Audio. The Bennet Inheritance by Jann Rowland

By: Jann Rowland

Narrated by: Harry Frost

Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins

Release date: 02-18-25 by Tantor Media

Pride and prejudice variation/ Audio received from Tantor

I am always up for a Pride and Prejudice variation. They are so much fun and I can never get enough.

This one was different because there was no Lydia and Kitty, and you know, that worked really well.

Mr Bennet is a widower, yes I liked this, no Mrs Bennet being a nervous wreck. Instead Mr Bennet is calm, he used to be a parson, now he has inherited Longbourn. He does wonder, maybe he should remarry?

And then we have Lizzy, Jane, and Mary being good friends and sisters.

Darcy is an old friend who Bennet has not seen in a while and of course he will fall for Lizzy when he sees her again. Bingley will also show up. Everything will work out well.

Yes there is some drama. Some are angry that Mr Bennet got Longbourn, even though it had been stolen from his family. Caroline does show up and we know she is annoying. Wickham shows up, and we all know he is a real piece of work.

An enjoyable PP variation

Great narration by Harry Frost. He does well with his female and male voices. He manages to fit the tone of the era

20 Years after conspiring men denied his father the inheritance that was his by birthright, Mr. Henry Bennet returns to Longbourn with his three daughters, having received the estate on the death of its previous master. Mr. Bennet has no notion why the man who stole it from his father willed the property to his control, but he is grateful to return to the lands of his forebears.

As the Bennets settle into their lives as gentlefolk once again, their new friends welcome them to the neighborhood, and they begin the struggle to turn Longbourn again into a prosperous estate. In this, Mr. Bennet finds assistance from his friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy, a scion of the family who proved his father’s salvation. Mr. Darcy, eager to help his dear friend learn how to become master of the estate, takes an immediate liking to the man’s second daughter, Elizabeth, who works her way into his heart with little effort.

Unexpected to them all, their new position opens vistas wide to them, for the prospect of love and devotion, a future filled with promise, is open to them, from the eldest to the youngest. Of even greater importance, the Bennets will learn something of themselves and discover something of the betrayals that led to their family’s hiatus from the estate.

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

2/25/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Spring? (Mar-May)

As always I have no idea which new books are coming out. I never buy them when they come out, I always wait for PB or something.

But I am looking forward to reading book on my TBR. I have 3 Brandon Sanderson books, I have one by Rachel Aaron, yes I am worried cos I usually do her books in audio. I am still reading Armstrong´s Rockton books, and I have one by Eowyn Ivey, how I loved her previous books. I also got Bride by Ali Hazelwood for my bday so I have lots to read

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday: Tangle of need

Author: Nalini Singh

Title: Tangle of Need

Series: Psy-Changeling #11

Genre: PNR, UF

Format: ebook

Pages: 428

Published: May 29, 2012

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past--one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle.

Their coming together is an inferno...and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

Review:

Onto the next! Slowly making my way through this series. 

Here we have Adria and Riaz. Adria wants to break with the past and move forward. She finds herself in a new territory, but with one big complication...Riaz. She can't get him out of her mind, but he belongs to another. Riaz has a primal attraction for Adria and is struggling, but she is a lone-wolf and he has his whole life planned out already. Soon they won't be able to stay away from each other. At the same time, they are being drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter of everyone and the world. 

Is it just me? Do I need a break from this series? I've been slowly chipping away at the series, but the last two have been....mehs for me.

I felt nothing for this couple. I didn't hate them....but I didn't like them either. They were just there. I found myself more into the side characters and the big war. Honestly, I was itching for the war to just happen already LOL. Is that bad?

Sighs. Maybe I just need to step away for a bit from the series. Maybe I'll try another PNR/UF and see how I feel. Maybe I need a break from the whole genre overall. 

But yeah. Not a win for me, but it could be a me thing. 

2 stars. 

- Favorite Character(s): Hawke

- Least Favorite Character(s): eh. Normal. The bad Psy

 

Challenge(s):

- Library Love #5

In the shadow of lightning by Brian McClellan

Series: Glass Immortals (#1)

576 pages, Paperback

Published: May 9, 2023 by Tor Trade

Genre: Fantasy, Own

It took some time to finish this one. It has a lot of story, characters, and maybe not the easiest book to pick one of the first of the year. I really wanted to follow one person and see where that took us. Well, isn't that always the case. Always that one that is more interesting.

So, politics. A country hungry for war. The thing that makes them special running out.

