Place Your Betts

The Marilyns, Book 1

By: Katie Graykowski

Narrated by: Pam Dougherty

Betts Monroe is a country music rags-to-riches story. As the daughter of the town slut, she clawed her way up from the bars of Bourbon Street to the Country Music Hall of Fame. She's America's sweetheart, darling of the media, and a multi-platinum star. But she has a secret. At the age of sixteen, she had a baby and gave him up for adoption because her boyfriend wasn't ready for fatherhood. Now she finds out that her precious baby boy has been living with his father from day one.

Gabe Swanson is a Texas cattle baron riches-to-rags story. As the only son of the town's most prominent family, it was a huge blow when his father lost the family fortune in a Ponzi scheme. Now, Gabe is land rich and cash poor. But he has his son and family is all that matters.

When Betts moves back to the small town that shunned her, all hell breaks loose. She wants her son. Can Betts and Gabe leave their past in the rear view mirror so they can be a family?

©2013 Katie Graykowski (P)2014 Katie Graykowski

Fun book in its genre

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a light book with some good things to remember in day to day life. Took a chapter to get into but then the story line kept you interested and laughing at times.
I gave 4 stars for the category its in. It is not a Nicholis Sparks book.

Did Pam Dougherty do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

ok job

Fun and Family, with Romance

A fun romance and family story. A bit mushy for me, but the reader has such a pleasant voice, I didn't mind too much.

Humbled

Cute cozy, fun characters and a good story line. I will look for more books from this author.

Greatest story I have read!

This story made me laugh and made me cry more than once. The characters are realistic and the story is (unfortunately) also more common and real to today's society. I hope this story helps parents to deal with teenage pregnancy and support their children. Understanding that they are not the first to go through this problem and they will not be the last. Support your children and educate them and best of all LOVE THEM.

Fun listen, great voice, great moral/story line

Would you consider the audio edition of Place Your Betts to be better than the print version?

I loved the cadence of the narrators voice. Although I love to read and have a book in my hand, I loved listening to the twange and changes of the voice. It made it seem like I was there and apart of the story. Pam's voice invites you in and makes you love the characters.

What other book might you compare Place Your Betts to and why?

It's been a while since I've read a book about these life issues so I really don't have a book to compare it to but it's a book/audio I would recommend.

What does Pam Dougherty bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The sound effects and twang are a rare treat brought by Pam. It's a rare occasion to hear these and have them sound like they were meant to be there. For example, if Pam reads that Kat hiccuped...she wouldn't just read it, she'd hiccup.

If you could rename Place Your Betts, what would you call it?

I think it's a perfect name for the book. Anything that comes to mind to summarize the story sounds trite or too mushy. Place Your Betts sounds catchy and makes you want to read the back for a description.

A Delightful Romantic Comedy!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! I loved this story & I love this author!

What did you like best about this story?

I found this book to be a delightful romantic comedy. I laughed a lot listening to this book. Betts is quite the character & Gabe compliments her. Betts mom is a colorful woman too!

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved it when Gabe asked Betts to marry him! It sure took long enough to ask!

If you could take any character from Place Your Betts out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would have to say Betts, but I would like Gabe to join us. On their own, each character is hilarious, but together, they are unstoppable!

Any additional comments?

I truly enjoyed this book. I think that Katie Graykowski is a fantastic writer. Katie is so witty and adventurous. She gets my interest from very beginning & keeps it throughout the story. The narrator, Pam Dougherty is awesome too. I love the southern accent she applied to the characters in this book. In my opinion, when you combine Pam & Katie in the same book, it's explosive!!! Good Job ladies!

Great Book!

This book was the best! It actually made me cry out loud and laugh out loud! It's worth every credit!!

Quirky characters come to life

I read the book before I listened to this audiobook. The narrator did a great job on the accents and quirky characters. Katie Grabowski has a gift for witty dialog. Her stories are never cookie cutter.

Awesome Very Enjoyable!

Where does Place Your Betts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks at the top amount audiobooks that I have listened too. I love the author and loved the narrator. Pam Dougherty was perfect for this book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I don't think I can pick a favorite character, I love them all.

What about Pam Dougherty’s performance did you like?

I love her southern charm, it was perfect for this book.

Any additional comments?

This is a wonderful book, I love this author and I have read everyone of her books. The narrator Pam did a wonderful job. I highly recommend this book!

A decent romance with too much plot.

I thought the plot was pretty interesting with a twist on your traditional secret baby plot. The characters were over-the-top, something I'm coming to expect from Graykowski. I did have some major issues with the story line, mostly because there was so much going on that big gaping plot holes and rushed explanations were littered throughout. Just a list of what I'm talking about:

*A super-famous country singer moves into the country when she's suppose to be writing an album - agent tells her to finish ASAP and you never hear about it again
*Two friends stick with Betts for seventeen years - mysteriously have other plans when meeting the secret baby
*The two lovers have hated each other for seventeen years - manage to have sex and talk civilly before talking about the past
*The son's girlfriend gets pregnant - we never hear what happens with her parents

The list goes on and on. However, if you can put this aside and try not to think about it, it's a decent story about two flames coming back together. Although, the steamy scenes are not all that steamy and put me off more than once.

I must say that I'm falling in love with Pam Dougherty's style. She definitely puts the Southern charm into every book she reads and she's got the sarcastic comedy down. In fact, she was the reason I picked this book up in the first place. I would recommend listening to everything she narrates.

A decent romance with too much plot.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**