Joan Reeves

In the Garden of Temptation was the second book of Wicklund's that I read. (The first was Lord of Always -- a wonderful romance with a paranormal element.) I'm thrilled that In the Garden of Temptation, a riveting romance, is now available as an audio book.

Helen Lloyd's proper, starchy English accent lends itself to this story full of neat twists and turns.

Adam Stanford, Earl of Ashworth, is a man who is honorable and above reproach. He's always done the right thing. Then he meets the beautiful -- and married -- Lady Catherine Bourgeault, the beautiful, young wife of one of the most disreputable men in England.

Stunned by a passion and a love that no amount of conscience can deny, Catherine and Adam risk everything for a few moments of stolen bliss. Unknown to them, every event from their introduction to the consummation of their love has been orchestrated by Catherine's evil, demented husband for his own dark purpose.

When Baron Bourgeault finally springs his trap, Catherine is forced to break Adam's heart in order to save him. The baron whisks her away to his crumbling castle in the country. As he sinks deeper and deeper into his psychosis, Catherine knows that her life, and all she holds dear, may be forfeit unless the power of redeeming love can save her.

Wicklund has a way with women characters and the knack for presenting them as likable and honorable even when they may not be engaged in honorable actions. I understand these women, and I like them. Her talent with characters extends to men. In this book, she takes an honorable man and makes him behave dishonorably, but we don't care! We still like him. We understand how he is in the grip of a love he never expected to feel. We see his battle with his conscience.

Wicklund's book is captivating and Lloyd's narration brings the book to life.

Lightning is one of my favorite books so I was glad to purchase the audiobook and anxious to see if it did justice to this perfect example of speculative fiction. I'm happy to say that Christopher Lane does an excellent job in breathing life into Koontz's words.

I've always been surprised that Spielberg hasn't made a motion picture of Lightning. The story is the perfect blend of the puzzle of a mystery, the relationship of a romance, and the science fiction aspect of a changed future that might occur if the geniuses and the mad men of the world succeed.

Brian Tracy is an author and speaker with many motivational books to his credit. If you have a problem with procrastination, get this book!

Just listening to it makes you want to dive in and get your life organized, clearing out the clutter and the old bad habits by which you operate.

Excellent book with great advice that is actually very easy to implement.

Tripwire, Book 3 of the Jack Reacher thrillers, abounds in emotional threat and creates a nervous anxiety as the momentum of the story builds. You just know terrible things are going to happen to the villain's latest targets. I won't say any more because I don't want to toss out a spoiler. If you read or listen to Tripwire, you'll understand what I mean.

Suffice it to say that much of the book is an exercise in emotional sadism as well as physical acts of violence that have you constantly on the edge of your seat, waiting for more to happen to the hapless victims of the sadistic villain.

On a side note, this book was published a few years before 9/11 which brought massive changes to the NY landscape. Some of the science paradigms have changed so don't think the author did a sloppy job in research. What he describes as SOP was the way it was back in the mid 1990's. Science has evolved and so has SOP of dealing with body remains.

The consummate professional Jonathan McClain voices Reacher again and does a superb job with this story which gives more insight into Reacher's background, making you feel as if you know him better by the end of Tripwire.

All in all, another taut suspenseful thriller from Lee Child, a master of the genre, and a superb acting job by narrator Jonathan McClain.

Excellent story; lovely narration!

Donna Fasano is great at creating characters that seem real -- with the mixture of strengths and weaknesses that real people have. Best of all, she's at the top of the game in writing a sweet romance filled with emotion and characters who end up yearning for each other -- like Chelsea and Ben in this story. For comic relief, there's Ben's Aunt May.

Narrator Mary Lynn Bowen is skillful and brings this romance to life. She superb in voicing the different characters, but in Chelsea's voice, she really shines.

HIS WIFE FOR A WHILE has depth. You'll root for Chelsea. She learns, with the help of others, to overcome the tragedy of her own past, and that is what really helps her to embrace her future. She earns her happy ending.

This was the first audiobook of a Jack Reacher novel that my darling hubs and I heard. We'd read several of the Lee Child novels so we figured the audiobook would be good entertainment.

If you like your entertainment suspenseful, taut, gritty, and with a strong mystery too, this book is for you.

Dick Hill did an amazing job as narrator. He brought this book to life and made it feel as if we were listening to an action movie with all the elements guys love: blazing guns, strong hero, evil bad guys, and a high body count! (Ah, the things I do for my hubby -- like listening to Stephen Hunter and Lee Child novels. *g*)

Seriously, if you're looking for hero material, check out Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels. You won't be disappointed.

I read Watchers years ago, and I've re-read it every few years. I love this book -- the speculative fiction aspect, the mystery of it, the damaged characters who, through the power of love, rise above their pasts and fiercely protect each other, and Einstein. Everyone in the world who loves dogs wants a dog like Einstein.

This book has it all -- science fiction, mystery, suspense, and love -- and the narrator J. Charles ably brings his skill and talent to this story.

Great story. Great narrator.

My husband and I are slowly working our way through the Jack Reacher novels. In this, Book 2 of the series, Reacher is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and nearly loses his life because of it.

Wrong place and wrong time, yes, but Reacher is definitely the right man for that situation.

Narrated by Jonathan McClain who does several of the Reacher novels, DIE TRYING is a thrill ride. Just when you think there's no possible way the situation can get any worse, it does.

Just when you think there's no way out, Reacher creates one.

Lee Child does a masterful job in creating a taut, suspenseful, ripped-from-the-headlines story, and McClain does an equally masterful job of narration.

All in all, this is excellent!

I'm a big fan of Cynthia Wicklund's Garden Series so I was excited when audio book editions of her books started arriving. I grabbed this one and Book 1, In the Garden of Temptation, immediately.

There have been a few negative reviews about the narrator of this book. I do know that sound quality varies a lot depending on the medium used to listen to an audio book so perhaps that's the problem, but don't let that keep you from giving this wonderful romance a chance.

One foolhardy act by young Lady Jillian Fitzgerald changed her life forever. She lost everything -- her fiance, her good name, her acceptance in polite society -- all because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It would be easy to blame the events of that day on Adrian St. John, Earl of Wickham, but "Lord Wicked" as he was popularly called was no more at fault than she.

Unfortunately, Lord Wicked left England and didn't know what had happened whereas Jilly was forced to face the wagging tongues and the scorn of the ton for eight long years until he returned.

In eight years, Jilly grew up and, instead of hiding her face in shame, she rebelled against all the restrictions women faced. She refused to be cowed and held her head high. Now a woman of independent means, she has a mind of her own and a will to match. A mind of her own? A strong will? How unthinkable for a woman in Regency England!

Jilly is a heroine you'll love. She is determined that if Adrian is to like her, then, by God, he'll like her for herself, as she is, without pretending that she is like all the other women. Adrian, the delicious Lord Wicked, is a hero you'll adore because he's determined to do the right thing, and, in so doing, finds himself ensnared.

No Easy Day? Excellent title for an excellent account of an important moment of justice in our history.

This was the third Navy SEAL memoir my darling hubby and I have listened to. Ripped from the headlines doesn't begin to describe the drama of this first-person account from Mark Owen, a Navy SEAL who participated in the mission.

Narration

Holter Graham is an accomplished actor that you've probably seen in movies, television, or on stage. He's narrated many books and brings his experience and talent to No Easy Day, breathing life into this memoir.

About The Book

Owen gives background information about what it was really like in Iraq and about the daring rescue of Captain Richard Phillips in the Indian Ocean. He takes you from the mountains of Afghanistan to the thwarted efforts to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice until finally that priority mission was accomplished.

Owen gives a step by step narrative of the assault he and the other handpicked members of the 24-man team accomplished. Many times, it seemed like Mission Impossible, but these highly-trained, dedicated operatives did accomplish it at great risk to their own lives. The assault didn't go perfectly, but it probably went as well as could be expected given the unpredictability of Fate.

Again, I felt humbled by the dedication and service of these remarkable men. If I were ever kidnapped and held hostage, I'd want a "Get out of Hell" card from these guys. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the truth of what's really going on "over there," this excellent account of a seminal moment of justice in our history is spell-binding.