AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ HEART BONES

BY colleen hoover

NARRATED BY ANGELA GOETHALS

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 5 | Narration 5 ❐ Contemporary Romance ❐ New Adult ❐ Single POV ❐ Bolivar Peninsula, Texas Setting

I'm a fan of anything Colleen Hoover writes. She always seems to effortlessly evoke real emotions for me. Beyah and Samson's story was no exception. From the ocean setting to their heartbreaking backstories to the perfect ending...I was absolutely hooked.

❐ Audible Listen

❐ Length ➯ 8H 12M

❐ Steaminess to Story Ratio ➯ 15/85

❐ Plot ➯ 5/5

❐ Characters ➯ 5/5

❐ The Feels ➯ 5/5

❐ Theme ➯ 5/5

❐ Ending ➯ 5/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ TEN BELOW ZERO

 

BY WHITNEY BARBETTI

NARRATED BY NATASHA SOUDEK

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 4 | Narration 4

❐ Stand-alone with mostly single POV

❐ Contemporary Romance

❐ Sex-plicit

❐ One has cancer

❐ One has a traumatic past

❐ Both of them have forgotten how to live

I'm always happy when I can find a romance that can actually make me feel something.  This one did...with indelible characters whose stories felt unique. Also, the ending completely came through for me, too...I was worried it was going to be another one of those books.  It was also on Kindle Unlimited.  Double Bonus.

The narration wasn't great per se, it was very monotone...and yet, she felt perfect for the voice of the heroine since she proclaims to not feel much at all...she is just existing.  Good for this story doesn't necessarily mean she is good for any others and I don't know if she sounds this monotone in everything she performs because this is the only book I've listened to her in...so...for all I know, she could be amazing.

❐ Audible Listen through KU

❐ Length ➯ 9H 44M

❐ Steaminess to Story Ratio ➯ 20/80

❐ Plot ➯ 4/5
❐ Characters ➯ 3.8/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 4/5
❐ Ending ➯ 4.3/5

AUDIOBOOK ➯ WHERE THE BLAME LIES

 

BY MIA SHERIDAN

NARRATED BY TEDDY HAMILTON & CALLIE DALTON

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 4½ | Narration 5
❐ Where #1 
❐ Dual POV's
❐ Romantic Suspense...heavy on the suspense
❐ Taken & held against her will

One of the best romantic suspense books I've listened to in a while...I was starting to think that this sub-genre wasn't going to work for me.  Most that I've read felt too cheesy, too unbelievable.  This had heart, suspense, decent characters and I didn't guess the ending...I thought I had it all figured out but ultimately she got me.  The duo narrating was quite good, too.

❐ Audible Listen

❐ Length ➯ 10H 54M

❐ Steaminess to Story Ratio ➯ 15/85

❐ Plot ➯ 4.5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 4.3/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 4.5/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery ➯ 4.5/5
❐ Ending ➯ 4.5/5

AUDIOBOOK ➯ SOUL IN DARKNESS

 

BY WENDY HIGGINS

NARRATED BY BRIDIE LAWRENCE

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

❐ Overall Rating 5 | Narration 5

❐ Greek Mythology
❐ Cupid & Psyche retelling
❐ An Adorably Sweet Romance

❐ A Quest

Is it weird that I love that Cupid looks like Billy Idol on this cover...which is a beauty, BTW? This was so good! From the romance, the fantastically ingenious storyline, and the lovable (& not so lovable) characters, this is not to be missed.  Bridie Lawrence's narration made it all even better.  This contains sexual content that's more adult and a story that is perfect for the young at heart.

❐ Length ➯ 10H 38M 

❐ Audible Listen
❐ Steaminess to Story Ratio ➯ 15/85
❐ Plot ➯ 5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 5/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 5/5
❐ World-Building ➯ 5/5
❐ Ending ➯ 5/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ HEART OF ASH

 

BY KIM LIGGETT

NARRATED BY CHLOE CANNON

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

THE DETAILS✎

❐ BLOOD & SALT #2
❐ SET IN SPAIN
❐ IMMORTALS
❐ FATED ROMANCE
❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 7 HOURS, 5 MINUTES
❐ I LISTENED ON HOOPLA THROUGH MY LIBRARY

I needed more volume.  This is probably not actually the narrator's fault, she actually performed quite well, but I struggled with hearing what she was saying...her inner dialogue was so flipping quiet, it was a constant struggle for me.  When this sort of volume discrepancy happens, it tends to pull you out of the story...which is never good and I really hate when a book won't go loud enough for me to hear it.  

