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A Charming Experience

Revisado: 03-29-18

I was looking for a "feel good" story to listen to in bed at night (I suffer severe anxiety and audiobooks help settle my mind at night) when I happened on this novel. As a fan of Bookouture's author's, I was keen on picking up "We'll Always Have Christmas;" what a delight!! Despite being March, this Christmas tale was just what I was looking for ... cozy and sweet. I loved the idea of using a bakery as the backdrop for the characters; it made me wish that I had grown up with a family that ran a bakery.
Finally, to add a cherry on top, "We'll Always Have Christmas" had an amazing narrator that made the story that much more enjoyable.
Many thanks to Jenny Hale for bringing this novel into my life ... it was a pleasure to read.

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Delightful!!

Revisado: 10-11-17

Set in the sleepy, seaside town of White Cliff Bay, Summer at Rose Island introduces readers to Darcy Davenport; who has moved from London to escape her suffocating parents. No sooner has she arrived, she has a seemingly abrupt meeting with the mysterious American, Riley Eddison, who lives in the local lighthouse; which, is revealed to be marked for demolition. With her position in community development, can Darcy assist in uniting the citizens of Rose Island to help save the lighthouse? Or will she go back to London, once again a failure in her parents' eyes?

Despite being the third book in the White Cliff Bay series, Summer at Rose Island is my first introduction to Holly Martin’s writing, and I was pleasantly satisfied with the experience. I mean, this book was corny, but a good corny. I loved getting cosy in bed and visiting Darcy and Riley through the audio narration.

While the story has a relatively predictable plot, there was something incredibly sweet about each one of Holly Martin's characters; I fell in love with Rose Island immediately. However, there were a few points where I became frustrated with one, or both, of the main characters as I felt that they were digging their heels into a feud a little too much.

Overall, though, I truly enjoyed listening to this book; I felt that the author did an outstanding job of drawing the reader into Rose Island through her words. Now, it is time to go onto Amazon and download the rest of the series; I need more fluffy reading as the weather gets progressively colder.

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Flufy fairytale romance

Revisado: 07-17-16

I have been in a reading dry spell lately. So, a fluffy romance was just what I needed.

The Royal We was a perfect choice; I had been eyeing the book on audible for awhile, and I finally decided to give it a try.

I found that the Royal We captured my attention at the beginning of the story and held on until the end. I had a difficult time putting the book down at night. The plot to this book a blatantly obvious parallel to Will and Kate.

The plot to this book is a blatantly obvious parallel to Will and Kate; which, as a Royal Family enthusiast, I found wonderfully charming to read.

The characters were quirky, and appealing to the reader. My only complaint with the characters is that I found Bex's twin to be irritating and narcissistic. However, it was not enough of an issue to ruin the book.

Additionally, I believe that Christine Lakin did an excellent job narrating the story. I would listen to more books narrated by her.

Overall, this was a cute story that didn't have a deep or complex plot; perfect for summer.

I would, without a doubt, recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fluffy, fairytale romance.

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Loved the Banter Between Dan And Phil

Revisado: 06-02-16

Like many people, I have become a big fan of Dan & Phil (AKA Danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil).
So, purely out of interest I picked up a copy of the TABINOF audiobook.
I wasn't disappointed.
The audiobook was narrated by both Dan and Phil; who, as many know, are quite pleasant to listen to.
I enjoyed that the book was essentially 4 and a half hours of banter between the two. It included stories about their early lives as well as their youtube lives.
The only downside to the audiobook is that you miss out on the illustrations and pictures on each page. However, it is more than made up by the fact that you get to listen to Dan and Phil read the book (they even "paint the pictures with their mouths").
I would recommend this book; especially if you are a fan of YouTubers.

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Fun And Airy Summer Book

Revisado: 04-12-16

With Summer rapidly approaching, and the temperatures starting to rise I decided to escape with a bit of light listening.

I am not a regular chick lit fan - however, I quite enjoyed this novel. I loved that it incorporated a sampling of New Zealand's rich and beautiful culture into the plot - from the Island nation's obsession with rugby all the way to the Maori culture, and its legends. In addition, it was nice to simply read a book where I didn't have to think too hard.

On one hand, I will admit that this plot followed somewhat of a predictable pattern. However, there is something charming in this story - the idea of falling in love and escaping to New Zealand is an idea that would appeal to many readers.

In terms of the setting, New Zealand was the major factor that directed me to this book. I believe the beautiful setting added something special to this story. In addition, I loved that this novel drew in some of New Zealand's extraordinary culture - Including their love of rugby [especially the unwavering loyalty to the All Blacks], and the Maori traditions. As someone who has never been to New Zealand, I felt I got a little bit of an insight into Kiwi culture and language

The major flaw I found in this book, was that Hannah's character got to be a bit grating - her emotional flaws were acceptable up to a point. However, there came a point when the "I can't rely on anyone" routine got old. Also, I felt that this novel could have had a few less sex scenes - however, that is just a minor preference.

Ultimately, "Just this Once" was a fun and airy summer read - which was also free might I add [at the time]. In future, I will be sure to check out the other books in the "Escape to New Zealand Series" by Rosalind James.



Fun facts I learned:

Te Ika-a-Māui is the Maori Name for New Zealand's North Island
The Haka is the Maori battle cry - now commonly performed at All Blacks' rugby games to intimidate the opponent.

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Missing a lot of the culture from previous books

Revisado: 11-28-15

The third installment of the Escape to New Zealand series centers around American expat (and primary school teacher) Jenna McKnight and senior All Blacks player, Finn Douglas.

First of all, this was the fourth Escape to New Zealand book I have read (including the prequel novella). After completion, I can officially say that this was my least favourite book in the series thus far. Admittedly the story started strong; however there was a noticeable lack of that NZ culture which had been in the prior novels. It is fair to say that I was disappointed as the cultural tidbits are what drew me into this series.

Furthermore, I felt a distinct indifference to the characters in this book; overall it was the kids that stole the show for me. I enjoyed the enthusiasm and innocence that was portrayed through them. That is not to say that I did not like Jenna and Finn; they just didn't do much for me as a reader.

That being said, this was not a bad book. It made for a nice audiobook to listen to in bed at night; not too deep or too complicated. Just a simple romance set in a beautiful and exotic location. It also helps that Claire Bocking was (once again) a fabulous narrator.

Unfortunately, there is not much to say in this review that I have not stated about the other books in the series.

Bottom line: This installment is missing a lot of the culture that was included in the previous stories. Nonetheless, if you are a fan of the series I would still recommend this book to loyal fans of the series.

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Not Bad

Revisado: 10-14-15

Welcome to installment 16.5 of the Tempe Brennan series and Reich's second novella.

In Swamp Bones, Forensic Anthropologist Tempe Brennan heads to the Florida Everglades where she meets up with her Ornithologist friend Dr. Lisa Robbins. Invariably work seems to follow Tempe so it is not surprising when human remains are recovered from the belly of a python.

Having read many of the Tempe books - including the Bones on Ice novella - I thought I would pick up a copy from Audible as it was inexpensive.

After listening to the book I can state that while this was a satisfactory story I felt that the writing wasn't up to Reich's usual snuff. I felt that the plot itself was set-up for a full-length book, yet it was condensed into a 98 page novella/3 hour audio book; it lost some finesse along the way.

Nevertheless, I still appreciated this novella. As usual I felt that I walked away from this story having learned a few new tidbits of information. In this case, readers learned a bit about Pythons and the Everglades. Ultimately, its purpose was served which was to whet the appetite for the next full-length novel.

Moreover, this short story was great in the sense that it provided a quick and entertaining read/listen for a 'one-afternoon' reading session. I would likely recommend this book to fans of the series. However, one must be aware that this is a novella; henceforth the quality is not the same as the novels.

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Fun, Cultural Romance

Revisado: 10-03-15

Welcome back to the island country of New Zealand; home of the world renowned, mighty All Blacks.

In book two of the Escape to New Zealand Series. Readers are introduced to the two main characters: Kate Lamonica and Koti James. Kate has just fled the USA to live in En Zed in an attempt to escape an ex-boyfriend/stalker who is bent on taking Kate's life. Meanwhile, a world away, Koti is a local Maori rugby player; as well as being one of New Zealand's resident Casanovas.

Inevitably, there is clash when these two personalities meet and a bet is drawn. The bottom line is that Kate and Koti must participate in weekly friend 'dates.' If Koti makes a move on her he loses and if they can remain just friends for 2 months Kate loses.

The question is: Can Koti actually have a woman as just a friend? And even if he could, is that really what Kate wants?

In my opinion, this was another fun and swoon worthy installment by Rosalind James. I ate up this audio book - despite a couple of steamy scenes. What endeared me to this book ... and the series for that matter ... is that under the guise of romance; 'Just Good Friends' was packed full of cultural tidbits regarding Kiwi life. This book delved deeper into Maori life and culture; focusing on a native, Maori main-character. Points to the author for presenting readers with an interesting and ultimately likable (despite his shortcomings) culturally diverse character.

Furthermore, as a Canadian who is in love with New Zealand (adopt me?); I have fallen for this series ... although, I could take or leave the steamy scenes.

Regarding the audio version, I believe Claire Bocking did a spectacular job narrating; she also pulled off a very good Kiwi accent. I would absolutely listen to more books that were narrated by Bocking.

Morever, I would highly recommend giving this book a read or a listen if you are just looking for a fun and beachy read. Although, consider yourself warned, these books give you the urge to go to New Zealand to experience the culture for yourself.

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Another fantastic novella

Revisado: 10-01-15

I have come to love Kathy Reich’s novellas; each one is a brilliant appetizer between major releases. “Bones on Ice” was no exception.

When Tempe Brennan is called in during the weekend to assist on a body identification for the late daughter of a well to do family, she is unaware of the can of worms she is about to open. Tempe's boss is adamant that this case would be straight forward; yet it is turning out to be anything but.

Is this really a simple case of death by exposure on Mount Everest? Or is Brighton Hallis a victim of an ice cold murder?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In many cases I worry about authors bringing out novellas between books. A lot of times novellas lack an authors’ usual quality however in this case, this was not a problem. As with many of Reichs' books, I learned a lot during the course of the plot and I liked the fact that I came out of the book knowing a bit about the culture and terminology of mountain climbing as well as the detrimental biological effects of the extreme climate on the human body. All-in-all, it made for a gripping and informing read; or in the case of audio book, listen.

In regards to the audio version, I found the narrator pleasant enough to listen to; I do not have any complaints about the voice. It was a nice, short audio book that was perfect for a 'one evening sit' listen.

That being said, if I MUST state a complaint with this novella, it would be that I felt certain scenes were rushed. Some of the conclusions seemed a touch contrived but this was not a major issue; I just wish that 100 or so pages could have been added in order to fill out the story.

In conclusion, if you are a fan of the Tempe Brennan Series I would not hesitate in recommending you read this competent addition. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, "Speaking in Bones."

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