Book Nerds Across America: audiobook review

Showing posts with label audiobook review. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Audio Book Review: He Said It Would Be Late by Justine Sullivan

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Liz Bennet is fortunate with love and she knows it. She’s married to a wealthy, handsome, bright, all-around charming man. Arno, a wonderful husband and adoring father to their daughter, Emma, is the outward picture of perfection. But, when Liz sees a text on Arno’s phone with a couple of kissy faces attached, she starts to worry. And worry. And worry.

As any respectable wife would, Liz must find out exactly what’s going on. And so she takes a deep dive down the rabbit hole, peeling back layers of deceit, following every lead on what she increasingly believes is an extramarital affair. Could her husband really be cheating on her? Or is he just as perfect as he looks?

Liz wants the truth, at all costs, but as life teaches us, not everything is as it seems.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

He Said He would Be Late was listed as a domestic thriller, however, I would place it under a more general fiction heading. The story centers around Liz, a writer and her husband Arno. It is a story of marriage, motherhood and distrust.

Liz finds a text message on her husband’s cell phone from a co-worker that has some what she feels is a suggestive kiss emoji and becomes convinced that Arno is having an affair. Question…do y’all look through your husband’s phones? It has never occurred to me to check mine’s phone. I trust him and he has never given me a reason not to, nor does he look through mine.

Right from the start I was not a fan of Liz, she seemed like a major whiner. I don’t think she had real wanted her baby, or if she did she now regretted having her because she was stuck at home taking care of her and felt unfulfilled. Arno hired her a Nanny to help look after their daughter to free Liz up so she could work on her second novel, her first one having sold fairly well. So she was given the opportunity to work and not have to watch the baby all day. I found her irrational in her thoughts and actions when it came to Arno also and they led her to a somewhat downward spiral to find the truth on if he was actually cheating.

The writing was good, but I felt a bit bored, or frustrated, I can’t decide which, trying to keep up with the different ways she would try to catch Arno cheating. It does however give you great insight into just how far and fast her obsession was going. Even though I was bored with parts of the book because of the previous reason, Liz’s actions were both crafty and cringey enough to keep me reading, I had to know what she was going to get up to next, so in that aspect I enjoyed the book as a whole. The ending …well it does have a last minute twist that did not really thrill me, but I can see others really liking it.

All in all I enjoyed He Said He Would Be Late. I did listen to the book on audio and really enjoyed the narration. The narrator kept the tempo up well and helped move it along.

THANK YOU MACMILLAN AUDIO AND NETGALLEY FOR THE EARLY LISTEN.

HE SAID IT WOULD BE LATE WILL BE PUBLISHED MARCH 14, 2023

Monday, September 12, 2022

Audio Review: The Lost Girls Of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world.

Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage’s stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that Alan has kept a shocking secret: Rosemary didn’t die. She was committed to Willowbrook State School and has lingered there until just a few days ago, when she went missing.

Sage knows little about Willowbrook. It’s always been a place shrouded by rumor and mystery. A place local parents threaten to send misbehaving kids. With no idea what to expect, Sage secretly sets out for Willowbrook, determined to find Rosemary. What she learns, once she steps through its doors and is mistakenly believed to be her sister, will change her life in ways she never could imagined .

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

Oh wow...let me start off by saying that this book is DISTURBING, and at times it may be hard to read, there are many many triggering points in it, but if you can handle it, I recommend reading it. Ellen Marie Wiseman has based to story around the notorious Staten Island state school for disabled children called Willowbrook ( look it up, it was a real school ). The school ran from 1947 to 1987 and was plagued with rumors of unsanitary living conditions and medical practices that were not on the up and up. Geraldo Rivera did one of his popular investigation reports into the school in 1972 and brought it to light.

Wiseman does not hold back in the story, and at times you might feel a bit overwhelmed in the story of Sage, whose twin Rosemary ( I want to sing Simon and Garfunkel every time I read their names together) a student at the school goes missing. Sage takes it upon herself to go to the school to try and find her, and instead, she is mistaken for the missing Rosemary and gets sucked into the school. From this point on n the book you read about the horrors that Sage has witnessed in the school, the sexual and physical abuse, the horrid living conditions, and the questionable experiments that are at times performed on the students.

