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Cry Baby Hollow
There are things we all know about werewolves:
-The only way to become a werewolf is to be bitten by one.
-They only come out on the full moon.
-They can only be killed with a silver bullet.
-They are not real.
But when Aubrey Guinn comes to Eastern Tennessee to help Vina, an aging family friend, werewolves are the furthest things from her mind. She is preoccupied with more mundane concerns, like keeping Vina's ingrate step-children from putting her in a nursing home, avoiding the advances of her handsome but dim witted neighbor, and keeping her mailbox away from the good old boys baseball bats. It isn't until Aubrey finds the body of a local boy, gruseomely murdered, that she begins to see that life in the country is anything but slow, and werewolves are far from what Hollywood had led her to expect.
-The only way to become a werewolf is to be bitten by one.
-They only come out on the full moon.
-They can only be killed with a silver bullet.
-They are not real.
But when Aubrey Guinn comes to Eastern Tennessee to help Vina, an aging family friend, werewolves are the furthest things from her mind. She is preoccupied with more mundane concerns, like keeping Vina's ingrate step-children from putting her in a nursing home, avoiding the advances of her handsome but dim witted neighbor, and keeping her mailbox away from the good old boys baseball bats. It isn't until Aubrey finds the body of a local boy, gruseomely murdered, that she begins to see that life in the country is anything but slow, and werewolves are far from what Hollywood had led her to expect.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2012
9 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 30, 2015
If there were any glaring grammar or spelling errors, I didn't notice them, so muchos gracias for that.
Now on to the important stuff:
I used to live in East Tennessee. I went joyriding up and down back roads through the mountains. My grandma was born and raised in one of the hollows. No idea if it is still there, but we used to go to the drive in movies (this in early 90s) all the time on the weekends. What I am saying is, the author has the Tennessee backwoods country culture down PAT. I was having flashbacks and missing my grandma, who the character Vina reminded me of. You don't mess around with an old country girl. No joke. Lol
The MC was one tough lady, and I loved it. Loved it. I loved what she did with her mailbox in retaliation, and how she handled the situation, and I loved how she took care of her own shit. I was maybe slightly disappointed with how she wasn't a bit more suspicious of a couple things, and though the romance wasn't bad, it wasn't what kept me reading the story.
I will tell you this. Barring the werewolves, the whole craziness happening in the hollows she describes? Not an exaggeration. That's how it is. In places like that, everyone pretty much knows everyone if not also being related to everyone. Yes, sometimes in more ways than one. Ew. I know. It's a place of guns, good old boys, family feuds, and a different idea of law. You mess with one person, you've messed with the whole family. It's crazy.
But this book made me miss it a bit. Okay, maybe more than just a bit.
Also, werewolves! Yay! Although the build-up is slow and they aren't even confirmed as such until towards the end. It's okay though, because it's a mostly good build-up.
P.S. If you're from 'round those parts, you pronounce it "holler" not hollow. :P
Now on to the important stuff:
I used to live in East Tennessee. I went joyriding up and down back roads through the mountains. My grandma was born and raised in one of the hollows. No idea if it is still there, but we used to go to the drive in movies (this in early 90s) all the time on the weekends. What I am saying is, the author has the Tennessee backwoods country culture down PAT. I was having flashbacks and missing my grandma, who the character Vina reminded me of. You don't mess around with an old country girl. No joke. Lol
The MC was one tough lady, and I loved it. Loved it. I loved what she did with her mailbox in retaliation, and how she handled the situation, and I loved how she took care of her own shit. I was maybe slightly disappointed with how she wasn't a bit more suspicious of a couple things, and though the romance wasn't bad, it wasn't what kept me reading the story.
I will tell you this. Barring the werewolves, the whole craziness happening in the hollows she describes? Not an exaggeration. That's how it is. In places like that, everyone pretty much knows everyone if not also being related to everyone. Yes, sometimes in more ways than one. Ew. I know. It's a place of guns, good old boys, family feuds, and a different idea of law. You mess with one person, you've messed with the whole family. It's crazy.
But this book made me miss it a bit. Okay, maybe more than just a bit.
