Calico

By: Callie Hart

Narrated by: Ramona Master

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

"I couldn't have forgotten about you even if I'd tried. The seas could have frozen over. The heavens could have come crashing down to earth. Time could have stood still, and I would never have been able to cleanse myself of you."

Coralie

Twelve years ago, I ran to stay alive.

Port Royal, South Carolina, was my home. I was born there. I fell in love there. And I nearly died there. I never thought I'd go back. Now, after so many years, I have to return to bury the man who made my life a living hell. Some nights, I used to cry myself to sleep, praying my father would die. Other nights were different. Other nights, there was him.

Callan Cross.

My first confidante. My first kiss. My first love. My first everything: Callan was the glue that held me together when everything else was falling apart. He was my savior. He was there for me whenever I needed him...Until he wasn't.

Every night, I've seen the love of my life in my sleep. I just never thought I'd have to face him again.

Callan

Twelve years ago, I f--ked up big time.

Living life through a camera lens is sometimes easier than dealing with it head on. Scratch that. It's always easier. For over a decade, I've been a master of my art, taking photographs all over the world. Yet despite all of the countries I've visited, the amazing things I've seen, the beautiful women I've screwed, my heart has remained in pieces.

Coralie's the only woman I've ever loved, will ever love. And I'm determined to show her that we're meant to be together. Even if it means unearthing the bones of the past in the process.

A lifetime and a thousand miles have stood between us.

Now, there's no length of time I won't wait, no distance I won't travel, in order to make her mine.

A standalone contemporary romance with hints of darkness. This novel contains serious themes of violence that some listeners might find uncomfortable.

©2016 Callie Hart (P)2017 Callie Hart

4 stars

Would you listen to Calico again? Why?

I'm not sure. I enjoyed the listen. I'm unsure if it is a book I would listen to again. But I very much enjoyed the story and narration.

This story is very different there is a lot of abuse and hurt in this book. I would say it tears your heart out and puts it back together again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Calico?

When Callen burns the house down. I have others that would be more memorable but I don't want to give the story away.

Which character – as performed by Ramona Master – was your favorite?

Coralie was best performed by Ramona Master. At first I was confused it being a guy/girl chapters being read in this book. Once I started paying more attention to that, it did not bother me that it was all being read by one person. (I know some people do not like that.) I felt that Ramona Master did a great job with the narration.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If it was possible to listen to it all in one sitting I would have the story was very well written.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher, and/or narrator. --I'd also like to note I had heard amazing things about this book prior to receiving. I'm so glad I had a chance to review.

Calico

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Add some light moments.

At times, the book was too dark, depressing, and I was afraid a HEA (in this books own way) will not be possible.

Would you recommend Calico to your friends? Why or why not?

Depends on the friends and circumstances.

Calico isnt an easy book to read or listen to.

Coralie and Callan suffer for most of the book and while the writing is good, at times I was looking for something light, some goodness to make the reading bearable.

Did Calico inspire you to do anything?

As always, communication is key. Always share your burden, you will be surprised at the generosity and acceptance you will receive.

Any additional comments?

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

Very emotional story!

I really enjoyed this audiobook except for one thing- the narration needed to be 2 voices because the voice for both characters sounded pretty much the same, which I found aggravating. The story overall was well written and the two main characters had a complex story that spans early teens to late 20s. The heroine lives with her violent father who is very abusive to her. The hero lives with his mother and has a loving home. Her father forbids her to be around any boys. The whole story pivots around this, because she and the hero fell in love on the sly. Be aware that there are triggers in this story that have to do with violence and miscarriage. If the narration had been dual I would have given this audiobook 5 stars across the board.

Heartbreaking but worth it

This book has some big ups and downs, it's filled with childhood love, heartache and despair. Parts of this book were hard to get through and at times I wondered if Callen and Coralie were ever going to be able to put their troubled past behind them. But in the end their souls are bound for each other and no amount of distance or time can change that.

DNF

I've read the story and loved it but unfortunately the narration was so terrible I couldn't finish. It was so rushed and there is no distinction between voices or even a pause so I couldn't keep up. At all.

Great addition! Definite read!

This book was a great addition to this authors collection, the story and characters were deep with all sorts of secrets, there were parts that were awful to read and think about but this author had a way of making it ok in the end.

Their story wasn’t easy but I was really happy to see how it all worked out. There were some parts that made me want to shake the characters but I would have been surprised if there wasn’t!

Definitely recommend this one!

Great book!!!

I loved this story! True love will always conquer all!
Through the Heartache and pain .... love will conquer ALL!

Dark and Romantic

I had read some negative reviews about this book. I do understand, that there are some very violent portions of this book that could be hard to listen to. I think it develops the story so much more to include these parts. It was extremely romantic, sweet, and at times very dirty! LOL It ended beautifully. I would highly recommend this book.

Wow wow wow!

There aren’t words to express the satisfaction of hearing this book! Fantastic...there’s should be a better word...exquisite! The story is gut wrenching and tears apart your heart...it made me cry out loud!! The love between these characters...just immense and Callie’s writing makes the reader feel ALL the emotions!! Perfection!!

Heartbreaking Second Chance Love Story!

Callie Hart did an amazing job pulling the listener into an emotional heart wrenching story about two young souls finding love, only to be separated, but fate had a way of bringing them back together. Coralie may have suffered in silence at the hands of her father, but meeting, and falling in love with Callen was how she dealt with his cruelty. Told from dual POV's with past and present scenes, the listener follows the characters as they return back to their hometown to face the demons of their past, reunite, heal, and move forward.

Ramona did a good job on the narration. While it was difficult to distinguish between the characters sometimes, I definitely felt all the raw emotions throughout the whole story.

Calico was an emotional story, with great characters, I especially liked some of the secondary characters. An excellent find!