H Daisy

Much ado about not much

Revisado: 05-07-23

I usually enjoy the author and narrator, but this book is a depressing/ uninspired trip through a beige landscape. If the parts I found boring were cut, the book might be three hours—not 30+.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Exceptional Book; Tortured Narration

Revisado: 07-13-20

I loved the story. It was well written and it was a wonderful conclusion to the series.

However, the narrator on this last installment was very difficult to listen to. If I hadn’t been invested in this series, I would not have been able to finish this book. Her choices for the voices were almost abrasive. Especially the men’s voices. They all sounded sinister; even the main character. There was a disjointed cadence in her speech that made me want to relieve her of the distress of reading a book out loud.

I sincerely wish this book could be re-recorded with another narrator. Polly Lee and Kate Reading come to mind. I liked this story so much, and I want to hear it again, but I probably won’t. I’m sad.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Shaking my head...

Revisado: 05-21-17

Any additional comments?

As a real life Dakota woman, the use of my cultural background is disturbing. It might've been nice had JG did some research instead of casually flinging stereotypes on the page. Seriously, I wouldn't have minded if she had at least tried to show some effort toward authenticity. I bought this book long ago and couldn't remember hearing it. Now I know why I didn't finish it. I've read other Julie Garwood books and they were good. This one just made me a bit angry.

Also, Susan Duerden's narration is truly cringe inducing. Her attempt at accents and the weird intonation she uses really irritated me. With other books she's read, I've listened at 1.25x and it was ok. This one was not.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 28 personas

Elizabeth Hoyt is at her best!

Revisado: 01-20-17

Would you listen to Thief of Shadows again? Why?

Yes. I love the idea of a Merry Widdow taking on a slightly younger, straight-laced, mysterious man.

What does Ashford McNab bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice has an element of innocence that is deceptive when it comes to Elizabeth Hoyt's writing.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Winter is Hot!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Can we please get a redo with Kate Reading?

Revisado: 01-20-17

What would have made The Temptation of the Night Jasmine better?

A different narrator.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Temptation of the Night Jasmine?

The rooftop scene.

What didn’t you like about Justine Eyre’s performance?

Her pronunciation of Eloise. Her British accent. Her stilted performance. It's obvious I'm not a fan of hers. With other books she has narrated, I could disguise her voice by listening at 1.25 speed, but even that didn't work here. Seriously, I have passed on more than one HR simply because she is the narrator.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment, certainly. I love this series! I love the characters! Sadness; because every time I go through the series, I struggle to even finish listening to this one. In fact, this time I've just skipped it; which makes me ANGRY, because it's such a lovely, romantic story! I can't say this book ruins the series, but it is very frustrating because it is integral to the series.

Any additional comments?

Kate Reading is probably my favorite narrator. She reads the other books in this series, and her accents are so good with both the modern parts, and the historical ones. I just wish it was possible to have a redo.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

A New, Honorary Wallflower

Revisado: 10-29-16

I've listened to this series time and again, and finally, I downloaded the Christmas edition.

A rather shorter story than the others, it nevertheless has all the passion and romance. As was said in other reviews, the story is fairly predictable. But meeting the Wallflowers again was like seeing old friends; very cozy and warm.

I do like Hannah. She is very proper and very kind. Her sense of obligation to chaperone lady Natalie reminded me of my being the third wheel on countless dates with my sisters. ☺️

Rafe turns out to be a nice guy. His struggle to please his father gives his character depth and the letter he writes would make anyone swoon! I was a bit taken aback, however, that he begins with such aggressiveness toward Hannah. His behavior came off like that of a frat boy; which was a bit cringy for me. I suppose that's a bit hypocritical because I loved Lillian and Marcus' story.

Rosalyn Landor is always a lovely narrator. Although I'm not fond of her American accents, I do enjoy listening to her voice.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

At last! The Bedwyns are coming to Audible!

Revisado: 10-15-16

The 'Slightly' series was my introduction to Mary Balogh's splendid writing. Every story is unique, and well told.

In this book, Aiden Bedwyn is an honor-bound soldier who finds love.
Eve Morris is a open-hearted, unpretentious woman who also has obligations she needs to honor.
There is a beautiful, mutual respect between them that slowly blossoms into love.
It's such a lovely story.

Mary Balogh is, as always, brilliant in her writing, and Rosalyn Landor's narration is always easy to listen to.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

Nice, but too idealistic...

Revisado: 06-28-16

Any additional comments?

The shorter length of this book didn't work. The complexity of an interracial relationship in this era needs a lot more exploration. Both in the character development, and in the explanation of the racial climate of the time.

I felt like I kind of knew Stephen from his appearance in the last book, but even then, he has obviously lived through his share of struggles. It's sweet that he is truly in love with Rose, but up until the very end, he seems oblivious to her day to day challenges. As a 'radical' journalist, one would think he would be a bit more in touch with reality. I don't think it would've harmed his 'happy go lucky' image for him to recognize how much Rose has to do to fit into the dominant culture.

Rose is amazing, but I didn't get a sense of who she is and why she fears what she fears. There are huge holes in her story that would've helped to round out her character.
Here are a few questions:
Why isn't her genius more of a big deal? There was a WHOLE book in this series about a woman scientist and all the controversy surrounding that idea; a Black, female astronomist/mathematician is equally amazing.
Why wasn't her history mentioned? Sure, her grandfather is talked about, but certainly there is a story behind how her family became shopkeepers--BLACK shopkeepers.
Why isn't there more of a description of her physically? Surely Stephen's attraction is physical as well as intellectual. Perhaps the author skipped past this in order to avoid the idea that he is only attracted to her exoticism. (kudos if that's the case)

I applaud Courtney Milan for attempting to tackle interracial relationships in this era and in this genre. However, as someone who lives the controversy of an interracial marriage everyday, the brevity of the book is almost an insult. I realize that historical romance is all about fantasy, but this story is a bit too unrealistic.

As always, Rosalyn Landor is great!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 10 personas

Elizabeth Hoyt at her Best

Revisado: 06-22-16

What did you love best about Duke of Sin?

The Duke's total lack of concern for anyone but himself. It allows him to say such audacious and funny things.
"...have mercy, I plead, oh siren of chatelaines and unlovely bonnets..."

What other book might you compare Duke of Sin to and why?

Dangerous in Diamonds by Madeline Hunter. It also has a desolate, hilarious, potentially redeemable Duke. Although,Montgomery's goodness is buried a bit deeper than Castleford's, they share the ability to shock and cajole in equal parts.

Which character – as performed by Ashford McNab – was your favorite?

The Duke of Montgomery

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely! As it is with every new Elizabeth Hoyt book.

Any additional comments?

I think Elizabeth Hoyt and Ashford McNab are a perfect match. Even though the stories were excellent, I was a bit disappointed with the two books in this series that were voiced by other performers. There is an element of romantic innocence in Ashford McNab's voice that is a wonderful counterpoint to the eroticism of Elizabeth Hoyt's writing.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Great series

Revisado: 04-07-16

I loved this series so much I was able to endure the irritating narrator.
I found that if I listened at x1.25 speed it was much better.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas