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Maria

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Citrus Heights, CA, United States | Member Since 2010

201
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 198 reviews
  • 792 ratings
  • 1461 titles in library
  • 156 purchased in 2013
FOLLOWING
9
FOLLOWERS
108

  • Motor City Fae: Book 1 of Urban Arcana

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By Cindy Spencer Pape
    • Narrated By Terry Donnelly
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (74)
    Performance
    (40)
    Story
    (40)

    Detroit artist Meagan Kelly has had a strong sixth sense all her life, but that doesn’t mean the gorgeous stranger’s crazy story—that she’s a half-elf, half human heiress—is true. But Meagan can’t deny the evidence of her own eyes—he’s Fae. A tall, blond, handsome, pointy-eared elf—and a man she just can’t get enough of.

    Samantha says: "Horrible narrator!"
    "Save This Story!!!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    GET A NEW NARRATOR PLEASE!!!! The story wasn't half bad. But the narrator totally ruined it. Have you ever heard a black man from Detroit speaking with a Scottish accent????
    GEEZZZ!! In fact everyone sounded the same, bored!!! The female lead sounded as if she could have cared less about anything. The tonal quality was so bad, I just wanted the story to be over. The story itself sounded interesting but the narrator ruined it.

    Audible get someone else to read this book. Save it please!!

    3 of 3 people found this review helpful
  • To the Ends of the Earth

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 45 mins)
    • By Elizabeth Lowell
    • Narrated By Laural Merlington
    Overall
    (50)
    Performance
    (21)
    Story
    (22)

    Photographer Cat Cochran has been to exotic places most people only dream about, but all she wants to do is settle down and get her life in order. One last assignment and she can put her past behind her. But first she must photograph the mysterious and elusive ship designer T.H. Danvers and his awesome creations.

    Benoibe says: "Stunning! Breathtaking, heartbreaking, beautiful."
    "Tear Jerker"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I cried during the last two chapters of this book. Our heroine was such a selfless person that when she needed help the only ones to help her was a neighbor and her physician. Where was her family? Her mother? Her siblings? And most of all the man she was in love with? This is where the book fell short in my opinion by not introducing her family, yet she was working herself to the bone to support them.
    Read this one and weep, the ending was heart wrenching.. Travis was seeing all women as gold diggers because of the actions of his first wife, however he was eventually redeemed and came through for our girl. But it was not an easy road.

    This is one of the authors earlier written books, I wasn't expecting too much based upon the reviews of some people, however I went to Goodreads and read some of the reviews there and decided to give it a try. It is truly a romance story, very little physical action, a few sex/love scenes, but an underlying story for both characters based upon previous relationships that were very dysfunctional that left lasting scars especially for Catherine.

    Now for the narrator, Laurel does female and children voices well, however Travis sounded like an old man; because I was invested in the story I plowed on but his voice was a major turn off and probably colored my feelings about him. The Hispanic guy in the story sounded like a B actor from one of those old western pictures who tried to imitate how a Mexican should sound, quite annoying. Thank goodness he has a small part.

    If you like tear jerker romance stories then this is one for you. Don't waste a credit, get it on sale.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Midnight Bayou

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 14 mins)
    • By Nora Roberts
    • Narrated By James Daniels, Sandra Burr
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (188)
    Performance
    (88)
    Story
    (88)

    Declan Fitzgerald had always been the family maverick, but even he couldn't understand his impulse to buy a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. All he knew was that ever since he saw Manet Hall, he'd been enchanted - and obsessed - with it. So when the opportunity to buy the house comes up Declan jumps at the chance to live out a dream.

    Phyllis says: "Not the Norm"
    "What's done in the dark will come to the light."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This story switches back n forth between the past (dead) owners of the house and the new Yankee owner. I was hooked from the beginning with the back story, it is so interesting how the snooty elite got away with murder, and the lies they told were never questioned, simply because of who they were. Enter the Bostonian, who has given up his lucrative law practice to buy a decrepit plantation and begins to restore it to its former glory. The evil presents its immediately, however our Yankee isn't too easily scared off, besides he has the lovely Angelina Simone to keep him centered.

    This story is classic Nora, and kept me interested. Will it win a Pulitzer? NAW!! But for pure entertainment it was great.

    It was worth a credit for me.

    Now for the Narrators, they were fantastic. I enjoyed their performance and will listen to them again. Well done.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • When Mom Meets Dad: Finding Mr. Right

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 36 mins)
    • By Karen Rose Smith
    • Narrated By Johnny Peppers
    Overall
    (1)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Alex Woodsides is a single dad who wants the best for his daughter. His daughter Kristy believes her father needs a wife and she needs a mom! When Kristy lets her math grade drop, she suggests Amanda Carson - her best friend's mom who is a third grade teacher - tutor her over the summer. She believes Mrs. Carson is the perfect mom and would make a wonderful wife for her dad. Neither Alex nor Amanda suspect they're being pushed together by two nine-year-old matchmakers until it's too late.

    Maria says: "More Brain Candy"
    "More Brain Candy"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Sweet, predictable story. Two girls decide their parents need to hook up and precede to push them in that direction. The story was cute, both people had trust issues stemming from previous relationships. It took an almost serious accident to show them that anything can be overcome and life was for taking risks, you couldn't spend it trying to be safe.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Royal Rescue

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs)
    • By Lisa Childs
    • Narrated By Tony Craine
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (2)
    Performance
    (2)
    Story
    (2)

    Media heiress Josie Jessup and her son have spent the past several years in witness protection, yet they are anything but safe. When her father is attacked, Josie decides it's time to return home…and walks right into a deadly trap.

    Maria says: "Brain Candy"
    "Brain Candy"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    When you need something light, but slightly intriguing, this is the book for you. It has an action filled plot and moves along nicely. It kept my interest and was a very nicely told story.
    Wait to buy on sale, don't waste a credit unless this is your cup of tea.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Golden Chance

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 3 mins)
    • By Jayne Ann Krentz
    • Narrated By Patrick G. Lawlor, Franette Liebow
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (240)
    Performance
    (92)
    Story
    (90)

    Stunning, stubborn, and independent, Philadelphia Fox lost her best friend because of the fabulously rich and powerful Lightfoot family of Washington state. Now she's got her friend's controlling shares in Lightfoot Industries - an inheritance that brings Nick, the family's prodigal and supremely attractive son, knocking at her door. An unexpected and irrepressible spark between them blazes into extraordinary passion, and Phila - historically unlucky in love - finds the deepest satisfaction she has ever known.

    Blee Medel says: "Better Than Reading It Myself"
    "Throughly Enjoyable"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I really enjoyed Phila Fox, and how she kept everyone in the Lightfoot clan on edge with what she was going to do with her shares of the companies stock. The story caught my interest from the beginning and kept it through out. I feel this was an involved family tale of intrigue and lies told under the guise of keeping up family appearances. It did not disappoint. I liked it.

    The narrators were ok, I could have done without two of them, especially the female.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Man You'll Marry: The First Man You'll Meet & The Man You'll Marry

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 50 mins)
    • By Debbie Macomber
    • Narrated By Kate Rudd
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (24)
    Performance
    (7)
    Story
    (8)

    After her own wedding, Shelly sends her best friend, Jill Morrison, the dress - which is delivered to Jill's hotel in Hawaii. But at least the man she sat beside on the plane - gorgeous grouch Jordan Wilcox - can't be the man in question, can he? She met him before she got the dress!

    Maria says: "Sweet, Sappy and totally a mind ease."
    "Sweet, Sappy and totally a mind ease."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Story revolves around a mystical dress that has been in the family for 60 years. Upon receiving the dress, supposedly the next man you meet will be the man you marry. For Shelly this happened and came true, for her friend Jill it was a source of angst until concessions were made in the name of true love. Totally an easy read, that was sweet and sappy. Something to listen to in between those thriller mysteries where you need a break.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Unsung Hero: Troubleshooters, Book 1

    • UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 27 mins)
    • By Suzanne Brockmann
    • Narrated By William Dufris
    Overall
    (566)
    Performance
    (204)
    Story
    (198)

    After a near-fatal head injury, Navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the Navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton - the sweet girl next door who has grown into a remarkable woman.

    David E. Parks says: "Romance novel disguised as a thriller"
    "A Hero to the Very End!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The Unsung Hero is a story that revolves around the past and how it affects the present day scenario. Basically it is a love story of a past relationship from WWII that has bound two friends to the present day. The other love story involves the daughter of the unsung hero and the Navy Seal nephew of the OSS soldier. The nephew, Tom is home to recover from a head injury sustained in a rescue operation, he runs into Kelley again, the person responsible for him joining the military and getting out of town. Now for the action part, Tom recognizes a terrorist that they (Naval Intelligence) had long tracked and believed was dead, the man has had extensive plastic surgery but still recognizable by someone who had studied him and learned his pattern. The question was, what was he doing in a small resort town? The answer, there was to be a celebration including dignitaries from Europe, and Senators honoring the men who served in occupied France and was instrumental in thwarting the Nazis. However, Naval Intelligence doesn’t believe him, because of his head injury , they believe he is seeing things. Tom gathers some of his team and sets up operations.
    Yes the story bogs down some with the romance story of Tom and Kelley but it was sweet and yeah somewhat sappy but added to the story, IMO.
    The two WWII veterans actually stole the show IMO. The ending was superb, what a way to go out, a hero to the end.


    Jack Garret, Phil Gigante or Richard Ferrone would have been better narrators of this story. The female voice of Dr. Kelly was annoying but I got past it.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • 14

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 38 mins)
    • By Peter Clines
    • Narrated By Ray Porter
    Overall
    (6197)
    Performance
    (5605)
    Story
    (5585)

    There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.

    Magpie says: "Super solid listen!!"
    "5 Stars all around!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    What a great read. A wonderful mystery, with a very interesting sci-fi twist. This story captured my interest from the very start. Set in southern California, the story revolves around an apartment building and the oddities that go on within it. Worth a credit? YES!! Something different is always welcomed, especially a nice clean, action packed, thoughtful story.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • The Trouble with J. J.

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 43 mins)
    • By Tami Hoag
    • Narrated By Deanna Hurst
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (83)
    Performance
    (14)
    Story
    (15)

    Just what Genna Hastings needed: a a new neighbor with rippling muscles, mile-wide shoulders, and a wicked Jack Nicholson smile that could melt stone! It wasn't often that women resisted star quarterback J. J. Hennessy. With his summer sky eyes and kisses that stole her sanity and her willpower, J. J. was impossibly charismatic, magnificently male - and a bachelor father who was in danger of losing custody of his little girl, unless he could persuade Genna to help change his fast-lane image in time!

    Jenifer says: "cute!"
    "Fatherhood and Football"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    J.J. is struggling to be a father after the untimely death of his ex-wife. His next door neighbor is a kindergarten teacher, who has no time for him, who she sees as a big kid, who loves to play and has no concept of adulthood. J.J. is immediately curious about his standoffish next door neighbor and so is his impish daughter.
    This was a fun, interesting story. Quite predictable, but a sweet cute journey.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Killer Heat: Dept. 6 Hired Guns, Book 3

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 56 mins)
    • By Brenda Novak
    • Narrated By Cris Dukehart
    Overall
    (27)
    Performance
    (22)
    Story
    (22)

    The bodies of seven women have been discovered in Skull Valley, Arizona. Jonah Young, a private security operative from Department six, has been hired by the Yavapai County sheriff to assist in solving these murders. But Jonah’s not prepared for the complications that arise when he’s forced to work with a woman from his past, private investigator Francesca Moretti. Jonah betrayed Francesca 10 years ago. She hasn’t forgiven him and she’s pretty sure she never will. But the woman she was hired to find has been murdered in exactly the same way as the seven in Skull Valley, so, Francesca has to work with Jonah.

    MickeyMarie says: "Interesting romance"
    "Good Murder Mystery.......Romance kinda sick."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I am only rating this story on the murder mystery part. The romance story had too much angst, and in a weird way kinda sick. Again I don't know why this story is considered part of a series because it is a definite stand alone, and there is no interaction with others from the department or previous stories. The ending was good, the romance predictable despite the betrayal between the best friend and the hero.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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