Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Audiobook Review

By: Laini Taylor

Narrated by:  Khristine Hvam

Published by: Hachette Audio 09/2011

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Warm

Daughter of Smoke & Bone Series # 1
12hrs and 32 mins

Sample

 

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages - not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers - beautiful, haunted Akiva - fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

 Reviewed by Terra Lyne

Love, love, love the characters in this ultra-unique story.  The settings are breathtaking.  Her world building does not bore.  It is fantastical and many times, I found myself wishing to be there (all I’d have to do is sacrifice a few teeth, right?! ).  Karou, our artistic heroine, is fresh and witty and confident.  She opens our hearts and minds to a world ripe with angels and monsters; love and despair; humor and sacrifice….and hope.  Always hope.   Akiva, a beyond beautiful Seraphim soldier, is tormented by a love lost.   He is drawn to Karou for reasons he cannot fathom.  They meet and sparks fly…quite literally.  I was completely enthralled with the collision of Akiva’s and Karou’s magic…which she doesn’t even know she posseses.   Laini Taylor does an amazing job of keeping what could be a heavy downer of a story light and fun and intriguing.  She brings in secondary characters that are fantastic.   I found myself craving scenes where her friend, Zuzana, played a role.  

As for the story…as much as I loved the beginning, somewhere in the middle, Ms. Taylor lost me for a stretch.  Things shifted and normally I would be on the edge of my seat wondering where we would be going next.  But then it shifted again….and then again and I felt disconnected from the characters.   As I have mentioned before, audiobooks can make it difficult for me to skim through uninteresting parts.  I was NOT super excited when I realized I had nearly 4 hours to go until I could mark it “finished”.  But…I forged on and I’m glad I stuck with it.  Things started to fall into place and I came back full circle.  I began enjoying it again and I love ending a book that way!  I am fully aware that my tendency toward ADD (or as my husband lovingly refers to it: ADDAWAT… aka: Attention Deficit Does Anybody Want A Taco), makes me more sensitive to lulls in a storyline.   As a result, I can be a tad less tolerant.   But, please don’t let that to deter you from diving into this wonderful story.

  4.40  ·  rating details  ·  2,458 ratings  ·  1,014 reviews on Goodreads

Khristine Hvam’s narration of this book is excellent.  She is a “new-to-me” narrator but I felt as if I had listened to her before.  That, in my opinion, is always a good sign.  It means her character portrayals are spot-on.  Her transitions were seamless.  I loved her depiction of Zuzana!  The sarcasm and wit came through on a grand scale (and I speak fluent sarcasm so impressing me on this front is quite an accomplishment!).  This story is packed with otherworldly characters and much of it is set in Europe so the accents are plentiful and Ms. Hvam breezes through.  I hope to have a chance to listen to more of her.  As a matter of fact, I’m going to do an Audible search right now.

The Author

 Voices behind the books
Christine Hvam

Just the Sexiest Man Alive

Audiobook Review

By: Julie James

Narrated by: Karen White

Published by: Penguin Audio 11/2011

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Warm

10hrs and 10mins

Sample

Nothing fazes Taylor Donovan not in the courtroom and not in her personal life. So when she's assigned to coach People's Sexiest Man Alive for his role in the next big legal drama, she refuses to fall for the Hollywood heartthrob's charms. Even if he is the Jason Andrews.

Reviewed By Lisa K. Chance

I listened to the audiobook and it was well narrated by Karen White.
I know I’m in the minority, but this one didn’t do it for me. Some of the dialogue is witty, but Jason is arrogant, immature, and too busy playing games to figure out who Taylor really is. I kept hoping he’d get better… and he did. However, one act of kindness – and another that was just common human decency – do not a hero make, especially when he follows these acts with more childish reactions.

I liked the writing, and the dialogue is sharp with some real gems, so I will give this new-to-me-author another chance. However, this guy, Jason, is so immature for 38 years old. I liked Taylor, she is pretty smart, but even she stooped to a little game playing eventually. And with Scott? Yuk. I didn’t think she was that star stuck and it didn’t match her history. Plus, all her friends, except for one, were enthralled with Jason and saying things like, “Don’t you realize who he is?” Obviously she did. They were not listening to her very real concerns, considering her previous betrayal by her ex-fiancée. I don’t know about yours, but my friends wouldn’t do that no matter how famous, rich, and gorgeous a man was.

