Arwen

This is one of the most offensive, poorly-written, stories I have ever read or tried to listen to! Here is an example of a halfway-good idea very poorly executed. The main character is an unpleasant, unintersting person whose very tone, attitude, and stream of conciousness is consistently mean, trite, and offensive. I can't believe this got published. Much of the narrative is inane and nonsensicle. The very phrasing the author tries to use to make comparisons and describe things at many points just makes no sense at all. The fact that there is some violence and gore in this story is not what I have a problem with. What I do have a problem with is that it's conveyed in such offensive language and with no sense of artistic taste. This author has absolutely no skill in trying to tell a story wherein a person/character might exhibit distasteful or violent behavior but yet it is not offensive in the way it is written or told. (Think Hunger Games or Divergent) .Those two authors understood the fine art of doing this, and of potraying the humanity of their characters. This author includes several lines or scenes that are in very poor taste, such as a reference to "an old fashioned chaining", the use of the D-word (male anatomy sex-toy), a scene where the girl is bullied in a sexually-harrasing manner by a brutish young thug at the camp where she ends up. Even the mention of young male characters' references to (even the idea) of two girls kissing she manages to make just as creepy as possible. I am not a "prude" or easily shocked, and I have read MANY books. Let me say again this is offensive and very poorly written. This author managed to write and have published a story that contains absolutely no poetic sense, artistry, grace or good taste. If you want good stories about Angels, run don't walk to pick up the Angel Burn books or Hush Hush series.
I have to say in closing as far as the audiobook experience, the narration was good. I felt her voice was right for the main character and the story, even if her voice for the male lead was an unfortunate affectation throughout most of it.

I really enjoyed this retelling of Beautiful Disaster from Travis' perspective. Travis and Abby's love story is stormy and passionate, and hearing from both sides gives us a better understanding of their background(s) and feelings for each other. I think Jamie McGuire's writing is excellent, she has the talent to deliver a highly engaging and compelling story. The prologue helped the reader understand much of what shaped Travis into the person he was when we first meet him. The epilogue was a real 50/50 mixed bag for me. At first I thought what? what is he doing? how did he get here? But by the conclusion I felt it was good overall...I did enjoy having a little peek "into the future" to see how they were doing: still together? Kids? etc... The author evidently thought that we would want that, and I have to agree even while I feel the story would have been alright without it. Dan Bittner's narration was excellent - I felt he sounded like Travis and he has voice that's a pleasure to listen to. Overall, highly recommend!

I found this book to be an engrossing story and an excellent listen! This is my first experience with KM Moning's writing and now I will be encouraged to check out out her other books. Enjoyable writing that is not dumbed down even though the story is told through the main character who is a young fourteen-year-old girl. Excellent characters that really drew me in! The main character Dani is very endearing. She is courageous and smart, and even pretty wise-for-her-age about some aspects of her life and her world around her. The other characters were creepy-good, except for her good friend Dancer who is not creepy. The narration is quite good and really brought the story to life...just one caveat: they could have been just a little more careful (in production?) with the female narrators voice as far as tone and volume so it was a little easier to catch every word. Overall, a great story with good plot and pacing, and what an ending! I will be looking forward to the next book in this series!

I really enjoyed this story. In my estimation it is well-written and well-done. I became engrossed and was able to connect with the characters which, after all, is the number one job of any "good" fiction book. I ejoyed and liked the characters, and felt the book was pretty well-plotted and paced. There were a few things you could see coming quite far ahead, (particularly regarding Ellie and her life), but that's not always a bad thing and I wouldn't take any credit away from this book for that. The narrator did an excellent job voicing the various characters, and seemed just the right tone for the main character Jocelyn.

I loved this book, and was totally drawn in by the story of Travis and Abby. I found it to be pretty well written, avoiding the trappings of too much cliche or repetition. It had me hooked, wanting to keep listening for what happened next. I really liked the characters, they were not shallow and the writing served them well in bringing out their depth and complexities. This story certainly had it's share of angst and that exquisite drama unique to the passion found between two young people. Kudos to the author for avoiding crossing that line into unfortunate melodrama that is not empathetic or convincing, as that would be very easy with this type of story. Emma Galvin's narration is amazing as always, and only makes this story more addicting and "real".

