica and Jonathan Davis for Zed. Both are excellent, but Jonathan Davis's laidback drawl for Zed is just brilliant and suits the character down to the ground.
One other note: there's a scene in the pie shop/diner around half way through the book that's a riot from start to finish. It feels like the whole rest of the book had been built around it. Had I had a print copy while listening to it, I would have quoted extensively, but I can suggest that both the books are worth listening to to get to it. Some of the best rom-com stuff I've read from this author.
Formulaic, but if you're reading a Molly Harper book, you're probably here for the formula: likable protagonists in a pleasantly quirky community with a cast of fun characters. Our leads have to negotiate a relationship while under a mild well-telegraphed criminal threat while ideally checking in with characters from previous books. This is early enough in the series that the checking in part isn't overwhelming the rest of the story.
This series is an audible originals one where the audiobook comes out six months before the print version. I read the print version of the first book this month and moved onto the audio for this. Chapters alternate between the leads with different narrators being used for each of them, Amanda Ronconi for Danica and Jonathan Davis for Zed. Both are excellent, but Jonathan Davis's laidback drawl for Zed is just brilliant and suits the character down to the ground.
One other note: there's a scene in the pie shop/diner around half way through the book that's a riot from start to finish. It feels like the whole rest of the book had been built around it. Had I had a print copy while listening to it, I would have quoted extensively, but I can suggest that both the books are worth listening to to get to it. Some of the best rom-com stuff I've read from this author.
May 14, 2021
Love and Other Wild Things
3.5 Stars
Danica Teel, an energy witch, is sent to Mystic Bayou by the League to try and stabilize the mysterious rift that is causing chaos among the town's supernatural and human residents. Together with mayor Zed Barron, Dani faces off against a malevolent stalker determined to widen the rift and destroy the only place magical beings can coexist with humans.
Despite the charming setting and quirky characters, there is something missing from this follow-up to How to Date Your Dragon, and the problem lies in the romance.
Unfortunately, Zed and Dani's romance falls flat, especially when compared to the couple in the first book. Their interactions are lacking the witty banter that so enhanced Bael and Jillian's chemistry, and aside from an instant-lust attraction, there doesn't seem to be any foundation to their relationship. Zed is a homebody while Dani has wanderlust; he wants a mate to share his cave with while she is looking for a lover and not a partner. Obviously, these issues are resolved by the end, but it all feels contrived rather than natural.
In contrast, the suspense plot revolving around the person widening the rift is intriguing, and the climax and resolution are intense and exciting. Harper also managed to surprise me with the identity of the villain; someone who wasn't even on my radar. So kudos here!
In terms of the audiobook narration, Amanda Ronconi is as fantastic as ever and Jonathan Davis's deep baritone is growing on me.
In sum, there are hints at a larger agenda at play in the world of Mystic Bayou, and I look forward to finding out what happens next.
3.5 Stars
Danica Teel, an energy witch, is sent to Mystic Bayou by the League to try and stabilize the mysterious rift that is causing chaos among the town's supernatural and human residents. Together with mayor Zed Barron, Dani faces off against a malevolent stalker determined to widen the rift and destroy the only place magical beings can coexist with humans.
Despite the charming setting and quirky characters, there is something missing from this follow-up to How to Date Your Dragon, and the problem lies in the romance.
Unfortunately, Zed and Dani's romance falls flat, especially when compared to the couple in the first book. Their interactions are lacking the witty banter that so enhanced Bael and Jillian's chemistry, and aside from an instant-lust attraction, there doesn't seem to be any foundation to their relationship. Zed is a homebody while Dani has wanderlust; he wants a mate to share his cave with while she is looking for a lover and not a partner. Obviously, these issues are resolved by the end, but it all feels contrived rather than natural.
In contrast, the suspense plot revolving around the person widening the rift is intriguing, and the climax and resolution are intense and exciting. Harper also managed to surprise me with the identity of the villain; someone who wasn't even on my radar. So kudos here!
In terms of the audiobook narration, Amanda Ronconi is as fantastic as ever and Jonathan Davis's deep baritone is growing on me.
In sum, there are hints at a larger agenda at play in the world of Mystic Bayou, and I look forward to finding out what happens next.
June 13, 2020
The mystic bayou books are the MOST comforting paranormal fluff! And Zed gre were bear with a heart of gold and a deep love of bubble baths (complete with rubber fish instead of rubber ducky) is the epitome of the big burly tender man trope that I love so much!
A perfect listen for when you need to take a break from the world, and feel like you’re being hugged by your book.
A perfect listen for when you need to take a break from the world, and feel like you’re being hugged by your book.
June 28, 2019
Audiobook: Narrators – Amanda Ronconi and Jonathan Davis
Another great narration! While some of the novelty of these narrator’s voices lessened for me with this read (I missed Zed saying in that lazy voice “My great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaddy” this time around he rushed to get the title out) it still gave me all the fun of the way these narrators added their own twist to the dialogue. As a result, what I would never “read” in a certain way, suddenly came to life and added a whole new level of fun to an already fun story.
I was excited about Danica because she arrives in Mystic Bayou already carrying her own power. Zed, being a bear shifter obviously won’t be gaining anything from the rift. So, right from the start, this story took me by surprise.
I loved how Zed was so frustrated by trying to gain more from Danica. He’s just an all around fun hero that had me grinning from ear to ear. As big and burly as he is, the fact that he takes baths with bubbles and has a rubber fish to play with while doing so, endeared him to me more than I already was.
This is fast paced and has some seriously sizzle as this couple start out pretty quickly. I totally did not see the ending when it came time to the “bad guys”. The town characters are still just as quirky and in your business as they were in the previous book and I fell even more in love with Mystic Bayou.
Listened via Audible Escape
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Another great narration! While some of the novelty of these narrator’s voices lessened for me with this read (I missed Zed saying in that lazy voice “My great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaddy” this time around he rushed to get the title out) it still gave me all the fun of the way these narrators added their own twist to the dialogue. As a result, what I would never “read” in a certain way, suddenly came to life and added a whole new level of fun to an already fun story.
I was excited about Danica because she arrives in Mystic Bayou already carrying her own power. Zed, being a bear shifter obviously won’t be gaining anything from the rift. So, right from the start, this story took me by surprise.
I loved how Zed was so frustrated by trying to gain more from Danica. He’s just an all around fun hero that had me grinning from ear to ear. As big and burly as he is, the fact that he takes baths with bubbles and has a rubber fish to play with while doing so, endeared him to me more than I already was.
This is fast paced and has some seriously sizzle as this couple start out pretty quickly. I totally did not see the ending when it came time to the “bad guys”. The town characters are still just as quirky and in your business as they were in the previous book and I fell even more in love with Mystic Bayou.
Listened via Audible Escape
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
September 27, 2018
Anytime I can find a book narrated by Amanda Ronconi I jump at it. Add to that Jonathan Davis (hubba hubba) and Molly Harper as the author and it’s party time!
A magical world with shifters. Excellent story!
A magical world with shifters. Excellent story!
August 30, 2019
Another great listen! I really enjoy Molly Harper's writing. She's witty and tells a great story. Zed and Dani were perfect together. I loved that Dani was a little sassy.
I'm looking forward to more in this world.
I'm looking forward to more in this world.
April 21, 2020
I baked some kick ass ciabatta while listening to this, ‘nuff said.
February 6, 2020
I'll call this a very positive 3 1/2 stars.
Another enjoyable little visit to Mystic Bayou. Another romance. Another mystery solved.
There’s lots of world-building going on here and it looks interesting. Of course, it’s all mostly in service of setting up more romantic scenarios but there are many different kinds of potential fun that all this could lead to. The possibilities are intriguing.
I missed figuring out who the perp was in advance this time. She added an extra layer on and that threw me. I guess I’m not really as clever as I like to think.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to the next one.
Another enjoyable little visit to Mystic Bayou. Another romance. Another mystery solved.
