Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I am seriously enjoying police procedurals in the crazy world of the last few months. I had purchased the first audiobook in the Eve Ronin series awhile ago , so when I saw this second book available I requested it. The first one was an easy, good read so I was happy to start on Bone Canyon.
Eve is a new homicide detective in a very male, misogynistic department in Los Angeles California. She became famous in the first book for arresting a tv star behaving badly, which helped her get the promotion. But then in Lost Hills, she and her about to retire partner, solve a huge case. Her instincts help her to save an abducted girl. Now bones have been recovered which are old enough to be a cold case, but Eve works to learn all she can.
There is a good combination here between the case, her development as a homicide detective and Eve's personal life. Eve interviews and works the evidence on the case, making some reasonable deductions. Based on doing her job, rather than kow-towing to tv personalities or the easy choices, Eve continues to get some hazing from other detectives. Eve also has to fight off the tv show offers which are only exacerbated by her greedy family. She is gaining some allies with her hard work and determination to arrest criminals.
Other than the Hollywood aspects, the story seems mostly realistic. The case gets twisty with multiple victims and multiple crimes. I enjoyed it and look forward to more Eve Ronin. Narration: This series was my first listen to this narrator. I thought she did well with the male and female voices. Her performance of Eve's voice and thoughts felt right to me. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Guild Codex Demonized series is a different aspect of the Guild Codex Spellbound world. I have read the entire Spellbound series. I would say you can read Demonized without Spellbound first but I wouldn't. I really prefer to read in order, yes, but there is also background on the world, the guilds and some of the characters which is really helpful if you ever have first book in a series issues. PLUS the Spellbound books are awesome! Robin has gone through so much and so many changes over the past 4 months with Zylas. I don't know what I expected or how she would keep her promise to him. I have been glad for relationship with Amalia to develop as well as friends at the Guild like Tori and Zora.
I really like the strength of Robin in her efforts to translate and understand the grimoire and its history. She also learns to work with Zylas and his magic. Robin and Zylas discover a lot about the history of demon contracting. It's also fun to see Amalia work on her clothing line and be supportive of Robin even though Zylas scares her.
Things are frantic with the cult along with hunting and being hunted by Xever / Claude and Nazhiver. Xever and his cult have big plans which Robin, Zylas and the Crow & Hammer Guild have to disrupt. It was a little difficult to line up this story with the Spellbound story. I may have to go back and read Damned Souls and a Sangria again to put them together in my head.
Robin and Zylas do explore their feelings for each other as they try to resolve the many problems. Both of them care more about what the other wants than their own preferences. But Robin does have to dig deep to say what she wants and how she feels and her choices about what must be done for the future of demons. Robin and Zylas put the future of demonica ahead of their personal wants. Delivering Evil for Experts is an adrenaline rush with so many feelings.
Narration: Cris Dukehart is what my mind expects to hear. I really enjoy her voices for Robin and Amalia. Dukehart is one of my favorite narrators. I slowed this down to 1.25x speed to savor it a bit longer.
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some poinThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
[image]
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point). Kindle freebie November 4, 2019
(currently $2.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as of writing this post.)
3.5 hearts
I could have had some of the same unrealistic issues I have with other titles but I really enjoyed Christmas with a Spy. It's only natural a lot of shorter reads have more insta-lust and insta-love. This couple did have a lot more issues though. Jemma had other men who had dated her briefly and an overprotective friend. Grayson had his past career to leave and start a new life. Some big secrets hid in these issues. I didn't feel like they kept secrets; it just took a few days to know and feel at ease enough to share them.
As with other romantic suspense, they were together enough, as Grayson protected Jemma, they got to know each other well. We do see them talk and learn about each other. Gradually, they share the parts of their pasts they most fear will bring judgement. But there are some hot, sexy times regularly.
The setting of Holly NC is the title of the series. I have not read the other books and didn't feel like I was lost. Several authors have contributed to the series. It looks like I have read other books in the series, all out of order.
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at soThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
2.5 hearts
[image]
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point). Kindle freebie on December 7, 2020 (currently still free at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as of writing this post)
One Last Step was easy enough to read. The mystery was not easy to solve, so the investigation required some smart deductions. It is not a long story but the world was straight forward enough to be understood.
My issue is with the character development. Tara is a new agent and she comes across as a special snowflake. Her seasoned partner and other law enforcement offices feel like cliches without the details to become real life people. The emotions and actions were not always reasonable so they characters were not believable. Even Tara's relationship with her long-term boyfriend was bizarre.
Obviously, this was ok but I am not compelled to read more in this series. You may feel differently. The plot was fine but I wanted more depth for the characters....more
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conteThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I've been enjoying the Boston Classics series, so it was interesting to read a novella about two side characters. It is set in the 1990s and the characters are both friends of Kate from the first book, What I'm Looking For. Alice is her best friend from college, and Hot Steve is one of her co-workers.
Novellas can be difficult as they are short without as much time to develop characters or the world. I would recommend reading at least the first book to enjoy this more and be more aware of why you want to read more about Hot Steve. I enjoyed all the cultural references tremendously.
I loved learning more about Alice and Hot Steve. They really go through the wringer and it's a rough road. We get the added benefit of seeing how Kate and Will progress in their relationship, careers, and have children.
Alice and Hot Steve get to know each other at the start which is when they help with Kate and Will's wedding. They get along very well and enjoy their time together. The story spans the next 10 years and their personal and career struggles. Finally, Alice and Hot Steve see each other again at Kate and Will's 10th anniversary. At last, they are willing to look beyond their former issues to consider a relationship which is what they always wanted.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
I decided to review Pretty Little Wife because of the genre and the narrator. I didn't realize I also have enjoyed the author in the past as well, in a different genre.
There are two main points of view here. We get the thoughts of Lila, who is the suspect, and wife of the missing man. The other thoughts are of Ginny, the police detective, who investigates the missing persons and homicides with her young partner, Pete. Both women are subject to some misogyny and other prejudices, even though they are extremely competent.
I thought this was a very well-written story with great character development. Lila is a bit of an unreliable narrator because she only divulges what she wants you to know, which is far from everything. And there is SO much happening. Slowly, as the police investigate we get more pieces of the truth, and each is shocking or puzzling. Each fact turns what I believed on its end.
Lila's past, as well as those of her husband and his brother, eventually become known. They are horrifying, part of the warning about violence, and yes it is violence against women. Ginny is very smart and has good instincts. Lila is just trying to set things right. Both of them do quite well.
Narration: Xe Sands is one of my favorite narrators so I choose audios to review like this when she is the narrator. I think her voices are well performed for both male and female characters. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Toybox is the second offering in the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series. Alyssa is a cop who leads her team. She has devoted her life to trying to find the missing and reunite families. I enjoyed the continued development of her family and her team, and seeing their support for each other. They are a bunch of good people who see the absolute worst. When people go missing, especially teen girls, it is rarely good for the missing.
Like the first book, All the Pretty Girls, this is dark and violent. Certainly, one might be triggered by things which happen. I love a police procedural and seeing them track down the missing. It's a combination of finding witnesses, good research and making smart deductions from odd bits of information about the victims. When there are multiple girls taken and one turns up dead, the stakes only get higher.
There are several personal connections in this story, from one of her daughter, Holly's, friends joining the missing, and the history of her partner, Cord. The character development gives more realism and depth to the emotional weight of this case. I did guess one of the villains very early which is unusual but not most of the solution.
Missing teen girls really gives the suspenseful feeling of being on a clock. We get scenes of the girls and their horrible plight. I find the solution of the case inspiring and the sense of closure and justice helpful in these crazy times. Narration: This narrator was new to me with this series. I've gotten comfortable with her voices for the main characters. The voices are distinct but a few of the voices were really strange, particularly Sophie, one of Holly's friends. The younger voices were higher and lighter whether male or female. It felt appropriate. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conteThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have only read Elizabeth Hunter's offerings in the Paranormal Women's Fiction (no other authors yet). I like paranormal and the concept of older, more realistic heroines. Her first trilogy, Glimmer Lake is set in the same world as the Moonstone Cove trilogy.