Also, werewolves! Yay! Although the build-up is slow and they aren't even confirmed as such until towards the end. It's okay though, because it's a mostly good build-up.
P.S. If you're from 'round those parts, you pronounce it "holler" not hollow. :P
August 18, 2012
This was like reading a Sookie Stackhouse book except one where Sookie was smart and tough. It has a very clever take on werewolves here, one I've never read before, I really liked that a lot.
I enjoyed the characters in Cry Baby Hollow and how it came to get that name is very clever and all due the character of Vina who really makes this a quirky, interesting read. I also desperately want to go to any one of her Halloween bashes.
There's a sweet, sexy romance here between Aubery and her neighbour Joe. Nice progression with a slow burn, it's all cut to black but that works well here. I found some of the dialogue and situations a bit choppy which lead to a bit of confusion because the story seemed to jump a bit but it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.
This is tight little shifter read with an original storyline with both a quirky setting and characters. I'd recommend this to any paranormal fan who may be experiencing a bit of shifter fatigue. This will definitely get you back in the swing of the genre again. It is a standalone story but there is definitely the possibility of revisiting Cry Baby Hollow again. I hope to see another book set here, I'd defintely read it.
I enjoyed the characters in Cry Baby Hollow and how it came to get that name is very clever and all due the character of Vina who really makes this a quirky, interesting read. I also desperately want to go to any one of her Halloween bashes.
There's a sweet, sexy romance here between Aubery and her neighbour Joe. Nice progression with a slow burn, it's all cut to black but that works well here. I found some of the dialogue and situations a bit choppy which lead to a bit of confusion because the story seemed to jump a bit but it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.
This is tight little shifter read with an original storyline with both a quirky setting and characters. I'd recommend this to any paranormal fan who may be experiencing a bit of shifter fatigue. This will definitely get you back in the swing of the genre again. It is a standalone story but there is definitely the possibility of revisiting Cry Baby Hollow again. I hope to see another book set here, I'd defintely read it.
November 3, 2012
Excellent read. Yes it's yet another shifter novel and I agree there are a vast amount of those on the market right now, but this one managed to stay interesting from start till finish.
The author has a wicked dark sense of humour, which I found appealing and as I was reading the odd chuckle could be heard or a grin would appear.
About halfway through the author takes the heroine down a route that was unconventional and I grumbled a tad. Why would she do that I wondered, that makes no sense because she can't write a sequel, I asked myself. Of course my internal impatience was rewarded with the solution the author presented and I omitted a sigh of relief.
I hope this is to be the first in a series. I was impressed by the way the notion of were was approached from a gender specific and DNA point of view.
The only flaw and reason for 4 instead of 5 stars was quite a few typos and/or spelling errors.
Other than that this was a cracking read.
The author has a wicked dark sense of humour, which I found appealing and as I was reading the odd chuckle could be heard or a grin would appear.
About halfway through the author takes the heroine down a route that was unconventional and I grumbled a tad. Why would she do that I wondered, that makes no sense because she can't write a sequel, I asked myself. Of course my internal impatience was rewarded with the solution the author presented and I omitted a sigh of relief.
I hope this is to be the first in a series. I was impressed by the way the notion of were was approached from a gender specific and DNA point of view.
The only flaw and reason for 4 instead of 5 stars was quite a few typos and/or spelling errors.
Other than that this was a cracking read.
August 26, 2012
I hope this book is the start of a new series. The characters were brought to life and believable (as far as any fantasy character can be.) I enjoyed the twists and turns as well as the tiny bit of romance that did not blow up into super descriptive sex scenes that add nothing but titillation to the story.
The Characters and story-line have room to grow without tromping over the same ground again and again.
Great Job, Aimee Love!
The Characters and story-line have room to grow without tromping over the same ground again and again.
Great Job, Aimee Love!
December 5, 2013
Excellent UF even though the setting isn't terribly urban and the world building hides the fantasy until late in the story. I read this book without having read the blurb - based upon the recommendation of a friend - and I had no idea what was going on, just that SOMETHING was and that it was interesting and fun and actually full of laughter despite the seriousness of the situation.
