Helen Gibson

Perfectly Imperfect Romance

Revisado: 05-13-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

First, I must start off by saying I am a huge Jay Northcote fan; I swear I don't think he can write a bad story. I actually read IH a few years ago and fell in love with Rhys and John. It was so nice to revisit these two and listen to their story being told. I prefer easy, low-angst romance and a May-December romance is one of my favorite tropes; IH delivered perfectly.

Mark Steadman does a wonderful job narrating; he added such depth and emotion to a heartbreaking, yet sweet love story. His voice is so soothing, his accent delicious, and his pitch and cadence is perfect. He has perfect timing and rhythm and delivered every emotion succinctly without over the top dramatics.

Rhys and John have both lost partners to tragic deaths and that alone is enough to break your heart; add in the age gap and all the uncertainties and insecurities that come with that (especially when you are the older partner) and you have a great storyline. Walking through the retelling of each of their losses with them is a combination of sadness, sorrow, and heartbreak; but it was also beautiful to see the love blossom between the two through their shared love of music. Watching John wrestle with and accept loving a younger man was so real and authentic; but Rhys, with his steady voice of reason is what made their relationship solid and kept John from making them both miss out on a second change at love. Rhys is the steady hand and love that John needed and his love helped John overcome his insecurities.

This story is a reminder that no matter our loss or our age, love can still find us if only we would open our hearts to it.

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Love this series!

Revisado: 10-21-20

This is one fantastic series from one of my favorite authors. Long Shadow continues with the story of Niall and Mat, who we met in Book 1 Conspiracy Theory. This book continues with small town sheriff Mat and ex-detective Niall and their developing friendship/relationship. These two are great together; the chemistry is so obvious. If you enjoy romantic suspense with strange mysteries, sexiness, hotness, and low angst try this series. The story is told from dual POVs, which I love, and it aids in getting to know the characters better. The plot and mystery are both interesting and well executed.
The narrator Michael Dean is so good and does a wonderful job; he has a nice, clear voice that helped me visualize these guys perfectly. MD makes you actually "feel" the emotions flowing through both men and that makes the audio so much more riveting. I read book 1 and listened to book 2 in audio and MD's narration really brings the story to life for me. His performance is so good I now want book 1 in audio!

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Loved this story!

Revisado: 04-04-17

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The narrator, Ramona Master, does an excellent job. Having already read the book I was excited to listen to the audio version and I was not disappointed. I have recommended both the book and the audio version to my fellow reader friends and will definitely listen to more by Ms. Master.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Evan won my heart, so he by far was my favorite character. I felt his pain, sorry, his feelings of emptiness and loneliness. And yet, I knew from the very beginning that he would have a heart full of love and kindness and gentleness. I was right!

Which scene was your favorite?

Although I cannot explain it, the prom night scene when Evan's little brother was injured has stuck with me. I felt everything Evan felt in that moment and even later as he blamed himself and just kind of resigned himself to his fate since he felt it was all his fault.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My emotions were all over the place with this book. It made me laugh and cry; it made me angry and it made hope for a love unmarred by the ugliness of life. The pain and heartache from both Evan and Jo are so poignant and real I ached for both of them as I walked with them through their journey.

Any additional comments?

This book has all the feels!! It is a beautiful story of sorry, loss, sadness and the redemptive power of love; the right love. I absolutely loved it!!

I received a copy of this audiobook for an unbiased review.

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Great narration

Revisado: 03-16-17

What did you love best about Tied Together?

I enjoy a good second chance romance and this one almost does everything right. I enjoy stories about relationships built from genuine friendships and this one fits. Ryan was out and proud; Brandon was shy and closeted, but they found a way to build a solid friendship.

If you’ve listened to books by Z.B. Heller before, how does this one compare?

This was my first ZB Heller book and although I liked most of the book, the internal monologue of MC Ryan was just silly. The cast of supporting characters fit well with the general theme and angst of the book. I love HEAs and HFNs, so this book was a good read for me. I already have the second book in the series and will read it soon.

What about Derrick McClain’s performance did you like?

Derrick McCLain does a fantastic job with his performance! This was my first time hearing him and I most definitely will be looking for more of his work. He was able to bring life to a sometimes clichéd storyline and brought the characters to life. He nailed all of the 'feels' and it make for good listening.

Any additional comments?

Although I did enjoy this book, I have personal issues with years long separations. I especially did not like the fact that the MC Ryan issued MC Brandon an ultimatum regarding their relationship (this is always a no-no). Ryan seemingly totally disregarded Brandon's struggle with coming out and for me it diluted what was a solid friendship. Ryan wronged Brandon in a big way, so I would have preferred a little more groveling before Brandon took him back so easily and after such a long separation. But they get their HEA so I'm good!