The main character is Toni Dusi who is a prickly woman with a relative everywhere in town, who has been running an auto shop for years. She has also found out she can feel others' emotions and sometimes change them. To top things off, she is even more fractious as she has new personal issues to handle. Then her cousin who runs the winery next to her house, is going through a bad divorce and becomes a suspect in a murder case. She needs all the help her family and new friends can give.
Of course, Katherine and Megan, are all aboard to help. Luckily, the police detective has accepted their unusual ways of helping. Toni's skills help her detect those not telling the truth. They work through the messy facts as to who and why the murder happened. While they do, Toni finds her personal strength to make choices for the future.
The investigation of the murder was rather mad-cap. I did worry about them putting themselves in danger. There were a few situations where I thought people should be a bit more careful. Overall it was a fun adventure. It was a pleasure to see Toni accept some help and love into her life....more
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some poinThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
[image]
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point). Kindle freebie November 22, 2020 as part of The Special Delivery Holiday Edition
(currently free at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as of writing this post)
2.5 hearts
Special Delivery was just too sweet, fluffy and unrealistic. By sweet, I don't mean no sex. There was plenty of sex. This was rich people who had everything, where everything went perfectly, there was no drama and everybody was so happy. It was insta-lust (believable) and almost insta-love (not quite believable). I gave an extra 0.5 heart because there were adults who talked honestly to each in the relationship.
I couldn't resist reading on in this series. I'm actually reading the 4 book set but it's easier to keep track of the separate books this way.
The HunI couldn't resist reading on in this series. I'm actually reading the 4 book set but it's easier to keep track of the separate books this way.
The Hunted picks up where Trackers left off with the same characters and the same issues. It is not a great situation and the bad guys have too much power. I now want to become a prepper. ...more
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I listened to the first book in the Natalie Lockhart series from the library. The events were shocking, a real twist. I wanted to see how things would be for Natalie going forward. She is feeling grief and guilt, pushing everyone away. The Wicked Hour goes in a different direction from what I expected. That's not a bad thing since I'm not a writer.
It seemed to me there were some new characters here. The town has a big Halloween celebration and October is a big tourist month with its history with witches. Things have gone pretty normal until the cleanup. A body is found and Natalie works the case. She seems much more solitary now in her work and her life. The victim was a student at a well-known music school and competed in the talent contest for the celebration.
I like Natalie. She works with dedication. She is smart and follows evidence and deductions well. I wonder why she doesn't have a partner and the dangers of being on her own in a murder investigation. Her personal life is a mess. It seems to be a transition for her and I can only hope things improve.
The possibilities and connections give Natalie several leads to follow and trying to trace the victim's movements during the weekend's events is tricky. There are people Natalie thought she knew but learns much more about them. The killer is one of the reasonable suspects. But the ending, as far as Natalie's life, was a stunner for me.
Narration: The narrator has changed since the first book, but I didn't notice, as I listened to it in January. The tone is a bit similar when I compared the samples. Everything is from Natalie's point of view and the voices felt comfortable. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point).This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
[image]
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point). Kindle freebie on November 16, 2020 (currently $4.99 and in Kindle Unlimited as of writing this post)
I liked Kenzi. She was smart, cool in the face of situations, and kind to others. She did a good job with getting to her niece and providing what she needed. She cared about what Ember wanted and let her be involved in the decisions. I did feel neither of them were quite concerned enough about their safety with a murderer out there.
Most of the characters other than the few main ones were cliche. I would have preferred more development or more gray scale rather than all good or all bad. This added to the unbelievable feel for me. The mystery plot was straight forward and expected. I can't believe they didn't think it was a murder initially!
The Perfect Death is the start of the new Brannon House series. My favorite parts were the development of Kenzi and Ember. With the twist at the end, there is sure to be more along those lines in the next book, Family Secrets. It releases next week and I'm reviewing it on audio. ...more
Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or tThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Blood Heir is the first book of Aurelia Ryder, the spin off series from the hit series, Kate Daniels. I’m a huge Ilona Andrews fan, they are my favorite UF/PNR writers so I may be slightly biased in my review, but I will attempt to keep fangirling to a minimum.
