Tag: audiobook

Book Review: The House at Watch Hill (Watch Hill Trilogy #1) by Karen Marie Moning

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Paranormal Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: October 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning is back with a gripping, imaginative, and seductive new series in which a young woman moves to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit a large fortune and a Gothic mansion full of mysteries and ominous secrets…

Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.

Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd…

What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.

Thank you William Morrow for the gifted copy and LibroFM for the audiobook.

NOT SURE THIS WAS FOR ME.

This is my first KMM book…and it might be my last? I liked the writing style and I thought most of the aspects of the plot were perfectly fine. Those were the pieces I enjoyed and made for a decent read. I also thought the audiobook production was good so if you want to try this book that format, go for it!

What bugged me the most was how the “romantic” plot lines were used in this book. I’m just personally not a fan of one night stands or lets just do it to let some steam off. I wanted much more true romance and connection, even some chemistry between the FMC and the love interest(s) (yes, I think there’s a love triangle?). The scenes weren’t over the top graphic but too lusty for me overall.

I thought the last quarter had some nice reveals and turns to really bring the action and tension of the plot. And y’all know I love a good cliffhanger. But I’m not sure it’s going to be worth picking up the sequel.

Overall audience notes:

  • Paranormal Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3 open door; innuendo
  • Violence: moderate

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ARC Book Review: The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Horror + Historical Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Author: C.J. Cooke
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

Clem gets a call that is every mother’s worst nightmare. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Erin is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn’t recognize her mother. And she doesn’t answer to her name, but insists she is someone named Nyx.

Clem travels the site of her daughter’s accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the Orkneys: a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft and murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin’s strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind, or the effects of an ancient curse?

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy (Berkley Partner) and PRH Audio for the audiobook.

WELL THIS FREAKED ME OUT A BIT.

I am in my horror reading era apparently and have found myself enjoying another one! This went back and forth between past and present and I liked waiting for that moment of collision where all the pieces made sense. This is definitely on the darker side and doesn’t shy away from some awful things that made it hard to listen to at times.

The pacing did drag somewhat and I spent a lot of time waiting for the other foot to drop. I did like the atmosphere and it is perfect for the spooky season. It covers a lot of ground and leaves you feeling haunted.

Overall audience notes:

  • Horror Historical Fiction
  • Language: moderate
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: persecution of women (including torture, false imprisonment), abuse, cult behaviors, loss of life, murder, extensive burn wounds

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Book Review: We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Holiday Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: Kristen Bailey
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: October 14th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Maggie Field was looking forward to a solo Christmas in her cosy London flat – before her three workmates decided to liven things up for her.

Maggie loves her job as head of IT at a financial firm, and her three geeky but lovable work buddies. And when they invite her to stay with each of them for the holidays, she can’t resist the chance to get to know them better.

But then her boss tells her she has to make one of her beloved team redundant, and Maggie is distraught. Frank’s work is his world, Jasper’s sarcastic humour is everything, and Leo…well, he’s talented, professional, confusingly attractive, dependable, and funny… Maggie definitely doesn’t want to lose him.

With her career and her heart on the line, Maggie sets off on the Christmas adventure of a lifetime, from playing fake girlfriend at a lavish wedding, to rescuing baby foxes on a posh country estate, to chasing a very confused donkey on Christmas Day in the Lake District. She can’t ignore the sparks between her and Leo – but she also can’t avoid her dilemma.

Can she find a way to keep her work family together, and maybe even find true love under the mistletoe?

A hilarious and heartfelt celebration of friendship, workplace romance, and finding where you belong. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Beth O’Leary, this festive rom-com will have you laughing, crying, and reaching for the mince pies.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the audiobook.

UNEXPECTED.

I went into this very blind, only knowing that I liked Bailey’s Christmas romance last year. I did like the audiobook narration for this one and found it to be an easy listen. This was a bit more fiction than I was expecting but I think the heart of this story was wonderful and this was a genuinely kind book.

Maggie Field was adorable and sweet and I loved her character. And her found family work friends were the perfect group to follow around for the holidays. I loved the laugh inducing antics and the quiet, bond forming moments too. It’s a heartfelt read that was full of festive cheer. I actually really liked the way the ending came together and it was a bit of joy in my day to finish this one.

Overall audience notes:

  • Holiday Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door

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Book Review: The Cheerleaders (The Cheerleaders #1) by Kara Thomas

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Thriller
Length: 384 pages
Author: Kara Thomas
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: July 31st, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.

There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

GOOD ENDING.

That ending really brought this whole book together for me. Gosh I’m still thinking about it. This is the way I enjoy thrillers coming to a close, with that last gasp scene that makes you look at the story/a character in a different light.

There was one plot point I didn’t love in this book that still doesn’t feel like it was a necessary aspect. Luckily it was a small piece or I think I would have had a harder time reading. It’s a great and fast paced audiobook. One that I got through in a day.

I liked the complexity of the story and wow it hits some hard themes too. It’s messy and filled with characters that you can’t decide whether you like them or not. I’ve really enjoyed reading through multiple Kara Thomas books and plan to continue with new releases. I like the way she crafts thrillers a lot.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Thriller
  • Language: low
  • Romance: innuendo, mentions of nights together
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: murder, suicide (off page, recounted), statutory rape, pedophilia, abortion, death of loved ones, gun violence, car accident, domestic violence

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