Viviana Enchantress of Books: Audio Book Review: Easy Magic by Kristen Proby

Easy Magic
(The Boudreaux Series, Bk 5)
By: Kristen Proby
Narrated by Zachary Webber & Rachel Fulginiti

Blurb:
Family. Responsibility. Stability. As the co-CEO of Bayou Enterprises and the eldest of the Boudreaux clan, Beau is the epitome of these. Now that his baby sister, Gabby, is happily settled down, Beau has moved into the company loft in the heart of the French Quarter to be closer to his office while his own home is built. He doesn't have time for anything but the family he adores and the company that drives him.

If only the bewitching owner of the herb shop downstairs from Beau's loft weren't so damn tempting.

Mallory Adams is living the life. The good life. The best life for her. After years of hiding who she is and the gifts she's been cursed with, Mallory opened her little shop in the French Quarter, offering herbs and lotions for anything from soothing a sunburn to chasing those pesky ghosts New Orleans is known for out of a client's home. Some call her eccentric, and some say she's simply odd, and that's okay with her. She is a bit odd, but in her experience, all of the best people are.

When an old pipe bursts in the loft above her store, flooding her storeroom, Mallory comes face to face with Beau Boudreaux, and she doesn't need the clairvoyant abilities that have been passed down through generations to know that she'll never be the same. Beau is her exact opposite: serious, straitlaced. He wears suits, for Pete's sake, and probably wouldn't know the difference between arnica and flaxseed if his life depended on it. But when he touches her, the electricity is through the roof, and she's smart enough to know that a chemistry like theirs doesn't happen every day.

Can two people so very different possibly find their way to happily ever after?

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Viviana's Review:

I've enjoyed the series and when I read the blurb for EASY MAGIC I was intrigued as to how Kristen would share their story, specifically with the whole "physic' thing. As the series is set in NOLA, a city full of old ghosts, its not far fetched that the a paranormal element would be included.

Throughout the entire series thus far, Beau has always been the reserved, quiet, and head of the Boudreaux business and family as the eldest brother/son. The siblings we've met throughout the previous books have always described Beau as a workaholic and a man dedicated to and protective of his family. He also came across a bit standoffish. While he has a wonderful relationship with his siblings, he never gave others the 'warm and fuzzy' feelings. So imagine my surprise when listening to EASY MAGIC and 'seeing' Beau be the complete opposite and out of his usual character. Okay, let me clarify.... I would expect things like wanting to spend time with her which would reduce the number of hours he spends working. What I mean it was such a QUICK, heck almost INSTANT change that just made me blink and go "huh?". He falls so fast and with LITTLE interaction between them. I get that if they spent more time with her, he'd fall for her. I guess its part of the insta love thing I tend to go "ugh" about BUT when a personality change occurs this fast.... I don't know.

Without giving away spoilers, the PNR storyline goes into a "a bit much" territory, remembering that this is a contemporary story. Not sure if the author was trying to send out feelers to her readers about a possible PNR book in the future or didn't have another way of having the heroine accept who she truly is. However, if the latter, there were a few different ways the "acceptance" could have occurred. The good news is the part goes by fast and doesn't drag the story. It can however have the opposite affect if the reader wasn't expecting this level of PNR in a contemporary.

I loved seeing the previous heroes and heroines interact with each other, Beau and with Mallory. The guys are hilarious and the ladies, are all fun! The sibling bantering is hilarious and showcases how much they loved each other, what family means to them and how they were raised.

Narrators Review:
Listening and learning it was Zachary, I had a twinge of disappointment as I was expecting a different (rather the original) narrator. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised. Zachary has a different style and technique. I enjoyed his interpretation of the characters. With Rachel, her performance in EASY MAGIC was better than in the previous book, though there are still instances where accents are or are not used, tones for the same character vary and the inconsistencies do detract from the story.

Overall, it was a good story and I'm glad that Beau got his HEA. If you've read the previous books, I believe you'll enjoy this one, especially knowing that the next book will feature Ben who has been a fan favorite since the beginning.