Audiobooks Unleashed Library

Tricia Wright
Circle of Blood Book Three: Lover’s Sacrifice “This book the third in this unusual and exciting series features only three of the original six vampires, I say original because there are now eight vampires in total. Oksana, Duchess and my personal favorite Zander are in Haiti where Oksana was born. Whilst there they meet Mason Walker, he's a doctor working with Doctors Without Borders helping the children in this war-torn country. Oksana recognizes Mason as the reincarnation of her former husband almost as soon as they meet, it only took one touch of skin to skin. But as she has never forgiven herself for the death of her husband she tries everything she can to avoid him. She doesn't want to turn him into a vampire even if it is what the prophecy says must happen in order to defeat Bayel, the demon responsible for making them into vampires and for so much evil happening in the world. Mason tells them that children are being taken from the villages and when they return they seem to be zombie-like, he puts it down to a new drug but our vampires know that this must be the work of Bayel. So the three vampires and Mason attempt to find a way to rescue them. But during the rescue, things go badly wrong, resulting in the near-death of all concerned. This series has captivated my interest, these vampires are like no others and their stories so far have moved me immensely. In this story, though I did think that Oksana took a little too long to accept the gift she was being given. I love Mason, he is such a good man and I'm sure will go on to do even more for mankind. But the real hero of this book for me was Zander I really can't wait to learn his story. The narration is excellent, this book once again is narrated by Gwendolyn Druyor an excellent voice actress who uses a variety of accents speaks both slow and fast and gives each and every character a distinct personality bringing the story to life beautifully.”
Circle of Blood Book Two: Lover’s Awakening “This is the second book in this series and although it is a complete story you would get more from it if you have read the first book. We were introduced to Eris and Snagg, as well as the other vampires, in the first book but certainly got to know them better in this story. Although Snagg still remains somewhat of an enigma. Trynn is a top-notch globetrotting corporate security consultant by day but in her own time, she is a hacker who belongs to an anonymous group MASQUE, they spend their time uncovering some of the worst criminals the underworld has to offer. One day, as she is leaving after secretly checking the security protocols at a bank she, along with others, is held hostage by a potential suicide bomber. Eris somehow senses her distress and enters the bank and tries, by means of his powers, to calm the man and defuse the situation. When Eris and Trynn touch fleetingly sparks literally fly and Eris recognizes in her the spirit of his long lost soul mate. That situation may be over but Trynn wants answers, how did he calm the man, was the charged feeling a one-time thing? To this end, she approaches Eris at his hotel and demands them but what Eris tells her seems to be too unbelievable. The storyline is action-packed and has lots of drama but there was little time for any romance as Eris takes off to try a stop the detonation of some nuclear suitcase bombs which she has learned about and she is hunted by an evil force. But Eris has taken on too much this time and needs the help of the rest of his family of vampires as well as help from Trynn who has a major decision to make. I would love to tell you more but that would involve spoilers which I won't do but what I will say is that this series definitely has me hooked. Once again this book is narrated by Gwendolyn Druyor an excellent voice actress who uses a variety of accents, speaks both slow and fast and gives each and every character a distinct personality bringing the story to life beautifully.”
Circle of Blood Book One: Lover’s Rebirth “Well what can I say about this book without giving too much away, I'll start by saying that once again these two talented writers have written a story I could not stop listening to. I had read some reviews prior to listening to it which said it wasn't up to their usual standard but I think they were listening to or reading a different book to me! This one is about Della, a human who lives in New Orleans works as a receptionist at an insurance company and has a pet goldfish called Jewel. Her life is ordinary and somewhat dull but it's not going to stay that way. One day as she is going home from work she becomes involved in a vicious attack by a group of men who, for no reason, seem bent on killing everyone in the square she happens to be in. But miraculously her life is saved by a group of vampires who to all intents and purpose in this book are the good guys. The leader of the vampires, Tre' felt an electrical charge when he helped her to her feet and recognized her as the reincarnation of his lost love Irina. Della's memory is altered so she has no memory of the vampires but when she is attacked again and the vampires again come to her aid Tre' decides to tell her who and what he is. He asks her to stay with him for her own safety as the demonic power who made all the vampires is out to get revenge on her for saving Tre's life when she was Irina, so many incarnations ago. As the story progresses Della begins to learn more about the forces of evil working against her and as she and Tre' spend more time together a bond forms between them, and as Della starts to remember her past lives she realizes that the love she felt for Tre' all those lives ago has never been surpassed she comes to accept her fate and her part in defeating the evil force. There is so much more I could say but then I would have to give spoilers which I refuse to do. What I will say is that I already have book two loaded onto my device so that I can listen to that one next. The narration of this book by Gwendolyn Druyor is excellent, she brings this story to life beautifully. I loved the way all the accents are so individual and distinct, there is never any confusion about who is speaking. Also, the feelings expressed in her voice are vivid and you know just how happy, sad or afraid the people are. You could listen to this book as a standalone but, I for one, want to know what happens to the remaining five vampires, will they too be reunited with their own lost loves? Will the demonic force trying to destroy them succeed?”
Venom Boxed Set Complete “This Box Set appealed to me mainly because I love Vampire stories, especially when the Vampires in question are tall dark and sexy and the story has something a little different about it. I will admit that I had never read or listened to anything by these authors, I was actually looking up books narrated by Meghan Kelly whom I enjoy listening to. But this find was a GEM!. Although this is three books listening to them in one go, albeit over a period of time, making it one continuous story as the books flowed into each other beautifully, each one picking up where the previous book ended. The storyline was very good and the characters were very well defined. The main characters are Chelsey and Slade but the background characters, Chelsey's cousin Melody, who I do admit when the story started I did not like - but she grew on me as the story progressed - and the members of Venom a Rock Band made up of Vampires and one sexy and funny Lycan called Liam. When the story stars Melody has gone missing but Chelsey thinks she knows where she was the previous evening, Club Nightshade, so together with her best friend Susan she goes there the next evening, little knowing that this club is run by Faye Dunbar and her followers who happen to be Vampires. When they see and hear things they shouldn't their lives are in danger and it's Slade who comes to the rescue. But after that night there is no turning back because Chelsey and Melody are now being hunted by Faye and her followers and Chelsey's whole family has been murdered by them. She and Melody are alone in the world, a world full of creatures, and evils they did not know existed. Can she trust Slade? I'd love to tell you more but that would involve spoilers, and I try to never do that. I love to listen to or read a book and have the story unfold and to know what's going to happen well, for me, at any rate, ruins a good book. So I will have to content myself by saying this story is exciting, it's different, it's sexy. It also has a lot of twists and turns to the story which kept me engaged and immersed in it. The settings for this story are the U.S., a castle in Ireland, Romania where Slade has his home and London there are many other characters introduced, some good some not so good and one who isn't whom we think she is. The narration, by Meghan Kelly, is very well done, each voice is recognizable and the intonations and individuality she brings to each character made this book a joy to listen to. I don't know if this story continues but I'm certainly going to try to find out. I can wholeheartedly recommend this three-book collection.”
Girl With A Rose “This is the sixth book in the series featuring SSA Tess Winnett of the FBI (Supervisory Special Agent). This is a relatively quick listen at 3.5 hrs, more a novella than a book but don't let that put you off because it's one of the best thrillers I've listened to or read in a while. I became immersed in this story, it felt like I was on the sidelines watching everything unfold, but a word of warning don't read this at bedtime if you intend sleeping. The characters are well-drawn, have depth and feel real and the scenes are vividly painted by the author with everything having a real feel to it. No spoilers but if you like great writing and a thrilling story I recommend you listen to this book. It can be listened to as a standalone but be warned you will want to hear more about Tess. The narration is done by the extremely talented Gwendolyn Druyor who I think is one of the best narrators around. The story and the characters were brought vividly to life by her excellent narration. I had read this book when it was first released but listening to it lifts the story to a whole new level. I was given this audiobook by Audiobooks Unleashed and am voluntarily writing my review.”
