Lauralee

Fantastic Narrator!

Revisado: 03-19-22

Very good story. The narrator made it come alive! I enjoyed her performance! It made me want to listen to the sequel!

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A Fun, Feisty Heroine!

Revisado: 01-19-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Folly at the Fair is the third novel in the Annie Oakley Mysteries. Annie Oakley is tired of being a performer at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. She wants to take a break and spend time with her husband. When she performs at Chicago’s World Fair, she finds a body on the fairgrounds. The murder suspect is her own best friend. Will Annie Oakley be able to prove her friend’s innocence?

Unlike Peccadillo at the Palace in which Annie Oakley is more confident, Annie is very insecure. She starts to suspect that Frank no longer loves her and is interested in other women. Annie Oakley also had to deal with a stalker fan that follows her at every show. Therefore, Annie is struggling emotionally and is very vulnerable. Despite her problems, she is very determined to save her friend. In finding the killer, Annie becomes a strong fighter in trying to solve the mystery. With all the problems that she is going through, I can see why Annie Oakley is exhausted from performing, and I believe that she needed a break from all the stress she was going through. I was surprised that this audiobook did not focus solely on Annie’s perspective but was also told through Frank and Emma’s perspectives. I found this to be a bit jarring because it was not consistent with the previous audiobooks in this series, which focused solely on Annie. Still, It was a treat to revisit these characters from the previous novels.

Overall, this audiobook is about friendship, marriage, and finding one’s self. I didn’t like that I knew who the murderer was earlier in the series. It lessened the suspense for me. Nevertheless, it is still a very entertaining read! The audiobook’s best feature was the setting of the World’s Fair. You can definitely tell the author did her research! Thus, I have really enjoyed the four books in the Annie Oakley Mysteries! I hope that the author will continue the series, but it doesn’t seem like it will be anytime soon. This series was full of fun cozy mysteries filled with romance, friendship, and a strong female protagonist! I recommend this series for fans of A Study in Scarlet Women, Her Royal Spyness, and The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet!
(Note: I received a copy of this audiobook as part of a blog tour. All opinions expressed are my own.)

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A Fun Sequel!

Revisado: 01-19-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Peccadillo at the Palace is the sequel to Girl With a Gun. Annie Oakley is invited to perform for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. On her voyage to England, her escort is murdered. Annie learns of Frank Butler’s origins and believes that her husband may be the next victim. While she tries to uncover who may be behind the murder, she also learns that there is an assassination plot against the Queen. Will Annie be able to stop the assassination attempt and find the murderer?

Annie Oakley has grown more confident from Girl With the Gun. She is more daring and assertive. I adore her friendship with Emma, the female journalist. She is feisty and is Annie’s partner in solving the mysteries. I love how she played Watson to Annie Oakley’s Sherlock Holmes! They make a great pairing, and I hope that she will help Annie Oakley solve more crimes in the next novel! I also find Annie’s complicated relationship with her sister, Hulda, to be very interesting. The reader understands why Hulda rebels against Annie. She is often overshadowed and has to deal with having a famous sister. I also find Annie’s romance with Frank to be very endearing. Frank loves and wants to protect Annie. Therefore, I find how these characters have shaped Annie as a detective to be the best aspect of the audiobook!

Overall, this novel is about political intrigue, sisterhood, and friendship. I find the setting of Victorian England to be very fascinating. There were many famous cameos in the story like Oscar Wilde, Lillie Langtry, and Queen Victoria! I adore how Annie Oakley interacted with these famous people. The weakest link in the audiobook was that it was easy to know the murderer as soon as the character is mentioned. Still, this was a very enjoyable audiobook, and I look forward to listening to Folly at the Fair! I recommend this for fans of Lady Sherlock Holmes, A Curious Beginning, and Murder on Black Swan Lake!
(Note: I received an audiobook as part of a blog tour. All opinions expressed are my own.)

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A Fun New Mystery Series Featuring Annie Oakley!

Revisado: 01-19-22

Annie Oakley was one of the country’s most talented marksmen. In Girl with a Gun, we see a fifteen-year-old Phoebe Ann Mosey compete with the famous Frank Butler in a shooting competition. Phoebe loses, but Buffalo Bill sees her potential as a show woman. She joins Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and changes her name to Annie Oakley and becomes Chief Sitting Bull’s adopted daughter. Upon arrival, she learns that someone wants her gone from the show. The death of her servant, Kimi, only confirms Annie Oakley’s fears. Who in the show wants her dead?

I find this new historical mystery series in which Annie Oakley is an amateur detective to be very intriguing. I am delighted to say that this interesting premise does not disappoint. Annie Oakley is a remarkable heroine. She is a woman that loves shooting and her family. She is a very caring woman and cares about her friends and family. Annie’s goal throughout the audiobook is to support her struggling family back home. Annie is also very observant because she notices tiny details that others do not notice. Thus, I find her to be a fun protagonist.