This book is well-written and hilariously, laugh-out-loud funny. A well-honed attitude of snark and subtle satire prevail throughout this story. At the same time it is oddly poignant, thought-provoking and touching in it's own wacky way. Contains: a love story involving two of the characters that is unexpectedly genuine and sweet, even if it is oh-so-slightly dark and disfunctional. Caution: crazy, vivid characters may jump (off the page) or out of the earbuds at you. The narration is excellent: A real performance and distinction between the characters without being over the top. Enjoy!

I really enjoyed this book. It took me no time at all to be hooked, and by extension I have no doubt I'm going to be addicted to this series all the way through. The writing is good, I really came to like the main character, even if she is an assassin. (Who would have thought?) Though she absolutely does not kill anyone innocent...Gin is resourceful, tough, and wise enough to question herself and ponder NOT forgetting her heart. She has taken her place among my absolute favorite paranormal female heroines. Her background is well-introduced and solid enough...I also enjoyed the supporting characters who are well-fleshed out. I couldn't help but be a little drawn in by Finn, he cracks me up and is such a charmer! And Detective Caine is a bit of a mystery...an attractive character. Lauren Fortgang's narration is absorbing, compelling, and (IMO) spot on for the story. Her Appalacian-Southern accent really brings out the atmosphere and the feeling (vibe) of this book.

I enjoyed this listen and will continue with the series. Harry is a likable character, well written with a dry, droll humor. The supporting cast is interesting and there is never a dull moment. Bob the spirit who only has a skull to hang-out in (except when Harry lets him out on rare special ocassions) cracks me up. The narration is good. To me it seems as if any "extra" noises the narrator makes are intentional, acting out Harry's actions and feelings to add to the realism.

This is story about falling in love with your best friend, and having a hard time reconciling and admitting the change in feelings and in the relationship..on one or both sides. I have a soft spot for stories like this about friends who fall in love. It is pretty well written, and I enjoyed the characters. For me they were certainly fleshed-out enough to add some depth and allow me to feel as if I knew who they were. There is a lot of "teen angst" in this story, but it's well done if you like that kind of thing (as I do when the story is good). The narration was well done and fitting to the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Roberts is a gifted story-teller, and this type of romantic drama is certainly her element. The story is well paced, expertly plotted and laid out...an entertaining mix of suspenseful and romantic moments. I enjoyed the ending. Roberts' writing always contains at least some degree of romance and sentimentality (i.e. describing the character's families and their thoughts about them), and any of us who read her books know that by now. This is an example of her style at it's very best. She truly evoked the color and flavor of the small town of Bickford, AR, and all the relavant environment throughout the story. I truly liked the characters. In fact I came to care about them and "love" them through the course of the story. Brooks, Liz/Abigail, Brooks' family, and even all the others made for a very compelling story. When you care about the characters, and get mad at the wrongdoers (villians) you know the author has done her "job" and drawn you in. The narration by Ms. Whelan served only to enhance and bring this story to life. She does a pretty nice job portraying the male characters, also. I highly recommend this engrossing story!

This touching, heartfelt story is well played-out and well written. It tugs at the heartstrings and does have emotional moments so for maximum appreciation it helps if that's what you are in the mood for. I liked the characters very much (Celeste, for one, is an amazing character..so intelligent and precocious). Though I also very much enjoyed Julia and Matt's characters. There is a lot more to this story than the description reveals...this is the story of one young woman unexpectedly beginning a relationship with a family of highly intelligent and loving people who are also in severe denial and emotional trauma after a terribly sad loss. .. and, of the love she finds with one member of this family. In complete full disclosure, yes some readers may find it a bit predictable (depending on how your mind works at picking up clues) I picked up on what was going on about two-thirds of the way through the book, though I did not guess exactly what happened. That "moment of discovery" doesn't always have to be at the very end of a story. Honestly, that did not cause me to enjoy it any less. Julia Whelan's performance really enhanced the story and brought the characters to life. She does a wonderful job. I definitely recommend this one!