Casino Girl “Laura Baxter and Jack Holt are partners in the LVMPD and they are assigned to investigate the death of Las Vegas exotic dancer, Crystal Tillman. When Crystal died onstage in the High Roller room in the ritzy Scala Casino, with no apparent cause the question is what would cause a healthy eighteen-year-old to drop dead in the middle of her dance routine? The story is told from the perspective of Laura who in addition to solving this crime has to deal with the Department of Internal Affairs who want her to frame her partner, Holt, for something she feels sure he did not do or she herself will be out of a job. Added to that she has feelings for Holt, could things be any more complicated? The storyline is complicated involving murder, mystery, and intrigue! The plot has been really well thought out involving several good subplots which added to my enjoyment of this book. There are so many suspects to choose from, her room-mate who also dances at the Scala, her lover, her lover's wife or any of the billionaires who were in the casino that night. Or was it the man who argued with her just before she died? This mystery thriller flows well and is fast-paced and from the beginning to the very end it held my attention. As Laura and Holt investigate their working relationship is under added pressure because Holt feels Laura is hiding something from him, but what? Because of an incident involving the Medical Examiner, it did take a while to identify Crystal's Cause Of Death which helped to build the suspense. There were many twists, turns and surprises in this story and I personally did not guess who the murderer was. How Laura dealt with the problem of Internal Affairs was also very well done and I hope this means that we will be able to have more stories involving her and Holt. I am voluntarily writing my review.”
Wrecked “I loved this book, I loved the characters especially Katy, she was just so determined to do things her way! But when her stepmother attempts to take everything from her, the breakdown recovery/garage business her father had built and her family home six months after her father died she eagerly accepts the help Alex offered. Alex is a lawyer on his way to court when his car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, to make matters worse there is no phone service so he can’t call for help. Luckily for him, Katy is driving her tow truck to the courthouse to fight the case herself and try and convince the judge that her stepmother has no claim on her business and her home. She stops and gives Alex a ride to town and when he discovers she has no lawyer he offers to help her. But helping her isn’t all that’s on his mind! This short story was narrated by Randi Johnson who did a wonderful job with it, I just loved the way he puts his own spin on it. He doesn’t try to make his voice feminine but you always know who is speaking.”
Asher Black: The Five Syndicates, Book 1 “I really enjoyed this story, Lucy is on a night out with her new room-mate on her first night at her new college. They go to a very upscale club owned by Asher Black. Whilst she's there she meets Asher but doesn't know she has, to her he is "blue eyes", he's sexy and oh so gorgeous. If you have read the 'blurb' you will know the gist of this story but what the blurb won't tell you is that this book has a compelling storyline. Asher is a bad guy, a member of the mafia and yet he is the hero of this book. He's a stone-cold killer but I couldn't help liking him. The combination of a college student and a mafia fixer together seemed a little off at first but as I listened I found they were perfect together. The storyline is very good and really drew me in, I really couldn't stop listening to this book, I just had to find out what was going to happen. I can't say a lot more about the storyline without giving too much away and spoiling the book for you but I can tell you there were so many facets to the story I was hooked. Lucy and Asher grew into their relationship and it changed both of them for the better in my opinion.”
The Third Wish “If you grew up on fairy stories, as I did, then maybe Aladin was one of your favourites it was certainly one of mine, this book is like Aladin for grownups except that the genie lives inside a pillbox (despite the cover picture) and is a woman. Owen is the hero of our story, he has come into possession of said pillbox and has made two wishes already and only has a few hours left to make his third wish before Cleo, the genie, is freed from her obligation to him. His first two wishes hadn't worked out too well for him and he's trying to find out from Cleo how to make the best of what he has so far received by his first two wishes by making the right third wish. Cleo for her part is eagerly awaiting her freedom, should she help him make the right choice now, should she act on her growing attraction to this human? It was a fun listen, the narration by Jack Calihan was excellent, his portrayal of Owen and Cleo was perfect.”
