Tag: Audiobook Review

The Last Lumenian Blog Tour and Review

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Book Details: 

S.G. Blaise
October 7, 2020
Lilac Grove Entertainment LLC
317 pages

Book Links:

Amazon

Goodreads

Bookshop.org

Barnes & Noble

Book Summary: 

She is a rebel. Lilla is fighting for the refugees’s freedom from oppression. The king, her father, lost touch with reality ever since Lilla’s mother died. Now everyone else is paying the price.

The arrival of Callum, a powerful Teryn general, complicates Lilla’s life. His presence leads to conflicted feelings and friction with Arrov, a handsome pilot and fellow rebel.

Her life is not what she imagined it to be. Not by far. Meddling gods, love interests and sudden magical abilities have no room in Lilla’s world, but that has become her new reality. No matter how hard she pushes them away, it’s too late. They all seek to control her anyway.

Now the Era War between two ruling archgods forces Lilla to act: accept who she really is magic and all; find true love; fulfill her destiny by defeating the Archgod of Chaos and Destruction before He finds her. The Last Lumenian.

My Review:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Title: The Last Lumenian
Author: S.G. Blaise
Release Date: October 7th, 2020
Page Count: 317
Start Date: December 19th, 2021
Finish Date: January 5th, 2022

Review:
Story: This is one of the rare books that I knew the moment I saw it that I would love it. For the most part, I wasn’t wrong. I really did enjoy the book very much. I didn’t get caught up into the story right away like I thought I would be, but I got there eventually. That’s not saying the book was written bad or anything like that. I just wasn’t in the mindset at the time when I first started reading it. The downfalls of being a mood reader.
Characters: One of our main characters is a part of the rebels. She’s also a princess of the kingdom that the rebels are rebelling against. The rest of the characters are people who have been wronged by the king or people who have been following his orders.
Critiques: None
Narration: I didn’t listen to the book fully. The parts I did listen to were pretty amazing. I was very impressed and give a full five-star rating.
Final Thoughts: I really need to get to reading the second book of this series! I buddy read this one with a group of friends, but they didn’t want to continue with the sequel. I’ll get there eventually. Maybe I’ll even decide to reread this beauty before I do read it!

Author Links:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

The Last Lumenian Giveawayhttps://cdn.woorise.com/e.js

Tour Date: March 15-19

Blog link:  https://travelling-pages.com/blog-tour-the-last-lumenian

Please follow the rest of the bloggers and check out their tour stops for this tour!

Netgalley Review: Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

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Title: Missing Clarissa

Author: Ripley Jones

Release Date: March 7th, 2023

Page Count: 249

Format: Audiobook/Netgalley Ebook

Start Date: March 7th, 2023

Finish Date: March 8th, 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

Two girls who are looking for an amazing project for their journalism class decide to do a podcast investigating the disappearance of a girl in their town. She disappeared twenty years before and the case was never solved. This is more of a case where one girl had the brilliant idea and the other girl went with it. Either way, it was amazing!

I think there were parts of the book that I would have liked to have seen get expanded upon a little more. There are also references that I wish were more than just references. This isn’t a criticism of the book. It’s my own personal opinion. I also wouldn’t hate it if there were many other books set involving Blair and Cameron. I don’t know if there will be. If it were to ever become a series, I’d instabuy all of the rest of the books in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t even need to think twice about it.

I started to read it via Netgalley, but I preordered the audiobook once I was sure that I was going to enjoy it very much. The moment it hit my library, I listened to it. The narrator did a fantastic job. I did have to slow down my normal speed to listen to it. Not that I’m complaining. I’d definitely try out other books narrated by her.

Similar To:

A Good Girls Guide to Murder

Audiobook Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh

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Title: The Girl who Fell Beneath The Sea

Author: Axie Oh

Release Date: February 22nd, 2022

Page Count: 329

Format: Audiobook

Start Date: April 25th, 2022

Finish Date: April 25th, 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

I found myself not comprehending this story at the beginning. It just wasn’t resonating with me at all. I thought I was going to have to put the book down in all honesty. Those who know me and read my blogs know that I really don’t like setting a book down if I can help it at all. Sometimes I regret being stubborn and pushing forward, but for the most part, I wind up being glad I did. This is one of those cases. I kept with it. I reread when I needed to. It all paid off. The book wound up really captivating me. It’s a beautiful story filled with culture and thought-provoking content. It will make you want to research for accuracy and ball your eyes out. I really enjoyed the story. I plan to read it again. This time just to enjoy this entirely and not just appreciate the beautiful content and culture it shows. I also want to talk about how beautiful I find the cover.

Audiobook Review: Wake’s Claim by Michelle Dare

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Title: Wake’s Claim

Author: Michelle Dare

Release Date: March 22nd, 2019

Page Count: 233

Start Date: October 7th, 2019 and April 15th, 2022

Finish Date: October 7th, 2019 and April 16th, 2022

Note: I frequently listen to this book when I can’t sleep at night. So even though I’ve only officially read it twice, I’ve probably listened to it dozens of times.

