PA001

Dual Timeline with a Gothic Flare

Revisado: 04-25-25

The audio quality of this novel is quite good, although I noticed some small skips in the narration of chapters two and three. The narration is very crisp and clear, which is extremely important for me as a hearing-impaired person.
Jaime Jo Wright is an amazing author and hits another one out of the park! Historical character Rebecca has amnesia after being found injured on Annabel’s grave near the lighthouse. Current day character Shea is trying to write a book about the historical lighthouse while musing about her stale marriage and has some disturbing encounters. I love the way this author moves seamlessly between eras without confusing the reader. Her word building is also beyond impeccable, and each chapter begins with a verse of the poem of Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe, which lends a gothic flare and sets the tone perfectly. There is also a secondary theme of love and care for one another that presents itself much stronger towards the end of the novel. . Please note that the idea of ghosts or specters are definitely part of the plot line, but there is always an explanation that is NOT of the supernatural the author herself calls this the Scooby Doo element. This is definitely not a horror novel!
I have read all of the Jaime Jo Wright’s books since she was first published in 2017. She just has a way with words like no other and a style that is hers alone! She is also a multiple award-winning author. I have no qualms about recommending any of her thirteen titles.
I purchased this book from Baker Book House and purchased an AUDIBLE copy as well, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Early California Historical Fiction

Revisado: 03-29-25 El oyente recibió este título gratis

The narration was very good, although sometimes the male voices sounded pretty strange and got on my nerves. I did have to speed up the narration to 1.2x because it was moving too slowly for my taste. The voice clarity was excellent, and as a hearing-impaired person, that is very important for me. The audio was easy to follow along and there were no dips in the volume levels.
The storyline itself moved quite slow and the characters just didn’t seem to be the tough, 1850’s pioneers that I expected. Daniel seemed to have the most integrity of the bunch. Her father ran off and left Eliza with her uncle who is married to a shrew of a woman. Eliza herself has attached herself to Daniel who is actually engaged to a woman back home. The faith thread is definitely there but mostly expressed by Eliza.
I received an Audible code from the author, and I purchased a Kindle copy. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

All of the spooky chills!

Revisado: 01-21-25

Whew! Jaime Jo Wright did such a fantastic job with all of the feels and spooky chills! I’m a longtime fan, so I was anxiously awaiting another dual time masterpiece, and she did deliver an incredible novel, and a gifted narrator really brought it all to life. From 1921 to present day, you are seamlessly guided through a dual timeline extravaganza. The characters were incredibly relatable and definitely hooked you in from the very first chapter. Mullerian Manor is such a peculiar old house, and it was intriguing that the layout was such a head scratcher but that definitely amped up the freakish chills in the air. There was also a nice inspirational thread which I always appreciate. Please note that the idea of ghosts or specters are definitely part of the plot line, but there is always an explanation that is not of the supernatural. There is also very sensitive handling of mental illness that I would not think that anyone would find offensive. I am a hearing-impaired individual, so the narrator is incredibly important to me in both clarity, volume, and tone. Pilar Witherspoon and Rebecca Quinn Robertson did a top-notch job! I have also heard others comment that they were an excellent choice, and I would definitely agree.
This is Jaime Jo Wright’s twelfth book and my new favorite! Her Christy Award winning novel, The House on Foster Hill has toppled down to my second favorite. As an award-winning novelist with a Selah Award and an ECPA Bestseller as well as other awards, she definitely gets positive attention for her spooky, kooky vibe that I really enjoy, therefore her work is highly recommended.
I purchased a paperback from Baker Book House and an audio copy from Audible, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

How close are sisters?

Revisado: 11-17-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

AUDIO Review
Sisters usually have a special kind of bond, but Franny and Grace have grown apart since the death of their father. When Grace apparently goes missing, Franny steps up to the plate along with a hunky new male friend to get to the bottom of Grace's disappearance.
I enjoyed the storyline and the surprise ending. I felt compassion for Franny and her new friend Nevel, but I wasn't very invested in Grace because she didn't have a good track record as of late. It was also hard to get a read on her since she was the missing character. The narrator did a very good job of telling the story, only occasionally sounding a bit stilted. The sound quality was very good and steady throughout the novel - I am hearing impaired, so that is very important to me.
I received an audio copy of this book as an author giveaway and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Guilt Weighs Heavy at Belle Fourche

Revisado: 05-17-19

Eli Oleson killed a man and it is eating him up to his very soul. Anne Hammond hasn’t killed anyone, but an incident in the hospital in England made her feel guilty. These two kindred spirits are united in the local medical clinic after Eli is attacked by a wolf while breaking a horse and he is under her care. Nurse Hammond has left England for new horizons and there is definitely a spark between the two. I enjoyed the warmth that the author brought to all of her characters. Both of the main characters have a lot of growing up and healing to do. The question is, can they do it together?
I was a bit surprised in the beginning that the narrator was a male, but the story was truly both of their stories. I thought the narrator was very good and was pretty good at imitating a female voice. His voice did not grate on my nerves and the story flowed well. The sound quality was excellent. The storyline was not complicated, just a tender love story that would be good to relax with. The characters were very likable, yet their stubbornness could be a bit frustrating.
Note: This is book 3 in the Brothers of Bell Fourche series. I had not read any of the others but I can see where it might be helpful to start at the beginning and get to meet all of the Oleson brothers and their wives to get their back story.
I received a complimentary Audible copy of the book from the author and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Behind the Scenes: The Civil War

Revisado: 04-03-19

AUDIO Review
The Civil War was a trying time for this nation, as Union and Confederate forces divided our country like a ripped bed sheet torn for bandages in a field hospital. Liberty Holloway, a Union widow, has to abandon plans to make her home into an inn when the Confederate the army commandeered her farm. They simply took over her home, barn and property and demanded her assistance when they became overwhelmed with wounded Confederate soldiers. It was a difficult task for her to take on nursing soldiers that actually fought against her fallen husband.
Silas Ford comes upon the farm just prior to the takeover with a reputation as bruised and battered as the war itself. He takes a liking to Liberty and becomes protective of her. His stint in the seminary had been cut short by the war -- and by the rumors about his spotted reputation.
Bella is Liberty’s hired hand and has secrets of her own that could destroy Liberty in a heartbeat. As a former slave, she walks a tight line in order to keep her free status. Together they must learn to carry on regardless of which side they are on in the war.
I thought the narrator was very good and did a believable impression of any voices she needed to replicate, even male ones. There is a fine line between narrating well and getting on the listener’s nerves. I felt like she did an awesome job of not becoming too monotonous or shrill. The Civil War was a bloody, awful conflict and that is magnified in the field hospital setting at Liberty’s farm. There were numerous amputations and the description is quite gruesome, but is very accurate to the medical procedures of the era. I honestly wished the story had less gore, but I am quite certain that the descriptions were very true to life. Phantom limb pain was a common problem back then before more was learned about nerve damage during amputations. It is sad that her home and property were pretty much destroyed being used as a field hospital, which was a common problem of post war reconstruction. Everything seems to be well documented in the epilogue, and the author describes and makes note of her references for the novel more than once. Some of her characters are based off of real historical figures and some are fictional. I feel like she blends the historical characters and fictional ones quite well.
Note: This is Book 2 stand alone in The Heroines Behind the Lines: Civil War series.
I received a complimentary Audible code from the author. I am in no way required to give a positive review. All of my opinions and the review are completely my own and are not swayed by the complimentary Audible code.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña