Under Her Skin

Different

this was my first book by Margo Bond Collins and my first snake shifter. It was different. I was not sure about it when i first saw it but a friend told me to give it a try that Margo usually did good stories. The start was a little slow but afterwards the story was pretty good. As i said, it was different. The story was about Lynd who was a snake shifter. She was found when she was young by her adopted father, who worked with snakes. He brought her home not knowing she was a shifter. He thought she was a snake until he found a toddler where the snake had been and then saw her change. She finds out she is a certain type of shifter that other shifters are supposed to eliminate. However, she proves herself to all the shifters. I received the audio book free for an honest opinion.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Margo Bond Collins gets an A for Originality!

I've listened to two of Margo Bond Collins's books in the past, and really enjoyed them. They were both unique and Under Her Skin was no different. When I first noticed this was shifter story about weresnakes, I was thinking this couldn't be a good story. But when I noticed the author was Margo Bond Collins, I knew if anyone could pull off a story about weresnakes, it would be her. This was one of the reasons I requested to listen to this story. The other reason, I like supporting new and up and coming authors and narrators. After listening, I'm convinced Collins is a very talented author, Under Her Skin is an unusual shifter story, with drama, suspense and some romance.

Some spoilers;
Lindi was raised by an adoptive family. Her adoptive father worked with snakes and brought home a snake to study but was stunned the next day when he see's a little toddler. Since that day, she's been with her adoptive family and believes she is the only shifter. She's all grown up and has learned to control her shifter side. Lindi works with children as a counselor to help them recover from traumatic events. Her newest case brings her face to face with a little girl who's just killed someone in self defense. What surprises Lindi is this little girl is actually a shifter too, but what kind she doesn't know. She takes the little girl to the hospital to be examined to be sure she wasn't hurt and comes face to face with Dr. Kade Nevala. A shifter himself, he confronts Lindi behind closed doors and tells her he knows what she is, but it's his job to kill her kind. He doesn't because they have chemistry and are attracted to each other at first sight. When shifter children start turning up dead, they end up working together and start falling for each other.

The writing was good, and the story kept me engaged but sadly Collins was not able sway me to the snake shifter side….. maybe it's my repulsion for snakes. However, if you love shifter stories, and want to dip into a world full of different types of shifters, then you may want to consider this unusual shifter story. As for me, I still on the fence if I will continue the series. I was voluntarily provided this free review audiobook copy by the author, narrator, or publisher.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Margo Bond Collins doesn't disappoint

I received this audiobook free for an honest review. Margo Bond Collins does an excellent job of bringing you in to her stories and keeping you there. I hate to stop listening until it is finished, then I am disappointed that there is no more story. I was so excited to see this book was free. However, I would have bought it anyway. The narrator did a great job of developing and enhancing the characters. Lindi and Kade have a very interesting and exciting relationship. Being different shifters and enemies gives the story quite a intriguing plot. I really enjoyed this book. Margo is an awesome story teller and Emma Lysy is a fabulous narrator. Looking for more books on Lindi and Kade.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Under Her Skin

Any additional comments?

3.5 stars
Good start to a series. Overall an entertaining and enjoyable listen. A different kind of shifter story. Not about big bad hulking shifters but smaller animals who are natural enemies and just as dangerous.

This is the first snake shifter book I have ever listened to. I hate snakes with a passion but I actually was able to listen and enjoy this story. I didn't get all snake cuddly all of the sudden but I wasn't completely repulsed by the character. I'm actually interested in the story and characters enough to read the next installment and see where the story goes.

The story was interesting and had original characters. While Lindi and Kade were both good characters their relationship and romance lacked any real spark for most of the story. It wasn't until almost the end that I really got the sense there was some real connection between them. It is the first of a series and a shorter story so maybe this was part of the problem.

There a numerous questions left unanswered. Questions like…How could she think she was the only shifter? She was never curious about others? Her background, her family? She worked with shifter's but no one knew she was one? Hopefully some of these will be answered in the next installment.

Emma Lysy did a really good job with the narration. Pleasant voice. Good character voices. Male and female. Clearly spoken with a smooth even pace. Overall very enjoyable.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Awesome

What did you love best about Under Her Skin?

the whole storyline Margo Writes books that you cant put down

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

life she was great

Any additional comments?

I received this audio free at my request and I am providing an honest review of it. this book was great reading it in e book form and the audio raised the bar a lot I really loved it.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

She didn't know of the shifters,could be dangerous

Which character – as performed by Emma Lysy – was your favorite?

I found Emma was easy to listen to. Her voice clear and delicate. Though, when needed Emma had a hard sound to her voice, working with the emotions that Lindi would be feeling in the moment. In the moments romance shines, Emma has a soft, sensual voice to fill the moment with emotion.