Review:

I’m going to be completely honest here. I almost put this book down. The beginning of the book got under my skin so much. I just can’t even begin to explain it. One of my biggest turn offs with books is the angst stuff that tends to hit lovers at random. Well, mainly when it’s been drawn out in the most excruciating and painful way possible. I stuck with the book anyways. I’m glad I did. It really turned around. The only thing I want to critique is that I wish they had drawn out some of the things that happened in the book.

I really adored Paige. In ways, I saw myself in her. She’s sweet and loyal. I loved her friend Ari too. Wake is the problem I had with the story. I mean I get that he’d been burned in the past, but COME ON! It was a bit dramatic. All the characters were pretty amazing. Some had too much time in the background for my liking. My favorite was Solomon. He kind of reminded me of Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Both narrators were pretty great. They made a great duo. I’m not sure if I’ve listened to anything from Sarah L. Colton before. I feel like I have heard at least one book by Troy Duran though. I can’t say for sure. Either way, I’d be willing to hear other books narrated by both of them. They have talent.

The book was really great after I got past the part that was getting under my skin. I’m really glad that I gave it a chance and stuck with it. I fully encourage anybody who struggles with it to stick with it to at least the halfway point. If they still don’t like it after that, then they are more than welcome to put it down. They will be missing out though. This book gets great. I see it’s a book 1. I’ll have to look into the rest of the books.

Audiobook Review: Out of the Dark by Gregg Hurwitz

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Title: Out of the Dark

Author: Gregg Hurwitz

Release Date: January 29th, 2019

Page Count: 391

Format: Audiobook

Start Date: March 18th, 2020 and February 12th, 2023

Finish Date: April 1st, 2020 and March 5th, 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

I have read this particular book twice now. I’ve read the first two books in the series three times. There are now eight books in the series. I thought I needed to read the last two books, but I believe it’s the last three that I need to read. I’m really excited to get to them. Upon rereading, I realized that out of the first four, this one was most emotionally driven. The gentlemen that needed help was special needs. He went through a very traumatizing ordeal. All because he did his job. That’s all I’m going to divulge about it. It’s a deep one. When I first read these books, I was always very skeptical of Evan getting out of the situations he finds himself in. I think it was by this point in the series I just started wondering what left field idea he was going to pitch up next. Not going to divulge in those either because I really want more people to read this series. I’d be even happier if it became a movie or television series. I’d prefer television series honestly. One book per season would give us eight seasons currently. I’d definitely be committed to the show!

Audiobook Review: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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Title: The Personal Librarian

Author: Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Release Date: June 29th, 2021

Page Count: 347

Format: Audiobook

Start Date: February 26th, 2023

Finish Date: March 4th, 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

I read this for our Cobb County Library book club. I was nervous about reading this book in the beginning. I struggled with comprehending it at first. After starting the book over a few times, I finally got there. This isn’t because the book itself was bad or poorly written. It’s just that I sometimes struggle with comprehending things that don’t hit me right away. Once I did get into it, I enjoyed the book very much. I felt a deep empathy for Belle. Even more so after I found out that this story was based on a real person. I took the time to read the authors’ notes in the back of the book as well. These two authors put in a lot of time and research into this story, and it definitely shows. I actually want to do research on Belle da Costa Greene and H.P. Morgan. I’d also love to do more research on Morgan’s daughter, Anne. I recommend this book. I also want to read other books by these authors.

The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn Blog Tour and Review

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The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn

by Amber Logan

Black Phoenix Book Tours

January 18-21

Cracked doesn’t always mean broken.

Grieving her mother’s death, Mari Lennox travels to Kyoto, Japan to take photographs of Yanagi Inn for a client. As she explores the inn and its grounds, her camera captures striking images, uncovering layers of mystery shrouding the old resort—including an overgrown, secret garden on a forbidden island. But then eerie weeping no one else in the inn seems to hear starts keeping her awake at night.

Despite the warnings of the staff, Mari searches the deep recesses of the old building to discover the source of the ghostly sound, only to realize that her own family’s history is tied to the inn, its mysterious, forlorn garden . . . and the secrets it holds.

See the book on Amazon here.

“The Secret Garden is hallowed ground for so many readers, and Logan has clearly honored it and made an elevated piece of work.” —Keri Wilt, speaker, historian and great-great-granddaughter of Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of The Secret Garden

“The gradual but compelling unraveling of this family mystery captivated me. Heartfelt celebration of female friendship across the Pacific!” —Naomi Hirahara, Edgar Award-winning author of Hiroshima Boy and Clark and Division

About Amber Logan

Amber A. Logan is a university instructor, freelance editor, and author of speculative fiction living in Kansas with her husband and two children―Fox and Willow. In addition to her degrees in Psychology, Liberal Arts, and International Relations, Amber holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge.

