This was a heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful read. I really enjoyed how the story of Keira and Max was woven together with historical information This was a heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful read. I really enjoyed how the story of Keira and Max was woven together with historical information about the origins and progression of transplant surgery. It helped balance the more emotional moments, and it was fascinating to learn how the procedures and processes evolved. There were times that I couldn’t help but cry while I listened to this on audio. It was absolutely gut wrenching, but also so quietly beautiful. This is definitely a book that will stay with me.
I will not be leaving a star rating since this is a biography/nonfiction title....more
This was a really intriguing and entertaining listen. I'm a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and Emily Gilmore has always been such a fascinating character tThis was a really intriguing and entertaining listen. I'm a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and Emily Gilmore has always been such a fascinating character to me. It was interesting to find out more about Kelly Bishop and the events and roles that have shaped her life and career. The author is unapologetically herself and I loved that she had zero F's to give for what anyone else thinks. Some of what was revealed was heartbreaking and surprising, while other parts were joyful and heartfelt. The love and fondness for her friends, family, and pets was clear, but none shone as brightly as her love for her late husband Lee and her mother. A great memoir about chasing dreams, redefining happiness, and living a life true to yourself.
I won’t be giving a star rating since this is a memoir....more
This was an emotional and heartfelt conclusion to the Green Creek series. It's a slower paced story compared to the previous books, but I think it migThis was an emotional and heartfelt conclusion to the Green Creek series. It's a slower paced story compared to the previous books, but I think it might be the most introspective and heartbreaking. The narration by Kirt Graves was incredible again and I don't think anyone else could have managed this almost 20 hour audiobook.
There are lots of beautiful and tender moments in Brothersong between the Bennett pack, but there are also some hilarious and lighthearted scenes as well. The ribbing and teasing that the pack gives Carter as he understands and explores his feelings towards Gavin had me laughing so hard. These scenes were sweet and showcased the bonds that these characters have with each other, but unfortunately they also made the book feel much too long. The final conflict got a bit confusing with so many moving pieces, but I did love how the story came full circle and how everything tied together in the end. Klune left things in a hopeful place for this incredible found family and the Green Creek series will always have a special place in my heart....more
This was a really cute romcom! There are more serious moments too (please be sure to check CW’s), but they’re balanced well with humor.
Things to look This was a really cute romcom! There are more serious moments too (please be sure to check CW’s), but they’re balanced well with humor.
Things to look forward to: - forced proximity - slow burn - caretaker/sickness - opposites attract - road trip - only one bed - an all in, adorkably nerdy, cinnamon roll, consent king, glasses wearing, tattooed MMC - lots of interesting and fun info about different supernatural creatures as well as various conspiracy theories
There was a little too much ex drama, but I understood why it was so traumatic and painful for Hallie. It wrapped up mainly off page though, which made the resolution feel anticlimactic and not as satisfying. I would have loved if Hayden got that punch in lol. Overall, this was a fun read and I’m looking forward to reading more by Mallory Marlowe in the future.
I mainly listened to the audiobook and the narration by Alex Finke was fantastic! She’s so talented and truly elevated the story. The variation in her character voices and the emotions she infuses into her performances have made her one of my favorite narrators. I definitely recommend the audiobook!
CW’s (from the author): overcoming a past toxic relationship, workplace harassment by an ex-partner, past death of a parent from a terminal illness, mentions of caretaking for an ill family member, discussions of depression, recreational alcohol and marijuana usage, sexual content, and language.
*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*...more
This was a great start to a new series! Fans of the best friend’s sibling and it’s always been you tropes will devour this one. Seriously, the pining This was a great start to a new series! Fans of the best friend’s sibling and it’s always been you tropes will devour this one. Seriously, the pining is next level! It’s also probably the most unconventional single parent romance I’ve read. The setup for it didn’t make the most sense, but I thought Ford was a cute dad regardless.
I liked Rosie and Ford, but I wasn’t totally sold on their connection. I think this had a lot to do with Rosie’s relationship status for a big chunk of the book (please see OW/OM notes). I wish that hadn’t lasted as long as it did, but I appreciated that once the dust settled, the rest of the story was relatively drama free. What does come up towards the end isn’t over the top and I would consider this one third act break up free.
I mainly listened to the audiobook and Vanessa Edwin and Zachary Webber were wonderful. Truly such a great narrating duo and I liked that the emails were read duet style. Definitely recommend this on audio if you have a chance to listen.
