hatbox121

okay

Revisado: 11-02-24

An audio book has several facets that can make or break it. The characters, the story, the narrator, the production, and so on.
The story and characters are okay. Don't get me wrong. The worldbuilding is cool and why I keep listening. But the characters can easily get annoying and sometimes, the story itself makes me want to roll my eyes.
The biggest issue I have with this series is the narrator. It's like she's reading to kids. All of the over dramatic, on the verge of crying, fake voices stuff reminds me of circle time or bedtime stories. It's very annoying. I'm not saying emotions shouldn't be conveyed, but this is over the top. Half of the time, she sounds like she's just finished a bawling fit, all while she's reading about the store or some silly thing. Just very annoying.

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Good story BUT.....

Revisado: 06-10-24

I will be so glad when/if Fressia leaves/dies/grows up. I am not doubting the author's chosen path or saying I wish it were different. It is the author's tale, after all, and not mine. That said, I'm beyond tired of Fressia's childishness and indecision. She's hypocritical, naive, and has no desire to understand the man she claims to wish to marry. I dislike her greatly. If she were a real person, she is one I would avoid.
Im tired of several characters' childishness as well. These people are supposed to be in charge of a new kingdom at war and they constantly act like a bunch of high school freshmen. War means death and hard decisions. Yet, even when their lives are in danger, they whine because their chosen king had to kill someone to save them.
Other than that, I enjoy the book. I love Res and am pleased with the growth he has shown. (I just wish others could grow so well)
The story is interesting and has kept me entertained. That's saying something considering how much I dislike several characters. I'm just hoping Fressia and Mous(however it's spelled) either grow up or get gone.
The narrator does a great job as usual. Clear character voices, no production issues, etc.

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if you like...

Revisado: 01-20-23

If you want something with surprises or anything unique, look elsewhere.

If you like to predict the story before it happens, get this. If you like insta love, get this. If you like books where people stop to have sex twelve times a day during a crisis, get this.

I ended up skipping half of it because it was either daddy kink or dom kink or ugh again? kink and was still able to predict the end. Zero surprises and mostly sex loosely cloaked in a basic plot. If that's your jam, you'll like it. If it's not, find a different book.

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hmmm

Revisado: 08-22-22

Because this is a cozy mystery set, I had some expectations and went in knowing not everything would be reality based- and I'm not talking about the witchy stuff. Most CMs that I've read are kind of loose on research and thats ok. I don't mind. I didn't expect a great and deep love story or historical accuracy. I expected some shallower characters and a cute mystery. Just a nice easy read.
That said, there was a lot that gave me pause here. To fully disclose myself, I stopped part of the way through book 3 and I'll explain why in a few.
One of the head scratchers was when the FBI guy was going on about permits for guns. I let that inaccuracy go because I figured that could have been a world building aspect since there are witches and such. Obviously it isn't exactly like real life so maybe Lee changed some laws to suit her. So I plowed on. (And no. You don't need a permit to own a gun. You need one in some states to carry concealed. You also need one for specific antiques or listed guns. A revolver though? pass a background check and pay for it and you can carry it home.)
Then, when we got to book 3, along came a head scratcher that I couldn't ignore. Suddenly, the town drunk became a business man and ghosts who had disappeared suddenly maybe did, maybe didn't disappear. Continuity errors bother me to no end, especially when those errors contradict the last paragraphs of the previous book. 2 min read would have kept that error from happening.
Another big thing that bothered me was Bay's fainting spells. Lee has never fainted nor known anyone who has. If she did, she wouldn't be so blithely putting her MC into comas and giving her brain damage scenarios. If someone you know faints and you can carry them home, then wait hours for them to wake, please please call an ambulance. They have serious brain problems and need medical attention asap. A fainting spell lasts seconds, not hours. Poor Bay has major brain damage now.
There were other issues but those were the most bothersome to me.
Now, on to the characters. The moms are pretty stereotypical and that's fine. The aunt is pretty funny but also what youd expect. The cousins are fine. Thistle is mean, though. Always so cranky and sometimes downright hateful. But that's fine for a story. I don't have to hang out with her irl.
Bay and Landon, though....whew. Sometimes I forgot they were in their 30s. They snip like children. One expects the other to divulge their deepest darkest secrets and they haven't even been on a proper date yet. They play silly games avoiding each other and expect the other to be ok with that. They argue about silly stuff instead of dealing with the gun wielding kidnapper. I mean, is he really FBI? Cause my teenager has more control of himself and more sense in a dangerous situation. Landon flips between popular guy in HS to mean guy in HS and back again. Bay acts like theyve been married for 50 years and he's left her instead of knowing each other for a week or so. I know, I know. It's a CM. Still.
Finally, another thing that bothered me was the plethora of adverbs. They did everything goofily, irritatingly, wildly, quietly, and so on. They couldn't just say something. It had to be said mysteriously or angrily. They had to walk quietly or clumsily. When they glared, it was irritatingly or explosively. Adverbs aren't bad but when I'm hearing a -ly every fourth word, it's very noticeable.
The stories, plot wise, are nice. The second one was interesting and I liked the inclusion of the ghosts in the first one. Not sure about the third because I just had to quit after Bay slammed her boss's door and stomped out of his office after meeting with a cousin's dad and having a silly argument with both. Who rounds on their boss and asks them 'why would you do this to me' because the boss asked you to meet with an advertiser? Even stomping was included and I just couldn't play along with the 5yo tantrums any longer. I know CMs can be OOT but sheesh.
So, bottom line is that this wasn't my cup of tea or tequila or scotch. It could have been. The mysteries were clear and fun enough but I couldn't get over the characters' tantrums. It might well be your thing though so consider giving it a try or checking out the sample.

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ratings....

Revisado: 08-01-22

I'm of two minds on this. I have continued the series because 1) I got them on sale some time back and 2) a lot of people seem to love it. I'm trying to figure out why.
I do enjoy the world building. It's fairly complex while making sense. I like the details.
The narrator bothers me. This is purely subjective because she does read according to what she sees. That can't be argued. What I don't like is the dramatic ways she does some of the text. It's cringey at times. I also don't like the speech impediment she gives herself in places. It doesn't continue throughout so it isn't a medical issue(which I would never make fun of or count off for-this is something she does on purpose for the sake of making the voice distinct I guess).
I didn't have as much of an issue this time with feeling like I'd skipped something when I hadn't.

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Deciosns decisions

Revisado: 07-27-22

I keep getting stories that I'm not sure how to rate. This is one in a series of such books.
First, let's discuss the narrator. This is such a subjective thing. For me, she did fine, but at times, I wondered if she had an impediment. Other times, I didn't hear it, so I figured it was stylistic. I wondered if she had a retainer or something often. I can't place the off sound but there was something that made me wonder more about that than the story.
Which brings me to my problem. Often, I felt like I'd missed something. The story would be happening but I didn't know how we got there. Some things were a little convenient but that's okay. I had trouble remembering who was who because I didn't remember when they showed up. And I did listen to the whole book. It wasn't like I skipped around. Maybe I just didn't pay attention well enough but I don't usually have this problem.
Overall, I did enjoy the world building and concept so I'll continue on to the next book.

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seems alright to me

Revisado: 07-26-22

maybe some slight spoilers but nothing that's not in a bunch of other reviews.
I've seen a lot of people complaining about the narrator change. Pretty strange and self important if you ask me. Scott Brick does a perfectly good job, so it's not a big deal to me.
Now on to the actual story. I've seen plenty complain about this story being out of character for the imaginary character of Jack. I don't agree. One review mentioned the money brick being one of those things and I don't get that. The whole purpose was to get money to help someone else, so of course he's happy to find it. They mention the death count. What was he supposed to do when two mobs and crooked cops are involved? Leave the old guy to be killed later? That seems more out of character than killing people(which he's done before).
I just didn't see the problems other people did. My wondering was more with the waitress than anything else. She seemed a little too okay with certain things and a little too competent in certain things for a waitress. But it's entertainment so I went with it.

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I knew better

Revisado: 07-24-22

I gave the story a 4 star rating but I had issues. I'll explain below.

Likes: I'll start with what I liked. Child's writing style is nice. He does repeat things too much sometimes, but that's not a big deal to me. The storyline flowed and didn't have inconsistencies or mixed up names or anything like that. It was easy to follow and overall enjoyable.

Dislikes: Here's where I knew better. I usually avoid stories about pain meds mostly because the authors never really know anything. They use what they see on tv and call it a day. Which can be fine for some. It's entertainment after all, not a non fiction lecture.
But as someone who has actually slapped on a fentanyl patch every three days for the past 10 or so years, I cringe at all the wrong. Maybe he chose white boxes as a way to not make any particular manufacturer angry...but they aren't really all white. They're white and blue or white and red or white and orange. Boxes come in sets of 5, not 20. I grew up in a household ot addicts and have known plenty that ended up as one. Some of the descriptions of the addicts in the story seemed a little too cookie cutter, a little too TV-esque.
Note: The tale of ending up addicted before leaving the hospital does happen, certainly. But it is also used a lot in fiction as a.....I'm not sure what the purpose is, honestly. My suggestion to everyone and anyone is this: If you feel painless after surgery or an injury, tell your dr to lower your meds. If you feel good after surgery or an injury, lower the dose. If you're floating, lower the dose. Pain management should never take away 100% of the pain. That is never the goal of a good, ethical doctor. It should never be the goal of a patient. The goal should be manageable pain levels, not pain free levels.
Maybe this is a sensitive subject for me because even with the hoops I jump through to get the legal script of fentanyl patches that I use responsibly, I still have constant pain. It is a huge ordeal to get them legally because my dr is responsible and follows the ever growing list of regulations imposed because of people who want to feel good and pain free. I now have to spend extra to keep narcan around and pay for drug tests every time I turn around and I refuse other pain meds when I could actually use them(such as after a root canal or herniated thoracic discs). I feel for those who become addicted, but most of us who are on pain management for actual reasons and who don't dream of a pain free life don't become addicts. So, if you feel "good", your dr is giving you too much and it's on you to be responsible and advocate for your future health. I know it's complicated, and I know blanket statements rarely cover everyone in the bed.
Why go into that? Because it feels like fentanyl is the new coke-a fun prop for tv bad guys. It's a trend in entertainment and it shouldn't be.

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3.5?

Revisado: 07-22-22

Honestly, I'm not sure what to rate this story. I went with a 4 because it wasn't a bad story....but I had issues. But maybe those were just "me" issues, so I chose 4. I'll explain my issues below.

First, I'll begin with narration. Overall a fine job. A few moments where it was overly dramatic but nothing that bothered me too much. She has a pleasant voice.

Now to the meat.
1. It does contain a couple of obvious errors. So obvious that I wish the narrator had fixed them even though I know they have to read exactly what they're provided. It wasn't overwhelming and there weren't a ton, but the few it did have were glaring. Still, I expect a couple, even when I'm reading/listening to BIG name authors. It happens to everyone so I didn't count off for that. Just wanted to note it for those who can't deal with any errors whatsoever and assure those who can deal with them that there are minimal occurrences.
2. The characters were pretty fleshed out. I enjoyed some of the banter and rolled my eyes at other parts. That I know is a me thing, so I didn't count off for that, either. I'm not all that young and don't really lust over people I just met, so I don't connect to that sort of thing. It seems to be commonplace language in most similar novels, so I assume it reflects real life people. Of course, there was the typical "I can't" moments one expects in a romance, which also garner an eye roll from me because it is so predictable at this point.
3. Speaking of predictable, this is where I had my biggest problem. Before the story really even got started, I knew the "plot twists". As soon as they mentioned the obstacles, I already knew who was what and what would occur. Zero surprises anywhere. I could have stopped as soon as they mentioned Ren's reason and I would have ended with the same result as I did after listening to the full thing. Foreshadowing is cool. Twists are great. Making it obvious is not so good. And that's where I had trouble deciding how to rate it. The plot is coherent but it's also laid out from the start. I read the blurbs for the next book and I can already guess what happens there, so I won't be using a credit. I've read super obvious books before, of course, and with some, Ive even gone on to purchase the rest of the series. But those had something else that kept me with the series. Whether it was a character or a world build, Ive felt compelled to continue. I don't feel that here, so I'll be stopping at this point.
4. Writing styles are varied, and different readers enjoy different things. If you prefer authors like Jordan or Tolkien, you might not like the easier style of this one. If you like more modern UF sort of things, check out the sample and see. I like a varied collection of styles, so I had no issues with the style.
5. And finally, if I had to pick a favorite character, I'd have to go with Tink. Pretty sure he was put in for a good bit of comic relief and I do like a fun sidekick(usually more than the MC).
Overall, I'd have to say that if you're looking for something unique or surprising, look elsewhere. If you want a story similar to those in the same category, give it a try. Some enjoy reading familiar books that vary little, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just not one of those people.

