The Pacific Between

By: Raymond K. Wong

Narrated by: Brian Callanan

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

"Betrayal makes us do strange things."

When Greg Lockland returns to California for his parents' funeral, he discovers letters that suggest an affair between his ex-lover Lian and Greg's late father. Suspicion, anger, and jealousy take Greg on a transpacific journey to find the truth. One by one, people from the past return to his life, including elusive and perfect Lian. Uncovering deep-rooted deceptions creates more twists and turns to the past than an old Chinese alleyway.

The Pacific Between evinces the power of unconditional love and deals with personal subjects such as death, estrangement, and betrayal. It is a man's journey to discover himself and the world around him. Told with wit and humor, this nostalgic tale speaks true to the heart about relationships, families, and sacrifices.

©2005 Raymond K. Wong (P)2017 Raymond K. Wong

I received this book via BookBoom

Any additional comments?

I received this book via BookBoom in exchange for an honest review. The author did a wonderful job of setting the scenery and the book itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator and will look for other books he has done. I tend to shy away from angsty characters and struggled with some of them through most of the book. However, I will recommend this to my friends. It was a great listen especially for a long drive or just needing a little down time.

Good Story

Overall good story. Narration was great. I will recommend this book to my friends. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Brilliant narration, pretty good story...

Would you listen to The Pacific Between again? Why?

No, I wouldn't listen to it again. Once was enough for me.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Meh. The ending is one of two reasons why I didn't rate the story higher. It was a fun journey, with lots of laughs (literally lots of lol's in the car). I sped up the last two hours or so to 1.5 speed because I was really wanting to get to the end but wasn't in love with the story at that point. The other reason, FWIW, is that the main character got on my nerves. A lot.

BUT...Maybe you're like my husband, who enjoys it when things aren't always wrapped up all pretty at the end. If that's you, then I definitely recommend giving this book a look. The words and narration make you feel like you're there and I could easily picture each and every character, which was great.

Have you listened to any of Brian Callanan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to any of his other performances, but I would happily do so. He differentiates characters really well and handled the various characters accents from around the globe perfectly. I really enjoyed listening. He made the story come alive.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really. I loved how drawn in to Hong Kong I felt. Between the narrator and the authors obvious knowledge of the area and customs, well it was a nice escape from suburbia for me.

Any additional comments?

Okay, so I started listening to it and at first, I honestly wasn't sure that I was going to like it. The narration is very different than what I'm used to, especially with the Chinese characters. But then I grew to love it. For a while, the story flew and I was eagerly anticipating what in the world was going to happen next. Then closer to the end it slowed back down and I started losing interest. Also, the main character is annoyingly selfish and acts oftentimes ridiculous for a 32 year old. Now, the author knows this, as reference is made to the fact that it's always about him. It just got a little redundant. He acted like a bratty, spoiled child.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Great Listen

Any additional comments?

Greg discovers evidence that his ex-lover Lian was having an affair with his now-deceased father at the time that they were together. Searching for the truth, he travels to Hong Kong to confront Lian. What he discovers will challenge everything that he thought he knew about his father and shape the man that he himself is becoming.

The Pacific Between was a beautifully written novel of self discovery. Facing the betrayals of his past, Greg gained a better understanding of the human condition and grew from it. The wonderful imagery and interesting characters took me on a journey as well. The narration was well done and kept me engaged. The Pacific Between was a great listen and I would recommend it.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator. This review is my honest opinion.

Pretty Good overall

I got this book via audiobook boom. This story took you on a roller coaster ride of discoveries, deceptions, and truths. Greg finds evidence that seems to say your old lover was actually having an affair with your father at the same time. He then leaves his new girlfriend to go back home to discover the truth. I am not sure if I like him or not. But what he does discover is filled with lots of plot twists that keep you listening to see what will happen next. The narrator was right for the story and made it enjoyable.

Moving

I found Greg to be very chaotic and yet it is his crazy back and forth behavior that helps him to Change. Growing up regardless of your age is not always easy. That’s what I would call this book a coming of age. A lot of strong language which was unnecessary. Over all I did like it. I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

Slow Contemporary Fiction

The narration was really good. If it was not for the narrator, I would have quit listening to this audiobook. The characters were not captivating and I found it hard to keep my interest focused. I had to take several breaks because the story was slow and did not hold my attention.

The main characters were annoying and very whiny. I could not identify with Greg's behavior and his way of thinking. I disliked the main characters and found it difficult to listen. The story never caught my interest and the twists did not do much for me since I could not care less for what happened to them. This audiobook was not what I expected it.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

The narrator saved this book for me

Any additional comments?

I hated Greg, the main male character. I wanted to smack him every time he opened his mouth. I hated Lian, the main female character. She just ticked me the eff off.

This was a love story of epic proportions with people behaving badly from start to finish. Start. To. Finish. That's not to say it wasn't a good story. It was. Just with some very unlikable people. Even now, I just want to smack them.

What saved this listen for me was the narration. This was my first Brian Callanan book and it was really well done. His male and female voices were strong and distinct. He was challenged with some British and Aussie accents and made easy work of them as well. I will definitely look for more books by him.

I had some issue with the story itself. How/why did Greg's parents die the way they did? What happened to make Helen the way she was? What was Greg's relationship with Martin? Who was Maggie?

Still, don't let that stop you from enjoying really good narration!

The Pacific Between

Any additional comments?

This is one of those stories you either really like or really don't. For me it was the latter. It just wasn't a story or characters that I could connect with. It's one of those stories that unfolds very slowly and it took quite a while for me to really become interested in the story. It just wasn't holding my attention. I found my mind wandering on numerous occasions. The story does become a bit more interesting as it unfolds and the secrets start to be revealed, but this is well into the story.

The story deals with the perception & memories of our relationships vs. the reality. What we believe vs. the truth. Our past regrets vs. the present.

There are some secrets that are not meant to ever be discovered. After the death of his parents Greg finds a letter from his first love Lian. He misunderstands the real significance of the letter he finds. This misunderstanding is what starts him on his journey in search of answers. The journey he takes and the secrets revealed will change his life in more ways than one.

The characters were just there. I didn't care for Greg, Kate or Lian. I didn't like Greg's parents either. Helen was the only really likable character.

Lian with the help of Gregs parents willingly and knowingly deceive him. No matter what the reasons it wasn't fair to Greg. That's unforgivable especially in this scenario. He deserved to know the truth. If his parents had still been alive he never would have known the truth.

Brian Callanan did a good job with the narration. Nice voice. Easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. His narration is what kept me listening to the story especially in the beginning. Good character voices and accents. He was able to bring the characters to life through his narration.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author narrator or publisher.

I couldn't get past chapter 2. Bored me to death. The guy acted bipolar. The females voice was winy. Just could not get through it.