Laura W Fabre

Kind of a snooze

Revisado: 05-16-24

The narrator isn’t terrible, but if there is dual POV then I just feel there should be a female and Male narrator. Some narrators can pull off both but this one just fell pretty flat. (Maybe I’m just spoiled at this point) The plot line was so cute and unique but it was more juvenile than it was funny and more predictable than I initially expected while also being More “Unlikely” for a Rom-Com than I have a thresh hold for it. And somehow the combination of these things made for a sometimes entertaining but mostly boring listening experience.

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I’m convinced this is a mash up

Revisado: 04-25-23

I believe the author had one or two maybe even three unfinished novels and then needed to meet some deadline and put it all together, then poorly strung it all to kinda make sense, but also not really. The blurb and the sample absolutely DO NOT relate to what happens in this book, so misleading, so much that I wish to find the book I THOUGHT this would be. I really did get through 90% of this novel just to find out how these unaligned pieces would come together, then when I found out I was just mad and sad, mad-sad at a waste of my time. Is this book on Kindle Unlimited? If so then go there… our credits are to precious to waste on this novel.
I gave two stars for the performance… that was very well done.

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I thought it was all real

Revisado: 03-31-19

First review I’ve written in probably 5 years and it’s because this book is a literary game changer!
I’ve never been so engrossed in a story that for a little while I believed it was all a true story. I purchased with the knowledge it’s a novel, but through the unique form of story telling and incredible depth and complexities to each character, I thought I had to have made a mistake... These people MUST be real....and went googling this band and its members and of course discover its all this beautiful heart breaking work of poetry from Taylor Jenkins Reid. Thank you Taylor.

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I LOVED being in their company

Revisado: 04-22-14

First I want to say that author J.A. Redmerski is a very good writer. Her style is thoroughly descriptive and imaginative without being to much and has a way of developing unusual characters to the point of them becoming real people within your mind. Redmerski's skill and authentic talent for story telling is reason enough to read/listen to any one of her books but
In The Company Killers series has become my favorite.

"Killing Sarai" is not for the faint of heart. It is not from the cookie cutter mold of familiar romances or action suspense....It is of its own mold all together
It is a literary sculpture sophisticatedly created to enthrall you, thrill you, break your heart, painfully put it back together, and completely change the way you think for a little while.The end result bringing you just enough satisfaction to have you ADDICTED!!
At least, for me, that is how I interpret this dark and disturbingly beautiful novel.

"Killing Sarai" is no story of redemption or absolution or good conquering all. This is a story of survival, retribution, vengeance, and being bound by deathly obligations. There are really no "good guys". This is about how sometimes only bad can defeat bad; on how you must have one wing in the fire in order to beat back demons. The romance built with in the walls of this alarming and bone-chilling world can hardly be referred to as "true love" or anything so conventional. The developing connection between these two conflicted-complicated-multifaceted characters is so strong and impacting it reaches beyond the simple guide lines of "falling in love" and touches more on a sense of belonging and ownership in equal measurements. The sense so heavily forceful and strange that they aren't able to really comprehend only left to follow carnal instinct that they can never be separated or go back to the way they were. Its so atypical that I am having a hard time explaining....but the notion grips me and I can't seem to let it go.

I don't want to really touch on the narration since the other reviewers give explanation enough. All I want to say is that while the pairing of voice and character might not seem perfectly matched, as this novel progresses it will hardly detract from the experience. "Killing Sarai" is COMPLETELY worth your credit/money. Download NOW!

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In My Opinion...Don't do it

Revisado: 04-16-14

Just go some place else. Let save you from wasting your time....

I was depending on this one to give me a dash of something different...something that could surprise and intrigue me (due to its reviews) but that isn't what happened. Instead of something fresh, what I got is something I truly despise in the literary world...the TREND NOVEL!!!!!

A trend novel 'tis a most foul thing to experience, I must tell you. If you aren't aware of my meaning...a trend novel is when a writer (or team of writers I suspect) gather information on whatever was most popular in its genre from the months to a year prior, compiles it all together, shoves into one book, and then hurriedly put into distribution with the perception of giving the reader what it wants. Unfortunately, with publishers having little regard for quality and good editing, no effort is made to add original thought/ideas and is typically poorly written. Pitifully, the only thing impressive about "Beautifully Damaged" is it managed to accomplish all these sins! If you need more to keep from selecting "Add to Cart" or even "Wish List" let me explain how I came to this conclusion...

