SmithFamily
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The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay
- De: Nicola May
- Narrado por: Penny Scott Andews
- Duración: 8 h y 10 m
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Rosa Larkin is down on her luck in London, so when she inherits a near-derelict corner shop in a quaint Devon village, her first thought is to sell it for cash and sort out her life. But nothing is straightforward about this legacy. While the identity of her benefactor remains a mystery, he - or she - has left one important legal proviso: that the shop cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it. Rosa makes up her mind to give it a go: to put everything she has into getting the shop up and running again in the small seaside community of Cockleberry Bay. But can she do it all on her own?
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Joe, Jacob and Josh all in one book?
- De SmithFamily en 03-02-25
- The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay
- De: Nicola May
- Narrado por: Penny Scott Andews
Joe, Jacob and Josh all in one book?
Revisado: 03-02-25
All the 'J' names don't help when there are too many moving plot points. I've had mildly negative feelings about this book since I started it. Penny Andrews is a narrator I try to avoid, but that wasn't the problem here. It's that there is not one likeable character. Rosa is a good time party girl with a rough background--a perfect character to begin with--as long as there is some development along the way. I'm on Chapter 46 and there have maybe been some glimmers of change in her but not much. Ditto the other characters. Some are just outright disagreeable. The ones who aren't are just mildly likeable.
All of the elements of a good story are here: gorgeous, seaside location, an orphaned main character who's single, and a mystery inheritance. Unfortunately, the unlikeable charters, lack of character change in the arc of the story, some clumsy plotting with too many elements topped off by the voice of this narrator make this sadly, a disagreeable book. Not sure if I'll try another by this writer. A development editor might be transformational here.
As far as the narrator is concerned, I don't know if Rosa's voice is Penny Andrews' natural speaking voice or not. I'm guessing not, as she does a good job with some of the characters. Rosa sounds like a silly Valley Girl--not a thinker and of questionable intelligence.
At least there's a cute dog!
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Close Knit
- A Novel
- De: Jenny Colgan
- Narrado por: Eilidh Beaton
- Duración: 10 h y 31 m
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In the northernmost reaches of Scotland, where a string of little islands in the North Sea stretches towards Norway, lives Gertie MacIntyre, a proud island girl by birth. Her social circle is small but tight: family and friends, particularly the women in her knitting circle. In the whitewashed cottages of their hometown, everyone knows everyone, and the ladies of the knitting circle know more than most. In a place of long dark winters and geographic isolation, the knitting circle is a precious source of gossip, home, laughter, and comfort for them all.
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Such delightful characters
- De Kristyn Rose en 09-07-24
- Close Knit
- A Novel
- De: Jenny Colgan
- Narrado por: Eilidh Beaton
Great characters, plot and narration!
Revisado: 02-08-25
Love this narrator--perfection! I enjoy Jenny Colgan's Scottish novels. Characters are complex with just enough quirks to amuse. Humor is always there, again just enough. She also does an excellent job bringing the Scottish landscape--both human and natural--to life. Will listen again I'm sure!
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You Belong with Me
- A Novel
- De: Mhairi McFarlane
- Narrado por: Olivia Vinall
- Duración: 9 h y 20 m
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She found The One. But when everyone wants him, can she keep him? Edie found true love. And on Christmas day, he’s knocking at her door. Elliot Owen is handsome, charming and basically Hollywood royalty. And, he insists, madly in love with Edie Thompson: an ordinary citizen with tomato soup stains on her coat. It’s going to be complicated. Edie will have to learn how to live in the limelight, but they’re just too good together not to try.
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I didn’t realize this was book 2
- De Ashley Nootnagel en 12-20-24
- You Belong with Me
- A Novel
- De: Mhairi McFarlane
- Narrado por: Olivia Vinall
Something odd about the narration.....
Revisado: 01-20-25
I think this may be a good story, but I can't tell. I couldn't figure out why I could not get caught up in it and finally reached the conclusion that it's something about the narration. I wish I could put my finger on it. Maybe not enough inflection in the reading? Not enough variation in tone and rhythm? Seems like the narrator isn't interested or engaged herself. (I listen to audiobooks constantly and have more than 3000 in my library.) Very disappointed.
Update: I just listened to the first book in this series--yes, backward, I know--and it was an entirely different experience. Much, much easier to get engaged and to follow. Different narrator. I still can't put my finger on just what it is about the narration that ruins this novel for me. It feels rushed and as though some words or ends of sentences are almost "swallowed."
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Murder of a Mermaid
- A Redmond and Haze Mystery, Book 11
- De: Irina Shapiro
- Narrado por: Alex Lee
- Duración: 7 h y 46 m
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The discovery of a young woman’s body drifting down the Thames, her hair adorned with flowers and her legs wrapped in blue silk like a mermaid’s tail, presents Lord Jason Redmond and Inspector Daniel Haze with a puzzling new mystery. Who was she, why was she murdered, and what led the killer to leave her body displayed this way? Was it an act of love, meant to make the victim appear beautiful in death, or was there a more sinister reason?
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Terrible Narration
- De Shannon J McGee en 05-13-23
- Murder of a Mermaid
- A Redmond and Haze Mystery, Book 11
- De: Irina Shapiro
- Narrado por: Alex Lee
Different narrator!
Revisado: 11-20-24
Like this series. The previous narrator was just about perfect, a challenge when main characters are from different countries! This new narrator just doesn't fit, especially for Jason's American accent. The narrator's accent is all over the place regionally. Just doesn't work at all.
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Into Deadly Storms
- DI Sara Hirst Series, Book 2
- De: Judi Daykin
- Narrado por: Galena White
- Duración: 9 h y 14 m
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Detective Sara Hirst has moved from London to Norfolk Police's Serious Crimes Unit. Under the brooding skies of North Norfolk, Sara faces her toughest case yet and finds that great beauty sometimes conceals great violence.
