"Cute, Funny Romance"
This was an enjoyable romance with a lot of funny moments. I wasn't super crazy about the main guy - he was a spoiled Hollywood star and was almost too spoiled to be likable, but I loved the main girl; she was smart, hilarious and didn't take any crap from the guy. I'd recommend the book if you want something light and funny. I also really liked the narrator. This is the first time I've listened to a book read by her and I'd definitely listen to another one.
"Cute Contemporary Romance"
This was a cute story, with likable characters and a nice romance. I loved the setting (an vet clinic and animal boarding facility) because the animals really added to the story. What I didn't like was hearing OVER AND OVER how hot the hero was. I got it the first time -- his arms/butt/chest were huge/hard/cut. Ugh. Over and over! I think it was something I would have skimmed over if I was just reading the book, but on audio it was hard to avoid. I still enjoyed the story enough to recommend it though!
"This May Not Be the Series for Me"
I have really mixed feelings about this series. There are aspects to it that I like (the mysteries, some of the humor, Charley's interactions with the secondary characters) and some I don't (some of the humor, Reyes) and I don't know if I care about it enough to continue. Before I started it, I would have said I loved snarky characters, but after reading this, I'm rethinking that. It did have some laugh out loud moments, but mostly it was a "heh" not a true lol and there were a lot of parts where I thought the author was trying too hard to be funny; it didn't feel natural. I also don't like Reyes. He's a jerk and a bit too creepy/stalkery for my taste.
I feel like I'm missing something because everyone else I know who is reading it loves it.
The narration is great. Lorelei King does a great job with the different character voices.
"A Great Start to the Inn Boonsboro Series"
I really loved this story. Nora Roberts writes such great characters, especially male characters, and she sure knows how to write brothers in a realistic way. I thought the romance between Beckett and Clare was very sweet and I loved Clare's kids, I know a lot of people didn't like all the details about the renovation of the inn, but I found it to be really interesting (of course I like to watch the tv show "This Old House," so I'm inclined to find that sort of thing interesting :)).
I wasn't crazy about the narration. I usually prefer female narrators, but MacLeod Andrews has such a great voice for the male characters, that I was able to forgive his not so great narration of the female characters and high pitched, screechy voices for the kids.
"Great Story, Bad Narrator"
I really enjoyed this story. I liked the world Chloe Neill has created. I like the idea of the different vampire houses and watching Merit try to fit her very modern self into the very traditional world of the vampires was a lot of fun. I liked all the secondary characters too and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
What I didn't like about this audio book was the narration. The narrator was not good at all. She read the book in a very boring manner and didn't do a good job of distinguishing the voices of the various characters. She often put the wrong emphasis on words which made the sentence either not make sense or just took me out of the story. She also pronounced some words incorrectly or in an exaggerated manner which was annoying and also made me notice that some words were used repeatedly by the author (something I probably wouldn't have noticed if I was reading the book). I really should have returned this audiobook and read the book instead -- I think I would have enjoyed the story event more. Needless to say, I will not be listening to the rest of this series!
"Good Romantic Suspense"
This was a re-read for me and the second time around I still enjoyed it. The best part of the story was the romance. Linda Howard really knows how to write a believable "I can't stand you" to "I love you" romance. I liked the main characters a lot, but Daisy was so naive, it got to be ridiculous. Still a good listen, though not my favorite Linda Howard book.
"Not Linda Howard's Best"
This was a re-read for me and the first time around I gave the book 4 stars, but this time the romance just didn't work for me. The first seduction scene totally turned me off, which ruined the hero for me (manipulation is not sexy!). And the romance didn't feel true. For me, the best part of a romance novel is seeing how the hero and heroine get to their happily ever after. I mean we all know there's going to be a happily ever after, so the journey is the fun part. This story skipped over the slow build up of the relationship (they spent half the book in different cities!) and instead poof, magic, it's "insta-love!" Lame! The mystery aspect was okay, though a bit over the top. Definitely not my favorite Linda Howard. Listen to Mr. Perfect instead. :)
"Great Addition to the All Souls' Trilogy"
I'm loving the adventure Deborah Harkness is taking us on in her All Souls' Trilogy. The visit to Elizabethan England was exciting and quite a learning experience. I loved the historical fiction/fantasy mash up of this book, though I felt like the middle dragged a bit and that there was more history and less plot progression than I would have liked. Overall, I really enjoyed this tale and can't wait to see what obstacles Diana and Matthew have to overcome next!
Jennifer Ikeda is a new favorite narrator. Her voices for the characters were wonderful and so distinctive. I never had any trouble telling the characters apart and it really felt like she was living the adventure along with the characters.