Laura

Natalie Naudus never misses

Revisado: 12-22-24

I love Natalie Naudus' narration, so so much! On that score, this was utterly lovely. As a book, it definitely read like a debut. Didn't have the best through-line, was pretty on the nose, and I didn't love how it was structed (in terms of the pacing). But I always enjoy queer coming of age, and I can appreciate a storyline about overcoming religious trauma and unlearning harmful behaviours.

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Favourite new narrator

Revisado: 12-15-24

I had several issues with the actual plot and character writing, but K.A. Walsh absolutely knocked it out of the park with the narration. I adored it so so much. She has such a lovely, rich, resonant voice, and put so much emotion into her performance. Her voice for Andi was especially lovely. I want to listen to everything she does.

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Not for the faint of heart, but so, so good.

Revisado: 05-15-23

Not for the faint of heart (check out the author's warnings on her website), but so, so good. I've never read another sapphic horror like this, that completely delivers on atmosphere, terror and really captivating characters. The "choose your own ending" style is so unique. Emily Woo Zeller excels as always, and she made this a terrifying, heartrending, but also sensual listen. Absolutely recommended.

#TeamPoLam

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Act, or atrophy.

Revisado: 03-23-21

4.5 stars. I've been a fan of Rose Lerner's historical romances for a while, and I was beyond excited about this, her first f/f book and a queer Jewish Jane Eyre retelling (of sorts). Expectations should probably be set though: this wasn't, unlike every other book I've read by her, a historical romance. It was more of a gothic/soft horror historical with a good heaping of romance. Which, I can't lie, did disappoint me a bit. I would have LOVED to read an out-and-out queer romance in this style and setting with this gorgeous writing and these terrible, wonderful characters. Still, there's so much to love about this and I recommend it so much.

The setup: Miss Oliver, almost penniless and nearly friendless, manages to secure a new position as the new governess of Goldengrove Manor. Her new employer is handsome and charming, her new charge is sweet but vexing, and the lady of the house is... ill. Perpetually indisposed. The story goes from there, and one of the things I ended up really enjoying is the fact that for the majority of this book, I really did not know how thing were going to end up. I thought I did, then I really didn't. Books like that can sometimes frustrate me, when there's such a huge element of doubt, and the author deliberately makes sure we don't know what to think. But I think it was the perfect choice in this scenario, because it made everything that much more sinister, added to the creeping sense of horror and fear. Again, it's not true horror in the typical sense of it, but deliciously frightening nonetheless, in a way I found perfectly effective. I never counted myself as particularly afraid of fire, but god, I am a little but now.

But the writing. The writing! It's so so lovely and easily my favourite thing about this experience. It's nice to be able to gasp and hold your throat at a really effective and well crafted turn of phrase, and really get lost in the words. I know Lerner does a lot of research, and it shows; this was wholly immersive. So many little details! I also really like how other literature was incorporated, and enjoyed the snippets of Austen and Shakespeare and what they did for the story. The romance was, again, not typical, but GOD did I ever pull for them. Shared trauma in romance is something I'll always love if it's well done, and this was perfect.

As for the audiobook as read by Elsa Lepecki Bean: I mostly liked it. Miss Oliver's Portuguese roots and the way she sometimes felt wholly non-English was really important to the story, and it was fitting and wonderful to have an own voices narrator in that way. Her pitch and tone took me a while to get used to, and came off a bit stilted at times, and in general I found myself wishing that Miss Oliver had been American, because that would have also been enjoyable, and I wouldn't have been so aware that the narrator was putting on a voice. It was still enjoyable overall, and I don't think I'd have liked this any more if I'd just read it physically, but I wouldn't have liked it less either.

I will forever be hungry for historical f/f, and this did scratch my itch, even if in my heart of hearts I wanted something sliiiiightly different. But that's my problem, not the book's problem. This was sublime.

Content warnings: [MILD SPOILERS] gaslighting, domestic abuse, anti-Semitism, mentions of torture and death by fire.

☆ Review copy provided via the author. Thank you!

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Well Written; Really Well Performed

Revisado: 08-31-15

(I was provided with a free download to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.)

An intriguing introduction to what looks to be an interesting series, "The American Fathers: Swept Away" is smart, attention-grabbing, and really well performed. In a near future where powerful dynasties and families have all but taken the place of the government, college professor Sheila is convinced that America needs to turn away from this modern feudalism, or be destroyed. Is the attractive Jasira her enemy, or an ally in the upcoming struggle?

I enjoyed this audiobook a lot. I'm far more used to single narrator audiobooks, and was a little sceptical about the mixed cast, but I ended up liking it a lot. It was really well performed, and everyone had lovely voices (especially the voice actress for Jasira, Fawzia Mriza). There were a few issues with pacing, where the narrator might come back in too soon after a bit of dialogue, but they're easily overlooked, and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. I sometimes find audiobooks difficult to follow without the printed version in front of me, but not in this case. Short as it was, I fell in love with the main character in record time, and I'm super intrigued about what follows.

A good book, and a really good performance; I'm probably going to get my hands on the others in the series when I'm able to. I'd recommend this for lovers of suspense, science fiction, and romance.

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