August 31, 2012
OMG!! I loved this story! Terrific twist on a paranormal theme. Fantastic characters. I am hoping this will be a series.
If you like Charlaine Harris, Janet Evanovich or Patricia Briggs then this is a book you must read.
If you like Charlaine Harris, Janet Evanovich or Patricia Briggs then this is a book you must read.
October 7, 2012
Freakin' fabulous! A different take on werewolves, a TCB h, an irrascible oldie-olster, HILLBILLIES from a hollow! The author has written a book that made me LOL throughout the book, smile upon finishing, and hope, hope, hope we'll get to see Audrey, Joe, and Vina again.
May 3, 2015
Cry Baby Hollow was a surprisingly good read. I say surprisingly because there are so many werewolf books on the market these days and almost all of them seem to be small variations of the same story. This one is not one of those. For one it isn't about some dimwitted heroine falling hard for another testosterone crazed alpha wolf. Thank you sweet baby HeyZeus for variety. I would hesitate to even call this paranormal romance, except that it does have paranormal creatures in it and there is some romance. Either way it's a lot of fun, if a little slow at times.
Ms. Love has created an interesting story, with engaging characters and some true regional humour. I can say that too. I happen to be from Tennessee. There was a lot of genuine southern culture depicted here, but there were a few inevitable stereotypes too. Sadly, there's often a grain of truth in even them so I can't fault the book for that.
I did have a few gripes though. While I loved Aubrey's sharp tongue and quick wit, it didn't always feel realistic. Old women like Vina can get away with being so acerbic, younger ones haven't earned the social right yet. On more than one occasion I laughed at some cut down or defiant act of Aubrey's ('cause they are funny and fist pumpingly "right on"), then thought, 'what a bitch.' She was just too quick to jump onto the offence. Plus, since you are given so little of Aubrey's history upfront it felt a little like all of her considerable skill came unearned. Of course she's supposed to have spent 10+ years in the Navy. No doubt she worked hard for them, but you don't feel it.
I loved, loved, loved Joe, but there's a fairly drastic change in his personality about halfway through the book and I was a little disappointed in that. It was predictable really, but I still much preferred his Good 'Ol Boy self to his cleaned up self. I also wondered why he knew the area so much better than Aubrey if he'd been vacationing there for 10 years, but she'd been visiting her whole life. Seemed a little backwards.
Lastly, some important events were strangely glossed over: almost anything bedroom related, Aubrey's days in the hospital which marked a sharp change in the tone of the book, her first training with Vina and pals that allowed her to fight on an even playing field with the baddy. All of them are game changers to the plot, but none of them are given to the reader. Their absence tended to make the events following them feel like abrupt shifts even when they really weren't.
These are all fairly minor complaints in the grand scheme of things though. I have no hesitation about recommending Cry Baby Hollow book. It's well worth reading.
Ms. Love has created an interesting story, with engaging characters and some true regional humour. I can say that too. I happen to be from Tennessee. There was a lot of genuine southern culture depicted here, but there were a few inevitable stereotypes too. Sadly, there's often a grain of truth in even them so I can't fault the book for that.
I did have a few gripes though. While I loved Aubrey's sharp tongue and quick wit, it didn't always feel realistic. Old women like Vina can get away with being so acerbic, younger ones haven't earned the social right yet. On more than one occasion I laughed at some cut down or defiant act of Aubrey's ('cause they are funny and fist pumpingly "right on"), then thought, 'what a bitch.' She was just too quick to jump onto the offence. Plus, since you are given so little of Aubrey's history upfront it felt a little like all of her considerable skill came unearned. Of course she's supposed to have spent 10+ years in the Navy. No doubt she worked hard for them, but you don't feel it.
I loved, loved, loved Joe, but there's a fairly drastic change in his personality about halfway through the book and I was a little disappointed in that. It was predictable really, but I still much preferred his Good 'Ol Boy self to his cleaned up self. I also wondered why he knew the area so much better than Aubrey if he'd been vacationing there for 10 years, but she'd been visiting her whole life. Seemed a little backwards.