An estranged son returning home. A woman searching for a killer. A glassworker in the middle of war.

I am horrible at writing a review today....honestly that ending blew me away. Damn. Now you are talking! And there is not even a new book on the horizon!

Demir Grappo is an outcast―he fled a life of wealth and power, abandoning his responsibilities as a general, a governor, and a son. Now he will live out his days as a grifter, rootless, and alone. But when his mother is brutally murdered, Demir must return from exile to claim his seat at the head of the family and uncover the truth that got her the very power that keeps civilization turning, godglass, is running out.

Now, Demir must find allies, old friends and rivals alike, confront the powerful guild-families who are only interested in making the most of the scraps left at the table and uncover the invisible hand that threatens the Empire. A war is coming, a war unlike any other. And Demir and his ragtag group of outcasts are the only thing that stands in the way of the end of life as the world knows it.

Audio: The Secret Daughter by Anne Gracie

Series: Book 4, The Brides of Bellaire Gardens

Release date: 02-11-25

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Categories: Historical romance

Received for a review

Narrated by: Christine Rendel

This one was sort of different in the way it was built. Zoe pretends to be a servant named Vita and she goes to look for her families estate in France. And there she meets a painter who travels in a carriage, Reynard is freespirited and they end up travelling together. So much of the book is about them travelling in France. He is painting, they fall in love.

But then comes the drama. Moving forward and the rest of the book takes place among the Ton in England. Zoe and Julian meet again.

So the concept was fun and different, they were themselves (while they were actually lying). It was this whole other feel to the book with them there.

Zoe has her issues being a bastard and all. While Julian wants more freedom and not being the lord all the time.

I am so curious about her sisters books! There is also a tiny sidestory about a neighbor.

I enjoyed this story.

Great narration. Good feeling for the characters, especially the annoying ones, lol.

Orphaned Zoë Benoît has spent the last three years in Paris learning how to be a lady. But Zoë is torn—as an independent spirit and a talented artist, she cannot help but want more than the tightly controlled life of a society lady.On an impulsive visit to the château where her mother lived, Zoë, disguised as a maidservant named Vita, meets a handsome wandering artist, known simply as Reynard. One blissful week with the charming Reynard convinces Zoë that this is the man and the life for her—until she discovers what he’s been hiding from her, and she flees, heartbroken.Longing for the chance to redeem himself, Reynard searches far and wide for the woman he knows as Vita, to no avail. Disheartened, he returns to England to reluctantly resume his role as Julian Fox, the Earl of Foxton. However, when he sees one of Zoë’s paintings, he realizes she’s in London, and becomes desperate to find her before it’s too late. But even if they reunite, can he convince Zoë he’s worthy of her trust and prove to her that, with him, she can be a free-spirited artist and a countess?

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

2/18/2025 Do you like to cook or bake? What is your favorite thing to make?

Like and like. I can bake, and enjoy the yummies. But do I love it? Nah, not really.

I can cook and try new things, but do I love it? Not really. It can be rather stressful.

But I do enjoy the fruits of my labour :)

2/25/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Spring? (Mar-May)

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday. Sprinkles and Sea Serpents

Author: Danielle Garrett

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi

Title: Sprinkles and Sea Serpents

Series: Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries #1

Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Format: Audiobook

Published: September 23, 2020

Where I got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

They say you can't go home again. . .oh, if only that were true.

Thanks to a series of unfortunate events - and one backstabbing frenemy - home is exactly where I'm headed. back to Winterspell Lake, the small community in Eastern Washington where magic runs rampant and humans are outlawed.

Faster than you can say hocus pocus I'm unpacking my bags and settling into the guest room of my parents' house, trying to ignore the creeping sensation that I'll never break free again.

The one thing Winterspell has going for it is the sweets shop in the center of town, a bakery filled with magical creations designed to enchant the taste buds and charm even the pickiest of connoisseurs. Luckily for me, I get the friends and family discount since my parents own the famous Sugar Shack. If I want room and board, I have to frost cupcakes and sling macaroons with the rest of the fam.

Unfortunately, things in Winterspell aren't all sugar cookies and rainbows. According to the local news, a dangerous sea serpent has claimed the lives to three missing girls. The journalist in me has to have a look for myself, and what I find is something far more deadly.

Something that makes me wish I'd stayed in the bakery.

Review:

Been meaning to read this series for a bit...especially after I read a crossover in this world. 

