AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Molly Harper's BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS

Title: BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS
Author: Molly Harper
Narrator: Amanda Ronconi
Price: $13.95
Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins 
Format: Unabridged
Release Date: 06-24-14
Publisher: Audible Studios
Format: Audible Download
Download from Audible.com



My Ratings

Plot:  4/5 
Setting:  5/5 
Writing:  4/5 
Originality of Plot:  4.5/5 
Characters Development:  4/5 
Ending:  5/5
Narration:  5/5
Cover Art:  5/5 
Likelihood to Recommend:  4/5 

Overall:  40.5/45 = 90%

Synopsis

Author of the beloved Half Moon Hollow series of vampire romances (Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs), Molly Harper has created a standalone paranormal romance in which a dilapidated haunted house could bring star-crossed lovers together - if it doesn't kill them first!

When Nina Linden is hired to landscape a private island off the New England coast, she sees it as her chance to rebuild her failing business after being cheated by her unscrupulous ex. She never expects that her new client, software mogul Deacon Whitney, would see more in her than just a talented gardener. Deacon has paid top dollar to the crews he's hired to renovate the desolate Whitney estate - he had to, because the bumps, thumps, and unexplained sightings of ghostly figures in 19th-century dress are driving workers away faster than he can say "Boo".

But Nina shows no signs of being scared away, even as she experiences some unnerving apparitions herself. And as the two of them work closely together to restore the mansion's faded glory, Deacon realizes that he's found someone who doesn't seem to like his fortune more than himself - while Nina may have finally found the one man she can trust with her bruised and battered heart.

But something on the island doesn't believe in true love...and if Nina and Deacon can't figure out how to put these angry spirits to rest, their own love doesn't stand a ghost of a chance 

Review

Nina Linden thought that got the opportunity of a lifetime.  She was hired to design the landscaping fir a software mogul's private island and ancestral home off the coast off New England.  This high profile and high paying job is just what Nina needed to get her new business really up and running.  So what, if she's required to basically live on the island. So what, if he crazy ex-boyfriend is determined to destroy her business.  So what, if the place is haunted by the her bosses murdered ancestor .....wait.....what?  

This book has the humor, heart, and mystery that you can expect from a Molly Harper book.  I like how her books don't take themselves so seriously.  She doesn't write standard formulaic romance novels.  She takes all those rules and throws them out the window.  The readers is left with a very fresh take on the genre.  I also love how the actual story isn't lost to the romantic storyline. Though I did feel that this book didn't dive as deep into the story as most of Molly's books do. This onion just seem to be missing a bit of it's layers.    

This book's heart is it's characters.  I like how no one is who they first seem.  Each of them come in wearing a mask that gets chipped away. This is mostly because the characters are forced to become close due to their isolation on the island.  The book would be nothing with out their friendships and relationships!  There is nothing like being almost terrified by ghosts that makes people fast friends. 

As always, Amanda Ronconi is beyond fantastic!  She has an amazing voice and puts her own unique spin on each character.  Her wonderful narration style really brings this story life.   I also find myself forgetting that this series is narrated by a female narrator alone, because she does a wonderful job voicing each male so flawlessly.  She might just be my favorite part of this audiobook.  She is Molly Harper's audiobooks, so much so that I can almost her her reading these books in my head.

BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS was funny, sweet, and spooky.  I just wished that this was a Molly Harper series book. I adored these characters and ideas behind this book, but I just found myself wanting more.  I guess this is why I'm not a massive fan of stand alone books. This would be a great book for a first time Molly Harper listener/reader.