Lastly, some important events were strangely glossed over: almost anything bedroom related, Aubrey's days in the hospital which marked a sharp change in the tone of the book, her first training with Vina and pals that allowed her to fight on an even playing field with the baddy. All of them are game changers to the plot, but none of them are given to the reader. Their absence tended to make the events following them feel like abrupt shifts even when they really weren't.
These are all fairly minor complaints in the grand scheme of things though. I have no hesitation about recommending Cry Baby Hollow book. It's well worth reading.
September 3, 2016
I suppose it's not a spoiler if I tell you this is a werewolf book, but the build up is so slow (no confirmed werewolf until somewhere around the 85-90% mark) that it really does seem like I'm giving something away. Aubrey moves into rural Tennessee to take care of an old family friend (and somehow distant relative), Vina. If you've ever watched deliverance you know the Appalachians are no place to let your guard down. On her first night in her new home she nearly hits a strange creature that she mistakes as canine one moment and human the next. A Navy alum, Aubrey doesn't scare easy. She settles in to rural life with ease, hating and flirting with her neighbor, running through the woods where she might or might not be followed by a red wolf and getting pulled into Vina's shenanigans.
Small pranks and tricks become scarier and scarier as it goes from her mailbox being bashed in to strange, possible wolf creatures showing up on the cameras she installs. She gets pulled into a murder, and than some serious family drama. The build, as I said is extremely slow, but I found the character so interesting (why oh why did you dress her like a babe-with-no-brains on the cover? That looks more like what I would think of as Katie, of Lilli, versus our own fierce protagonist). The plot line itself meanders but it's fun to follow and I found myself looking forward to picking the book back up every time I had to put it down. If you are looking for a cherpy, overly sarcastic, sexed up sex-kitten, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for something a little more real and a story that slowly winds itself up for the strike, I highly recommend this book. I've been having a terrible time with terrible books later, so this one was such an enjoyable relief!
Small pranks and tricks become scarier and scarier as it goes from her mailbox being bashed in to strange, possible wolf creatures showing up on the cameras she installs. She gets pulled into a murder, and than some serious family drama. The build, as I said is extremely slow, but I found the character so interesting (why oh why did you dress her like a babe-with-no-brains on the cover? That looks more like what I would think of as Katie, of Lilli, versus our own fierce protagonist). The plot line itself meanders but it's fun to follow and I found myself looking forward to picking the book back up every time I had to put it down. If you are looking for a cherpy, overly sarcastic, sexed up sex-kitten, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for something a little more real and a story that slowly winds itself up for the strike, I highly recommend this book. I've been having a terrible time with terrible books later, so this one was such an enjoyable relief!
August 13, 2012
Full review to be posted soon:
I really really enjoyed this book, which features werewolves in a southern rural town in America. Aubrey the heroine, is an ex-Navy officer who is relocating back to Cry Baby Hollow after a divorce and to help out her surrogate grandmother Vina. But the slow pace of life and quiet is quickly surpassed when events in her small town is much more dangerous than it seems. Oh I really loved Aubrey's character, she wasn't kick ass in the traditional sense but she definitely stood her ground when she faced danger and I loved how resourceful and intelligent to protect the people she loved. And you got to love a heroine who knows how to blow things up to help track and hunt mail-box vandals!
But the best thing in the book is the characters - the plot which concerns the werewolves slowly evolves but it is the characterisations and the little details and developments that affect them is in the fore-front. Usually this wouldn't be affective especially in an UF but Aimee Lane really makes them alive through their dialogue and personalites. I adored the cranky Vina who had some of the best one-liners in the book. There was also a fun and sweet romance, with Aubrey's neighbour Joe that slowly plays out and while it was subtle, I wasn't left wanting.
I highly highly recommend this book, because it was a pure gem to read. The slow pace may not appeal to some who would like more action and plot, but I loved the focus on the characters and I hope there is MOAR because I am firmly hooked.