Also, the whole paparazzi thing didn’t make sense. She’s dodging them because of a judge’s gag-order, but decides to go to Las Vegas and various parties with two different celebrities?? And she manages not to get photographed when they are hunting her? Huh?

The Author

Julie James

Voices behind the books

Karen White

Unclaimed

Audiobook Review

By: Courtney Milan

Narrated by: Polly Lee

Published by: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd 10/2011

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Hot

Turner Series - Book 2

11hrs and 16mins

Sample

Her only hope for survival….
Handsome, wealthy, and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check… until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he’s waited for all his life.
But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can’t refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she’s sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs… and the love she knows is impossible.

Reviewed by Terra Lyne

There are a million things I love about this book. A beautiful, strong and virtuous man, a courtesan with a “shameful” past, a vow of celibacy, a million chances to break that vow and a town full of hypocrites and an opening line of: “Sir Mark Turner did not look like any virgin Jessica had ever seen before.” I was hooked. 

I fell in love with Mark Turner in Unveiled. He is wonderful and confident. A man who stands by his principles…principles he formed because he believes in something whole-heartedly (not because of society or religion). I looked back at my review of Unveiled. When I finished reading it, I said something about wanting a book about Mark. How Lucky for me…it’s a great story and I was NOT disappointed!! Jessica Farleigh is a woman with a past that is heart-breaking. You see glimpses of it from the beginning. Miss Milan does a beautiful job peeling back the layers to reveal the reasons behind Mark’s vow and Jessica’s fears. And the sexual tension??? Wowzers! Just….wow. Loved it! While it is a total page-turner through the first half, it gets a bit slow near the middle. Then it turned around near the end and had me enthralled all over again. This will most likely be one of those novels that I end up listening to more than once. 

VERY brief summary: Sir Mark Turner (knighted because of his brilliant book about celibacy for gentleman) retreats to the town of his youth to escape the madness of his new-found fame. Well, his book has a cult following and what began as a getaway turns into a farce. Jessica Farleigh is in dire straits. She is in need of funds and decides to cash in on a reward offered to anyone who can “unseat” Sir Mark from his high-and-mighty throne. They meet. He doesn’t care about her seedy past, he likes her and wants to be her friend. This notion baffles Jessica. She feels she is not worthy of his respect. The more time they spend together, the closer they become. Jessica finds that it is becoming increasingly difficult to betray his trust and Mark’s vow has him in knots and he experiences temptation beyond any he’s ever encountered before. A lovely story unfolds and they both find their happily ever after….or do they? 

After listening to a contemporary romance, the narration seemed a bit sloooww at the beginning. But I absolutely got used to the pace and found myself really enjoying Polly Lee. Her characterizations are spot on and I melted into her story telling. (now that I think about it, I wonder how many times I sighed audibly while listening…or spaced out with a goofy grin on my face) In my opinion, this is a keeper and one you may want to consider owning. 
4.10  ·  rating details  ·  169 ratings  ·  86 reviews   on Goodreads 

The Author

Courtney Milan

Supernatural

Audiobook Review

By: G.A. Aiken. Jacquelyn Frank, Larissa Ione, Alexandra Ivy

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Published by: Tantor Audio 10/2011

Hot

13hrs and 36 mins

Sample

In this tantalizing collection, four New York Times bestselling authors invite you into the alluring worlds they've created in the Demonica, Guardians of Eternity, Nightwalkers, and Dragon Kin series. Each mesmerizing page will leave you craving more. . .

Vampires Fight Club by Larissa Ione ♥♥♥♥

DemonicaSeries

What can I say? Larissa Ione can do no wrong with me, and the novella in this book it’s not the exception.

Lena, a nurse we have previously met in Underground Hospital and Nate who has apparently been lined up to have an appearance in Thanatos' book in the Lords of Deliverance #3 take center stage in this short in length but big in character development and excitement. This encapsulated all elements I love in her series Demonica.

Darkness Eternal by Alexandra Ivy ♥♥♥

Guardians of Eternity Series

This was just an Ok story; I imagine those who have read her Guardians of Eternity series will find it more enjoyable.
It did arouse my interest in this world and its characters; I’m planning to read or listen to the first book in the series, When Darkness Comes.

Kane by Jacquelyn Frank ♥♥

Nightwalkers Series

I love Ms. Frank Nightwalker series, so I don’t feel  good about giving this book such a low rating, but frankly, the character development was terribly poor, and the story was none existing, no chemistry was felt between the protagonist and that surely spoiled my enjoyment.

All I can say is: do not let this story discourage you from reading or listening to the entire series, this was a very poor example of her writing ability.

Dragon On Top by G.A. Aiken ♥♥♥♥♥

Dragon Kin Series

I was so glad to see this author be part of this anthology. I have tremendously enjoyed her entire series, Dragon kin. This was an excellent example of her ability; her stories are always full of humor, suspense, sensuality and her character development is always top notch.

I can promise you will want to read and hopefully listen (I hope the audio publishers take a chance with this series) to the whole series, which,  by the way, starts with, Dragon Actually.

Narration

Justine Eyre..well..is Justine Eyre; her interpretations are always right on target- her delivery combined with right amount of emotion allow the listener to easily be transported to the world shes narrating- but this will only happen if you get pass as I have, her female voices and unique tone.

She’s excellent with the narration; her male voices and interpretations are some the best from a female reader. I just wish her approach to the female characters was a little more casual-without making them appear as if they were on the verge of a breakdown.

This is not my first experienced with Justine Eyre- despite the few negative factors I find in her delivery, the positives always outweigh the negatives, and  her performance has always enhance my enjoyment of the books.

The Authors

Voices behind the books

Howl at the Moon

Audiobook Review

By: Christine Warren

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Published by: Tantor Audio 08/2011

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Hot

The Others  Series Book 4
9 hrs and 3 mins

Sample





               "Noah Baker never wanted to betray The Others. But if his military commanders want him to covertly investigate a Lupine scientist--whose extraordinary research on sensory perception in werewolves could be used to develop werewolf-sharp senses in human soldiers--Noah must oblige. Even if it means deceiving the woman he desires the most "

Reviewed By Terra Lyne 

She loves it, she loves it not, she loves it, she loves it not…….. This book had me whirling in circles. One moment I enjoyed it, the next I felt irked.

I met Samantha (Sam) Carstairs and Noah Baker in book three: The Demon You Know. I just sorta knew they would cook something up after their little tussle in the park. I was very happy I was getting the chance to read/listen to more about Abby Baker’s Army Ranger brother….’cause let’s face it, what could be sexier than a brilliant, soft-hearted, hard-core military man? Not a whole heck of a lot.
Noah has been given an assignment to infiltrate (it makes me feel like such a bad ass to use macho military words- teehee) the headquarters of The Others under the guise of recruiting Lupines into his special branch of the Army, the Spook Squad. What he is really doing is gathering information about the Lupine DNA research that a pack member, Annie, has been working on. Of course, Annie’s best friend just happens to be Sam Carstairs. From the beginning, this assignment didn’t sit right with Noah and his confliction with the situation escalates in a hurry. I totally enjoyed the real emotion Noah felt during his brooding moments: “he was trying to think of any possible way he could make this situation NOT suck”. Love it. One night, while Noah was especially broody Sam came a knockin’ and things get steamy in a hurry. Their relationship grows, he meets the fam (and isn’t that just a treat….the scene when she brings him to meet her overly protective Lupine family had me grinning ear to ear) and Noah’s guilt grows as well. And, while he didn’t come into this assignment with the intent of using Sam to get to Annie, that’s just what he gets accused of. He realizes that whatever this assignment is, it’s not on the up-and-up. He then teams up with the Others and they race to find some missing papers before they can be used to compromise the Lupine’s existence.


I enjoyed much of this story. But somewhere in the middle, I started to get annoyed. Maybe it was the incredibly long, drawn out, never-ending love making scene from Noah’s perspective. I was like: blah, blah, blah…move it along! (much harder to skim through long scenes when you’re listening to the audio version) I also realized in the midst of the same scene (I had plenty of time to think, believe me) that they never used precautions and they didn’t in the previous book either. I’m so used to authors squeezing in a reference to “protection” that it actually stood out when Ms. Warren didn’t. They don’t have to worry about making little mini “others”? Also, until the epilogue, the love scenes were from Noah’s POV and while that’s a nice change of pace every now and again, it just made him seem less Alpha Male-ish. It sort of wussified our macho soldier boy. Especially when he said “I want you so bad I think I might die”. Really? Really.
I just didn’t feel like there was enough action and/or danger in this installment. I was never moved by the suspense or anxious to find out what happens next. The scene where Noah gives himself up in front of the council was great. 

