Audio: Fugitive telemetry

By: Martha Wells

Narrated by: Kevin R. Free

Series: Murderbot Diaries, Book 6

Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins

Release date: 04-27-21

Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.

scifi novella /bookbeat.fi

A novella where Murderbot helps solve a murder....I mean what more can I say. It is what it is. People fear Murderbot. Murderbot solves a crime. They find out some dark things.

A scifi murder mystery.

Good narration.

No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!

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.

1/30/2024 It's the movie of your life: who do you cast in the leading role?

Wow, no idea at all. Can I cast someone pretty? But hmm, still, an actress I like? No idea. Why is this so hard?! Maybe I do not like any actress at all....

I Will play myself and win an Oscar! Thank you, thank you

2/6/2024 What's the last book you re-read? Did you like as much as the first read?

2/13/2024 Share your romance (HEA/HFN) recommendations.

2/20/2024 What is your favorite type of candy?

2/27/2024 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: Shoot the horses first

Author: Leah Angstman

Title: Shoot the Horses First

Genre: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Anthology

Format: Paperback

Pages: 238

Published: February 28, 2023

Where I Got It: My Shelf (Given a complimentary copy after the book tour)

Summary: 

Through a historian’s lens and folkloric storytelling, the pieces in SHOOT THE HORSES FIRST revel in the nuances, brutality, mythology, and tiny victories of our historical past. A launderer takes us inside the linens of the richest families in early Baltimore. A child on the Orphan Train has his teeth inspected like a horse. Civil War soldiers experience PTSD. While one woman lands on an island of the Wampanoag tribe, a woman 200 years later finds Apache in a harsh frontier. Children survive yellow fever, the desert heat, and mistaken identities; men survive severed fingers, untested medicines, and wives with obsessive compulsive disorders. Frederick Douglass’ grandson plays violin at the World’s Fair on Colored American Day, a woman with disabilities is kept hidden away like she doesn’t exist, and a botanist is denied her place in a science journal because she is female. Themes of place, war, mental illness, identity, disability, feminism, and unyielding optimism throughout harrowing desperation resurface in this collection of stories that takes us back to time immemorial, yet feels so close, and all too familiar.

Review:

Been meaning to read this since I was given this as a gift, but you know how life gets ;) 

This is a collection of short stories that do not really tie into each other so you can read these individually which I appreciated. Normally with anthologies, I break down each short story. I am not going to do that. 1) There are 16 of them. 2) Some are soooo short. Maybe a page or two while others are pages and pages. 3) I am lazy and tired. 

Honestly, this was a nice collection of stories. We got to see different time periods and different types of characters. Some stories are feel-good. Some deeper. Some sad. Some...confusing. A nice variety overall. 

There are a couple that really, really stuck with me. I would LOVE to read more. 

Like 'The Orphan Train'....I NEED MORE! WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT POOR KID?!

'Casting Grand Titans'....WHAT! OMG. I have hopes and thoughts, but what does she decide???? I understand why she was upset BUT it was that time. I truly think he did what he thought was best. Ugh. This could be a full novel for shizzle. 

'In Name Only'.....this was good. I wanted to cry and cheer and scream. So many feels. 

'A Lifetime of Fishes'.....another one that should be a full-length novel. Probably my favorite of this whole collection. 

'The Desert Jewel'....this one surprised me. It started off meh but then TWIST and I ended up loving it. Can't blame him. 

Now, it did take me forever to get through this. Not because it was bad...it was all on me. I wanted to take my time with this guy. Some of these stories were super impactful so I wanted to take my time like this was a dry wine. Slow and steady. 

In the end, I highly recommend this. It was really good. Some stories were better than others, but there wasn't one I didn't like. 4 stars from me. 

Audio: The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James

By: Eloisa James

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

Series: Fairy Tales, Book 4

Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins

Release date: 08-28-12

Publisher: HarperAudio

Historical romance /borrow

Theo and James were besties. They married young cos his father had used up her dowry. But she was ugly, and he was handsome. And then drama ensues....BOOM. He goes away, they do not speak for 7 years and he becomes a feared pirate....cos yes that is what one does. Not like wait a week and speak with her again. But let´s just stay mad everyone for 7 years.

