How To Date Your Dragon (Mystic Bayou, #1)

by Molly Harper

[kimbacaffeinate]

Shifters of every variety live openly with humans in the small town of Mystic Bayou while the rest of the world remains unaware. The League for Interspecies Cooperation studies these creatures and as concerns grow that the secret world of shifters will be exposed they decide to begin a study of Mystic Bayou, Lousiana. It is their hope it will be an outline for future societies. Anthropologist Jillian Ramsay's first assignment is derailed, and she is sent to Mystic Bayou after her mentor is injured.

As one would expect of a small southern town, the folks in Mystic Bayou aren't exactly happy to see Jillian. They don't take kindly to strangers especially ones who intend to study them. From the moment Jilian parks her van outside of city hall and meets the mayor, a bear-shifter named Zed I was hooked. City Hall houses everything, including the local sheriff's office. Bael Boone, whom Jillian describes as the finest specimen of a man she has seen in a long time, is not at all happy to see Jillian. If he had his way, she'd be leaving town.  I loved their initial banter and couldn't wait for more!

The story, available first on Audio, is narrated by Amanda Ronconi and Jonathan Davis. Amanda was the perfect choice for Jillian. I was pleased they decided to add Jonathan Davis to the mix While he is a new to me narrator his accent and deep baritone voice lent itself perfectly to the male voices. He truly enhanced the humor, particularly for Zed and Bael.

Mystic Bayou is such a fascinating town. It consists of a tiny main street and then there are homes set along the bayou and deep in the woods. There are all sorts of creatures and some unusual anomalies which should prove to be very interesting. I loved the concept of Jillian being an anthropologist and interviewing residents. While she may not have field experience, her handling of the town and in particular Bael was well done and hilarious to witness. Groping shifters, pie, and Bael made for good times.

Harper threaded an exciting murder-mystery into the tale that added suspense and aided the romance. All resulted in a fun, entertaining and engaging listen. There are well-placed sex scenes that were delicious without being overly detailed making this a good fit for everyone. I loved how the story wrapped up and teased us with things to come. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer