A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses

By: Molly Harper

Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi

Length: 9 hrs

Publisher's Summary

Nola Leary would have been content to stay in Kilcairy, Ireland, healing villagers at her family’s clinic with a mix of magic and modern medicine. But a series of ill-timed omens and a deathbed promise to her grandmother have sent her on a quest to Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky, to secure her family’s magical potency for the next generation. Her supernatural task? To unearth four artifacts hidden by her grandfather before a rival magical family beats her to it.

Complication One: The artifacts are lost somewhere in vampire Jane Jameson’s occult bookshop. Complication Two: Her new neighbor, Jed Trudeau, keeps turning up half-naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn’t need. And teaming up with a real-life Adonis is as dangerous as it sounds, especially since Jed’s got the face of an angel and the abs of a washboard. Can Nola complete her mission before falling completely under his spell?

©2013 Molly Harper White (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

One of the best spin offs I have read!

Amanda Ronconi is amazing reading Molly Harper's words. I have to say I have already read the book in paperback and just got the audiobook today and as soon as I heard the way Amanda does Nola's Boston/Irish accent it made me so very happy that she was doing the narrating. Being someone who lives near Boston I laughed a lot at the accent because I hear it all the time. I also love how she can just flow from this off beat Boston/Irish accent to a smooth Tennessee twang when the Characters of Nola the main witch on a mission and Jed the neighbor are talking to each other. I already really liked the book because I love a good scavenger hunt and that is pretty much what Nola has to do throughout the book. I also love when there is a sexy next door neighbor that has trouble keeping his shirt on and funny vampire friends who if you have read the Nice Girl books you know their history already and it just makes certain situations that much funnier. This is again another outstanding Molly Harper book that I will read and listen to again and again.

25 of 26 people found this review helpful

I still LOVE Molly!!!

I love Amanda but in this narration I don't know that she actually hit the accents quite like they should have been! Over all the story was a-typical Molly Harper and I am so happy to have another book of hers to read especially one so rich with Jane Jameson involved!!! What a lovely twist!!!

Molly fans, spend your credit!! you won't be disappointed!

20 of 21 people found this review helpful

Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi do it again! :-)

I hope the Half Moon Hollow books continue. this one has more of Jane and friends than some of the others, plus lots of two new characters. I'm never sure of the books because I'm not into what the covers imply. However the stories inside are outstanding. And an exceptional narration by Amanda Ronconi. This story adds some witchcraft into the usual vampire community. I hope these new characters stick around for more stories! These are "feel good" books with a lot of story and not heavy into the explicit sex as some "romances" get. Lots of plot and some mystery and conflict. This story began with a jump start as the lead character found a possum in a kitchen cupboard. "Rat on steroids" as she calls it. I must agree with her on that - when I saw my first possum (or opossum if you prefer) 30 years ago I also thought "giant rat". The woman was fresh from a shower and wearing only a towel when she ran outside and wrapped herself around the guy working in the back yard of the duplex. What a way to meet the neighbor! don't want to give any more away. As usual, lots of laughs and some tears in Molly Harper's excellent book.

16 of 17 people found this review helpful

Narration way off target for this audiobook

Would you try another book from Molly Harper and/or Amanda Ronconi?

Yes, I am willing to try another book from the author with this narrator - I am usually a big fan of both Molly Harper's books and Amanda Ronconi's narration but this narration fell short for me.

Would you be willing to try another book from Molly Harper? Why or why not?

Yes - she's always a funny writer and balances the romance novel aspect with lots of magic/humor which is why I like her!

Did Amanda Ronconi do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Good differentiation - bad choice for accents. The main character sounded like an awful version of South Boston mixed with Long Island/the Nanny as opposed to an Irish lilt. Her Southern accents and standard reading voice were great but her accent for the main character while definitely distinctive was really unpleasant and off-target,

15 of 16 people found this review helpful

Molly Harper = auto buy for me

Going with her half moon hollow theme, Nola travels from Ireland to HMH Kentucky in search of 4 artifacts she needs to find to restore balance to her family. I didn't even have to think before I clicked buy because I know anything the DYNAMIC DUO produce will be worth buying.
This book is fun, exciting, funny & made me lol more than a few times. Several references to other characters from different books was a pleasure too.
The only thing I had a difficult time with, was when I first started listening to the book I had to triple check it was Amanda Ronconi due to her using the Irish accent for Nola. After confirming it was Ronconi I just sat back and enjoyed. The accent was a bit off putting at first but after the first chapter it was hardly an issue.
Most definitely worth a credit. Just make sure you read her books in order or it could get confusing. You don't have to but you will miss out on some of the jokes.
Ok, quit reading this and go click buy!!

20 of 22 people found this review helpful

Truely Funny!!!

I have Loved Every Molly Harper book and this one is no exception. I have to say I laughed more from this book than any other Molly book and that is saying something.

It was nice that the "Jane Jameson cast" was featured and Nola was truly refreshing. Nola is sent to the Hollow for 4 objects and after meeting Jane and the gang she sets out in search of them. Of course the funny mishaps and corky characters I have come to expect for a Molly book comes across strong and the new characters she features have there own voice. The book moves along every quickly and sadly for me, It's quick read means I'm now finished with it.

I was at first weird-ed out that Amanda Ronconi has an accent for Nola and carries it through the whole book but after 5 minutes in to the book it felt right. I have to say that Amanda is always great but she out did herself with all the accents. I know that she doesn't have a true Boston/Irish accent but then again what would that sound like? they are so at odds with each other. But the accent she does use is very distinct and set Nola apart from any other character that Amanda has done.

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

TERRIBLE NARRATION

Any additional comments?

