women’s fiction

3.5/5 The Handfasters: Lowland Romance by Helen Susan Swift

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, historical, romance, women's fiction , ,

Narrated by Seylan Baxter

Run Time: 6 hrs and 18 min

Summary:

As an old lady, Alison tells her love story to her grandchildren.

Additional Comments:

  • Predictable but decent. I enjoyed the end twist.
  • The story moved pretty slowly. Not one bit of action happened until about the last hour of the audiobook.
  • Since it’s written as if Alison is telling the story, there’s quite a bit of breaking the 4th wall as she directly addresses her granddaughters. Most of the side comments were amusing, but it kind of dragged out a tedious tale.
  • I’ll be the first to admit romance isn’t my first genre choice. Guess I’m just used to there being more danger than her cousin running off with the first handsome fellow to look her way.
  • It’s got a lot of reviews, so there’s certainly a market for this sort of thing.
  • Content warning: A few awkward scenes where one or the other character walks in on the other naked.
  • I liked the narrator’s accent.

Conclusion:

Relatively clean romance.  If you can get around the proper lady this and proper lady that stuff, go for it.

Audiobook Promotions:

25 of my 34 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you.
The newest aren’t yet listed on AU. Never Again (mystery, suspense) and Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi). You’d have to email me for those codes.

Spirit’s Bane (Guardian Angel Files Book 1) – fantasy
Kindred Spirits (Guardian Angel Files Book 2) – fantasy
Violence in Vegas (Eagle Eyes Book 1) – not relisted yet; mystery
Rescue in Reno (Eagle Eyes Book 2)
Danger in Dallas (Eagle Eyes Book 3)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.

Check out my other titles available on Audiobooks Unleashed:

Beyond Broken Pencils – contemporary, literary
Shadow Council Combo (Books 1-4) – mystery; no more US codes
The Individual titles are available but not yet listed on an ad site
SC 1: Money Makes it Deadlier
SC 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter
SC 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos
SC 4: Treachery Makes it Tense
Short stuff:
Innova – Christian Dystopia
The Golden City Captives – short fantasy
Fatal Interest – short mystery/thriller

Eagle Eyes – mystery thriller

Scratched Off – mystery, thriller; FBI agent vs serial killer, more intense than Shadow Council/Eagle Eyes

Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy

The Collins Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 1, Christian mystery
The Kiverson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 2, Christian mystery
The Davidson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 3, Christian mystery

Other titles:
5 Steps to Better Blurbs – for authors
5 Steps to Better Audiobooks – for authors and narrators
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – for chem students

Audiobook Reviews 4.45/5 Love Built to Last by Lisa Ricard Claro

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, contemporary, romance, women's fiction , ,

Narrated by Pam Dougherty

Run Time: 10 hrs and 6 min

Genre: Romance

Summary:

Four years after her husband’s death, Maddie Kincaid is still reeling, but she moves on enough to hire a carpenter. Enter perfect male specimen who’s sweet, good with his hands, and available.

Additional Comments:

  • Content Warnings: Contains some casual cursing, some scenes that go a hair beyond sweet kissing but not quite to describing the deed, and at least one scene that semi-glorifies getting drunk to the point of senselessness. (That didn’t make sense to me given the characters past and more recent history with drunks…) All that said, it’s a relatively clean romance book.
  • Contained some great bits of humor.
  • Narration worked very well. Narrator had a great voice and distinguished the characters well.
  • Main Characters 4/5: Maddie kind of ticked me off sometimes, just because of stupid assumptions she makes and conclusions she jumps to. My very limited time in the romance genre tells me that’s a normal trope though. Caleb’s perfect, so unrealistic but nice.
  • Side Characters 4/5: TJ’s adorable but also perfect. The dog pirate is carefully flawed, ugly but lovable. Rena (or was it Brena – sorry, I couldn’t quite get spelling from the narrator’s rendition of the name) is by far my favorite side character. At the point where I was wanting to slap the main character, she had some very choice words for her that satisfied that need. Jack’s lingering ghost (not literally; it’s not that kind of story; his presence) got tedious.
  • Dialogue sounded realistic!
  • Side characters had plenty of character to add flavor to the mix.
  • Jack’s last message which I shall not reveal fit the story well, but is also unlikely to have happened. People might keep notes around, but they don’t obsess to this degree over a stranger.
  • From the numerous references to the Braves, I’m guessing this is set in Georgia. So, I suppose the misguided baseball adoration can be forgiven.

Conclusion:

Highly recommended if you enjoy romance stories. Even if you don’t, you may like this sometimes overly sweet Southern tale of love.

Audiobook Promotions …

If any of the links are broken (not sure what’s up with Audiobook Crave as of 3/7/20), please email me your interest in the book, I’ll see what codes are left.

Feb Promos on Audiobook Crave.com (requires email sign in):
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry
Spirit’s Bane (Guardian Angel Files Book 1)
Kindred Spirits (Guardian Angel Files Book 2)
Violence in Vegas (Eagle Eyes Book 1)
Rescue in Reno (Eagle Eyes Book 2)
Danger in Dallas (Eagle Eyes Book 3)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.

Check out my other titles available on Audiobooks Unleashed:

Beyond Broken Pencils – contemporary, literary
Shadow Council Combo (Books 1-4)
(Alternately, the individual titles can be found on Audiobook Crave
SC 1: Money Makes it Deadlier
SC 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter
SC 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos
SC 4: Treachery Makes it Tense)

Eagle Eyes – mystery thriller

Scratched Off – mystery, thriller; FBI agent vs serial killer, more intense than Shadow Council/Eagle Eyes

Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy

The Collins Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 1, Christian mystery
The Kiverson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 2, Christian mystery
The Davidson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 3, Christian mystery

Other titles on Audiobook Crave (but buried deep):
5 Steps to Better Blurbs – for authors
Innova – Christian Dystopia
The Golden City Captives – short fantasy
Fatal Interest – short mystery/thriller

2/5 Sins of Summer by Linda Heavner Gerald

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, contemporary, romance, women's fiction ,

Narrated by Kathleen Li

Run Time: 6 hrs and 2 min

Summary:

(Narration was fine, story had some serious sense issues.)

A rather complicated, convoluted tale of a woman who was abused as a teenager, grows up to marry a cheater, and finally finds the strength to stand on her own (with a friend, of course).

Additional Comments:

  • Plot 2.5/5: The series of events falls in the average range. There’s a twist at the end that simply tells you the scatter-brained omniscient narrator has been unreliable this whole time.
  • Dialogue 2/5: Highly stilted and overly formal. Didn’t sound realistic at all.
  • Writing Mechanics and Word Choice 2/5: Awkward and bizarre. As a friend put it, you’d almost have to listen twice to get heads and tails of what the heck is happening. Part of the confusion might just be the medium. This may not have been a great book choice for the audio format because there’s no indication of section breaks. Consequently, you get random characters doing their thing then end up hearing a completely different set of characters in a new situation quite regularly.
  • Characters 2.5/5: Nobody’s likeable. Everybody has an excuse for their bad behavior. Most of the husbands beat on their wives or cheat because that’s all they know or that’s just the way life works. (Their fathers must have been a poor example.) Their behavior is bizarre too. This woman barely meets a guy and is throwing herself at him with abandon because he’s so sweet. (Maybe there are women that stupid, but after being mentally and physically abused by her husband to the point where she basically goes into the equivalent of witness protection … I would hope the character earned a few bits of sense from her horrific experiences.)
  • Side commentary: Not sure I can get behind the subtle messages in here either. When things are going well, the young women are put together and skinny and attractive. When things spiral out of control, they let themselves go becoming fat and unattractive. Part of getting on the right track is working their way back to attractive bodies.
  • The last fifth of the book takes a weird Christian turn. Let me be clear, I’m a Christian. I have zero issues with such themes being included in a book, but it was odd to have most of the book have not one hint of Christian themes and then boom everybody’s getting right with God.
  • Kathleen Li does a decent job with the narration, but as usual, I had to speed it up to reach a comfortable listening pace.
  • Content Warnings: a lot of talk of violence and rape. Nothing’s described in great detail, but there are quite a few really disturbing scenes, including one where a character dang near gets beaten to death on top of sexual abuse. Some language.

Conclusion:

If you like complicated tales of revenge and redemption, this is a candidate for you.

Audiobook Promotions …

Feb Promos on Audiobook Crave.com (requires email sign in):
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry
Spirit’s Bane (Guardian Angel Files Book 1)
Kindred Spirits (Guardian Angel Files Book 2)
Violence in Vegas (Eagle Eyes Book 1)
Rescue in Reno (Eagle Eyes Book 2)
Danger in Dallas (Eagle Eyes Book 3)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.

Check out my other titles available on Audiobooks Unleashed:

Beyond Broken Pencils – contemporary, literary
Shadow Council Combo (Books 1-4)
(Alternately, the individual titles can be found on Audiobook Crave
SC 1: Money Makes it Deadlier
SC 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter
SC 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos
SC 4: Treachery Makes it Tense)

Eagle Eyes – mystery thriller

Scratched Off – mystery, thriller; FBI agent vs serial killer, more intense than Shadow Council/Eagle Eyes

Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy

The Collins Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 1, Christian mystery
The Kiverson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 2, Christian mystery
The Davidson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 3, Christian mystery

Other titles on Audiobook Crave (but buried deep):
5 Steps to Better Blurbs – for authors
Innova – Christian Dystopia
The Golden City Captives – short fantasy
Fatal Interest – short mystery/thriller

Awesome Movies 5/5 Stars: Unplanned – Haunting and Powerful

Julie Gilbert Based on True Story, drama, women's fiction , , , ,
General promo image, found on Google.

*Spoilers coming in discussion; more after ads*

Summary:

If you read the synopsis or saw the trailer for this movie, you know what’s going to happen. In that sense, it’s like the Titanic. I tend not to like those kinds of stories. Abby Johnson’s journey from clinic director and champion of Planned Parenthood to Pro-Life Crusader is both powerful and haunting, regardless of which side of the debate you fall on.

Additional Comments:

  • Not sure which details changed and how, but they at least told a coherent story. 
  • They definitely pulled some film making stunts I am not a fan of. Started with a point from 3/4 of the way in then backed up to tell the rest of the story as flashback…8 yrs ago sort of thing.
  • Music was mostly tasteful and excellently paired with scenes. But the discordant, painful to hear violin notes during the part where she had the chemical abortion falls in the cheap-tricks-I-don’t-appreciate category. I get it, but it still stunk.
  • Lady who played Abby certainly had to cry a lot. She pulled off the performance pretty well. Some of the others were a tad less polished, but overall the acting earned 4/5 stars.
  • Opening weekend and probably for awhile there will be only pro-lifers seeing this. That’s fine. It can still do good. Love it or hate it, a LOT of people are going to have an opinion of it. Funniest sad review was 1/2 star saying they refused to see this rubbish. Do people not realize they only put their ignorance on display when they do stuff like that?
  • Definitely going to be a polarizing movie. Cliche as it might be, yes, they are preaching to the choir here, but I am not sure that has ever been done on this topic. My favorite review was by a pro-choice lady challenging others to go see this and test their beliefs. Don’t blindly pick a side because it feels right in the moment. Know what you believe and why

Who should see this?

Youth groups, high school students, college Christian fellowships, anyone ever considering an abortion, die-hard pro-choicers, etc.

It’s only in “select” theaters, but they’re definitely there. I saw it in an AMC. I know there are several other AMC’s that also have it, though it might not be all of them.

Why is it Rated R?

It’s rated R because there is definitely disturbing content. That’s probably the most blood I have seen in a movie ever (because I don’t do stupid slasher movies). It’s all tastefully handled but the details about abortion alone are enlightening and disturbing. I think there is one curse word.

Is it approved for teens?

Definitely.

Conclusion:

Go see this movie. Then, go find a friend and see it again.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.


OR

*Spoiler Alert*
Where did I cry?

I have never cried so much at a movie. First off, I’m a sympathetic crier, so if somebody is crying, I tend to tear up too. Second, wow, this is powerful stuff.

I don’t remember the 5-7 times I cried during this movie, but here’s what I recall:

  • When they are praying over the canisters of medical waste (all the aborted fetuses)
  • When Rhonda’s mother was pleading with her not to abort her baby … and Rhonda was striding into the clinic with her 4-5 year old.
  • When Abby wrestled with the 22,000 abortions she helped with/felt responsible for during the course of her career.
  • When they portrayed the abortion itself. That scene is essentially in the movie twice. Once at the beginning and once where it should be in the timeline.

Audiobook Reviews 4/5: The Countess Intrigue by Wendy May Andrews, narrated by Julie Hinton

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, regency romance, romance, women's fiction , ,

Summary:

Lady Elizabeth Castleton sneaks off to a dark corner for a private chat with Lord Justice Sinclair. They’re busted, of course. And the ninnies around them have nothing better to do than gossip, so Sinclair fibs that they’re engaged. That sets the poor girl into a tizzy because of the rumors Sinclair killed his first wife.

Additional Comments:

– If you’ve read the blurb, you have about 80% of the story.

– Elizabeth’s obsession with the rumor that Sinclair had something to do with offing his first wife go from interesting to “lady, get over it” quickly. She clings to it until about 15 minutes before the end of the audiobook.

– It would have been better if there was more of a mystery for her to solve, but that’s probably just my proclivity and preference for mysteries coming forth.

– Characters 4/5: They’re typical regency romance fodder. Daughter of a rich guy with a mother obsessed with marrying off her youngest child well. Rich guy in wont of a wife.

– Romance 4/5: Squeaky clean, as promised.

– Narration 4/5: Solid performance by a great narrator.

Conclusion:

If you’re a fan of clean romance or sweet regency romance, then this book is for you.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.


OR

Black Friday Giveaway and Clean Reads Book Sale

Julie Gilbert Family, freebies, Kindle books, mystery, Reader Resource, suspense, thriller, women's fiction, Writing, Young Adult , , ,

 

Hey,

Check out this big Black Friday sale. There are over 150 titles available and they are all either $.99 or FREE!

There are also a long list of paperbacks for sale at incredibly discounted prices as well! And the good news is they are all clean reads! Be sure to go check out this amazing sale here.

(If you’d like any of my titles discounted in paperback, you have to email [email protected] … I think my website only has like 2 listed at full price.) I do sell series at a discount. That’s not specific to this sale.

Enter to win stuffs too. (Grand Prize winner receives 20 paperbacks and the 2nd place winner gets 20 e-book titles)

You can sign up for the giveaway here.

Fine Print: The giveaway runs from November 22nd till November 26th @12AM ET Grand prize open to US winners only. 2nd place prize is open Internationally.

Not quite ready to jump right in?

You Could Win These 20 Paperbacks … (Grand Prize)

Leandra’s Enchanted Flute by Katy Huth Jones

Mythical Doorways by Jenelle Schmidt

Faith is the Victory by Faith Blum

Kiera by Kate Willis

Because Anonymous Diana L. Sharples

After: Book One in The Neverway Chronicles by Savannah Jezowski

Specter: Book Two in The Neverway Chronicles by Savannah Jezowski

Eagle Eyes by Tammy Lash

London in the Dark by Victoria Lynn

When Beauty Blooms by Victoria Lynn

Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset by Sarah Ashwood

Iced and Nailed by Avery Daniels

There Was Always Laughter in Our House by Sarah Holman

Bridgers: A Parable (paperback) by Angie Thompson

Love Blind (paperback) by Angie Thompson

Code by Angie Thompson

Christmas Eve at the Backdoor by Rebekah Morris

The Seven Drawers by Kendra E. Ardnek

He’s Making Diamonds: A Teen’s Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness by Sara Willoughby

You Could Win These 20 E-books … (2nd Place)

Beyond Broken Pencils by Julie C. Gilbert

Ashlynn’s Dreams by Julie C. Gilbert

Gather Round the Fables by Erika Matthews

The Case of the Tabloid Tattler by Perry Kirkpatrick AudioBook

The Twelve Cats of Christmas by Perry Kirkpatrick Audiobook

Coffee Shop Christmas Ebook by Ryana Lynn Miller

The Land of Cotton ebook by Ryana Lynn Miller

Entertaining Angels, Entertaining Angels Book 1 by Emerald Barnes

Secret’s Kept by Jennette Mbewe

The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue

Soldier On by Vanessa Rasanen

Burning Rose by Hope Ann

Iced and Nailed by Avery Daniels

Imani Earns Her Cape by Bokerah Brumley

October by J. Grace Pennington

Disowned by Sarah Addison Fox

My Compass Home by Michaela Bush

Summer Shadows and Necessary Evil by Killarney Traynor

Check out the whole sale. Most are discounted as ebooks and/or paperbacks.

Convinced yet?

ENTER NOW.

 

 

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

If clean thriller is more your thing, try Scratched Off (New Release): FBI agent Samuel Kerman takes on a serial killer.


OR

Audiobook Reviews 4/5 Stars: Written in Blood by Rebecca Deel

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, contemporary, romance, suspense, women's fiction , , ,

 

 

Typical Romantic Suspense

(I’ll try to keep this relatively spoiler free.)

Narration provided by Kristina Fuller Yuen

Summary:

Megan Cahill is a news editor who happens to be in the dark park to meet her friend when that friend is murdered. The killer knocks her cold, giving the lady nightmares. So, of course, she provokes him at every turn, daring him to capture or kill her. I know it’s fiction, but the way the murder went down isn’t very realistic. It would have been more realistic if the killer had tried to off Megan in the beginning and simply failed instead of letting her live.

Additional Comments:

– It’s a 3 star story with nice narration. The characters are distinguishable. The editing’s pretty smooth.
– Plot 3.5/5: There are some events that have nothing to do with the murder mystery, which I appreciated. Despite the lack of a true twist and an end sequence worthy of a low budget movie, complete with cheesy confrontation between the villain(s) and our heroes, it’s a satisfying story. Happily ever after is achieved. There is a good amount of action along the way.
– Writing Style 4/5: There’s decent flow to the work.

Main Characters 3.5/5: I like that the author tried to give the police guy a backstory that was deep and full of tragedy, but it felt forced. Megan’s spitfireness got annoying too. There’s usually a line between aggressive, bold, and stupid. I could totally see her being dumb, but then owning it and being contrite.
– Side Characters 4/5: I got a tad confused about who each of the side characters were, but they were fleshed out enough to make them feel realistic.

  • Not sure the title makes much sense to me. Or the book cover, but they fit the genre well enough.

Side note: The whole “she’s an identical triplet” thing was mentioned several times, but never really meant much. The main character confesses to being worried for her sisters, but it would have been nice if they were in it a little more. I have not read the others in the series, so I don’t really know them well enough for cameos to be sufficient.

Favorite side character: the old lady Megan hires to do some part time writing.
– It’s formula writing, but the formula works. She’s in danger. He protects her. They’re in danger. They protect each other. He’s got a painful past. She’s stubborn. They overlook each others’ flaws and fall in love. The end. Who’s ready for the next?
– Would I read/listen to another story by the same author? Sure.
– Would I listen to the same narrator? Certainly.

Second side note: If you liked this story, then you would probably like Choices Veil of Secrets (It’s an app with “free” stories, though to make all choices you’d have to buy game currency). I’ll write more about those later.
– Who would I recommend the book to? Fans of the genre. If you like romantic suspense, then you’re not going to be surprised by anything in here, but it’s a relatively fleshed out world with varied characters.

Conclusion:

Romantic suspense fans should be pleased with this. You might get the most out of the series if you actually start from the beginning, but it’s perfectly understandable jumping right in here.

*I received a copy of the audiobook, and I chose to review it.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.


OR

Audiobook Reviews 4/5: Broken Branches by Brenda M. Spalding

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Author Resource, ghosts, Paranormal, romance, women's fiction , ,

 

Narrated by Eliza Wethers

4/5 Romance Mystery with Hints of Paranormal

*mild spoilers possible

Summary:

Megan Calloway loses her grandmother in a tragic accident. After going to her gran’s house to hold the funeral and close out her affairs, Megan’s not entirely convinced it was an accident. Mysterious things are still happening around the house.

 

Additional Comments:

  • Characters (3.5/5 stars): They’re believable, if somewhat ridiculous. Amanda and Zach were kind of superfluous.
  • Plot (3/5 stars): Have these people never heard of a locksmith? First break-in, okay, scary, but do the instinctive but stupid thing of investigating. Second break-in, what part of first one didn’t sink in enough to say, “hey, probably should change my locks?” Third break-in, really? Also, the costume party was an excellent addition to the plot, but the actual costumes people picked were painfully cliché in a few cases, which I won’t name to avoid spoilers.
  • Romance (3/5): I’m not a big romance fan, but I would have bought the relationship a whole lot more if it didn’t begin during this book. Even if it had started a few months before the opening, it would have made a lot more sense. Do people really meet and sleep with somebody in 24 hours? I mean when they don’t intend it as a one-night stand.
  • Narration (4.5/5): Good distinction between characters. Great accents.
  • Content Warnings: There are several adult scenes that don’t quite fade to black. That would place this on the very edge of being what I’d consider clean. A few curses worked in at appropriate points (at least they’re not flung about just for the heck of it.)
  • Paranormal aspects seemed out of place. They popped up at sporadic points around the book, which was otherwise very normal. Some people will find that charming. Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite books are paranormal and genre mixing can be great for a story. Still, I found it odd here.
  • Don’t think the cover fits very well. It’s got too many literary vibes, not enough paranormal.

Conclusion:

If you like romance/mystery mixes with bits of paranormal, this is the book for you.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.

Romance and mystery your thing? Check out The Kiverson Case. (A pair of FBI agents have it out with a man who likes to play games.)


OR

4/5 A Simple Favor – Dark, Funny, Twisted

Julie Gilbert drama, Movie Reviews, thriller, women's fiction , , ,

This is the official movie poster.

 

Summary:

On the surface, a simple case of a worried single mother trying to find her missing friend. Deeper, full of twist and turns and secrets that make the story quite a soap opera.

Aside: I liked Henry Golding better in Crazy Rich Asians. He’s still good here, but his character is less likable.

This is a movie with a simple title and very complicated setup.

 

Additional Comments:

– The three main actors/actresses, Anna Kendrick (Stephanie), Blake Lively (Emily), and Henry Golding (Sean) all did stellar jobs through the ups and downs of this story.

– Odd genre compilation: It’s super dark one minute and light and fluffy the next.

– Story 4/5: I did enjoy most of the twists in the story. I liked that it kept you guessing.

– End 3.5/5: The text that simulates true story documentaries was kind of a cliché touch. The text itself didn’t take itself seriously, but I think there are like 40 seconds of black screen with text about the “where are they now” stuff.

– The two young actors who play Nicky and Miles are adorable…and handled their roles well. Still (soap box moment for me) I’m not a fan of any movie that has a 5/6 year old portrayed dropping f-bombs. That’s just sad.

– Dark comedy: The movie contains quite a few moments of dark humor.

– Content Warnings: Definite for adults. This one dropped so many f-bombs within the first few minutes and sustained that pace throughout. There are some adult scenes, relatively tastefully presented both in flashback and current state of being.

Conclusion:

Not my usual fare, but interesting to watch once.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

If you’re looking for slightly cleaner and a different kind of twisted, check out Scratched Off. An FBI agent squares off with a serial killer. New Release!

Try Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts.

Audiobook Reviews 4/5 stars: Blue Hydrangeas by Marianne Sciucco

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, drama, Reader Resource, romance, women's fiction , , , ,

 

Summary:

Jack’s struggling to take care of his wife. She has good days and bad days. On good days, she remembers who she is, where she is, and what she’s doing. On bad days, she could end up anywhere in a panic because her mind’s being blasted to bits by an awful disease.

Additional Comments:

– The narrator’s performance did the story justice.

– Plot (4/5): Nothing that happens seems out of the ordinary for the situation. I’m sort of used to books with more murder and mystery, but it’s still a touching story.

– Characters (4/5): Jack and Sara are a lovely couple. There’s not much information about what they did before retirement. They ran their home as a bed and breakfast. He did some sort of business in a city. She’s an artist. Who’s Emily? Not terribly clear on the rest of who’s who in their family. As I understand it, Derek and Jesse are the grandsons, their father is David, who is Jack and Sara’s son. David’s wife is Anne. I think that sums up the major players.

– Flashbacks: I’m not a fan, but one probably couldn’t really tell such a tale without them.

– The descriptions of Jack’s struggle to care for Sara are touching.

– The crisis that the family’s in over the disease seems realistic.

Conclusion:

A different kind of drama than I’m used to, but heartfelt nonetheless.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.

 

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