Tiffany

Story Enriched by Great Support Characters (Especially the Kids!)

Reviewed: 03-05-25

This was a fun read and kept my interest enough to listen straight through in a day. I love the second chance and single parent romance tropes so this one packed a double punch for me. The supporting characters (best friend, parents) added a lot to the story. But the kids really outshined everyone else. Spencer’s sex talk with the twins had me laughing so loud I got the side eye from my husband. Pretty much all of Kyle’s dialogue made me giggle (props to the narrators for getting his hilarious mispronunciation just right). The diaper change scene might be one of the most accurate portrayals of the horror of dealing with a blowout for the first time. I cracked up listening to Cooper experience this rite of passage. I loved seeing him gradually falling in love with the boys and growing into the dad role organically. It wouldn’t have felt authentic if the author rushed this. I appreciated the evolution that Cooper went through - from resentment at the beginning to not being able to resist the boys’ charm, to ultimately falling completely in love with them and truly wanting to be a dad to them.

I appreciated that the author didn’t shy away from the messy parts of adding a new parental figure to the family. Mirroring reality, this struggle wasn’t a single occurance; it was a major theme that kept repeating for both Cooper and Spencer. Each time he waded in deeper and tried to help her, he risked overstepping her invisible boundaries. She found it difficult to accept help and often took his attempts as a criticism of her parenting. I did want smack some sense into our girl, Spencer, at times. I get the reluctant Mom bit but it just dragged on too long. By the middle of the book, Cooper had more than proven that he was invested in her boys and wanted to be a part of their lives. The last few times she pulled back, using the excuse that he didn’t want kids, it no longer felt like it was moving the plot forward; it just seemed overly dramatic and kinda ridiculous. It felt more like the behavior of a teenage girl, rather than a grown woman. I deducted two stars for this, as I think the story would have been more powerful, and Spencer more likable, if it was more concise. As a reader, I grew less sympathetic to Spencer’s fears and hesitation the more times she blew hot and cold. Because of this, I wouldn’t call her a lovable character and, at times, I found it hard to root for her.

The narrators were great and really brought the characters to life. I deducted one star because of the mispronunciation of the two main characters’ last names. I’m from Louisiana so it drove me a little crazy to hear the narrators pronounce Hebert as “He Burt” when the phonetic pronunciation is “A Bear”, with a long A at the beginning. The C is silent in LeBlanc and N is swallowed (sounded in the throat), making the phonetic pronunciation “luh-blahn”. With the swallowed N, it can sometimes sound more like “luh-blaw”. Given that the story takes place in Louisiana and these are popular Cajun names with French roots, I would expect the narrators (or producers) to have done some research on proper pronunciation in that geographical location. Maybe someone at Audible will see this and take note for the next time they’re recording an audiobook that contains Cajun names.

Overall an enjoyable book that I would recommend. Just prepare yourself for the desire to throat punch the heroine a time or two. 😉

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My Favorite of the Series

Reviewed: 09-28-24

My favorite thus far! Throughout all of them previous books, Laric has been one of my favorite characters so I was looking forward to his book. It did not disappoint. Loved the addition of Catori’s family! Their dynamic was great…hilarious dialogue that, at times, turned into siblings absolutely roasting one another to their parents’ amusement. Made me love the characters even more.

This was a quick, fun read that I would recommend to readers of the series and anyone who likes their MMC on the alpha side and enjoys seeing a slightly closed off man open up for the right woman.

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Entertainment with a Dash or Unsettling

Reviewed: 08-12-24

AJ McDine is one of those authors that I enjoy reading [listening to] even though I know I’m going to be left a bit on the edge at the end. The entire time I’m listening, I’m preparing myself for the inevitable twist at the end.

As things are falling into place and coming to a conclusion, you can count on McDine to pivot and throw in a twist that will leave you slightly unsettled at the end. This is not an author who allows the story to wrap up neatly. Prepare to be left wishing for more and imagining what could happen next. And that’s sort of painful and sort of brilliant. Part of me wants the nice and neat ending. The other part of me gets a thrill from the things left lurking in the shadows when the last word has been read. [insert Machiavellian laugh here] If you like the discomfort of an unsettled ending, you’ll definitely enjoy McDine’s work, including The Invite.

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The Rebel Pixie and the Bada$$ Biker

Reviewed: 03-17-24

I loved Rebel in the Saints View Psychos series. She’s Bliss’ pocket-sized best friend and server sidekick at Psychos Bar. I’m glad she got her own series and her story does not disappoint. Rebel has a history with Fang, the Sinners MC enforcer. They frequently hook up and Rebel has kept him at arms length but Fang wants more. But this is not M/F romance so enter numbers two and three: Vaughan (Rebel’s new stepbrother) and Kian (Vaughan’s former love interest who currently despises him). It’s a trope-fest, friends and I am here for it! Taboo Stepbrother Attraction ☑️ Forced Proximity/Roommates ☑️ Enemies-to-Lovers ☑️

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Bahl-uh-klah-vuh

Reviewed: 03-17-24

First things first: I liked this book. Not as much as the others in the Saints View universe. But it was a sweet little story that filled in some gaps from previous books and moved the plot line forward for what comes next in Saints View. Stripper with a heart of gold meets good cop with a guilty conscience because he’s made some bad decisions.