Thanks to some unfortunate events Ella is forced to go back home and stay with her family while she picks herself back up. The one thing Winterspell has going for it is the sweets shop in the center of town and her parent's need help at their store Sugar Shack. However, the town is in an uproar about a dangerous sea serpent who supposedly claimed the lives of three girls. Ella, as a previous journalist, can't help herself as she goes digging for answers. 

I was pleasantly surprised when we learn that there is more to Ella than what she describes in the summary. She has a power (which everyone in Winterspell and the magic world has SOME sort of power) that is so cool. People are mean and some have shunned her because of it. I'll leave it as a surprise for people who haven't read the book yet especially since it isn't called out in the summary. But it's cool and I want that power. 

I have a sneaking fear that there will be a love triangle in our future. Maybe not? She is freshly back in town and romance isn't the first thing on her brain, but the heart wants what the heart wants. If there is to be a love triangle that it only lasts for a bit and is realistic. *fingers crossed* Here's to hoping!! 

Originally I had this going on my romance bingo sheet, but I really feel that there wasn't enough romance for that to happen. Maybe book 2 will have more of the romance element. This seems to be building up for more. Soooooooooooo, I'll leave it off my bingo sheet. 

I liked Ella and I like her granny. I hope to learn more about her family in future books. 

Ryan was sweet. So was Jake. 

I loved the sea serpent! I wish we got to see it more.

There is something brewing and I need to know what is going to happen! EEEE. So yes, I have the next book ready to go already. Hehe. 

The narrator is a personal favorite of mine so I am super biased. She is great and does justice to the characters. 

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this. I do fear for a love triangle, but if it is done right I'll be happy. Fun, good mystery, nice characters, cool powers.....5 stars.  

- Favorite Character(s): Ella, Grandma Rose

- Least Favorite Character(s): The sheriff. Boo

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #7

- Cloak & Dagger #2

Audio: Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

Release date: 03-08-16

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher: Penguin Audio

A Novel of the Others, Book 4

By: Anne Bishop

Narrated by: Alexandra Harris

UF/Fantasy/own

I can´t remember how I felt the first time around, now I know there is a Bennett book, but how did I feel that so much about this one was set around the town of Bennett? Of course this is the part that guts you.

The book that breaks your heart. Every single time even though I know. I was all, maybe they will live. Maybe everyone will be ok. But everything will  not be ok, the Others are angry at stupid humans who destroy and kill and decides that maybe it is time for extinction. And I agree. Stupid humans.

Amazing narration. Amazing story. 4th time listening. Not the last time that is for sure.

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn see the new closer companionship as beneficial - both personally and practically.But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don't realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others - and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs....

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

2/11/2025 Share your romance (HEA/HFN) recommendations.

Anything by Tessa Dare :D 

Some PNR by Nalini Singh always gives the feels, and she has great contemporary romance too.

2/18/2025 Do you like to cook or bake? What is your favorite thing to make?

2/25/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Spring? (Mar-May)

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday: The widow of Pale harbor

Author: Hester Fox

Title: The Widow of Pale Harbor

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Format: Paperback

Pages: 352

Published:  September 17, 2019

Where I got It: My shelf (Gift)

Summary: 

Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife's death, so he moves to Pale Harbor, Maine, where there is a vacancy for a new minister. Gideon and his late wife had always dreamed of building their own church, and Pale Harbor is the perfect opportunity.

But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town of Pale Harbor. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople know that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a widow who lives with a spinster maid in the decaying Castle Carver on the edge of town. Sophronia is a recluse, rumored to be a witch who killed her husband.

When Gabriel meets her, he knows the charming, beautiful woman cannot be guilty of anything. Together, Gabriel and Sophronia realize that the mysterious events have one thing in common: they all contain an element from the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And when the events escalate to murder, Gabriel and Sophronia must find the real killer, before it's too late for them both.

Review:

This was given to me as a gift and I've been sitting on this for a moment, but I finally brought it out.

Gabriel is desperate to start a new life after the death of his wife. He moves to the sleepy town of Pale Harbor, but nothing is as it seems. There has been strange and unsettling things happening and the townspeople are starting to blame Sophronia Carver. She is a widow who lives with a spinster maid on the edge of town. She has become a recluse after the death of her husband, but everyone thinks she killed him and is a witch. Gabriel meets her and realizes she couldn't do what everyone is accusing her of. Will Gabriel and Sophronia discover who the real killer is before it is too late?

I really loved the intertwining of Edgar Allan Poe's works. The mysterious events all have some element from the popular stories. That was a lot of fun. A nice edition to this mystery!

