ebookreview | Entries tagged with author: r.l. naquin

Title: Unamused Muse (Mt. Olympus Employment Agency: Muse #2)
Author: R.L. Naquin
Format: Epub
Rating: 3/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: April 30, 2017 to May 2, 2017
Book Summary: Wynter Greene, newly minted Muse at the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency, is on loan for six weeks to Hades, CEO of Underworld, LLC. Not a bad gig, if she doesn’t mind running errands across the River Styx. She hardly ever has to clean up after the three-headed dogs that guard the front gates. But she could do without so many people eager to fix her up on what literally amount to blind dates from Hell.

All Wynter wants to do is get her six weeks over with so she and Phyllis, her talking plant, can go home, and she can go back to work inspiring people. If she can keep from screwing up on this job, she’ll get a clean slate at Mt. Olympus.

Stripped of her Muse title, Wynter discovers she still can’t stop herself from inspiring people, even when the people she’s encouraging are supposed to be trapped in eternal torment.

Not the best way to win points with her new boss.
Book Review: Wynter is banished to the Underworld for six weeks. Upon her arrival, she learns that she will be taking over for a woman who is on maternity leave and she will be a personal assistant to the head of the Underworld itself, Hades. Her many tasks include walking the three-headed guard dogs and helping find fresh reading material for the Hags of the Underworld book club.

I must say the Hags of the Underworld book club was quite entertaining. I loved how she went up against the most powerful witches and actually won against them. It was a first for them to have anyone say anything remotely against them but Wynter seemed to have won this round.

Wynter's character was more fleshed out in this book. She seemed more the person who was embracing her role rather than how we first met her - nonchalant about the direction she was going in life.

Another bonus to this book is we learned a bit more about Wynter and her mother, Persephone. I honestly was surprised to find this out especially when the first book kept throwing out there the "unknown father" every chance it got. And even more, we learned exactly what the cause was for Persephone's odd behavior.

I am going to be honest. I actually thought the father was Bacchus. I know he is not entirely like Demeter in the way of nature but he does have a way with the plants. I mean if you stop to think about it he is the God of Wine, which is from grape vines. Okay so that might be different but if you stop to think about it it sort of made sense. I just was not expecting Persephone being the Goddess-mother. That sort of threw me off.

I really hope Wynter's character continues to develops more when she returns to the agency.

Current Mood: blah
Current Location: Aboveground

katara

Title: Unfinished Muse (Mt. Olympus Employment Agency: Muse #1)
Author: R.L. Naquin
Format: Epub
Rating: 3.5/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: April 22, 2017 to April 28, 2017
Book Summary: Wynter Greene is a chronic quitter—in work, in life, and in love. When she quits a job, a boyfriend, and a seemingly minor craft project all in one day, the dormant deity blood in her veins triggers a Welcome Package from the gods. A talking—and singing—houseplant named Phyllis bullies Wynter into taking a job at the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency.

Stuck with a job in the Muse department, Wynter discovers that helping others finish what they start isn’t easy, especially for someone who can’t seem to finish anything of her own. And how is Wynter supposed to focus on anything when that guy from the Dreams and Nightmares department keeps distracting her with his rippling muscles and magnetic stare?

Wynter needs to figure her job out soon. Each failure is a tick mark on her record, and if she continues to miss her deadlines, she’ll be reassigned to the Underworld as a dog walker.

And scooping poop for a giant three-headed dog is nobody’s ideal career.
Book Review: Real Rating: 3.5

Meet Wynter Greene, chronic quitter extraordinaire. She has recently decided to terminate her job and cut ties with her boyfriend. Of course during this moment of madness, she finds out that her plant, Phyllis, can talk and coaxes her into going to an agency that could help her find something worthy. What Phyllis does not tell her is that the agency she sends her to is connected to world where Gods and mythical creatures are real.

Wynter learns that somewhere down the line she has the blood of the Greek Gods running through her veins. On top of that, she has no knowledge of who her father is and her mother refuses to tell her anything about him.

When Wynter survives orientation and the tasks set for she and others, she is assigned to the Muse department. She only gets one day training and her next tasks are three people - a toothpick artist, a scrapbook maker, and a urban developer. She has to inspire each one of these before the deadline. If she does not, she will be reassigned to the Underworld.

But can a chronic quitter accomplish this fete?

My opinion:

I am not sure what to think of Wynter at this moment. I could not find myself connecting her in any way as I had with Patrice until nearly the very end of the book. I am not sure if it was the whole nonchalant approach to life or what. Part of me had to put the book down and come back to it because Wynter was becoming frustrating and the story just became a chore to read.

The only thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the concept of the whole agency that had been built by the Greek Gods. It was fun and one of the most interesting ideas I had seen yet. In this book, it was a bit more fleshed out than it had been in the Gorgon series. I suppose it would be with the many more pages this novel had than that with Patrice's story.

I will read the next book in this series. I hoping that by the time I finish with that one I will be able to connect further with Wynter but we will see.

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Location: Aboveground

katara

Title: Lost & Found (Undercover Gorgon #2)
Author: R.L. Naquin
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.5/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: April 22, 2017
Book Summary: Word is getting around about Patrice’s illegal, after-hours sleuthing. Circe, a fierce and dangerous witch, has lost track of her only daughter and insists that Patrice track the girl down. Patrice can’t refuse the job, since Circe is threatening to rat her out to the bosses upstairs, but at least there’s a large wad of cash involved.