The tension created by the writing and then interpreted by the narrator made it a bright spot for sure. I also enjoyed that Ms. Warren didn’t draw out Noah and Sam’s reconciliation. He screwed up, she got pissed and hurt, he came back groveling, they ended up having mind-blowingly awesome shower sex. Perfect. And here’s more good news, there was definitely enough good to outweigh the bad. I can’t help but enjoy these characters and I am hoping to start on book five (Walk on the Wild Side) soon.

3.99  ·  rating details  ·  1,106 ratings  ·  48 reviewson Goodreads

As in the previous book, Kate Reading does a great job conveying emotion and wit. I love listening to the voices she gives each character. Rule in particular. He is a methodical man and she portrays him as such. No hurrying through his lines. Tess has the same voice from book to book…how does Kate do that? How does she remember the exact voice she uses for each character? She’s just great. There was one part, however, that keeps me from calling the job she does “excellent”. When they are arguing, I truly couldn’t tell who was who. She gave this strange growly, throaty, unattractive voice to Sam and it was, well…..weird.  

I know I’m coming across a little harsh with this review. I really didn’t dislike the book. I just didn’t love it as I did The Demon You Know. I’m very curious to see what comes about in the next book…. Where will Ms. Warren take us? I guess I shall see…..

Author & Narrator 

 

Glory In Death

Audiobook Review

By: J.D. Robb

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Published by: Brilliance Audio

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Hot

In Death Series book # 2
9 hrs and 49 mins

       "It is 2058, New York City. In a world where technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there's only one place to hide a crime of passion-in the heart."

Even in the mid-twenty-first century, during a time when genetic testing usually weeds out any violent hereditary traits before they can take over, murder still happens. The first victim is found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second is murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provide Eve with a long list of suspects-including her own lover, Roarke."

Sample

                                   

Lisa Kay

New York Police and Security Lieutenant, Eve Dallas, and international Irish billionaire, Roarke. Past, present, future - what a couple!. But this, the second chapter in their relationship, isn’t all smooth sailing. There is a compelling confrontation that bears listening to twice. Up shot? I’ll take Roarke, even hot under the collar. At the end of this eruption, Eve asks Roarke why he wants her.

“Why?” He tilted his head. “That's a tricky one. Could it be your serenity, your quiet manner, your flawless fashion sense?” It did his heart good to see her quick, amused grin. “No, I must be thinking of someone else. It must be your courage, your absolute dedication to balancing the scales, that restless mind, and that sweet corner of your heart that pushes you to care so much about so many.”

Can I confess I want to be Eve when I grow up? Especially if I get Roarke.

I started this series in the 90’s – when it first came out, but lost track of where I left off. So, I decided to “re-read” these via audiobooks instead of by the printed word. What a find! I like Susan Ericksen’s narration for all her audiobook deliveries, but it was like she was born to narrate J.D. Robb’s futuristic In Death series. So much is in her tone and inflection for all the amazing secondary characters of this additive series.

It is not easy to do both male and female voices and make them work, but Ms. Ericksen manages to capture their personalities, making each distinct: Ryan Feeney, Eve’s mentor who works miracles with computer searches in the Electronics Detective Division; compassionate Dr. Charlotte Mira, who has some surprising revelations of her own in this volume; “Commander” Jack Whitney and his wife Anna; Summerset, Roarke’s butler and Jack of all Trades, who ends up in a tussle with Eve; Nadine Furst, a reporter Eve actually respects; and Eve’s best friend Mavis Freestone, who she once busted for petty theft; each voice is impeccable. And in this one dependable and efficient Delia Peabody is introduced as a beat cop, present at one of the murder scenes, before she eventually becomes Eve’s invaluable aid and partner (with a hopeless crush on Roarke). Even the peripheral characters, such as Crack (who got his name because of the sound made when he knocks heads together), are pitch perfect.

The characters are great, but the mystery and suspense in this police procedural are captivating – all the way to the end – making it impossible for me to pick my favorite book from this series. I’ll just have to say it’s the one I’ve currently have downloaded on my iPod.

4.14  ·  rating details  ·  7,797 ratings  ·  414 reviews 

The Author

J.D. Robb

Voices behind the books

Susan Ericksen