Julie left town at the end of Magic Triumphs to head off into parts unknown. It is now years later, she looks different, smells different and her magic is also a little bit different. She is back in Atlanta to fight against the a new big bad and save Kate and Curran. Oracles never call with good news and Julie got the worst, if Kate knows about the new enemy, she will try to fight it and lose. It is up to Julie, and a blast from her past, to team up in order to save her family.
First, do you need to have read the Kate Daniels series to read this book. While not totally necessary, I do think knowing all the players and some histories will make the book even more enjoyable. There are a lot of players from the main series that show up and we get to see what their lives look like later.
Conlan is a little terror, as you would expect from Kate and Curran’s child, but he is a great little brother to Julie. There are a few cameos by some of my other favorites from the original series including Barbados, Christopher, Ascanio, Hugh and many more.
I loved the growth Julie has had since she left Atlanta. She is smarter stronger and definitely an adult now. All the years of training with Erra have paid off and she really has come into her own skin. Derek, well he is a surprise and I have so many questions about him. But Ilona is adamant he is not a First so Derek will definitely have a very cool backstory going on what happened to him while he was away from Atlanta.
Blood Heir is a good first book in a series. It did everything a first book it is series should do, setting up an overall plot arc, introducing the characters, beginning a possible romance *wink, wink* and delivering a solid story. My rating is probably a little inflated due to my fangirl status but it felt like coming home to a world a fell in love with over years. I’m so excited for all the possibilities for the next two books of the series....more
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The books in the Wildstone series don't seem to have much connection as far as characters or even locations, so you don't really have to read them in order. There is a romance or two in each, with much more of a life fiction feel.
In Mistletoe in Paradise, Hannah is the only one who lives in Wildstone. This is set in the Atlantic where her step-father has a charter boat. When she was young, her parents and their college friends went on the boat each year for the holidays. Until things changed 10 years ago. Hannah and James fell in love, but wanted different things. They were too young to figure it out and actually talk about the life they wanted.
Mostly, we get Hannah's perspective or their dialogue when they are together. We do get some of James' viewpoint which is a plus. Most of the story is told through the dialogue and descriptions of the actions.
This is a very, very short novella so things needed to move quickly. Hannah's parents have always been the worst and that is the same here. James' parents and James suffered a horrible loss and it has changed them over the last 10 years. Now Hannah and James are settled in their careers, still love each other, and are old enough to actually talk without making rash assumptions. It's a sweet reunion.
Narration: Erin Mallon is a popular narrator and I have heard her throughout this series. Her male and female characters are differentiated in each book. The male and female voices do sound the same as characters from another book though. I really enjoy the husky quality of her male voices. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I am having a lot of trouble with starting books in new worlds these days, particularly when there are lots of characters and intricate layers of plot. The Thursday Murder Club is a masterwork of characters; it is a delight. But there are so many! The characters are all beautifully presented.
Our four septuagenarian stars are quite distinct and precious. Joyce is our only real point of view, as she writes her diary entries. These friends are comfortable; they know and support each others' idiosyncrasies. There is something utterly charming and sometimes amusing about their investigation. Like Miss Marple, they know people through long observation, but they also have experience from their lives and a wide range of friends and contacts to gather the facts they need.
I loved watching them work out the possibilities and pursue information. Their initial group was formed going through cold cases from their friend, Penny, who was a cop and is now at the end of her days. But when a murder happens in their community, they are certain they can assist with a live case. They try to help the police with the investigation and humorously manage to run the case quite well.
I highly recommend this murder mystery with the amateurs in the chase. There was an interview at the end of the audio with the author and I'm thrilled to say this will be a series, with these easy-to-love characters, and more of their meddling with current cases I'm sure.
Narration: I don't believe I have listened to this narrator previously. Her voice sounded correct for the locale and her performance added to the enjoyment with the emotional inflections. I listened a bit more slowly than usual at 1.25x because of the detailed plot and large number of characters.
