Anonymous

Sit, Stay, Read

Reviewed: 10-25-24

I love Mace Reid. In a jungle of larger than life Thor-like heroes, Mace is relatable; .funny, self-deprecating, heartbroken over his divorce, and devoted to his dogs.. Jeffrey B. Burton has created a three-dimensional hero, and in a sea of dog-handler novels written by authors who obviously have never done any serious dog training,, Mace Reid resonates as truly as a crystal glass. I want to take Mace and his canine family home with me for Sunday dinner This book is not a romance, but there is just a hint of Mace tentatively reaching out beyond his self-protective shell.to give us hope for a future relationship..The other main character is Vira, a young Golden Retriever with a Hawking IQ. I would not classify this novel as paranormal as Vira's abilities fall within the realm of believable canine feat for me. Someday I will tell you how our rescue saved my husband's life. I will definitely be following the further adventures of Mace and his canine crew. Nicely done, Mr. Burton. You have recruited yourself a fan.

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1 person found this helpful

Loved It

Reviewed: 10-02-23

Not my favorite author, but I chose the book because I love the narrators, and I am so glad I did. This one hooked me so hard that I was up until 4 a.m. listening. Mal’s character really spoke to me.

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Drive Haunts Me

Reviewed: 09-11-23

Some books stay with me. Something reminds me of a character, a plot twist, or even a gut-wrenching feeling, and I have to revisit the characters like old, beloved friends. I never thought Drive would be one of those books. The blurb turned me off. Plots about rock musicians, the Austin music scene in 2005, a college student/aspiring music critic? As a 75 grandmother whose music tastes lean toward folk and classic rock of the 60's, I was pretty sure it would go into my DNF pile. Still, I like Kate Stewart's writing, so I gave it a try. It hooked me from the first chapter--another one of those books that kept me up well past midnight. I've read it three times, but I didn't invest in the audiobook until I'd listened to Reverse, Drive's sequel and it gutted me--the best of 2023 so far, hands down. Drive is definitely worth the credit. The main character, Stella Emerson, is a college junior with one passion--rock music. Stella meets and falls in love with two men during the course of the book; Reid Crown, an aspiring song writer/rock musician; and Nate Butler, the 26-year-old owner/editor of Austin Speaks, and ad-driven local newspaper. At it's heart, Drive is about the chance interactions which irrevocably alter the lives of those around us. Drive comes with a playlist, and I've taken the time to really listen to it while reading the lyrics. I have to say that this grandmother's horizons have broadened considerably. I loved this book. There is one thing, though. I only gave the narration four stars because, although Kai Kennicott's voice worked perfectly with my image of Nate Butler, I just couldn't believe his narration of Reid Crown. Kennicott's voice just isn't deep enough, and it distracted me. Not his fault, but it just didn't work for me. Drive is a "must read/listen to first" to make sense of Reverse, the sequel. Reverse is a good read, but it is a great audiobook. Don't miss it.

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Listen to "Drive" First, but DO NOT MISS "Reverse"

Reviewed: 09-10-23

In the first installment of Kate Stewart's Bittersweet Symphony, "Drive", main character Stella Emerson, tells her story as she grows from a college student sleeping on her sister's couch to award-winning columnist and music critic, and her relationship with Nate Butler, her first editor, and Reid Crown, struggling drummer whom she helped discover, and whose band has become internationally known.. "Reverse" picks up the story three decades after "Drive" began. Nate Butler's daughter, Natalie, an up-and-coming journalist and editor, discovers e-mails between her father and Stella Emerson Crown and realizes that the two had been engaged. She's pulled into their story, and her obsession induces her to contact Easton Crown, son of Stella and Reid, and, as they say, therein lies the tale. "Drive" was one of those stories that stuck with me. I both read and listened to the audiobook several times, but I think "Reverse" is better. Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell's narration was breathtaking. They have my vote, hand's down, for best narration of the genre this year. I'd give them ten stars if I could. I stayed up until 4:00 a.m. to listen to them, and I'd read the book, so I knew what was coming. I generally avoid rock band romances, but these books are so much more. Worth it just for the great narration, but you can't go wrong with a Kate Stewart story.

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1 person found this helpful

Professor and College Undergrad--Not For Me

Reviewed: 08-11-23

Full disclosure: I've spent a good chunk of my life on college campuses--undergrad, grad student, law student, and assistant professor. It's not uncommon for younger male college professors to develop an entourage of groupies (and I've known a couple of women who slept with teaching assistants to improve their grade). However, I found the idea of an affair between a 19-year-old and a professor teaching her creepy. I wish I'd done a bit more research before purchasing the book because I couldn't keep reading somewhere around Chapter 8. I don't plan to go back and finish the book. Now, if you can look past the relationship, up until I quit listening, the book was well-written, the dialogue decent, and the plot reasonably well presented, so another reader, without my life experiences, might enjoy it. For me, though, just no!

