Carole's Sunday. The Time Collector

Author:  Gwendolyn Womack  

Title: The Time Collector

Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, and Romance

Pages: 352

Published: April 16th 2019

Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

Roan West was born with an extraordinary gift: he can perceive the past of any object he touches. A highly skilled pyschometrist, he uses his talents to find and sell valuable antiques, but his quiet life in New Orleans is about to change. Stuart, a fellow pyschometrist and Roan’s close friend, has used his own abilities to unearth several out-of-place-artifacts or “ooparts”—like a ring that once belonged to the seventeenth-century mathematician and philosopher René Descartes, but was found buried in prehistoric bedrock.

The relics challenge recorded history, but soon after the discovery, Stuart disappears, making him one of several psychometrists who have recently died or vanished without a trace. When Roan comes across a viral video of a young woman who has discovered a priceless pocket watch just by “sensing” it, he knows he has to warn her—but will Melicent Tilpin listen? And can Roan find Stuart before it’s too late?

I was drawn in right away! The summary, the cover, and just the general idea of it. I was for sure a moth to the flame. 

The story follows Roan and Melicent. They were both born with amazing gifts. They both can perceive the past of any object they touch. Melicent's powers are not as good yet, but Roan is pretty good at it. Stuart, Roan's pal, has used his own powers to unearth several out-of-place-artifacts. There is a connection between all of them but what? When Stuart goes missing along with a few others with similar gifts, Roan is forced to figure out what is going on and warn the young Melicent. 

I have always wanted this power or something similar. I love history and antiques. Can you imagine?? That would be amazing. Like all powers, there are cons to having them. 

The whole ooparts is amazing to me and I loved the author's blend of this real-life oddity to the story! 

Roan was fun. I liked him. 

Same with Melicent. I liked her from the beginning. Her little brother was a snotball. Yes, I get the WHYS, but still. I wanted to kick him and shake some sense into him! Sun was awesome and so strong. I wish we had more Sun!

The author was amazing. I was hooked from page one and I didn't want to put it down. The mystery was intriguing and I had my theories but I was wrong. Kuddos to the big twist! It all made sense though. HOW DID I NOT SEE IT? Maybe it was because I really didn't want to? IDK, but I was surprised. Ooooo that baddie. 

The romance aspect seemed a touch forced and I didn't really see the chemistry there, but the romance isn't the main aspect so it wasn't a huge issue.

Overall, I really liked this book. It was super good. The romance aspect was my only little hiccup. Everything else was awesome. The characters, the story, the mystery, the jumps to the past, and the twist at the end. I'll give this a 4! 

Book 11 of 16/25

Audio: The Night Visitors -

Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer

Length: 8 hrs

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 03-26-19

Language: English

Publisher: HarperAudio

Thriller, suspense

For review

My Thoughts

A thriller with supernatural elements. I enjoyed this one. It felt easy to listen too and I liked the twists and turns.

Alice is escaping an abusive relationship, she takes Oren with her. But she has secrets she is not telling, and Oren has secrets too.

Mattie who is running an underground railroad for women and kids in needs is supposed to drive them to a safe place. But a storm is coming so she takes them home. And she has secrets too.

They have to spend time together while it snows. Mattie tries to figure out things without asking, as one should not. Alice is resentful since Mattie is a social worker, and Oren, well he is strange.

The secrets are building up and then the suspense starts too. Oh and the strange things happening adds to the atmosphere. 

I enjoyed it. I liked how she put things together. Some things I did guess, but I could not be totally sure so it worked.

Narrator

ALice and Mattie both narrated, but they had the same voice when narrating so that could have been better. But she was still a good narrator. She kept up the suspense and otherness. I would listen to more by her

Alice gets off a bus in the middle of a snowstorm in Delphi, NY. She is fleeing an abusive relationship and desperate to protect Oren, 10 years old, a major Star Wars fan and wise beyond his years. Though Alice is wary, Oren bonds nearly instantly with Mattie, a social worker in her 50s who lives in an enormous, rundown house in the middle of the woods. 
Mattie lives alone and is always available, and so she is the person the hotline always calls when they need a late-night pickup. And although according to protocol, Mattie should take Alice and Oren to a local shelter, instead, she brings them home for the night. She has plenty of room, she says. What she doesn't say is that Oren reminds her of her little brother, who died 30 years ago at the age of 10.
But Mattie isn't the only one withholding elements of the truth. Alice is keeping her own secrets. And as the snowstorm worsens around them, each woman's past will prove itself unburied, stirring up threats both within and without.

Audio: The infamous Duchess - Sophie Barnes

Narrated by: Carolyn Morris

Series: Diamonds in the Rough, Book 4

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 03-26-19

Publisher: HarperAudio

Historical romance

For review

My Thoughts

I liked this one. It had real drama. I mean if a 16 year old married some 70-80 year old man then of course people would gossip about her, of course the son would be mad. 

Viola married an old man, one day later he died leaving everything to her. But he was a good guy, who wanted for her to be cared for. No funny business. And with that money she built a hospital. How anyone can gossip about that I do not know. She built a hospital! She is no gold digger.

But would I gossip about her? Probably. I get why she hid from society.

Right so the son comes back and wants all the money and calls her out. Ugh, I hated that guy. But yes if your dad married and then died, of course you would be all omg he left HER all the money?! But luckily he is a total arsehat so I wont even forgive him for a second. That is the drama, court room drama to be.

And the romance is with a  scoundrel, who is not a scoundrel but a really good guy. He will help her deal with her stepson. I liked him.

Then end, oh my, there was like 20 min left when I had to stop, but I had to keep going cos it got intense!

I enjoyed this. Romance, real drama and interesting characters.

And it looks to be a good book next too. I liked the build up for that one.

Narration

I liked this narrator. She works great for historical romance. I liked her female voices. Her male voices sound funny at first, but then they are just perfect for HR.

She works the story well and I hope to hear more from her.

Blurb

Branded a money-hungry con artist for marrying the elderly Duke of Tremaine days before his death, Viola Cartwright has found refuge in her work at St. Agatha’s Hospital. No one must know the painful reason behind her marriage. She steers clear of attachments—until Henry Lowell, heir to the Viscount Armswell, lands on her operating table after a duel. Charming and wickedly handsome, Lowell is one of London’s most inveterate scoundrels. Yet he may not be all that he appears.

And the man who can promise a future filled with love… 

Posing as an unrepentant rake has helped Lowell avoid women pursuing him only for his title. But now that duty has finally called on him to marry, he finds himself entranced by the mysterious, independent-minded Viola. Then her late husband’s son returns from overseas, contesting Viola’s inheritance. Lowell longs to help her and sets out to convince Viola that a strategic union may be the best way to save all she holds dear. But can he also persuade her to take a chance on love…?

Audio: In her sights - Katie Ruggle

Unabridged, Listening Length: 9 hours and 50 minutes

Published March 26th 2019 by Tantor Audio

Series: Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters #1

Narrator: Callie Beaulieu

Romantic suspense

For review

My Thoughts
Why on earth Molly was hating on John I do not know, he was like a sweet teddybear that did everything to protect her. Just let him do it!

And with that I will begin. So my previous Ruggle books have been great, this one was still good, but I guess the couple did not sizzle like previous ones. Mostly cos she tried to get away from him and then suddenly she loved him and like a day had passed. Oh well, it was still fun!

5 sisters. They are bounty hunters. Their mother is a petty criminal and soon she is in trouble. Ugh, what a mother!!! I really hate her. And then sisters have to find her and clear this mess, and catch the biggest bounty of them all.

Molly is the one taking charge. And she crosses paths with her enemy John who is also a bounty hunter. But omg this guy, sweetie! He does all he can to help her.

Explosions, falling in love and catching bad guys. That sums it up. And sisters that hold together no matter what.

Narration

I have listened to her do Ruggle books before and I like her with them. She does them well and get the feel of intensity.

Five bounty-hunting sisters
Deep in the heart of the Rockies
Fighting to save each other
...and the men who steal their hearts

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the bail recovery business she shares with her sisters into an unqualified success. So when their sticky-fingered mother jumps bail and puts the childhood home up as collateral, Molly's horrified. To make matters worse, every two-bit criminal in the Rockies now sees her family's misfortune as their next big break.

She needs help, stat.

Enter rival bounty hunter John Carmondy: six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match. John's the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly's ever had the pleasure of defeating...and he may be her only hope of making it out of this mess alive.