{Audiobook Review} The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones

From Goodreads

In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way. 

My Thoughts

5 "I've loved you for a thousand and one" Stars

I started the Charley Davidson series last year while I was in an awful reading slump. I read the first four books, and then couldn't bring my slumpish self to finish it. The rest of the series sat on my TBR for months and months, and after finishing another popular paranormal series (Mercy Thompson), I was looking for something to fill the paranormal romance gap in my life. I decided to give Charley Davidson another try, and bought book 5 on audio.

Holy. Fucking. Hell. 

I can't believe I ever put this series down! It's hilarious, sexy, fast paced, engaging, and it has Reyes Farrow. That man...mmm. 

The audiobooks are amazing, too! I've been breezing through them all month, and I just finished The Dirt on Ninth Grave. It's one of my favorite books in the series, for too many reasons to list. 

While this book doesn't do too terribly much for the series' overall story arc, we did get some much needed character development, especially for Charley. With everything else out of the way, Charley really gets to see exactly who she is, rather than who circumstances have made her. I think it was a much needed wake up call to her; she's still reckless and incredibly caring for others, but she was much more aware of how things would affect her life while she did them. It was refreshing!

"Damn it." I wilted beside her, all my hopes and dreams of being a pimp dashed against the cruel rocks of reality. And an unwilling ho.

I loved getting to see the amazing cast of characters incognito, loved seeing Charley interact with them in a new way. Cookie still continues to be one of my all time favorite sidekicks.

"You could ask for the world, and then where would civilization be when I conquered it and laid it at your feet?"

I have to say that my favorite part was the Charley and Reyes interaction. The hurt sadness, the confusion, the love, the heat and the hope between them gave me all the feels. I loved getting to see them fall for each other all over again. 

Lorelei King did a fantastic job narrating, as usual. Her voice is fun and engaging, in a way that brings the characters to life, rather than just reading the story. She has a distinctive voice for each character, and is great at conveying emotions. 

While I didn't care for her narrating Mercy Thompson's story, I can't imagine anyone else as Charley, and look forward to listening to more from her! Funny how you can love a narrator, just not for a specific character.

Overall, this was another great installment in a favorite series. I can't wait for The Curse of Tenth Grave in June!

- The Bibliophile Babe