LISTENER

SB84

  • 222
  • reviews
  • 138
  • helpful votes
  • 223
  • ratings
Badlands Audiobook By Morgan Brice cover art

Pinch the bridge of my nose, it's a blue tee shirt

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-18-24

I have tried with this author before, the Witchbane series. That starts off strong in book one, and by the third book, I couldn't listen to anymore. This has the same feel. The writing is pretty choppy and gives in to a lot of non essential descriptions to boost a word count - it certainly doesn't help the story.

Kale Williams is a top notch narrator. I was close to giving him a four star for this book, there were times I heard other titles he's narrated in this book, but he makes the story better, something desperately needed here.

Let's not worry too much about the plot, Brice certainly didn't. For a book one, there are a million characters, and I feel that I am supposed to know them all. Then there is the repetitive use of words like woo-woo, If you read the synopsis, you know that jaded cop Vic is struggling to believe in Simon's abilities, although that doesn't stop him from exploring a lot of very descriptive sex with Simon. It's a lot. Vic is very dismissive of Simon's ability as a medium, and he, along with the other police refer to the whole psychic realm as woo woo. It gets old fast, but sadly continues. Brice also uses misunderstandings and misperceptions as the prime plot mover. Weird, scary things happened to Simon. When he tells Vic, Vic poo poos the woo woo. So Simon stops trying.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

What Lies Beneath Audiobook By RJ Scott cover art

Solid, enjoyable, but huge misstep going forward

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-13-24

Let's get it out of the way up front. This multi book mystery doesn't follow the pair of characters we meet in this book. A really unfortunate turn as they are smartly crafted and cleverly written. However, instead of the focusing on Sawyer and Chris and allowing the other characters to be a part of the ongoing challenge to solve the crime, Scott decides to move on to other characters in each of next two books.

Let's give credit to Sean Crisden for his masterful work on this book. While I generally enjoy Crisden's work, too often his women all sound the same, and slips into a dependably gravelly cadence. That does not happen here - he shows his ability to voice a wide range of characters that don't all sound southern. I wish I could rank higher than five stars.

I am treating this as a stand alone book, I don't care enough about the overall plot to commit to the other two books. I will tell you why. This book starts out with Saywer, feeling a bit trapped in this small town police department, with a sheriff he doesn't respect. Chris is a novelist struggling with writer's block, who needs to complete the third book in his series as it has been turned into a film franchise. Not wanting to lose control of his work, he is desperate to just get words on the page. As the story progresses, Chris begins to feel a story, the elements of the book he needs to start - and more importantly, complete. Sawyer also grows throughout the story as he finds his footing in town, with elements of his past, and his attraction to Chris.

Scott had the perfect set up to craft a trilogy around this couple, it was right there, begging to be written. But instead, she falls in a standard trap. Assuming the reader can't stay focused enough to follow one couple across three books, each book with focus on a new romantic couple that is connected to the murders. There are countless series built on small town connections so we can have three to five overlapping stories. Anyone can crank that out. Scott had the opportunity to do something that someone like Gregory Ashe would do, allow the leads to move through multiple books, working together to solve a case. Sadly, Scott took the passive route, and that's a big fail to me. For that I am unwilling to give her more than 3 stars. This could have been a fabulous trilogy, instead it will limp across the finish line, spreading out the story into some bland pablum for the townsfolk. Not cool. I am not willing to use any credits for the next two books. Having read the reviews for book 2 it is clear Scott takes an unimpressive turn. Sadly, readers are too nice, and while they say what they didn't like, they still reward the author with 5 stars. I am not that reader and happily hold the author accountable. This title only is recommended with a major caveat.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sinful Mafia Prince Audiobook By Ella Frank, Brooke Blaine cover art

Does not have the focus of the first book.

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-05-24

The synopsis for this book is incredibly misleading. Where the first book was tightly crafted and had a clear objective, this book is all over the place. The Fiores? Don't blink, they aren't there long. Did you love the undercurrent of danger and anxiety in the first book. Then re-read that one, it doesn't exist here.

Snow repeats his solid narration, which, in my opinion, saves the experience. Any tension in this book is from Luca not knowing when to be quiet, and that doesn't amount to the same excitement of the first book. Lacking cohesion, there are chapters told from Dom's father's perspective. As this didn't become a thing until halfway through the second book, my suspicion is the authors wanted the most expedient method of resolution. There were several creative ways this story could have come to a conclusion, none of those were used. Instead, a very tried and true method was used leaving a rather limp ending.

The reality is this was at best one book, split into parts to force the reader to pay twice for one story. While Dom's backstory is interesting, there is little suspense to it, and most frustrating is that is still doesn't answer many questions. My thought is that the authors had an idea that they couldn't execute fully, so instead filled pages of hot Dom in the water showing off his swimming prowess. While an attractive image to be sure, that doesn't make up for gaping holes in the story. The main being why did it take 20 years for revenge to be served. The second question is exactly at what age did Luca end up with the false parents? He is 24 in the book, and it was just over 20 years that the feud began. A child of 3 of 4 would likely have memories of the original family. The pieces don't add up, and Frank & Blaine do really try to make it all come together.

The first book isn't really a standalone with the cliffhanger ending, but it is a really enjoyable book overall. This book resolves the cliffhanger ending, but is really not to the same caliber as the first, and leaves more questions. Not a recommendation for this book.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Forbidden Mafia Prince Audiobook By Ella Frank, Brooke Blaine cover art

The better of the pair, most enjoyable!

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-05-24

I was prepared to hate this book, but I was proven wrong and found this to be a really enjoyable listen. Well told and tightly crafted, this book takes off and doesn't stop. Fun twists and turns along the way keep you guessing.

Aiden Snow navigates a a primarily male cast, filled with potentially dopey sounding thugs. Snow successfully avoids going too heavy into accents and stereotypes. While he does go there, he shows restraint, and manages to keep Dom from sounding full troglodyte. I never understand why the male offspring of supposed crime families sound like central casting, but the daughters never have the same nasal, Brooklyn-esque accent. Regardless of dipping the a toe in the expected sound, there is such nuance and life within the narration, I have to give Snow the full five stars.

The story has a few moments here and there where things don't add up, They do not take away from the overall enjoyment, but they are the difference between a four and five star review. One example is the repeated use of the phrase - I had now fully lost my mind - by Luca. He only needed to lose his mind once. In the first chapter, Luca talks about being from a well to do family and, while he didn't have to work, he wanted to make his own way so he applied himself fully in Yale medical school. Coming from money, he acknowledged his privilege. However, as the story unfolds, Luca acts as if he is uncomfortable with money, unwilling to put on an expensive shirt that likely cost more than an aspect of his schooling. It don't make any sense that someone who is a trust fund kid would be so averse. It is one thing to have some moral issue with extravagance, or not care about clothes, but that isn't what he says. Little things like that suggest the either the authors aren't in sync, or they aren't paying attention to what they've already put on the page.

That said, the story between the two flows well. This is a definite recommendation, with the caveat that the book ends with a cliffhanger, forcing the reader to commit to/purchase the next book.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

#Rev Audiobook By Cambria Hebert cover art

#nothanks

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-01-24

The second title in this series has very little to offer. While the first book dealt with their coming to terms with sexuality - something Drew really never does, and beginning a relationship there are some moments of charm, and a surprise threat that could have been a good twist, but instead serves as the foundation for the mess that is this book.

Fortunately, the narration doesn't get worse, it stays about the same, maybe even incrementally better. Don't quote me on that, it could be that as the book is so bad, they seemed better by comparison.

Assuming you have finished the first book, you know about the four on one attack by the homophobic frat brother. If you ever want to be sick of the word brother, listed to these two books. The first book ends with Trent breaking it off with Drew, because he isn't willing to subject Drew to what this life will be. Fortunately, after a tremendous amount of tiresome dialogue, Drew tricks Trent with his own words and Trent relents. A little south of the border play seals the cracked rib deal.

So this second helping, or actually just the same story that is very stretched out, focuses on getting unconventional revenge of the four frat brothers, befriending Arrow, and coming out to everyone over, and over and over again. I don't want to fall into spoiler territory, so I will only say that Hebert must use that magic 8 ball to determine how to handle plot points. This unpleasant stew of bro fist pumps and handwringing drags like few other books I have actually bothered to complete.

I wouldn't consider anything else from this series, included or not. Absolutely do not recommend.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

#Junkie Audiobook By Cambria Hebert cover art

Very much of it's time, and not aging well.

