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The Outliers Saga: Books 1-3 “Narration was excellent. She has a nice tone to her voice, and fits the characters and vibe of the story really well! Quality recording and a great listen. This is all 3 full length books in the Outliers Saga. Love that they are all together in this set! Book 1 was a bit too depressing, so it was good that I already had the next books and could continue on with the story. I wrote reviews for each book below; this has been an interesting, intriguing adventure with strong characters! Book 1 I’m going with a 3 rating because the writing is good, the world building is good, and I like Indra. But, I just don’t like reading books like this. I love dystopian type of stories, but this whole book is pretty much just depressing. Indra is an outlier; outliers are pretty much treated like crud and darn close to being slaves to the rich society. Trigger warnings for sexual assault; rape included. The outliers just put up with this for whatever reason; I feel like they do pretty well on their own just hunting and stuff, so I don’t really see why so many want to work for people who treat them so horribly. They are constantly working in fear of being beaten for some perceived wrong doing, strip searched, and groped. This whole book is just about horrible thing after horrible thing happening to Indra and the other outliers. There are pinches of good in the story, but those quickly turn to depressing things. It seems there will come a point in this series when a rising up will take place, but I wish that happened more in this book. I have the audio that includes the next books, so I’ll probably give the next books a go. I’m just not excited about it, but I hope that the story will quickly get into the gross, evil people getting what’s coming to them. So, yeah, the story is interesting, Indra is likable, but I wish there was more hope and happy to this story. Book 2 I liked this book better than the first book because this one isn't anywhere near as depressing as the first one. Despite the initial stupid decision to return to work for the Sovereigns without a plan to overthrow them, Indra is a strong character, who uses her brains to rise up. Indra and many of the other Outliers are so tired of the Fortis and the Sovereigns treating them like dirt, so with Indra leading the charge, they try to take them down. I did get a bit bored with all of the Outlier politics, but it was interesting to meet some of the other Outlier groups. Also, I liked the conflict for Indra and her feelings for Fortis, Asa. Overall, an entertaining, well-written story. I'm looking forward to reading the finale. Book 3 Wonderful finale! This one has some of the triggers from the first book, but there’s much more hope in this book. Book 1 was too depressing, but I’m glad I stuck with the series; it’s been an interesting adventure! I liked that we get POV from both Indra and Asa in this book; love their connection. Both are such strong, good-hearted individuals! Asa is trapped in the Sovereign city; the evil Sovereigns put up some electrical force field, so he’s in a very dangerous situation. Indra was attacked at the end of the last book, so she’s trying to deal with that, dealing with how to save Asa, tribe issues, and taking down the Sovereign. Lots of danger and intrigue! Cool series!”
Angus: A Broken World Novel “Good narration. He fits the character of Angus well; nice tone to his voice. Good recording quality too. Recommend listening experience. Death galore in this book; any semblance of a happily ever after for the characters from the Broken World and Twisted series is destroyed. The experiments on Angus have caused him to be long living, so he’s outlived all his family and friends; things have not been rosy for the characters from these connecting series. Angus thinks he’s all alone, but runs into a young girl and her mother; the mother is dying and asks Angus to protect her daughter. Angus and the girl set out in hopes of finding a new settlement they can be part of; it’s rough going through the zombie lands. They are dealing with some hybrid zombies; a more aggressive and faster type of zombie. The story goes back and forth between Angus’ present day and memories from his past. The writing is good and there are some interesting parts, but pretty much the only storyline is Angus remembering the past; some details about his life before the outbreak, his love for Parvati, but mainly about how the people in his life died. His memories jump around in time a lot too, so it felt disjointed at times, but I did enjoy learning a bit more about those characters. Just too bad they weren’t many happy moments for Angus and the rest. Overall, I think I’d have been fine not reading this; probably better off because I could’ve kept imagining that the characters from this series some how found a way to live long, happy lives in this crazy world they found themselves in. That’s not this series though; this series goes for a more doomsday/possibly more realistic way of ending things. I’m going to go with a 3 rating. Good writing, good bones, but just not how I want the stories I read to go.”
Species Traitor: The Complete Science Fiction Dystopian Box Set “Narrator does a great job!! She has a nice tone and good emotion to her voice. Recommend listening experience. Love that this boxset has both of the books in this duology! Both books were entertaining and I loved the premise! I would’ve liked more resolution for certain things after finishing the second book, but I still really enjoyed both books. Love Sci-Fi alien type of stories, so I loved that aspect of this story. Add in some romance and I’m there! I also enjoy dystopian type of stories; I do get annoyed at the despicable characters with their depraved minds, but I love to see the rational characters rise above! In this one, aliens come to Earth to find a new hope for life, but of course humans don’t take too kindly to Earth being invaded. Despite the aliens positive aspects, many humans have prejudice against the aliens; there’s some disheartening, sad things going on. Lots of problems arise between the species bringing out the bad sides of many. Ava finds herself knowing what the right thing to do is, but finding it difficult to actually go that direction. Along the way, she connects with alien Finn, but the road is definitely going to be a wild one for these two. Plus, there’s a bit of a love triangle going on. I liked Ava’s sass and strength to stand up for those that need it, but her common sense could use some work. I do really enjoy the connection between Finn and her; things start out rocky, but the chemistry is there. I don’t want to go too much into the second book; don’t want to give spoilers, but it continues right after the cliffhanger of book 1. For both books, we only get Ava’s POV. Things start similar to book 1, but then go in another dangerous direction. Book 2 is a little slow at times, but still an enjoyable, entertaining read. There’s an adventure through some desolate wastelands in search of hope! Overall, I really loved both books! Cool premise, interesting scenarios and action, and a super sweet touching romance!”
Species Traitor: A Science Fiction Dystopian Novel (Species Traitor, #1) “Narrator does a great job; recommend the listening experience. She has a nice tone and emotion to her voice. Love Sci-Fi alien type of stories, so I loved that aspect of this story. Add in some romance and I’m there! I also enjoy dystopian type of stories; I do get annoyed at the despicable characters with their depraved minds, but I love to see the rational characters rise above! In this one, aliens come to Earth to find a new hope for life, but of course humans don’t take too kindly to Earth being invaded. Despite the aliens positive aspects, many humans have prejudice against the aliens. Lots of problems arise between the species bringing out the bad sides of many. Ava finds herself knowing what the right thing to do is, but finding it difficult to actually go that direction. Along the way, she connects with alien Finn, but the road is definitely going to be a wild one for these two. I liked Ava’s sass and strength to stand up for those that need it, but her common sense could use some work. I do really enjoy the connection between Finn and her; I’m not huge on the way their story goes, but I look forward to continuing with this series! Things aren’t all solved in this book, so you’ll need to check out the next books for the full story. Overall, entertaining and intriguing premise, cool world building, and a sweet romance!”
Far from Home “The narration was okay; her voice fit the characters well, and she gave a quality performance. I just wanted a bit more emotion to her voice at times. Still a good listen. I really enjoy some zombie/post-apocalyptic adventures, so I liked that aspect. The action is fun to read about. Rowan and Kiaya both go to the same college, when things start going crazy in the world; the whole zombie thing, they decide to team up to get home. Along the way, they find many dangers, but also, some help. It’s a wild adventure through zombie land! I enjoyed all the characters; there are some annoyances with their lack of common sense, but they are interesting. There’s room to grow for them, so I hope to see them mature as the series goes on. Overall, I’m excited to see how these characters fare well. Fun zombie adventure!”
The Things We Cannot Change “Narration was okay; her voice was nice. The recording levels changed volume at times; it was probably just edits, but could’ve been done smoother. Still a good listen. I wasn’t a fan of this; it was written well and I love zombie romance type of stories, but this was mostly about Jade being a major alcoholic with a brief pop up of zombies. Jade’s husband died about a year ago; she couldn’t handle it, so she became a major alcoholic. Now, lots of people are dying from some disease and turning into zombies, so Jade takes the first chance she can to drink herself into a stupor. She’s a complete mess. Luckily, she happens to sleep with some random guy, Trevor, she knew for about 30 seconds; without knowing what he looks like and without protection mind you, but it turns out he’s mostly a decent guy. If it weren’t for him, Jade would’ve been dead in no time; I don’t know how Jade was a doctor because she comes across as an idiot quite a bit. Trevor was an okay character. The read was an okay one, just not for me.”
Wolf Rampant Trilogy “Narrator does a good job. She has a nice tone of voice; a little more emotion in her voice would be good, but it’s still a good listen. Good quality recording too; not my favorite narration, but I’d recommend the audio. I’ll write a quick review with all 3 books in mind for this boxset, but I wrote longer, more detailed individual reviews for each book as well for other sites. The writing is good, and I liked the series okay. I liked main character Terra; she’s the only POV we get, so I appreciate that she’s likable and stands up for herself. The romance is sweet, and I liked Wolfie. The romance is too tame for me, but they are cute. This whole series is an easy read with low emotional impact, which is fine if you just want a light read. I would’ve preferred more depth, but I liked it. I’m not a huge fan of how this author writes her wolf shifters, and I wish there was more action and less pack politics. Pack politics is fine, but it’s the main thing through all 3 books, so it gets boring. Especially, when the antiquated ideals of the pack hierarchy/politics aren’t being fought against for positive change. Too much going with the status quo, but I appreciate that Terra tries. This whole series is about Terra trying to find her way in the shifter world and with her pack. Overall, I’d say this whole series is a 3.5; book 1 was the best for me.”
Redemption (Moonchild #3) “Narrator continues to do a great job narrating this series. She fits all the character’s voices well, and her tone is nice. Quality performance and recording. In this third book, Scarlett and Layla make a stupid decision that leads to Layla needing to go into hiding; I do not like Layla or Dax. Annoying characters; the both of them. Scarlett, Asher, and most of the group end up going west to a wild west type setting to hide out; the desert, brothels and booze, little technology, corruption, and little in the way of actual laws. Scarlett, Asher, and the group find themselves dealing with a lot more danger than they expected. Turns out, there’s some evil people planning some very disturbing things for this wild west type area without much standing in their way to stop them. Scarlett, Asher, and the group need to find out what these shady characters are up to, and a way to stop all the bad guys. Plus, Asher’s evil father may be involved. Entertaining story with fun action. I wasn’t a huge fan of the setting; I’d like less prostitution and drug talk, but I’m still down with Scarlett kicking butt. She’s still withholding things and a bit too impulsive at times, but she has grown some as a character. Asher and Scarlett are fully together now; very sweet connection between these two! I’m glad they’ve finally gotten to a place where they can grow together. I think it would’ve been nice for there to be some chapters in Asher’s POV, but I do enjoy Scarlett’s POV. I was thinking this would be the final book in this series because I didn’t see any mention of another book in this series, but there’s still loose ends that weren’t wrapped up, so I’m hoping there will be another book. There are definitely more evil, sexually deviant people that need to be taken down; the amount of corruption in this world is crazy. I’m really ending this series, so I hope there will be more. I’d like to see Scarlett grow even more; use her common sense more, and for her to finally be able to relax. Plus, I’m loving all the action! Fully entertaining read!!”