Character recipe for our main man, Trace, is made up of nearly half Travis (Beautiful Disaster) and half Remmington (Real trilogy) with just a pinch of Christian/Gideon (50 Shades/Bared to You trilogies) mixed in to make him "well rounded", but he is given not a single ingredient to set him a part, and thus made his utter hottness cool to mediocre and delectable allure to turn sour. Leading Lady Ember has no recipe really...she is just that normal insecure girl-next-door whom is pretty and talented but doesn't know it and only realizes she is special when some sexy superhero type tells her so...BORING and ANNOYING! Ember is the kind of character written to make the female reader relate to her and fantasize that one day she to could have HEA with a man that seems more god than human, which is fine really, but Ember lacks anything necessary to make the character interesting. Personality wise, she's a yawn, and so insecure that it is absurd and nauseating. I don't even believe I would want to be her friend in real life. Any supporting characters were either obnoxious douche-bags or pathetically ordinary people with good intentions and might as well have remained faceless or nameless.
H/H story is so well known and familiar that it reminds me of alphabetical order. I could recite this tale of 'shy-good-girl falls for dangerous-bad-boy' and not spoil a thing because if you like romance you have ALREADY read/listened to this novel. It just has a different title and by a more superior novelist with more wit, imagination, character development, emotional connection, clever descriptions, etc. etc. "Beautifully Damaged" isn't just following the trends and totally text book but was also written like a text book! It was so matter-of-fact, stunted, and any attention to detail was LOST; all while time progressed in the most unnatural way! The unexpected twists mentioned by others is really just poor perception. It only seemed that way because for great chunks of this novel you have no idea what's going on due to characters being put in places/circumstances/conversation that don't belong or weren't properly explained. A good book (predictable or unpredictable) should have natural progression with fluid transition. "Beautifully Damaged" ignored those vital notions and tries to make up for it by claiming to be edgy...please...I wish I had been fooled. Then I wouldn't feel as if I wasted my time or money.

I gave this title a total of two stars for the content because there had been some bright spots with a few great one-liners that were either funny or insightful, but that hardly redeems it since I can get that from TV. Sex scenes were pretty steamy, but there is a legion of erotic romances that provide as much, so it is almost not worth mentioning. The narrator was sub-par, not bad but also not really suited for this book. What points I'm giving to "Beautifully Damaged" is mostly because I'm a nice person. Bottom line is that Audible has so much better to offer than this deplorable TREND NOVEL! Don't make the same mistake I made and go spend you credit/money elsewhere.

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Like and Lust but not Love

Revisado: 11-14-13

I really enjoy unrequited love becoming requited. It has to be one of my favorite subject lines for the romances. This novel also had some really laugh out loud moments so that's another plus for me...I think every book should at least have a little humor. Shaw was a wonderful Heroine: beautiful, sharp, and strong willed...she was locked in this horrible shell and eventually cracked the barrier then broke on through as her own woman! Loved that! Rule is new book boyfriend worthy....definitely...I love a tattooed bad boy but go ahead an add on tall and lean with a bad attitude I'm hooked! Along with being my mind's wet dream I didn't like him all the time and didn't even try to reason his flaws, which sounds bad but when you think about it all great men they aren't likable all the time.The fact that Rule is just a douche sometimes makes the story more real, and that's what's important to me. The side plots for this novel were pretty intense and added an emotional depth that other novels won't try for and I really enjoyed my heart strings being tugged for reasons outside the H/H...makes a romance novel stand a part from the rest. AAAANNND the narrators were above decent.
SO WHY DID I NOT GIVE THIS 5 STARS????
The way its written, plain and simple. I didn't like the slang and some parts of the dialogue didn't flow or feel natural. There are areas of this novel that seem really rushed and others to drawn out, it just wasn't always consistent. BUT this novel is still worth your time and credit because author Jay Crownover has some good stories to tell and this is the first one within a series...I'm sure her writing style improves and matures as we move on. I'm optimistic and I think this is a great start to a new MA series and am really looking forward to Audible releasing the rest of the Marked Men novels.

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Go on and PLAY ME

Revisado: 11-14-13

I just love this series. These novels are the best things I've ever seen come out of fan fiction!They are all just so raw and real...there is no ridiculous dialogue or slow lull or unnecessary detailing and at times when you think it might be to much turns out it was just enough. And the best part about every novel with in this series gives you something different than the last. Beautiful Bastard gave you hot passion erupting from fast talking hot heads, Beautiful Stranger gave you deliciously playful creativity and discovery, and with Beautiful Player...well I really can only think of one way to put it...you get the BUILD UP!!
The way author-duo Christina Lauren developed the sexual tension and growing affection for the H/H was just about hotter than the actual intimacy scenes! It was so topsy-turvy from the previous novels where they just threw you straight into the flames and hope you like the burn, but with Beautiful Player this was like being slow cooked on simmer until brought to boiling...and you know what...I LIKED IT!!!! I liked it ALOT!! Bravo Christina Lauren for doing something different and doing it well. This slow march up the incline gave you the chance to really develop a fondness for the characters and appreciate the friendship that bloomed into so much more, but all the while you are still on the edge of the seat anxious to meet the peak! I applaud the authors as well as the narrators. Grace Grant was great as usual and Mr. Sebastian York (makes growling noises) well that deep rasp can go ahead read the phone book to me and I will happily listen to every word.
Bottom line:
USE CREDIT NOW!