The clues lead everywhere and nowhere, and the search causes serious complications to Patrice’s fledgling romance with a certain blue-eyed delivery guy.

Unfortunately, things aren’t what they seem, and somebody may be pulling a fast one at Patrice’s expense.
(less)
Book Review: Real Rating: 4.5

Patrice is settling into life at the Mt Olympus Employment Agency just nicely with the exception of her extracurricular activities in the after hours. Now Circe, the second most powerful witch, has come to her needing her help. She makes Patrice an offer she cannot refuse - help her find her missing daughter or the big bosses will know what she is up to. Patrice has no choice but to go on the hunt for Kyra, Circe's daughter. With the help of her roommate, Lizzy, Patrice will have to navigate through the worldof the Olympian night clubs to find her!

Have I mentioned these are just so fun to read? They really are and I always find myself wanting more at the end. These stories are really nice but I am sad that they are really short. I would love to see them be a bit more longer. Patrice's character development has a lot of potential for much more growing and I would love to see exactly how she interacts with the others and not just those that she has to approve their applications. I mean, she hooked up with the Sphinx but I want to know how did it happen? When did it happpen? I know it was short-lived because of riddles but was there a bit more that could have happened?

There are so many questions that have not been answered and I would love to see what Patrice is capable of and I would love to see more of the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus.

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Location: Aboveground

katara

Title: Witches War (Undercover Gorgon #1)
Author: R.L. Naquin
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.5/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: April 22, 2017
Book Summary: ********Be sure to read “Episode #0, Becoming”********

Patrice is finally comfortable in her life as a gorgon. By day, she rules the Mt. Olympus reception area with a fist of iron, a glare of stone, and a headful of snakes. After hours, she sneaks around “borrowing” magical items from other departments to aid in her secret missions to help people behind the scenes.

She thinks she’s covered her tracks until a powerful goddess comes to her for a favor. If Patrice agrees to help, she could start a war with all the witches of ancient Greece.

But if she refuses, she could anger the most powerful witch of all.
Book Review: Real Rating: 4.5

Meet Patrice, who upon turning twenty. found out she was a descendant of Medusa, the fierce queen of the Gorgons. Patrice is whisked away from her home and her parents and placed in a world of mythological Gods and Goddesses and mythical creatures.

Here she becomes part of the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. Her job as a receptionist puts her in an unique position. She gets to bark out orders and help out those who need her but Patrice has a side hobby - she likes to "borrow" magical items and help out others with odd jobs. Her last odd job was removing a basilisk from under a porch.

Now a powerful Goddess has come to ask her for help retrieve something that was taken from her. If Patrice refuses, it could be the end of her. So what is a Gorgon to do?

Have mentioned that I love this series? It may be short and sweet but it keeps you turning the pages until the end. I absolutely love the way the mythology is used. It is fun and unique and enjoyable. Patrice is an interesting and put in a spot where she knows she cannot refuses a Goddess. Plus the Goddess knows of her late-night borrowing of magical items.

I had never read anything by R.L. Naquin before but I think now I have found another favorite author!

Current Mood: migraine from hell
Current Location: Aboveground

katara

Title: Becoming (Undercover Gorgon 0)
Author: R.L. Naquin
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.5/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: April 22, 2017
Book Summary: ********This story was included in Transmonstrified and Unfinished Muse. If you’ve already read “Undercover Gorgon” in either of those books, skip this and wait for “Episode #1—Witches War” coming in December 2015.********

Episode #0—Becoming

Patrice has never been comfortable in her own skin. At midnight on her twentieth birthday, her magical Stealth Insurance lapses, leaving her with a headful of live snakes and an aversion to bright light. Now she understands why being human never felt quite right.

Finally in the green skin the gods intended for her, Patrice moves into her new life as a receptionist at the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. The day job sucks. But sometimes, a problem comes across Patrice’s desk she believes only she can solve. After hours, the magical items in the offices upstairs are left hanging on the walls unused. Who’s going to notice if she borrows a pair of winged sneakers, an arrow tipped with love dust, or a pair of enchanted scissors?

Everything will work out fine—as long as she doesn’t get caught.
Book Review: Real Rating: 4.5

Meet Patrice, who upon turning twenty, found out she was not human at all. In fact, her parents had been keeping a secret from her. The moment her insurance failed she found out that she was a descendant of Medusa, the cursed gorgon. Patrice is not cursed like Medusa was. She won't turn people to stone but her eyes will be sensitive to light.

Patrice is whisked away and finds herself as the receptionist for the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. Here everything goes through her. One day, a woman comes in with a problem - she has a basilisk living under her porch and she is afraid to let her cat out. Patrice learns that there had been another basilisk but the exterminator that had been sent killed it. So instead of sending another exterminator out, Patrice goes out to take care of it herself. In fact, she even friends it, taking it someplace where it will live peacefully.

And for now, no one seems to know what she has done.

This was a really nice short novella to introduce you to the series. I found myself liking Patrice and I love that she still cares for snake-like creatures that she went out of her way to save the basilisk on her own. It might have been against her job and the agency rules but she still did it. Perhaps not all of her humanity has vanished.

I have a great love for mythology and I have to say that it was Rick Riordan that renewed that love with his Percy Jackson series. I think this small series (can I call it a small series?) will continue that love. It has been fun and enjoyable and I quite looking forward to reading the other two to this one.

Current Mood: migraine from hell
Current Location: Aboveground