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it's the best book that I'll never read again

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-21-25

a truly beautiful story. but goodness, the weight of it. I've read all of the Senator's Wife books multiple times. once was enough for this one. it was amazing and I'm glad to have experienced it. but never again lol

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Good story, needs trimming

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-16-25

The story itself is really good, but the book could have been a few hours shorter. There is so much meandering prose that doesn't move the story forward. This book really needed a brutal editor to make the author "kill her darlings" and cut some of those excessive descriptions. The writing itself is good. There were just way too many moments when I found myself saying "get on with it already." There's no need to hold every single moment under a microscope. Again, it's a great story. The writing is good and the characters are well developed. It just needs some trimming. The narrator was wonderful. She did a great job bringing these characters to life.

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I'm not even finished yet...

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-07-25

I'm only about halfway through, but I had to just pause and say how much I'm enjoying this story. The writing is so elegant and immersive, and the characters are well developed. And of course Abby Craden is just phenomenal. My only disappointment is that this seems to be the only romance book from this author. I hope we get more romance from Ms. Wood! There are only two other lesbian romance writers that I enjoy this much.

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a book of dialogue

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-04-25

almost no descriptions of people or places. Just people talking and thinking and talking and thinking and talking... the writer never really paints a picture or creates a sense of place. and so much of the thought and conversation is repetitive. also, I have a feeling that the dialogue would fall pretty flat on the page, without the benefit of a skilled narrator to give it personality.

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PLEASE remake this with a new narrator

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
1 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-01-25

most of the characters in this story are hard to like on their own. but the monotonous, robotic narration makes literally everyone sound bored and obnoxious. the way Carol treats Therese borderlines on emotional abuse, and the way she is voiced makes it even worse.

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so much fun

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-13-24

I actually laughed outloud throughout this story. these ladies are so funny together. and I loved the cameos from recognizable beloved voices like Phylicia Rashad.

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less of a slow burn, more like 9hrs of trying to light the pilot light

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-09-24

If you're hoping for a romance novel, this isn't it, as there is zero romance. 8 hours into this 9.5 hour book, I was still waiting for a spark. It never came. The only bit of ALMOST open flirting came in the LAST TWO MINUTES. They spent nearly the whole book just misunderstanding each other and resisting forming any kind of connection. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Angela Dawe, but in this case, one of the MCs sounded like Voldemort for most of the book. Probably won't return to this one. But I am about to re-listen to Breaking Character 😊

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how refreshing

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-08-24

how refreshing to have a lesbian love story where the main conflict isn't caused by poor communication. you know, like one character witnesses something out of context (e.g. a hug or something) and instead of just asking the other person about it, they get upset and stop answering their calls and brood over it for three chapters. no, this story has interesting, intelligent, complicated people. Lee Winter and Angela Dawe are quickly becoming my favorite storytelling combination. ever since I read Breaking Character, I've been hooked on the pair.

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sooooo good

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-06-24

the writing... the characters... the narration. it's all just so good. I finished it in two days and was sad when it was over. I fell in love with both lead characters.

the writing is sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious, sometimes absolutely steaming hot, and always intelligent.

angela dawe's narration is just beautiful. whether the scene was sexy, funny, or heartbreaking, she made me feel it all.

this was my first book by lee winter. I've already started on my second book by her, also narrated by ms. dawe. when I finish it, I'll probably listen to breaking character again ❤️ I loved it that much.

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good story... okay storytelling... awful narration

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
1 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-02-24

The story itself is cute and could've made for a great book. But the way it's told leaves much to be desired. It's all thoughts and dialogue. There's almost zero scenery. The only thing that's ever really described are people's appearances, and even that is rare. We're never given a real sense of place. For instance, there's a big fancy fundraiser. But we don't know what the room looks like or how it's decorated. What do the MCs' apartments look like? How big are they? How are they decorated? That would give insight into who they are.

Sutton is supposed to be smart, educated, and "well bred." It doesn't make sense for her to be such a bumbling idiot ALL the time. At first I kinda related to her insecurity and second guessing herself in new relationships. But as the book went on, it started to seem like something was actually WRONG with this girl. In real life, someone like Charlotte-- secure, very private, meticulous, with political ambitions-- wouldn't likely pull such a wild hair into her sphere.

Regan is a terrible character and a terrible friend. No boundaries. No common sense. Inconsiderate. No respect for her friend's feelings, privacy, or demands. And the way she is voiced by Lori Prince just exacerbates all of that.

Speaking of Lori Prince... She has ruined many a romance novel for me. This may be my last time giving her a chance. When voicing young women, she tends to make them sound like children. Sutton's character is already immature, but the way she is voiced makes her sound like an actual child-- whiny, with loud, erratic inflections. Charlotte's voice is different at different points in the book. She had a southern accent for literally like two seconds. Sometimes she sounds sweet and gentle. Sometimes she sounds like she has a cold. Just all over the place. But just generally speaking, Lori Prince's voice acting makes it hard to take any character seriously.

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