Before Midnight

Love this soooo much

Jennifer Blackstream twists tales wonderfully. Matt addis does an amazing job bringing such real feeling characters to life. If you like paranormal fantasy this is the book for you. Definitely worth a listen or two.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Cinderella + Shifters = AWESOME

Any additional comments?

I love fairytale retellings.
I love paranormals.
WHY HAVE I NEVER FOUND THE TWO COMBINED BEFORE??!
This book is Cinderella blended fairytale themes - there is something of a reverse Beauty and the Beast in here too with the prince being "blessed" by a witch instead of cursed - ha! Neat twist. UnBeast. And then little things, that I thought couldn't be happenstance - like the Prince's right hand man is Maurice. Coincidence? Maaaybe, but with the layers and nods to different fairytale versions I think not. And I loved that. It was like listening for easter eggs.

The story moved fast, made me laugh, entertained me. Excellent writing, excellent descriptions - here's one: "...His clear blue eyes held all the warmth of an ice sculpture, and all the confidence of a well fed dragon."

Narrator Matt Addis was new to me, but I knew from the sample this was an auditory match for me; perfect voice, spot on intonations/voices for the characters - and the accents! Smorgasbord for the accent lovers. Russian Kirill is one I look forward to hearing in his book =D I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Cinderella Wolf Style

Great start to the Blood Prince Series. This paranormal romance is a delightful twist to one of the classic fairytales everyone knows and loves. The first book is based on Cinderella. There is also a background story that will probably tie all the books together. Someone seems to be manipulating things so princes find their mates.

Narration was very well done bringing the story to life and keeping you interested and wanting more.

I found Loupe's situation worse than poor Cinderella! Her stepmother is ruthless!

Etienne is a cursed wolf looking for a way to reverse the curse and get back to his old self.

If you enjoy paranormal and mythological tales you will enjoy this new twist on fairytales. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

**This audiobook was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion**

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Cinderella with a healthy dose of shifters

What did you like best about this story?

It's like listening to an old favorite but with a really interesting new element. What would Cinderella look like in a world with born and bitten werewolves? Well, listen to this book to find out.

What about Matt Addis’s performance did you like?

He has a great voice and all his character voices worked. It was easy to tell who was speaking and the gender always came across easily.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, in fact I just missed out on about 3 hours of sleep because I couldn't stop listening. Feeling tired right now, but it was worth it!

Any additional comments?

This was not what I was expecting. It was better than what I expected.

There were clear elements of the Cinderella fairytale but there were also new and unique elements and it's formed a good start to a series of books. I look forward to the next one.

Note: This book was provided free by the author/narrator/publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Amazing!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Not only is the story amazing but the voice made me a very happy camper.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Took A minute

I was given this book via audiobook boom. It took me a while to get into the story. The beginning had so many details to sift through to find the true story but after a while, it came through. The narrator kept me listening because he put so many emotions into the story. If not for that I would not have made it through. This time the prince really needs Cinderella for more than just love and rescue. He needs her for saving his true nature. Loved this premise and the happily ever after as well.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Werewolf seeking Werewolf..

Any additional comments?

I liked the Fairy Tale aspect.

The author did very well with the character development and story line.

Overall, a very entertaining read that included a Prince, a Ball and a Kiss.


Matt Addis did really well with the narration.

Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

amazing!

I absolutely loved this book in print, but the reader did such a great job in all the different voices that I felt like I was in the story! highly recommend!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

4/5 "If Cinderella Were a Werewolf" Stars!

*I gave this audiobook an A for the Narration and B for the story at AudioGals*

Narration by Matt Addis

Before Midnight is the debut book in the paranormal romance series, Blood Prince, featuring five blood princes (a werewolf, a vampire, a demon, an angel, and a god) who control their own kingdoms in overlapping space but each of whom plays a part in the overarching suspense arc of the series. Each story features a retelling of a different fairy tale and contains its own standalone romance. Moreover, for audiobook lovers, I’m delighted to say that Matt Addis’ narration was fabulous! While the entire series is currently available in e-book format, so far only the first three books have been recorded and released in audiobook format (all of which I’m pleased to say are performed by Mr. Addis).
In Before Midnight, we meet Prince Etienne, the Prince Charming of the tale.

Prince Etienne is a werewolf. In this paranormal world there are two types of werewolves – those who are born that way and those who are cursed to become werewolves by a bite. Prince Etienne was born a werewolf but due to a spell of a local witch, who had been trying to help him but cursed him instead, he is losing his supernatural werewolf abilities and becoming more human each day. His only chance of recovering his full werewolf strength (which he, and his family, use to defend their kingdom) lies in finding a mate who was cursed into becoming a werewolf by a bite (which is rare).

Loupe, the heroine, is this retelling’s Cinderella. Her father has passed away leaving her with an evil step-mother and her two step-sisters. They treat Loupe horribly, but are unaware that due to a bite she has been turned into a werewolf, as she has hidden her forced shapeshifting by the full moon from them, knowing that they would treat her even worse if they knew. Somehow, she has managed to cope with this adversity all on her own, knowing that she could never marry as she might kill her husband when she is forced to turn into a werewolf and has no control. Then she meets Prince Etienne who makes her dream of having more, but she doesn’t know he is also a werewolf.

Could there possibly be a HEA in the cards for Prince Etienne and Loupe?

See the full review, including narration review, at AudioGals.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Addicting!

If you could sum up Before Midnight in three words, what would they be?

Fun, adventurous, mysterious.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Before Midnight?

The moment the prince realizes the person he wants, is more then she seems.

What about Matt Addis’s performance did you like?

He does well to give each character their own voice and emotions, while keeping the descriptions neutral.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Loup's fear was clear as well as both Loup's and the Prince's longing for what they believe is out of their reach. What they are willing to do to save the other is inspiring.

Any additional comments?

Even though I've read the book before, the Audible version is like experiencing the book for the very first time. With a new twist on a well known fairytale, well formed characters that are relatable, and a sprinkle of random humor makes this a story one that can be enjoyed again and again. I wholeheartedly recommend!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful