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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

206
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 201 reviews
  • 812 ratings
  • 0 titles in library
  • 176 purchased in 2013
FOLLOWING
9
FOLLOWERS
111

  • Run the Risk

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Lori Foster
    • Narrated By Jim Frangione
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (101)
    Performance
    (91)
    Story
    (92)

    When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend's unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious - and in far more danger - than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her.... Pepper has spent the past five years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new "construction worker" who's moved in next door.

    CAROLYN says: "Bk1 of L.F. new series delivers a first class plot"
    "Lori Delivers a Good One!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Logan and Pepper made this story sing. I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between these two protagonists. The relationship between Pepper and her brother Rowdy Yates (every time I heard his name I kept thinking Clint Eastwood) had no one to rely on but each other. Rowdy and Pepper worked for one the most notorious players in the city, then they witness a murder of one of the cities prominent members sends them into hiding.
    Logan manages to find Pepper and stakes her out and manages to get through her defenses. This story sucked me in quickly, I stayed invested in this story until I finished it in one day. Well worth a credit if you like murder, bad policemen, organized crime, and a sexy detective who is a real gentleman.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Wild About You

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 39 mins)
    • By Kerrelyn Sparks
    • Narrated By Nicol Zanzarella
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (138)
    Performance
    (129)
    Story
    (129)

    It's not every day that Elsa Bjornberg feels delicate, not when she hosts a home renovation show where she can effortlessly demolish a kitchen. But from the moment she meets Howard Barr, this bear of a man makes her feel like a woman. And the way he looks at her, as if she were a pot of honey he'd like to lick....

    Deborah says: "Howard the Barr Bear"
    "A Fun Read!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I really enjoyed this installment, it centers around a were-bear and woman who has powers that are just beginning to be. Her aunts are keepers of special nature powers and it seems Elsa has inherited her mothers powers, she is having weird dreams and is afraid of what they mean. Meanwhile, Howards' family knows the history, and has passed the story down. Howard falls for Elsa through seeing her on her reality show and has hidden video tapes of her. Well someone discovers the tapes and brings Elsa to their tiny community, to hook up Howard and Elsa. Then the fun begins. This is a light hearted story with an ancient evil that has taken on a modern day twist. I found the story to be enjoyable, with a few lol moments, a couple of heart-wrenching tragedies and a HEA.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • All the Way

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By Jennifer Probst
    • Narrated By Coleen Marlo
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (30)
    Performance
    (30)
    Story
    (30)

    Miranda Storme never expected to see Gavin Luciano again. Three years ago, they had an intense affair - and then he bolted. Now he's back, and Miranda has the pleasure of a little payback: a scathing review of his restaurant. Revenge is a dish best served the first chance you get.

    With three months to make his family's struggling Italian restaurant successful, a bad review is Gavin's worst nightmare. But this isn't just about the meal. He's finally realized what he left behind and is determined to spend the next eight weeks proving himself.

    CAROLYN says: "EASY-GOING LIGHT ENTERTAINING LOVE STORY"
    "Paybacks can be so Rewarding!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Miranda writes a review for her newspaper column on her ex's restaurant and it stirs up a hornets nest. Of course things do not go as planned and her ex knows he had it coming, because of leaving her the way he did. Although he now has the life he thought he wanted he isn't very happy with the demands of it. Miranda resists getting involved with Gavin again, because she knows he is going to leave to go back to his high powered job. Gavin, is starting to see what he lost and is befuddled about what to do about it. This is an easy going light romance watching Gavin discover where his heart really is and what life is all about.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • When Darkness Falls: The Alliance Vampires, Book 2

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 25 mins)
    • By Heather Graham
    • Narrated By Tanya Eby
    Overall
    (15)
    Performance
    (14)
    Story
    (15)

    In an ancient cemetery, travel writer Jade MacGregor’s tour of a Scottish tomb is marred by a terrifying attack that leaves her surrounded by corpses drained of blood. A year later, back home on a shadowy French Quarter street, she glimpses the oddly compelling stranger she met that day. Coincidence - or is it something far more disturbing?

    CAROLYN says: "SORRY A VAMPIRE DISAPPOINTMENT"
    "Just Didn't Feel It!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The premise of the story was very good and interesting. The cast of characters was unique with their stories intertwined with the main characters. However, the main characters had no chemistry between them. To me their relationship was forced, it had potential but it was never given any heat, or hot passion between them. I liked the vampire part of the story but the romance was severely lacking and very lackluster.

    0 of 0 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
    (23)
    Story
    (24)

    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
    (196)
    Performance
    (95)
    Story
    (96)

    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
    (3)
    Performance
    (3)
    Story
    (3)

    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
    (243)
    Performance
    (94)
    Story
    (92)

    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
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (583)
    Performance
    (220)
    Story
    (215)

    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

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