Grady Judd “"Charli and Grady" Wow! What a start to a series, this book had everything, it made me laugh, it made me cry, it had me on the edge of my seat - I could not stop reading this story. Deputy Charli Sampson is a strong woman, who has served her country in the military and is now back in the US working in Cotton Creek as a deputy sheriff. She has been there for about six months and has made many friends. She does not fall in love and as far as she's concerned she's not looking for a permanent relationship with any man. Then one day she sees Grady Judd and things are never going to be the same again. Grady is a heartbreaker, he's well-liked in Cotton Creek but very few people know who he really is. He might own a ranch there but he doesn't work it. He comes and he goes without any explanations to anyone. He's not looking for a permanent relationship - he has no trouble picking up women, in fact, he's broken the hearts of most of the single women thereabouts. Then he sees Charli and for him things will never be the same again. During this story, we learn why Charli is the way she is, strong, loyal and dedicated to her job. She loves children but refuses to love a man. We also learn why Grady is the way he is but that's not all we learn. They both have deep abiding issues linked to loss. Grady and Charli do get together but just when things are starting to become intense, Grady leaves and Charli has no idea when or if he will be back. What he is doing and why is revealed but as I don't give spoilers I will not say any more. There is a killer out there and Charli is asked to work with the Texas Rangers and the FBI to find him, what happens next is intense, and dark and kept me on the edge of my seat. This is a fantastic story with elements of the supernatural, a light dusting of BDSM (nothing upsetting), terrorist action and a serial killer/killers. This book should not be missed the writing style of Ciana Stone is fantastic and the storyline so well thought out and developed. The narration by J Scott Bennett is perfect.”
Southern Comfort “I am a fan of Ciana's Cotton Creek stories and this one is the first in a spin-off series Honky Tonk Angels. Southern Comfort is about Riley Morgan a hardworking cowboy, an ex-star of the big screen and internet friend to Analise a writer of western romance. In this book, we revisit some characters from previous books and learn more about them but Riley Morgan and Analise Becke are the main stars. Riley has returned to his hometown Cotton Creek, Texas leaving behind his days as Nate Bridges "Movie Star". He lives and works on his ranch surrounded by people to whom he's a friend and not a star. Analise made a friend in Riley on facebook while researching her books on cowboys, she has no idea that Riley was once Nate a star she has crushed on for years! Analise's husband has been unfaithful for years, their marriage is over. So now that her son is settled in college she going to divorce him. She withdraws half the money from accounts held by her husband offshore, this she puts in trust for their son. She also withdraws half of their two joint saving accounts all this totals sixty million. What she doesn't know is that the off-shore money belongs to the mob and that they want it back. Analise has bought an RV and after a series of events decides to go to Cotton Creek and visit her friend Riley. But on arrival, she faints when she sees her longtime fantasy crush, her perfect man, Nate Bridges whom she has based every one of her book heroes on. Feeling that Riley has not been honest she ends up going home with Cody Sweet, another friend she has met online. She becomes fast friends with the whole Sweet family and gradually gets to know Riley better. But the mob are becoming impatient they want their money back, her ex is being pressured to get it back or else! Friends of Riley's in the FBI come to her aid along with Joe a character we have met in other books. How can Analise get the mob and her ex to leave her alone and not bring trouble to the people that mean the most to her? This is an exciting story if you like cowboys, and stong and sassy ladies, off the chart hotness, intrigue, and a strong sense of family and friends, and a touch of paranormal then this is a book for you. The narration is excellently done by J. Scott Bennett who has a way of bringing all the characters to life.”
