dogs

3.5/5 Stars A Dog of Many Names by Douglas Green

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure , , ,
picture from audible

Narrated by Kelly McNair

Run Time: 4 hrs and 17 mins

Summary:

A fictional account of the fears developed by a female rescue German shepherd mix.

Additional Comments:

  • Narration is 4, story is 3.
  • Performance took a little getting used to because the narrator’s voice was a tad higher pitched than I find soothing and easy to listen to, but she did a nice job overall with the story she was given.
  • The perspective narration (story not performance) was inconsistent. For example, it would say something like “the poking place” and then two paragraphs later be like “the veterinarian.” Or like “the hairy-faced man” and “kitchen.” I get it, but the level of sophistication kept jumping around like one of those beans.
  • The story started out with the family, stayed with them for a while then switched over to the dog’s perspective and stayed there.
  • Content warning: It’s clean-ish, but there was at least one scene description of dogs doing it I definitely could have done without. Some violence. A few scattered curse words.
  • Overall equal parts charming and annoying.

Conclusion:

If you want to hear a rambling tale about a dog, go for it. It’s like the gritty opposite version of homeward bound. Or the dog version of the foster kid’s crappy life journey to the loving forever home.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

Movie Reviews: 4.45/5 Stars: Stuber

Julie Gilbert comedy, Movie Reviews , , ,

*I’ll try to be spoiler free until after the ads

Summary:

An attempted takedown of a heroin dealer goes very wrong. Vic—the cop who has been after the drug dealer—gets taken off the case. The day he gets Lasik surgery to correct his vision, he gets a tip that there’s a large drop happening that evening. Since he can’t drive well, he turns to Uber to get a ride. What happens from there is one ridiculous, outlandish thing after another.

Additional Comments:

– Rated R for a reason. That reason mainly being crude language and adult content (innuendos more than anything).

– One of the funniest movies of its kind. It relies on a combination of overblown situations and comedic timing and a fantastic script. Oh sure, there are times when it’s blah-blah, touchy feely, but that’s kind of the point. The two main characters are polar opposites of each other.

– Plot twists are predictable, but intriguing nonetheless. It’s always great when a movie can pull off being predictable yet be entertaining.

Conclusion:

Pretty sure the beginning half of the script read “drop about eighty f-bombs” but aside from that, the story worked. They had to make some things quite convenient to get the plot to work, but it’s surprisingly deep for a movie vying for most ridiculous of the year.

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.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.



OR



Spoiler Section:

– Predictable Moments: Stu and Nicole ending up together. Though I will say the ugly sweaters was a nice touch. Stu jumping in front of a bullet for Nicole. Vic ending up with the dog. Vic’s boss being evil.

– Nice touches: Stu’s got an obsession with 5 stars. That’s even his license plate. Also, at the end, there were 5 stars in the Christmas wreath. The differences between Stu and Vic are huge, but surprisingly, there’s halfway decent character development from both sides.

– Funny Moments: Stu needing to pull a K turn in about 5 moves. Stu getting relationship advice from the stripper. Calling about 12 ubers to the hot sauce factory. The shootout in the vet clinic where Stu’s fighting with cans of dog food.  Stu’s assessment of the cavalry. Stu explaining to Vic how Uber works.

Audiobook Reviews: 4/5 Dante’s Gift by Aubrey Wynne

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, historical, romance , , ,

 

Narrated by Tom Jordan

Summary:

Two love stories woven into one. Present tale: A girl isn’t quite sure she wants to commit to the perfect guy because his grandmother suddenly becomes a part of the picture. Past tale: An Italian girl meets an America GI in the winddown and aftermath of WWII.

Additional Comments:

  • I’m not a huge fan of stories that bounce from the present to the past, but this was pretty well-done.
  • Choosing a male narrator for the book is a pretty bold move, but Tom Jordan did a lovely job with it.
  • Characters 4/5: They’re pretty well fleshed out, but I don’t remember their names. Dante’s the dog in the past story. That much I remember because the title didn’t make much sense until the last third of the story. I remember liking the BFF of the present day female lead.
  • The cover’s a bit busy, but it makes sense later.
  • Conflicts 3.5/5: The romantic conflicts aren’t that mind blowing, but they work.

Conclusion:

A worthwhile romance to listen to any time.

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.

Want more mystery and romance? Check out The Collins Case.


OR

Audiobook Reviews: 4/5 Polly Parrett Pet-Sitter Cozy Mysteries Collection by Liz Dodwell

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

Predictable but Charming

Summary:

A series of short cozy mysteries (yeah, there are bodies but nothing’s described in gruesome detail or anything.)

Additional Comments:

– Main character – Polly was basically Stephanie Plum lite – a clumsy disaster magnet with gorgeous boyfriend who saves her repeatedly.

– Side characters – including pets were very well fleshed out and added a nice layer to the story.

– I heard the audible version, which I definitely recommend over simple reading. Narrator did a decent job with the performance.

– I enjoyed how the stories built on one another. (Would not recommend reading the series out of order.)

– One thing that bothered me: the main character/narrator broke the fourth wall (talked to the reader; ala – “now, I know what you’re thinking” style) numerous times. Once, I get (simple mistake/stylistic choice), but any more than that is just annoying.

– Plots ended up being unique if a little “convenient” from time to time, but that’s sort of the nature of a mystery novella.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking for short, fluff mysteries with minimal curses, this is a good choice.

 

As Always …

If you want the chance to get the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge.

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Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

Audiobook Edge and it’s Matchmaker Program are completely free now, but if you wanna donate anyway, go for it 😉

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Awesome Audiobooks – Hide and Seek by Amy Shojai

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Kindle books, mystery, Reader Resource , , , ,

For all who love audiobooks …

Welcome to this series of reviews. Since starting Audiobook Edge, I have had the privilege of listening to a slew of wonderful audiobooks. I’m eager to share them with you. These are the books that will be available to you – the reader courtesy of the author or in some cases, the narrator. In this case, that applies to both since the author did the narrator herself.

*I will do my best to keep spoilers to a minimum*

Summary:

September Day’s got a past that’s catching up in a dangerous way.

Random Comments:

– I’ve not read or heard the first in the series.

– There are a few sections in here from Shadow’s (the dog) pov. I’d become familiar with the author’s penchant for such things through her Kindle Worlds story, Born to Love, so it fit fine. It adds a charming element to the work.

– Much of the story is grim as there’s clearly a stalker at work. But there are enough other sideplots to keep it light.

– The narration was decent. I’m super picky about such things and I’ve heard a lot of audios, so I could hear where some of the edit pts weren’t completely clean. They were few enough and far enough between to keep from interfering with the entertainment value.

– There was quite a bit of setup. Things were tied together in the end, but it’s on the long side, so expect to need to wade in to get the full value out of the work.

– The cover makes more sense once the story’s done. I love when that happens.

– There are some authors you would never want to be a character for … this is certainly true for Ms. Shojai. Poor September.

Conclusion:

A great addition to the world of audiobooks. This can be read/listened to without having heard the first, though I’m sure that there’s an added layer of enjoyment for fans familiar with the series already. Check this one out.

Special Treat:

If you want the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge. This book will appear in the May 7, 2017 edition of the program.

If you’re an author with an audiobook you’d like featured on the weekly list, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

For a limited time, I’m offering a fantasy book to anybody who supports Audiobook Edge.