Where the first book had this creepy "children-of-the-corn" and "I-see-dead-people" thing going on, this had a more of a supernatural feel to it which lent towards The Vampire Diaries, with the immortal beings, fated romance, doomed brother, and body jumping.  Overall, I feel that this was a much-needed continuation of the story...but...I really believe this could have been told in one book and been much better for it.

AUDIOBOOK ➯ REVIEW THICKER THAN WATER

BY MADELINE SHEEHAN & CLAIRE C. RILEY

NARRATED BY CJ BLOOM

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

THE DETAILS✎

❐ THICKER THAN BLOOD #1

❐ ZOMBIE POST-APOCALYPTIC

❐ SOME ROMANCE

❐ UNSATISFYING ENDING...

❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 13 HOURS, 32 MINUTES

❐ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

I feel like the graphic I made for this is way cooler than this book actually was.  This is a bleak zombie-infested world with not even a hint of happiness to be found unless you count some good sex as happiness.  Sadly, the fleeting happiness one can get from sex is the only bright spot in this world these Authors have created...and then only if it's consensual, and sadly, that's not always the case.  Feeling-wise, it just wasn't enough for me.  But...they did create a world that felt plausible...if a zombie apocalypse could ever be plausible, that is.  

Since this is written by two authors who write Romance; I went into this thinking it would have romance...and it does to a small extent, it just didn't play out the way I thought it would.  However, it's definitely heavy on the zombie killing, fucking people over, treating women like possessions, and killing off characters...so action-wise it's something like a hit.

BREAKDOWN✎

Narration ➯ 3½ STARS

Plot ➯ 3.5/5

Characters ➯ 3.5/5

The Feels ➯ 2.5/5

Pacing ➯ 3.5/5

Addictiveness ➯ 4/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ➯ 4/5

Originality/Believability ➯ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ➯ 4/5

World-Building ➯ 4.3/5

Romance/Chemistry ➯ 2.5/5

Steaminess to Story Ratio ➯ 20/80

Ending ➯ 1.5/5

SUMMATION ➯ 3 STARS

I LISTENED TO THIS FOR THE SQUARE

FOR HALLOWEEN BINGO 2020

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ BLOOD AND SALT

BY AUTHOR KIM LIGGETT

NARRATED BY CHLOE CANNON

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

THE DETAILS✎

❐ BLOOD AND SALT #1 OF 2

❐ GOTHIC HORROR ROMANCE

❐ TOLD FROM ONE POV

❐ A UTOPIA...OR IS IT A CULT

❐ SECRETS, LIES, BETRAYALS & MYSTERIOUS DEATHS

❐ WTF IS UP WITH THAT CORN

❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 8 HOURS, 23 MINUTES

❐ I LISTENED ON HOOPLA THROUGH MY LIBRARY

Since I'm woefully behind on my reviews lately...this is going to be super quick.  Take some forbidden romance, a set of fraternal twins, one of which sees dead people or one dead person, a creepy cornfield in Kansas, a little bit of alchemy, and a bit of sketchy immortality mixed with one weird little "town" where everyone thinks they are living in some kind of utopia and that is Blood and Salt in a nutshell.  

Chloe Cannon felt like she was the perfect narrator for the MC, Ashlyn, and brought out the atmosphere of the book quite adequately.

BREAKDOWN✎

Narration ➯ 4½ STARS

Plot ➯ 4.3/5

Characters ➯ 4.3/5

The Feels ➯ 4/5

Pacing ➯ 4/5

Addictiveness ➯ 4/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ➯ 4.3/5

Originality ➯ 4.5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ➯ 4/5

Romance/Chemistry ➯ 3.8/5

Ending ➯ 4.3/5

SUMMATION ➯ 4¼ STARS

I LISTENED TO THIS FOR THE SQUARE

FOR HALLOWEEN BINGO 2020

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ THE LIFE YOU STOLE

 

BY JEWEL E ANN

NARRATED BY PAUL WOODSON & ANDI ARNDT

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

THE DETAILS❐

❐ THE LIFE SERIES #2 OF 2

❐ FOUR POV'S

❐ ROMANTIC PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

❐ WITH A TOUCH OF DARK MAGICAL REALISM

❐ CHEATING --BUT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 8 HOURS, 34 MINUTES

❐ I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE

Inevitably...the truth will always set you free...