CW: sexual harassment (on page), emotional cheating, death of parent (past), grief, depression, cheating ex (past)
OW/OM notes: (view spoiler)[FMC has a boyfriend and lived with him prior to coming back to Rose Hill. She is still technically dating him when she begins to have feelings for the MMC. Unconventional single parent set up - MMC donated sperm when he was younger and his 12 year old biological daughter seeks him out to ask for help following the death of her father. It’s more like a temporary guardianship while her mom takes care of her own mental health/grieves. (hide spoiler)]...more
This was a heartfelt and sexy romance. It featured some of my favorite tropes and balanced the more serious topics well with humor (please see CW’s). This was a heartfelt and sexy romance. It featured some of my favorite tropes and balanced the more serious topics well with humor (please see CW’s). The “it’s always been you” trope hooked me right away and I fell in love with Ash pretty much from page one. It took longer for me to understand and get a feel for Hazel, but my heart definitely hurt for her as she struggled to find her place and mend her relationship with her father.
I loved how Ash truly saw Hazel and knew when to push and when to hold back. Ash’s longing throughout was palpable and made the sexy times even hotter! I wasn’t a big fan of the third act drama, but I can understand how this helped the characters grow and move forward (though I would have loved to see more groveling lol) The angst is high at times in this one, but it made the end result so satisfying. The secondary characters were wonderful and I especially loved Ash’s family. The ending wrapped up quickly, but the epilogue was so sweet.
I mainly listened to the audiobook and loved the narration by Brittany Pressley and Zachary Webber. Both are so talented and voiced each character with ease. Their voices complemented each other well and I definitely recommend this audiobook.
I'm not sure why, but Zed and Dani's book just didn't fully work for me. I loved Zed inAudiobook Review Overall 3 stars Performance 4 stars Story 2 stars
I'm not sure why, but Zed and Dani's book just didn't fully work for me. I loved Zed in the previous book, but I felt pretty bored this time around. I didn't connect with either character and the rift plot line wasn't as compelling. There were certainly sweet and funny moments, but overall this was a miss for me. The narration kept me listening though and Amanda Ronconi and Jonathan Davis were wonderful again (even if I didn't love Zed's accent in general).
This was just the fun and quirky read I was looking for. The set up was unique and I loved this twist on the usual paranormal romance. The banter and This was just the fun and quirky read I was looking for. The set up was unique and I loved this twist on the usual paranormal romance. The banter and snark between Bael and Jillian (and Zeb!) was definitely the highlight of the book. It was especially fun to watch Bael come to terms with his feelings. This was a great start to the series and I’m looking forward to reading the rest.
The audio was really well done and both narrators did such a fantastic job! I was very impressed by all the different accents and voices used by Jonathon Davis and Amanda Ronconi. Definitely recommend the audiobook!
I was looking through the plus catalog and this caught my eye. I went in without reading the synopsis and overall it was an entertaining listen. The mI was looking through the plus catalog and this caught my eye. I went in without reading the synopsis and overall it was an entertaining listen. The more serious moments were balanced well with humor and the romantic subplot was very cute. I loved the banter between Iris and Hunter and their slow burn build up was well done. Hunter's small gestures of care throughout were so sweet and I appreciated how he gave Iris time to reconcile her feelings. The book falls more into women's fiction than romance though, since the heart of the story is about Iris and her journey.
Iris's history is revealed slowly over the course of the book, but it was hinted at pretty heavily and I figured out the twists early on. This unfortunately made the book drag for me especially in the second half, since I was waiting for the official reveal. It was an intriguing twist for sure, but it lost some of the impact because of this. I also felt the ending was very rushed in an effort to pull everything together and I'm never a fan of the miscommunication/refusal to communicate tropes. I still appreciated the conversations about complicated grief, forgiveness, and chasing happiness though. The narration by Jenna Coleman was great, but I do wish that she would have had a bit more variation in the voices she used.
Overall 4 stars Performance 4 stars Story 3.5 stars
This was a cute romcom and an interesting set up for a romance. Vanessa's starter ex Audiobook Review Overall 3.5 stars Performance 5 stars Story 3 stars
This was a cute romcom and an interesting set up for a romance. Vanessa's starter ex side gig was pretty funny, but I'm not sure it worked well for sisters (Vanessa voiced this concern, but it's a story so I went with it just like our characters did lol). The twist of Jason finding out and thwarting all of Vanessa's attempts made for some hilarious situations (the potato salad!), but stories involving lies of omission/miscommunications are always tough for me. I didn't love how the reveal was handled after being such a huge plot point the entire story, but I liked these characters enough to root for them to figure things out and get their HEA. I was also pleasantly surprised by the level of steam*fans self* The narration by Noah B. Perez and Miranda Jay was wonderful and Noah B. Perez has such a perfect gruff and growly voice. Overall, an enjoyable and relatively quick listen.
