Tag: audiobook

ALC Book Review: The Darkness Within Us (The Shadows Between Us #2) by Tricia Levenseller

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: July 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess—all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.

Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious powers… No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

THE RAGE.

The overwhelming feminist rage of this book about overwhelmed me. NOW. I totally understood and was behind much of it, I just think it became a bit much at some points where I was hoping to see growth and acknowledgement of the other things around her. And I didn’t love the way the book started off with Chrysantha. Rubbed me the wrong way.

ALSO NOTE: This is NOT YA. THIS IS NA. Definitely written for older audiences. I love NA, so that doesn’t bother me, but I’m pretty sure the marketing has been for YA and I wouldn’t feel comfortable handing this to a young teen.

ANYWHO. The characters did grow on me a lot. This is a TRUE enemies to lovers and really got my attention with the vitriol and sass between Chrysantha and Eryx. The slow burn brought them together and the beast that’s prowling makes a show for itself too. I was intrigued by much of this and I liked the general plot. I also loved that Chrysantha was able to reconnect with her sister. I loved seeing her and the king again too.

There’s some good themes and I did see the character growth eventually. I’m still a big fan of Levenseller’s books.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: closed door, innuendo throughout
  • Violence: moderate-high
  • Content Warnings: sexual assault (unwanted touching)

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ALC Book Review: The Undermining of Twyla and Frank (The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy #2) by Megan Bannen

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Megan Bannen
Publisher: Orbit Books
Release Date: July 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy comes a heartwarming fantasy with a best friends-to-lovers rom com twist–When Harry Met Sally, but with dragons!—set in the delightful demigod and donut-filled world of Tanria.

The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla and Frank are still patrolling the dangerous land of Tanria, the former prison of the Old Gods.

Twyla might look like a small town mom who brings cheesy potatoes to funerals and whips up a batch of cookies for the school bake sale, but her rewarding career in law enforcement has been a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla and Frank’s job a lot safer … and a lot less exciting. So when they discover the body of one of their fellow marshals covered in liquid glitter–and Frank finds himself the inadvertent foster dad to a baby dragon–they are more than happy to be back on the beat.

Soon, the friends wind up ensnared in a nefarious plot that goes far deeper than any lucrative Tanrian mineshaft. But as the danger closes in and Twyla and Frank’s investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might just be the person who has lived next door all along…

Thank you LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

I LIKED THIS.

Audiobook notes: I loved the audiobook! I had no issues listening at my usual speed (3x). The narrator was great and highly recommend this format.

I liked the big themes in this book. I loved that this was an older couple!! It was a pairing I rarely come across and it was a nice change. I loved that Twyla got to learn more about herself and what was going to make HER happy. Resonating with giving much of your life to your children squeezed my heart. Learning that it’s okay to also have separate things you love and want to be a part of too. And how wonderful a second chance at love can be, regardless of where you are in life.

There’s some good friends to lovers moments woven in. While some I personally get frustrated with (my struggled with F2L continues), I liked most of it. And there’s dragons!! I love dragon content always.

I think this book was well paced and had the quirky and cozy vibes that I loved from the first book. This is a unique series and I would definitely read another book in this world.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate-high
  • Romance: 1-2 open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: loss of a spouse (mentioned)

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Book Review: Fate Calls the Elf Queen (The Elf Queen #3) by J.M. Kearl

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 574 pages
Author: J.M. Kearl
Publisher: House Valor Books
Release Date: October 26th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The captivating third book in J.M. Kearl’s bestselling Elf Queen saga is filled with breathtaking romance and heated tension. Layala Lightbringer’s worst fears came true when she woke the wicked Black Mage, Hel. He claims she is a goddess reborn… and his wife. For her, the Elf King Thane is the love she desires, the one she fought for, and the one she wishes to marry. She wants nothing to do with her past. Until their lives are threatened and her relationship with Thane depends on remembering who she was in her previous existence as Valeen. But she can’t do it on her own. To get her memories back she must rely on the one she hates most, Hel, and working with him rather than against him poses its own risks. He is a dangerous temptation, and Layala finds herself pulled between two entirely different lives with two very different loves. Content this story contains violence, death, a villainous love interest, steamy content, and profanity.

THAT ENDING.

Every time I finish one of these books I am left with the best kind of cliffhangers. I love how the last 20% leaves me flabbergasted and begging to be handed the next book. The love triangle in this book had me feeling EVERYTHING. I was mad, I was smitten, I was being rolled around in circles trying to figure out how I felt and I love when a book can bring out all of that.

I enjoyed the continuation of the plot. It slows down a bit and there’s some added in flashback chapters that help round out and gear up for the last book. I am really into these audiobooks and I loved that this one had dual narration.

The first half had me a little flustered because I kept thinking that this entire book was just going to be two men arguing over a woman, luckily that slowly evolved to some great reveals and turns. I’m excited to see what happens next!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 1-2 open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Beautifully Broken Pieces (Sutter Lake #1) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 300 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: The PageSmith LLC
Release Date: February 25th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A woman who’s lost everything.

Taylor is looking for peace and quiet away from the memories of all she’s lost. A small mountain town where no one knows her seems like the perfect escape.

A man battling the ghosts of his past.

Walker loves his life just the way it is. His town, his family, his brothers in blue. Everything simple and easy—until a chance encounter changes it all.

When Taylor’s solitude is interrupted by the rugged cop, they find that the very thing they were avoiding might be just what they both need. As their iron wills clash and passion flares…a killer lurks.

And you never know who might be caught in the crosshairs.

HERE WE GO.

I have loved Cowles most recent two series and wanted to dive back into some backlist series of hers too. This is one of her oldest ones and it has all of the same vibes of why I enjoy all of her books. I love that they have this formulaic vibe that I highly appreciate but with enough small twists that I feel always slightly shocked by the last 20%.

Taylor and Walker grew on me. I will say I didn’t feel as connected to them as I hoped but what can I say? I love a hot cop. Taylor was intensely stubborn about every single thing which got a bit dry, and I’m glad it’s a short book so it was remedied eventually.

The reveals at the end surprised me because I definitely had my eye on multiple other characters who I thought were causing the murders. I love the suspense elements and the found family happening and can’t wait to continue!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, murder, serial killer, obsession, kidnapping, loss of a mother, loss of loved ones

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