I really really enjoyed this book, which features werewolves in a southern rural town in America. Aubrey the heroine, is an ex-Navy officer who is relocating back to Cry Baby Hollow after a divorce and to help out her surrogate grandmother Vina. But the slow pace of life and quiet is quickly surpassed when events in her small town is much more dangerous than it seems. Oh I really loved Aubrey's character, she wasn't kick ass in the traditional sense but she definitely stood her ground when she faced danger and I loved how resourceful and intelligent to protect the people she loved. And you got to love a heroine who knows how to blow things up to help track and hunt mail-box vandals!
But the best thing in the book is the characters - the plot which concerns the werewolves slowly evolves but it is the characterisations and the little details and developments that affect them is in the fore-front. Usually this wouldn't be affective especially in an UF but Aimee Lane really makes them alive through their dialogue and personalites. I adored the cranky Vina who had some of the best one-liners in the book. There was also a fun and sweet romance, with Aubrey's neighbour Joe that slowly plays out and while it was subtle, I wasn't left wanting.
I highly highly recommend this book, because it was a pure gem to read. The slow pace may not appeal to some who would like more action and plot, but I loved the focus on the characters and I hope there is MOAR because I am firmly hooked.
November 13, 2014
I finished Cry Baby Hollow in a single day and I already know that I'm going to go back to it over and over. I loved that it was a bit of a thriller hidden inside of a paranormal novel and while I usually have the urge to roll my eyes on several occasions throughout most books like this, I didn't with this one.
Let's start out with Aubrey. Most of the time, when you have these young, sexy, totally in shape heroines; they are cliche and there is no justification for them being as bad ass as they are. The authors just want you to accept their innate ninja/sniper/MMA fighting ability. Aubrey isn't like that, at least to me. While she could easily handle herself, she made mistakes and wallowed in them a bit like people actually do. She seemed very human to me.
Without giving too much away, I swear if you have ever been up in the mountains of Tennessee, you know what these hollows and coves are like. They are spooky, foggy and the perfect setting for a horror story and this one fits well.
My one gripe and I realize this may be strangely picky for some, is that there was a distinct lack of environmental description. This book is set on the boundaries of Great Smokey Mountain National Park. It is beautiful there and the descriptions in the book do not do it justice. If you are going to take the time to set a book in one of the most breathtaking regions of the South, do it some justice!
Let's start out with Aubrey. Most of the time, when you have these young, sexy, totally in shape heroines; they are cliche and there is no justification for them being as bad ass as they are. The authors just want you to accept their innate ninja/sniper/MMA fighting ability. Aubrey isn't like that, at least to me. While she could easily handle herself, she made mistakes and wallowed in them a bit like people actually do. She seemed very human to me.
Without giving too much away, I swear if you have ever been up in the mountains of Tennessee, you know what these hollows and coves are like. They are spooky, foggy and the perfect setting for a horror story and this one fits well.
My one gripe and I realize this may be strangely picky for some, is that there was a distinct lack of environmental description. This book is set on the boundaries of Great Smokey Mountain National Park. It is beautiful there and the descriptions in the book do not do it justice. If you are going to take the time to set a book in one of the most breathtaking regions of the South, do it some justice!
January 2, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!! This was a great deal ($.99) and a new author for me so I wasn't sure what to expect. But I loved it!
Very well written too. Well paced with an interesting/intriguing storyline & characters. I tend to enjoy these stories about the weird happenings in remote mountain locales, so this was fun..... Funny, creepy, interesting & suspenseful, with a nice romance too. (I didn't notice any glaring typos or grammatical errors either)
The strangeness of Cry Baby Hollow slowly seeps into the story as Aubrey moves back to help Vina, an elderly friend. Vina's more interested in playing matchmaker between Aubrey & Joe. Joe comes across as a good ole boy- handsome, handy and likably funny. As Aubrey settles in, gets to know Joe and helps Vina with various issues, she also finds there are some strange things, mainly some strange people there, and trouble begins to brew.
As others have mentioned this is a really different take on werewolves, which I enjoyed very much. The werewolves aren't introduced until the latter part of the book- it doesn't dominate the story although it's an important part.
I'm would definitely recommend this one, and have already searched out the next in this series, "Looney Mill Road".
