Amanda
- 32
- reviews
- 2
- helpful votes
- 51
- ratings
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Phantasma
- Written by: Kaylie Smith
- Narrated by: Laura Horowitz
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love. When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish. Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.
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The narrator! Wow
- By Eileen on 2025-01-08
- Phantasma
- Written by: Kaylie Smith
- Narrated by: Laura Horowitz
Wow! What an ending!
Reviewed: 2024-09-11
In Phantasma author Kaylie Smith expertly blends tension, mystery, and desire. The competition set in the haunted mansion setting was such a cool way to tell Ophelia’s story.
Ophelia’s determination to save her sister is compelling, and with each trial of the competition we we see her resilience deepen. Smith’s writing draws you in with detailed descriptions and a palpable sense of dread, making it hard to put the book down.
I loved the dynamic between Ophelia and Blackwell. Blackwell’s arrogant, seductive demeanor makes him irresistible. Just the perfect blend of cocky and talky! It was easy to see why Ophelia’ fell for him.
The dual narration was the perfect complement to this intriguing story. It was great to have both perspectives on the MCs’ experiences in the house.
I really appreciated the care that the author took in shaping Ophelia’s character, particularly her OCD and inner shadow voice. It was done truthfully and in a way that is respectful to individuals living with OCD.
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King of Flames
- Masks of Under Series, Book 1
- Written by: Kathryn Ann Kingsley
- Narrated by: Stephanie Bentley
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Everything about my life has been pretty normal working as a forensic autopsy technician. Until the day I woke up with a mysterious symbol tattooed on my arm. Suddenly normal no longer existed. The barrier between Earth and a world called Under, dissolved.... Now I'm trapped with dozens of other people. Held prisoner by the creators of myths and legends, where the realm is ruled by two masked kings who want to turn us into creatures like them.
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Great if you want a quick fantasy listen!
- By Amanda on 2024-09-03
- King of Flames
- Masks of Under Series, Book 1
- Written by: Kathryn Ann Kingsley
- Narrated by: Stephanie Bentley
Great if you want a quick fantasy listen!
Reviewed: 2024-09-03
I think the premise for this one is great and I can see how the continuation of the series will be good. But as a kick off this one just didn’t hit for me. Hoping that book two in the series has a bit more action.
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The Devil Himself
- Devil of Dublin, Book 2
- Written by: BB Easton
- Narrated by: Eric Nolan, Elizabeth Klette, Odette O'Beirne, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Growing up, I spent every night tucked under my mother’s arm, dreamily listening to tales from her favorite book series—Legend Has It by Darby Donovan, a collection of spooky folklore about a town called Glenshire and the lonely, gray-eyed fairy prince who haunted the woods there. I knew they were just stories, but when my mother died and left me in the care of my cold, abusive father, that fictional fairy prince suddenly became very, very real to me. It was as if he was always there, hiding in the shadows, offering me his silent comfort.
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So many emotions
- By Tammy L. on 2024-09-18
- The Devil Himself
- Devil of Dublin, Book 2
- Written by: BB Easton
- Narrated by: Eric Nolan, Elizabeth Klette, Odette O'Beirne, Laurence Killen
A satisfying conclusion to the Devil of Dublin duet!
Reviewed: 2024-08-30
I will read anything BB Easton writes!
The Devil Himself was such a satisfying continuation of the story told in book one, The Devil of Dublin. BB has created a world full of suspense, folklore and intrigue. And we can’t forget the spice.
FMC Clover has had a difficult life, but through it all she dreams of a grey-eyed prince who will come to save her. When she meets the enemy she quickly learns that there is more to him than meets the eye. Together they fight to uncover their pasts while battling for a future.
I loved the chemistry between the MCs and thought the way the author connected The Devil Himself back to book one was so unique.
Eric Nolan, Elizabeth Klette, Odette O’Beirne and Laurence Killen were a fantastic team of narrators. They did a great job of bringing the wonder of Glenshire to life. I will be looking for future listens from these narrators.
I will say that these books are not for the faint of heart and there are some very strong themes through the content. Be sure to check CWs/TWs ahead of reading.
Thank you to BB Easton and Valentine PR. These are my honest thoughts.
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1 person found this helpful
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Tangled Up in You
- Meant to Be, Book 4
- Written by: Christina Lauren
- Narrated by: Patti Murin, Eunice Wong, Andrew Gibson
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind-power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her 22 years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.
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An adorable take on a Disney classic!
- By Amanda on 2024-08-30
- Tangled Up in You
- Meant to Be, Book 4
- Written by: Christina Lauren
- Narrated by: Patti Murin, Eunice Wong, Andrew Gibson
An adorable take on a Disney classic!
Reviewed: 2024-08-30
This was such a cute read! Tangled is one of my fave Disney movies and Christina Lauren is an auto-buy writing duo so I had high expectations. And they delivered!
Tangled Up In You was true to the original story and was adapted well to a modern setting. I thought bringing Ren to a college campus after living a remote, home-schooled life was a unique approach. She had all the naïveté of Rapunzel and I loved her wholesome curiosity.
Fitz was a spot-on recreation of Flynn Ryder - complete with his signature smolder and swagger. So swoony!
The narrators were both fantastic and exactly how I pictured Ren and Fitz sounding.
Overall, this was a great read and I will look for future adaptions in the Meant to Be series.
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Devil of Dublin
- Written by: BB Easton
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett, Eric Nolan
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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I can’t remember anymore if my grandfather’s eyes were blue or green, but I’ll never forget the way they wrinkled at the corners when he laughed at one of his own jokes. Or the way they sparkled with mischief when he told me tales about the magical creatures that dwelled in the forest behind his humble Irish sheep farm. As a child, I believed every fantastical word. But when he warned me about the mute boy who also lurked in those woods, the one the priest had declared to be the spawn of Satan himself, I refused to listen.
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just wow.
- By Tammy L. on 2024-09-05
- Devil of Dublin
- Written by: BB Easton
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett, Eric Nolan
A great dark mafia romance!
Reviewed: 2024-06-02
Wow! This has been on my TBR list for a while now and I’m so glad I finally gave it a listen. The way Kellen and Darby are so beautifully broken but also able to find space for each other had my heart.
The suspense aspects of the story were great and I couldn’t stop listening! I devoured this in a single day. The narrators were both perfect and I’ll now be combing through Audible to see what else is available by them.
I can’t wait to read the next release in this duet, The Devil Himself, when it releases in August.
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Revenge Era
- The Revenge Games, Book 1
- Written by: Brittanee Nicole
- Narrated by: Janine Granda, Sebastian York
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Ford Hall is gorgeous so you can’t blame me when I do something bad and convince him to kiss me on New Year's Eve. Or when I do it again in the daylight. He may be completely off limits but I’m going to make him my lover.
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Lovedddd this!
- By Sam Brennand on 2024-10-29
- Revenge Era
- The Revenge Games, Book 1
- Written by: Brittanee Nicole
- Narrated by: Janine Granda, Sebastian York
This audio is chef’s kiss!
Reviewed: 2024-05-04
I am officially in my Brittanée Nicole era! While I (im)patiently wait for the next Langfield brothers book to release at the end of the month I thought I would go back to the beginning on audio. Im so glad I did!
Ford and Lake are the perfect balance of sweet and filthy. I love their dynamic together and now want to read Beckett and Brooks’ stories again just to spot the Easter eggs from Revenge era.
The dual audio really worked for the dialogue and I liked that all dialogue was alternating narrators regardless of whose POV we were in.
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Irish
- Written by: Brittanee Nicole
- Narrated by: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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With green eyes and an easy smile, Frank McCabe stole me away from the nightmares that awaited me at home. But the son of the Irish Mob would never be mine. I belonged to the Italians. And the moment my mother sold me to the head of the Italian Mafia, I became the one the people of Boston were warned about. The only person more feared than me in our city is the Irish Ghost. When I finally flee my marital prison with my sons and my sister in tow, I unwittingly run straight into the ghost of the Irishman who died in a fiery explosion years ago.
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One of the Best Reads
- By Jenna on 2024-12-02
- Irish
- Written by: Brittanee Nicole
- Narrated by: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
I’ll be swooning for days!
Reviewed: 2024-05-02
This was so good. I’m such a fan of Brittanée’s writing and Irish did not disappoint. Her MMCs are dreamy, strong, and assertive with the most delicious side of @$$hole. Just perfection!
Frank, the MMC, was a burnt cinnamon roll. Grumpy, dark and menacing on the outside but soft, caring and vulnerable for those he loves. Every scene with him and the kids had my eyes welling up.
I loved that Ellie, the FMC, was so strong even though she had been through so much! And that she was morally grey herself.
I can’t get enough of these two and want to go back and read the Falling for Whiskey duet to learn more about Cash.
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In a Not So Perfect World
- A Novel
- Written by: Neely Tubati-Alexander
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Sloane Cooper is up for her dream job as a designer for a top video game company. During the interview, though, she somehow promises the all-male panel that she’ll remain single and fully dedicated to the work. It’s actually fine—after her last boyfriend cheated on her, she vowed to focus on her career anyway.