I don't think I'll ever look at graham crackers the same again...not without wanting to throw them on the floor and stomping all over them.

Jewel E Ann...where or how do you come up with these ideas for your stories?  Seriously...

If you're looking for something different in the contemporary romance genre because most of what you read is the same story with slightly different characters...Jewel E Ann could be a perfect choice.  Her stories are not cookie-cutter, they are refreshingly different and hard-hitting.  This one is also a bit psychologically thrilling with a twist of magical realism.  While many will look at this book as having cheating...it's really so much deeper than that.

When it comes to narration, I'm never disappointed with Andi Arndt...she is one of the best, especially in a romance.  Paul Woodson was really good too...his french/sexy accent was just right and I felt the pain that he was in.

BREAKDOWN❐

Narration ➯ 4½ STARS

Plot ➯ 4.2/5

Characters ➯ 4/5

The Feels ➯ 4.3/5

Pacing ➯ 4.3/5

Addictiveness ➯ 4.3/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ➯ 3.7/5

Originality/Believability ➯ 4.3/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ➯ 4/5

Twisty-ness/Mystery ➯ 3.5/5

Steaminess to Story Ratio ➯ 15/85

Ending ➯ 4/5

SUMMATION ➯ 4 STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ WHERE THE LOST WANDER

 

BY AMY HARMON

NARRATED BY LAUREN EZZO & SHAUN TAYLOR-CORBETT 

❐SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE❐

THE DETAILS❐

❐ HARDSHIPS OF THE OREGON-CALIFORNIA TRAIL

❐ HISTORICAL ROMANCE

❐ DUAL POV'S 

❐ NATIVE AMERICAN LIFE

❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 11 HOURS, 46 MINUTES

❐ I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE BY WAY OF KU READ & LISTEN

What a moving story of a girl and her family making their way to California in the year of 1853 by way of the Oregon-California Trail.  With switching POV's between the MC Naomi and their guide through the trail John Lowry who is half Pawnee and half white.  These two were such indelible characters and I think they left a mark on my heart.  This story pulls you in right from the beginning with a stunning tragedy that strikes on the trail and then immediately after takes you back to the beginning of their journey when Naomi and John first meet.  I loved these characters...it's kind of difficult not to love all the characters this author creates.

Amy Harmon writes such amazing stories, The First Girl Child and Making Faces are two of fav stories of all time.  Her books deserve the best narrators.  While I think that Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Lauren Ezzo performed quite well...it could have and should have had someone unforgettable that could've done this epic story justice.  But, at least they had two narrators for each POV instead of only one.

Where the Lost Wander is fraught with danger, and filled with poignant moments.  It features a brave family moving west in a covered wagon, fighting cholera plus two courageous baby birthings, an attack by Native Americans, some romance and mules...a whole lotta mules.  

Interesting fact:  Some of the wagon ruts left by these brave people seeking a new life and land of their own are still visible to this day.  If that's not a lasting impression...

BREAKDOWN❐

Narration ➯ 4¾ STARS

Plot ➯ 5/5

Characters ➯ 5/5

The Feels ➯ 5/5

Pacing ➯ 5/5

Addictiveness ➯ 5/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ➯ 5/5

Originality/Believability ➯ 5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ➯ 5/5

World-Building ➯ 5/5

Ending ➯ 5/5

SUMMATION ➯ 5 STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ● PERVERSION TRILOGY

BY AUTHOR T.M. FRAZIER

NARRATED BY STEPHANIE WYLES & AIDEN SNOW

●SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE●

❱ REVIEW FOR PERVERSION TRILOGY

❱TWO POV'S --HERO/HEROINE

❱ CONTEMPORARY-ISH DARK ROMANCE

❱ BEDLAM BROTHERHOOD...

❱ RAPE, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

❱ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 16 HOURS, 4 MINUTES (COMBINED TOTAL)
❱ I LISTENED ON LIBBY & HOOPLA THROUGH MY LIBRARIES

MY THOUGHTS⇣

These eye-catching covers are what initially drew me into reading something I don't usually read.  I mean, I use to read exclusively romance at one point in my life...but found out eventually that I did not like MC(biker club) romance, at all.  Although, in this particular series, it is stated that they are not an MC...because most of them don't own bikes.  Plus, I hate riding on motorcycles...so I would make a terrible biker chic.  Seriously, I have to be in a certain mindset to enjoy these types of stories. The other thing that drew me in, is my quest to find a dark romance that can pull me in and make me feel.  This 3 book series came pretty close to doing just that...despite the insta-love feeling I got from it and the fact that I hate book series that could and should be one book or two at the most.

While I found some elements to be unbelievable or just plain awful...by the end I still found myself feeling a little something for these characters.  They got under my skin and I wanted a happy ending for them or happiest as they could get, anyway.  

The fantastic narration by Aiden Snow and Stephanie Wyles made a huge impact on my overall enjoyment of the series too.  I really had to finagle to listen to this whole series on audio.  I got the first book from overdrive through my local library and the second on Hoopla through my local library...and the third from the library that I pay for an out-of-area eCard too.  

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating ⇢ 4½ STARS

Plot ⇢ 2.7/5

Characters ⇢ 4/5

The Feels ⇢ 3.5/5

Pacing ⇢ 4/5

Addictiveness ⇢ 3.8/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 3/5

Originality/Believability ⇢ 2.5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 3.5/5

Romance/Chemistry ⇢ 3/5

Steaminess to Story Ratio 20/80

Ending ⇢ 4/5

SUMMATION ⇢ 3½ STARS

REVIEW ● THE LIFE THAT MATTERED ●

BY JEWEL E ANN 

NARRATED BY ANDI ARNDT & PAUL WOODSON

●SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE●

THE DETAILS●●●

● THE LIFE SERIES #1 OF 2

● CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE WITH A TWIST

● W/A HINT OF SUPERNATURAL/THE UNEXPLAINED

● A ROMANCE THAT FOCUSES ON LIFE MORESO THAN ACTUAL ROMANCE

● TWO POV'S --HERO & HEROINE'S 

● ENDS IN A SERIOUS CLIFFHANGER

● LENGTH OF AUDIO - 8 HOURS 38 MINUTES
● I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE

MY THOUGHTS●●●

MY REVIEW IN ONE SENTENCE:  The Life That Mattered is small parts Aspen Extreme, Final Destination, Vice Versa, and The Last Song that's been melded, molded, and mashed-up into something completely original.  

If you like romance but feel like most of them are just the same story recycled then this might be exactly what you need.  It does end on a cliffhanger though, so you might want to have book #2 ready to go.  To be honest, I dislike when an author splits a book up into two parts just to sell more books.  It's so not cool...but on the other hand, I would also hate to miss out on a story that I could love just because of my dislike.  It's really a catch-22.

I've only read two books by Jewel E Ann, this one and End of Day and so far, I would say her writing style is really unlike any other romance writer that I've ever read/listened to...it's edgy, lascivious, oddly funny, and intrinsically deep without feeling deep.  

I started this, in eBook format, back in March right before we went into quarantine...and for some reason, with everything going in the world I was unable to read anything...I was listening to audiobooks the whole time without any problem, though.  The other day I saw on Instagram that this had an audio edition, so I used one of my credits and finished it quite quickly after that.  The narration is very well performed by both...I always like Andi Arndt...and Paul Woodson's accent was just the right amount.  So, now I'm impatiently waiting on the second book to come out on audio, so I can finish this up.  

BREAKDOWN●●●

● Narration Rating ⇢ 5 STARS

● Plot ⇢ 4.3/5

● Characters ⇢ 4.5/5

● The Feels ⇢ 4.2/5

● Pacing ⇢ 4/5

● Addictiveness ⇢ 4/5

● Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 4.3/5

● Originality/Believability ⇢4.2/5

● Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 4.3/5

● Romance/Chemistry ⇢ 4.5/5

● Steaminess to Story Ratio ⇢ 30/70

● Ending ⇢ 4.2/5

● Summation ⇢ 4¼ STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ● SPARROW ●

BY L.J. SHEN

NARRATED BY MICHAEL PAULEY

●SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE●

THE DETAILS●●●

● CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

● WITH A LITTLE SUSPENSE

● ALTERNATING POV'S (HERO & HEROINE)

● TOLD BY ONLY ONE (MALE) NARRATOR

● SEXPLICIT --WITH A SIDE OF PAIN=PLEASURE

● LENGTH OF AUDIO - 9 HOURS, 23 MINUTES
● I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE THROUGH AUDIBLE ESCAPE

MY THOUGHTS●●●

My narration rating is influenced by the fact that I believe this should have had a second narrator.  Michael Pauley easily gave a five-star performance for the part of Troy...but, and this even despite him giving her voice a different tone, he shouldn't have been the one to perform Sparrows sections.  That sort of thing just throws off the entire story for me...I wanted to rate it lower because of this...but I had to give him props for trying.