Any additional comments?

*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

This story is a romance, but also much more than that with murders and kidnappings that are connected to Lindi, and shifters.

I enjoyed listening to Lindi learning about the world she never knew existed, the shifters. But what she learns about her breed of shifters looks bad for her. There is a whole history between the snake shifters and all others. Lindi had no idea and is nothing like those that are similar to her. The story shows this difference and holds Lindi to her nature.

Mmm. Kade. Seeing him through Lindi's eyes is wonderful. Lindi feels the attraction from the beginning but knows there's something dangerous about him. That would be the shifter side of him, what he shifts into and is to do for the clan could be trouble for her. But the attraction is felt on both sides and we see the romantic tension between the two.

There are many children that have been recently found dead and Lindi is determined to help solve what's happened to them, before others are killed. She does try to get help when she's drawn to areas of potential danger, but more concerned for the children she goes anyway. I liked that she tries to get help, but that she wants the children safe so goes ahead anyway.

It's a quick story but full of time with Lindi and Kade to grow the feelings of attraction between them and solve the cases at hand. Also, for Lindi to get into trouble.

Margo draws my attention in her blend of romance and story along with keeping the characters on track for what they are working toward. Of course the story has a HEA though, which is nice to know.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Snake Shifter..

Any additional comments?

Lindi, the female lead, who is a were that was adopted by human foster parents.

When working, she finds a child shifter, that opens her world to new experiences.

During her quest for answers, she meets an interesting Doctor who just happens to also be a shifter.

This is definitely a story of opposites attracting, that also has Suspense, Murder, and a side order of Romance.

Overall, the story line was entertaining and decent read.


Emma Lysy did 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."

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

good story<br />

I really enjoyed this book, I listen to all the shifter books I can first one that turns into a snake .I received this book from the publisher, author and or narrator for a honest review and unbiased option via audio book boom dot com

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Eew - snakes - but a good story.

I have read other books by Margo Bond Collins. She brings something original to each of her stories. The original point of this story is Lindi's species, she is a Lamia snake shifter. A Lamia is a mythical monster, with the body of a woman or with the head and breasts of a woman and the body of a snake, said to prey on human beings and suck the blood of children.

I was interested in reading this book because the paranormal creature was a snake. I had a difficult time visualizing a snake as a predator. Without legs they use their muscles and scales to move around. That gives them the slimy, slithering visual, which is viscerally appalling to people. It is the eew reaction.

The physiology of other paranormals have the body mass to appear strong and muscular. They have skin and bones and are warm blooded.

The plot centers around on the nature versus nurture theory, which centers around the effect genes have on human personalities as opposed to the influences that early environment and development might have. Is someone a threat because of their species, nature, or is it based on how they were raise, nurtured, in a loving positive environment?

Lindi is a compassionate, sensitive, shifter with a respect for all life. There was a concerted effort to eradicate Lamia’s because it’s inability to live peacefully with other species. The assumption was it was due to their nature, their genetic makeup and the Lamia did not join the truce with the other shape shifters they were killed.

Throw in the boiler plate elements of a little romance, mystery, villain, and damsel in distress and that is the story. This is good story with likable characters. I would like more participation with Lindi’s father who is a Herpetologists.

I enjoyed the book and will read the next one in the series. I want to she how Lindi will interact with the shifter community.

Good, But Could Have Been Great

“Under Her Skin” is my latest Margo Bond Collins novel. I’ve either liked or loved, in varying degrees, everything I’ve read/listened to by Ms. Collins. “Under Her Skin” fits into my liked category. The book has a good premise. Lindi Parker, a woman who is a case worker for abused children, has the ability to shapeshift into a snake. Only, she doesn’t embrace her ability and has never experimented to find out the depth and limits of her capabilities. She thinks she is unique until one day she discovers a community of all types of shapeshifters that are centered around a murder mystery. The majority of the community dislikes her, fears her and even wants her kind dead just because of what she is. Add to that a romantic interest and you have the ingredients for a really great novel. Unfortunately, for me, “Under Her Skin” is only a good novel.

The first thing I felt was wrong with the book was that it’s much too short. Many of the problems I had with the story were due to its short length. The development of the romantic interest felt much too quick. It was almost as quick as the instant romances found in so many romance fantasy stories where the characters are instantly attracted to each other for no reason. I just didn’t buy into it. I also didn’t buy how Lindi wasn’t curious about her own background or that of her biological family. In a longer story, theses things could have been explored and developed. But that was not the book Ms. Collins gave us. The book Ms. Collins gave us was good, but I feel it could have been great.

With that said, “Under Her Skin” is, by no means, a waste of your time. For me, it just misses out on what it could have been. Finally, this audio book was provided by the author at no cost in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Audio Book Boom.