Vain Pursuits

Bunny Elder Adventures, Book 2

By: J. B. Hawker

Narrated by: Wendy Kay White

Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Romantic Italy, home of gondolas, art, pasta, pizza, and peril!

Bunny Elder and her sister take a dream trip to romantic Italy. Will these innocents abroad find their travel experience enchanting, exciting or entirely alarming? What souvenirs will the sisters bring home...if they return, at all?

This second book in the Bunny Elder series, a B.R.A.G. Medallion award winner, finds Bunny flying off to romantic Italy as traveling companion to her newly widowed sister, Dolly Parton look-alike Linda. She never suspects this trip to add a special Neapolitan nativity set to her sister's collection will include smugglers, Italian mobsters, kidnapping, and death.

Can even an unexpected reunion with her first love prevent this dream trip from becoming Bunny's worst nightmare?

©2013 J B Hawker (P)2016 J B Hawker

Older folks adventuring in Italy and their trouble

What did you love best about Vain Pursuits?

The humor of the author which was reflected in the performance of Wendy Kay White.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

No. The plot was just fun. The story kept you smiling throughout the entire adventure. Enjoyable to travel with not-so-worldly senior citizens in a foreign country and all of the trouble they can get into.

Have you listened to any of Wendy Kay White’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh and smile.

Any additional comments?

Thoroughly enjoyable, light story when you want a break from the murder and mayhem high-octane thrillers. A very cozy mystery.

Italian vacation travails

What did you love best about Vain Pursuits?

I enjoyed the scriptures at the beginning of each chapter. It did get a little preachy a couple of times within the story.

If you’ve listened to books by J. B. Hawker before, how does this one compare?

This was my first experience with these characters.

What about Wendy Kay White’s performance did you like?

She is easy to understand.

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

I was almost moved to quit listening when it seemed as if this was a travelogue visiting churches that I care nothing about and have no desire to visit.

Any additional comments?

The mystery was interesting. Italian mafia meets naïve American women.

Tired of clichés

I must admit that I didn't finish this book. Right at the beginning, I was irritated with the unfair description of Lufthansa Airlines. I have made many, many trips across the Atlantic over the past 32 years, trying out various carriers. The most outstanding ones were British Airways and Lufthansa regarding customer service and traveling comfort, as well as friendliness. The by far lesser airlines were the ones touted among "the friendly skys", as mentioned by the author. Maybe J.B. Hawker has a personal bone to pick with the Germans, but that has nothing to do with the experience I've had with Lufthansa on many transatlantic flights. I'm not entirely sure why this irritated me so much that I did not want to continue with the book, but it might have something to do with the very old and very tired clichés that paint Germans as unfriendly and rude. The German people are quite the opposite.
Sorry, the rest of the book may be much better, but I could not get past this issue.