There’s lots of world-building going on here and it looks interesting. Of course, it’s all mostly in service of setting up more romantic scenarios but there are many different kinds of potential fun that all this could lead to. The possibilities are intriguing.
I missed figuring out who the perp was in advance this time. She added an extra layer on and that threw me. I guess I’m not really as clever as I like to think.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to the next one.
June 9, 2021
Another silly, happy, wonderful romance novel set in our favorite fictional Louisiana backwoods, Mystic Bayou. Molly Harper has such a great sense of humor and a great sense of character. Ok so maybe the plots are a skosh predictable, but they’re adorably predictable. Can’t wait to see what happens next with these lovable weirdos! Also, I have to say, I wish I had discovered these books pre-COVID quarantine days. I think 2020 might have been a bit less depressing for me if I’d spent more time in Mystic Bayou than say, Maine, visiting with Stephen King’s characters.
I should also mention: the Audible edition is exceptionally well-narrated with a male and female narrator alternating chapters. They handle the accents beautifully! 5 stars +++++ for both narrators!
I should also mention: the Audible edition is exceptionally well-narrated with a male and female narrator alternating chapters. They handle the accents beautifully! 5 stars +++++ for both narrators!
September 23, 2018
RTC. Great series.
October 2, 2018
4 stars / 2 flames. Review in progress.
January 27, 2019
Originally posted at:
I don't know why, but I simply couldn't connect with anything or any character in this novel. This book features a good well-paced story with somewhat interesting characters. It felt like something didn't click between me and this story.
Danica was a headstrong woman who knew what she wanted from the start. She was used to drawing a line in the sand and having people respect that. The "mystery" she was involved in was very janky and not set up all that well throughout the story. I liked her dynamic and eventual relationship with Zed.
Zed was a sweet and caring guy. It was a nice change of pace compared to the last few books I've read. Character's like him are few and far between, especially when most novels feature "alpha" douche bags as the hero. I loved how he respected her space but at the same time was straightforward about what he was looking for/wanted and how they could compromise.
The ending was sweet and predictable (which wasn't a bad thing for this story). I would have liked the secondary characters to have been more memorable and to play a bigger part in the story.
The Audio Book:
I disliked Jonathan Davis's voice for Zed on SO many levels. At times he made it hard to understand him in basic conversations. Amanda Ronconi chapters were fine as far as understanding what the characters were saying. I listened to this audio book while trying to fall asleep so I don't really remember her accents or if she even had to do any at all.
I don't know why, but I simply couldn't connect with anything or any character in this novel. This book features a good well-paced story with somewhat interesting characters. It felt like something didn't click between me and this story.
Danica was a headstrong woman who knew what she wanted from the start. She was used to drawing a line in the sand and having people respect that. The "mystery" she was involved in was very janky and not set up all that well throughout the story. I liked her dynamic and eventual relationship with Zed.
Zed was a sweet and caring guy. It was a nice change of pace compared to the last few books I've read. Character's like him are few and far between, especially when most novels feature "alpha" douche bags as the hero. I loved how he respected her space but at the same time was straightforward about what he was looking for/wanted and how they could compromise.
The ending was sweet and predictable (which wasn't a bad thing for this story). I would have liked the secondary characters to have been more memorable and to play a bigger part in the story.
The Audio Book:
I disliked Jonathan Davis's voice for Zed on SO many levels. At times he made it hard to understand him in basic conversations. Amanda Ronconi chapters were fine as far as understanding what the characters were saying. I listened to this audio book while trying to fall asleep so I don't really remember her accents or if she even had to do any at all.
August 28, 2019
4.25 Stars / 3 Steam Fans
We are back in Mystic Bayou and I was TOTALLY HERE FOR IT!!! This time around an energy witch named Dani comes in to help with the rift that is destabilizing. Upon her arrival our wonderful, sweet, motorcycle riding Mayor Zed is attempting to fix her shower in the rental home she will be staying in. There was so much witty banter, sexual tension, and mystery that I devoured this book in almost one sitting. I am really excited to see where this series continues to go.