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-01-24

As MM romance started to gain traction, there were some common themes. If you go back and read titles from 2015ish and the next couple of years, there is a decidedly grin and bear approach to being gay. One of my all time favorites, Sarina Bowen's Understatement of the Year suffers from this problem. One guy won't come out, the other is outed and constantly laments: why would anyone come out, do I make this look fun? Hebert takes a slightly different, but still common approach. She is all in the it is a choice camp. Between the first two book lifestyle choice is bandied about over and over again. Sadly, this isn't a huge surprise. A seemingly straight woman writing MM aimed at women, and interestingly enough, often conservative women, using language like Lifestyle Choice seems a given. Perhaps if these were written better, I would be more forgiving of a term that wasn't supposed to make it of 1999.

Then there is the narration. Guy Locke was so monotone and disinterested in his delivery that I had to bump it to 1.2 or 1.5 for Trent to sound awake. There is one point where he delivers a line with all the zing of a corpse: I have a meeting with Ron Gamble, the excitement in his blue eyes. After I stopped laughing at the complete incongruity of the words and the tone, I realized that he just wasn't going to get it. And he never does. The other narrator is ok, but neither of these guys will ever be confused with a Teddy Hamilton or Christian Fox, who were both reading MM at the same time. Meh to the narration.

I set a goal to only listen to books included in my membership for the months of November and December. While I made it through November, I am not sure I can say the same for December. I grimaced my way through the first two books of this series. Here is why. Hebert pulls a full Keira Andrews and ends the first book in the middle of a conversation, the reality is this barely one book between them. So overburdened with fluff and nonsense, that by sheer volume it is broken into two books. But don't be fooled. Hebert throws everything she can to stretch this into two books. She isn't a great writer, giving us gems like this: Out in the hall, I almost collided with Connor in the hall. Really? I can't picture how that could happen. Then she on occasion tries to go deep, like this one: the road was my guide, but my destination was nowhere. What? Along with having to describe everyone's outfits, every room color, and furniture layout, Hebert uses the most basic storytelling devices ever. For instance, did you know that non shiny gold paint is better than shiny gold paint? That is an amazing observation made by Trent at a hotel.

The other problem is she adds too many layers. Trent is on the college football team, is his fraternity's president, and he is also a Cracker Jack car mechanic - but only for Drew. We're past football season, so we only hear about it, but we never get away from the frat house. Very basic romance writers are either formula or recipe writers. Formula predetermines all actions and when things happen, everyone knows that book, Hebert leans towards the recipe method, you gather ingredients and certain things must happen for prescribed times for the food to come out. For the frat side dish, she adds a presidential election, with a bully - who is a homophobe - and a nice guy as the candidates. There is a house meeting and once everyone is stirred together, Trent is required to be a strong leader for about 2 minutes, then quickly remove them from the heat. Everything in this book is bring to a boil, add ingredients, reduce heat and simmer, or remove from heat all together. Most of the actual plot points that move the story could have been better with a simpler recipe - so many ingredients that simply overwhelm the dish.

Then there is the relentless, am I? Is he?, aspect of the story. They both want the other, and are in complete avoidance and denial. They really struggle with terminology, self acceptance, and most importantly, the ability to put themselves out there to find out what is happening. We go so far in the first book before anything happens - and it takes a female character, who has been left to simmer, to get the heat turned up. For all the relentless descriptions on t shirt colors and furniture placement, I never have a clear concept of these guys physically. We know that Drew is blond, has messy hair, stubble and a smooth chest, but otherwise, Trent is just bigger with hazel eyes. For all the sex that is to come, you would expect more emphasis on the physicality. But the book as a whole only talks about peoples hair.

These books were endurance tests, the second being much worse. If Herbert had actually ended this book, rather than abruptly cutting it off mid sentence, I would say this title would have been a neutral for me. With that clear grab to get people to buy the second, more heavy handed title, I would never recommend either.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

The Gift Audiobook By May Archer cover art

Enjoyable, despite uneven narration.

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-01-24

Going out of my usual order, I will start with the narration - which hurt the story for me. This should have been narrated by Toma. He demonstrated in the opening chapter that he was fully capable of handling a range of voices. However, someone got the really bad idea that alternating chapters with wildly different narrators was the way to go. To be fair, this is about the best narration by Cendese. However, since I consider him to be among the most egregiously overrated narrators in the business that isn't saying much. Cendeses never takes a freaking breath - he manages to to just spew lines without a pause for any reason. As if he is being paid words per minute.

The story is actually quite charming. Archer has a way with the small town trope. Who doesn't love a sad guy who runs an owl to the vet? This is a title that I would encourage you to read, skip the wildly uneven narration.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Devilry Audiobook By Marley Valentine cover art

Didn't live up to the name.

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-27-24

This is a essentially a slow burn romance that has not once trace of devilry. In fact, one might call it sweet, the title is very misleading. But the lack of a connection to the title isn't the problem. I normally rail against overt formula romance, but this is formula - this is recipe romance. Lay out the ingredients, then turn up the heat for 5 to 7 minutes, remove from burner. Start next element, heat quickly, remove from heat, plunge in ice to stop cooking, set aside and begin the sauce. Valentine writes to hit specific points of the recipe, without regard for the story. At one point our guys go from a possibly sad break up to passionate fight to misery to sex in about six minutes of audio, so maybe three pages? Practically whiplash.

The book is saved by the central casting narrators. Aiden Snow channeling his best Sean Crisden and Cooper North doing his best 18 year old. They're fine and actually offer some substance to this very choppy storytelling.

Nothing about the school experience is based in reality, Valentine writes the world of a supposed Ivy League school as a small town college. Early on Cole asks another faculty member if the administrators monitor the staff for some sort of evaluation. The coworker says, nothing that I am aware of. Seriously? Of course there is an evaluation, typically by both the students and the senior administration. But setting aside all the silliness surrounding the school, lets talk about the nature of the relationship. When we're talking about the life differences of a 32 year old, experienced gay man and an 18 year old sexually repressed and emotionally abused teen, it is light years. There are moments of discomfort early in their relationship. Even though we learn that Cole is a stand up guy, what doesn't change is that Eli has daddy issues and Cole is a protector. This isn't the basis of a healthy relationship, they never deal with Eli's past trauma, instead Cole will suffice.

There is a fair amount of handwringing on Eli's part, less from Cole. But once the relationship starts, it is very straightforward that it is nearly noble. The is some annoyance from the supporting characters, they are very one dimensional - especially Eli's parents. There are a few glimmers of story that are well done, but Valentine never fulfills the promise of the any of the plot points, I think the book is easily 40% leading up to, described sex and its immediate aftermath. Overall very meh. I would never suggest a credit of this title.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

It Takes Two to Tumble Audiobook By Cat Sebastian cover art

This is a hard trope for me

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-24-24

The British period drama has long been a magnet for romance, whether set in a castle, or a farm. It has been used as the backdrop for decades, and to this day, series like Bridgerton underscore the continued appeal. We look away from the harsh realities of how Britain was so wealthy, or how hard rural life really was, we get lost int the accent and read away. Where I have a hard time is actual legal threat to gay men in Britain - considering is was illegal until the 1960s. So it is really hard to sufficiently suspend disbelief in order to work with the period drama for MM romance. This series is a prime case.

Joel Leslie can do a pretty good English accent. In fact, that was part of his selling point for me - that ability to move about the accents - provided it isn't his Boston accent, ugh. But there is something about his tone that has begun to grate on me, and he has a tendency go frantic. This isn't his most aggressively narrated work, but it has it moments.

The story is very predictable, Ben, the vicar, in another author's book been Benita, the vicar's daughter. Ben's possession of male genitalia is the only difference between a 1960's Georgette Heyer, and the title by Cat Sebastian. An angry, absent father, precocious children from central casting, a foreboding manor, and various busybodies are the ingredients of literally hundreds of romance novels. What this book doesn't have is a truly deep sense of fear around being caught.

That doesn't mean there can't be a wide range of joyous emotion and experiences, it isn't all bleak. If you consider a book like Diana Gabaldon's Lord John series, she tempers the romance with a healthy dose of reality. That is not to say Lord John suffers in silence, to the contrary, he has a well rounded life for this time period, including a variety of loves and lovers - marmalade anyone? While I neither expect, nor want all authors to pivot to Gabaldon's style, I would be completely on board if more of them took a more thoughtful approach to this topic when setting the story in 18th and 19th centuries. I am neutral on a recommendation, it isn't awful, but it isn't not awful. It is the off the rails second book of the series that is truly awful.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Stray Fears Audiobook By Gregory Ashe cover art

I will admit, this is an A for effort book.

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-24-24

I generally enjoy Gregory Ashe. This is a departure from most of what I have read of his. While not perfect, I did enjoy the world he creates for this story.

Declan Winters is a narrator I didn't know much about , but I really enjoyed his interpretation. He wasn't gimmicky with the local accents, and brings a lot to broad spectrum of characters we meet.

Whether you want to call it supernatural or occult, Ashe commits to this storyline. A recommended departure for a guy who writes a lot about small town cops.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!