Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  True Mate

SERIES:  Prosper Woods Chronicles Book 1

AUTHOR:  Patricia Logan

NARRATOR:  John Solo

PUBLISHER:  Westburg Publishing

LENGTH:  6 hours and 42 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  May 5, 2021

BLURB:

True Mate is the first book in the Prosper Woods Chronicles, but don’t miss True Knight, the incredible prequel to the series!

When I moved to Prosper Woods, California, a couple of weeks ago, I’d had big plans for a quiet life. Let’s just say, things haven’t exactly turned out the way I expected they would. For one thing, as new sheriff, I hadn’t planned on investigating a murder the day after my arrival. For another thing, no one told me supernatural creatures existed. I didn’t believe it at first, but when Vincent Lasco suddenly smiled at me with a mouth full of fangs, things got interesting.

Quiet small-town life indeed!

The moment I decided to take Sheriff Romeo Harmon home for a roll in the sheets, I knew hiding my true nature was a huge mistake. Then again, things never turn out the way I expect. The simple life of anonymity I’d hoped to have in Prosper Woods has blown up in my face in the most poetic and spectacular way. Not only that, the guy isn’t even aware that he has secrets of his own. How a guy could have lived all his life not knowing what he was, seems nearly impossible but in his case, I know it’s true.

Supernaturals are everywhere!

The town of Prosper Woods has a couple of new residents who at first glance, seem very unsuited for small town life. Before long though, I realized they were right for the town…probably the only right thing about this weird place. Surprisingly, they fit right in.

Things are about to get interesting!

REVIEW:

Patricia Logan’s True Mate picks up right after the prequel, True Knight, ends.  True Knight is a wild ride and True Mate may be even crazier, so buckle up buttercup.  

Prosper Woods, the small California town surrounded by the sequoia forest, serves as the backdrop for this series.  Ms. Logan brings this world to life through remarkable imagery.  I could see the town, the forest, the stores, Vincent’s home with his subterranean basement bedroom, the diner … all of it in vivid color with lifelike details.  She similarly creates and describes her characters in a way that taps into all of our senses.  Even though we aren’t there and haven’t met these characters, we certainly feel like we have.  

Notably, the cast of True Mate is … let’s call it diverse, although that’s a wholly inadequate descriptor.  Humans may be outnumbered in Prosper Woods.  The primary inhabitants are supernatural creatures of every kind you can imagine.  All kinds of animal shifters, werewolves, witches, vampires, ghosts and who knows what else. The magic is strong in Prosper Woods and the conflicts from both within and without are profound, in some cases even life-threatening.

It puts our main characters, Vincent and Romeo, in perilous situations and the town residents are not immune.  True Knight kept a tight focus on Vincent and Romeo’s developing relationship and threats to their well-being.  In True Mate, the lens widens and we hear from more characters and see more of them pulled into the fray.  Ms. Logan enhances this through the use of multiple POVs.  Most chapters are, as you would expect, from the POVs of Vincent and Romeo.  However, we unexpectedly get chapters or parts of chapters told from the vantage point of an ancillary character.  The shift is noticeable when it happens and signals that what we are seeing is particularly notable.

When True Mate begins, Vincent and Romeo are an established couple. Their relationship stands as the epitome of insta-lust/love, but they are an unshakeable couple as evidenced by the text.  These two form the backbone of this story even though lots of new and exciting elements swirl.

Note that this story is really not a romance per se. Ms. Logan delivers many intense, steamy scenes as well as blatant, romantic expressions of affection and love between Vincent and Romeo.  The commitment and adoration, particularly on the part of Vincent, is downright adorable.  Yes, I know calling a vampire adorable seems, well … odd, but there you have it. 

I strongly suggest that you read the prequel first because that’s where Vincent and Romeo’s relationship is established. But that’s not the only reason. The prequel lays the groundwork for what happens in True Mate.  And a lot happens in this book which will be confusing without having read the prequel first.  

John Solo delivered an engrossing vocal performance in True Knight which he repeats here in True Mate.  He is able to convincingly translate the emotional connection between Vincent and Romeo.  His narration of Vincent, in particular, is exceptional, although perhaps just slightly less on point than in the prequel audio – and I really do mean slightly.  There were one or two spots where the voice slipped out of character but, honestly, if you weren’t scrutinizing the audio like I was, you probably wouldn’t have even noticed. 

Mr. Solo’s expressive performance remarkably embraces many characters, some new and some existing, but all of whom have substantial roles.  His has prodigious skill at creating unique voices for a myriad of characters and consistently delivering them, even in scenes where he is shifting voices in quick succession.  His thoughtful expression of each character through his vocalization allows the listener to discern traits about the character that round out their understanding of who the character is and what their motivations are.  Mr. Solo imparts Floyd’s voice with a growl and a sharpness that communicate his hatred and unhinged mental state.  Greg’s deep voice is as unassuming as it is certain.  You hear latent fear threaded with strength and an inherent refusal to back down when his friends and loved ones are threatened.  Sid’s tremulous voice conveys age, experience, wisdom and power commensurate with his supernatural stature.

Mr. Solo manages all of this through outstanding utilization of dynamics, pitch, timbre and intonation.  Additionally he’s plugged into Ms. Logan’s text so he conveys the content with the right amount of energy and emphasis.

Overall, True Mate captured my attention from page one and held it to the end, and then some. The Prosper Woods series is a continuing storyline. True Mate, while gripping in its own right, is not fully wrapped up at the end of the book. There is definitely more to come and I’m there for it.

RATING:

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