The story revolves around Sage's survival, of her trying to find her missing sister while trying to convince the powers to be that she is not Rosemary. She also gets in the middle of a mystery, that includes her sister, and also the Urban Legend of Cropsey. Reading all of this will shock you, sadden you, and keep you reading late into the night.

I urge you to not let the label of " Historical Fiction " turn you away if you are not a fan. Yes, The Lost Girls Of Willowbrook is Historical Fiction, but if you took away that label you will have a stunning piece of suspenseful writing that will keep any Suspense/Thriller fan entertained.

Monday, August 8, 2022

Audio Book Review: Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers―a stranger who now lives in her apartment and forces her out in the cold. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing, and in its place is a bloodstained knife. That’s when she sees that her hands are covered in black pen, scribbled messages like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.

Two years ago, Liv was living with her best friend, dating a new man, and thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, the same message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing as she tries to piece together the fragments of her life. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget―permanently.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

30-year-old New Yorker Liv Reese has no memory when she wakes up in a cab, so she heads home only to find strangers living in her brownstone, to make matters worse she discovers a blood-stained knife in her pocket and the words " Stay Awake " written all over her.

In the beginning, I found Stay Awake a bit confusing and thought maybe I might have missed something as I was listening and working, but I soon found my bearings with it and found the story entertaining and thrilling. The story is told by Liv in two timelines, the present and also the past which takes place two years before.

There is a lot of action in this book to keep your attention, however, to me, the middle got a bit bogged down in the storytelling and dragged a bit. It was really interesting to see how Liv slowly began figuring the clues out and what was going on.

I have seen several people say that they easily figured the ending out, but not me. I thought I had it figured out and then Goldin threw in a twist that surprised me.

Thriller readers will enjoy Stay Awake, especially if you enjoy Goldins previous book Night Swim. I personally thought Stay Awake was a bit better.

I listened to the audio and found it engaging. Imogene Church and January LaVoy, the narrators gave a great performance and brought it to life for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillian Audio for the advanced audio

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

GOODREADS SUMMARY

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

Y'all my heart is bursting with love for this new book. So many feels on this one!

Remarkably Bright Creatures is about Tova Sullivan a 70-year-old woman who lost her son 30 years ago and recently lost her husband. She takes a job as a night shift cleaner at the Sowell Bay Aquarium so she will have something to do to keep her busy.

Tova forms a friendship with Marcellus, a giant pacific octopus who, when the book begins is on his 1299 day of captivity in the aquarium.

This is such a creative, heartfelt story with characters you will fall in love with. Tova is determined to carry on with her life despite her loss and enjoys her cleaning job at the aquarium, it helps pass a lot of would-be empty and lonely hours. Author Shelby Van Pelt did a wonderful job of installing sadness into Tova's character without making her depressing and miserable.

Marcellus the aging octopus steals the show in this story in my opinion. He gives Tova life and reason without speaking a word to her. I might have thought this interaction was a bit overdone, the book is fiction so..., but a few weeks ago I watched a Netflix documentary called My Octopus Teacher and it saw how highly intelligent these creatures are, and they are capable of forming attachments to humans. Marcus may not speak verbally to Tova but he gets his point across and in the book he does have a voice.

There is also Cameron, who is a bit lost in life and searching for a father that he never knew. He ends up at the aquarium working after a failed search led him to the area.

I don't want to go into any greater detail, but I will tell you that all the characters and the story will tug at your heart, but at the same time make you smile.

********

My Opinion...

I won't lie, I am a huge fan of aquariums. I love the ocean and any creatures that live there. An Aquarium has always been a place of joy for me, being able to see these magnificent creatures up close amazes me. When I finished Remarkably Bright Creatures it got me thinking, especially about Marcellus's POV in the story. It made me question keeping these creatures in captivity. For the first time, someone has given one of these creatures a voice and it has really made me think a bit differently about things.

Please read or listen to this book, it could be one of the best beach reads of your summer.

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Book Review: The Shadow House by Anna Downes

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Alex, a single mother of two, is determined to make a fresh start for her and her children. In an effort to escape her troubled past, she seeks refuge in a rural community. Pine Ridge is idyllic; the surrounding forests are beautiful and the locals welcoming. Mostly.

But Alex finds that she may have disturbed barely hidden secrets in her new home. As a chain of bizarre events is set off, events eerily familiar to those who have lived there for years, Alex realizes that she and her family might be in greater danger than ever before. And that the only way to protect them all is to confront the shadows lurking in Pine Ridge.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

Alex has left her abusive husband to move, along with her children to Pine Ridge, a seeming long welcoming community. But the area doesn’t stay idlic for long when creepy things begin to happen .
he story has all the elements of a creepy story … a creepy doll ( I gotta tell you I find dolls super creepy ) Bones and blood all over, but the creepiness didn’t seem to hold up for me. Despite the feel of the book, there is nothing supernatural going on- which was fine with me as I am not a huge fan of that genre, I find somethings that humans do are much more creepy.

The book is told from two point of views, Alex is course, is the main voice of the story. But there is also Renee, who is married to the son of the builder of Pine Ridge. The same creepy things that happen to Alex also happen to Renee, cumulating into the kidnapping of Renee’s son Gabriel. So what is the connection between these two women? I can’t tell you, but it does play I to the mystery.

The ending of the book wraps up quite well. There are surprises and a few twist along the way, some you will see coming and others … well those are the surprises. For me, the story was very much a slow burn.

I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the reader’s Australian accent, which seemed to bring the location alive for me. It was neither jarring or hard to understand.

My biggest complaint… there was a gruesome cat killing which I found totally unnecessary . I think this played into my factor of not giving it a higher star rating .

Friday, March 25, 2022

Book Review: Illusionary by Zoraida Cordova

Goodreads Overview:

Reeling from betrayal at the hands of the Whispers, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she's reluctantly joined forces with none other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy. They're united by lofty goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. Together, Ren and Castian have a chance to save everything, if only they can set aside their complex and intense feelings for each other.

With the king's forces on their heels at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for mistakes. But the greatest danger is within Ren. The Gray, her fortress of stolen memories, has begun to crumble, threatening her grip on reality. She'll have to control her magics--and her mind--to unlock her power and protect the Moria people once and for all.

For years, she was wielded as weapon. Now it's her time to fight back.

Jacque's Review:

I received the first book in the series as part of an Owlcrate book box, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I immediately downloaded the Audible audio book when Illusionary was released to see how the series would conclude. There is a lot of tension and lack of trust between Renata and Prince Castian at the start of the book, but they must work together if they want to defeat King Fernando and bring peace to the kingdom.

I had a hard time understanding why the Whispers seemed to be working against Renata the majority of this series. She was a part of their group for so long, but they turned their backs on her when she needed them the most. Their lack of trust in her type of magic should have been outweighed by her years of loyalty and service to their cause.

Prince Castian was her childhood friend, but those memories were lost in the depths of "The Gray" and replaced by the illusions he projected in more recent times. She believes he is the ruthless prince who has been trying to destroy the Moria and killed her boyfriend, but this couldn't be further from the truth. I enjoyed seeing them rekindle their friendship and seeing Ren discover who her true allies are. Appearances are often deceiving, especially when dealing with the types of magic the Moria can yield. Some are able to manipulate emotions while others, like Castian, can crate elaborate illusions.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Leo, Castian, and Ren grow as they traveled the kingdom in search of the Knife of Memory. They discover a hidden community of Moria, and for the first time in her life, Ren sees that her magic can be used for something other than a weapon. Their leader teaches her to control her magic and eliminate The Gray, which allows her abilities to soar instead of consuming her.

I am happy this was only a duology and the author/publisher did not feel the need to turn it into a trilogy. Both of the books were action packed, fast paced, and easily held my attention. It was a unique world and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their magical abilities. There were some twists and revelations that I did not see coming that really added to the enjoyment of this final book. In addition, I really enjoyed this book on audio. The narrator did a great job and I never would have pronounced the names of some of the characters and cities correctly.

