Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Beguiled by Darynda Jones Narrator: Traci Odom
Series: Betwixt & Between #3
Published by Tantor Audio on May 11, 2021
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Length: 7 hours
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
Newly indoctrinated witch, and a charmling to boot, Defiance Dayne discovers there’s more to life after forty than she'd ever imagined possible. Especially since one neighbor is trying to seduce her, another neighbor is trying to steal her house out from under her, and a third neighbor is trying to get her kicked off the planet. Oh for three, but things start to look up when a new witch moves to town, one who says she’s been sent to thwart an attempt on the charmling’s life.
Dephne decides she has three things to do before she can die. Find out who killed her beloved grandmother, teach her BFF, Annette, the finer points of spellcasting before she blows up the world, and figure out how serious her relationship with the Adonis living in her basement really is. If it’s heading in the direction she’s hoping for, she can die happy. Though, admittedly, she’d rather not.
None of that will matter, however, if she can’t figure out how to foil the supernatural assassin who’s been sent to kill her. Until then, it’s business—and hopefully romance—as usual. Now if she can only figure out how to tame a lacuna wolf.
The third book in any series is usually the make it or break it book for me. It is the one that either pushes me to be invested in the characters and overall plot or to walk away from the series. Beguiled, the third book in the Betwixt and Between series did enough to keep me really interested in our heroine and her ever growing list of enemies.
Defiance has finally accepted her magic and has stopped running away from the woman she is meant to be. I think this is the big change that let me enjoy this story more. I wasn’t as frustrated with the main character so my enjoyment increased. She is living in a house haunted by her dead grandfather, with a handy wolfman who wears some sexy kilts, a best friend to have all the fun banter with, a child ghost that followed her home, something living in the attic and her grandmother who she kinda brought back from the dead. With a cast like that, there is a ton of potential for fun and shenanigans.
Defiance is trying to figure out who killed her grandmother in the first place and who might be trying to kill them all now. Weird things keep happening like the stove blowing up and possibly a poisoner in their midst. There is also a warlock hunter in town searching for Charmlings. Defiance is really trying to keep a low profile, but that really isn’t her thing. There is danger on the horizon and a prophecy to face. Defiance is going to need to find the two other Charmlings if she has a chance to defeat the big bad on its way. Good thing one of them pretty much is dropped in her lap.
I’m finally enjoying the story more. Defiance is coming into her own and the people around her are finding their places in the story too. I have some pretty good ideas on who the other Charmling is and I’m excited to see when she will come into play as well. The romance aspect gained some good traction in Beguiled as well also adding to my enjoyment as I’ve liked Roan a lot since the beginning of the series. I’m finally feeling a connection to the series and will be continuing.
Narration:
Traci Odom has also been the narrator for the other two books in the series and plays the more matured voice of Defiance well. I love how she captures the banter between Defiance and her BFF as it is some of the best dialogue in the book. She performed the story really well yet again and I was able to listen to it at my usual 1.5x speed
Listen to the clip:Â HERE
About Darynda Jones
NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.
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Hoping to pick this one up soon. Glad it made it past the third book test. 🙂
Me too. I really like Darynda Jones as a writer so it is good to have another series by her that is working for me.
Betwixt & Between looks like a nice series. My library has the first one in audio (YA), so I think I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the review!
It is in the YA section? Interesting. This is definitely about a middle aged woman so it has some stuff that comes with being in you 40s in it. I don’t know I’d shelve it there. Still glad they have it available.
That’s a weird place to categorize it in YA. I usually just type in a book name to find what I’m looking for then brows the online shelf selections. I am glad the library has it.