This specific video review will be included in the August 2019 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
We are back in Mystic Bayou and I was TOTALLY HERE FOR IT!!! This time around an energy witch named Dani comes in to help with the rift that is destabilizing. Upon her arrival our wonderful, sweet, motorcycle riding Mayor Zed is attempting to fix her shower in the rental home she will be staying in. There was so much witty banter, sexual tension, and mystery that I devoured this book in almost one sitting. I am really excited to see where this series continues to go.
This specific video review will be included in the August 2019 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
Read
September 7, 2018Review to come......
September 9, 2018
I liked it. My favourite part was Zed rushing to save Dani and busted out of Jillian's office like the kool-aid man.
The story revolves around Danica and Zed. Danica is a witch who works with rifts. She was hired by the league to investigate the rift in the Mystic Bayou. She took the job and was desperate to make it work because she needed the money. Her good for nothing father put the farm in debt by tricking his mother with dementia to sign off on the loans. He left for India and put the burden on his father, Dani's aunt, and Dani.
The story is largely about Dani and her integrating herself in the town. She started as a league employee and then got to befriend the townees. She endeared herself with her talent with baking and apples.
The antagonist is Ivy, a double agent hired to undermine the league's work. She made the rift bigger and hired a scapegoat in case things go sour. She was discovered near the end of the book. The big conflict was when Ivy was draining her blood. Dani found out that Ivy was the one who was messing with the rifts. Zed came to Dani's rescue and distracted Ivy long enough for Dani to recover. Dani hit Ivy and Zed dealt the finishing blow by throwing Ivy to the rift.
Zed confessed what happened and the case was thrown out because they really didn't know whether Ivy was dead or not. No one knew what happened when someone is flung into the rift. The rift issue ended up making Dani's temporary work into an extended one.
She has a romance with Zed, who was a bear shifter. They were friends with benefits because she put her work first. Their arrangement resembled that of a relationship so it was an easy transition when they finally got together. She stayed with Zed and got to see the markings on his foot, which was meant for his one and only.
The story revolves around Danica and Zed. Danica is a witch who works with rifts. She was hired by the league to investigate the rift in the Mystic Bayou. She took the job and was desperate to make it work because she needed the money. Her good for nothing father put the farm in debt by tricking his mother with dementia to sign off on the loans. He left for India and put the burden on his father, Dani's aunt, and Dani.
The story is largely about Dani and her integrating herself in the town. She started as a league employee and then got to befriend the townees. She endeared herself with her talent with baking and apples.
The antagonist is Ivy, a double agent hired to undermine the league's work. She made the rift bigger and hired a scapegoat in case things go sour. She was discovered near the end of the book. The big conflict was when Ivy was draining her blood. Dani found out that Ivy was the one who was messing with the rifts. Zed came to Dani's rescue and distracted Ivy long enough for Dani to recover. Dani hit Ivy and Zed dealt the finishing blow by throwing Ivy to the rift.
Zed confessed what happened and the case was thrown out because they really didn't know whether Ivy was dead or not. No one knew what happened when someone is flung into the rift. The rift issue ended up making Dani's temporary work into an extended one.
She has a romance with Zed, who was a bear shifter. They were friends with benefits because she put her work first. Their arrangement resembled that of a relationship so it was an easy transition when they finally got together. She stayed with Zed and got to see the markings on his foot, which was meant for his one and only.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2018
Two awesome narrators together with an amazing author in this Audible original Love and Other Wild Things! Perfect combination! I am normally not the biggest fan of dual narrators but Amanda Ronconi and Jonathan Davis truly make a great pair. The splits between the two were really well done.
Mystic Bayou is a very interesting place to be, where the magique and humans live together peacefully. All that is jeopardized when the rift between worlds is slowly destabilizing. That is where Danica Teel comes in. The League sends her to Mystic Bayou to investigate the rift and it's changes. Danica has powers she's been hiding from her family and they believe she is traveling the world as a photographer. Due to family obligations that she gets bad news on, her job and pay are more important than ever.