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Audiobook Review: The Guilty by James Patterson

Goodreads Overview:

Tonight, Osmond Box, the reclusive yet wildly successful writer/director known for his completely surprising Broadway plays is debuting his seventh and most highly anticipated production of his career.

'THE GUILTY'. Nothing is known as the story, the setting, the premise, or even the actors involved. The first people to discover the truth will be the lucky ones sitting in those seats opening night. Phones are collected; doors are locked. The rest of the world eagerly awaits the first reviews....

Two hours later, when the doors are finally allowed to open, half of the audience will be applauding wildly. The other half will be fleeing the theater in mortal terror. Has Osmond Box done it again? Or has he done something far, far worse?

Jacque's Review:

This is a free Audible original murder mystery that is short and sweet at about 3 hours and 20 minutes long. I enjoyed the fact that there was a full cast of characters, which made it feel like I was listening to a live production vs. reading a book.

I never could tell if they were acting or improvising as the story went along. The actors all insist the story is unscripted and they are getting sucked into participating in something they did not sign up for. How all of the characters are connected, and why Box summoned them for this monumental occasion, is as much of a mystery as the murder itself. I enjoyed listening to the police interrogations and felt like I was part of the actual investigation.

This was a very unique way of telling a story and something that I think would appeal to reluctant readers. I haven't experienced anything like this before and would definitely be interested in future full cast productions. While I wouldn't sign up for Audible just for this book, it was worth the time invested if you are already a member.

I was reluctant to sign up for Audible for a long time and did two separate free trials just to get the free credits to buy a book my son needed for school. The fact that he prefers to listen while following along with the text is what finally sold me. My husband, son, and I all share one account and we use at least half of our credits on books he needs for school that are not available in audio from the library. With three people using the account ,we definitely get our money's worth. If it were just me, I would stick with the library since I am fine with any format and don't usually care if I have to wait. My TBR list is filled with books that have been out for quite some time, so there is always something available when I am looking. My son needing specific books in less than a week, in both audio and print, made Audible a no brainer for us. The app tracks your listening time and we average at least 40 hours per month. That is equal to 35 cents an hour and you get to keep the audiobooks you purchase, even if you cancel your subscription. That is a pretty inexpensive way to encourage my son to read more.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Audio Book Review: Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Nick Winters and Noel Carter have known each other their whole lives. After years of shared family holidays, working together on the Winters’ Christmas tree farm, and being each other's safe haven, they wouldn't dream of crossing the line from friends to something more....

But when Nick comes home for the holidays after serving overseas and finds that his long-term girlfriend has decided to get her stocking stuffed elsewhere, Noel is there to pick him up and show him that instead of a Blue Christmas he can still have a Wonderful Christmastime without his cheating ex.

A night on the town and an impulsive kiss later has Noel thinking that perhaps this year they’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree as a couple, but only if the ghost - er rather - girlfriend of Nick's Christmas past doesn’t decide to haunt their holiday....

TEE'S REVIEW

I love Christmas books, so when I saw Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist by Codi Hill I knew I was in!

The story was a cute and fun holiday romance. I listened to it on audio and really enjoyed the narration between the multiple narrators. It went quickly and was an easy listen.

I really enjoyed both of the main characters, Nick and Noel. Nick, just home from the military was really a wonderful character, just a really nice guy. The book starts out with Nick arriving home to find out that the girl he has been in love with has been cheating and dumps him. I felt rather sad for him because he thought Amanda was the girl for him. Noel, who is a nurse the perfect best friend for Nick, but after the breakup, he realizes that she has been there for him through everything and looks at her a bit differently

I did not like Nick's ex-girlfriend Amanda at all, and I thought the author spent too much time with her in the story, however, she was the perfect catalyst for some much-needed drama between Nick and Nora and their relationship.

But, this isn't your typical Hallmark Christmas movie type story, there are some pretty steamy sex scenes thrown in., but I will admit, it did help spice up the otherwise typical story.

There were a few things that I did not like about the books, the first being that I felt it was WAY too close to Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, and I thought that Hall could have been steered from what seemed like a reliance on that story.

Also, there were times, a lot of them actually, where I felt both the main characters and the secondary characters were so immature in their actions, but maybe, being older, I was not the target audience for this book. However I do read YA books and have really enjoyed them, so I am not so sure that was the problem.

But of course, being a music lover, I have to say that one of my favorite parts of the books and the audio ( I used them both ) was the excellent playlist at the end.

All in all, it was a cute read.

Saturday, August 28, 2021

Book Review: The Private School Murders by James Patterson

Goodreads Overview:

In the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Confessions of a Murder Suspect, James Patterson keeps the confessions coming breathlessly as Tandy Angel delves deeper into her own tumultuous history-and proves that she can rise above the sordid Angel legacy.

Wealthy young women are being murdered on Manhattan's exclusive Upper West Side, and the police aren't looking for answers in the right places. Enter Tandy Angel. The first case she cracked was the mystery of her parents' deaths. Now, while she's working to exonerate her brother of his glamorous girlfriend's homicide, she's driven to get involved in the West Side murder spree.

One of the recent victims was a student at Tandy's own elite school. She has a hunch it may be the work of a serial killer, but the NYPD isn't listening to her...and Tandy can't ignore the disturbing fact that she perfectly fits the profile of the killer's targets. Can she untangle the mysteries in time? Or will she be the next victim?

Jacque's Review:

This is the second book in the Confessions series and was equally as captivating as the first. I enjoy listening to these books vs. reading them since Tandy is speaking directly to the reader. She is telling her story and sharing her secrets, which comes across very effectively through the audiobook.

This time around the family is broke. The courts freeze all of their assets due to the pending legal cases against their parents. Their Uncle Peter is assigned as their guardian, but delegates the job to Jacob, who is an uncle the Angel kids didn't even know existed until he moved in with them. He has a military background and runs a tight ship. He installs a sense of discipline and accountability the kids desperately needed.

The family's primary focus is trying to clear their brother Matthew of murder charges, but the situation isn't looking good. Matthew was heavily intoxicated at the time of the murder and isn't even sure of what happened. He is very strong and has a known temper, which can definitely be used against him.

As if that weren't enough, girls Tandy's age that meet her exact demographic are being murdered not far from her home. The police do not see the connection, but Tandy does and decides she needs to solve this case before she becomes the next victim.

Even off their "vitamins", which were prescription medications their parents gave them to enhance their performance in just about every way, the Angel kids are extraordinarily talented. Tandy has a gifted IQ and can conduct an investigation and work through the evidence more efficiently than investigators with decades of experience. She did get lucky with a few of her discoveries, but I guess that is probably the case with most investigations.

Tandy also begins to remember her relationship with James Rampling. James is the son of one of the investors that lost millions of dollars in their mother's investment scandal. He is now suing their estate and wants his son to stay as far away from Tandy as possible. Her parents were in agreement prior to their deaths and sent her to a mental institution to put an end to the relationship. While she was there, her memories of the relationship were erased. I'm not sure how one can maintain a genius level IQ and have only certain memories erased, but that is what happened.

I don't want to give everything away, but will say that I was happy with the ending. All of the pieces came together nicely and in a believable fashion. I wish they would have shared the motivation behind the Private School Murders, but the case is solved and Tandy can breathe easier. The future of the Angel children is up in the air and I look forward to seeing how things will unfold in the next installment in the series.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Book Review: The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Goodreads Overview:

In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…

With surprising twists, spine-tingling turns, and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another taut and intense read in The Woman in Cabin 10—one that will leave even the most sure-footed reader restlessly uneasy long after the last page is turned.

Jacque's Review:

This book was recommended to me by a former co-worker when I told her I was planning on going on a cruise??? Well, the Aurora isn't a typical cruise ship with hundreds or thousands of passengers. It is a luxury yacht with only ten plush cabins. The ship is getting ready to embark on its maiden voyage with a guest list consisting of media and travel writers, a photographer, potential financial backers, and the yacht's owner and his wife.