I'm a HUGE Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi fan, but the narration is terrible in this...sometimes she speaks with an Irish accent, sometimes a Boston one, and sometimes none...you can't even follow the story because your brain is trying to wrap around her voice...sooooo disappointing!!!

24 of 27 people found this review helpful

Doesn't Disappoint.

I think this was my very first pre-order. Molly Harper's books are always light, funny, and utterly enjoyable but Driving Mr. Dead has always been my favorite. When I saw a second book in the Half-Moon Hollow series I was thrilled. And aside from waiting for the release, Witch's Handbook did not let me down.

The story follows Nola Leary as she leaves Ireland to search for her family's magical artifacts in Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky. In traditional Molly Harper style, she's introduced to her sexy, shirtless neighbor via a coon in the cabinet. While she's wearing a towel. There are, of course, complications. Nola has a relationship back home, she's only in town to save her family's magic, and Jed has some secrets of his own. Aside from the random raccoon, this story has considerably less hijinks than the others, but I liked it. In her search for the artifacts, Nola meets Jane, Andrea, Dick, and all your favorite vampire/werewolf locals. Hilarity ensues, romance wins, and everything works out in the end (mostly). This is why I love Molly Harper's books. They are just plain fun.

I feel like I have to mention the narration on this one. I love Amanda Ronconi. I think she's one of the top narrators out there and absolutely perfect for Harper's characters. However, her Boston/Irish accent threw me at first. I don't think she was doing it wrong, I just think it's an odd combination. I saw several comments in the other reviews, but it didn't bother me after the first few minutes. Don't let it sway you, pick this one up.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Cute and sweet!

STORY (fantasy/romance) - This is the usual clever story I've come to expect from Molly. It isn't my favorite, but it's still really good. The Publisher's Summary pretty much covers what I have to say about the story, and to add more would be giving something away. There are
some unexpected twists in the story, and the ending is adorable.

PERFORMANCE - As other reviewers have commented, Amanda is totally off on this performance. Some kind of Boston/Irish accent that she does sporadically. It's a bit distracting but doesn't ruin the cute story.

OVERALL - Recommended for females only. Contains a sprinkling of F-words and a couple sex scenes which are short but not very explicit. This is Book 2 of the series, but the story stands alone. Some of the characters will be familiar, however, if you've listened to Book 1.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Don't let the weird accent distract you...

What does Amanda Ronconi bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

When I started listening to the book I wondered what happened to Amanda Ronconi's usual excellence because she had the main character using a bizarre sort of mild Irish, sort of Boston accent. A few chapters in you find out that her accent is exactly how the author describes it. Once I knew it was skill, not lack there of I found it less distracting and was able to really enjoy the story.

Any additional comments?

Half Moon Hollow is always fun!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Brilliant

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book and was happy to learn Mr Wainwright had more family then he knew! I just wish he'd known about his granddaughter as he really would have loved her!

As always Molly Harper injects a good dose of humour in her books! I love Nola's feisty attitude and she fits in well with Jane's group! I also loved Jed and was intrigued by his abilities, I wish there could be another story with them so that maybe we could learn more about what kind of supernatural he is, if he ever finds out himself!

I loved the story and liked the resolution, that's another element of the story I'd love to learn the outcome of too. Does the treaty get worked out and does it hold up? Maybe Ms Harper will do a novella with Jane's crew taking a trip to Ireland to visit with Nola? I'd love if she did

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

fast becoming a favourite

As a Nice Girls fan I have collected all the HMH series but this is probably my favourite one. Noella is funny, quippy and it's all delightfully quirky with some laugh out loud moments. Also Amanda Ronconni is amazing as always.

I loved​ it.

This book has helped me cope with my horrible reality,has been an angel of a book I adore NOLA and absolutely love the narrator`s interpretation and accent, quite soothing for me.

Okay

I enjoyed this book, however the voice for the main female character was very annoying. I can understand why the narrator had a problems with this character, her foreign accents aren't great at the best of times so being confronted with a character that has an accent that is both Irish and Bostonian must have been a really task. The result was horrible. Apart from that the story was good.

New story involving familar characters

Any additional comments?

Entertaining and engaging, and amusing to hear other characters from previous stories seen through the eyes of a new narrator. I found her a teeny bit slow on the uptake at times, and her Irish dialogue didn't quite ring true, but a US readership probably wouldn't notice that. Wondered why she was aware of were creatures, but the one character who was a werewolf wasn't mentioned in that context.

Great Story. will keep you listening

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Time well spent listening. no messing around with the story just straight to the point.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jed because we all love a mysterious hunk of a man to rescue you.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Amanda Ronconi?

Anyone with a real Irish accent, but i have to say she gave it her all.

Did A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses inspire you to do anything?

no.

Horrible Irish Accent but very funny

Bless Amanda Ronconi for giving it her best shot, but her imitation Irish accent got thicker and thinner ... frankly it waxed and waned all over the place! OK so there was some excuse as her character's accent was also apparently from "all over the place" but still.

Other than that, I found this book a light, fluffy, easy listen with some genuinely funny bits that had me laughing my way through an enormous amount of jumble sale sorting. The plot twists weren't particularly challenging but it was really good fun. Also, I like the Half Moon Hollow series and it was nice to meet some people who are alive for a change!

I've been smirking about the Armadillo monster for some time now. How often can you say that??

Wierd accent but engaging story

I really look forward to Molly Harper books for a great escapist break from reality. And Amanda Ronconi is a great narrator, but the accent was VERY strange for Nola. I was picking up bits of Australian... then Boston then, Ireland, really disturbing.

Jed seemed a bit to dim to be the romantic interest, but the cosy Hollow friendships are always comforting - if only real life was full of financial windfalls and friends that would do anything for you.... ah Fantasy is great.