Which! I had my suspects, but I wasn't sure about whodunit and why. The ending was fantastic! Lots of red herrings and lots of suspicious people. Lots of finger pointing too. Poor Sophy.

Now.....I do have a complaint (which seems silly coming from a Romance-lover), but the romance element was overdone. It seemed to dominate the story sometimes. A splash too much for my liking when reading a mystery. I figured there would be some. Two lonely widows...alone in the world...of course. However, it took over the plot sometimes and I would forget I was reading a mystery/thriller for a moment.

Other than that, I did enjoy the story. The mystery was top notch and the extra little elements was a nice touch. I would suggest this for Historical mystery lovers. Just note there is a lot of romance about. 3 stars overall from me. 

- Favorite Character(s): Sophy and Tom

- Least Favorite Character(s): Helen

 

Challenge(s):

- Cloak & Dagger #1

Audio: Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop

Series: Book 3, The Others (Bishop)

Narrated by: Alexandra Harris

Release date: 03-03-15

Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Categories: Literature & Fiction

Own

This is my third time listening. My 4th time all in all. My detailed review is far back in years.

This series is amazing. The danger is so close now. The Others are starting to think that maybe they should just wipe out the human race. And hey, they have a point. Wipe them all out! Humans are the worst.

And as always, this is a series you have to do in audio! The narrator is fantastic and it is so much better.

The Others freed the  cassandra sangue  to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

2/4/2025 What is your least favorite thing about winter?

Ha, I complained all last week but srsly. Our main road was downgraded so the maintenance sucks. 7 km of shitty roads in winter. Ice and more if you are unlucky. I hate driving in winter. It could work if the temps would stay the same, but hello climate change. January was a fickle B. 

I am not gonna complain about the cold, that happens. Last year it was -30c in January. Now we had a day when it was 8c instead. There is no bad weather only bad clothes....

Worst thing about winter is driving in it. 

2/11/2025 Share your romance (HEA/HFN) recommendations.

2/18/2025 Do you like to cook or bake? What is your favorite thing to make?

2/25/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Spring? (Mar-May)

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday. Once upon a Winter´s Eve

Author: Tessa Dare

Title: Once Upon a Winter's Eve

Series: Spindle Cove #1.5

Genre: Historical Romance, Novella

Format: ebook

Published:  November 15, 2011

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Some wallflowers bloom at night...

A Spindle Cove Novella

Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren't beating down her door.

Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet's feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He's wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue.

Only Violet understands him. And she knows he's not what he seems.

She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable... Love.

Warning: The heroine packs a pistol, the hero curses in multiple languages, and together they steam up a cold winter’s night.

Review:

This was free on Amazon so I grabbed it! Last time I read this was last year and I had borrowed it from the library. I enjoyed this one so much last time and I'm a book goblin so I wanted it for my shelf. 

Violet had a terrible heartbreak and she is licking her wounds at the Spindle Cove. She is enjoying her quiet life until a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at her feet. She is the only who speaks his language so she is recruited to get info out of him. He isn't what he seems and she will get the answers out of him one way or another. 

Weeeee love Dare! And I really have been enjoying this series. I think I only have a book or two left and I'm sad to say goodbye to the Spindle Cove!

Love Violet. She deserves all the happiness in the world. She is too sweet for her own good. 

I hope to see more of this couple, but I doubt it. I would love to see more of their love flourish. 

All-in-all, I still adored this little short. I'll keep my original rating of 5 stars. 

- Favorite Character(s): Violet

- Least Favorite Character(s): no one

 

Best of January

 

Here are our bests from January!!!! That first month flew by!

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

"Very fairytale like."

Carole - The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

"So many goodies this month BUT the narrator really pushed this to the top. Great and tragic and a voice that will bring this story to life."

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole - Nadda. No movies...just TV and books. 

Blodeuedd - Back in Action (2025)

"I watched Back In Action. Pretty funny and action-filled."

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Maxima

"I watched the tv series Maxima. A lot of drama!"

Carole - Downton Abbey (S 1-5)

"One season left to finish. I'm addicted!!! Why did I ever wait so long to watch this?"

Best Cover of the Month:

Carole's pick.

Blodeuedd's Pick.

Honorable Mention:

Blodeuedd - Written in Red by Anne Bishop

"I re-read Written in Red and A murder of Crows. They were obvi the best books this month, but it is too cruel to other books to choose them every time!"

Carole - Othello by William Shakespeare

"Re-read this gem. It has been yeaaaarrrrs! Still holds up and is my favorites of William Shakespeare!"