Carrots: Shelby Nichols Adventures, Book 1

I first bought Carrots for Kindle in 2011 on a whim. Naturally when I got the chance to listen to it as an Audible book I couldn't wait to listen to it.

As a Regional Officer with the British Diplomatic Corps, I travel bi-weekly, usually to a foreign country and usually it is a long, long long airplane trip. So I really want something that will capture my attention, and really pass the time without FEELING like 9, 10, or 11 hours is going by, steadily sucking the will to live from my body like a black hole.

I decided to start getting audible books since I have devices I can use that will enable me to listen in comfort and pass the time.

I was a little concerned about listening to Carrots, as I had read it, and I have just finished the newest book in the series, Trapped by Revenge, the 5th Shelby Nichols adventure. Boy, was I wrong.

Well, was I? There I am, sitting in my seat, and listening to Wendy King's phenomenal audio production, and now I'm gasping out loud. The first time, I knocked my drink over. Next thing I know, I'm laughing out loud, and Mr. 5E sitting next to me thinks I'm taking a nutty. Nothing daunted, I'm worse than the person at the movie theater who then starts talking to the screen: "No, no, don't go in there!" By this time on my overnight flight Mr. 5E is snoring, but I think the flight attendants began rooting about for their Valium reserves.

Fortunately, I was not incarcerated upon landing, but I just loved listening to the book. Possibly more than reading it! It was fresh, it was so well done and so consistently produced that there was nothing to complain about. I was sucked into the story completely, and 8 plus hours seem to pass in the blink of an eye.

It is hard in a way to separate the content of the book from the audio production. The book was incredibly well written, the story very enjoyable, the characters entirely believable, and the quality of the writing fantastic. Equally, Wendy's voice characterizations were right on the money. She puts just enough intonation and inflection into the recordings that you can tell when it's Shelby, you can tell when it's Uncle Joey, and you can tell when it's Ramos. It is what I think of as understated elegance.

I would recommend this Audible book to anyone. The Shelby Nichols adventures stand in and of their own right, but it is far more enjoyable listening to the professional, flawless recording in some ways than reading the book. What it really did was make me want to listen to them all, so I am now eagerly awaiting the release of the next book through Audible.

This is an absolute winner: Do yourself a favor: Get it!

This was a totally implausible, yet highly entertaining piece of fiction. Shelby Nichols is a highly likable well-drawn character. Uncle Joe is the ruthless, yet loyal and good-hearted Mafia Chieftain. Enjoy the selection; it's all in good fun; even the gunfights that kill multiple people.

This is a great cozy, I can't wait for the next installment. The story and characters are easy to follow and the narrator is perfect and does a wonderful job.

Wendy does a fantastic job reading this book, she nails every inflection and switches characters seamlessly.

I very much enjoyed this book. It made me laugh and you could just image the main character. The narrator was very good.

Oh this was a fun story, and the narration provided by Wendy Tremont King provided lots of aural interest as she moves between characters, with subtle and distinct changes to pitch and tone that provided each character with their own particular feel. As the main character, Shelby, her performance managed to incorporate the character’s emotions, concerns, patios and sense of ‘thinking on her feet’ in the delivery: a really good match.

Shelby is your more typical suburban Mom, or was, before a badly aimed gunshot grazed her head and left her able to hear everyone’s thoughts. The complications could be endless in this situation: married, kids, grocery shopping, running into a colleague of her husband that doesn’t particularly like or respect you. Sure, we think we want to know what people think, but having that much honesty and unfiltered access to someone’s thoughts not spoken would be overwhelming. And that is exactly Shelby’s reactions. At first.

But, when the realization hits, and it seems that the person who shot her is also gunning for her: poor Shelby, rather reserved, clean spoken, and not particularly good at lying to her husband is tossed into a series of situations that will test her skills and her nerves.

Told in Shelby’s point of view, we are able to see that her natural manner of behavior is not to be sly or dishonest, and her habit of speaking first and thinking later combined with her own lack of pretense and agenda in her relationships make her rather a poor judge of character. It isn’t until she uses the new gift that she is brought face to face with her own lack of dissembling, and her sharing with us also gives us a unique perspective into the characters: good and bad.

And there are several characters: Shelby’s husband Chris is understanding, loves her dearly, and is completely unnerved by her own new skill. Even with his lack of realization of Kate’s interest in him in more than a lawyer to lawyer colleague way is rather typically male, he isn’t interested, so he doesn’t see it. Kate is not particularly likable: even without her overt attentions toward her husband, but there was more beneath her veneer. Uncle Joey and his other associates are rather fun characters: you see the bad guys from the thoughts Shelby shares with us, and through her particular skewed desire to be helpful and wanting to like them.

No, this wasn’t a mystery with the culprit a total surprise at the end, but I find those more entertaining: especially when you are led through the story by a character like Shelby. She’s just klutzy enough to hint at a Lucille Ball styled character, and like Lucy her intentions are really all good. She just doesn’t always see the writing on the wall until it is too late. It was light, fun and entertaining and wrapped up satisfactorily at the end.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title from the publisher via AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Being able to do other things, like your nails or cooking. Not being interrupted by running to BR. LOL!!!

Shelby. It is so funny at how she gets into so many situations with out trying. She is almost always at the wrong place at the wrong time or else says the wrong thing at the wrong time.(Mentioning Uncle Joey in front of Kate to get a reaction.)

No this was my first audiobook. I really enjoyed it.

Yes.

At first I was a little skeptical about "listening" to a book. I am glad I have had this opportunity. I can see that it has a lot of advantages. I am game to buy/rent another one. Especially another one of Shelby's Adventures. LOL.I have read all of them so far but now that I have "listened" to Carrots, I am going to go back and re-read them all. It is amazing how much you forget or something else pops out from a former book. Thank you so much for this gift Colleen. Kudos to Shelby's next Adventure.

I will look at "listening" to other books as well from other Authors I love to read.


Penny K. Clark AKA penchic

Have listened to it again..to see what I might have missed the first time through.The plot is great...it kept you wondering,whats next.

Wendy King is the character.

Will be happy when the rest of the series can be had at audibel..Hope it will be soon!!!!!!

I really, really enjoyed this one. I finished it in 2 days. That's like a record for me. It had plenty of humor and suspense to keep me interested. It was a great listen. Lots of fun. I was laughing out loud in my cubicle on some parts. I was disappointed when I did not see book 2. I guess I'll have to buy the print version because I really want to see what happened.

Top 5

Even though mind reading isn't possible, the author and narrator made it believable, I also loved the way all the characters interacted, I felt like I really got to know them.

Shelby for sure! :)

Oh yes, I was laughing out loud quite a bit! Shelby gets in to some pretty interesting predicaments and I love the way she handles everything. She's such a great character!

I loved this book and would highly recommend it! I will be looking for more audible books in the series! :)

This book is not action packed, nor is it a smothering romance... It follows the actions of Shelby, after life dropped kicked her leaving her a parting gift, the ability not so much to read minds as to intercept thoughts. Now it's time for her to put on her big girls panties, kickass boots and develop moxie. In order not to simply keep her and hers safe, but to come out on top... Wiseguys, criminals, and thiefs (in the broad use of the word) beware, here begins the adventures of Shelby Nichols...