Moonchild (Moonchild #1) “Good narration. She does a great job with all the character’s voices, and she gives a quality performance and quality recording. Entertaining and interesting story! Fun ideas and premise. There’s a little bit of that steampunk type style; airships and such, I actually would’ve like more of those elements, but still an interesting sort of apocalyptic world. Not a fan of most, if not all of Kate L. Mary’s books dealing with disgusting, sexually deviant men, but it is satisfying that those idiots mostly get what they deserve. Loved Scarlett ability to kick butt; not into her wearing a skimpy skirt all the time when she knows she’ll be fighting, and she is a bit of a brat, but I liked her overall. She’s ruled by her emotions, but I enjoy her tough attitude. She’s had a tough life; parents died, orphan, living on the streets, and dealing with gross men trying to abuse her, so she finds it tough to trust. When Scarlett and her crew get into some trouble, sort of pirate, Asher, and his crew save Scarlett and her crew. Unfortunately, one of Scarlett’s friends gets taken; the friend is in major danger, so Scarlett is forced to trust on the help from Asher and his crew to save her. Lots of corruption, greed, and disgusting people causing problems. The romance was too high school for me; not into the whole annoying long-term ex-girlfriend being a part of the story. I do like the chemistry between Scarlett and Asher though; there’s just a lot of push back from Scarlett because she thinks she doesn’t want a true, loving relationship. It gets annoying, but I’d be wary too with how close Asher and Paget were. Asher and Paget’s past and current relationship is a lot to deal with. Plus, Asher has that whole I’m charming and flirt with all the ladies type of personality, which isn’t an ideal for a future boyfriend. Overall, I found the story interesting and fun!”
Liberation (Moonchild #2) “Narrator did a great job again! She was the narrator for the first book too, and gave just as good of a performance in this book as in the first. Great job with all the character’s voices, Quality performance and recording. Another entertaining, fun adventure for Scarlett and her crew. It’s about 5 months after the events of the first book, this time Scarlett and Asher and the rest of the crew are out to find Paget; Asher’s ex-long term girlfriend. They received a distress call on the radio from her, but it wasn’t very clear, so they set out on the hunt for Paget. They meet lots of despicable people along the way, and danger is afoot. There’s more drama with a possible romance between Scarlett and Asher, but she still isn’t sure she’s who is right for Asher. Plus, you add in some new chick fawning all over Asher, and you have yourself an annoying, high school type romance going on. Not a fan of Asher’s flirty nature and that he doesn’t straight out say to other girls to back the heck up. Scarlett’s back and forth is annoying, but I’d be wary too; especially with Asher and Paget. Scarlett does make some stupid, rash decisions, but I was still getting mad that others blaming her for everything. Plus, she still insists on wearing short skirts all the time, but I still love that she sticks up for herself. I’m excited to see what the next book brings to the story!”
Surviving the Storm “Listened to this story on Audible. Narrator, Alexa Elmy, does a really good job. Nice tone to her voice. Quality performance and recording. Recommended! This one is a short story told from Melanie's POV. Melanie meets Logan at her sister's wedding; both are attracted to the other, but things go from bad to very bad quickly. Doubts and zombies causing problems! After the wedding, some people start getting sick and dying, but there are those that don't stay dead. It's all very surprising for Melanie; she needs to decide what she's going to do to survive. Entertaining, quick zombie story with some lovely romance. Liked the chemistry between Melanie and Logan! The ending is a bit abrupt, but still a fun read. Mainly a romantic focus, but there's some fun action with zombies and a storm.”
The Complete Artifact Reaper Saga “Listened to the boxset for this series on Audible; this set has all 4 main books for the series. The narrator does a really good job. She fits the main character well, and has a nice tone to her voice. Quality performance and recording; I'd recommend listening. I wrote reviews for each book, so this review is pretty long. The short of it is that this is an action packed series with some cool, unique magical ideas. Pretty much a YA type read; light on the romance. Loved that there's strong heroine that grows as the series progresses. A fun adventure! Each book got a 4 star rating. Book 1 - Reaper of Earth - 4 stars Interesting premise with the whole being a Reaper scenario, and I enjoy the adventure aspect of searching for magical artifacts. The whole story is told in Christina’s POV; she’s around 20 years old, but she seems younger. Naivety and her tendency for making decisions too quickly cause major problems for Christina; she annoyed me at times, too much of a teenager. Very YA type of feel to her. She does have some moments of strength, but overall, she seems weak to me. Pretty much everyone treats her like trash; her parents included, and she just mostly puts up with it. Maybe this is one of those series that she’ll grow throughout the series, but I wanted to see more of that by the end of this book. I wanted to like her, but she makes it hard; especially when she’s making deals with some majorly untrustworthy and unsavory characters; demon and witch types. Christina is too easily manipulated. The fact she would even consider reaping people before their time seems an awful lot like murder to me, so she’s a bit tough to root for. A little more about the premise. Christina is a Reaper, but she doesn’t like the feeling of reaping souls. She ends up bringing someone back to life instead of reaping her soul like she was supposed to; she does this because the girl looks like her dead best friend. She tries to hide it and lie to the Reaper Council; well, that doesn’t go over too well, she ends up in trouble with the Council. In order to appease the Council, Christina needs to use her magical power to find things to find some magical crystal and 3 other magical artifacts, or her family will be blacklisted in the Reaper community. The whole Reaper community seem like major jerks; including Christina’s parents, so if I was Christina, I would’ve said sayonara. What’s more important? Your jerk parents being blacklisted by the other jerk Reapers, or helping evil people find a crystal that can destroy Earth? Apparently, that’s a hard question to answer for Christina. Overall, there’s some really interesting elements to this story; a little slow at times, but I feel like this story could go in some really cool ways in the rest of the series. I have the audio box set for this series; narrator does a good job by the way, and she has a nice tone to her voice, so I will keep going with the series. I just hope Christina stops being such an easy target. Book 2 - Reaper of Wings - 4 stars Entertaining story with some fun, unique ideas! Love that there’s reapers, demons, angels, and more! Some cool magical elements too! Christina is still on the outs with the reaper council, so when this story opens she is moving to a different town and is living on her own; still nearby to where she lived, so I’m not quite sure how the council doesn’t find her. It turns out the Reaper council is willing to not kill her if she’ll work for them on finding those four magical artifacts. Of course, they don’t give her much choice when they threatened her parents and herself. There’s also more enemies out to make things difficult for Christina too; lots of shadiness and danger going on. Some good action going on too. Plus, she has a little help from Charlie too; they are finding out some new information about his sister that they want to look into, and Christina’s parents are finally acting nicer towards her. It’s nice Christina has some help, but Christina mainly works on her own; trust is difficult when people keep treating her poorly. Glad Christina is starting to realize that she should think through decisions before just helping undeserving people get super magical artifacts they could use for evil; she’s maturing which is good. Excited to continue the series and hopefully Christina will continue to grow as a character! Book 3 - Reaper of Flames - 4 stars Reaper Christina is still on the search for the 4 magical artifacts; she's found 2 so far, but there's a little problem when they absorb into Christina. Now, she's dealing with how to handle all these extra powers; she's becoming quite formidable, which is good because she has a whole bunch of people with nefarious plans for those artifacts out to control Christina. This book opens up with Christina working as a waitress in a different town than her home town because she went off on her own without telling anyone because she's unsure if she can control the power now within her. Her car broke down, so she's trying to make some money to pay for the repairs. There's no running for her though because there are some pretty powerful people that need her to find the rest of the artifacts. Love how Christina is realizing more and more that she needs to really be careful with who she can trust, and it's super great that she's getting training on how to work with her new powers. Still loving all the action in this series! Plus, I love that there's demons, angels, reapers, witches, etc.; fun to have a lot of different types of paranormals. There's also a little more romance in this book, which I'm glad for. Christina is a bit awkward for someone who is almost 20 when it comes to romance, but there's some sweet moments too. This series still leans towards the YA aspect I'd say; it's all pretty tame. I like Charlie okay; he's a bit too possessive at times, but he fits well with Christina. Overall, this is another entertaining book in this series; I liked a bit more depth to the characters, but it's a fun read and I do like all the characters. Looking forward to the finale with the next book! Book 4 - Reaper of Water - 4 stars This has been a fun, magical, entertaining series! Entertaining and lots of action! Christina is still dealing with having all this extra power from the magical artifacts; plus, she's still on the hunt for the final one. And of course, there's still many evil forces trying to have control of the artifacts and Christina. Demons, witches, reapers oh my! Lots of danger! Christina is still practicing how to control her powers and how to fight; it's great to see her becoming more accepting of herself, and it's awesome that she's kicking butt. She still is a bit too trusting; too many people in her world out for their own quests for power, but she's gotten much better as this series has progressed. She's also having to deal with some past bad decisions she's made. Christina has a lot on her plate. The ended was too abrupt for me, but overall, this series has been a fun adventure!”
Broken Stories: Stories from the Broken World Series “7 short stories that take place in the Broken World setting. All about people dealing with the zombie apocalypse. Each story was interesting, but I would’ve been fine without really reading any of them; I don’t think they add much to the overall world. Still some good stories though. Entertaining little snippets. Listened to this on Audible. Don’t like narration; too robotic/unnatural. She just sounded weird, but I finished the listen. 1. When Karma Bites You in the Ass This one is about Roger and Cassie. They both live in a trailer park; separately, but know each other because she went to school with his daughter, when the zombie apocalypse starts they team up. They both are a bit gross and have their priorities wrong. He treated his family horribly, and she uses sex to get ahead. They work together to find fancier shelter, and survive the zombies. Despite not liking the characters, they do make for an interesting story. This one is a bit depressing, but the author did a good job showing the complexity of Roger. 2. Until Death Do Us Part This one is about couple Sara and King; they’ve been together since they were kids, but their relationship isn’t doing so good. When the zombie apocalypse happens, they need to work together to survive. This one is heartfelt, but sad. 3. The Escape This one is about Jane and Victoria. They were being imprisoned in the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, where the women have been raped and tortured. Luckily, they are about to be broken out of there, but they still need to make it out of there alive; zombies and bad guys are still on the loose. Good action in this one. 4. Embracing the Insanity This story is about Brady from the book, The Sweetest Torment. This story was at the end of that audiobook, so I had already heard this one. It's a longer version of the story he tells Regan in that book; about Him dealing with his wife dying at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. 5. Thank You, Daddy This book mainly featured Blake and Emma, who were side characters in The Loudest Silence. This story was already featured at the end of The Loudest Silence audiobook. It's about how Blake and Emma met at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, the trauma they've suffered, and how they found themselves with a group of survivors. It was a good backstory for Blake and Emma, but it's sad because after getting their current story in the full book; I know things don't quite go well for them. Still liked getting to know them more. Entertaining story. 6. Starting Over This one is about Mike, who is a wall watcher; he watches for zombies and other dangers, in New Atlanta. We get some information about the CDC trying to find immune people to find a cure, and about the early stages of New Atlanta. 7. Something Special This story connects with the previous story. This one is about Anna in Key West, who is hiding out from zombies and dangers with her young brother, Mikey, and her boyfriend, Vince. She finds out something unknown about herself, and they find themselves meeting a new group. Things take a crazy, sad turn.”