Finding Justice “This is the second book in the Honky Tonk Angels series which is the second series set in a place I wish was real, Cotten Creek. Every single person in Cotten Creek seems real, I just love this place invented by Ciana Stone This book is mostly about J.D. (Justice Dillon) and Jo (Jolene) but we do get to visit again with people we have already met. Jolene works for a TV station and has been doing a story on the Nash family and a curse which they have been under for years, that story brings to her attention Jason Weathers aka Jedediah Nash. He left home when he was very young, he changed his name and lost touch with his family (no more about that - spoilers you understand). J. D.( Justice) Weathers is Jason's eldest son, a widower who has twin sons. Jolene has come to Cotton Creek to interview the Weathers family about the Nash curse and what happened to his father. She has given Jason further news about the events in his youth which lead to his need to flee and change his name. J. D. is against the interview and shocked when he finds out that Jolene is Jo a woman who has haunted him for three years because he was with her on the night his wife committed suicide. Undeserved guilt can change a person and Jo shocked by the changes she finds in the man she has never forgotten. As Jo makes friends with his family and the people of Cotton Creek further truths are revealed and J. D. learns to accept the truth about his late wife and comes to accept that he needs Jo in his life. When a man attacks Jo he becomes terrified of losing her and it forces him to accept his need and love for Jo. But then the man kidnaps both Jo and one of his sons and the whole town becomes involved in the search for them. Can J. D. save his son and the woman he loves in time or will the Nash curse strike again? A wonderfully moving and powerful story of love, acceptance of the truth and letting go. It 's also a story of new beginnings and the importance of friends and family, and how love makes you stronger. This was an emotional rollercoaster which made me laugh at the banter, cry for the heartache and get goosebumps when Joe appears yet again. I'm waiting for the day the Red Hats get their comeuppance though! The narration by the wonderful J. Scott Bennett is excellent bringing warmth and depth to Ciana's incredible characters.”
The Devil Duke “The Devil Duke by Tessa Bowen is a modern-day Cinderella romance about Izzy DeLuca a young American girl who faints into the arms of The Devil Duke when he comes into the shop she is working at to buy a new shirt. Paparazzi take numerous photographs of her in his arms which add fuel to his notorious reputation but by some fluke, the man in the street think she's wonderful and is happy he has fallen in love with a commoner. A short time later Izzy is offered a sizable sum to travel to England and marry the Duke to help him redeem his reputation. The Duke - Trevor - is, at the start of the story, very unlikeable stuffy and pompous. Whereas Izzy is wild, she has short dark hair with a purple streak, wears outlandish clothes and refuses to comply with his demands. Never the less they each decide that they will go through with this marriage. The Duke's elderly secretary Sir Archibald and the Duke's 13-year-old daughter are both lovely characters who are important to the story. As the story progresses feelings become involved on both sides but the Duke seems to think that he can have his cake and eat it too as he has his 'friend' the Baroness almost always at his estate, how is that going to work? When Izzy decided enough is enough and leaves, Trevor has to come to terms with the fact that he will need to really change if he wants to win her back. By the end of the book Izzy and Trevor had totally won me over and what started out as a business arrangement turned into so much more. The story is narrated by Virginia Ferguson who did a wonderful job narrating the different voices for all the characters. However, the voice she used for Izzy who is 20 sometimes sounded a little young. The Duke's voice I think was perfect, so pompous sometimes and charming at others just like the man himself. This is the first book of Tessa Bowen's that I have listened to but I plan to listen to the next book in this series.”