The first part is about the drama. Then there comes a part where she finds her style, conquers the hearts of everyone. And then they meet again. Considering they are still married and all.

I liked it, but at the same time damn man, 7 years! Oh ye of little faith. And there is not actually a lot of romance in this one, they do not spend a lot of time together. Still it is a bit different and the Ton is shallow as hell.

Good narration. I have listened to her  before and always enjoy her work

How can she dare to imagine he loves her... when all London calls her The Ugly Duchess?

Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion.

Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.

Theo would have given it a lifetime... until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding... and is scandalized by their separation. Now James faces the battle of his life, convincing Theo that he loves the duckling who blossomed into the swan. And Theo will quickly find that, for a man with the soul of a pirate, All's Fair in Love - and War.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Format: 446 pages, Paperback

Published: September 1, 2001 by Little, Brown and Company

Fiction

Own

This one was well written and also really disturbing. The main character Astrid is placed into foster care after her mother ends up in jail. Her flaky weird compelling mother. A poet who commits a crime of passion.

As for Astrid, oh this child turned teenager is effed up. Even at the end she seems to think she is writing her own story. No, you were used and abused by horrible grotesque men who should have known better. And women for that matter. It is disturbing because she is all in, while I on the outside find it horrifying. And she never seems to realise it.

I did not think I would enjoy it, but I did. In all its sadness

Everywhere hailed as a novel of rare beauty and power, White Oleander tells the unforgettable story of Ingrid, a brilliant poet imprisoned for murder, and her daughter, Astrid, whose odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes--each its own universe, with its own laws, its own dangers, its own hard lessons to be learned--becomes a redeeming and surprising journey of self-discovery.

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.

1/23/2024 Is it easier or harder to write a review for a book you loved?

I would say harder. I want to get so much in, to get so many feelings across, but it is SO hard. So very very hard when you really love a book. At least it feels like that

1/30/2024 It's the movie of your life: who do you cast in the leading role?

2/6/2024 What's the last book you re-read? Did you like as much as the first read?

2/13/2024 Share your romance (HEA/HFN) recommendations.

2/20/2024 What is your favorite type of candy?

2/27/2024 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: Victoria and Albert

Author: Daisy Goodwin & Sara Sheridan

Narrator: Jessica Ball & Dugald Bruce Lockhart

Title: Victoria and Albert - A Royal Love Affair

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography

Format: Audiobook

Published: September 21, 2017

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

The official companion to the second season of the PBS/Masterpiece drama Victoria by award-winning creator and screenwriter Daisy Goodwin.

More than 16 million viewers watched the first season of the Masterpiece presentation of Victoria, created and written by Daisy Goodwin--the highest-rated PBS drama in twenty years, second only to Downton Abbey. But what happened after the Queen married her handsome prince? Did they live happily ever after, or did their marriage, like so many royal marriages past and present, fizzle into a loveless round of duty?

This all-new companion book by Daisy Goodwin and Sara Sheridan transports us to the private world of Victoria and Albert. Though first cousins, they could not have been more different: Victoria was impulsive, emotional, and capricious, Albert cautious, self-controlled, and logical. But together they forged a bond with each other and with their people that would change the world. Drawing on letters and diaries and fresh insights into royal history, this gorgeous book charts the constant ebb and flow of power within the couple's surprisingly ardent and modern marriage.

Sumptuously illustrated and full of rich insider detail, Victoria and Albert takes us behind the scenes of the magnificent TV drama, including fascinating, in-depth information on the actors, the props, and the costumes - and bringing an extraordinary royal marriage even more fully to life.

Review:

Awww I adored this show and so I was excited to read not only this behind-the-scenes...but this informational about the Queen and her husband. 

In this, we hear from the creator and writer of the TV show 'Victoria'. She gives us some glimpses behind the scenes of the TV show and she gives us a history lesson about not only Victoria but of her husband and the time-period. 

If you haven't seen the show....do. It was so good. After listening to this I am tempted to go back and do a re-watch. Such a fun show with a great cast. 