The Sweetest Torment “Book 3, so definitely go read the previous books first. This has been such a fun series, and I've loved how Regan matured throughout the series; she's a strong character. Kellan is awesome too! This book starts right where book 2 left off; Kellan's bite from a crazy human has become infected and he needs antibiotics, and Regan and Kellan find themselves being rescued by a new group of people. Lots of new characters in this book. More zombie adventures and trust issues! These books mainly deal with the weirdos and dangerous humans in this zombie world, but it's nice to see that there are those that still have good intentions. Some great action; the riverboat was cool. I would've loved more of the zombies taking out the bad guys; they deserved to be munched on. Absolutely love the connection between Regan and Kellan! They are one of my favorite couples in Mary's books. This was a good ending to this series; sad in parts, joyous in others, fully entertaining! In addition to the regular story, there's a short story about Brady, who we are introduced to in the regular story. It's a longer version of the story he tells Regan in this book; about Him dealing with his wife dying. Also, I listened to the story on Audible. The narrator does an excellent job. She gives a quality performance, and fits the characters really well. I even liked her guy voice!”
The Brightest Darkness (Oklahoma Wastelands, #2) “Was super excited to read this 2nd book after enjoying the 1st book, and this didn't disappoint! Some more awesome zombie action! Loved the connection between Regan and Kellan; they are too sweet and so supportive of each other! They both are so protective of each other, and would do anything for the other. The whole group is still worried about psycho, Andrew, from the 1st book. Andrew is looking for those that are immune to zombie bites; plus, he's just an all around disgusting, rapist individual out to take out Regan and Kellan's group. Luckily, they find some other survivors, but with more people involved, more problems arise. There's those individuals that are still decent, but there's also plenty of bad survivors out there. Trust is very hard in this zombie apocalyptic world. It does get so frustrating when the group doesn't think things through properly; especially since they've watched the tv show, The Walking Dead. They should know better! The characters need to go with their guts more, and should really be more vigilant; especially after surviving so long in this world. Still would love more zombie action; it would be great to see those zombies take out some of the bad guys! This one does end on a cliffhanger, so I'm excited to read the next book! Really enjoying this series so far! Also, I listened to the Audible version of this story, and the narrator did great. She really fits the tone and characters of the story. Strong performance and a quality recording. Recommend it!”
The Loudest Silence – A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Novel Oklahoma Wastelands, Book 1 “Listened to the audio version of this story on Audible. It was a good listening experience; quality recording and a clear performance. The narrator does a good job; she fits the characters well. I enjoy zombie apocalypse romance, so love the premise for this story. Plus, there's a whole brother's best friend crush thing going on that I liked. Regan's brother died, but not before asking his best friend, Kellan, to look out for her. During the zombie apocalypse, that's a pretty tough job; especially since they were in their teens at the time. Now, Regan is 21 and starting to feel romantic towards Kellan, but she thinks he just sees her as a little sister. Kellan is a little bit older at around 25; he cares deeply for Regan and will do anything to keep her safe. Love how protective he is! Regan and Kellan both have a couple of annoying aspects, but I liked them together. They are both sweet with each other. They are part of a group of survivors that stay in some type of bunker, so there's a bit of story with some side characters too. Enjoyed the interaction between all the characters. We get lots about the relationships going on between the characters, some about the humans that have turned bad, and some zombie action! Overall, an entertaining zombie romance! Love that this is a series! Excited to see where the story goes and see the characters grow. This one has a bit of a cliffhanger; not too bad of one, but there's still lots of story to be told. Looking forward to it! Also, in the version of this story that I listened to, there was a bonus short story. This book mainly featured Blake and Emma, who were side characters in The Loudest Silence. It's about how Blake and Emma met at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, the trauma they've suffered, and how they found themselves with a group of survivors. It was a good backstory for Blake and Emma, but it's sad because after getting their current story in the full book; I know things don't quite go well for them. Still liked getting to know them more. Good prequel!”
Finding a Future “Narrator did a good job. She gave a clear performance and fit the tone of the story well. Nice listening experience. Enjoy stories that take place during the zombie apocalypse, so I loved that aspect! This is a short read featuring Olivia and Greg; two people who have experienced loss and are learning to deal with it. Olivia’s sister died and she didn’t handle it quite well; she slept around and got a bit of a reputation, but she’s tired of all of that. She ends up helping Greg; he is on his own, so she brings him back to a compound of survivors. They have a connection, but problems arise when Greg lets others get into his mind. Throw in zombies, and these two are dealing with a lot. It was a good story, but I would’ve liked a bit more to the ending. Still entertaining for being a short read. Some sweet moments between Greg and Olivia; nice connection between them. I wanted a bit more groveling going on from some certain people, but mostly I liked how the story progresses.”
Nightmares “Very teen and very much like The Secret Circle; that was my first thought about this book. Avery has just found out she’s a witch; lots of information has been held from her, so she’s definitely in shock when she hears this news. She’s a bit of a brat in the beginning. She joins a coven with a group of other teens, and begins her magical journey. Unfortunately, these kids are messing around with things they really shouldn’t be, so they find themselves dealing with an evil entity. Avery is a bit too much of a damsel for me, but she’s okay; typical teen. There’s a bit of sweet romance with Reid, but Avery still has a lot of maturing to do. There’s some fun magical elements to this story; I like the spooky house hide and seek, and how their fears manifest into visuals. That was all cool stuff. Overall, I was entertained, but lack of character depth and originality, made this story just okay. I read the synopsis for the next book and some reviews, and it seems like the story is just going to be very similar to this one, so I probably won’t search out the sequels. If I see them at a good price, I may pick them up. Also, I listened to the audio version on Audible. The narrator did a nice job. She fits the characters well, and she gives good emotional variances to her voice. Recommend.”
When We Were Human “Good narration. She fits the characters well and her guy voice was pretty good. I’d recommend listening. Alien invasion story, or rather the aftermath after the invasion. The humans have “won”, but the remaining humans are still dealing with a post apocalyptic world and straggler alien types. The story is okay, but I was hoping for more actual alien action. This is mostly about self harm, and the disgusting humans that are the real problem. I didn’t connect with the main character, Eva, she shows strength on the outside, but she’s a mess on the inside. She’s too weak mentally. She makes idiotic choices too many times; she endangers herself and others repeatedly. Luckily for her, she meets Walker and Tara. They are the best thing to happen to Eva and she is pretty much the worst thing that happened to them; well, not the worst, but she doesn’t do them any favors either. I liked that they meet quickly in the story; the story gets right going, so that’s good. The romance felt weird to me; I don’t see Eva being the number one priority for Walker. It felt like it would always be Tara; plus, the Ginger stuff was weird. The action that was in the story was entertaining. The story does have some interesting elements, so I did enjoy the story. Some good danger and suspense going on. Just wanted more character growth, more actual alien action, and the ending felt like a let down. Overall, an interesting read; just not what I was expecting and wanting to get from this read.”
The Book of David “Listened on Audible. Good narration. The narrator does a clear performance and her voice fits lead character, Willow, well. I was a bit bored by this. A lot of the book is just cult stuff, and it’s not even an interesting cult. It’s the typical, non-surprising type of cult that men are the rulers and the women are subservient. Girls are raped by their intended when they are 15, and then forced to marry that person when they are 18. Father David is the cult leader that says he talks to God and their rules are from God. Willow’s wedding is approaching in a few weeks; she is very frightened of her intended husband since the night he aggressively raped her when she was 15. She dreams of escaping again; she escaped briefly after her rape, but she’s scared to try again; her mother has been threatened if she doesn’t follow through. Her mother is a shell of a person, but Willow still tries. The majority of the characters are simple because of brainwashing and lack of education. The “adults” in this cult are the weak and vile that have corrupted the youth of this cult. Father David’s son is a villain along with his father, but he too has been brainwashed. These people think they are doing the right thing because they follow a false God in Father David. Willow is trying to figure out how to improve her situation when she meets fellow cult member, Jared. A connection grows, but both are unsure and fear being punished. It’s a sweet, simple connection. The story just wasn’t for me, but the author did a good job of showing how cult brainwashing works, and how difficult it is to think and live beyond the cult.”
One Starry Knight “Listened to the story on Audible. Narrator did a good job; her girl voice is good and had a nice tone, but she makes the boys seem a bit dopey. Overall, she did a nice clear performance. Loved the alien aspect; some really interesting and unique ideas. Sage and Adam have been best friends for a long time; they both feel deeper feelings for the other, but it turns out things are going to be majorly complicated when aliens start getting involved. I really enjoyed the overall story idea, so I rounded up my 3.5 rating to a 4, but this was a bit too YA for my liking; too much YA cheesiness going on. A lot of the problems arise because of lack of communication and immaturity; too many stupid, petty jealousies, so it got annoying at times. The story moves a bit too slowly as well; lots of added side stuff that didn’t add to the story. There was too much stuff with her pathetic mother, and some scenarios seemed repetitive. Sage is too sappy and overly dramatic too, so that also gets annoying. She’s a teenager though, so I let her get away with some of it. A lot of the characters weren’t exactly people you want to hang out with, so comparatively, Sage wasn’t too bad. Adam is such a sweet guy, and I liked Sage and his connection. She was a little too sappy and mopey at times, but I think Adam is good for her. The ending isn’t exactly a cliffhanger, but you’ll definitely need to read the rest of the series for a more complete ending. I’m excited for it! I hope the characters mature and the petty jealousies stop as the series continues. Overall, an entertaining read that kept me interested.”
