Audio Book Review: Moonshine & Magic by Bella Falls

This was a fun, easy listen which I really enjoyed.
Moonshine & Magic
Written By: Bella Falls
Narrated By: Johanna Parker

Duration: 7 h 59 min
Release date: 07-18-18
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Magic
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Summary
Magic and mystery are only part of the Southern Charms of Honeysuckle Hollow . . .
Charli Goodwin doesn't expect her homecoming to go without a hitch-after all, she skipped town, leaving her fiance and family without a clue as to where she was going or why. Now that she's ready to return home, she plans to lay low and sip some of her Nana's sweet tea while the town gossips come out to play.
Unfortunately, on her first night back, Charli discovers the body of her crazy great-uncle, and suddenly finds herself at the center of a mystery that threatens the very foundations of Honeysuckle Hollow and the safety of every paranormal citizen in it-starting with Charli herself.
With the clock ticking, will Charli's special magical talents be enough to save not only the town but also her own life?

Review:
Charli Goodwin is returning home on her father’s rebuilt motorcycle until the engine dies as she hits the wards of her magical community, Honeysuckle Hollow. Charli expects some second glances, if not hostility, after having left without explanation a year or so before. She didn’t exactly plan it, but she is just in time for the community’s annual celebrations. After getting help from a gnome and ‘fairy godmother’, the first person Charli runs into is her quirky great-uncle. Uncle Tipper is rather paranoid, but he holds Charli as one of his favorite people.

Charli arrives at the evening festivities to witness the engagement of her former fiancé to a not so pleasant cousin. As Charli backs away to go home to Nana, Uncle Tipper’s crow, Biddy, directs Charli off the path to find Uncle Tipper dead. Now Charli, believed to be the last to speak with Tipper, is caught up trying to solve the mystery of his death and trying to find a cure for the curse that she stumbled into. There are many questions. Who will benefit by Tipper’s death since it will open a seat on the town governing board which is filled by someone from each founding family? Where is Uncle Tipper’s Last Will? Who was he cavorting with before his death? Charli has special skills that can help with some of the questions if she can survive the curse long enough to save the town from a group seeking development and finding the cure to save her own life.

While dealing with these issues, Charli finds herself getting attention from the current investigation Warden (detective), her Nana’s were shifter handyman, and even her former fiancé. The confusion of her emotions only adds to the strain of the curse that is sucking her magical energy.

I loved the quirky characters, including some villainous relatives. The story is an easy listen with some good twists. This is my second book by Bella Falls and I do like her different characters and light mystery plotlines. I recommend this to fans of magical, cozy mystery.

Audio Notes: I quite like Johanna Parker as a narrator. I have missed her voice since finishing the Sookie Stackhouse series so I am always glad to find books she has narrated. Her voice fits this type of fantasy and charm. The narration increased my enjoyment of the story.

Source: 7/29/2021 Audiobooks.com 2 for 1 Credit Deal. This qualifies for 2023TBR, 2023Audiobook, and I am counting it toward a 2023Time of Day (or night) goal.

Audio Book Review: Sleigh Spells by Bella Falls

This is a delightful story with an extra short included.
Sleigh Spells
Author Bella Falls
Narrator: Johanna Parker

Series: Winter Witches of Holiday Haven, Book 1
Duration: 6 h 10 min.
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Summary:
Have yourself a very Merry Witchmas in Holiday Haven, where the magic and mystery of Christmas is snow joke!
Aurora Hart hates everything Christmas, but how could she turn down the opportunity to serve one year of probation in Holiday Haven versus a full sentence for her crimes? Saddled with a talking squirrel roommate, Aurora is doing her best to keep a low profile as she bides her time. Everything is going fine . . . until Santa's sleigh gets stolen.
Now, all eyes are on her and the other town Humbugs, and it's up to Aurora to keep her behind from ending up back in jail. With the help of a very important person from the North Pole, she finds herself hot on the trail of the real culprit. But it will take her having to do something she's never done before-accepting new friends and their assistance. Only then will Aurora be able to turn not only her own life around but also Christmas for the entire world!
Will Aurora be able to solve the mystery of who stole Santa's sleigh in time? Or will the culprit get the final sleigh?...

Review:
All her life Aurora has struggled with witch powers, ice and fire, that she is unable to control. No one helped her learn along the way and she ended up helping a con man until they were arrested. Rather than spend time in jail, she accepted the offer of one year on probation in Holiday Haven. Aurora isn’t exactly crazy about Christmas since she has never had the chance to enjoy the season. She is trying to keep a low profile but her talking squirrel roommate, Nutty, doesn’t help with his constant thieving. Her first couple of jobs haven’t worked out thanks to her uncontrolled powers. Then a new ‘parole officer’, Clara, shows up with a new position and firm belief that Aurora can succeed.

Aurora's new boss isn’t particularly nice, but then she isn’t particularly nice to anyone. Aurora/Rory makes a new friend of one of the shop baking elves and half-witch, Vale. Vale introduces Rory to some other seeming misfits in town, including handsome Wyatt, and Nutty’s friend Amos. When Santa’s sleigh is stolen from the town park, all of these former criminals, aka the Humbugs, are the first ones pulled in as suspects. Clara, with special authority, appears and releases the group. She assigns Rory the task of finding the real thief. Can Rory accept the help of new friends to find the culprit and save Christmas?

Aurora/Rory is a sweet character who just needs some true friends and a bit of magic guidance. I love how Clara’s support bolstered Rory’s confidence in her own abilities and helped bring Rory and her new friends together. Nutty is a crazy character, of course, and the romance with Wayne (a shifter) is extra cute. I totally enjoyed the friends, the mystery and the magic of Christmas shared in this story. 

There was an extra short story included that is a sweet continuation. I highly recommend this to cozy mystery fans who enjoy magic with their mystery. I hope to read more in this series or other books by this author.

Audio Notes: This book did look/sound cute, but I’ll admit part of my purchase decision was due to the narrator. Johanna Parker is a voice I know and like from the Sookie Stackhouse series. Parker is a delightful narrator, and I am believe I have a couple more new to me series that I have on my TBR shelf that have been narrated by this talented performer. The narration added to my enjoyment of an already fun story.

Source: 12/12/2021 Audiobooks.com Two for One Credit. This qualifies for 2021Audiobook goal.