Overall, this is a simple, cozy mystery. The mystery is very predictable, and it is obvious who the killer is from the beginning. Nevertheless, I enjoyed listening to how Annie solves the mystery and catches the villain. The best feature in the audiobook was the setting. It’s lush setting made the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show come alive. All the characters were very realistic, and I loved the romance between Annie Oakley and Frank Butler! Girl with a Gun is very fast-paced and will keep you invested in the story until the end! I am so delighted with this audiobook that it leaves me wanting more! I am excited to listen to the sequel! Mrs. Bovee is an author that I am eager to look out for! I recommend Girl With a Gun for fans of mysteries that feature real life historical figures like The Jane Austen Mysteries, The Brontë Series Mysteries, and The Agatha Christie Mysteries!
(Note: I received a copy of this audiobook as part of a blog tour. All opinions expressed are my own.)

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A Fight For Survival!

Revisado: 01-19-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Shoot Like a Girl is a prequel to Girl With a Gun. The audiobook tells the story of the early life of Annie Oakley. Unlike the other novels in these series, it is not a mystery. Phoebe Ann Mosey (later to be known as Annie Oakley) leaves her home to seek employment to help her struggling family. She goes to work for the McCrimmons as a maid. The McCrimmons mistreat her and are cruel to her. The only light in her suffering is the McCrimmons’ horse named Buck. When Buck’s life is endangered, Phoebe must find a way to escape.

I find the early life of Annie Oakley to be very interesting. Through this prequel, the listeners get to learn more about her as a character and see how she grows in Girl With a Gun. Annie is the breadwinner in the family. She supports them by working and sending them money. Her family’s welfare is her priority. I also like Annie’s sweet friendship with Buck, the McCrimmons’ horse. Buck is her only light during her dark days. He is also cruelly mistreated, and Annie takes care of him. She is passive, and does not have the will to run back home. However, Buck gives her the strength and willpower to escape.

Overall, this audiobook is about family, courage, willpower, and survival. While this was not a mystery, I enjoyed reading about how Annie Oakley overcame her obstacles. This audiobook shows Annie as a strong character to root for. The only thing I do not like about Shoot Like a Girl is that the McCrimmons were stereotypical and not given much depth. Still, this is a short and sweet audiobook to get lost in for a few hours! This audiobook is recommended for those that love listening to horse stories like Flambards, For the Love of a Horse, and Tall and Proud. Thus, it was fun listening to Shoot Like a Girl and Girl with a Gun! I am excited to listen to the sequel!
(Note: I received a copy of this audiobook as part of a blog tour. All opinions expressed are my own.)

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Delightful!

Revisado: 06-25-20

Delightful listen! This novel is very humorous that I could not stop laughing. The narrator did an excellent job! I’ll definitely listen to this again!

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Fun For All!

Revisado: 06-25-20

This audiobook is a treasure. All the readers gave an awesome performance. This is an audiobook that the whole family can enjoy!

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Nothing new

Revisado: 06-25-20

This book was a struggle to listen. I found the plot to be very silly and full of holes. The world-building is the same setting that is very similar to all other dystopian books out there. The narrator was very effective in putting me to sleep. Thus, there was nothing really original in this book. It seemed more like a copycat of other dystopian novels.

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Fun for Jane Austens Fans!

Revisado: 09-09-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Jane Austen remains one of the world’s most beloved authors. To this day, many of her fans adore her heroines and discuss whether Elizabeth Bennet or Emma Woodhouse is their favorite. Fans also like to pick apart Fanny’s timid nature and often wonder why Mary Crawford was not the heroine in Mansfield Park. In this anthology, the authors explore Jane Austen’s female characters and their traits. By giving a thorough examination of a particular female character, the reader will notice how the short stories mirror the feminist ideas discussed in Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors of all time. My favorite heroines are Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, and Anna Elliot. Thus, reading these short stories that focus on these characters were a real delight to me. However, there were a few pleasant surprises throughout this audiobook. The stories also focused on secondary characters like Mary Crawford, Harriet Smith, and Hetty Bates. I absolutely loved the short story on Charlotte Lucas, which is a short Pride and Prejudice sequel. I also liked the story of how Lady Susan became wicked because she was a loathsome character. Thus, each of these stories gave me an extra insight into the characters.

While each of the stories were enjoyable, they were all brought to life by a fantastic narrator. The narrator had a British accent that made the performance very believable. Each character she narrated remained true to their original characteristics. Ms. Riley also portrayed the characters with a hint of vulnerability, so that it seemed as if each character was your best friend. Thus, I was blown away by Ms. Riley’s narration and she made the characters shine as bright as the PBS’s adaptations!

Overall, these stories are about marriage, first love, inner strength and heroism. The stories were very engaging, witty, and thoughtful. I like how they were very reminiscent of Jane Austen’s writing. I also like how the stories did an excellent job in exploring women’s roles in the Regency era. While there were at least two stories that did not enhance Jane Austen’s original novels, this is still a great listen for Austenites! Rational Creatures is perfect for fans of Austenland, Dancing with Mr. Darcy, and Lost in Austen.
(Note: I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Christina Boyd. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.)

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Ok- Did Not Capture the Magic

Revisado: 11-20-18

I am a huge fan of Anne of Green Gables, but this audiobook did not capture the magic. The narrator was ok, but it was hard to distinguish the voices. I’ll be looking for a better audiobook that can make the characters come alive.

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