OYENTE

Hopelessly seeking Happily Ever Afters

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  • 275
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  • 610
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Noah and Bobbi

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-10-25

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Still Mine by Nadia Lee. The Lasker Brothers series, book 6. Dual POV. Dual narration. Second chance romance, a government contract assassin and a baker. It's listed as 11 hours 8 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 4 hours 27 minutes. Narrators Emma Wilder and Robert Hatchet both read well. I love this series!!! Content warnings: murders; secrets; and family issues.

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Bobbi Bright (aka my light) was formerly a bodyguard to the wealthy Hollywood elite. Her dream of owning a bakery has finally come true. Now she's determined to protect her heart and cut ties with Noah. Noah Lasker is the mysterious wildlife photographer who helped her when she was attacked. Noah has secrets and doesn't want Bobbi to get caught in the crossfire. In the end, they're married with 4 children.

This story has the best wedding chapter in the series so far. Bonus content available from the author. JP

2 out of 5 on my spice scale

1st read 04-29-24 (ARC); KU borrow 05-03-24
1st listen 04-09-25

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Ares Huxley and Lareina Hayworth

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-04-25

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

The Accidental Marriage by Nadia Lee. The Huxleys series, book one. eARC and audiobook review. Dual POV. Duet narration. Contemporary billionaire romance, damsel and hero in distress. The audiobook is listed as 12 hours 24 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 4 hours 58 minutes. Narrators Ryan West and Emma Wilder both read well, but Emma's pace seemed a bit faster than Ryan's, which made listening at any speed a bit off-putting. I prefer dual narration in part because it seems like it's difficult/impossible to match up the reading pace of narrators who don't record together. It did not sound like they did to me. My apologies if they did. Content warnings: abductions; child and adult abuse/neglect; two fires; both MCs are drugged multiple times; FMC's parents and grandfather died under seemingly suspicious circumstances; both MC's families are manipulating them for different reasons; and both MCs suffer amnesia.

Ares Huxley (32; lawyer) and Lareina Hayworth (29; heiress/artist) both have tragic backgrounds but find their way back to each other under unique and extraordinarily stressful circumstances. Their HEA is hard-fought and well-deserved. I look forward to Bryce's story next.

I very much enjoyed the story. For some reason, I was expecting it to be much darker. I still have quite a few unanswered questions about multiple storylines, and I look forward to discussing it openly once more people have finished reading it. JP

2 out of 5 on my spice scale.

1st read 04-02-25 (eARC)
1st listen 04-03-25

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Garrett and Teagan

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-19-25

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Butterfly in Frost by Sylvia Day. Standalone, lightly connected to the author's Crossfire series (seven years after One With You). Second chance romance. Dual POV. Dual narration. It's listed as 4 hours 48 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 1 hour 55 minutes. Annoying intro and finalé music. Narrators Emma Wilder (chapters 1-15) and Joe Arden (chapter 16) both read well. Emma whistled through her teeth quite a few times. Content warnings: child loss, depression, and broken marriage.

Garrett Frost (photographer/painter) and Dr. Teagan Ransom divorced after the death of their adolescent son. They rekindled their relationship, and while not remarried, they are back together in the end. Updates on Cary, Gideon and Eva from the Crossfire series in chapter 14. JP

2 out of 5 on my spice scale.

*listen 01-18-25

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Paul and Rachel

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-02-25

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Her Dad's Friend by Penny Wylder. Standalone. Dual POV. Dual narration. It's listed as 2 hours 57 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 1 hour 10 minutes. Narrators Lillian Claire (ch. 1–7) and Blake Richard (ch. 8) both read well. Content warnings: HOT sex scenes [@n@l l¡ck¡ng, f¡nger¡ng, and penetrat¡on; handcuffs; DP (man and toy)].

Rachael is a 20 year old college student finishing up her final semester. Her family threw her a surprise party for her 21st birthday. Paul is her dad's best friend and has been since they were in school. Paul sold his business and moved away two years ago without saying goodbye. Rachael had fallen for him a long time ago but felt he didn't return her feelings. Everything changes on her birthday. They find their HEA, she's pregnant, and they're engaged.

I enjoyed this couple's story. I was lucky enough to grab it when it was free, but I definitely recommend it as a 1-click, and it's currently available through KU. JP

3.5 on my spice scale.

1st read 11-23-20
1st listen 01-02-25

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Hudson and Alessandra

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-02-25

If you want a story you can play in the background while you're doing other things, this is the audiobook for you. If you're a detail oriented person and/or you want a story that isn't filled with plot holes, this isn't the story for you. The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks was better. Variation just added a dusting of (vanilla) spice.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Variation by Rebecca Yarros. Standalone, rescue swimmer and ballerina, slow burn, second chance romance. Dual POV. Dual narration. The cover does not fit the story. The audiobook is listed as 15 hours 11 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 6 hours 4 minutes. Annoying musical intro. Narrators Teddy Hamilton and Carly Robins both read well, but their voices are too mature for the characters. Content warnings: near drowning/water rescues (a dog and people); h's oldest sister had an affair with a married man, got pregnant, and, with the help of her mother, gave the baby up for adoption and used the baby's existence to extort a better ballet contract for her; shady adoption stipulations; h's oldest sister died in a car accident/explosion, h blamed herself with help from their mother; h's dad died from a slip and fall accident; h's brother-in-law died of cancer; h's mom had frontotemporal dementia with primary progressive aphasia, deceased in the epilogue; family secrets and betrayal.

Locations: Massachusetts and New York

Hudson Ellis (17, 28) and Alessandra Rousseau (16, 27; aka Allie) met in the water off the coast of Cape Cod when Hudson and Gavin (his brother) rescued Alessandra and Eva (her youngest sister) after their boat capsized. Hudson was training in the water because he wants to be a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard. Hudson seemingly fell in love with Alessandra instantly, but she was oblivious. Alessandra and her three sisters are young, dedicated ballerinas, and their wealthy former ballerina mother would have it no other way. They became best friends, and fifteen months later, their lives were upended when Hudson saved Alessandra but couldn't save Alina (aka Lina), her oldest sister. Ten years later, Alessandra is at the top of her career as a principal ballerina. She was injured during a distracted moment on stage and returns to Haven Cove to recover. Juniper (10) is Hudson's adopted niece, an aspiring ballerina, very intelligent, and believed Alessandra is her birth mother. A DNA test and process of elimination revealed that Juniper's biological mother was Alina. Annelli (aka Anne) is Alessandra's directly older sister, is going through a divorce after years of infertility struggles, and is now determined to discover who Juniper's biological father is. When Alessandra and Annelli find out that Eva had already discovered it was Vasily Koslov (the Metropolitan Ballet Company’s artistic director, their married boss), they have to act quickly to ensure Juniper's adoption is safe. Sean and Caroline (Gavin and Hudson's brother-in-law and older sister) adopted Juniper as an infant, agreed to never put her in ballet, and agreed never to look for her parents. Sean died of cancer, and Caroline was terrified of losing Juniper, too. Gavin and Hudson did everything they could to ensure Juniper has a happy life, but they didn't know the conditions of her adoption, so they helped her take ballet lessons. Sadly, Vasily had no issue signing away his rights to Juniper so he could maintain his reputation, marriage, and job. Alessandra's injury healed, she forgave Eva, got her job back, and broke things off with Hudson after he confessed what happened the night of Alina's death. In the end, Hudson and Alessandra are happily married, and Juniper is a ballerina. JP

Villains: Sophie and Vasily

2 out of 3 on my spice scale.

1st read & listen 01-01-25 (KU Read & Listen)

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Viktor and Blaire

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-29-24

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Beautiful Russian Monster by Odette Stone. The Vancouver Mafia series, book 2. Dual POV. Dual narration. Romantic suspense. It's listed as 12 hours 14 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 4 hours 53 minutes. Narrators Madeleine Dauer and Alex Kydd both read well. Both narrators adopted Canadian and Russian accents. Content warnings: h's parents were neglectful so her grandparents removed her from their care; h suffers anxiety attacks and claustrophobia; h's grandfather was abducted; H's friend's were held hostage until he abducted h and brought her grandfather's captors a flash drive; murders; H is beaten and sh0t; h's grandfather was murdered; and two of the main villains are murdered.

Viktor Mikhailov (33; Russian) was a sniper in the military and a former member of the mafia. His friends, Andrusha and Olivia, were abducted and held until Viktor met Drake's demands. Blaire Asterdam (26; Canadian) is an only child, a fashion buyer, raised by her wealthy grandparents, and extremely claustrophobic. Viktor is tasked with abducting her, taking her to her grandfather's ship to retrieve an important flash drive, and bringing it to Drake. Viktor and Blaire believed that Viktor's friends and Blaire's grandfather would be safe once their mission was complete. Sadly, Blaire's grandfather was murdered in front of her. Viktor feels responsible for her grandfather's death and stays away from Blaire to protect her from himself while he tries to find out who killed her grandfather. The murderer abducted Blaire and used her as bait to draw Viktor out. Luckily, Viktor saved the day. In the end, Viktor's friends are safe, Blaire and Viktor are engaged (with her grandmother's blessing), and Axel (Viktor's younger brother) knocked on their door.... Now I need Axel's story! JP

2 out of 5 on my spice scale

1st listen and read (KU) 12-29-24

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Andrusha and Olivia

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-29-24

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Dark Russian Angel by Odette Stone. The Vancouver Mafia series, book 1. This is a spinoff of the Vancouver Wolves Hockey series. Dual POV. Dual narration. Romantic suspense. It's listed as 10 hours 13 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 4 hours 5 minutes. Narrators Madeleine Dauer and Alex Kydd both read well with Canadian and Russian accents. Content warnings: v¡rg¡n h; murders; witness protection; corrupt cops; mafia territory rivalries and betrayal; OWD; H was st@bbed and sh0t; h's dad d¡ed in prison; h's mom's boyfriend accidentally sh0t himself; h sh0t two bad guys; and an attempted r@pe.

After a knee injury, Olivia Childs (23; Canadian) went from ballerina to stripper. One night, as she was leaving work, she witnessed a murder. She immediately called the police as she fled. The police wanted her to testify against the murderer but they proved they can't keep her safe. Andrusha Sokolov (Russian) runs a shipping company that caters to criminals. Andrusha saves Olivia and then decides he's the only one who can keep her safe. In the end, the bad guy is caught, Olivia owns her own dance studio, Andrusha is working for his ex's new company, and Andrusha and Olivia are engaged. JP

2 out of 5 on my spice scale

1st read 05-05-20 (KU)
1st listen 05-04-22
2nd listen 12-28-24

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Rumaki Evans

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-26-24

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Life, Loss, and Puffins by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Standalone, YA adventure novel. Single POV (Rumaki's). Solo style narration. It's listed as 7 hours 26 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 2 hours 58 minutes. Narrator Jess Nahikian read well, but her voice was too old for 13 year old Rumaki. The story was entertaining if you can suspend reality enough to believe that a seventeen year old boy and thirteen year old girl can travel from California to Canada with multiple stops stops and a diner job along the way without being caught and returned home. Content warnings: h's dad died, h's grandmother died of a stroke, and then h became an orphan when her mom died from lung cancer; non-binary seventeen year old and the judgement he faces from his father and the people he interacts with along the way; and runaway unaccompanied minors crossing state lines and international borders.

