The Curious Otter

Excellent 2nd installment!!

Revisado: 10-17-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Absolutely loved Nea and Kayden. You get a hint of their interaction from Book 1, Knightmaster, and it just carries into this book and so much more. The over arching story was fun and action filled, as expected from Author Anna Hackett, but the character development was really nicely done without it feeling forced. Already listened to this twice, And looking forward to another listen of this in a couple months. 5stars.

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Deserves lots of recognition!!

Revisado: 05-04-22

amazing and original SciFi story! absolutely loved every bit of it.

The narrator did such an excellent job bringing this book to life too!

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Fun Plot. Beachy Chick-lit. Romance is backstory.

Revisado: 07-17-21

First time trying out a Lily Chu book. I loved the premise of the story and idea so I had high expectations for this especially considering its getting a lot of media attention for it. Why wouldn't it? Asian cultural characters narrated by the Hamilton Broadway star, Phillipa Soo.

The story was cute and it was fun to see how Lily Chu was going to pull the plot off while maneuvering all the little obstacles life throws at you. Lily did an excellent job portraying the asian characters and culture which also doesn't overpower the story.

Gracie is going to be either a hit or miss with some readers. For me personally, I didn't feel like she had a backbone, which is fine, but halfway through, I'd expect to see some growth. Lets just say personal growth was very slow going. This book also reads more like a Chick-lit. Lots of inner thoughts from Gracie to the point that it was a bit too long at times or unnecessary. It only accentuated her indecisiveness and lack of confidence. The only time you ever see her with some confidence are times Gracie converses with her close friend Angelie, and supporting cast characters, Sam and Fong Li. Was it because of the way Phillipa narrated Gracie? Possibly. There were certain expressions that made Gracie sound aloof. But the other areas, Phillipa did an excellent job narrating those emotional scenes..

Sam and Fong Li were two very likable characters. They were given adequate book time and had a lot of their own personality and characteristics shine through each scene. I fully enjoyed these two characters.

As for the Romance part.. I'd say its subpar. There was no chemistry between Gracie and Sam, and when you finally get to the (minimal) romance part, it was unbelievable to me due to the lack of chemistry. Heat level was 1.

Overall, I felt this story/audiobook could have been 3hrs shorter, the romance could've have been increased a bit more, and I would've really liked to have seen more growth from Gracie. Still a fun listen if you're looking to try something new.

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esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

Enemies to Lovers Tropes are so fun!!

Revisado: 06-11-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

If an Author can pull off a good Enemies to Lovers trope with a well executed banter and sass between the two main characters, then you have an automatic winner of a book. I loved Saxon and Gia more than I expected. We got a tease of them in Book #1 of the Norcross Security Series, The Investigator and the tension felt between these two characters carried right into The Troubleshooter. Fun level, High! Heat level, Smokin'! Supporting cast, always a pleasure! There was a scene where Gia's actions got me scratching my head a bit, and Saxon was a bit possessive alpha-male at times, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book, and I give it a solid 4.5 stars. I'm already looking forward to a re-listen of this book. Stella Bloom, one of my all time fav narrators, always does such a brilliant job, and Teddy Hamilton does really knows how to portray Alpha Males in this series.

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Thankfully the 'Player' factor isn't the focus.

Revisado: 06-11-21

This is my 2nd Louise Bay book and I'll mention that I was very skeptical about this book for 3 reasons. 1) I did not enjoy the first LBay book I read. 2) The fact that Nathan is known to be a bit of a 'Player'/Playboy turns me off. Thumbs down to those tropes. 3) The narrative is First Person POV and many romance books of this View usually end up a bit too monologue-y and self-centered.

BUT I was very pleasantly surprised by how much fun I enjoyed this book. Shane East and Clare Corbett did a wonderful job narrating Private Player. Nathan and Madison are both driven but with heart which make them likable. The way Louise Bay writes Madison discovering things about Nathan was a nice touch as we get to learn more about Nathan in the same manner. Excellent supporting cast!! I love Nathan's brother Jacob (Hope he gets a book). And the whole 'Player' factor is mute as we discover it doesn't even really apply to the book except an overall forced issue by Nathan's company. Be warned, there's a small scene of a trope that irritates me but there's a lead up to it and its not surprising things turned out the way it did at one point. But I didn't expect the outcome of it all afterwards. I let go of the trope, and believe the overall romance and story deserve a solid 4stars in my books. I'll definitely try more Louise Bay books in the future.

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Character driven story. Excellent conversations

Revisado: 06-11-21

I picked up this book for 2 reasons. I enjoyed Emily Henry's first book Beach Read a lot, and I love Julia Whelan.

Now for the review. I can see where all the low ratings come from. This is a very character driven book about discovering yourself, discovering things about your friend, exploring, and experiences. All the meanwhile enjoying the build up of a slow burn romance. So if this is not your cup of tea, then maybe its not for you.

I for one enjoy well written Romance books, so I had a feeling after reading Beach Read, I'd like this one just as much. Emily Henry has a way of writing that makes you smile with every witty conversation that Poppy and Alex share. I thought her creative way of re-telling their friendship from the beginning of all those summers ago, was brilliantly executed and engaging. I had read this book in 30min increments as that was the length of my commute to and from work, and I was always eager to dive right back into the story. I'm not one for reading about other & ex-partners being involved in the main couple's story/buildup of their romance (I despise books where Authors do that for drama's sake), but in this story specifically, it made sense and worked due to the fact of WHO Poppy and Alex are character wise. It also wasn't invasive to Poppy and Alex's overall connection and helped explain all the why's and when's. By the end I am left wanting more of Poppy and Alex and as another reviewer mentioned as well, I miss them already!!
Narrator, 5star performance as always by the magnificent Julia Whelan. Story gets a 4.5stars. There was a slight lull somewhere near the middle of the book. Romance heat level I'd say is a 2... and I'll admit.. I wish it was a 4!!! lol. Because Alex and Poppy!!!! Can't wait for Emily Henry's next book and hopefully also narrated by Julia Whelan! Loving this Duo.

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Fun for fans. Lots of monologuing.

Revisado: 05-04-21

I received this for an honest review. This is my first Kylie Scott book and I can see the appeal for her writing for some fans. Look, straight up, If you're a fan of Kylie Scott, I think this book is right on point for her style and you'll probably really enjoy another one of her stories. Our two main characters, Anna and Leif, are decently likable as well, and accurate for the typical 26yr old and 31yr old respectively. (I might be a bit off for Leif's age, but its just over 30). My non-spoiler thoughts below.
What I liked: The concept of the story. The supporting cast. The Narrator. And Leif was a pleasant surprise considering he's NOT your typical Alpha-hole Male that looks like he'd be part of an MC Gang. Leif takes away from the stereotype and I think many fans will consider him a top Hero.
Things I didn't like: There was way too much monologuing from Anna's pov. It was to the point of repetitive. And I wasn't a fan of the long winded banter. I think If the conversations and scenes were cut by half, or even 30% shorter, you'd feel like the story might actually move along. This could also be a style of writing I'm not used to as I know there are a lot of people who enjoy Kylie Scott's writing/books.
Overall Thoughts on this Audiobook: Would I recommend this book? Yes I would, but to specific readers. If you're a fan of Kylie Scott, I think you would thoroughly enjoy this book. It has some cute scenes and like I mentioned above, Anna and Leif are fairly likable and relatable. Narrator Andi Arndt does another amazing job, but her vocal range for supporting cast is limited and may be a bit confusing while listening.

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A vast array of characters that entertain thruout!

Revisado: 07-04-20

I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I fully enjoyed Pretty as a Picture, as I don't read too many books in this genre. But it shouldn't come as a surprise as it's read by my all time favourite narrator. Julia Whelan brought Elizabeth Little's Pretty As A Picture so much life. I honestly don't think anyone else could've have done this audiobook justice.

ELittle gave us a perspective not many people get to see or understand. This book isn't for everyone. if you can not connect with the main Lead character early on, you could find yourself wanting to urge Marisa forward. But that was the whole point. The narrative explains things in ways that open your mind to someone else completely. I for one personally enjoyed everything Marisa had to say or feel. I could connect on certain levels for example, if you're an introvert or socially awkward, you'd probably beable to connect with Marisa a lot easier and enjoy the book to its full extent.

The air of mystery was a really fun aspect, and all the pop culture talk was highly entertaining as well.

This was a really fun read and I would recommend this to everyone. Please begin this book with an open mind and an understanding of a character that isn't just like everyone else in the world.

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esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

Much anticipated Book #7 Finally here!!

Revisado: 06-17-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Axel and Nat finally get their book!! I love how each story has their unique backstory and premise. This one no differs from past books. Highly enjoyable. Another 5 stars for Anna Hackett and Stella Bloom. Fan-Freaking-tastic!!

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House of Rone fun!

Revisado: 05-16-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I was really interested to see how this dynamic would work! If you've been following along, this is Book #4 of the House of Rone Series. Without giving away spoilers, I think the full cast of characters really helped elevate Simone and Toren's book. I enjoyed it and can't wait for Guard and i think the last of the Series book to be released.

If you've stumbled on this review, I highly suggest starting with either Book #1 of House of Rone, or going to the Original of the Series Galactic Gladiators (Gladiator by Anna Hackett) where it all began.

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