I was provided a free copy of this audio book at my request for an honest review.

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Excellent narration; good story

Revisado: 03-06-17

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would totally recommend the audio version of this book. Kirt Graves does a fantastic job with the narration. He was excellent and is actually one of the best I've listened to. Kirt provided the perfect cadence for the storyline and the pace of the storytelling. I am looking forward to listening to him more in the future and will be purposefully looking for his name when I order audio books in the future.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Murmuration?

I simply loved the scene at the lake when Mike has his moment of jealousy seeing Sean with another man.

What about Kirt Graves’s performance did you like?

Kirt's voice is so easy to listen to. He provided the right amount of tension and anxiety when needed, but transitioned well for the steamier scenes. His performance is simply perfect which in my opinion makes the book even more amazing.

Any additional comments?

TJ Klune can write; this much is true. However, this is a difficult book to review without giving away too much which would impact the joy of reading it without spoilers. While beautifully written and thought provoking, the book was intense and at times I struggled with where I thought it was going. Sometimes I found it difficult to keep up with the storyline, but that may be because I was getting ahead of myself trying to figure out what was really going on in this "too perfect town" of Amorea. I absolutely love the MC Sean; he is just so sweet and easy. Mike took a while to grow on me for many reasons, the main one being he seemed a little too stiff for me in the beginning.Overall Murmuration is a good book. It's a slow burn love story that takes place in the 1950s but without all of the insipid, shallow thinking that we normally encounter in m/m books. This book was given to me for free at my request for an unbiased, voluntary review.

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Light, enjoyable mystery

Revisado: 11-03-16

Where does Foxe Tail rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

All in all it was a pleasant enough audio. The narrator has a steady voice and does a good job switching up the different voices. The inflections were perfect for each character in how I pictured them in my mind.

What did you like best about this story?

I'm a mystery lover, so the book and story itself worked for me. However, my favorite part of the story was the relationship between Skyler (high school teacher) and his principal. The mystery centers around the murder of the principal's son and Skyler's connection to the murder. The mutual growing affection between the two was obvious and it broke my heart feeling the principal's pain. Also, there is a troubled teen in Skyler's class who is obviously suffering from some personal issues. Skyler works hard to break through the student's barriers and gains his trust enough that he opens up to Skyler, who in turn helps the student navigate through his feelings. All teachers should realize that just a little of their time and patience could forever change a student for the better.

What about Joel Leslie’s performance did you like?

I adore Joel Leslie, so I was in heaven listening to him!!

If you could rename Foxe Tail, what would you call it?

Wouldn't change it.

Any additional comments?

Although I enjoyed the story immensely, I thought some of Skyler's antics were a little too juvenile. His best friend is a detective, yet he withheld information about the murder from her and kept investigating the crime on his own. This is a particular pet peeve of mine in mysteries; I just hate it when characters are immature in that way and continue to put themselves and others in danger.The storyline itself held my interest and I really wanted to find out 'who did it and why'; I almost forgot that this was a gay-themed storyline. That being said, I will continue with the series but mainly for the mystery storylines and not the romance. The additional cast of characters was perfect; there was a little bit of everything in the friendships just like in real life. We all that one friend...........LOL.


NOTE: I was given a free copy of this audiobook by the author for an honest review.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Given the Circumstances----Baseball Yes!!

Revisado: 10-12-16

Where does Given the Circumstances rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Although the audiobook does not rate in my top "listen again" audiobooks, the book itself is a reread for me.

What three words best describe Brad Vance’s performance?

Okay, Basic, Lukewarm

While I absolutely LOVED this story, the narration did not do the book justice. The voice was too flat and emotionless at time. Also, the narrator was unable to pull off a youthful voice to carry from college into adulthood. Although the narrator has a very nice voice, I'm just not sure this particular genre was good for him to narrate. I am almost positive I would enjoy the narrator doing a mystery.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moment when Roger's father realized his son loved another boy and was gay, even before Roger told him, was the most poignant moment in the book for me. All the emotions his father went through as he saw himself when he suffered through the loss of his wife (Roger's mom) was a rollercoaster for me. I could actually feel his emotions.

Any additional comments?

This book rates at the top of my list for sports related gay love stories. I am a huge baseball fan, so this was perfect for me.The writing is strong; I like the author's style. Roger and Brian are the main characters. Roger was raised by a loving father (widowed) who supported Roger in everything he did. His love and faith in Roger never wavered. Brian, on the other hand, had a much harder life growing up with no emotional family support.Although some may disagree, I absolutely love the ending. Life does not always end in what we may originally believe to be our fairytale, but happiness can still be achieved without settling for less. This is how I felt with the HEA for Roger and Brian. It was reality in its finest form.I was given this free audiobook by the author for an honest review.

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