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I wish I had listened to a sample first...
- De Sarah en 01-04-25
- Into Deadly Storms
- DI Sara Hirst Series, Book 2
- De: Judi Daykin
- Narrado por: Galena White
Terrible narration!
Revisado: 10-27-24
Can't do it. Narration is a cross between childlike and chipmunk. Very unfortunate, as the first book gave me hope for a great new series.
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Last Breath
- A Cavendish & Walker Novel, Book 5
- De: Sally Rigby
- Narrado por: Clare Corbett
- Duración: 6 h y 59 m
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When a murderer leaves a familiar pink scarf as his calling card, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker is forced to dig into a cold case, not sure if she's looking for a killer or a copycat. With a growing pile of bodies, and no clues, she turns to forensic psychologist Dr. Georgina Cavendish despite their relationship being at an all-time low. Can they overcome the bad blood between them to solve the unsolvable?
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Intriguing crime, frustrating relationships
- De A. Percival en 04-28-21
- Last Breath
- A Cavendish & Walker Novel, Book 5
- De: Sally Rigby
- Narrado por: Clare Corbett
Simplistic and obvious
Revisado: 09-07-24
Simplistic and obvious. Perhaps the intended audience is....I don't know, maybe people who don't often read and/or don't interact with others very often. I prefer books that do not spell out the minutiae of character's obvious thoughts.
The narrator does a nice job.
Not for me.
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A Wish for Winter
- De: Viola Shipman
- Narrado por: Nancy Peterson
- Duración: 12 h y 2 m
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Despite losing her parents in a tragic accident just before her fourteenth Christmas, Susan Norcross has had it better than most, with loving grandparents to raise her and a gang of quirky, devoted friends to support her. Now a successful bookstore owner in a tight-knit Michigan lakeside community, Susan is facing down forty—the same age as her mother when she died—and she can’t help but see everything she hasn’t achieved, including finding a love match of her own.
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Not for me
- De TON en 01-24-23
- A Wish for Winter
- De: Viola Shipman
- Narrado por: Nancy Peterson
More complex than most of this author's books
Revisado: 06-09-24
I listen to Shipman's books mostly because of the Michigan settings. Usually the sweet, over-the-top language is barely tolerable, violating "show don't tell" constantly, grating on my ears. While the overall story in this novel was predictable, that's not a problem for me as long as the characters are realistic and well-developed. In this Shipman novel I found more complexity than in "her" other novels, which was much appreciated.
A number of reviews mention being put off by the element of religion, but that's to be expected in a Shipman novel. If it's a big problem, find another author.
I hope this new complexity is a taste of things to come.
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Paul McCartney
- A Life
- De: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrado por: John Lee
- Duración: 13 h
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The best-selling author of the definitive biography of former Beach Boy Brian Wilson offers new insight into the life and music of Paul McCartney, one of the world's most popular and influential musicians. Informed by new, exclusive interviews with friends, bandmates, and collaborators, the book describes McCartney's many triumphs as well as his failures, from the Beatles era through his decade with Wings and his subsequent solo career.
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Great...But
- De Diego en 05-02-10
- Paul McCartney
- A Life
- De: Peter Ames Carlin
- Narrado por: John Lee
Like the feeling....
Revisado: 04-09-24
There are some inaccuracies here, but it's clear that Carlin's intentions are good. The thing I had the biggest problem with were the atrocious accents of the narrator. Really awful.
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A Cottage Full of Secrets
- De: Jane Lovering
- Narrado por: Rose Robinson
- Duración: 7 h y 57 m
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Fifty years ago, newlywed Stella is relishing making the little cottage a happy home. But for all the lovingly handmade curtains and the hot dinners ready on the table for her husband, Stella’s dreams of married life jar painfully with the truth. Fifty years later, the cottage is a new beginning for Tamzin. Determined to get away from her previous life, she makes the move to the wild and vast Yorkshire countryside. When Tamzin finds a sepia photo of a woman, Stella, standing in the cottage’s garden, there’s a sadness in her eyes that Tamzin recognises.
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Great depth and complexity, excellent writing
- De SmithFamily en 03-23-24
- A Cottage Full of Secrets
- De: Jane Lovering
- Narrado por: Rose Robinson
Great depth and complexity, excellent writing
Revisado: 03-23-24
This is the best new-to-me book I've listened to in a long time, and I listen A LOT. Yes, the DV is tough, but it's quite realistic. (I'm a psychotherapist and a fiction writer.) The fox was a clever and touching device to advance the story, as was the setting. Both added a tiny touch of magic! Highly, highly recommeded! Narration is perfect. I would so love a sequel!
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Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses
- De: Carole Matthews
- Narrado por: Julia Barrie
- Duración: 12 h y 26 m
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Christie Chapman is a single mum who spends her days commuting to her secretarial job in London and looking after her teenage son, Finn. It's not an easy life but Christie finds comfort in her love of crafting, and spends her spare time working on her beautiful creations. From intricately designed cards to personalised gifts, Christie's flair for the handmade knows no bounds and it's not long before opportunity comes knocking.
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Usually love Carole Matthews but....
- De SmithFamily en 02-04-24
- Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses
- De: Carole Matthews
- Narrado por: Julia Barrie
Usually love Carole Matthews but....
Revisado: 02-04-24
This story had great possibilities. Unfortunately, the personality of the heroine completely spoiled it for me. By about 1/2 way through I was listening in astonishment at her selfish idiocy. Seriously. There are two hours left, though, so maybe she'll finally use the brain I've seen glimpses of. Even her seeming generosity and care of her son is selfish. It's all about her, though I'm sure she'd be astonished to hear someone say that.
On the other hand, the narration is great!
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