Loose Leaf Reviews

One of my favorites

Revisado: 01-09-25

I’ve read this book series several times and decided to download the audiobook. I love the duel recording for POV. All in all, I highly recommend.

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Great Audio

Revisado: 11-07-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

NOTE: This book is not for my clean reads followers. There is lots of language and on-page scenes.

I've enjoyed several of Tonya Burrows' books because she does a great job of having tension and conflict outside of the romance, which makes for a more exciting and enjoyable read. This particular story wasn't my favorite, but it was still good. I'll try and explain.
First, while well-written and narrated, the podcast sections always threw me out of the story. From the beginning, I wondered how those sections would work out since they are obviously setting up our hero (Donovan) as a troubled murderer.
Second, Sasha goes to the masquerade with the intention of seducing the sheriff and working toward the last of her goals--marry a nice guy. Instead, she gives in to the intense attraction she feels for someone else. The way the story was written, she didn't know who it was, but I guess she did? It wasn't clear, but they spent the night together anyway, and she tried to sneak away the next morning. The rest of the story is her swinging between liking him and wondering if he killed his girlfriend 15 years earlier. It was kind of annoying.
For the most part, they were just together but I didn't feel like I knew why other than they were attracted to each other. Donovan was strong/tough, but he deserved someone who believed in him and supported him better than Sasha did.
The narrators were good and made for an enjoyable listen. In the end, I think the issues I had with the story were personal and not related to the actual writing. :)

I give this 4 stars and an R rating.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

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A nice diversion from my normal reading material

Revisado: 05-29-22

This is not the normal kind of book that I’d pick up, but I fell easily into the story of these men of all ages (but mostly young) as they headed off to war. They’re just your average Joes from all walks of life. You think you know them, but they all hold surprises in their personalities just like we all do. The kid off the streets can be found reading philosophy books in his bunk during off-hours. Two guys who hate each other purely out of habit find they have more in common than they thought, even a similar heritage, and learn to see each other with respect. Strangers become family and boys become men as they face war.
 
Hanson uses a light hand with honesty as she takes us into their lives, giving a taste of what life was like on an LST.
 
The narrator did a wonderful job bringing the story to life. He was easy to listen to, more like enjoying a radio program than listening to someone read a book.

I give the story a 4.5 (only because I do like a little romance *wink*) and the narrator a 5) with a PG-13 rating for military language.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

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A nice change of pace

Revisado: 01-27-22

The story was a little slower than my normal reads, but it really picked up in part two. Part one is only from Richard‘s point of view and deals mostly with the past. I think this could’ve been shorter to get to the good stuff faster. In part two we finally get to see Claire/Misty’s point of view. For me, this is where the story finally started to pull me in.

There were times when I got very frustrated with the characters and their reasoning for not coming out and telling the truth. The book could’ve been a lot shorter if people had just talk to each other. Claire’s sister, Courtney, really annoyed me. Having said all of that, I enjoyed the journey the characters went on to discover the mysteries of the past and finally admit their love for each other. The final twist at the end was nice. It was believable, and fitting for the story.

I also appreciated the cleanliness of the romance parts. I give the book and recording 4 stars and a PG rating.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

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Easy to get lost in this world

Revisado: 06-30-21

And I mean that in a good way. I read to escape, and this was well-written, funny, and smart. The narration was the icing on the scifi cake adventure. Our two main characters Leo and Hophnia are interesting and complex for teens. There were times I'd get frustrated with their choices, then I'd remember their ages and go, "yep, that fits."

The mystery of who the traitors are is really good with lots of red herrings to keep you guessing. But mostly, I just enjoyed the interactions between our main characters. It was funny and real.

I give Space Boots a 4.5 for good writing, a fun ride, the fact I listened to the whole thing in two sittings, and the fact that the narrator added to the experience in a positive way.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

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Almost quit in chapter 1 but finished and liked it

Revisado: 06-10-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This book turned out to be really good. However, I almost quit in the first chapter, in the first few minutes. The language is crude swearing right after another and the situation Ellis is in does not make him a likable character. I actually stopped the audiobook and wondered why I downloaded it. After rereading the blurb I decided to give it one more chapter. It started getting better with Brie, and by the end I liked Ellis as well. I understand WHY that first chapter is there, but I wish the author had found a different way to show contrast between Brie (scarred but beautiful inside) and the women Ellis usually spends time with (beautiful but ugly inside). And personally, I didn't want to read about a man who shows up to the second day of work willing to jump into bed with a married stranger just because of her beauty.

So, for my followers who don't like strong language or sex scenes--This one is not for you.

For those who don't care about that--the mystery and suspense was really good. The story (after chapter 1) was good. There were many spots throughout the book where the author switched verb tenses. It was annoying, but not enough to decide I didn't care about the story. Brie was a great character, strong, smart, sometimes stubborn to the point of being stupid. Ellis improved over time as he recognized how amazing Brie was.

The mystery of who the bad guy was good as well. At one point I was pretty sure who it was, then the author did a great job of making me question that. Since this is a series, you have more questions at the end of this book than you do at the beginning. Be prepared for that. There is a HEA for our couple though. And, even with the language, I'm tempted to pick up book two for the mystery side. :D

The narrator did a great job. I completely forgot I was listening to a book. This is the highest compliment I can give a narrator. I don't want to be read to, I want to experience the story and I felt like I did.

I went back and forth on my book rating because I don't like reading the f-bomb over and over, and the verb tense switches could have easily been fixed with a good edit. Just personal preference, but in the end, I took that out of the equation and give the story something between a 3.5 and a 4 with a R rating.

Narration gets a 5 (I really do need a scale for them)

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen sex
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” sex, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

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Quick listen, good space opera

Revisado: 06-03-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Generally, a quick easy listen. The narrator did a great job with differentiating the characters. Accents were good, there were good pauses as well as excitement when necessary.

The story itself was intriguing. It almost felt like it went by too quickly. Maybe because I enjoyed it, and maybe because I wanted it to go on a little longer. I felt like I was just getting to know these characters and wanted to know them a little better. The story actually reminded me of an old Disney feature film favorite from my teen years—Earth Star Voyager. It would be nice to see a sequel.

I give Colonial Prime 4 stars and the narrator a 4 as well. Guess I need to come up with a scale for audio narrators.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

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Even better than the first book

Revisado: 02-24-21

This is the second book in the series, a prequel of sorts to King's Warrior that can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. It's obvious the author has grown in skill. There were still a lot of characters, but a lot fewer than the first book with the focus on the two brothers. This made it easier to connect with them emotionally, and I appreciated that. 

This story is about two brothers, a prophecy, conspirators turning things upside down, adventures, mystical creatures, heartache, hope, and beginnings and endings. I enjoyed seeing how close these two brothers started their lives, watch them train and grow as warriors, then drift apart as a prophecy drives a wedge between them. 

Once again, I found that the narrator really made the story come alive for me. Good differentiation of voices without it sounding forces or over the top. He puts emotion into the reading so that it feels more like listening to a classic radio show instead of someone reading you a story. 

All in all, I give SECOND SON a solid 4 on my scale.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

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A wonderful surprise

Revisado: 12-27-20

After several dud audiobooks, this was a very nice surprise. The book is well written, the world well thought out, and the characters on the quest likable and realistic. Even better, the narrator of the audiobook really added to the experience. He had the perfect blend of changing voices for different people just enough that it flowed naturally without feeling like he was trying too hard.

Now, having listened, I'm not going to know how to spell anyone's names, so bear with me. We have a princess who has secretly been training as a squire, a squire who just might be a descendant of an ancient king, a young dragon boy (who didn't know he was a dragon, an enchantress (and her sisters), and Brandt, a formidable warrior who simply wanted to live a quiet life with his wife and children. Together, they face heartbreak, treacherous journeys ad attacks by dark warriors, and in the process they begin to learn who they really are and what they are capable of.

The story is well told, and it was easy to get lost in. The only issue I had is the head hopping. The book isn't written in omniscient point of view, but whenever the author wishes to get a different perspective, she jumps to a new point of view without scene or chapter breaks. At first it was jarring because I was always having to shift around. It also made it so that I didn't connect deeply with any one character. There are lots of points of view, and we get a general camera shot from all of them. The book would be an excellent movie script and a wonderful movie. There were times that I wished to feel more connected to the characters as a reader though.

I give this a solid 4 rating for the book and a 4.5 for the narration.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

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DNF but respect for the effort that went into this

Revisado: 12-11-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I'm actually giving this book a 2.5 but rounded up because it's easier. First, I didn't finish (I'll explain why in a minute), but I also appreciate all the hard work the author put into this. The story itself has a lot of potential. Sadly, it reads more like a first draft than a polished novel. Second, I was listening to it on audio and the narrator sounded like a robot. She didn't do the story any favors. I made it 3.5 hours in before I decided to stop wasting my time.

Let's dig into the issues.
1. World building--lots of potential here, but I felt like things were half described or overly described. For instance, all the blacksmithing was too much for me. I didn't pick this book up to learn how to make a sword. But I feel like I could fake it now because it was talked about so much.
2. Character building--After three hours I still didn't like or care what happened to Astrid. I had such high hopes in the first chapter or two, but then we skipped years with no explanation of what happened in between. I wasn't even clear on how far we skipped. In the beginning, Astrid is young, scared, and fearing death if the guy who bought her couldn't sell her. It also bothered me that she kept referring to the place she came from as "the bad place" but we don't know what was so bad about it. I tried to chalk that up to her being really young, but when the violet-eyed guy finds her as an adult, she still refers to it as the "bad place" with no further explanation.
3. Everything felt emotionally distant, and I don't think that was just because of the narrator. I was being told what the author wanted me to know. I never felt like I was being shown anything but expected to just accept that Astrid was upset because the author told me she was.
4. Repetition--I had a hard time settling into the story because of all the repetitive words. I never relaxed and forgot I was reading/listening to a book. I read to escape, and all I wanted was to escape from the constant repetition of words and thought processes that didn't make any sense.
5. The narrator sounded like when you have your computer read your paper to you. There was no emotion, no excitement or fear. She was very articulate, making sure to enunciate every consonant. Several times I just wanted to scream, "Are you alive at all?"

I could go on, but I won't. Giving a rating was hard even though I didn't enjoy the book and felt it was riddled with very fixable problems. It should be a 1 because I didn't finish it. It could have been a 2 because I was very glad I got a free copy through StoryOrigin to review. It could have been a 3 because my biggest issue with it was that it was missing things that could have easily been addressed and added. In the end, I settled on the 2.5 out of respect for the effort put into it. Of course, we don't have the ability to give half stars--so the marked 3.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

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