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3.5

Revisado: 02-17-22

I'm torn. On one hand, I liked the story. On the other hand, I could have loved it.
Though littered with very common tropes, I enjoyed the overall plot. I even liked the characterizations. Casteel is a lovely grey character and Poppy has her moments where she is quite fun. The story is easy to follow and the writing style is nice. A lot of the dialogue is fun and it flows rather well(although the amount of times stabbings are mentioned was excessive imo). The narrator is pleasant to listen to.
Where it lost points from me was in the redundant conversations, the numerous I-hate-him-but-also-lust-after-him-is that bad? moments, and the excessive(imo) spotlight on how she's a virgin(or not) and oh so very shy but also not because shes quite bold and wanton but debates if that makes her bad but also really likes sex now. By the next to last spicy scene, I was like Ok I get it already, just do it and go already. I mean, the scenes are described well enough without being crude, so if you enjoy having numerous scenes in a book, then you'll probably enjoy them more than I do. Just be warned theres a lot of "I shouldn't want it but I do, but I shouldn't, but he's very hot" sort of inner monologue for a lot of it. I don't feel that's a spoiler as that seems to be a common thing in this sort of book(which frankly, irritates me. as if the woman needs to be ashamed and unsure to justify her desire, like it absolves her of some sin or something).
I do feel the Poppy at the end of the book has grown so that will keep me reading through the next book. Character growth is a thing and the char needs to start somewhere less than perfect so they can grow. Poppy started as very, very uncertain and naive and prone to taking on guilt. She doesn't stand up for herself, at least not outright. By the end, she's made progress, which is a very good thing and one thing I look for in a book.
So I don't know. It had its problems, but I do want to see what happens next, so I will continue. I'm giving it a 3.5. I'd rate it higher but it does fall victim to the seemingly ingrained ya tropey type things that annoy me. I suppose that's partially on me for reading a book that sounded so YA, but it was suggested so I gave it a try(and that meant graphic spicy scenes means it shouldn't be YA, right?). But then again, the I'm a hot, wanton virgin with excessive Catholic guilt/shame but also don't care bc oh abs trope really should die, so...
The narrator, one of the biggest make or break choices of audiobooks, was well chosen, I thought. She has a pleasant sounding voice and injects emotion when called for. I liked her accent choice for Casteel and she remained consistent as far as I remember. Once or twice, I felt she made a weird choice, but again, that's just personal preference so not knocking anyone for that. I would listen to more of her work if the blurb interested me. So, great job here. (Also, this book is not so complicated that audio is a bad platform. Some books are so overarching and have so many characters, it's easy to get lost while listening. This is not one of those. You can definitely drive or clean while listening and still know what's happening.)
Anyway, this is one of those books where I think readers will either love it or not and it will all come down to simple personal preference. It won't be writing style or plot holes or anything similar that makes ppl not enjoy it. Just you like it or you don't. So, if you're on the fence, grab a sample and see what you think.

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