CW: parental infidelity (past), lying ex (past), workplace sexual harassment and retaliation...more
The set up for this story was pretty far fetched, but I went with it and was reAudiobook Review Overall 3.5 stars Performance 5 stars Story 2.5 - 3 stars
The set up for this story was pretty far fetched, but I went with it and was really enjoying the narration by Phillipa Soo. There is a romantic subplot in The Stand-In, but the main focus of the story is on Gracie's personal growth, so I feel this one falls more into women's fiction than romance.
The book started off pretty strong and I thought the balance of humor and more serious topics like sexual harassment, depression, and anxiety were handled well. I also appreciated the discussions about identity and the struggles of not quite fitting into one group or another/the feelings of not being "whole". I liked most of the characters, but sadly I didn't love them. I also didn't feel much chemistry between Sam and Gracie, so their romance unfortunately fell pretty flat. The complete 180 in their relationship was also very jarring. The push away/drama at the end almost derailed the whole book for me and was so frustrating since the entire thing could have been avoided if these characters had just spoken with each other. I understand that it was meant to be a catalyst to Gracie taking charge of her life and gaining confidence, but it still felt like drama for drama's sake.
The highlight of the book was the narration by Phillipa Soo. She voiced all of the different characters and accents so wonderfully and I'm not sure I would have finished the book without her. I hope she will narrate more books in the future. Overall, it was an enjoyable listen, but I didn't love it.
CW: parent with dementia and living in a care facility, death of parent (past), grief, depression, anxiety, workplace sexual harassment, public scrutiny (paparazzi, social media), mentions of: China's one child policy, miscarriage...more
This one had a lot of promise (second chance friends to lovers), but I needed more Audiobook Review Overall 3 stars Performance 5 stars Story 2.5-3 stars
This one had a lot of promise (second chance friends to lovers), but I needed more of them reconnecting as adults to really root for Adam and Sara to find their HEA together. It's a novella so I don't expect a ton of character development (if at all), but I didn't feel the supposed strong undeniable connection between Adam and Sara. I also didn't love the way the Elliot plot point was handled. Sara and Elliot really should have had that honest conversation way before Adam ever came back into the picture. The narration by Emily Lawrence and Andrew Eiden was great though and this was a quick and easy listen....more
I picked this up because I'm a huge fan of the narrators (Jason Clarke and Andi Arndt)Audiobook Review Overall 3 stars Performance 5 stars Story 2 stars
I picked this up because I'm a huge fan of the narrators (Jason Clarke and Andi Arndt) and overall it was an enjoyable listen. The plot is pretty thin (second chance after a one night stand), but it features a lot of my favorite tropes (road trip, forced proximity, only one bed, etc). The story could have easily been an hour or more shorter though and there was a lot of random filler/town shenanigans. What tanked the story for me though was the miscommunication towards the end. Even given Lucy's history, she overreacted so badly and I wasn't sure I even wanted her and Eric to end up in the end after that. This could have been a very cute holiday novella, but sadly it was too long and I'm still not sure why Eric was so hung up on Lucy.