Honestly, I would HIGHLY encourage watching the show first before diving into this. I do not think you'll truly appreciate this as much as you would after watching the show. There are lots and lots of references to the show. 

I loved the blend of information we got here. Not only did we get some historical lessons, but we got to learn about how they did the show. Between costumes and set design...to her writing process and learning about the time-period. It was all so interesting on so many different levels. I love history, but I am so intrigued by the creation of TV shows/movies. 

Now, I did do the audio version which was REALLY good...don't get me wrong...but I was reading a couple of reviews on Goodreads and I guess the ebook/physical has actual pictures. Gah! I'm bummed.

All-in-all, this was a nice informational about not only our epic duo, but of the time-period and the show that goes with it. I do wish I would've read it instead JUST so I could see the pictures, but the narration was really, really good. I'll give this 4 stars.

Challenge(s):

- Audiobook Challenge - #5

Audio: Wicked and the wallflower

By: Sarah MacLean

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Series: The Bareknuckle Bastards, Book 1

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Release date: 06-19-18

Publisher: HarperAudio

Historical romance /borrow

I have read the next two, but I never did read book one so here I am.

Felicity is on the shelf, her family has secrets, and her former friends have given her the cut. But her family wants her to marry a Duke. As if.

Devil is king of the underworld, and he has secrets too.

They meet, they start to fancy each other. She will need to marry that Duke, but damn this devil is hot.

I liked it. Fun times. She really went for what she wanted

Justine Eyre always delivers. She is a fantastic narrator.

When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She’s seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won’t accept a marriage without it.

Bastard son of a duke and king of London’s dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and the spinster wallflower is everything he needs to exact a revenge years in the making. All he must do is turn the plain little mouse into an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.

But there’s nothing plain about Felicity Faircloth, who quickly decides she’d rather have Devil than another. Soon, Devil’s carefully laid plans are in chaos and he must choose between everything he's ever wanted . . . and the only thing he's ever desired.

Audio: Four day fling by Emma Hart

By: Emma Hart

Narrated by: Nelson Hobbs, Melissa Moran

Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins

Release date: 02-26-19

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Contemporary romance / bookbeat

This one was funny. But srsly Poppy, prepare a bit.

Poppy meets a guy, hooks up, and then invites him to a wedding. See here is where Poppy and I do not prepare the same way. She is all, I need a fake date cos my family will be all over me! But like hello, maybe learn a bit more than what his name is. It does not take long, prepare a bit. Ack Poppy.

Her mother was horrible. Like ugh.

Adam is the sweetest. He does this for her, and they fall in lust and love. But have some drama to get over.

Funny, cute and I will totally read more by her

Great narration that kept me hooked. There were two narrators, but the female one was the one in charge, so when the first change happened it was weird. And he did not get a lot of room.

Imagine this. You’re ready to leave after a one-night stand, and you’re figuring out how to—shock horror—leave your number and ask him to be your fake boyfriend for your sister’s wedding this weekend. When he wakes up. Well, that happened to me. And over coffee and omelets, I found myself a date.

Which was how I ended up arriving at the wedding with a guy I knew nothing about. I didn’t know his last name, or how we met, or how long we’d been dating. I didn’t know where he grew up, what he’d majored in in college, or how many siblings he had. I sure as hell didn’t know he was Adam Winters, hotshot hockey player—and not only my father’s favorite player, but my little nephew’s freakin’ idol. Which means I’m in trouble. Big, big trouble. My mother is suspicious, my sister is bridezilla on crack, and my grandpa will tell anyone who’ll listen about his time in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Four days. I have to keep this up for four days, and then Adam and I can return to our regular lives, where we don’t have sex whenever we’re alone and my family aren’t interrogating him over his intentions with me.

At least, that’s the plan. And we all know what happens to those.

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.

1/16/2024 Besides reading, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

Well lately I have spent too much on stupid tiktok watching nothing. No time for hobbies. But then I always just read. If I am not reading then tv

My hobby has always just been reading

1/23/2024 Is it easier or harder to write a review for a book you loved?

1/30/2024 It's the movie of your life: who do you cast in the leading role?

2/6/2024 What's the last book you re-read? Did you like as much as the first read?