We first met Eve and Boston in the Saints View Prison series. Mae knows Boston (her sister’s longtime partner on the police force) and she meets Eve through Liam (they grew up together). This books tells their story and gives us more on both of their backgrounds and on minor storylines that we’re going on behind the scenes of Mae’s story. While this book didn’t rock my world, I enjoyed it, and I’m interested to see where Thorpe takes the other books in this series.

Troy Duran does an excellent job narrating. IMHO, he never fails to please. Michelle Sparks is a new narrator for me. She has a pleasant voice and her acting skills are on par. Overall, she did a good job. BUT, for the love of God, someone please tell this woman that balaclava is pronounced “bahl-uh-klah-vuh” , not “bah-klah-vah” as in baklava, the Middle Eastern dessert! This word came up multiple times in the story, each time a mask made sense in context, but she pronounced it wrong both times. Clearly it bothered me enough to mention in my review (I should be an audiobook editor. Are the producers the editors in audiobooks? I would think so since you’d have to catch the errors during recording…I digress!)

Do I recommend this book? Yes. Does the audiobook enhance the story for me? Yes. Am I a tad bit obsessive about pronunciation? Yes!

You should still buy the audiobook. Overall, it’s a pleasant listening experience. And I would listen to other books narrated by Michelle Sparks. Maybe Audible can send her a yummy baklava delivery and politely include the phonetical pronunciation of both words. I don’t suggest sending her a balaclava…that delivery sends a different message, friends.

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Fast-Paced from Beginning to End

Reviewed: 03-11-24

The story drops you right into the middle of the intrigue and never lets up. I love a book that is so good, you nearly take on the paranoia of the narrator. Talk about immersed in the storyline! Prepare to look over your shoulder and face every encounter wondering if this person is friend or foe.

Narration was excellent. Per usual, Saskia Maarleveld knocked it out of the park. She never fails to bring the characters to life for me.

If you like mystery and suspense, don’t hesitate to pick this one up. I highly recommend the audiobook.

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Next Level

Reviewed: 01-25-24

I have listened to all of the books in the Five Points and Valentini universes and have enjoyed them all, some more than others. But this one takes things to a whole new level. The suspense! The intrigue! Akeroyd brings the storyline full circle as Conor and Star close in on The Sparrows and multiple pieces from previous books click into place. The culmination of the relationship C & S have been building for years is beautifully unfolding in this book, and we’re also starting to see the enormity of the universe Akeroyd has created for these books. The various ways in which the individual stories begin to intersect ratchets up the tension and has me on pins and needles finishing this one. I can only spare five mins to write a quick review before I delve into Filthy Truth.

The narration is perfect…it doesn’t get better than Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell.

Don’t hesitate to buy this one, Feckers! But I highly recommend you listen to all the books in the order on the author’s website. Use your credits, pay full price, sell a kidney…just buy the books and dive headfirst into this filthy world.

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Kept Me Guessing

Reviewed: 12-15-23

I listen to a lot of mystery/suspense audiobooks. As is the case with most frequent readers of this genre, I typically figure out where the story is going before the author reveals who done it. But this one kept me guessing. There were quite a few red herrings and, each time I thought I had it figured out, the plot would pivot. And once I had an idea who the villain was, I was still in for more surprises as the storyline was well-layered. Overall, a very entertaining book that kept me interested enough to listen to the entire audiobook in one night without stopping.

I always enjoy Xe Sands’ narration and this was no exception. She did a great job.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, I highly recommend this one.

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Did Not Finish

Reviewed: 11-19-23

I don’t often leave negative reviews, as I can generally find redeeming qualities in any audiobook. But this one was just painful and I couldn’t make myself finish it. The storyline seemed promising, but the execution was a complete miss for me. In my opinion, to pull off a taboo romance, the dominant character needs to be confident and authoritative. The MMC did not come off this way…his inner monologue was often juvenile and self-pitying. The dialogue between the two main characters was utterly ridiculous. I just couldn’t suspend disbelief or find anything compelling about these two characters being together. The narration was fine, but couldn’t compensate for writing that failed to entertain me. I stopped listening less than half way through the book.

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It’s Good to be Bad

Reviewed: 09-14-23

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I listened to it in a day. First-person narration by multiple characters help the reader frame the full picture, while making you aware that you don’t know everything. It kept me guessing what would be revealed when the final pieces fell into place. Meg is a great antihero. She’s a likable character that does bad things for good reasons. And you can’t help but root for her as she targets people who have taken advantage of others. Until all the pieces are in place, you aren’t certain if her motivations are selfish or honorable. Ultimately, it’s highly satisfying to see people get what they deserve…both good and bad.

The narrators were excellent. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable audiobook. I know I’ll listen to this one again.

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