Alison

I am glutton for punishment. Purchasing the third novel of this wretched series was more an exercise of finishing what I started than anything else. It was terrible. The author showed less than zero growth...she may have gotten worse. Is that possible?

I've listened to all of the books in this series and was pleasantly surprised by how engaging they really are. I loved hearing a different perspective than the typical of Henry II--although he played a relatively minor role in the books. I never knew much more about him than that of his involvement in Beckett's death. Hearing about him from this perspective sheds a new light on his important role in history. Similarly, it is always nice to read about a woman pushing the the feminist envelope centuries ago...even if she is a fictional character, one has to believe that such women had to exist. I was really disappointed to learn that this would be the last novel in the series due to the death of the author.

I enjoyed all of the books in this series. However, this one was my absolute favorite. I thought it was so well done. I don't usually love when authors jump back and forth between past and present, but in this case, I did. It worked. The main character, Will Trent, is so likable and sympathetic. I loved to hear about how two women entered the law enforcement workplace at a time when they were not welcome. It was just a really good book and I definitely recommend reading the other books in the series first but think it would read pretty well on its own.

The narration of this book is fabulous. Of course, anything dealing with WWII subject matter and Nazi Germany is dark and difficult to listen to. I have read a good deal from this time period but was able to learn more about certain aspects of Nazi Germany that isn't often discussed in other novels. As always, it is really great to be told the story from the perspectives of different characters around the world.

This is a pretty solid YA dystopian novel. Of course, we've got the required love triangle. But other than that, it is fairly original in its premise. The main character is very compelling. The story is exciting and pretty fast paced. Decent character development.

I picked up this book because I saw that one of my favorite mystery authors, Gyllian Flynn, recommended it. Parts of it felt too YA for me even though I enjoy a good YA novel. Other parts were like, "whoa! this is for kids?" The character development was pretty good in a lot of ways. But the rest of it just didn't pull together for me. Almost like a trashy teen novel trying to pretend it is something more meaningful.

I really enjoyed this book. It was slow moving but in a good way. I haven't read any of his other novels but it worked well as a freestanding read. Decent character development. The narrator was pretty good but I wish he would have differentiated more between characters. Definitely not boring...subtle.

This is a pretty solid novel. But it didn't quite do it for me. Maybe a little too slow moving? The characters and story a little too far fetched? I'm not sure. I didn't not enjoy it but it didn't captivate me the way really good books do. In other words, I could stop listening without feeling that pull to keep reading.

I loved this book, mostly because it is so unique. It was recommended to me by friends for months because I am a mom and because of the passages about nursing. But everytime I read the description, I was turned off for some reason--a book told from the perspective of a five year old? Finally, I decided to take the plunge after bouncing around looking for something to listen to unsuccessfully. I was so pleasantly surprised and was disappointed not to see more work by this author. Don't let the description dissuade you from reading this--especially if you are a mother of small children. It is really wonderful.

This book is really lovely. Kind of a sleepy mystery wrapped in a sleepy mystery. It was sad, and happy, and touching. Asta is a super dynamic character. I couldn't decide whether to love her or hate her. And I suppose that is the affect that Vine was going for. I really solid book that almost anyone would enjoy.

I generally like slow meandering stories. But this one missed the mark with me somehow. I was kind of shocked by the ending....left with a feeling of, that's it? Where's the rest of the story? It wasn't terrible and I really appreciate the main character's humanity toward the person that least deserved hers. But overall, just lackluster.