Alpha Underground Trilogy “Listened to this story in the Boxset for this series on Audible. Narrator sounds too exuberant most times; she needed more tone variance to fit the scenes better. She sounded like a newscaster at times. It was an okay listening experience, but not on my list of favorites. I wrote reviews for each book below. Quick review: Fun, unique shifter series with some good action and romance. 4 rating for each book. Book 1 - Half Wolf I liked that this is an unique read, and I was entertained the whole time. It was a rough start for me in the beginning, but as the story went on, I like the direction it took. I didn't really like Easterling's take on shifters. They are jerks and too horny; they can't control themselves. Both the men and the women. I did like Fen, but her self-deprecation was a bit too much. She doesn't read people very well, but she holds her own. She's actually pretty tough, she just doesn't make the best decisions. The whole scenario with one of the wolf shifters, Ginger, was gross. She would tease men by being completely nude and rubbing up on people. It was all very unpleasant. I also didn't like that the mates scenario didn't seem to be that big of a deal. Mates is one of my favorite parts of shifter books, I love the deep connection it provides. There's a bit of that connection here, but I would've like more. There was some really weird actions between Fen's mate and a 16 year old wolf. I think it was supposed to come across as protective on his part or wolf like, but it came off as more inappropriate. It wasn't a big thing; just a few small things, but it still felt weird. The romance does have its sweet moments though, and I do like Fen's mate. He's there for Fen when she needs him. The story does start to pick up though, and I wanted to know what would happen. There's a bit of mystery going on, and there's some fun action. Overall, the story is engaging and draws you in, so despite a few things, I went with a 4 star rating. Half Wolf is a unique story with unique characters. It's a fun read. I also would like to see where Fen ends up, so I'd like to check out the next books in this series. Book 2 - Lone Wolf Dawn Loved the sweet connection between Hunter and Fen; it’s wonderful how supportive they are of each other. The action is fun, and the story feels unique. Love that Fen is strong and has some sass. She’s having to deal with a lot and doesn’t have much support at times, but she showing she’s a force to be reckoned with. The shifters act a bit more like wolves than humans; I would’ve like it to be the other way, but there’s some interesting ideas with these shifters. I do think some of the character’s reactions don’t quite fit the situation going on. Everything feels like it’s comical; nothing seems serious, there would be something dangerous happening but I wouldn’t care because it just seems like a joke. That may have something to do with the narrator for the audio; if I read it on my own, the characters may have a different tone to their voices that fits the situation better. Overall, an entertaining, fun read, and I’m excited for the next book! 3rd book - Wolf Landing This one is all about Fen and her mate, Hunter, dealing with trying to be alpha of her hodgepodge group. Fen needs to prove she is capable of being an Alpha or they won’t be recognized as a legitimate pack. There’s lots of pack politics going on; kind of boring, but there is a bit of action too that keeps the story interesting. Also, where the pack calls home, is being threatened by the town authorities because there seems to be something causing issues in the town that points to wild animals. Things aren’t looking great for Fen; especially since she’s experiencing black outs. I like that Fen stands up for herself and her pack, but I was hoping she would know to being more honest with her mate. Overall, this has been an unique shifter series and has been entertaining. I like a bit more romance and action in this book, but still a fun series.”
Illusion on Ice “Narrator did a good job. She changed her voice to fit the clueless tone of the female character well. She sounded professional and clear. A good listen. Sweet romance; Noel is a really sweet guy. He wants more of a permanent thing in the romance department, and I love that! It’s so nice not to have to read about a male character’s manwhore ways. When he meets Maisie, he thinks she’s the one, but Maisie isn’t exactly being truthful. Her horrible mom strands Maisie in a foreign country, so Maisie comes up with a plan to use her feminine wiles to get a hockey player to pay her way home. She meets Noel and the two have a connection, so Maisie starts feeling bad about her deception. Maisie seems to be light in the brains department, so her POV is a bit basic, but she’s nice enough. She’s just a bit naive and should really have a job supporting herself; she’s 21. I feel if she would’ve just been honest with Noel, he would’ve helped her without her hiding truths about herself. Overall, I liked the story; a little more excitement would’ve been good, but the romance was cute. I’d say this is a 3.5, but I rounded up for the good narration.”
The Blood Will Dry “Fun alien invasion romance. Cool aliens and poisonous alien plants on the loose! Love the whole dystopian setting for these types of invasion stories! Enjoyed the connection between Diana and Bryan; sweet and I liked the backstory between them. It’s 5 years after the invasion, and society isn’t exactly doing well; they don’t really have a good way to combat the aliens, so casualties have been high. Diana, who is our only POV for this story, suffered a huge loss when the invasion happened. She’s dealing with the loss, but still holds a lot of grief. When a familiar face from before the invasion appears, she’s both happy and unsure because Bryan wasn’t exactly a nice guy to her before the invasion. I wasn’t a fan of how quickly things progress between Diana and Bryan; I felt like there needed to be more of a conversation about the past, but I do like them together. I also wasn’t a fan of how many times it’s mentioned that Diana’s best friend likes to sleep with lots of guys; once would’ve been sufficient or how about not having the stereotypical easy best friend at all. Other than those couple things, the rest of the story is an entertaining alien adventure! Loved Diana’s strength and how she handled things. Fun alien action too! Listened to the audio on Audible. Narrator did a great job. She fit Diana’s character well and gave a performance that added to the story. Good listen!”
Strange Magic “The narrator did a great job; totally recommend listening. She fits the characters nicely. A sweet story with some cool sort of mystical stuff; I actually would’ve loved for more of the whole mystical scenario. The story focuses more on the build up of the romance. Loved the whole dreaming of someone before meeting them, so I was all on board for that, but this one is a slow burn type thing. Susannah and Duncan get off on a bad foot when Duncan thinks Susannah has ill intentions and they date other people, but there’s a connection there. Susannah and Duncan can commute in each other’s heads, but with the animosity between them, they aren’t happy about it. I would’ve liked more time with Susannah and Duncan actually together, but the story was entertaining the whole time. The connection between the two is wonderful and they are both adorable. I would’ve liked a bit more in the end, but overall, an interesting read!”
Codename Romeo “Entertaining story with a good mix of sweet and steamy. I wasn't a huge fan of the premise, but I liked both characters and the bits of suspense added to the story. Listening with Audible was a good experience. The narrator did a good job; she had a nice tone to her voice. Recommend listening if you have the chance. Ethan is a nice guy with a sweetheart. Loved how protective and supportive he is of Julia and Luna. I liked Julia okay; she's a bit too much damsel for my liking, but she has her moments of strength. Ethan and his friends have purchased an old apartment building that they are renovating for themselves. Julia and toddler Luna live in the last apartment left with tenants, but Ethan has been trying to get her to move so they can finish renovations. A snow storm and an illness get in the way of any plans of Julia finding somewhere else to live. Ethan ends up being a lot more involved in Julia and Luna's lives than he ever expected, and Julia has some secrets that may prove dangerous. I wasn't fully a fan of Julia dodging her landlords and how she came to live in the US, but the story does have some interesting elements that kept the story entertaining. Overall, a good story that has me looking forward to more!”
Eat You Up “Narrator did a good job. She was a little slow, but gave a clear performance and had some good emotion to her voice. Recommend! Loved this whole thing! I loved the initial set up of Dmitri finding his mate, Nina, on a plane and struggling not to claim her right away, and one of my favorite scenarios happens when they get snowed in for a bit. Some sexy steam! Then the story goes into a cool story about what Dmitri is involved in; some interesting magical elements, and I of course love the shifter aspect. Some action and danger to be had for both Dmitri and Nina. The chemistry is awesome between Nina and Dmitri; lots of spice and sweetness. He's a sweetie and it's so great how much he supports Nina. Nina is a tough, smart, self-less woman; sometimes she's too self-less, too self-sacrificing, but I appreciated her level-headed thinking. They have a really good rapport. The story went into some interesting directions and I was totally entertained all the way through.”
The Key to Survival (A Zombie Apocalypse Love Story Novella) “Fun, quick, zombie romance read. Jane finds her fiancé cheating a week before their wedding, so she rushes off alone to her honeymoon on an island and doesn't communicate with anyone back home for weeks. She's in a booze haze, when the news starts reporting more and more mysterious deaths. Turns out zombies are on the loose! Luckily, there's a hot, slightly younger guy that she connects with, but there's also still the cheater ex-fiancé who she was with for 11 years, so Jane is unsure about what she wants for her life. Austin was a good guy to be stranded with during a zombie apocalypse; some sweet and sexy times. For the most part, the story is entertaining and I liked the characters. The ending is okay, but as with other Mary books, I would've liked more to the ending. This series is fun because the reader gets a glimpse into how different characters contend with the zombies. I've enjoyed each book I've read in this series so far. I listened to this story on Audible. The narrator did a good job; she fit the characters well.”
Collision “Enjoyed the audio for this story. Listened with Audible. The narrator did a good job. She fit the story and characters well. Like the premise of Kara finding out her dad isn’t actually her biological father; it takes an interesting turn. Kara isn’t the type of character I care for though; I just don’t like her personality. Too immature, too self absorbed, can’t handle things well, overly dramatic, gets drunk often despite being underage, and clingy. She has this airhead cheerleader type that peaked in high school personality; not for me. The love interest, Derek, is okay, but I didn’t like the scene where it seemed like he was trying to make his ex jealous by feeling Kara up in front of all his friends; that’s just gross. Actually, all the scenes with Derek’s friends were stupid; there was some weird scene where it felt like Derek’s friend, Dax, was looking to get a threesome going with Kara and Derek. I didn’t like either of their friends; Kara’s kept going on about hopefully Derek and Kara would break up, so she could have him; eww. There is a good connection between Derek and Kara; love how supportive he is of her during her search for answers about her bio father. There’s some sweet moments there, so I did like the growth of their relationship. The ending isn’t really satisfying; there is an ending that answers the main things for this book, but there’s some things that seem open ended. This was written in 2014, so I’m thinking there isn’t going to be a sequel either; I may have missed it but I did a glance through some of the premises for Mary’s other books. Now that I think about it, a lot of Mary’s endings in her books aren’t the best. I’ve read many of her zombie books and enjoyed them, but some have some unsatisfactory endings. With all that being said, the story does entertain me, so I still went with a 3 star.”
Starblind – Starblind, Book 1 “This is a fun futuristic adventure with some very steamy romance, and I enjoyed it! Jane is the captain of her own starship, she makes money by being a bounty hunter. Jane is brash, selfish, snarky and boisterous, but she's also tough, relatable, and uses her bravado to keep emotional distant from people. The people who were suppose to love Jane treated her horribly, so she's a bit jaded and doesn't want to be vulnerable to anyone. Jane ends up making very bad decisions because of her desire to keep up her badass image. Jane comes across a bounty she can't catch and feels drawn to. Ash is a mysterious, sexy guy, who is also brash and has much bravado. These characters did get on my nerves a bit, but I still found myself liking them. There's lots of adventure, and I loved that there's different types of aliens. I was a bit surprised at how detailed the sex scenes are, but I don't mind that, so it was all good with me. I enjoyed the romance, and it had it's moments of sweetness, but I would've loved a little bit more vulnerability between Ash and Jane. Still enjoyed the connection between them though, and I enjoyed Ash's origins. Jane's origins are also a bit of a mystery. I enjoyed the suspense elements, and seeing Jane grow some. Jane gets rude awakening when her bad decisions catch up with her. This story is mainly for a fun adventure, which it is! I listened to the audio version of this story, and the narrator did a good job. There were a couple of weird pauses, but I enjoyed the listening experience! Look forward to the next book! There's still more to be done!”
Parallax – Starblind Book 2 “Book 2 in the Starblind series. It's not necessary to read the first book, but I think it's better too. Same characters from the first book, but different POV. There are sexual situations. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a good job. It's the same narrator as the first book, I do think the narrator was suited better for Jane's POV from the first book, but I enjoyed the overall listening experience. This book is with the same starship crew, but this book is in Tamzea's POV. I love Tamzea's story! I actually loved this book more than the first book. Tamzea and her mate, Eron, were captured and tortured. Tamzea escapes, but she believes Eron is dead. It has been years and Tamzea has been working on a starship, she comes across some information that Eron may be alive, so she sets out to discover the truth. I love the Sci-Fi aspect. It's a fun space adventure! Interesting and entertaining story! I love the connection between Tamzea and Eron, and I like the direction the story goes. Loved seeing the other crew as well, and I really enjoy the humor. I do wish that sometimes the characters were more serious when the situation is serious. Overall, I'm loving this series, I'm excited to see more of these characters!”