2/13/2024 Share your romance (HEA/HFN) recommendations.

2/20/2024 What is your favorite type of candy?

2/27/2024 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. Legends and Lattes

Author: Travis Baldree

Title: Legends & Lattes

Series: Legends & Lattes #1

Genre: Fantasy, Cozy Mystery, Romance, & LGBT

Format: ebook

Pages: 296

Published: February 22, 2022

Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Review: 

I have had my eye on this for a little while, but never pulled the trigger. Not sure why but just never did it. It was picked for book club, so I'm glad I'm finally getting the push I needed. 

Here we follow Viv who is hanging up her sword. She is done with adventure. She wants a quiet life and opens up the first-ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. Not only does old and new rivals stand in her way to success, but so does the fact that no one in this area knows what coffee is. 

If you like DND you would truly appreciate this. Heck, even if you don't know a lick about DND I think you would enjoy this too. There is fantasy, coffee, a cozy mystery, and a sprinkle of love. Very cozy indeed. 

Originally, I planned to count this as a book for my Romance Reading Challenge, BUT the romance element was SO small I would forget about it until something happened. Yes, there are some other moving parts going on so romance isn't the key element or focus......but I simply think there wasn't enough focus on it for it to be counted as a romance. I wish there had been more. This is def a PG-rated book, BUUUUUUUUUT there could've been more focus on Viv finding the love of her life. Bummer.

Now, this is super cozy. Even the mystery wasn't a huge deal. Rather simple and simplistic. It barely even rocked the boat. Which is fine for me. I want Viv happy so I'm glad she didn't have to deal with TOO much craziness. Yes, there is some, but nothing insane. 

Sometimes I did find this was TOO cozy. I think I would've loved it more if it was a short story instead. There were lots of dragged-out moments and explanations. It felt like a lot of fillers, to be honest. 

All-in-all, this was a very cozy story. Like I mentioned....some mystery, fantasy, coffee, and a teeny tiny sprinkle of romance. Literally just a teeny tiny cherry on top. I feel like there is great potential in this story. Maybe book 2 will spice up a tiny bit. This was a lot of build-up. Cute and fun, but sometimes it felt TOO cozy. I'll give this 3 stars. 

 

Challenge(s):

- Cloak and Dagger - #1 (Cozy mystery)

Audio: The silence between us by Alison Gervais

By: Alison Gervais

Narrated by: Chloe Dolandis

Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins

Release date: 08-13-19

Publisher: Blink

YA fiction /own

One of my audiobook sync freebies.

I had a hard time warming up to Maya. She has only been deaf for 3 years, but she is making it her entire personality. And since she has been deaf only since she was 14 she should remember that people are stupid and do not know things. So when she gets pissed of when people find out she can talk, maybe just tell them and not storm off. Also when a friend thinks they are being helpful to tell you about implants, tell them why you do not want them, also it felt like she looked down on those who got them. Like they were not true deafs. I felt like I could have understood it better if she had been dead longer, but it was 3 years. She should remember what she felt herself 3 years ago. 

Also this boy learns sign language in record time and she does not get it is cos of her. No one else makes an effort, take a hint.

But it was was educating to see her navigate a hearing school, and darker things like not hearing when her brother is in trouble. 

In the end I felt mostly sorry for the mum. Working herself to death, and her young son has cystic fibrosis. She is a single mum, and she has a teen too. Also tons of medical bills. Poor mum.

Good book with deaf representation. I like how it was written so we could hear how they talk in sign language.

Good narration

Deaf teen Maya moves across the country and must attend a hearing school for the first time. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating - and also surprising when some classmates, including Beau Watson, take time to learn ASL. As Maya looks past graduation and focuses on her future dreams, nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will derail her pursuits. But when people in her life - Deaf and hearing alike - ask her to question parts of her Deaf identity, Maya stands proudly, never giving in to the idea that her Deafness is a disadvantage.

Audio: Warden and the Assassin by Eve Langlais

Narrated by: Ada Sinclair

Series: The Grae Sisters, Book 1

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Release date: 01-04-24

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Urban fantasy romance / to review

Three sisters with different powers. Enyo is the one that is a kick ass warrior. Or well assassin as the is running around killing people.

