Initial Thoughts This was really good! It had all of the elements needed to make it the perfect shorter listen. And just because it was short didn't meInitial Thoughts This was really good! It had all of the elements needed to make it the perfect shorter listen. And just because it was short didn't mean that it was a small story. Felicia takes a call while volunteering at a suicide prevention hotline that will change her life. She gives the girl her phone number and gets very involved in her story, going as far to investigate things on her own when it looks like her own family may be connected. I couldn't wait to see how things worked out. The narration was spectacular, making this the perfect quick listen.
Review copy provided by the publisher. Full review to be posted soon....more
Initial Thoughts Oh, I loved this! Ada and Wes were wonderful characters and they had sizzling chemistry with each other right out of the gate. It was Initial Thoughts Oh, I loved this! Ada and Wes were wonderful characters and they had sizzling chemistry with each other right out of the gate. It was fun watching them try to keep things professional when it was obvious that it was just a matter of time. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Vanessa Edwin and the great Teddy Hamilton. The narrators did a phenomenal job with this story.
Review copy provided by the publisher. Full review to be posted soon....more
My Thoughts I have had this book on my virtual shelves for years! I am kicking myself for waiting so long to finally get around to reading it. I love KMy Thoughts I have had this book on my virtual shelves for years! I am kicking myself for waiting so long to finally get around to reading it. I love Kelley Armstrong's writing so I had a great feeling about this one and it did not disappoint. I loved getting to know Elena and the rest of her pack. There was plenty of excitement throughout the story. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a fantastic job with this book.
I had such a good time with this book! After reading quite a few positive reviews for tThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I had such a good time with this book! After reading quite a few positive reviews for this book, I decided to give it a go myself, and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Emmy and Luke were fantastic characters and I wanted nothing more than to see them find their happily ever after. Once I started listening to this gem, I did not want to stop!
Emmy moved back home to her family’s ranch after a riding accident left her unable to get back on a horse. This is a big problem since she races horses for a living. Luke is her brother’s best friend and has always been almost like a member of the family. When Luke offers to help her get over her fears so that she can ride again, she takes him up on that offer. The chemistry between this pair is palpable and they can’t resist each other for very long.
These two were perfect together. Even though they have known each other for years, I felt like they truly learned to understand each other once they spent some time together. It was great to see them fall for one another. I liked that they were able to help each other work through some things and stood up for each other when necessary. The secondary characters were incredibly well-developed and added a lot to the story. I can’t wait to see more of them in future books in the series.
Aaron Shedlock and Stella Hunter did a fantastic job with the narration of this romance. I thought that they were both able to bring their characters to life which added to my enjoyment. Both narrators had very pleasant voices which complimented each other’s very nicely. I thought that they were able to add just the right amount of emotion to their reading which helped to heighten the listening experience. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. This was a fun romance with characters that were easy to fall for. I cannot wait to read more of this entertaining series.
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio....more
I thought that this book was incredibly well done! I can be a bit of a mood reader and This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I thought that this book was incredibly well done! I can be a bit of a mood reader and decided to pick this one up when I was in the mood for a bit of horror. I was also hoping for something a little different, and I think this book fits that description. I know one thing for certain -I will never look at apples the same way again!
This story is told from multiple points of view. There are a lot of characters that play a key part in this story, and each of their perspectives adds a lot to the overall story. There were times that I had no idea which direction the story would take, and I loved the fact that there were some pretty big surprises worked into the plot. It was mind-boggling how a town could go so crazy over something as innocent as an apple.
The cast of narrators really knocked this one out of the park! I love the way each of the narrators was able to bring their characters to life. I never had any difficulty knowing which perspective the story had switched to, and I thought that their voices all complimented each other’s nicely. There were some pretty creepy scenes in this story and I thought that their narration really heightened that experience. I am certain that their performances added a lot to my enjoyment of this book.
I would recommend this book to fans of horror. This was the creepy apple book I didn’t know I needed. This story was full of surprises and enough scares to keep things very interesting, and I genuinely cared about the characters and hoped they would be okay in the end. I hope to read more of this author’s work soon.