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the booThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I LOVED having the Alex Verusseries as the Read-along choice for 2019. I enjoyed every book. Benedict Jacka is a clever bugger because he has me loving a spider and rooting for her! Forged is the 11th book, so there may be some spoilers here for earlier books. I would definitely recommend reading this series in order and the books are highly recommended.
At the end of each book, things only seem more dire for Alex. I don't know how he even figures out a plan. Right now with so many people trying to kill him, he is on the run and isolated most of the time. What kind of life is that? He can't see any friends or they will be questioned and persecuted too. It's almost easier to list who isn't a problem than who is a problem.
But the biggest issues are the council, Richard and Anne. All three are threats. It takes constant vigilance to stay ahead of the council who wants to execute him. Richard may want to kill him or use him, or both. With Anne, it is hard to know who is in charge, Anne, Dark Anne or the djinn? He wants to get Anne away from the djinn and make a life for them, but that may not be what Anne wants.
Alex tries to stay ahead of the council while researching to learn more about djinn and get a handle on some enemies. He comes up with some strategies for getting people to leave him alone. Alex really exhausts every option to avoid killing people. His efforts are extremely dangerous and there are many intense fast-moving scenes. And some people die.
It actually seems like Alex might be making progress. He is just about to regroup before the next problem and wham! Alex can't ever seem to catch a break. The fateweaver is taking over more of his body and who knows what will happen then. I love this world, these characters, but most of all I love Alex. There's only one book left in this amazing series.
Narration: Gildart Jackson is excellent with this series. He's become a favorite narrator for me. I appreciate his voices for all the characters. I'm collecting them on audio as I can. I loved listening and was comfortable at my normal 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Guild Codex Universe has worked slowly to the point where Guild Codex Spellbound series is at the same situation as the Guild Codex Demonized. I thought they might merge but they have not. It is intriguing to see some events from two different viewpoints. And now there are going to be two more storylines within Guild Codex. There is reading order on Goodreads which combines the various series in the world. The overall story arc is connected and like most urban fantasy, I would read them in order.
Damned Souls and a Sangria is the final book in the Spellbound story. Tori is trying so hard to get solutions to help Ezra and time is running out for them. Robin and Zylas have been helping and waiting for them to figure some things out is excruciating. Tori helps however she can to stop her worry.
Things really explode into action with many players affecting the outcomes. It was exciting because many things happened which I didn't expect. The demon contractors and the demon mage cult and the MPD and the Crow & Hammer all end up in the battles. The fighting is intense and dangerous. Things seem dire more than one time.
I really enjoyed seeing the Crow & Hammer team come together. Darius is all kinds of awesome, and so is Tori. We see an old favorite of mine - Zak, the Crystal Druid - who is getting his own series. Kit, and Agent Shen, who just started their own related series, jump into the fray. And I have yet to read the final book in the Demonized series with Robin and Zylas (waiting for the audio). The layers of people I care about have so much happening.
I loved this inspiring ending with solutions for so many characters I have come to love. You'll want to read this series, the whole Universe in order and you won't want to miss a single thing. It's amazing fun and heartwarming with good triumphing over evil. Narration: Cris Dukehart has been the main voice for this world. I am so comfortable with her voice for Tori, and Robin as well. She is one of my favorite narrators. She is able to infuse character emotions into her performance. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I read the first 4 books in this Widow's Island series through Kindle Unlimited. They are written alternately by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh. I enjoy both these authors in their mystery genre work. This series is all short novellas so I have to be more careful not to spoil too much. I really enjoy these for quick and easy reading.
Tessa is one of our three ladies who grew up on the island. A Broken Bone features her character. She is one of the main law enforcement officers for the island. Tessa has a lot of family responsibility with her mother facing early dementia, and her high school age sister in her household. Her guy, is Logan, who is also Cate's brother and a park ranger.
Logan works with her on the cases which have a variety of dangers from humans, old housing structures and natural outdoor ones. Tessa and Logan are caring professionals and do a great job in difficult situations. There is some development in their personal relationship as well.
Narration: Christine Williams has narrated the entire series, so by now I am very comfortable with her voices. She differentiates enough so I can tell different characters. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I chose The Haunting of Brynn Wilder for a few reasons. First, because Xe Sands is a favorite narrator. Second, the setting is Minnesota where I lived for many years. Next, because is was near Halloween so something spooky seemed fitting. I sort of expected a "real world" haunting, like someone trying to scare Brynn. It is more a paranormal story with some mysteries and there are a couple ghosts.
Brynn has known a lot of loss and grief so she goes to a small seaside resort town where her friend lives to recover over her summer break. She meets some great people from various stages of life. Observing their issues and choices, she considers the people in her life past and present and future. Stepping into a whole new environment, and back from her everyday life lets her review her own options.
There is more a journey here. The epilogue does show us what happens after the summer in a summary. I found it a thoughtful reading with real world issues to ruminate. However, it didn't feel very well-defined or factual, but more open-ended.
Narration: Xe Sands is a favorite narrator. Her tone is haunting in this performance. It's well-matched to the type of story here. Her male and female voices are familiar to me and comfortable. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I read plenty of mystery/thriller type stories. They have many different sorts of main characters but the primary one in the new Sawyer Brooks series is a crime reporter or investigative journalist. Sawyer is the youngest of three sisters. We get her point of view and sometimes her sisters'. All three of them were sexually abused as children and have serious issues.
Sawyer is doing really great investigative work. Her current project is looking into missing girls when a girl is kidnapped. The middle sister appears to be doing the best at remaking her life. She helps Sawyer with her research and interviews on the missing girls case.
Her oldest sister, Harper, is struggling. She has found some new friends and methods for coping. Unfortunately, she hides this from her husband . He has been a great support and she loves him, but he is angry about her withdrawl, especially as she is pregnant and didn't tell him.
If I had their background, I would want to hide away and live in my own safe, controlled world. These three sisters are out there engaging in very risky behaviors. They put themselves in very dangerous situations. They aren't stupid, but they aren't careful enough. It's hard at times to watch their choices and sometimes terrifying.
We see a lot happening, but there are still some twists which make the story interesting. I found Out of Her Mind very suspenseful with young girls missing and hurt. It was intense, wanting the case to be solved, with Riley rescued or for her to escape. The police seem a little bit lazy, taking the easiest route to arrest someone for crimes and not investigating beyond the most possible culprit. The police aren't shown in a very good light or like they are very nice people even.
I really enjoyed this story with the continued progression of the sisters on their personal growth. The case was suspenseful and intriguing. There is so much more to learn and the sisters have quite a ways to go.
Narration: I enjoyed listening to Jennica Damon again. She is settled into my mind as these characters, now. This is a very female set of main characters so it is appropriate to have a female narrator. The voices felt appropriate for males and females with slightly distinct voices for each character. I was able to listen comfortably at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When I saw a British mystery with Steve West narrating, it was certain I would read it. Shallow Ground is the beginning of the Detective Ford series which I'll definitely want to continue. The main character is a single dad, who lost his wife in a tragic accident. He has felt considerable grief and guilt. Now six years later, Ford has a teenage son and a promotion.
Ford is leading his first major case since his promotion. He has an instinct but everyone else sees things differently. There are some key scientific aspects which are helped along by the new CSI, Hannah. I really liked both Ford and Hannah as characters and enjoyed their work together as they got to know each other. Ford was a reasonably good supervisor with giving out appropriate tasks and praising good work. His people are mostly supportive and good at their work.
The possible suspects are quite the quirky bunch. There are enough clues to make it a bit difficult to discern the killer quickly. The team works the case in a smart and strategic way, gathering evidence, and eliminating suspects based on their facts. Naturally, there is a lot of pressure to solve a case with a guy who keeps killing.
It was lovely to watch Ford with his son, Sam, and the progression in their relationship. There are ups and downs because of Ford's work schedule and Sam's interests and activities, but they work through the issues. I'm going to enjoy seeing them as they navigate Sam's teen years.