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Favorite narrators, entertaining stories

Reviewed: 08-11-23

Jacob Morgan and Callie Dalton are among my favorite narrators, so I couldn't pass up a box set of three novels they narrate. I certainly wasn't a bit disappointed with the narration. I knew what to expect, and they met my expectations. The story was about what I expected--not knock-my-socks-off great, but entertaining.. Deacon Black is the founder of Blackbridge Security, and he has carefully hand-picked his team, each a talented, highly-trained expert in his field. I particularly like the way James develops the persona of each team member, often through pretty well-written banter among the men. The team's observations and teasing are integral to moving the plots along. The MC of the first book, Hositle Territory, is Deacon Black, the founder of Blackbridge Security. When Deacon receives a call from his ex-wife's best friend telling him that there has been a murder in his ex-wife's apartment, the two former enemies reconnect to try to help her. Interesting plot and likeable MC's. I wouldn't spend the credit to listen to this as a standalone audiobook, but definitely worth 1/3 of a credit. The second book iof the set, Shot in the Dark is a lighter, more humorous read. The male MC, Wren, is a socially-awkward IT genius. When he inadvertently opens a large box sent to W. Nelson in front of the Blackbridge crew, only to discover that it is full of sex toys, then figures out there is another W. Nelson in his apartment building, he is intrigued and begins using his IT skills to stalk her online. He develops a crush and recreates himself into her dream man, meanwhile uncovering a threat to her life. The scene-stealer in this book is his pet, a foul-mouthed, surprising intuitive African Gray Parrot. This book was definitely worth the 1/3 of a credit.--a fun read, although I wished for a bit more of Wren's backstory. The third book in the collection, Contingency Plan, wasn't what I expected. Although it kept me entertained. it frustrated me. The male MC, Flynn Coleman is an ex-FBI agent, now second in command at Blackbridge. He was forced out of the FBI in disgrace after he became romantically entangled with a woman he was investigating, only to discover she was using him--and that's my biggest problem with this book. I wanted the details of the backstory. Tantalizing hints were not enough. Also, while I could understand why Flynn might be sexually attracted to the 20-year-old woman he is basically babysitting, for me, there just wasn't enough development of the female character to explain why Flynn would be intellectually attracted to her. Like her, okay. Love her? I was also surprised that, although there are apparently some threats against her, she never really needs protection from an outside threat. I found Flynn a very likeable character, but I was disappointed in the story line of this book. I kept waiting for something to happen beyond the cat-and-mouse relationship games, but it never did. Because I like Flynn, and because I love Jacob Morgan and Callie Dalton, the book was definitely worth 1/3 credit. Full disclosure, I just purchased the second boxset in this series. Not great literature, but fun entertainment. I 'd definitely recommend it as light listening, particularly for Morgan and Dalton fans.

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More Space Navy Action

Reviewed: 06-16-23

Not my usual genre, but I love the captain and crew of this elderly space ship. The battle action is getting to be a lot for me, so not sure if I will dive into the next book in the series immediately, but I was up until after 3 a.m. listening.

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Definitely Worth the Listen

Reviewed: 06-15-23

I am not usually a fan of military sci-fi, and I am not sure why I bought this book—maybe the high ratings. Whatever the reason, I am delighted that I did. The characters were relatable, with a decent mix of men and women, and the story was compelling. The narration was well done and consistent with the characterizations. Must read for fans of military sci-fi, but I, a grandmother in my late seventies, couldn’t stop listening.

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Great Plot, Excellent narration. Read it.

Reviewed: 06-01-23

When I was thirteen, I read Exodus by Leon Uris and learned about the Holocaust. This book compares. Definitely worth reading.

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I Lost Sleep, But It Was Worth It.

Reviewed: 04-02-23

Barbara Davis, if your other books are as good as this one, you have yourself a fan. Rare bookseller, Ashlyn, not only reads books, but she also can read the strong emotions of previous owners. When she comes across two beautifully-bound books which seem to tell the same love story from two points of view, and senses that both are imbued with a deep sense of hurt and betrayal, she is intrigued. She reads the first pages> The book is written by "Hemi", a young reporter attending the engagement party of for the son and daughter of two of New York's wealthiest men. It's fall, 1941. America is deeply divided over whether it should enter WWII. The reporter acknowledges that the story he's after is not a simple society piece about the engagement. The second book is written by "Belle", the newly-engaged young heiress, apparently to refute the first book. The story develops as Ashlyn switches back and forth between the two books.,. This technique really worked for me because it helped develop empathy with both authors. . Meanwhile, Ashlyn is determined to find out the true identities of "Hemi" and "Belle", This book isn't a bodice ripper, and it doesn't contain explicit sex scenes, but it hooked me. I listened until almost 3:00 a.m., then picked up where I'd left off with my morning coffee. This book worked for me on all levels except I did see the plot twists coming, which was why I knocked one star off for story. I'd highly recommend this book to mature, readers who enjoy clever character development and angsty, star-crossed lovers.

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