I received a review copy of this book from Penguin Random House Audio....more
This book is simply not working for me. I feel like most of the story has been Mabel's inner monologue, and it is just taking me out of the sdnf @ 50%
This book is simply not working for me. I feel like most of the story has been Mabel's inner monologue, and it is just taking me out of the story. I feel no connection to either of these characters and there seems to be no chemistry between them. Unfortunately, I am not invested in the outcome of the story.
This was really good! I was almost immediately hooked by the story of the Joseph familyThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was really good! I was almost immediately hooked by the story of the Joseph family and a young girl named Marley who wanted to belong and connect to someone. Marley and her mother move around a lot so she hasn’t had the chance to make close friendships. When she first becomes involved with this family, she wants a spot at the dinner table more than anything else. It didn’t take long for me to become completely invested in this story.
Set in the 1990’s, the book spans quite a few years and we see the family grow and change. This is not a perfect family, not at all, and they have plenty of secrets, but they also share a powerful bond. The two oldest Joseph boys work in and help run the family’s roofing business and eventually, Marley becomes a vital part of the company. When the secrets start to unravel, they have to learn how they can move forward.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Maria Liatis did a great job with this story. I don’t think that I have listened to this narrator’s work before but I was very impressed. I thought that the voices that she used for the characters in this book were incredibly well done. I found her voice to be pleasant and easy to listen to. She added just the right emotion to her reading to really help the story come to life. I am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this book.
I would recommend this book to others. This family was a complicated one, as most are, but I loved this journey that we take with them in the pages of this book. I hope to read more of this author’s work very soon.
I received a review copy of this book from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio....more
This was a fun read! Some parts of the story were rather funny and the mystery kept me This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was a fun read! Some parts of the story were rather funny and the mystery kept me guessing. Pregnancy and childbirth play a prominent role in this story and I thought it was rather entertaining to imagine a group of hugely pregnant women playing detective. I am so glad that I took a chance and decided to give this book a try.
Alice and her boyfriend, Joe, have just moved to town with their dog, Helen, and are due to have a baby very soon. They enroll in a childbirth class and not only does one student go into labor during the first session but a man dies in the shop downstairs and they are all considered suspects. Alice wants to make friends and what could be a better way to bond than solving a murder with some of the women she has met at childbirth class?
I listened to the audiobook and thought Kitty Kelly did a great job with this story. This is only the second time that I have listened to this narrator’s work and I have been impressed both times. She did a great job with the more comical moments in this story which helped to bring the story to life. I liked the voices that she used for the various characters in this story and thought that she brought just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I believe that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that there was a nice balance of humor and mystery in this book and I loved the fact that it kept me guessing until the end. I plan to pick up the second book just as soon as it becomes available.
I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books....more
I enjoyed this book! I was able to guess quite a few of the twists but that didn’t hindThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I enjoyed this book! I was able to guess quite a few of the twists but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment. I couldn’t wait to see if my predictions were accurate or if the story would take another unexpected twist. Thankfully, I was surprised a few times throughout the story. I found this page-turner to be very entertaining.
Margot moves in with a new friend, Lucy, and her two roommates during her second year of college. She is unhappy when someone from her past moves into the fraternity house next door. Margot never liked Levi and blames him for the death of her high school best friend, Eliza. I was never quite sure which of the characters in this story and I was very eager to learn just how the events from the past were connected to what was happening in with Lucy now.
I listened to the audio and thought Karissa Vacker did an amazing job with this story. I am becoming a huge fan of this narrator’s work and this book was no exception. She did a great job with the various character voices which helped to bring the story to life. I thought that she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading which heightened the listening experience. I am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this exciting story.
I would recommend this book to others. I had a great time trying to figure out all the twists and turns in this captivating story. This is the second time that I have picked up this author’s work and look forward to reading more very soon.
I received a review copy of this book from Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio....more
My Thoughts Nothing earth-shattering here. This was a somewhat entertaining spicy gay Top Gun retelling. The parts of the story that reminded me of theMy Thoughts Nothing earth-shattering here. This was a somewhat entertaining spicy gay Top Gun retelling. The parts of the story that reminded me of the movie were fun. I didn't really feel like we got to know these characters all that well so I wasn't too invested. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrators did a great job with the story.
