**Disclaimer: I was given a free audiobook of the below in exchange for an honest review as part of a tour hosted by Audiobookworm Promotions.**
Click here to view the full tour schedule!
Title Broomsticks and Board Games
Author Amy McNulty
Format Audiobook
Narrator: Danielle Daly
Length: 7 hours and 4 minutes
Audiobook Publisher: Crimson Fox Publishing⎮2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release date January 5, 2021
Description
Dahlia Poplar is a genuine witch, an unofficial gofer, and Luna Lane’s only cursed resident.
With a werewolf best friend, a vampire ex-boyfriend, and a ghost for a hanger-on, Dahlia is far from the most unusual dweller of her sleepy small town, but she’s the only one unable to leave. Dahlia has to perform at least one good deed per day – or she’s one step closer to turning to stone.
Fortunately, the residents of Luna Lane have plenty of tasks for Dahlia to complete to avert the curse until Cable Woodward, fetching professor and nephew of her elderly neighbor, stops by for the semester on sabbatical. Attempting to help Cable’s uncle work through the trauma of losing his wife, Dahlia uncovers the man’s collection of board games, which leads to him reminiscing about the long-forgotten Luna Lane Games Club.
Dahlia reestablishes the Games Club, only to find evidence of a number of horrible demises connected to the original group. While trying to uncover the truth about the deaths, Dahlia has to fight off her curse, protect her elderly neighbor from becoming the next victim, and most vexing of all, keep Cable from figuring out Luna Lane’s supernatural secrets.
Only, with eerie board games like these, there may not be a loser – or even a winner – who survives.
Initial Thoughts
I was excited to be chosen for this tour. I don’t get to read cozy mysteries that often but I really enjoy them when I do. I also love all things involving witches so I thought this would be a fun listen.
Some Things I Liked
- Witches and magic. I love supernatural themes in a cozy mystery. I’m easily scared so I don’t read anything spooky but I love witches and the like so seeing them in less scary settings is perfect for me.
- Board game theme. I thought the board games angle was really unique and something I hadn’t seen before. I love it when an author can take something ordinary or that I hadn’t seen before and make a really interesting story that doesn’t come across as cheesy. I think the board games theme was really well done here.
One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
- Lack of romance. I can’t exactly fault the book for not having much romance when it’s not pegged as a romance story, but I felt there were opportunities for romance and they were not explored. I wanted more romance and therefore, thought the book felt a bit incomplete.
Series Value
I enjoyed this book. I’m not sure if I’d pick up the next one any time soon but I definitely wouldn’t rule it out. I liked the narrator so I might wait until book 2 is available as an audiobook before continuing.
Audiobook Value
I listened to this book at 3x speed without issue. Well no, that’s not entirely true. I did have one issue. I thought I was misunderstanding “Cable” and I was hearing “Caleb” but with an accent. This is not the narrator’s fault at all, it’s the character’s name that was different than what I was expecting. I was, in fact, hearing the name as it was intended, I just didn’t think that was the name.
I liked that the narrator had distinct voices for each character and I enjoyed the drama she added to the story with her storytelling.
I didn’t love her voice for this story though. Perhaps it was the lowness of the voice, but I found myself getting easily distracted with other things while listening. Essentially, the voice didn’t “grab me” the way I would have liked for the nature of this story.
Overall, I think Danielle Daly is a wonderful voice actress but for this story, the sound of her voice didn’t keep my attention as well as I’d like.
Final Thoughts
I liked this book. It was a quick listen (all in one shot) and has a promising storyline. I’d like to see more romance develop in the future but I would continue with this series.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
- Haunted on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase – if you enjoyed the cozy mystery vibes but are looking for something with more romance and steam, try this series. It’s also great on audio!
- Southern Magic by Amy Boyles – if you’re looking for another audiobook, cozy mystery with witches, look no further than the Sweet Tea Mysteries series.
About the Author amy mcnulty
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram
About the Narrator danielle Daly
Books Over Everything 