Danika steals the heart of bear shifter mayor Zed and he acts as her guide to all things Mystic Bayou. Then things get weird and she finds herself having to share her work space and the rift seems to be getting worse instead of better. After an attempt on Danika's life things continue to get dangerous, and the mystery of the rift continues.
I loved Zed and Danika's relationship. She was so against a "relationship" but Zed knew she was his mate and struggled trying to figure out how to approach keeping Danika with him. His attempts were SO cute! But he seems to find a way to work around Danika's issues and worm his way into her heart. The romance was definitely sweet and I got a good laugh out of Zed. He was one of my favorite characters from the first book and that carried onto Love and Other Wild things.
This book had all the makings of a fun listen. Great narrators, great author, sweet romance and a great mystery. It all worked together to create a wonderful listen and I'm excited to see what is next in Mystic Bayou! This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
Mystic Bayou is a very interesting place to be, where the magique and humans live together peacefully. All that is jeopardized when the rift between worlds is slowly destabilizing. That is where Danica Teel comes in. The League sends her to Mystic Bayou to investigate the rift and it's changes. Danica has powers she's been hiding from her family and they believe she is traveling the world as a photographer. Due to family obligations that she gets bad news on, her job and pay are more important than ever.
Danika steals the heart of bear shifter mayor Zed and he acts as her guide to all things Mystic Bayou. Then things get weird and she finds herself having to share her work space and the rift seems to be getting worse instead of better. After an attempt on Danika's life things continue to get dangerous, and the mystery of the rift continues.
I loved Zed and Danika's relationship. She was so against a "relationship" but Zed knew she was his mate and struggled trying to figure out how to approach keeping Danika with him. His attempts were SO cute! But he seems to find a way to work around Danika's issues and worm his way into her heart. The romance was definitely sweet and I got a good laugh out of Zed. He was one of my favorite characters from the first book and that carried onto Love and Other Wild things.
This book had all the makings of a fun listen. Great narrators, great author, sweet romance and a great mystery. It all worked together to create a wonderful listen and I'm excited to see what is next in Mystic Bayou! This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
November 29, 2018
As soon as I finished the first book, I wanted to read this book. I want to move to Mystic Bayou. The town is delightful. I love all of the characters who live there.
This book starts shortly after the first book ends. More people from the League are coming to Mystic Bayou to deal with the energy rift. Danica is sent to figure out what is wrong with the rift and repair it. Zed, the town mayor, is assigned to help Danica. Although she tries, Danica can't resist Zed's charm.
I can't wait for the next book in this series.
This book starts shortly after the first book ends. More people from the League are coming to Mystic Bayou to deal with the energy rift. Danica is sent to figure out what is wrong with the rift and repair it. Zed, the town mayor, is assigned to help Danica. Although she tries, Danica can't resist Zed's charm.
I can't wait for the next book in this series.
September 10, 2018
#AudibleRomance package
Also narrated by Jonathan Davis.
Also narrated by Jonathan Davis.
February 3, 2019
I immediately moved onto this book after listening to the first one in this series. I found it to be just as fun and enjoyable, though I did like the romance part of this story even more. Another cute, light-hearted read, and seriously one of theee funniest books I've ever read. I laughed out loud so many times, it was great! Lots of clever, funny and snarky one-liners.... including an absolutely hilarious part where Dani suddenly imagines herself as the shocked and bewildered human sidekick in a spontaneous, bear-driving-a-motorcycle circus act. Also, Mayor Zed's campaign slogan was amusingly direct, and the Scrooge McDuck references in both this and the first book are just too freakin' funny. Total LOL entertainment.
Again, the audio performance was amazing. The narrators truly brought the story to life.
I'm not usually a fantasy/shifter reader but this series has won me over and I can't wait for the next installment.
Again, the audio performance was amazing. The narrators truly brought the story to life.
I'm not usually a fantasy/shifter reader but this series has won me over and I can't wait for the next installment.
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