This was fantastic! I might even like Molly better in this installment than I did in thThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was fantastic! I might even like Molly better in this installment than I did in the first (and I liked her a lot in that book!). I love how much Molly has grown as a character and I was happy to see that things were going well in her life. Well, things are going great until there is another death at the hotel and Molly finds herself in the middle of another investigation.
The mystery in this installment kept me guessing, and I enjoyed the flashbacks to the past that were worked into the story. It was really interesting to me that Molly had a connection to the deceased author even though he didn’t seem to remember. Molly looks at the world a little differently and I thought that some of her insights into this case were very interesting. There were a few things that I was able to figure out but I found the book entertaining overall.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Lauren Ambrose did an amazing job with the story. She did such a great job of bringing Molly and the rest of the cast of characters to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and thought that she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to others. This is the second book in the Molly the Maid series and I would recommend reading the series in order if at all possible since the events from the first book are discussed in this installment. I found this mystery to be delightful and I hope that we see many more stories featuring Molly the maid.
I received a review copy of this book from Penguin Random House Audio....more
Initial Thoughts This was a really interesting read! Annie is a robot designed to be a companion to her owner, Doug. I liked Annie and thought that herInitial Thoughts This was a really interesting read! Annie is a robot designed to be a companion to her owner, Doug. I liked Annie and thought that her point of view was an interesting one. Doug was not always as likable as Annie. As Annie grows and learns, the way that she sees the world changes which raises some important questions. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a great job with this story.
Review copy provided by the publisher. Full review to be posted soon....more
This was so much fun! I am a reader who is always looking for something a little differThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was so much fun! I am a reader who is always looking for something a little different that doesn’t fit nicely into a single genre. As soon as I heard that this was a serial killer rom-com, I knew that I needed to read it. It was gory, sexy, laugh-out-loud funny, and rather romantic. All the things that I love. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t get it out of my head until I had reached the end.
I liked Sloane and Rowan and thought that they were perfect for each other. They were both killers and seemed to understand each other. Plus they were able to enjoy their hobby and even made it into a game that they play once a year. Some scenes are pretty intense so this may not be the right choice for every reader but I loved the way that the author was able to weave humor into the story along with the gory bits. The chemistry between the pair was incredibly well done and I wanted to see them work things out.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Joe Arden and Lucy Rivers took the story to the next level. They were able to bring Sloane and Rowan to life through their narration. I loved the slight accent that Joe Arden used for Rowan’s character. I thought that the narrators’ voices complimented each other very nicely and I had no problem listening to this book for hours at a time. Their performances added a lot to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found it to be a really well-done and rather unique story. I found myself rooting for this pair of killers and I loved that there were some pretty big surprises worked into the story. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book in this trilogy!
I received a digital review copy of this book from Zando....more
I really wanted to love this book, but it was just kind of okay for me. I decided to giThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I really wanted to love this book, but it was just kind of okay for me. I decided to give it a try after seeing quite a few positive reviews and the fact that it has been named Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year and Amazon’s Best Book of 2023. I saw the book described as a murder mystery and I expected a murder mystery. It would be a stretch to call this book any kind of mystery so my expectations were a bit off.
The story is very well-written. The bulk of the book is set in a small area of Pennsylvania called Chicken Hill during the 1930’s. This area is home to a quirky cast of Black and Jewish residents. Throughout this novel, we meet many characters and learn their backstory. It was interesting to see how interconnected this community was. I liked some characters more than others but I found something interesting in each of their stories.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Dominic Hoffman did a fabulous job with this story. I believe that this is the first time that I have had a chance to listen to this narrator’s work and I was very impressed. He handled the vast cast of characters quite well which helped maintain my interest. I am certain that his performance is a big reason why I liked this book as much as I did, and I hate to admit that I am not sure that I would have finished without his narration.
This book is going to work a lot better for many readers than it did for me. I spent most of the book waiting for someone to die so we could explain the bones found at the very beginning. Unfortunatly, the author doesn’t circle back to those bones until the very end of the story and by then I didn’t care anymore.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Riverhead Books and Penguin Random House Audio....more