Christina

Broken-hearted

Revisado: 01-17-22

I loved this one. It was a fun-filled, romantic read. Still, I’m so sorry to see it’s the end to the series. I’ve fallen head over heels for Mystic Bayou and it’s marvelous citizens. I’m sad to see it end.

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The Worst, a rant and one tiny spoiler

Revisado: 07-27-18

I am not a woman who can stand to read a “romance” with a heroine who doesn’t meet the basic definition of a woman who is a hero, someone worthy of my admiration, or “a woman noted for courageous acts and nobility of character”. This is especially true in a story with the fate of the world supposedly hanging in the balance. To read a romance without such a heroine is an awful experience. I hate it and I hated this book.

It’s ok if she’s not society’s ideal in other ways, if she’s clumsy, unattractive, forgetful, cursed, outmatched, and in all other ways a train wreck. But she needs to be smart and she needs to be driven to save the world. I don’t even care why she’s driven. She can be driven because of something in her past. She could be driven to save her loved ones or because she has great compassion for all of mankind. She could be driven because she’s competitive and she wants to beat the bad guys. It doesn’t matter, just please don’t write her as someone who lets herself be outwitted and pushed around.

The saddest part in this whole mess is that I really wanted to love this book. The premise sounded good. The other books so far in the series (1: Immortals: The Calling and 2: The Darkening) were entertaining, and I assumed that I would enjoy this one just as much. So instead of giving up in chapter 3 I kept skipping ahead through the chapters, trying to give them the benefit of the doubt: the author, the heroine, and the hero—cough-the selfish, worthless, womanizing lout-cough.

But when she still hadn’t escaped the island by chapter 22, I gave up. I mean seriously, you have a ‘save the world’ mission—not save the neighborhood or save the city, but save all of the people in the entire world—and you can’t get back to the mainland? You don’t have enough magical juice to do it? Fine. Find another way. Worst case, you just had sex with a stranger. Slut your way off the island if you have to. Whatever. Just give up on that recklessly handsome User Loser and get back to work.

I don’t mention the characters’ names in this review because I don’t remember them. They aren’t worth remembering. Just do yourself a favor. Skip this one.

Naturally, this review should not be an indictment on the narration. As always, Rebecca Cook was amazing.

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Exceeds Expectations

Revisado: 06-19-17

Embarrassing story: after reading a quick synopsis of JB Duvane’s novella “Hooked” via Audiobook Boom, I decided to request a free copy in exchange for a review. Then, I made the mistake of listening to the sample, really wanted it, and considered the possibility that I may not be asked to do the review.

Next, I foolishly looked at the book’s page on Amazon.com and saw what a great deal they were offering. Not wanting to miss out on possessing the book quickly and for such a great price, I went ahead and paid for the Kindle/Audible deal.

Not good, because of course, I later received the free link. Hoping for a refund, I tried the link but it didn’t work. Still, I was sent a link in good faith, so I’m sharing my opinion. Here’s the line they want everyone to include, for legal purposes: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.


I’ve noticed here on Audible that there tends to be a preference for narrators who have developed a distinct voice for each and every character. If you happen to be someone who requires this, you probably won’t be able to appreciate Logan McAllister’s subtle presentation of J.B. Duvane’s novella “Hooked” as much as I did.

Please don’t misunderstand. By ‘subtle’, I don’t mean obscure. Rather, what McAllister has done here is to clearly differentiate between male and female characters of various ages and generations without employing falsetto. This may not be sufficient to please you, Narration Nazi (you know who you are). However, if your requirements are less pretentious, I think you’ll enjoy it very much. Bottom line, I was never confused about who was speaking. And by the end of this novella, I had a stronger appreciation for and dislike of the appropriate characters due to McAllister’s performance.

In terms of the story, more than once I found it delightfully surprising. The first time occurred just after the hero was introduced.

Unless disaster strikes I listen to romance daily, but not usually MMA books. Not counting this one I’ve only listened to 5, but by the 3rd, the fighter/hero profile was fully predictable. He’s a coarse man—a man’s man—whose history with women is as shallow as it is lascivious. This isn't true in "Hooked". Instead, the hero is a fantastic human being who also happens to be a great fighter, and who's been terribly mistreated by his childhood sweetheart.

The second surprise struck me about 1/3 of the way into the story. I was absolutely certain I had the plot figured, only to discover that I was utterly wrong. I wasn’t even close. So awesome.

Finally, I adored the love scenes, which I will try my best to discuss sans spoilers and in a PG-13-ish way. But if you're concerned about being offended, skip down to the last paragraph.

Why, in the last 5-10 years, do love scenes so often seem to be written as if only men will be reading them? In other words, why do the lovers most often engage in intercourse one way regardless of position—the way lazy, selfish men prefer it? I don’t know either. But, I can tell you that in “Hooked” these scenes do not disappoint. The dreaded, overdone words ‘fast’ and ‘hard’ are absent. Instead, the depictions of the hero's exertions are much more passionate and compelling. Also, I feel as though I owe Ms. Duvane a thank you note, as she chose not deviate down the arid, dusty trail of ‘see how well my heroine pleases her man, good doggy’. Because really, that bores. Feel free to call me a Love Scene Nazi if you wish, but I would argue that we romance devotees must have some standards.

Clearly, I enjoyed this book. I think you will, too. It has darkness and danger, but I also found it to be wildly lovely and tender. If this appeals to you at all, please consider giving it a try, especially now that it’s being offered at such a deliciously irresistible price.

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Despite the Title, No Romance Here

Revisado: 06-19-17

What disappointed you about Shifter Romance?

Virtually everything. I was expecting this to be a series of paranormal romance stories with passion, joy, struggle, danger, and heart. Instead, it's a poorly conceived work of erotica with flat dialog and vile, banal characters.

Please don't waste your money on this. You work much too hard for it.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Would you ever listen to anything by Cynthia Mendoza again?

Absolutely not. I hated her characters. I certainly wouldn't invest any of my future free time or entertainment budget in a story with similar people.

What didn’t you like about the narrators’s performance?

There were several narrators, but since I didn't make it past chapter 9 of the first story--too frustrated by the dreck--I can only speak about the first one. The narrator seemed comfortable rather than sickened by what she was reading, which just made me sad. On the positive side, I would say she was poised and very well-rehearsed.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Shifter Romance?

Editing might be difficult, as again, I didn't listen to more than the first several chapters. But if the author is attempting to write erotica, I would cut the first 3 chapters for sure. If a reader chooses erotica, they don't care about getting to know the heroine or hearing about her struggle with unemployment. They want to read the normal structure of a work of erotica: two or more people meet, they experience intense attraction, they have sex, they have more sex, they have more sex, and then they part ways or stay together.

I would also cut the next 3 chapters, as they reveal the heroine's feeble character and make the audience dislike and disrespect her. I was frustrated and pulled out of the story in these chapters, wanting to explain to the heroine, 'start where you are and work your way up or accept the work you can get honestly and take classes at night. Yes. It's extremely hard, but it can be done. If I can do it, you can do it.' Women who are totally comfortable deceiving and hurting others for their own benefit make me sick. This is not someone I can comfortably consider a heroine.

Regarding the hero, I would cut the bulk of his backstory that takes place later. No thoughtful, intelligent listener can invest in a hero who is selfishly comfortable experimenting on people to this extent, exposing them to probable pain and possible death. Such readers also cannot connect with a heroine who is perfectly fine with said experimentation. This is the very definition of evil. I don't care if his 'club members' are stupid enough to volunteer for the DNA-alteration experiments or not. In a work of romantic fiction, this is not what the H/h do. This is the business of villains.

Any additional comments?

Having said all of the above, the sentence structure and paragraph composition of this work was good. If she wants to write romance (vs. erotica) as her title indicates, the author needs to invest time thinking about what romance is, maybe even studying romantic fiction throughout history in order to secure a better understanding of the genre.

She also needs to study the art of plotting, building fantasy in a realistic context, as well as giving more consideration to her audience. Who are they? What do they need? What do they hate, love, admire, disdain, and regret?

Finally, she needs to study the art of defining the purpose of her characters, editing them, and giving them wit and personality through cleverly constructed dialog. I never laughed when I listened to her work. No matter what the characters have to overcome through trial or adventure, good romance always includes moments of laughter.

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If you love vampires, don't miss this series!

Revisado: 06-09-17

First of all, I need to let you know that I was provided with a copy of this audiobook at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Having said that, I should also tell you that I’ve purchased the prior three books in the "Vampires in America" series over the past year because they are just that good. I will try to be unbiased, but I only thought it fair to tell you that I went into this book thinking I would most likely enjoy it.

I hate spoilers in reviews, and I think the summary on the book page is sufficient, so I’m going to limit myself to what you really need to know. This book is not for you if you like your vampires weak and fluffy, or misogynistic and brutish. D.B. Reynolds’ vampires are all-Alpha: powerful, intelligent, beautiful, strong, possessive, and protective. However, unlike many supernatural heroes and heroines in other books I've listened to lately, these vamps are not egotistical. They're hell on their enemies but aren’t domineering with friends and lovers. They’re persuasive and seductive. They’re wily and cunning, but they don’t have to win every, single disagreement. They are also refreshingly unselfish in bed. It’s clear that when they say they love their lovers, they really mean it. And they are very, very good at it.

If you choose to try 'Sophia', I think you’ll find D.B.’s writing to be both intellectually and emotionally engaging. She sets a good pace, progressively developing both characters and plot. She also does a wonderful job of world-creating. The details she gives are pertinent, but not excessive. Some authors tend to be too light when giving details, while others’ scenes are so heavy that I sometimes feel like I’m slogging through, rather than joining the characters on a romantic adventure.

As far as narrators go, I tend to prefer romance read by men. I know this is not very enlightened of me, but it is true. There are a handful of female narrators who I will buy without hesitation, however, and Traci Odom is one. I like her performance here because her voice flows with D.B’s writing. She reads smoothly and steadily. But even more importantly, when she reads—even when she reads the guys’ lines and POV—I don’t hear a narrator. I only hear the characters. Forgetting she’s even there by the fourth or fifth paragraph, I slip right into the story.

I hope you try this book, and if you do, I truly hope you enjoy it. It’s not necessary for you to read or listen to the first 3 novels in this series ('Raphael', 'Jabril', and 'Rajmund'), but if you love this book, please go back and grab those as well. Many of the characters are re-occurring, and I think you will get even more out of this one when you listen to it again, once you’ve heard the back story.

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Pure Genius

Revisado: 02-22-17

As always, David Brenin did an excellent job performing this story, and I will forever be thankful to S.E. Smith for introducing me to his talent through her Alliance series.

As for the book itself, I loved it. For someone who reads and listens to many sci fi / fantasy romance books each month, this is such a unique way of approaching the Shifter genre. I read the book on Kindle a while back, and had read it again since then. I don't always buy the Audible for books I've read on Kindle, but as soon as I saw it was available for pre-order, I jumped on it. Imho, the story is that good.

In addition to being a refreshing and extremely enjoyable romance, it truly made the plight of Aboriginal peoples and their disappearing cultures real to me. I think the best books not only entertain, but also function as a telescope and a mirror, teaching us about others with whom we share this world and ourselves. I hope S.E. Smith allows this book to become a series. If so, I'm definitely going to be buying the Kindles and the Audibles from now on.

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