The Demon Duchess “Abigail and John The Demon Duchess is the second book in this series, I have listened to the first Book in the series and personally, I would recommend that you read or listen to that one first. Although this a standalone story, you will have a better understanding of The Countess/Abigail if you do. The Demon Duchess picks up at the point in the first book when the Countess realizes that she has lost the Duke forever to his new wife Izzy. The two main characters in this story are Abigail Sutton, an English Countess, who never has a hair out of place with impeccable manners. But who for many years has been a mistress to her neighbour, Trevor, the Demon Duke this story is told in the first book of this series. On the night she is dumped by The Duke Abigail drinks far too much and seduces her horse trainer, Jack Johnson, it's a one night roll in the hay but from their one encounter, she finds herself pregnant. She has no idea where Jack has gone and makes no attempt to find him intending to raise her baby alone. Jack Johnson/John Jackson is not whom Abigail thought he was, he is not just a horse trainer, he's the heir to a vast ranch in Montana. He is a loner who was deeply hurt by the last woman he loved, he has deeply ingrained trust issues. But when he and Abigail meet again by chance when she is just starting to "show" he insists that they marry for the sake of their child. These two are complete total opposites who can hardly tolerate each other, but for the sake of their child they marry but Jack leaves when their daughter is only weeks old leaving Abigail to wait and wonder if he will ever return. When Abigail discovers that Jack Johnson is really John Jackson she decides to fly to Montana and confront him. What follows is a journey from England to Montana, and then Australia as Abigail and John try to overcome their pasts. I have to say I wanted to shake John or even slap him for his treatment of Abigail in general and his unreasonable behaviour towards her and his brother. On the other hand, I enjoyed seeing Abigail change from the emotionally damaged, spoiled, sad and lonely woman she once was into the brave, loving, and strong woman she became. It was also nice to catch up with characters from the first book and see how their relationships evolved, especially Sir Archibald and Izzy. This book is wonderfully narrated by Virginia Ferguson, she also narrated the first book so the continuity between both books in this series is excellent. Virginia's crisp British accent perfectly portrayed Abigail and Trevor. But she also did a wonderful job with Jack's masculine American accent.”
Wrecked “I loved this book, I loved the characters especially Katy, she was just so determined to do things her way! But when her stepmother attempts to take everything from her, the breakdown recovery/garage business her father had built and her family home six months after her father died she eagerly accepts the help Alex offered. Alex is a lawyer on his way to court when his car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, to make matters worse there is no phone service so he can't call for help. Luckily for him, Katy is driving her tow truck to the courthouse to fight the case herself and try and convince the judge that her stepmother has no claim on her business and her home. She stops and gives Alex a ride to town and when he discovers she has no lawyer he offers to help her. But helping her isn't all that's on his mind! This short story was narrated by Randi Johnson who did a wonderful job with it, I just loved the way he puts his own spin on it. He doesn't try to make his voice feminine but you always know who is speaking.”
Stay for Me “This review is written after listening to the audio version of this book. This was a great short story one I listened to in one sitting as it's just a little over an hour. The author did a wonderful job with the amount of content she managed to put into so little time. Overall I would describe it as a sweet but sexy story with palpable chemistry between the characters. Owen is Addy's temporary boss and there is an immediate attraction between them but Owen doesn't mix work and pleasure, well he never did before Addie! Will he make an exception for Addy? The narration by Randi Johnson is so good, he has such a range of voices, bringing the characters to life beautifully, Addy is sweet and calm whilst Owen's voice is a bit deeper. His performance makes this such a fun experience, you always know which character you are listening to. I will definitely listen to more of this series.”
The Third Wish “This review is written after listening to the audio version of this book. If you grew up on fairy stories, as I did, then maybe Aladin was one of your favourites it was certainly one of mine, this book is like Aladin for grownups except that the genie lives inside a pillbox (despite the cover picture) and is a woman. Owen is the hero of our story, he has come into possession of said pillbox and has made two wishes already and only has a few hours left to make his third wish before Cleo, the genie, is freed from her obligation to him. His first two wishes hadn't worked out too well for him and he's trying to find out from Cleo how to make the best of what he has so far received by his first two wishes by making the right third wish. Cleo for her part is eagerly awaiting her freedom, should she help him make the right choice now, should she act on her growing attraction to this human? It was a fun listen, the narration by Jack Calihan was excellent, his portrayal of Owen and Cleo was perfect.”