Location: California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Canada, Kentucky, North Carolina

Rumaki Evans (13; aka Ru) is a young genius. She is an only child who lives with her widowed mom, Mitzy. She has an eidetic memory and hyperthymesia. She is aware of her extraordinary intelligence. She graduated early and has been accepted into an advanced college that will challenge her on her road to earning her doctorate in hopes of working in medical research in the future. Mitzy wants her to stay close and go to a local college, but her grandmother demands Mitzy let her go. Sadly, Rumaki's grandmother passed away, so Mitzy feels compelled to honor her mother's dying wish. During a college tour, Rumaki and Mitzy are encouraged to let Rumaki stay with Paula Gulbranson and her son Gabriel Gulbranson (17). Paula has rented out her guest bedroom to students with disabilities in the past, and the college adviser believes Rumaki would feel at home with her. Rumaki earned a full scholarship, and this arrangement would be out of pocket but may help Mitzy feel more comfortable with Rumaki going to school there. They meet with Paula and Gabriel, and Rumaki wants to stay with them. Mitzy agrees to allow it. They return home and prep Rumaki for school. Rumaki begs to go a week before so she can settle in. Mitzy takes her even though she isn't happy with the arrangement. Gabriel and Rumaki become fast friends and develop a close bond. Gabriel applied to the college Rumaki is attending but wasn't accepted. Rumaki feels guilty, but he reassures her that if it wasn't her, it would've been another student. Paula is divorced, and Gabriel lives with her full time. He loves his father, but his father doesn't understand why Gabriel wears makeup and fingernail polish. After Mitzy didn't visit Rumaki and Rumaki overhears Paula trying to convince Mitzy to tell Rumaki what is going on, Rumaki asks Gabriel to drive her to see her mom. She finds out her mom is dying of lung cancer even though she never smoked. Rumaki is shocked and feels betrayed that her mom would've kept this secret from her. Mitzy's older sister, Bitsy, is staying with her to take care of her. Rumaki learns that Bitsy will become her guardian after Mitzy's death. When Mitzy died, Bitsy tried to arrange to take Rumaki home with her to Kentucky, but she and Gabriel decided to go an adventure before she went with her. They have a great time and meet helpful strangers along the way. Their adventure ends as they try to cross back into the USA at the Canadian/USA border. They're separated, Mitzy meets Rumaki and takes her to Kentucky, and Rumaki can't contact Gabriel by phone or mail. Bitsy sends her to a local collage in Kentucky until the end of the semester when she can go to a more challenging college on scholarship. She ends up going to North Carolina for college, and Gabriel finds her once he's off house arrest. He's now eighteen and doesn't plan to leave her side. They're kindred spirts and their bond can't be broken. The story is told by Rumaki to young girls, who I assume she's gained custody of, but it's unclear. I didn't like that aspect of the story because it didn't make sense to me. While the story was completely unbelievable, it was an entertaining audibook. The ebook includes ten discussion questions at the end. JP

0 out of 5 on my spice scale.

1st KU Read & Listen borrow 12-26-24

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Midnight Valentine Audiolibro Por J.T. Geissinger arte de portada

Theo (Cassidy) and Megan

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
2 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-22-24

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Midnight Valentine by JT Geissinger. Standalone. My review applies to the original audiobook released in 2018, narrated by Teri Clark Linden. Slow burn, possession/reincarnation romance. The entire body of the book is Megan's POV, and the brief epilogue is Theo's POV. Solo style narration. It's listed as 9 hours 45 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 3 hours 54 minutes. Teri Clark Linden read well, and the solo style narration fit the story (5 star narration). There is so much internal dialogue that I started to feel a bit nuts listening to it at times (2 star story). Content warnings: drunk driving; Cassidy d¡ed; Theo's car accident left him scarred, selectively mute, and possessed by Cassidy and memories of Cassidy's life with Megan; h m¡scarr¡ed; therapy; small electrical fire; brief OM drama; Theo/Cassidy is hit by another drunk driver and is in a coma for a significant amount of time before he recovers.