Flux – Starblind Book 3 “I love this series! This is another great addition to this series! Fun and entertaining! The romance is sweet, and I loved the connection between Zula and Kane. I love the sci-fi aspects, and getting to know more about different types of aliens. I'd recommend reading the previous books before this one because it features characters from the previous books, and it adds to the enjoyment! I listened to the audio book for each of the books in this series, and overall, I enjoy the narration, but after listening to the previous 2 books with the same narrator, the characters blend together a bit. The same inflections, same speech patterns, so even though all the female characters are different in personality, it doesn't come across in their speech. I also wish there was a wider variety of emotion to her performance, all the characters seem as if they are being sarcastic all the time. During the parts where the events are rather dire, or felt more heartfelt, I would've liked for there to be a more emotional tone to the narration. Overall though, she did a good job and I do enjoy the audio experience. This book picks up where the last left off, Zula has been taken to be tested on. Zula is a Galvraron, which is a very intelligent species, but also emotionally closed off. Zula is a bit different than the normal Galvrarons, she's not quite as closed off as the rest of the Galvrarons, but still shows restraint on her emotions. The beings who have taken Zula have put a device on her neck that makes her feel emotions deeper, so she's not quite herself. Luckily for Zula, she is rescued by bounty hunter, Kane. These 2 have some hot chemistry, but Zula thinks her desire for Kane is only because of the device on her neck. Kane has some of his own things going on, so these 2 aren't quite sure what to make of how they feel. Let the adventure ensue! Loved seeing more of the starship gang! Lots of fun action! Unique and Interesting, and I'm really looking forward to the next book!”
Surviving Eden “First off, the narration was great for Surviving Eden. She does great with both the female and male voices. Solid, clear quality performance. I'd recommend the audio if you decide to give this book a shot. I enjoyed the premise for Surviving Eden, and the romance is really sweet. Overall, I liked both Theo and Eden. Theo is manly and take charge, but still a sweetheart; well mostly. Eden is confident, and doesn't play games. Theo's family (Parents and Sister) died when he was a kid and Eden's parents have just been killed in a car accident, so they both are dealing with grief. This draws them together, but there's a little bit of a problem. Theo was Eden's dad's friend, and he is now also Eden's psychiatrist. I love a forbidden romance, so I was all on board for that. Eden is 22 and Theo is 35, so it's not a crazy age difference. So all of that is good, but then there's these things that just didn't work with the story or that I just don't like in stories. What I don't like, plenty of readers probably don't mind. I did find the story entertaining. I'm going to have to use some spoilers to explain, so here's the warning! They are fairly minor spoilers and mainly happen in the beginning of the book, but some may not want to know. Spoilers Ahead! Spoilers Ahead! *Spoiler starting* Why didn't Theo just stop seeing Eden as a patient. She doesn't even need therapy. Also, if it's so taboo of a relationship, why in the heck are you going out in public all the time with each other. They don't even try to hide it at all. It made no sense. I don't like when the hero has sex scenes with other people. Theo has a girl with benefits that wants more from him, which he has 2 detailed sex scenes with. There's also some random tennis skank that he has a detailed sex scene with, which I didn't see any point for that to happen. This also happens after he has already met Eden. They aren't together yet, but I still don't like it. I would normally just skip past those pages while reading, but since I was driving while listening to the audio I couldn't, so that made it worse. Also, Eden and Theo have sex without a condom, but then the next time, the author chooses to mention that Theo puts on a condom, then the next time no condom again. All of these scenes without any mention of not using a condom, so why would the author even have him wear a condom that one time after they have already had sex without? Eden is working as a stripper to gain information about her real parents. She has been doing this for 3 months already, and she never mentions when she is supposed to receive the information. What guarantee do you have that they (whoever they is) will give you this information from 17 years ago. So, this all seems idiotic to me and fit oddly in the story. There's also a chapter that takes place in the past that added nothing to the story. All it did was show that Theo was friends with jerks. Maybe it will have some purpose in the next book or something. There were quite a few odd things added to the story that just fizzled out. I just don't think this series is for me. The main characters for the next book were introduced in this book, but so far, they have left a lot to be desired. The female main character for the next book is engaged to a man because her father chose him, she cheats on said fiancé with a man she met that night. These actions scream weak to me, so I'll probably skip it. Plus, I don't want to read anymore sex scenes with random men or women. *Spoiler End* Overall, it's a sweet romance with some good sex scenes. There's too many things getting in the way of the characters growth and development; things get muddled. I do like Surviving Eden, so I went with 3 stars, but it didn't quite reach the level the story could've. The narration is on point and great, so I'd go with 5 stars for the narration.”
Destined for the Dragon “Sweet romance with some spice. A little slow, but entertaining. Focus is mainly on the romance. Loved the dragon shifter aspect. I listened to the audio version on Audible. Narrator did good; he’s a little formal, but a clear performance. The story feels medieval, so I suppose the narration works. The story and characters are a bit old-fashion. Jaspyr really wants to find a mate; he’s been searching for years. If his kind doesn’t find a mate before they turn 100, they begin to go mad and become very dangerous. Luckily, Avyla stumbles upon his treasure trove. Unfortunately, she’s a bit hesitant to the idea of being a dragon’s mate and there’s a dragon nearing his 100th year, so danger is afoot. Loved that both dragon and mate need to be virgins; it’s nice that it’s not just the females. Avyla and Jaspyr are cute together. Enjoyed Avyla’s work as an apothecary and the magical aspects to the story. I didn’t read the previous books, but I don’t think it’s needed. I followed along just fine. Overall, an enjoyable dragon romance.”
Goals for a Sinner “I liked the premise for the book. Stevie is a sports photographer, she ends up getting trampled by a sexy football player, and it turns out he's her ex-boyfriend's brother, Connor. Connor had a huge crush on Stevie, but couldn't find her after his poor excuse for a man brother cheated on her. Luckily, Stevie and the brother didn't really get together, but it's still really awkward. I liked the connection between Stevie and Connor, they are cute together. I liked the football aspect, and I liked that Connor takes care of Stevie while she recuperates. Stevie does get on my nerves sometimes. She's been hurt a few times, but really she takes it all too hard. She makes some stupid decisions because she doesn't want to be hurt. I understand some of her hesitancy, but she takes it too far a lot of the time. Overall, they are a sweet couple. One of the things I didn't like about this book, was Connor's team members. One of them is totally disgusting, and the author has way too much of him in the story. He even has his own POV briefly, and I think the next book is his story, but I couldn't stand him in this book, so I really don't think I'll read the next book. He has this book of all these desperate women who want to degrade themselves by sleeping with this douche bag just because he's a football player. Even if they have to share him with other women at the time, it's totally gross, and the women are so pathetic. And everyone is fine with it, it's so dirty and gross. He even prostitutes himself for Stevie, which I was very disappointed in Stevie for asking that of him. Also, Stevie tries to pawn him off on some nice girl, who definitely deserves someone better than this manwhore. Another thing I didn't like, is the situation with Connor's brother. He's married to the girl he cheated on Stevie with because she was pregnant, which she did, so he'd come back to her and marry her. The brother did marry her, but he cheats on her all the time, so the wife keeps getting pregnant to keep him married to her. She keeps throwing major shade at Stevie, and acting like a complete hag for the whole book. Another example of pathetic women, and another situation that no one seems to have any issue with. Both of those situations were depressing, and ruined a lot of my enjoyment of the story. I wish the author would've just stuck with Connor and Stevie's story. The audio was fine, but the accent the narrator puts on the characters doesn't work. I think it's suppose to be southern, but it sounds pretty bad. I've listened to other books narrated by the narrator, and she did a good job, so this story just wasn't a fit. The narration made the story too comical.”
Calen’s Captive “Narrator did a great job. She even has a good male voice. She really gets into the performance; not over the top, but she has some good emotion in her voice that fits the scenes. Lots of good passion between Calen and Maia. He’s so sweet with her, and I loved how focused he was on her and didn’t play games. He’s a fast mover; he knows what he wants and goes for it. I mostly didn’t mind this, but I would’ve liked a bit more of his attraction to Maia being more about who she is rather than her Fae like appearance. I felt his love, but it still felt like they needed to be more on equal footing. I’m not too keen on the whole I need a woman that looks innocent thing; felt a bit weird. Calen’s Fae kink was a bit weird too, but they did have hot chemistry. I like a bit more sass in my leading ladies; Maia needed a bit more confidence, but I still liked her. I loved the suspense and sense of danger involved in the story. Maia witnessed some Russian mobsters burying a body in the woods; she’s captured, but luckily Calen rescues her. She still in major danger though, so she stays with Calen. Calen is all for that because he knows Maia is the one for him. Love how protective Calen is! It was great that Maia knew she needed the protection and didn’t try to deny it. Yay for common sense! The story kept me fully entertained the way through, so I’m going with a full 5 star rating. I’m really enjoying this series so far! Excited to read about the rest of the characters finding their loves!”
Twisted World (Twisted World, #1) “Loved the premise! The writing was great, and the whole story was entertaining and interesting. I listened to the audio, and the narrator did an amazing job. I'd recommend the listening experience if you have the chance. She has a strong smooth voice. This book has 2 POV's; one female and one male, she did a good job with both. This is the first book I've read by Kate L. Mary, and it won't be my last. I loved the dystopian world, and I love zombies! I actually would've loved more zombie action. Twisted World mainly shows how people can be the true danger in a zombie apocalypse. Meg's life has taken a turn for the worse. Her father is missing and presumed dead, her mother is acting crazy, and there's tons of secrets she is unaware of. There's people in Meg's life that can't be trusted, and she finds herself in a very dangerous situation as she digs for the truth. I liked Meg, but she can definitely be frustrating. She's they type that needs things spelled out for her, and even then she doesn't get it at times. She's bad at reading people; she's not observant, and she overreacts. I figured since she's 20 years old, and there have always been zombies since she was born, that she would've been a little more tough. She should've had self-defense training, but it seems that she grew up in a bubble of sorts. She should've put things together a lot quicker than she did. She does have her moments though, so I still liked her. There is a bit of romance, which I loved. Donaghy is great, and I loved the fighter angle. I enjoyed the connection between Meg and Him. I found the whole story very engaging, and I wanted to keep listening. This does have a cliffhanger ending, and it looks like the next book is a different POV and sort of a prequel, so I'm a little disappointed with that. It looks like it's back to Meg's POV after that though, so I look forward to getting the rest of Meg's story. Wonderfully entertaining story!”