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Camcat Books

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Review:

Story: First of all, I want to say how beautiful I find the cover. I hope that it never changes. Well, maybe some tweaks here and there, but the same for the most part. I really enjoyed this book. I went into it blindly like I do with most books. I really enjoyed reading it. I loved learning some more about Japanese culture. I have to be honest, there were a few times that I thought this was going to wind up being a horror novel. I had some theories on how the book was going to end up. I was wrong. The ending was still very beautiful. I really enjoyed it.

Characters: We follow Mari in this story. She takes a trip to Japan after her mother passed away. She found herself struggling with grief and unable to go on. Then she discovers that she’s been offered a grant to photograph an inn. I really liked her, but there were some things she did and thought that I didn’t agree with. I loved the maid! I forget her name, but she was so quirky!!! I’d have liked to see more of the sister in the book if I’m being honest.

Critiques: None

Narration: I really feel like the narrator got as into this story as I did. I didn’t want to stop listening. I will most likely listen to this audiobook again because of how good the narration was.

Final Thoughts: This was such a beautiful story. It is a story that really invokes thought and reflection on life. That being said, it’s also got a very quirky and sassy flare to it as well. I feel like that kind of breaks up the heavy of the story overall. I probably would have finished this book in one sitting had I had the chance. I will be rereading this in the future. It’s just so beautiful!

Audiobook Review: Deep into the Dark by PJ Tracy

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Title: Deep into the Dark

Author: P.J. Tracy

Release Date: January 12, 2021

Page Count: 350

Start Date: November 7th, 2022

Finish Date: December 5th, 2022

Review:

Story: This story intrigued me from the very beginning. It both fascinated me and creeped me out at the same time. I did not expect anything that happened. I tried to guess many times, but I was wrong every time. I am excited to read other books by PJ Tracy. I can also see myself rereading this book. Probably more than once if I’m being honest.

Characters: Same Survived deployment to come home with a broken mind. His marriage has also fallen apart. Melody finds herself needing a friend when her boyfriend gets violent. I found myself rooting these two on. Especially when everything seemed to be against them. I also really adored Detective Margaret. She did her job, but she was fair and kept an open mind.

Critiques: None

Narration:  I feel that the narrator really accented the tone of this story well. I enjoyed it and I hope that the other books have the same narrator.

Final Thoughts: This story was an intense ride. I loved every single minute of it. I love to try to figure things out as I read. While I’m always thrilled when I get it right, I’m okay with being wrong. I was completely wrong with this book. Every single guess. The betrayal I felt at the end of the book was intense as well. I wasn’t expecting it. I fully recommend it to anybody who loves thrillers and mysteries.

Audiobook Review: Spells Trouble by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Title: Spells Trouble

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Release Date: May 25th, 2021

Page Count: 309

Start Date: November 20th, 2022

Finish Date: December 2nd, 2022

Review:

Story: I was very excited to read this book. It’s written by two of my favorite authors. They wrote the series House of Night. I’m not going to lie, I was also kind of nervous about the new series as well. My fears were unfounded. This book gives a good strong start to a series that stands on its own. It’s unique and thrilling. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the story has in store for us.

Characters: Here’s where I’m going to be not so positive about this book. I honestly wasn’t a fan of either Hunter or Mercy. I also didn’t really care for the way they treated each other either. The friends were okay, but I don’t feel there was enough of them. Mercy’s boyfriend was the worst of them all.

Critiques: The characters and the ending.

Narration: I really enjoyed the narration. It was easy to get through.

Final Thoughts: I really did enjoy the book and think that it’s going to lead to a wonderful series of books. I’m really hoping to see some character growth in both of the twins. I’m also hoping to get some answers for questions that the ending of the book left me with. We shall see where things go from here.

Book Tour Review: Floating Underwater by Tracy Shawn

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Title: Floating Underwater

Author: Tracy Shawn

Release Date: September 10th, 2021

Page Count: 275

Start Date: November 15th, 2022

Finish Date: December 1st, 2022

Review:

Story: When I first saw this book, I had some theories. I thought the whole story may take place in a sea or ocean. I also thought it could be about mermaids. I’m not going to give it away, but I will say that I may have been partially right. It’s a big stretch though. There is some references to a child disappearing many years ago. That part plays an important role later. I can’t say this book completely went the way I thought it would. I’m okay with that though. It was still an enjoyable read. It does cover mental health issues, kidnapping, and psychic abilities.

Characters: Paloma has been going through so much. When she was younger, her sister was kidnapped and the case was never solved. Her sister was never found. Once she became a woman, she found that she couldn’t carry a child to term. After a few miscarriages, she’s ready to quit trying and look into adoption. I really felt for her. She’s this amazing woman who is willing to do whatever for her loved ones. Nobody seems to understand her pain fully. On top of all that, she also has visions. Her husband doesn’t believe they are real. It’s intense.

Critiques: None.

Narration: Really enjoyable. I felt like it added to the story.

Final Thoughts: I came in with some guesses on what this book was about. I was right and wrong. More on the wrong side than I was the right one. I really enjoyed this story! I’d have liked to see some after the story kind of events. I won’t get into the details with what I was looking for. I would definitely read other books by this author. They definitely know how to hold your attention and keep you wanting more!