Bette

I didn't much care for heroine Louisa at the beginning of 'Me Before You', the first book in this series. I stuck with 'Me before You' because the promise inherent in the title told me that fearful, mousy Louisa would become a better person (character) through the caretaker relationship with her quadriplegic charge Will.
And she did.
Moyes kept her promise and I was pleased.

At the beginning of 'After You', whiny, drippy Louisa is back to her old, pre Will self and aware she has to regain her mojo. But how? This time she's on her own. I felt a little betrayed, as though Moyes had gone back on her promise.

Three stars for story because Moyes is an excellent writer whose talents work particularly well in this medium (audiobooks) but well, I fell asleep while listening and haven't finished the last hour and a half yet. I just don't care to. I guess Lou got her mojo back. again.

Anna Acton is an excellent narrator, but the direction of this production is lacking something....what is it?....oh yes! WORDS!
This is the third or fourth time I've come across this, so let's call it a brit-lit audio meme....a little girl inspired narrative style that drops into mumbelty-whispery phases to signal insecurity or fear or high emotion or....really, I don't know because I'm driving or potting plants or washing dishes and have no hands available and no SIRI and I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

Despite all this, I will buy the next Jojo Moyes book the day it comes out. She is (with one exception) an exemplary storyteller.

This is a tricky audio book to review- part steamy 80's soap opera, part Greek morality play, The Neighbors is a mostly enjoyable ride with occasional boggy patches. It's the story of two couples whose paths seem destined to cross, read in alternating chapters by four different narrators. The four characters (six, if you count their bratty teenagers) are a relatively unsympathetic bunch. Each has a unique POV and voice but they all come off as childish rather than childlike and selfish rather than quirky. McKinnon's storytelling is solid; a little TOO solid with only one surprising twist in an ending that should have had many (like 6?) had McKinnon not over-laid the groundwork and given a little too much away.

It's a bit of a strange brew considering the production is one of the best audio productions out there. The director & readers chose to push the steamy soap aspects to the level of vocal Kabuki. While far from my usual cup of tea, the style is kind of brilliant, particularly at the ending. I'll say it again: oh, that ending!

About three-quarters of the way through the Neighbors, I believed I knew everything that would happen and rather wanted the author to get on with it, but once the denoument started- well- author McKinnon used a literary device I have always despised. I found myself laughing with glee at the audacity and inevitability of it's use. It made sense of the story and of the near theatrical emotion of the production."Bravo!", I laughed.

While it was sometimes difficult to engage with the characters and the novel could have used a bit more editing, it's a very well crafted tale. I found much to admire and enjoy in this production of The Neighbors.

Isabel's Bed has no great revalations, no action, little mystery; it's just a lovely story read in a suitably brash and wonderful voice .Author Lipman's story and reader Conlin make one of those rare gems of a production; perfect for the small, sweet story that it is.

I enjoyed the other 2 books in the Magdalene series, but this verged on insufferable.The story was far less meaty than most of the Ashley brand; The time in between has a lot of backstory but rather than filling it out and answering many unanswered questions, it concentrated too much on the 'now', which is a rather lackluster, 'does he or doesn't he?' then 'of course he does!' story in which the heroine seems emotionally arrested at the mooney-eyed age of 16.

This is re enforced by reader Erin Mallon, whose general performance is excellent, but the childlike inflection and breathy choices for protagonist Cady that work when the character is 23 years old make her sound just too childlike and needy for the 41 year old woman of the 'now'.

I finished it, but I think this is the first time I've considered returning a Kristen Ashley brand book.

What a refreshing domestic thriller in this era of humorless, tropey, cranked-out 'Gone Girl' wanna be's! Gamble has written an engaging, charming and dark story peopled with fully fleshed characters in a clean, thoughtful prose.

This would have been 5 stars, but for some production issues. I loved reader Talmadge Ragan's work, but no one reader can carry off the five different voices needed for five different narrators. I was often confused as to which character was telling the story; in fact, I'm not certain it was 5.


A note to Audible; please consider rerecording this with five readers under your 'Originals' brand, retaining Ragan as Cass.

Oh, wait; did I write dull? This story is downright boring. If BA Paris had constructed
believable- or even vaguely interesting- characters, I'd wait until I finish the last few hours of this insufferably cliched story before reviewing, but I'm pretty certain I won't make it to the end.

Why was this billed as "the Summer's most anticipated thriller"? Did MacMillan think readers wouldn't notice their own lack of engagement? The Breakdown has barely enough story for a short novella.

The bright spot in this production is the production team itself, fronted by reader Georgia Maguire; they manage to create the illusion of propulsion in this wash-rinse-repeat slog of repeating tropes.

I've awarded the actual story two stars because BA Paris' prose is very good. The writer just needed a knowledgeable editor- and perhaps a different house.

The blurb for 'breath of scandal' is far more exciting than the novel. It's a straightforward A happened then B happened then C happened story-line with a lot of cliched secondary characters. It's nothing like the richly tapestried stories we all love from Sandra Brown.

Unless you're a Brown scholar interested in her developing voice, give this one a miss.

I am experiencing difficulty believing that this book was written by the same author who wrote 'This Ends With Us", a very well crafted story in every way.

This book is populated by characters in their early 20's in adult situations whose thinking and emotions are that of 13 year old children 'trying to be good'. It's creepy.

So yeah, this would have made a perfect Twilight Zone episode (well, double episode). I've always loved this kind of mindbending, 'just sit back and enjoy the ride' story, but it's been so long since I've read (well, listened to) one, that it took me a while to recognize it.

The Torment of Rachel Ames is an excellent production of a most excellent trip through psychosis, but if you need your t's crossed and i's dotted, don't bother. It is what it is.


Ummm, before I go, just let me say that the story is extremely unpleasant and harrowing. It's the kind of story I would normally have returned unfinished. I suppose it's a testament to author Jeff Gunhus' mastery of storytelling that I not only finished it, but stayed up into the morning hours to do so.

Who cares? The Apartment is a creepy slow burn of a book and a superb production. It's the kind of book that really gets under the reader's skin - just read the other reviews- it's as though we listened to different books! No, the Apartment is not perfect, I wanted a bit more padding, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

For better or worse, After You Left will keep you on your toes. Is it a mystery? Well, yeah- but not the one you think it is. Is it literary? Maybe; some aspects of the book are quite fine while others are straight out of the chicklit handbook. Is it engaging? Yes- except when it isn't. And last, 'What did she say?' Narrator Knoweldon does an excellent job but in that whispery-childwoman voice that keeps me rewinding.

Yep, I am ambivalent about After You Left. The story line seemed forced at times but the storytelling was excellent. I'll certainly try more Carol Mason novels because despite everything I've said, After You Left is better than 2/3 of the books I listen to.