Twisted Memories (Twisted World, #2) “Great narration and I really enjoy the writing. Love the post-apocalyptic world building the Kate L. Mary does. Entertaining story. I think this book would have been better as an ending book for the series this series is a spin-off of, or for this to be the first book of this spin-off series. I didn't read the previous series, so I was missing the emotional connection to the characters of this one a bit. I also couldn't fully enjoy this one because I just want the story to continue rather than dwelling on the past. I'm probably just impatient. This book is kind of morose because you know all these characters are going to suffer. There's lots of POV's in this one, and it gives the story of the going-ons between the other series and the first book of this series. The story ends in the same spot as the first book and the novella, so there wasn't any new scenarios. If you are a fan of either series, you'll probably enjoy getting a deeper look at the lives of each character. I'm excited to see how this story will play out. Definitely listen to the audio if you choose to read Twisted Memories, job well done!”
Twisted Mind (Twisted World, #1.5) “Listened to this with Audible, and the narrator did awesome as always! This is the 3rd book I've listened to with the same narrator, and she always does a great job! Twisted Mind is Jackson's demented POV. I think you should definitely read Twisted World first. The writing is still great, but I didn't really care about Jackson's POV because I already knew how sick in the head he is, so this was nothing new. This book gives us a different look at some of the scenes in Twisted World, so there really isn't any new content that I felt necessary. This book just confirmed all the thoughts I had from reading Twisted World. Jackson and his dad are despicable people, and Twisted Mind shows us how much. Jackson gets off on blood and violence. The way he thinks about women is disgusting. I didn't listen to the sex scene because I just didn't want anything to do with it. Meg was definitely blind to how depraved Jackson is. Jackson is one step away from un-hinged. I know he grew up with his horrible father as an influence, but it really seems that Jackson would've been bad no matter what. I hope he gets knocked down; maybe become zombie chow. I'm ready to read that! Looks like it won't be the next book, so I'm sad. The next book is sort of a prequel, which I hopefully will enjoy, but I really just want the story to continue!”
Twisted Fate (Twisted World, #3) “I've really enjoyed reading Meg and Donaghy's POV's! Love the zombie apocalypse world! I'd recommend at least reading book 1, Twisted World, since this book picks up where the first left off. The other's aren't necessary to read since they are more prequels. I love to see the story continue, and there's some intrigue and action to this story. Meg, Donaghy, and the rest of the gang are under some intense circumstances. There's evil people after them, there's zombies, and there's enemies they didn't think of, so they need to come up with a plan to stop them all. Everything won't go the way they want, but there will be some resolution. This was lots of fun! I listened to the audio version, and the narrator does a great job. She does every characters voice, so that's a feat, and her wizened older person voice is fun.”
A Question of Boundaries A Question Of…, Book 1 “This was a fun story, and kept me interested. I'm not much for historical type stories, but this one has a little bit of twist, so I enjoyed it. There's a little bit of a steampunk feel, and I liked the mystery/suspense in the story. There's also a little bit of a sweet romance, but this book doesn't really focus on that. Caroline's inventor father goes missing, so she asks Nathan for help finding him. Nathan works for Parliament, and is having issues with the possibility that there are some nefarious characters involved in the Parliament. Another storyline is that there isn't any trading happening with foreign entities, so that is causing some contention between the members. There's also some dangerous men after Caroline because they are seeking information on her missing father. I liked Caroline's feistiness, but she does lack some common sense. I liked her though, and the other characters were good too. Nathan has an unique magical ability, and there's also some supernatural things going on with some other characters that added some fun to the story. I listened to the story, and the narrator was a good fit for this type of story. This story is sort of formal and proper, so her voice worked with it. I'd like to continue with the series, and read about the other adventures Caroline and Nathan get into. One more thing, why isn't this on Goodreads! It's not going towards my challenge, so sad!”
A Question of Loyalty A Question of…., Book 2 “I really enjoyed this one! This is the 2nd book in this series, and continues on with the adventures of Caroline and Nathan. I'd recommend reading the first book, but I suppose it isn't completely necessary to enjoy this book. I listened to the story on Audible, and the narrator does an okay job. I also listened to the first book with the same narrator, and what I said in that review stands. Her voice fits the formal tone of this story. Solid narration. In this one, Caroline and Nathan are married, and are traveling to Floriana for their belated honeymoon. Nathan also has a bit of a spy mission for the king. The boarders have been opened, so the couple is excited to see and enjoy the local sites in Floriana, but there are some factors in play that put a damper on their vacation. There's lots of shady stuff going on, and Nathan and Caroline have landed in a bad spot. Be it people or mother nature these two are in danger. As mentioned in the premise, a hurricane causes quite the problem, and the two are separated. I was disappointed that Nathan only looked for 3 days before giving up looking for Caroline, that seemed like a very short time to me. He was distraught, so I get it a little bit, but Caroline didn't give up. I do enjoy the sweet romance between Caroline and Nathan, and they have a good connection. How they feel for each other is wonderful. The story is interesting and unique, and I like the bit of intrigue in the story. I don't usually like historical type stories, but this one is fun and the story has some twists. Looking forward to reading the next one!”
A Question of Time A Question of…Book 3 “This is the 3rd book in the series, and Caroline and Nathan find themselves in another sticky situation when the foe from the first book reappears in a magical way. I'd read the previous books before this one, but it's not necessary. The narrator is the same as the previous 2 books, and does an okay job. Her voice fits the proper tone of the story. In this book, Nathan's power comes into play more than in the previous books, but Nathan is in for some trouble when it doesn't quite work how he thought. The time travel added to the story, and I wish it would've been a bigger factor. It was still nice what was there. The king ends up kidnapped, so Nathan and Caroline set out to help find him. Nathan and Caroline are parents now, and they still have a sweet connection. I like how tough Caroline has become, and how much she's willing to do to help Nathan. Nathan tends not to think things through correctly, so this causes problems for him and Caroline. I feel his strength has lessened some from the first book, while Caroline's has grown. Another interesting and intriguing addition to this series! I've enjoyed each book in the series, and they are fun reads. Not for the humor, but for the uniqueness. There was a little too much history in the ending that didn't add much to the story, and I would've liked for there to be a bit more with Nathan and Caroline, but overall, an enjoyable read!”
Fooling Around with Cinderella “This was super cute and I loved it! First off, I love the whole Cinderella thing! Jaine, the main character and narrator for the whole story, works in marketing and was recently laid off from her last job, so she is looking for new opportunities, and brings a proposal to Storybrook Valley Amusement Park, which is an amusement park that features a whole bunch of fairytale characters such as Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and Prince Charming. Absolutely love this idea! So, Jaine makes her pitch to Dylan, whose family owns and runs the park, and he agrees to give her the marketing job, but he is also in a jam and needs Jaine to fill in as Cinderella for a month or so, so wanting to seem like a team player and because she also really needs a job, Jaine agrees to the terms, and starts working at Storybrook. There's lots fun and entertaining scenarios that Jaine finds herself in, and I love that Jaine is a strong character, who knows what she wants. It's great to get a behind the scenes look at the amusement park characters! The romance is really sweet and Jaine and Dylan are adorable together! I would've loved to have a bit more romance actually because I enjoyed all those scenes, and would've loved to see more of them together. Jaine and Dylan's romance isn't all glitter and flowers though because there are some outside forces working against them that make it difficult for them to progress in their relationship. This is a clean read, and was wholly entertaining! I listened to the audiobook version of this story, and the narrator did a good job, but her voice didn't quite fit with the vision I had for Jaine; I think the voice may have been a little bit older sounding then I was thinking for Jaine, but she still a pretty good job. Definitely reading more by Stacy Juba!”
Never Doubt Me (Judge Me Not Book 2) “Listened to the story on Audible. The narrator did a good job. She fit the female lead character well; her male voice was okay, but did sound weird at times. She has to do a lot of the male voice because this book has both male and female POV chapters. I for sure would've preferred a male narrator for the male chapters, but she did a decent job on her own. I'd recommend listening. I really enjoyed the first book in this series; gave it 5 stars, so I was excited to read more about Kay and Chase. Their connection is so sweet; you can tell they really love each other. Plus, they have some majorly hot times. So, you get the heart and the heat. I'd recommend reading the previous book before this one for a better reading experience. In this book, Chase's brother, Will, brings the drama to Chase and Kay's home. Chase and Kay are in a good place, but Will's problems bring up some of Chase's past mistakes. Will is an immature 15 year old that didn't learn from his brother's past mistakes with drugs and such and has a girlfriend that has some issues at home with a threatening stepdad, so he doesn't think clearly and acts rashly. The story is entertaining; I wasn't totally loving the premise, but I enjoy the writing style. This story is a lot about Chase and Will's relationship as brothers and Will's problems. There could've been some more excitement, but overall, the story kept me entertained. It can move a bit slowly just focusing on Will's issues. The connection between Kay and Chase is on fire! I appreciate how much support Kay gives to Chase, but I do wish she would call him out more. He needs someone that will tell him when he's doing something stupid. She has such love for him, but that doesn't mean she needs to let him get away with everything. Overall, I love how much they complement each other. I do hate his pet names for her though, but Chase is a sweetie. I love his protective side. This ends with a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to seeing how Kay and Chase deal with the new problems they find themselves dealing with.”
Cadence: Untouched (Cadence Duet Book 1) “So, I didn’t realize this series has 3 things I usually skip on when I pick a book to read; I won’t go into it in this review since it would be spoilers, so I’ll save it for my review on the next book. Focusing on this story, loved the connection between Cadence and Fitz. This story is a short read; it’s a prequel to the next book. This one tells the story of how Cadence and Fitz fall in love during a summer at her parent’s camp. Cadence is 18 and Fitz is 22. Fitz got into some trouble and he is there with one of his friends working as maintenance workers for the summer. Fitz has had his wild time in college; girls and parties, but when he meets Cadence, the boy is struck. They are so sweet together. Unfortunately, they are young and don’t think things through, so they allow stupid things to happen and stupid people to get in the way. Fitz should’ve known better; especially with his past with his father. I am interested to see the outcome of Cadence and Fitz’s story, so on to the next. After listening to the audio, I loved the male narrator; he’s one of my favorites. The female narrator didn’t fit the characters for me, but she gave a solid performance.”
Stolen Angel “Good narration and performance by the narrator. She fit the main female character, Ada, well, and gave a clear performance. Enjoyable performance. Loved the suspense going on with someone after Ada; it’s great that the suspense carried on throughout the whole book and it wasn’t just a quick fix. Ada went through the ringer! Ada is one of Sergei’s assistants; he has a major crush on her, but Ada isn’t aware. She thinks she’s not his type; which isn’t a dumb thought with Sergei dating vapid, materialistic women, so she’s not thinking of him that way. Sergei is tired of holding back, so he sets out to seduce her. Things do get steamy, but things don’t end a good way. Sergei runs scared and acts like a jerk; which causes Ada to run as well, without letting anyone know. He realizes what a moron he was, but Ada is already gone. When he tries to find her, it’s found out that Ada isn’t her real name. So, mystery time! I wish there was a bit more flirtation between them before they got together and how they got together felt a bit sketchy, but the passion between these two was great. Sergei can be a big baby sometimes, but he’s pretty much a sweetheart with Ada. Love how much he cares for her. Ada has a good heart too. Ada is a smart lady, so I wish the author would’ve had her using her skills more to help herself. I do love a protective male, but I also like to see the woman use her brains to take action. She does somewhat, but she didn’t quite think things through at times. Still liked her though and she does show strength. Also, loved that characters from past books come to help out Sergei; it was great hearing more about their lives. Excited to read about Gio finding his love next! Loved that there’s some action with the suspense! Ada’s backstory was super interesting too! A fully entertaining story!”
All I Know “First off, I listened to the audio version and both narrators did a pretty good job. I especially thought the female narrator did great. I'd recommend listening if you have that option. This is a sweet romance with a dash of second chance. It's a quick story and overall, I enjoyed it. Kate and Damien almost had a romance in high school, but small-town small-mindedness got in the way. In short, Kate and Damien needed to grow. It's been years since they've been in the same place, but Kate's mom needs help running her bar due to health issues and Damien is on leave from the military. These 2 have great chemistry, and it was really sweet to read about the progression of their romance. Kate doesn't have health insurance, so Damien offers marriage to help her out. It's wonderful how much Damien is there for Kate. There's some good spice to the romance as well. Overall, this is a light, easy story. It could use a little more depth, but for a short story, it felt complete.”
The Best Part Of Hello “Interesting and entertaining story. The narrator did a good job and I’d recommend listening. I do wish there was more with the disaster scenario and a lot more of an ending. It ends fine, but is way too short after having to wait so long. I was loving the whole trapped because of a massive storm scenario; it added an interesting layer to the story between the characters. I liked the main characters for the most part and felt they were written well. Kayla is a little neurotic, but she has a big heart. These are teens so they do some stupid things sometimes, I was extremely disappointed with some of Evan’s actions; the club situation and his friendship with the girl that sleeps around. His actions made the feelings not seem as deep as I would have liked and his excuses weren’t up to par, but I still liked him. I liked the banter between Kayla and Evan; they have both had animosity towards the other, but mainly because they are both hard headed. It was great to see their friendship grow. Overall, entertaining story that didn’t quite go my favorite route, but was still an enjoyable story.”
Fighting for a Future: A Zombie Apocalypse Love Story Novella “Narrator did a nice job; she fit the lead character well. Decent quality recording. Overall, a good listen. This is a quick story about some survivors at pretty much the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. It’s a little snap shot into these people’s lives while they are dealing with the danger from the zombies and what they need to do to survive. This one starts out being set in a high school, which was a fun setting. The group could’ve done a lot better job of finding weapons and supplies though. 21 year old Kyra is the lead for this story; she is tough to like most times, but she’s not a damsel. She’s rude, vulgar, likes one night stands and getting drunk, and thinks because she’s honest it’s okay to be a brat. It’s good to be honest and confident, but you don’t have to do that in a jerky way. I still had some moments of liking her though; she’s not all around horrible. She’s just young and needs more life experience. Riley is her romantic connection; he’s the type of guy that can charm anyone. He’s mostly a nice guy, and seems to appreciate Kyra’s attitude. They have some steamy times that start out as scratching an itch, but becomes more as they help each other survive. I enjoyed their romance and felt they worked well as a couple. There’s some fun zombie action going on, so that’s always great. Plus, it’s fun to see Kyra and company figuring out what they need to do to survive and how they deal with other survivors. An entertaining read.”
Alone: A Zombie Novel “Narrator did a good job; her male voice could use some work, but overall, she did a good job. I enjoyed listening. This is teenage angst during the zombie apocalypse. Jules is 17 and has daddy issues. They move to a new zombie stronghold type place; her dad has ties to the government that’s in place, so he has a bit of a powerful position. It’s been about 2 years since the zombies started happening. In the new place, Jules meets 18 year old bad boy with daddy issues Roman. There’s a connection there, but Roman is already having a no strings thing with some other chick. Of course, that chick isn’t loving the no strings part of their arrangement, but Roman is being a moron and not seeing it. Loved how perceptive Jules is, but she’s still young, so she doesn’t really think things through. The romance has its sweet moments, but I do wish Roman knew sooner that he wanted Jules and that there was more time between his relationships. They do have a heartfelt connection though. Overall, I really enjoyed their romance and ended up feeling the depth of emotion between them. Of course, I loved all the zombie action and reading more about what different groups are doing during the apocalypse. There’s a major event that happens towards the middle of the book that added some suspense to the story, but the events after did slow the story down a bit too much for me; the Jules chapters during this time felt too repetitive at times. Also, I hate when people are in a hurry, but take all this time to get anything done; you don’t need to be have long conversations about the same things. You are on a time limit people! Get moving! It may be that I just hated waiting to see what was going to happen. I loved the dual POV’s by the way; I appreciate reading from both character’s perspectives so I understand them more. I’m super glad the author did what she did with the ending because I would’ve been so disappointed with it if the author didn’t work it out the way she did. I do wish there was a bit more content to the ending though. Overall, an entertaining read with some cool ideas.”
More than Survival “Listened with Audible. Narrator does a good job. She's a little stiff at times, but gives a clear performance. It was a good listen. Love the setup for this story. Lucy lives with her uncle in a the middle of nowhere up on a mountain because there's zombies on the loose. Lucy has lived in seclusion for 11 years; she's 20 now. She hasn't gone anywhere or seen anyone besides her uncle in all this time. When her uncle doesn't come back when he's supposed to, Lucy needs to survive on her own during a horrible snow storm. Sawyer is a 31 year old man, who lives a secluded life in the mountains as well. He ends up stranded with Lucy after he finds her needing some help. Lucy is naïve and sheltered about a lot of things; especially dealing with a man. There's a bit of a slow burn romance going on, while these two learn more about each other and surviving. I love this type of scenario; I find it lots of fun. I liked both characters, and the connection between the two was great. I wanted more zombie action; this story deals more with the dangers from the men that can't control their urges. It's a tough world for all, but there's that extra danger added for women. A fully entertaining story, but the ending was too abrupt. I'm not sure if there's going to be more story with these characters, but I'd like if there was. I still enjoyed the sweet, sexy connection between Sawyer and Lucy. Love the post apocalyptic world the story is set in. Looking forward to checking out more from this author.”
Chemical Attraction “Narrator does a good job. His voice fits the tone of the story. The author does switch POV’s a lot within the same chapter, so a little more voice variation between the characters would’ve been good; all the men sounded similar and same with the women. Still a good listening experience. I really enjoyed the whole premise for this book. There’s lots of secrets going on; weird and dangerous things that keep the story entertaining the whole way through. Madeline works as a scientist for a company she begins to suspect is doing something shady. Joe, a FBI agent, comes to town to look into Madeline’s claim. They end up faking a relationship, so it’s easier for Joe to infiltrate where Madeline works. There’s a whole lot more going on in this crazy town full of creepy people; animals are going feral and dead bodies are piling up. Joe also has some ties in town with his sister and her sheriff husband, so they get involved in the craziness too. Lots of danger to be had, so fun times! I haven’t read the previous books in this series, but I didn’t feel lost. This book works well as a stand-alone, but it does feature characters from the previous books. There’s some really sweet romances going on with all that mystery and suspense going on. Joe and Madeline start to feel more for each other rather quickly into their fake relationship thing. There’s a steamy connection between them, but Joe’s past with women is just eww and it’s affecting his relationship with Madeline. He has so many random one night stands calling his phone it bordered on ridiculous; the women were too hard up when dealing with Joe in this book. Really this town is full of sexually gross men and women; lots of sleaze going on, I’d be moving for sure. Joe’s sister, Eva, and her husband, Matt, have such a wonderful relationship. Love how much they support each other, and I definitely want to read their book now. I’m looking forward to seeing how they fell in love in the previous books in this series. I found the story fully entertaining and engrossing. Action, suspense, mystery, romance, and some cool ideas going on. Looking forward to checking out the next book in this series and more by this author.”
Transcendent, The Kacy Chronicles, Book 4 “Narrator does a good job. His voice fits the fantasy style of the story. He gives a clear performance with good emotional range. I’ve enjoyed listening to each of the books in this series! This is book 4 and the finale, so be sure to read the previous books first for the full story. I’ve really enjoyed this series! Loved the world the author created and the characters were great too. Loved all the adventure Jordan and the others get into; lots of fun! I do miss when Blue was a small dragon because I just imagined him so cute! But it’s great he’s taking out harpies now! I was getting so frustrated that Jordan had information that would help things along, but she just doesn’t say anything. Things were so obvious about how corrupt certain people were, so I’m disappointed that the characters didn’t figure things out sooner. Magical means weren’t needed; they should’ve had some idea about what was going on and done something about it, instead they just kept on letting obvious signs slip by them. Jordan does tend to not think things through though, so I guess that’s the issue with that. Jordan’s dealing with trying to find more medicine for The King and dealing with secrets from her parents and her past. There’s a bit of sweet romance with Sol going on; they have a lovely connection. Toth and others go off to take out the harpies, but something isn’t quite right with things. Everyone is still trying to figure out how the harpies made it through the magical wards of Rodania. The Nycht’s are still being treated horribly by the Prince. So, there’s a lot going on and I found it all entertaining. I especially liked the bit of surprise about Ashley, and how he’s involved in the story. Also, the bit of suspense to the story with all the secrets coming out and just how far people will go to keep those secrets. All of it was lots of fun. Overall, I’ve enjoyed reading about Jordan’s adventures in a magical world! This is the first series I’ve read by this author, so I’m looking forward to checking out more!”
Combatant, The Kacy Chronicles, Book 3 “Narrator does a good job. His voice fits the fantasy style of the story. Enjoyable listening. This is book 3, so be sure to read the previous books first for the full story. The whole beginning of this story is Jordan trying to figure out how she can save her father from a prison island; luckily she has some friends along for help. That’s a fun and dangerous adventure. Then it’s about Toth and the shady stuff going on with the harpys and such in Rodania; which I think the whole crew should’ve asked more questions about what was going on with the King. Then Jordan is doing some training, which is awesome to read about her getting her warrior on. She does need to take more than a second making important decisions though. There’s a pinch more romance in this one, which I was happy about. Still loving the magical adventure that been going on for this whole series so far! Excited to read book 4 for the finale!”
Ascendant, The Kacy Chronicles, Book 2 “Narrator does a good job. His voice fits the fantasy style of the story. I read the ebook of the first book, so it was weird to have different voices than the ones in my head, but fun to hear different. Jordan sounded less whiny and less young in my head and Sol didn’t have an accent. Overall, I’d recommend the listening experience. This is the 2nd book in this series, so I’d recommend reading book 1 first for the full story. In this 2nd book, Jordan is getting the hang of flying and wants to find her mother. Sol is called away on business, so Jordan decides to go on her own. Luckily, she has acquired a cute little dragon as company; too cute! Jordan finds danger and adventure on her quest; she really should think things through a bit better, and the situation with her mother isn’t exactly how Jordan thought it would go. Still loving the Fae like world! The characters are great and it’s fun to see all the different types of people/creatures. Also, we get some POV from Allan, Jordan’s father. He ends up following the message bugs Jordan sent; a very insufficient, inadequate message, so he finds himself in a very dangerous situation. Normally, I like more of a romance in the books I read, but I’m really enjoying this series so far. I like the tone of the story and the writing is good. Looking forward to the next!”