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A cute slow burn vacation romance
- By Amanda on 2024-04-11
- In a Not So Perfect World
- A Novel
- Written by: Neely Tubati-Alexander
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie
A cute slow burn vacation romance
Reviewed: 2024-04-11
There was a lot that I liked.
First, the cover. I'm SUCH a mood reader and this cover had me wrapped around it's finger. Bright colours, bold text, it's so pretty!
I really enjoyed the slow burn between Sloane and Charlie. The build from strangers to friends to lovers felt real and made sense for the story. That Kix quote from Charlie had me swooning! (IYKYK)
One aspect of Neely's writing that I really enjoy is her ability to craft strong relationships between the MCs and size characters. I loved the friendship between Sloane and Tess, and one of my favourite parts of the book was meeting the other individuals in the resort competition. Neely really nailed the different people that can be found at an all-inclusive vacation!
A big part of the book was Sloane's experience applying and interviewing for a job with Catapult Games, a video game design company. The misogyny she faced was SO problematic to me. I know it is likely very prevalent in the male-dominated industry, but it was really hard for me to suspend belief in actual HR policies to accept that Sloane would just go ahead with their ridiculous demands for the job. I think this would have been four stars for me, but this aspect of the book was hard for me to move past.
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Flirty Little Secret
- Written by: Jessica Lepe
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez, Will Collyer
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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School counselor Lucy Galindo has a secret. To her coworkers, friends, and even family, she’s shy, sweet, and constantly struggling to hold off disaster (read: manage her anxiety and depression). But online? She’s bold, confident, and always knows what to say—it’s how she’s become the wildly popular @TheMissGuidedCounselor. It’s also why she keeps her identity anonymous. Her followers would never trust the real Lucy with their problems.
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Perfect for fans of You've Got Mail!
- By Amanda on 2024-03-26
- Flirty Little Secret
- Written by: Jessica Lepe
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez, Will Collyer
Perfect for fans of You've Got Mail!
Reviewed: 2024-03-26
Congratulations to Jessica Lepe on her debut novel!
Flirty Little Secret was an adorable, easy rom com read, perfect for fans of You've Got Mail and Abbott Elementary. It was as described! I really enjoyed the dual POV and thought the mixed media writing style was a fresh approach to storytelling.
Lucy was a complex character who was learning to find purpose and value in herself while living with anxiety and depression. I appreciated the accurate representation and that the author was transparent about her own mental health experience, giving Lucy some of the same journey. I loved how much Lucy cared about her students and her family. Her sisters were hilarious! I appreciated how honest she was with Fletcher about what her medication meant for intimacy. And the crying closet?! Too real! I've definitely had a secret crying location at past jobs.
Fletcher was patient and kind with Lucy, just a big ol' cinnamon roll of an MMC. He experienced his on struggles with finding his voice and value - particularly when it came to his family. His meet-cute with Lucy was hilarious and I thought he handled it really well.
There was so much about Flirty Little Secret that I loved, but I did struggle with a final rating. The third-act misunderstanding had me almost DNFing at chapter 26. I felt like Lucy needed to have more accountability in this situation. A couple of "all my fault" moments were not my fave and I also thought the name of the kids club was tone-def and wasn't a necessary joke for the story.
The narrators Stacy Gonzalez and Will Collyer did a fantastic job! I loved the performance-style audio where each narrator would jump in with their character's voice even if the chapter wasn't that character's POV. I will look for future audiobooks from these two!
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Kilt Trip
- Written by: Alexandra Kiley
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson, Angus King
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Globetrotter Addie Macrae always follows her wanderlust. As a travel consultant, she jet sets around the world—anywhere but Scotland. But when she’s sent on assignment to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands—and save her own job—Addie packs away her emotional baggage and turns on the professional charm.
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Absolute must listen !
- By Julie Lemky on 2024-08-09
- Kilt Trip
- Written by: Alexandra Kiley
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson, Angus King
An easy listen with a happy ending
Reviewed: 2024-03-13
This was a great read! I thought the narrators did a fabulous job of bringing these two vibrant characters to life.
Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley was a cozy read that could be devoured in a single day. Alexandra Kiley did a great job of weaving tender moments, with witty banter, and undeniable chemistry.
The dynamic between spirited Addie and the charming Logan was fun to read. Their feelings developed quickly and I appreciated how open and vulnerable Jack was to be honest with Addie about what he wanted. Addie's journey to reconnect with her roots was complex, as she worked through the lingering sadness of the loss of a parent.
Kilt Trip is a great read that will leave readers longing for their own Scottish adventure and dreaming of finding love in the most unexpected places.
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