Lo Blacklock has worked for Velocity travel magazine for years, but her boss is the one who usually takes advantage of the more upscale trips that come their way. When her boss is laid up due to a complicated pregnancy, Lo is offered this once in a lifetime opportunity to sail on the Aurora. She plans on networking and showing everyone how valuable she really is to the magazine. This may be just the beginning of bigger and better things to come. Unfortunately, she experiences a rather traumatic event prior to embarking on the trip and isn't in the best frame of mind to schmooze or write. Sleep deprivation and anxiety get the better of her and she decides to drink a bit too much to help cope. She witnesses what she believes is a body being thrown overboard and immediately calls the staff to report it. When all of the passengers are eventually accounted for, her story is dismissed. Everyone tells her she was either too intoxicated or overly tired and didn't really see what she believes she saw.

Lo is convinced she did not imagine the event and continues to investigate. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous things become for her. She refuses to let it go and eventually finds herself in the middle of a very twisted tale.

The pace of the story was excellent and I was constantly on the edge of my seat anticipating what would happen next. I never would have guessed what ultimately took place and couldn't believe the lengths someone would go through to orchestrate a murder. The plan would have worked perfectly if only Lo hadn't been awoken by a scream from the cabin next door. It wasn't even a scream of terror, but more of a scream of shock or surprise. It was just enough to get her attention and then she heard the splash.

I love murder mysteries and found this book to be very enjoyable. It was a fast read and really gave you a sense of what it can feel like being trapped on a boat at sea. We also had no wifi or contact with the outside world when we were on our cruise. When Lo felt like she was in danger she couldn't contact anyone and had no way off the boat. She was trapped and at the mercy of the passengers and crew. She had no idea who she could trust and really needed to play her cards right if she wanted to walk away from the voyage alive.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Audiobook review: A World Without Princes (The School For Good and Evil #2) by Soman Chainani

Flo's Non-Spoilery Review
So, last year at the Miami Book Fair, they were having this amazing deal on The School for Good and Evil books. It was a BOGO, and you got a free tote bag, and he was there to sign your books! It was truly the best thing ever. I already had a signed copy of book one, so I happily bought books two and three. Sometimes buying books in a series when you haven't read the first one backfires on you, so it was, admittedly, a gamble. Thankfully, it went my way.

It was so nice to head back to the School, even if it was different this time around. I still enjoyed spending time with some of the characters that I'd met in the first book. It was a little slow for me around the middle, but by the end I was holding my breath as I listened to the audiobook and thought to myself, "Come on! Do it! Do it!" There was also a plot situation that I thought I'd figured out mid-book, and it turns out I was wrong! (Honestly, not that surprising. Lol.)

Like its predecessor, A World Without Princes started strong with the action and kept it pretty steady throughout. I am fully invested in this world and in these girls, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to tackle next in the third book.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Audiobook review: Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Book Summary
Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone's declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.

Flo's Summary
What a fun story! I mean, I don't often put "fun" and "mystery" together, but something about these characters drew me in, and it was fun to try and figure it out...which I kind of did! I'm so excited, because I never figure out anything! 10 points to Hufflepuff!

But back to the characters. Karen M. McManus described them in a way that gave me such great visuals in my mind. I could see Ellery's curls, Malcolm's muscles, Ezra's general hotness. (Yes, I know he wouldn't be interested in me like that, but that's okay -- he would be such a good and awesome friend.)

This book takes place in the Fall in the Northeast and it made me want to be there! (I mean, not in Echo Ridge -- too much going on in that town! I just mean somewhere where Fall weather is a thing, which it's not where I am.) But yes, the setting of Echo Ridge sounded beautiful. When Ellery and Ezra weren't stressing me out by walking through the woods, that is!

Two Can Keep a Secret had layers of stories, and that's probably what I liked about it most. Nothing-- like legitimately almost nothing -- was what is seemed, and there were a lot of different things going on beneath the surface. And they were all connected, but they weren't, but they were. Genius!

I also enjoyed One of Us is Lying and am pretty sure Karen M. McManus has a spot on my auto-read list. I listened to this one on audiobook and it just flew by! I truly enjoying listening to it while driving to and from work, and talking to myself in the car whenever a reveal or a bomb was dropped.

I definitely recommend you give this one a try!

Read our review of One of Us Is Lying: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2018/01/book-review-one-of-us-is-lying-by-karen.html.

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