CW: parental abandonment (past), cheating ex (past), car accident (on page)...more
Cute second chance-ish MM romance novella. There isn’t much to the plot besides instalust/love after a decade separation, but it was an easy 3.5 stars
Cute second chance-ish MM romance novella. There isn’t much to the plot besides instalust/love after a decade separation, but it was an easy listen and I really enjoyed the narration by Teddy Hamilton. Could have made a great full length novel....more
This was a great story about loving yourself and embracing who you are. The slow burnAudiobook Review Overall 3.5 stars Performance 4 stars Story 3 stars
This was a great story about loving yourself and embracing who you are. The slow burn friends to lovers romance was really sweet and I loved how it developed exactly at the pace our characters needed. Maggie and Aiden's assumptions about the other in the beginning were so funny and I laughed so hard when the truth was revealed lol. I also really appreciated that the story featured main characters that were older (Aiden is 50 and Maggie is 48). They were both so supportive of each other and Aiden's cinnamon roll golden retriever worked so well with Maggie's grumpy black cat. I would probably classify this more as women's fiction than romance since the heart of the story is the growth of each character, especially Aiden and his exploration and understanding of his own sexuality. There were a little too many gaming details for this non-gamer and the family drama on both sides was a lot, but I was cheering for these two to find their own happily ever after (however that might look). I also loved that Aiden set clear boundaries with his family at the end and put himself first for a change. The epilogue was very sweet and was perfect for them <3
I mainly listened to this on audio and I'm not sure I would recommend that unfortunately. I think I might have enjoyed the story more if I hadn't listened to it. Both narrators were overall great, but Chris Brinkley had a southern accent that didn't match Aiden's character and Elyse Dinh didn't have a ton of variation in the voices she used (Kit and Maggie sounded the same) and the pronunciation of some words was a bit odd. There were also strange pauses/breaks throughout the story (I think this is a production issue and had nothing to do with the narrators) which broke up the flow and made me check if my audiobook had stopped playing.
CW: death of parent (past), cheating ex (past), complicated and unsupportive family relationships (especially between parent and child), social anxiety, divorce, parental abandonment, toxic masculinity, homophobia, forced outing ...more
This was such a cute novella! The meet cute set up was so fun and I loved how things evolved over the years between T and C. Their game of wishing theThis was such a cute novella! The meet cute set up was so fun and I loved how things evolved over the years between T and C. Their game of wishing the other happy Valentine’s Day first was adorable. Things did get a little iffy for me towards the end though because of the big reveal. I never like it when one person is left in the dark while the other knows everything. I also really could have done without the entire scene featuring the old hookup. The ending was very sweet though and it left me wanting to see more of these characters. This novella and the one by Abby Jimenez are definitely the best from this collection.
The audio was well done and I really loved the narration by Marli Watson and Andrew Gibson. The majority of the novella was in email format though, so it did make the beginning a bit awkward repeating the email addresses over and over again.
This was a very quick and cute second chance romance! Andrew Eiden and Luci Christian Bell narrated this novella wonderfully and their voices worked sThis was a very quick and cute second chance romance! Andrew Eiden and Luci Christian Bell narrated this novella wonderfully and their voices worked so well together. I loved the banter between Hannah and Ethan! The set up was a bit quirky and things moved quickly between the characters because it's a novella, but the shared history made it work. I really enjoyed this one!
The set up for this novella was very unique (a jilted bride gives away her wedding to another couple!) and I really enjoyed the full cast rec3.5 stars
The set up for this novella was very unique (a jilted bride gives away her wedding to another couple!) and I really enjoyed the full cast recording and sound effects. Rachel Boston and Zachary Webber were wonderful and they sounded fantastic together. The story plays out very much like a movie and there are a few sadder moments, but overall this was a very sweet and quick listen.
CW: death of parent (past), grief, mentions of recurrence of cancer & chemotherapy treatment (secondary character)...more
Short and sweet novella! I enjoyed the message about living in the moment and not worrying so much about the destination. The full cast recording and Short and sweet novella! I enjoyed the message about living in the moment and not worrying so much about the destination. The full cast recording and added sound effects were a great treat, but I didn’t totally love that some of the dialogue was done so that the sound only came through from one side (for example: one character could be heard from the right side only and the other character from the left). I understand that it was to mimic a conversation, but it was a bit disorienting to listen to. Overall a quick and easy listen....more
If you loved The Guncle, you will love The Guncle Abroad too! It was so wonderful toAudiobook Review Overall 5 stars Performance 5+ stars Story 4.5 stars
If you loved The Guncle, you will love The Guncle Abroad too! It was so wonderful to be back with Patrick, Maisie, & Grant. The story picks up 5 years after The Guncle and whether our characters want them to or not, life continues to move forward.
Steven Rowley does such an incredible job tackling the subject of grief and he balances those emotional moments so well with humor and light. I loved how Sara was still very much a part of the story. The secondary characters were amazing and the shenanigans between Patrick and Palmina (Launt lol) had me laughing so hard. I also definitely want to visit Lake Como, Italy ;) The story did meander a bit in the middle, but the overall message of healing and love was beautiful and this was such a feel good read. Rowley narrates this book perfectly and his comedic timing really shined. I loved all the different voices he used and I strongly urge readers to listen to this one!
CW: death of parent (past), grief, references to Harry Potter
*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*...more
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