Chicago’s Best “Chicago's Best was a fun, sweet story with a bit of action, and I enjoyed it. I listened to the story on Audible, and the narrator does a good job. She is a bit too exuberant at times, and I wish her voice had different levels to fit different emotions. Kat owns a popular café, and finds herself on the wrong side of some bad guys. Ian, a police detective, is new to Chicago, and is partners with one of Kat's friends. When someone starts vandalizing Kat's café, Ian steps up to protect Kat. Kat is pretty reserved, but the 2 begin to grow feelings for each other. The romance is sweet and wholesome. They are cute together. I liked the mystery element of who was after Kat, and I liked how the story flowed. The story does lack a bit of depth, but overall, I liked it.”
Fake Boyfriend “Sweet, easy, quick read. I enjoyed the fake boyfriend scenario, and I liked the chemistry between Sarah and Gage. Sarah's mom just got married and she had to move with her mom. She now has a step-sister that leaves a lot to be desired and a jerk of a guy making lewd comments to her, so Sarah asks Gage to act like her boyfriend to get the creeper guys away from her. Sarah is an 18 year old Senior in high school, so she's still a bit naïve. She makes more problems for herself by not saying what's on her mind; she's a nice girl. Overall, I liked her. Gage has a bad boy reputation, but there's more to him. I really enjoyed Fake Boyfriend, but I wanted more ending. This read has good bones and could be really great if there was a little more bulk to the story. Still really liked it though. I also listened to the audio version. I wasn't loving the narrator at first because the quality isn't the best, but I did end up thinking she did a decent job and I liked listening.”
I Stand Before You (Judge Me Not Book 1) “I really loved this. The beginning was a little slow, and there are times that there is too much detail about things that aren't important to the story, but as the story got into its stride, it really drew me in. I loved the connection between Chase and Kay, and I was rooting for them to rise above their hardships. Chase and Kay are both flawed characters, but they are trying to better themselves; mainly Chase. Chase went down a very destructive path with booze, drugs, and women. It's the drugs that eventually land him in jail for years. Chase is out of jail now and he's clean, but he struggles with staying clean every day. I like how his sobriety isn't cut and dry for Chase, he really needs to make an effort to stay clean. It's more real that way. Kay feels like she's at fault for the death of her little sister, and it drags her heart down. Chase and Kay start a friendship that turns into a deep connection. These 2 have some major intensity between them, and the passion is off the charts. They are really sweet together too! My heart melted a few times while reading this. Chase really knows how to be adorable. I really loved both characters. Kay does take some serious things a bit too easy, and I think it'll be interesting to see if she can maintain that in future books in this series. It's important to be understanding, but it's also important to hold people accountable for their actions. They need to know that the consequences could be severe, and it's important not to allow too many concessions. This series features 3 books with Chase and Kay, and I'm really looking forward to seeing these characters grow more. I hope they don't lose their way. Touching, heart-felt, powerful story.”
Breathless “Loved the sweet moments between Cade and Lexi. Loved the passion between them and how loyal they both were to each other. Didn’t love how cold, prickly, and unpleasant Lexi continued to be in this book. I had such a problem with her in the first book, so I had some major hope that she had matured in the 2 years between the last book and this one. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. She’s still getting into everyone else business; which I don’t really care about any of the other character’s relationships, and she’s still so unaware of herself. Cade on the other hand was wonderful. I’m just sad that Lexi is just so unlikeable because I really enjoyed the “bones” of this story. I also wanted more in the ending. More happiness time. So, good writing, good premise, hard to connect with main character. Characters are important to me, so I went with 3 stars. I was entertained the whole story as well, so that’s a good thing. Plus, I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job; her performance fits the characters well. Quality performance that I’d recommend.”
Heartless “Entertaining story and I love the forbidden premise. I don’t really find it forbidden though. They don’t grow up together, so the whole stepbrother forbidden romance doesn’t really seem like a problem to me. Liked the enemies to lovers scenario too. Also, the narrator did a good job, so I liked the audio. What didn’t work for me was just how unpleasant the female lead is. She puts her nose into everyone else’s business, she’s judgmental and is a horrible friend. She’s really a mean girl trying to act like a nice one. She is a teenager, so I’m trying to give her the benefit of the doubt for her immaturity, but it’s tough. I did like that she comes out and tells the truth to her sort of friend when she made mistakes; I just wish she had more positive qualities. Another thing, I also was really grossed out by Cade’s past. I don’t want to give spoilers, but it was just unnecessary to include that in the story. It didn’t add anything to the story. It’s just gross and sad. At least he thought with more than his penis; I really appreciated that. In the end, I liked him. I wish the author focused more on the build up of the relationship between Lexi and Cade and not so much on side stories with Lexi’s friends. Too much story of Lexi meddling into other people’s business. I enjoyed the connection between Lexi and Cade; there are some really sweet moments. I also enjoyed some of their banter too. They are both quite sassy. The writing is good too. My like of characters is really important, so I ended up going with a 3 star. It’s a high 3 though and Lexi may not bother others as she did me. I have the next book already and I do want to see where the characters end up.”
Daughter of Death (Dark Provenance Series, Book 1) “Loved a lot about this! The writing is great! The story flows nicely and I appreciate the unique ways the author takes the story. The subject matter isn’t new, but it feels fresh here. Fallen angels and demons equals lots of fun for me! Plus, there’s some cool action. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a great job; I really enjoyed the listening experience. The depth of connection between the love interests is awesome! They have an intense, deep bond. I did think Evangeline gave in way too easily to Xai. He treated her pretty brutally, but she can’t control herself around him and falls for his sexual prowess way too quickly; it came across as a tad pathetic to me. I wanted her to make him work for it more; even with his reasoning, I wanted her to be stronger there. And seriously, Come on Xai, if it didn’t work after the first millennium than it’s probably time for a different tactic. Jeez, men! It seems like Evangeline is the last to know everything, but she does kick some major butt! She’s a tough cookie and I loved that! Xai and Evangeline do have some hot chemistry, and they like their bedroom play a bit rough. All entertaining stuff. I also loved the Hell dimension stuff. Also, maybe don’t keep making jokes when you need to rescue someone in a dire situation; timing people! Jeez! Very entertaining and engrossing! Really hyped to read/listen to the next book!”
Making Her His “May have spoilers. May not. Just wanted to cover my bases. Listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrator did a good job. She did both the male and female POV's, and did great at both. I'd recommend listening. I love the whole forbidden aspect of falling in love with a step-sibling, and the romance is very sweet! Elynn and Alex never really live with each other, so it's not really much of a taboo to me. There's another sort of taboo, and that's the age difference of 10 years. Elynn is 17 when they meet, and Alex is 27. Elynn's mom and Alex's dad got married, and Alex isn't too happy about it, but Elynn intrigues him. Alex's feelings turn more towards the heart, but he knows Elynn is too young, so he doesn't pursue a romantic relationship. He wants to give her time to "grow", and Elynn also had a bad experience with an obsessive guy, so she's fragile at the moment. Fast forward 4 years, the two are close as friends, but there's still those romantic feelings Alex has, and he's ready to let Elynn know. The problem is that Elynn is still dealing with the bad experience from the past and Alex hasn't been completely true to his love for Elynn, so that causes issues. That wasn't too great, and Alex has horrible taste in women before Elynn. Elynn and Alex aren't really together, so I didn't hold that against him, but it would've been more romantic and heartfelt if he had waiting completely for Elynn. Alex is really sweet with Elynn though, so that made up for it with me. Alex is a dominating man, so some may take issue, but I think it suits Elynn well. I loved that she's kind of nerdy and super smart, but she's also on the delicate side, so she leans towards the submissive side of things. The sex scenes were great, and I really enjoyed the chemistry between them. Once Alex decided he needed Elynn, he was full force ahead, which I liked. It really moved the story along. There's also some excitement and mystery with the stalker angle, which I love that type of thing, so I was all on board for that! I actually would've loved a lot more of that, and the would've added another layer to the story. One thing bothered me; I don't want to spoil it too much, so I'll just say, "Why in the heck did she go into the room?!" That was really stupid on her part. Overall, entertaining and I loved the emotion between Elynn and Alex. Looking forward to more!”
Paradise by the Dashboard Light “First off, the narration for the audio was great. The narrator fit the characters really well, and I even liked her guy voice. Solid, quality performance. *May Contain Spoilers* I was all set to give this 5 stars, but in the end, I just didn't like Rio's actions. The premise sounded a bit skeevy, but once I heard the particulars of what actually happened between Rio and Ian, I was totally on Rio's side. I also was totally loving the connection between Ian and Rio, and I love how Ian knew right away that Rio was the one for him and he fought for it. I loved that they both knew the whole stupid friends with benefits thing wouldn't work for them; that showed me that there was some intelligence in the characters. There was some great chemistry between them, and Ian is great. The romance has some really sweet moments too. There's some passion; it is mostly fade to black type stuff, but the passion does come across. There's some fun humor too. Originally, I loved Rio's sassiness; it started to grate on me at times, but I still mostly liked her. Unfortunately, what made the story drop in stars for me was that Rio had no intention of ever telling Ian that she was the one he slept with; she went out of her way to hide the secret, and I couldn't stand the way she "handled" her sister. Rio made very stupid decisions and I just didn't want to root for her anymore. If she would've been honest or had at least an inkling of an intention to tell him the truth, I would've loved this book. It's written well and I liked the ending; although, the ending would've been better with an epilogue. 3 stars is still a good rating and I'd say it's on the high end of the 3 star rating. I just wish the author went a different route with Rio and had her not be so selfish. Overall, I liked it and the listening experience was really good, so I say give it a go. Rio may not bother you as much as she did me; I really wanted to like her! Sad about it. I'd still be interested to check out more from Biel.”
Tomboy “The narrator did a good job; it was a good listening experience. Overall, I enjoyed this story, but it is a bit frustrating in the beginning. Cameron is a very young 17 and is finally realizing that guys exist and she’s attracted to them; especially her brother’s best friend, Jake. She is very un-self aware and her common sense isn’t the best. She does grow throughout the story though; she’s just on the extreme side of “tomboy”. Jake really sucks in the beginning. He hooks up with another girl in Cameron’s room, but he supposedly wants Cameron. Stupid boy! So, I get how Cameron doesn’t feel she can trust his intentions. Jake being a moron happens towards the beginning and he does show his feelings, so in the end, I liked him. The romance is sweet and they have good chemistry. So, the characters are young and still immature, but they got better as the story progressed, so I enjoyed this story. The writing isn’t amazing, but it’s a decent story. I would’ve even loved a bit more in the ending; what was there is good, but a little more would’ve been great!”