Christine

I couldn't finish it!

Revisado: 03-07-25

I choose this boxed set as it was part of Audible's Plus Catalog. I was trying to build up some credits and I frequently find some really good books & authors in the Plus Catalog. This was not the case. I got through the first book, I am a couple of chapters into the 2nd book and just can't continue. I had hoped things would improve as book 1 went on, or even when we got to book 2. It did not.

I initially thought it was the flat narration from the virtual narration that rubbed the wrong way. As it is just reading words off a page. Normally an audio book has a narrator that has adds some depth to voice of the characters. The reality is the writing is just bad. The characters have no depth. The main characters are Anna, a late 50's (maybe early 60's) widow who runs a bookstore and her daughter Cassie. A twice divorced, late 30's Oscar winning actress. These are grown ass adults that run around behaving as if they are still in high school. Their conversations with each other, their friends, and the town folk are as if they are in junior high. All the characters have conversations like this. The friends have these school girl spats bickering with each other. The mother, Anna, talks to her daughter as if she is 16, giving her a list of chores to do each day. Have no clue how this book store stay open, as Anna is never there and constantly telling her daughter to go mind the store. Timelines are all over the place and unrealistic. It is all very annoying.

The basic story line for book #1 is not bad. Boy accused of killing his girlfriend, who had a secret double life. A friend of the family (Anna) helps solve the case. But Anna has no prior history of solving mysteries, sleuthing or even a great relationship the local enforcement prior to this case. She hadn't even spoken to the old friend (the mother of the boy) in years. Why the mother would call Anna to help in the first place is bigger mystery.

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Short,

Revisado: 02-13-25

The audio book is only 5hrs 40 mins and played at 1.2 speed it is short. It starts out kind of slow, building up the characters and Tequila Cay. Half way through we have the murder and before you know it, we've solved the murder. A little more character development and story line would have been better, hoping we get more that in Book 2.

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LOL Funny! But not for everyone.

Revisado: 02-10-25

The Storyline is great! I laughed a lot. I loved the hijinks of the retirement community, would have loved to hear more.

But this book is not for everyone. There is a lot of sex but I wouldn't call it spice or even extra spice. Once our Hero & Heroine finally have sex, that is the rest of book. The story line just disappears and it is all about how & when they
have sex. There is a lot of language, this coming from a person who easily drops a dozen F bombs before noon every day. Between the sex and language the book is more crude than anything else.

The narration is great. I think they both did a great job. I did like how we had 4 points of view.

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Narration is distracting

Revisado: 08-29-23

After listening to two other series by Caroline Linden, I was excited to read her other series. Based on the Amazon Reviews, this book I Love the Earl is sort of a prequel to Truth About The Duke series. I chose to listen to this book first.

I was disappointed with the narration. I like Gildart Jackson, I remember him from Charmed and various other tv shows, like Super Natural, CSI & Burn Notice. But I don't think reading Romance novels are a good fit for him. Other books I am sure he is great at it, I'm think paranormal or maybe horror. But his voice, just makes are Hero and his friends sound like they are 70 yr old crotchety men! Our heroines sound younger but still older than the character and rough.

I think it is a good story, his voice was a bit distracting. Its a spinster, that recently got a huge dowry from her brother, who recently inherited a dukedom. The Hero, is broke looking for wealthy bride.

I am not sure i can listen to rest of this series. I wish authors would just stick with one narrator for all their books.

UPDATE: I had about an hour left in the book when i wrote this review. The story definitely gets better in the last hour or so of the book! Gildart's narration does eventually grow on you. Some male characters he does a decent job with but many still sound like crotchety old men. I have finished the first two books in the series and about to start the last one. I think listening to book at 1.4X speed helps.

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Good Book!

Revisado: 02-22-23

This was a great story and I love this series. This book begins when Joanna & Brock first meet in the Library in Book 4 and continues after Ash & Rosalind's wedding. It really should be book #4.5 especially if one wants to be reading the series in chronological order.

The book mainly focuses on Joanna & Brock and their budding romance. While the main villain of the League of Rogues series is mentioned and makes a brief appearance, he doesn't have an active role like in the other books of this series. I was a little disappointed we didn't get to hear Waverly's response to Joanna defeating his attempts to cause harm to Joanna & Brock, and ultimately to Ash. We can only assume that Brock realized Waverly was behind the fight and details were later shared with Ash & the League. As more evidence of the Waverly's treachery against the League. I do like the continued teaser into Rafe's story.

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Short cute story

Revisado: 05-18-22

This is a quick little story. Finished it in afternoon working through some reports. It is labeled as a romcom but not much comedy. But it is a cute story!

I am not a big fan of the multiple people characters playing the parts but the more annoying part was the background noise of doors opening and closing, party sound etc. It is really no different than just listening to the TV.

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Great Story, Classic Stephanie Laurens story

Revisado: 05-11-22

It was a great story! The cover does say "connect to the Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Chronicles" It's really a Christmas Chronicle. It is side story of two of the characters from the chronicles. There is love, mystery and intrigue. It really reminded me of the Black Cobra or Bastion Club books then the chronicles. I could see this the first of a new series of books, with either the Delamere Family or the Osbaldestone grandchildren.

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Probably Better to just Read the book

Revisado: 05-13-21

The book starts out slow, really slow. The Heroine and the her frenemy carry on like a bunch high school girls fighting over the high school jock. It takes about the first third of the book, for the story to finally start to get good. By the end of the book, I was enjoying the story. The Narrator does not help this book at all. It's not that she is a bad narrator, her voice is squeaky. She makes our Heroine sound like a flake. Reminded me a lot of Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday. The narration really turned me off of the book, took me 3 times as long to get through this book. I think a different narrator would have really helped this book. I would really like to read the next book in the series, to see what happens with those characters. But it is the same narrator, that i think i will just get the kindle version and read it.

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But what about...

Revisado: 01-12-21

I feel like this book was written to just wrap up a story, that was kind of started in book 1, but really never wraps it all up. . Seriously a soap opera story has more depth then this entire series has.

Our Hero finds himself in England after 5 yrs of being somewhere, he doesn't remember. She is a lonely widow so they hook up. Great. But like all the other books in the series, we are introduced to characters but things are never wrapped up. Are Marcus and Jack redeemed for their supposed past traitorous activities? What about Marcus's brother? And his illegitimate brother? This book tells us Elizabeth, from book 1 has 3 brothers, what? wait? Where did #3 come from, it has always been two? so there are some inconsistenties with the story. Book 2 ends with Mrs Forrester and Jack's brother being turned over to the Duke, but this book doesn't wrap up that story.

The whole series is lazily written. Luckily, there are all free as part of the Plus Catalog, Otherwise i wouldn't waste my credits or money on purchasing them.

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Huh? But who was poisonings her and why?

Revisado: 01-12-21

It should be noted this is just a novella or a short story. It starts with our heroine thinking that someone is poisoning her because her dog threw up. Our Heroine just drops this sexy wager on our Hero. The book does tells us that our Hero can still get it up, but it never resolves the mystery. Was our Heroine being poisoned? Was it the Cook? and Why?

I think book was a cop out to have some additional story written for our Hero, because well, he kind of deserves a story. This could have been so much more! Unless you are reading the whole series or just need a quick story about some sex, I wouldn't bother with this one.

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