Very well written too. Well paced with an interesting/intriguing storyline & characters. I tend to enjoy these stories about the weird happenings in remote mountain locales, so this was fun..... Funny, creepy, interesting & suspenseful, with a nice romance too. (I didn't notice any glaring typos or grammatical errors either)
The strangeness of Cry Baby Hollow slowly seeps into the story as Aubrey moves back to help Vina, an elderly friend. Vina's more interested in playing matchmaker between Aubrey & Joe. Joe comes across as a good ole boy- handsome, handy and likably funny. As Aubrey settles in, gets to know Joe and helps Vina with various issues, she also finds there are some strange things, mainly some strange people there, and trouble begins to brew.
As others have mentioned this is a really different take on werewolves, which I enjoyed very much. The werewolves aren't introduced until the latter part of the book- it doesn't dominate the story although it's an important part.
I'm would definitely recommend this one, and have already searched out the next in this series, "Looney Mill Road".
November 2, 2013
Aubrey is smart and capable, strong. I really enjoyed watching her settle into her new life in the quirky mountain community in TN. The side characters were a lot of fun, the mystery was interesting and not completely predictable, including exactly how the paranormal was goign to fit in. The romance was more believable than most. He was likeable; there was no intant love. Their relationship was by no means the whole point of her life (which annoys me in many romance novels). Still, the sex was there and pretty good.
I was so disappoined to see that the next in the series is not coming out soon. I like her style and characters and look forward to reading more.
I was so disappoined to see that the next in the series is not coming out soon. I like her style and characters and look forward to reading more.
August 2, 2014
This is a werewolf book, but you wouldn't know it until over half way through if the description didn't tell you (so it's not a spoiler). a woman comes back to a small town to take care of her old auntish person and learns about family history and such but then there's a lot of weird stuff going on. The whole pace of the book seems laid back, suiting the inbred backwater type environment. But it's still good because it's nice to have the werewolf thing not so in your face as usual. Kind of a different take.
April 26, 2013
Loved the characters and the unique take on werewolves. The female characters were strong and had real gonads ;-). The writer also nailed the feel of a small southern town with many inter relationships and grudges going back for generations. These places have reality of their own, the perfect place to find werewolves.. Watching the secrets unravel is exciting and never predictable. The book is well worth the read!
September 26, 2013
Really enjoyed the book. The plot is handled as an unfolding mystery and peppered with rich characterization. I really liked the "Vina" character, who rang true as an ornery but lovable old iron-lady of the South. The romance between protagonist Aubrey and the multi-layered Joe was also handled well and felt very natural.
It's a slow-burn novel that's part romance, part mystery and ultimately a horror-tinged adventure set in the boonies and full of intrigue.
It's a slow-burn novel that's part romance, part mystery and ultimately a horror-tinged adventure set in the boonies and full of intrigue.
November 20, 2014
I really enjoyed this novel. It was a very different take on a werewolf story. The novel grabbed me right away. I was instantly interested in what was going to happen. Aubrey Guinn comes to live in Eastern Tennessee to help an old family friend. She builds a new life for herself and proves that she is not a woman to be messed with. An excellent start of a series. I can't wait to read more.
January 21, 2016
Werewolf story in which... very little happens. The book meanders around til about the halfway mark, albeit some pleasant meandering with some character development, at which point we finally get some hints of a werewolf story. It takes getting to the 3/4 mark before any action finally happens, and then it feels a bit rushed and unexplained. Didn't really work for me.
January 7, 2013
I stumbled across this for my Kindle, read a sample and am now half-way through it!
While the editor missed making some grammatical corrections, I'm still enjoying it.
Recommended!!!
While the editor missed making some grammatical corrections, I'm still enjoying it.
Recommended!!!
April 25, 2013
Really great book, very atmospheric and creepy with charactors you immediately care about. Highly recommended.
January 6, 2013
very well written, finished it in 1 night.
June 27, 2014
http://jessicajmooney.tumblr.com/post...
please have a look at my review and my view on what character look like
:)
please have a look at my review and my view on what character look like
:)
August 30, 2014
I'll review this on the blog. There are some typos and they are humdingers in some cases, but the story is top-notch. Great stuff in here.
July 20, 2014
A very well and entertaining story
July 27, 2015
More like 2.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews