Ava Harper's resume keeps getting updated. It started with witch, then necromancer, author, bookstore clerk, vampire wrangler, and most recent, medium. Yes, you heard that right, she can talk to ghosts.
New powers bring more responsibilities and things to add to the list of magic she needs to learn. Especially when Ava finds out her mother isn't in a happy place.
What else can she do but try to rescue her mother from the in-between place she's been suffering all these years?
That doesn't mean it'll be easy. She's going to need the help of all of her team, from her ghoul Alfred to her mischievous cat, Mr. Snoozerton—and his new girlfriend. And Olivia, her best friend, of course. She might even have to call her son home from college for this level of magic.
But Ava's life wouldn't be Ava's life if things didn't go a bit awry. Luci tries to help, but just infuriates all of them, as usual. Larry (the skeleton) is still hanging around, and he's lost a finger bone, have you seen it?
It might be a lot of hullabaloo, but Ava is determined to figure it out and bring her mother home. And Drew, the town sheriff and Ava’s boyfriend is at her side every step of the way and almost every waking hour and sometimes sleeping hour. Could the sheriff be plotting something of his own and try to tame the necromancer/witch hybrid?
In 2008, Lia Davis ventured into the world of writing and publishing and never looked back. She has published more than twenty books, including the bestselling A Tiger’s Claim, book one in her fan favorite Ashwood Falls series. Her novels feature compassionate yet strong alpha heroes who know how to please their women and her leading ladies are each strong in their own way. No matter what obstacle she throws at them, they come out better in the end.
While writing was initially a way escape from real world drama, Lia now makes her living creating worlds filled with magic, mystery, romance, and adventure so that others can leave real life behind for a few hours at a time.
Lia’s favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers, but it’s her home and she loves it! Sign up for her newsletter, become a member of her fan club, and follow her on Twitter @NovelsByLia.
I cannot get enough of the Witching After Forty series. Having wonderful unique characters and an always interesting plot, I can very put this book down. The humor alone will have readers forgetting where they are when laughing. On to the next book.
When I first stumbled upon the Witching After Forty series, I thought that it was quite fun. It had unique characters and an interesting plot. However, "An Animated Midlife" read as though the series has lost its' edge and was thrown together into a convoluted mess. There is just one bizarre situation after the other.
So, what went wrong and how can it be fixed. Well, first and foremost, the author needs to stop adding so many new characters in each installment and build the relationships with the characters that she already has. I feel as though I have a cursory knowledge of many of the characters and they are not used to the fullest. For example, the coven can be used to deal with a local strange crime that has authorities stumped but instead we have Lucifer the devil, fae kings, blobs and now Loki. How many different myths are going to be combined.
Personally, if the next installment continues down this road, I will not be moving forward with this series and that will be a shame. Oh well, you win some and lose some!
This book is all over the place and very badly edited, or even no editing. Like Wallie’s girlfriend, xxname. What the? The series started out fun but there doesn’t seem to be a plan to it now.
Ava Harper has some new skills to show us. She has been quickly, it seems, acquiring new talents. She started off as a witch, added necromancer, author, bookstore clerk, vampire wrangler, and now medium as she can talk to ghosts. The difficult part is that all these new skills require her to learn more magic to master them. She, Olivia, and Sam had gone into the in-between to find her mother, instead ran into something evil like a gigantic blob of liquid ink and had to make a scary exit. When they returned from the ghost world, Luci was very interested to know how she got in there in the first place, but she wouldn’t tell him. The inky thing was still back there tracking her mom, and she needed to figure out what to do.
For the rescue to work, Ava will need to pull together her entire team, including her ghoul Alfred, her mischievous cat Mr. Snoozerton and his new girlfriend, and Olivia who is Ava’s best friend. She won’t stop until she brings her mother home. Even Drew, town sheriff and Ava’s boyfriend, is sticking close. Will Ava make the rescue and still keep her team intact?
The best thing about this series is the delightful diverse group of characters the authors bring together as Ava gathers friends and entertains us with her interactions with them. It is truly an odd family but a good one and promises more laughs to come. So grab your copy and stay invested in this fun series. And there could even be a mystery or two along the way!
I’ve hung on with this series for 8 books. It’s a charming series. A little too fantastical at times, but fun. With that last reveal, though, I slapped my forehead. Like. Really. Really? It wasn’t fantastical enough with the devil…ya gotta throw in…him?
Good story, but that ending was a mess. It gets daft when it starts to feel like things are being changed not to make sense, but just for the sake of dragging the story out.
This is book seven of the Witching After Forty series and sees Ava Harper needing to embrace her necromancer skills as she somehow manages to access the In-between in search of her mother, and meets an evil blob of darkness and is unable to bring her mother back with her and her friends. Her neighbour Luci (Lucifer), asks her to take him into the In-between, but the way he insists upon it, has her hackles up and makes her wonder what he wants from that realm. Ava also has to deal with now being the head of the coven, after the previous Head Warlock and about half the coven were found to be corrupt. She finds that Alfred the ghoul has also been possessed by one of her relatives, who is looking to get Ava to reconstitute her own body for her soul to occupy. Only issue is that there is no actually body, as she was cremated after her death, and Ava is still getting used to all of her new abilities, especially her necromancy. The book seems to begin in the middle of something important and will catch you out if you haven’t read the previous ones. Part of the darkness has followed Ava and her friends back from the In-between and seems to be growing with anger and rage with every hour that passes. She attempts to open another portal to the In-between, but fails, whether that is down to not enough power and magic, or something else, she and her friends will have to research and figure out. Ava has her boyfriend Drew, the local town sheriff, as well as her son Wallie, and others, including the troublesome and mischievous cats, Larry the skeleton who now looks a lot better after she managed to rebuild a body around him, and best friend Olivia at her side as needed. She must also allow herself to trust in the new coven witches and warlocks, most of who she doesn’t know, as much as she relies on her human friends, to contain the blob of darkness that followed her back, but also to strengthen her ability to open and keep open a portal. There is also an additional problem that her aunt Winnie and her own mother, were tricked into doing something years ago by the then Fae King, and in their deaths are unable to pass on, as they have unfinished business! Lots of magic going on and Luci is right in the midst of it, seemingly knowing everything that is said in her house! He has more to lose from what was done in the past and there is a massive surprise for one who was thought to be completely human only. A short tale of Ava’s necromancy powers and righting a wrong from the past. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
AN ANIMATED MIDLIFE is the eighth book in the Witching After Forty series. It is definitely best if you read all of these books and in the order of release and it is a continuing story with individual cozy mysteries.
Surprises, twists, and plenty of tension kept me glued to this story. In fact reviews for each book in this whole series could start with this line. There is a lot going on and it is moving fast! Huge secrets – including why Alfie didn’t want his mouth to be unstitched – are revealed.
Warning: there is a cliffhanger… but that just makes me want the next book! I like cliffhangers. I’m looking forward to more from this interesting family of witches, ghouls, and shifters.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: AN ANIMATED MIDLIFE Series: Witching After Forty #4 Category /Genre: Paranormal Romance Recommended for: 18+ Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused. Received from: L.A. Boruff
This humorous, enjoyable book picks up slightly before the cliffhanger ending of “A Haunting Midlife”. It would be best to have read the series through Book 7 before reading this continuation. We find out about Alfred and why his lips were sewn. The surprising discoveries while trapped in the Inbetween and the funny aftermath of the return. Now Ava, her family, and the coven will try to resurrect Ava’s mother, who has been trapped in the Inbetween by a curse and pursued by an evil, black entity. Luci is very interested in the Inbetween, which he cannot enter, because his lover and daughter are there. Ava will try to re-enter with help from [Fae] friends because Luci’s lover is a Fae princess. How the evil, black entity was overcome and the truths that were then revealed makes a surprising, shocking finale to the book. It’s not a cliffhanger, but you’ll be anxious to read the further amazing developments and exciting adventures with Ava and her ever-increasing family.
Rescuing her mother for the in between place is just the start of her challenges.
I find the numbering on this series a little confusing, but believe this is book seven of the series. Regardless, it works fine as a standalone.
This is a cozy witch mystery with all that entails. I am rather fond of the genre, so I was happy to have another such series. The story is well written and easy to read with a intriguing and diverse cast as well as a fun setting. The story moves at a good pace and includes plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep things interesting. We get introduced so some new elements this time which adds more depth to the setting, always a fun thing. Overall, I enjoyed this latest adventure and look forward to more in the future.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.
Omg.. I love this whole series!! I had to start at book 1 and I am sooooo glad I did. This whole story line is fabulous... Lol I really love the "Not today, Satan"!!
So in an Animated Midlife, Ava needs to go back to Pennsylvania to sell her house, except now that her powers are back on, she realizes the ghost of her husband is stuck at the house... Whoops! Lol And to make things more awkward, Drew comes to help. Also, it seems like vampires have moved in across the street.
I thought this book was so good... Not only did Ava and Drew finally move forward with their relationship, she discovers a way to bring her aunt and mom back (kinda).
Ava is back, to right a wrong of the past and figure out how to get her Mom and Aunt back on their feet . She will meet with the fey and possibly form new alliances.
Diving back into the in-between is the last thing Ava wants to do but her mother is trapped there and so is a woman who was wrongly imprisoned there. Opening the portal is going to take much more energy than even Ava and her coven can produce. Oliva is , as always, at Ava's side for yet another epic adventure in mystery & magic. Luci is also eagerly at the groups side because the black blob in the in-between is his lost love and mother to his child. Everything usually turns out alright but never goes as planned. That seems to be the general flow of the Winston house crew.
Another Laugh out Loud Fun Cozy Paranormal Mystery Full of Suspense!!!
I really enjoy this book, it's a fun fast-paced story line with delightful characters, very entertaining and hard to put down, it's laugh out loud funny, full of mystery, paranormal, actions, adventures, humor and romance, there are many things going on and the twists and turns are abundant in this adventurous paranormal cozy mystery. This book is a must read for paranormal cozy mystery fans. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A necromancy book like none I’ve ever read before, these characters are all epically memorable! This book truly had me shocked. I will admit, I pre guessed a minor mystery that was unfolding, but these authors still managed to give me a definite “didn’t see that coming” moment! Very much stewing over the fact I am horribly awaiting yet another book ( mean that in the good way). The older relatives managing to appear younger than the MC…sweet touch! Reads very smoothly and pages will fly, this is a slam dunk recommend!
Oh wow! So many interesting twists, turns, and zany laugh out loud moments. I love this series so hard. Ave, Drew, Olivia, Sam, and all the assorted witches, fae, and immortal cats made this book impossible for me to put down. And the ending!!!!! I'm ready for whatever comes next. Read in KU
*Note: some readers noticed author notes and grammatical errors in their copy. The authors posted that the wrong copy was initially uploaded, but has since been corrected. Please update any early copies.
Eva is comes back from the in between after trying to save her mother. There is something evil after her. Eva comes up with a plan to save her. Eva also finds out who Alfred is, she is surprised. Eva finds out some family secrets that she is can't believe. Eva will have her hands full this time around.
I could not put this book down once I started it. You will be enthralled from beginning to end. What an ending it was. I really can't wait to see what happens next with the revelations that were revealed in this.
We travel back into Ava’s world, where she has just found out some things about her aunt and mother that are disturbing. Getting her mother out of the Inbetween is her first goal, and dealing with the blob that came after her is the second…
It might be a short book, but there is a LOT going on. Secrets are revealed, huge ones; which lead to some interesting events and that cliffhanger. It’s all good though, as it makes for an interesting and exciting read, filled with magic and mischief!
I'm not sure, well yes I am, but I wish these books were not labeled as women's fiction. As a guy I really enjoyed these books, the characters, the premise, the story arc. There were nuances and ideas that spoke to me as well. I just wonder if labeling them strictly women's fiction causes some readers who would really enjoy this series to over look them. Again and amaizing read! I will say the biggest twist for we in the series was who Alfred turned out to be. I was so expecting it to be Ava's father.
Wow! There are a lot of secrets revealed in this little gem. And just like nearly every other book in the series so far, for every answer we uncover, a half dozen new questions spring up to take over. I loved seeing Ava grow in her understanding of her powers and her allies, though the surprise at the end of this book means that a couple of allies have some ‘splainin’ to do. I can’t wait to see what comes next. I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.
This series has got to be one of the most engaging in the realm of PWF. The endings are knock your socks off and have you eagerly waiting for the next book.
Ava, Drew, and the gang are busy trying to help Luci find the love of his life. There are a lot of new elements that I have not read before and I absolutely love how Winston is a character in his own right. It’s very reminiscent of a couple of other PWF authors and a lot of fun.
Ava and the gang are back and they face some hard challenges and difficult decisions. After going to the in-between Ava now knows that her mothers sprit is trapped there and needs to rescued. But there is another sole that needs to be saved. This is another great book in this series. The plot is great and keeps you interested though the entire book. I can't wait for the next in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
In this book you will not find the average day to day humdrum or ho hum, you will find hilarity, grumpy cats and life issues that I would never in my life imagined and that’s saying something. Without spoilers, which I won’t do, it is hard to briefly describe this one. So, let’s just say this, buckle up and raise your shields and get comfy because this book will take you for a ride.
This is a NON-SPOILER REVIEW of An Animated Midlife by L.A. Boruff and Lia Davis. This seventh book in the Witching After Forty series is a fast paced quick read that is loaded with twists, revelations, secrets, drama and some intrigue. As Ava keeps growing her powers, things are heating up with the Inbetween. For such a fast read this book packs a major series punch.
This honest and voluntary review was made possible by obtaining a copy through Booksprout.
Ava and her cast of quirky friends are back in An Animated Midlife. Ava is determined to bring her mom back from the in-between with the help of all of her friends. This is an entertaining story and it is packed with mystery, suspense, drama, humor, and unexpected twists and turns. After that cliffhanger ending, I can't wait to read the next book in this series to find out what happens next for all of these interesting characters. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
What a enjoyable and entertaining read. For a short read their were plenty of twists, surprises and intrigue to keep you enthralled to this epic adventure mystery from beginning to end. Even though it does end on a major cliffhanger I'm interested to see what going to happen next and what revelations are going to be revealed. Overall a great read. As always my reviews are totally voluntarily and no monetary compensation was received and the opinions I have expressed are completely my own.
Ava’s life continues getting crazier and crazier since she found her mom in the in-between. Now she is determined to rescue her from her very unrestful afterlife and gets the whole gang involved, along with Lucifer and some of Ava’s new coven. There are also some new allies they meet through Carrie, the Fae librarian. A couple of big twists make this story even more fun and exciting. I received an advance copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.