Broken Branches (Green Lady Inn Book 1) by Brenda M. Spalding

Broken Branches by Brenda M. Spalding
Narrator: Eliza Weathers
Series: Green Lady Inn #1
Published by Self Published / Indie on 23 March 2018
Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery/Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense
Format: Audiobook
Source: Author, Submitted

Rating Report
Story (Plot)
Performance
Production Quality
Attention Holding
Overall:

The death of her grandmother brings artist and gallery owner Megan Calloway to Salem. She is rescued by a tall, dark stranger from a careless driver. Was it an accident, or something more sinister? After another death, Megan and her rescuer, Jake, investigate the strange occurrences in her grandmother's house. Everything revolves around a ring she inherited and riddles she must solve. Visions of the past lead Megan to find her future and a treasure lost in time.

©2016 Brenda M. Spalding (P)2018 Brenda M. Spalding

ABR received this audiobook for free from the Author, Submitted in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the audiobook or the content of our review.

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Overall, I enjoyed this book and would like to read the other books in the series. It is written like an edgy cozy mystery – a little stronger on the suspense and the romance than the norm. One thing that was a distraction for me was how quickly the attraction between Megan and Jake progressed. For example, after only three days, Jake proposes to Megan AND schedules the wedding for that same week. The romance felt “instant,” instead of a natural progression of emotions and feelings. Other than that, I fell in love with the story. The character development was good, and I enjoyed the personalities of each of the main characters.

Megan is an artist with a gallery in New York but has come home to her grandmother’s old house after her unexpected death. Megan receives a Claddagh ring in her grandmother’s will, complete with instructions of how the ring is worn and what each part of it means. The mystery of the ring reveals itself as the story develops. At first, authorities believed that Megan’s grandmother’s death is an accident, but it soon, becomes apparent that it is much more. Spalding has created several suspects that keep you in suspense; a frustrating policeman who is less than helpful; all making an engaging storyline.

One obvious suspect could have been Jake. The fact that he was there to “save” her, how fast he “fell in love” with her, and the fact that he was very successful (and not already taken) was not part of the storyline but it could’ve made an interesting plot twist and provided a little vinegar for a too-sugary romance.

At the beginning of the book when Eliza Wethers, the audiobook narrator, is reading as the story’s narrator, the reading is a little stilted and over-enunciated. My initial reaction was that I wouldn’t make it through the whole book. However, when she switched into the voices of the characters, she rocked it. The only other thing was when she read “lobster roll” she pronounced it as “lobster ROLL” – emphasis on ROLL, a couple of times. It was a little distracting, but the further into the reading, I became immersed in the characters and didn’t even notice her as “the reader” – she blended into the background as the characters came alive. So, for anyone listening to this audiobook – don’t let the first minute or two divert you – it just gets better and better.

This story has everything I like in a book: an old house, possible paranormal activity, a mystery, suspense, and romance.

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