Locations: Phoenix, AZ, Seaside, OR, and Portland, OR

The story opens with Megan Dunn (32), a broken widow, at her last therapy appointment. Needing a fresh start, she's about to move into her dream inn out of state. She's spent five years fruitlessly going to therapy after the death of Cassidy Michael Dunn (aka Cass; the love of her life), and the miscarriage of their baby. She's leaving behind her accounting job in Phoenix, AZ, to renovate and run the Buttercup Inn in Seaside, Orgeron. On her first day in town, she sees Theo Valentine while eating in a diner. Theo was a hometown star athlete, well liked in the community, and engaged to Colleen before he was in a car accident that changed him and turned him into a selective mute. He owns Hillside construction company, is now single, and is recommended to Megan for her renovation. Theo and Megan have never crossed paths before, but Theo is openly hostile toward her for some odd reason. As the story unfolds we learn that Cassidy was killed in a car accident when a police officer who had a drink and hit them (Cassidy died at the scene), and that Theo was in a car accident on the same day. There's much deliberation about who Megan will hire for the renovation. Ultimately, Theo and his crew start work on the inn after a small electrical fire. In the end, they're together and expecting a daughter.

I don't know what to think about this story. I know most say it's a "reincarnation story," but I consider it a possession story. Theo was a full-grown man and still himself after his accident, but his mind was possessed by Cassidy's voice and memories. Theo adopted Cassidy's hobbies and began obsessively painting portraits of Megan. It was odd and made me feel uncomfortable. I do not recommend this one to my Christian or religious friends. JP

2 out of 5 on my spice scale.

1st listen 12-21-24 (I borrowed the ebook through KU as well).

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Holy cow, this was so good!!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-14-24

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Four POV. Dual style narration by for narrators. I borrowed this through the KU Read and Listen program and read along as I listened. It's a standalone in women's fiction, and I absolutely loved it. It's listed as 1 hour 19 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for almost 32 minutes. Narrators Julia Whelan, George Newbern, James Daniels, and Dara Rosenberg all read well, and I didn't notice any production errors. I do wish the narrators were introduced in the beginning along with the character's name they would be reading. Content warnings: extramarital affairs/cheating; lies; betrayal; and a baby born from an affair.

Dates: September 6, 1976 – April 30, 1978
Locations: California and Massachusetts

Carrie Ann (Hennessey) Allsop (30, 31) is a housewife who is married to booked and busy dermatologist Dr Kenneth Allsop (aka Ken/K). They've been married 10 years and, while they are trying, they don't have any children. David Mayer (37) is a high school biology teacher who coaches girls' field hockey and basketball, is married to Janet (aka J; stay-at-home mom), and the father of 4 boys (Michael, Sam, and twins Andy and Brian). David and family aren't struggling financially, but they are living paycheck to paycheck. The entire story is told through letters exchanged between David and Carrie and letters exchanged between Kenneth and Janet. Carrie wrote David after she found Janet's letters to Kenneth in his briefcase. She wanted David to send her copies of Kenneth's letters to Janet. The story unfolds one heartbreaking letter after another while David and Carrie get to know each other and unravel their spouses' affair. Eventually, Janet ends her affair with Kenneth and confesses everything to David. David chooses to stay married to her. After his decision is made, he finds Kenneth's letters to Janet and sends them to Carrie. Carrie learns this wasn't Kenneth's first affair, hires an attorney, divorces Kenneth, took her maiden name back, moves back to her hometown, and delivers a daughter (Margaret Leigh Hennessey: aka Maggie). Carrie is about to get her real estate license and thanked David for Margaret, promising to take care of her even if she nevers hears from him.

The story was both compelling and relatable. I was cheering for Carrie, and in the end, I am so happy for her even though I wish she would've ended up with David. I now wonder, 'What happened next? Did David ever meet Margaret?' JP

0 out of 5 on my spice scale

1st read and listen 12-13-24

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