Narration: Steve West is my favorite narrator. Since the main character DI Ford is male and this story is his point of view, it fit well. Of course, then I pictured the main character in my head as Steve West. Oddly, it is easy for me to "see" him as DI Ford, Inspector Jury, Hugh d’Ambray, Sean Kendrick and more. Sometimes it bothers me to hear a narrator as other characters but that hasn't been an issue with Steve West. The characters don't sound just the same. The character voices in Shallow Ground were nicely differentiated and seemed appropriate. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Oh how I enjoyed this story! One main point of view is Elsie, who works for a stone mason and artist, Ogden. He has been kind to her and it is a good position. She was abandoned by her family at the age of 5 and put into a workhouse. She got her position with Ogden when she was 10. A fire in the workhouse showed her she was a spellbreaker.
Elsie is hard-working and idealistic. She has been doing little spellbreaking tasks for years based on anonymous notes which she believes are for the good of the people. She is like Robin Hood.
In this world of magic, those who do magic are called aspectors and there are different abilities with physical and spiritual. There are also spellbreakers They need to be registered. There are severe penalties for those doing magic who aren't registered. Mostly it is men who are allowed to practice magic (of course).
Our other point of view is from Bacchus Kelsey who has come from Barbados to finish his master test as an aspector. He is staying with a Duke and his family who are old friends. He needs a certain type of spell to do his final test. His father was English but he looks more like his mother, and is well-tanned from his life in Barbados. He is just trying to finish up his testing and go home. But that does not go smoothly and he learns about many things he didn't even realize he needed to know.
Elsie is doing her spellbreaking tasks for the "good of the people" and gets caught. This is life-threatening for her since she is not registered. Thus begins her journey in learning more about her magic, the anonymous taskmasters, and her past. Her world is turned on its end. It's an exciting, terrifying and oddly uplifting story. Elsie and Bacchus are the good guys, in heart and compassion, if not always following the established rules. I highly recommend this adventure with its lovable characters, fascinating magic system, and suspenseful battles; it's magic!
Narration: I have listened to Elizabeth Knowelden in the past and enjoyed her narration. She does very well with Elsie, narrating the chapters from her point of view. Joel Froomkin was new to me but I came to appreciate his voice for Bacchus in the chapters sharing his viewpoint. I always enjoy the regional accents, as this is set in London and the surrounding areas. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conteThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was delighted to continue listening to the Boston Classics series, which is set in the 1980s. I was actually about the age of the characters during this time period. While it is set about 30 years ago, and I recognized many of the songs, it felt contemporary.
Lucy and Ben knew each other since they were very young and they fell in love in high school. Ben was 3 years older than Lucy which caused them to hide the relationship from their families. Their youth separated them as much as Tony's death. Neither one of them handled the grief well. They also had a long ways to go in growing up and knowing what they really wanted.
Seven years later, Ben is back in town and they have both figured out what they want in life. Some of their dreams are found as they spend time together over a few months. But knowing what you want and getting it are two different things. While they spend glorious time together, they struggle to figure out how to make the future work. They also have guilt they share over the loss of Tony.
I appreciated their emotional struggles and their happiness together. It was so exciting when they figured out how to get what they wanted for their careers. Their families were wonderful. As they worked towards their new relationship, I was crying the last half hour of this story.
Narration: I've listened to these narrators before and they are well experienced. Emma Wilder performed the chapters for Lucy's point of view; Brian Pallino voiced the ones from Ben's perspective. I enjoyed the additional emotional appeal of the narration. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I read the first 4 books in this Widow's Island series through Kindle Unlimited. They are written alternately by Kendra Eliot and Melinda Leigh. Each book in the series are short, novella length. Below the Bones is by Kendra Elliot and is very short, only a couple of hours. I would not read this without reading the series, as it is like an epilogue to Cate's story.
In previous books, Cate is an FBI agent who is injured and comes back to the island to stay with her grandma while she recuperates. While she is there, she gets involved with a new case on the island. She is on leave but decides to stay on the island to run the bakery / bookshop with her grandma and her new boyfriend, the island doctor.
Now she hasn't given final notice to the FBI and is perhaps a little bored with her new life. So when a case comes to the island that seems connected with one of her old cases she gets involved. The FBI is keen to have her back. Cate works this case along with another agent and makes a final decision about how to continue her life.
Narration: Christine Williams has narrated the entire series, so by now I am very comfortable with her voices. She differentiates enough so I can tell different characters. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I love Agatha Christie and have read her works extensively so it was a treat to have these winter and holiday stories. I had read some of these stories previously but it was far enough in the past I didn't remember them well.
All of my favorite characters, as well as lesser known ones, have representation here. Miss Marple, Hercules Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, Parkey Pyne, Bunch, Inspector Japp and Mr. Harley Quinn all have adventures in Midwinter Murder. The mysteries are all cozy as is the style for Christie.
One would think that short stories would be ideal for when one is interrupted and can only read a bit at a time, but I have read an ebook by a different author and listened to this audiobook this month and it was not easy for me in either case. Both were authors I had read nearly all their work and was familiar with their settings. Yet I had some difficulty focusing at the start of each story, which while this was still true for longer books, once I had engaged I could jump in and out of the story comfortably until finished. This is nothing to do with the review, other than maybe shorter stories are not the easiest reading for me right now.
These are charming cozy stories and I enjoyed the clever mystery aspects. Because they are in a historical settings, and in England, there are many more class distinctions, and some prejudice. It is a time before most forensics and solving the cases relies on observation and sometimes witness testimony. Although this makes the structure more simple, the criminals are no less ruthless.
I really enjoyed these classic mysteries and would recommend them to any Agatha Christie or cozy historical mystery fans. The diverse characters will surely include some of your favorites.
Narration: Because the stories are set in England, I expected and got a British accent. The voices for each character were distinct. I enjoyed the female voices and some of the male voices. Other of the male voices were uncomfortable, seeming a bit too high or arduous. The one for Hercule Poirot was the most so, perhaps with the combination of a Belgian accent? I did slow my listening speed slightly to 1.25x speed.
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conteThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have only read Elizabeth Hunter's offerings in the Paranormal Women's Fiction. I like paranormal and the concept of older, more realistic heroines. Her first trilogy, Glimmer Lake is set in the same world as Runaway Fate, which is the first in the Moonstone Cove trilogy. In fact, we get a visit from the Glimmer Lake ladies.
I like Katherine who is our main character and point of view. She is a professor, very smart and very happily married. The incident which changes her, also changes what become her two new friends. It is great to see her develop these new friends. They work on their new skills and their new relationship. It's all new and uncomfortable but they need each other.
There is a mystery around the situation which brings forth their new talents. It's tough to track down how and why it is happening. They are trying hard to save lives, but it is also dangerous for them. They do well with sorting out the problem and making a new support group for themselves.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to the next story in December, Fate Actually, which gives us Toni's viewpoint. It is interesting that it is trios of friends rather than even numbers but it seems to work well....more
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the coThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have considered the Unwind series, after becoming a fan of his Art of the Sycthe series. So I was thrilled to see a new release of the first book on audio available for review. Plus the narrator is the outstanding Luke Daniels. A friend had mentioned this was a tear-jerker so I was a little afraid.
The style is very much what I expect from this author. There are great characters who develop in a dystopian environment where there are issues of morality. Those considered the good guys aren't always good; the bad guys aren't always bad. Sometimes a great idea over time really goes rotten.
Those who are selected for unwinding are those rejected as not good or special enough to continue their life or the tithes who are like grass-fed beef, treated well but raised to harvest. Unwinding was a result of the war between pro-choice and pro-life. The concept is horrific to me. I was rooting for these unwinds from start to finish.
For them, they are fighting for their lives. It is an emotional journey as well as one of fighting and running to keep existing. Young as they are, their dire circumstances provide them the opportunity to really assess their life choices. What is the value of a life? What is the essence of a soul? Why does anyone have control over their life but themselves?
Narration: Luke Daniels is one of my favorite narrators. He provides distinct, realistic voices which make an excellent listen. I listened to this at my normal 1.5x speed.
Anne - Books of My Heart
>
Books:
coyer
(186)
Loading...