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Sweet and Touching

Revisado: 09-18-13

This young adult novel was pretty good. It was very sweet and heart felt. Depending on your upbringing, seeing into the "secrets" of Ella and Micha will either reach out to you in a way that soothe your own wounds and maybe settle conflicts within yourself; or give you a window into what that can be like for a young person going through some of life's greatly unfair tragedies in life and how that can mold someone. I liked this novel mostly because the main characters overcame and grew from the obstacles they were faced in by realizing their love from one another. Their unconditional friendship and force-of-nature passion for one another melting and mixing together to create this unbreakable bond is quite beautiful to witness. The only thing that kept me from giving this novel 5 stars is because to me this novel feels very real, which is good, but is lacking the details of reality. Ya know? To me the core of this story is based within real life, it isn't like similar novels that have impossible situations/places/people, but looses its credibility by lacking details in the past and present background. You are might agree or disagree, but either way its worth the credit to find out for yourself. ;)

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Fan-Freaking-Tastic!

Revisado: 09-18-13

This was just what I needed! I was stuck in my book club's monthly selection that was slow and not picking up the pace, so I stopped that audio to try and find something adventurous, fun, hot, and juicy...you know something you can sink your teeth into? I found it all right here! Adventurous enough to have my adrenaline still pumping, so much fun my cheeks still hurt from grinning, Hot to the point of beating the heat of this Louisiana summer, and so juicy I can feel it dripping off my chin! Mystery Man makes into my top 10 of contemporary romances, maybe even top 5 but that's to hard to narrow down. This novel has it ALL ladies and gentlemen...you will laugh out loud in the middle of the grocery store, have you crying and with a baffled husband cause he doesn't understand why, make you so mad the kids will wonder what they did wrong, and have you so hot and bothered you wish you hadn't started listening at work! All of that was true by the way, if you couldn't tell, because once I started this audio I COULD NOT STOP! I was not able to with the way the author just tosses you into the story and you are gripped from the dang prologue! I could go into detail as to why I LOVED EVERY SECOND of this book but then I might go on forever so just TRUST ME on this one guys...Our heroine is a total day dreaming girly girl but incredibly lovable, our hero is infuriating yet perfect Alpha Soldier (Don't you just love a good drool worthy soldier?), and all supporting characters were amazingly well rounded bringing a lot of great humor and realistic qualities to help you relate to this sometimes out-of-this world story. This whole novel is well rounded in fact, with high voltage action, comedy, hot romance, and just the right amount of heart break before it wraps up so nicely it makes you sigh because it was wonderful and now its over. I will definitely be re-listening to Mystery Man on a day when I can't make up my mind on what to move onto next, and YOU should get your first listen on RIGHT NOW,credit or no credit, this one is worth your money!

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On the way to Greatness

Revisado: 09-06-13

Sometimes a great book is nearly ruined by a bad ending, and sometimes an OK book is made great by a fantastic ending. The latter is what happened with this particular novel. I applaud Miss Evans for her great talent for sensual detail, this woman has a great ability to make her readers/listeners literally feel and experience what her heroine is going through along with a way of building suspense, sexual or otherwise, is quite astonishing. But I hope she has paid attention to the reviews for editing the sequel because the only thing that kept me from giving this novel 5 stars was the excessive insight to Brooke's head and her bodily reactions to Remington. I always prefer audio books but even if I was recommending this to an avid reader I would say, "Don't read it, listen to it, because otherwise you might not make it to the WONDERFULLY INCREDIBLE ending!" As a listener over a reader I have the choice to tune out the long winded parts and check back in when this brilliant romance takes off again, and I reiterate, at its core this story is a BRILLIANT ROMANCE. Brooke is strong and willful and at times made me laugh out loud during this intense plot, and Remington....Oh Remington...ladies he really really makes this book worth your while, please trust me. I'm married but wish I could still meet a man like him because the way his character is portrayed just makes me want to know him. My hopes for the second novel is to learn more about the Alpha Hero, Remi, and that Miss Evans spends more time with her awesome supporting characters rather inside Brooke's head. If you are interested in something steamy, tantalizing, and heart wrenchingly suspenseful go ahead and use credit/buy now, despite this novels small flaws its worth knowing what it means be someone's REAL.

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