I liked the heroine --she was shy but feisty and felt genuine. The Hero, not so much, he was supposed to be this dark mobster...but really he was just kind of dirty...and not really all that mobster-ly. I had a few issues with him and maybe I felt he didn't really deserve Sparrow...but meh what can I say...love is love and maybe he grew on me a little at least. The story did have some depth to it with the suspense element, despite how predictable it is, it helped to balance out the overabundance of sex going on.

 

BREAKDOWN●●●

● Narration Rating ⇢ 4 STARS

● Plot ⇢ 3.5/5

● Characters ⇢ 3.5/5

● The Feels ⇢ 2.7/5

● Pacing ⇢ 3.8/5

● Addictiveness ⇢ 3.5/5

● Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 3/5

● Originality/Believability ⇢3.7/5

● Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 4/5

● Romance/Chemistry ⇢ 3/5

● Steaminess to Story Ratio ⇢ 40/60

● Ending ⇢ 3.8/5

● Summation ⇢ 3½ STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ WHEN ASHES FALL

BY MARNI MANN

NARRATED BY AVA ERICKSON, AIDEN SNOW & TEDDY HAMILTON

SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

⤏ FICTIONAL STORY AMIDST A REAL-LIFE TRAGEDY

⤏ PTSD

⤏ TOLD IN DUAL TIMELINES WITH THREE ALTERNATING POINT OF VIEWS

⤏ & CAKE...LOTS OF CAKE EATING

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 6 HOURS, 51 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE THROUGH AUDIBLE ESCAPE

MY THOUGHTS⇣

A quick little listen on Audible Escape...trying to get everything I want to listen too that is on AE before my free month runs out.  The three narrator's performance was near perfect for this, they made my listening experience exceptional.

The story that is set-up here could have been a really emotional one...only I could see where it was going easily...and I never really felt fully invested in it.  While I liked it...I didn't love it.  I do think this author writes some of the best sex scenes ever...she doesn't namby-pamby around with silly names for all things sexual.

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating ⇢ 5 STARS
Plot ⇢ 3.8/5

Characters ⇢ 3.7/5

The Feels ⇢ 3.5/5

Pacing ⇢ 4/5

Addictiveness ⇢ 4/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 4/5
Originality/Believability ⇢4/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 4.7/5

Romance/Chemistry ⇢ 4/5
Steaminess to Story Ratio ⇢ 25/75

Ending ⇢ 3.8/5

Summation ⇢ 4 STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ SAVAGED

BY MIA SHERIDAN

NARRATED BY CHRISTAIN FOX & CHELSEA HATFIELD

SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

⤏ MONTANA WILDERNESS

⤏ MYSTERIOUS BACKSTORY

⤏ HERO RAISED HIMSELF ALONE 

⤏ SOME BELIEVABILITY ISSUES

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 12 HOURS, 37 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE THROUGH AUDIBLE ESCAPE

MY THOUGHTS⇣

The ingenuousness of this story is remarkable but...sadly, I just wasn't feeling like it was always believable...but overall, I did enjoy seeing where she would take this...and although it was farfetched, I really liked the characters and their romance was sweet.  I also love the book cover...it's what drew me in.  This probably wasn't the book to listen too for my first experience of Mia Sheridan because I'm not certain I'll give her a second chance...but I could change my mind.

The narration was really well performed...but it should have had a different narrator for the voice of the FBI agent.  He did after all have enough air time that it really warranted a third narrator but it's not what I would call a dealbreaker.

MY RATING⇢ 3½ ✰STARS✰

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating ⇢ 4¼ STARS
Plot ⇢ 3.7/5

Characters ⇢ 4.3/5

The Feels ⇢ 4/5

Pacing ⇢ 3/5

Addictiveness ⇢ 4/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 4/5
Believability ⇢ 2.8/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 3.5/5

Romance/Chemistry ⇢ 4/5
Steaminess to Story Ratio ⇢ 20/80

Ending ⇢ 3.8/5

Summation ⇢ 3½ STARS