The world, well I want to know more. Like what is up with their mother? Who is their father? I guess I must wait for those answers as two more books are coming with her sisters.

In this one Enyo must protect Bane, a Warder of a mysterious door holding evil. And everything and everyone is after it, him and now her.

Lots of action, and she is one kick ass chick. And she also has the hots for him so we will get some of that action too. A good start, but yes I have questions.

Good narration. It is lots of action and she kept up with it. Good voices

I’m the sister you don’t want to meet in a dark alley.An assassin for hire, I’ve got skills other people don’t. Blame my magical heritage and a mother who gifted me a set of knives and my first revolver not long after my sixteenth birthday.When a magical object transports me to a perilous jungle as part of a job interview, I have to admit I’m intrigued. So what if my future-seeing sister told me to avoid the stranger offering me employment. She also told me we’d end up lovers.I can see why. The Warden—real name Bane—is all kinds of sexy and grumpy and massively cursed. He needs me to keep him alive during some kind of arcane event. If I do, then I get to choose a treasure. Oh, and save the world.Me, a hero? Guess we’ll see because I’m about to come face to face with more monsters than I knew existed. I’ll be tested. Seduced. And, according to my sister, will most likely die.The odds are against me, but now that I’ve met my match, I’m determined to win this fight - and his love.

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.

1/9/2024 Which outdoor winter activities are your favorite?

Walking!!! Haha. Well come on walking is always the greatest. And then I stop and take beautiful photos.

To take a walk, to see some Northern Lights. Sorry my camera sucks. It is really pretty

To go kicksledding, I had to google the word, it seems these are more a Nordic thing . 

And yes I cross country skii, but I like to freestyle and the track here is classic and I do not like that as much

1/16/2024 Besides reading, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

1/23/2024 Is it easier or harder to write a review for a book you loved?

1/30/2024 It's the movie of your life: who do you cast in the leading role?

2/6/2024 What's the last book you re-read? Did you like as much as the first read?

2/13/2024 Share your romance (HEA/HFN) recommendations.

2/20/2024 What is your favorite type of candy?

2/27/2024 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: A modern day Persuasion

 

Author: Kaitlin Saunders

Title: A Modern Day Persuasion

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, & Retelling

Format: ebook

Pages: 258

Published: March 23, 2011

Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Nearly eight years ago, Anne’s family, specifically her father, convinced her that she was too young to wed and insinuated that her fiancé Rick was solely interested in her wealth and status. Against her better judgment, Anne agreed to postpone the marriage, only to watch the love of her life walk away, never to be heard from again. Almost a decade later, still single and no longer wealthy, Anne struggles to make a name for herself designing greeting cards. Unable to move on with her life, she finds herself still emotionally bound to the man who disappeared the moment things didn’t go his way. Through a series of serendipitous events, however, Anne is reunited with her old love—just as a new beau enters the scene. Only time will tell if her heart can finally be set free to love again, or if Rick’s initial betrayal will leave her single…forever.

Review:

Been meaning to read this for a while, but you know how it goes. 

This is a modern take on the Austen classic 'Persuasion'. Anne was convinced she was too young and that Rick was not the right man for her. He didn't have money or status of any sort. Her family convinced her to at least postpone getting married, but Rick walked away to never be heard from again. 8 years later, Anne hasn't forgotten Rick, but she has a lot more problems to deal with. Her family's wealth is all but gone and she is struggling to make a name for herself. Through a series of events, Rick is back and is this a chance at love again?

Okay - I did read a lot of reviews and I'm not alone in my feelings here. I should listen to Blodeuedd. She was right when she said avoid it ;) 

1) Yes Anne and Rick you are TOO young to marry. You are 17 years old.........she hasn't even finished High School yet. 

2) Her family didn't tell her to say NO necessarily...just wait a year or two. Let Anne go to college at least. Have a long engagement. But NOOOO Rick walked away like an ass.

3) We discover that one of Anne's favorite books is 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen. Isn't this like breaking the 4th wall or whatever? Names, events, and situations are precisely the same (just different year). So that was weird for me. 

4) This was written very old school. It sounded like maybe 1920s not 2000s. The dialogue was off and not very modern sounding. 

5) Mr Elliot is literally their 2nd cousin and Elizabeth dated him?! And now Mr Elliot wants Anne? I'm sure that is illegal in a lot of places. Too closely related for my liking....*shudders*

SOOO those are my main complaints.

Yeah - sadly this wasn't for me in the end, but I forced myself to finish. I wanted that credit for my reading challenge and I had hoped this would get better. 

All-in-all, I'll give this 1 star. Again...only finished to get the credit and it wasn't very long. 

 

Challenge(s):

- Romance Reading Challenge - #2 (TBR pile over 1 year)

Audio: The third wish by Carolyn Brown

By: Carolyn Brown

Narrated by: Andrea Emmes

Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins

Release date: 12-27-22

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Novella, contemporary romance /bookbeat.fi

Another short novella since I had  like 3 hours left of that dang audiobook sitesubscription. I mean 20 hours is just insane! Too short, but it was a good deal so I took it. But that is hardly any books at all.

Jessica finds out who her father is and goes to find him. She meets an arrogant SoB (not her dad, just his colleague). Then they meet again. Sorry Jessica, I know he was hot and then turned nice, but he was such an ahole in the beginning so I would have made him suffer some.

Short and sweet when it does get going.

Good narration

Jessica certainly had no desire to get involved with anyone once she’d found out the secret in her background, especially not the arrogant Rocky Rycroft.

Stats and More best of 2023

 

There are more books that deserves the spotlight as best of 2023

The 3 best Tessa Dare books:

Do you want to start a Scandal?

The Governess Game

Castles ever After

I listened to 7 Tessa Dare books in 2023

It can´t be a good year if there is not a Nalini Singh book in The Best of List. This year that is:

Heart of Obsidian

I listened to 5 Singh books this year

I finally got to listen to an omnibus containing both Magic Tides and Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews. All the feels.

She who became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, was a book that made me google like crazy. The author changed the gender of a certain emperor.

The Empire´s ruin by Brian Stavley got to be the best Fantasy book of the year

The impossible Impostor by Deanna Raybourn, because I love her adventures.

The last remains by Elly Griffiths. I am so sad this series came to an ending

A study in drowning by Ava Reid. She is so good

I re-listened to ALL of Heartstrikers by Rachel Aaron and all of The Others by Anne Bishop in 2023. I love them.

STATS

I read 93 books last year:

21 print books

72 audiobooks

Audiobooks clearly won this round.

Most read authors of 2023

8 books by Anne Bishop

 7 books by Rachel Aaron

7 Tessa Dare books

5 Nalini Singh books

Audio: Traces of Magic by Monica Fairview

 

By: Monica Fairview

Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon

Series: Mr. Darcy's Magic, Book 3

Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

Release date: 12-12-23

Publisher: Tantor Audio

To review/JA variation/fantasy

Lizzy and Darcy is at Netherfield with other magicians. It is now an Academy. But then something happens and her sister Lydia really needs training. And she comes to Netherfield. Ensue drama. What else to expect.

So this is book 3, you need to read the previous ones. The French are at the door. This world has magic and Lizzy and Darcy are married, but also mages. And then lots of other things.

But Lydia gets in trouble. There is a mysterious person around. Lizzy and Darcy must save the day.

More is coming. These two still have problems to deal with and more happiness to find. There is a war going on and they can not really settle down.

Good narration. She does well with everyone, especially Lydia. She does get her right.

As long as she lived, Elizabeth would never forget the look on Darcy's face when he saw her coming towards him.

Elizabeth and Darcy are finally settling down at the Netherfield Royal Mages Academy when a mysterious flare of magic sends them scampering to discover what is happening. But they are soon left with more questions than answers.

Why has Elizabeth's sister Lydia gone missing? Who is the mysterious gentleman they encountered at an inn? And more importantly, why have they been summoned to London to attend to the Prince Regent himself? As Elizabeth and Darcy grapple with unsettling revelations, they find themselves caught up in a web of deception that could lead to the downfall of the Kingdom itself.