romance

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

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 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.

 

Go here if you want to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease:



4 More Freebies – Grab Bag – Children’s, Romance, Fantasy

Julie Gilbert children's, Fantasy, middle grade, Reader Resource , , , , ,
Cover reminds me of old school classics.

Introduction:

We’ve moved from weird to romance. Now, let’s settle on sweet and nostalgic and romantic. Eh, life’s like a box of chocolates and all that.

Children’s Tale

He Whistles for the Cricket by Gwen Walker

I can’t make heads or tails of that title, but the story sounds lovely.

Second Chance at Love

Still Falling by Crystal Walton

Okay, so maybe there’s still a bit of romance here. They do look cute together.

A Wee Bit of Fantasy

The Movement of Crowns by Nadine Keels

The heir to a crown balances duty and love.

YA Action and Adventure

A Measure of Disorder by Alan Tucker

Goblins, fairies, dragons, and middle schoolers … recipe for interesting.

Conclusion:

Besides being free, I admit these have little to do with each other. But grab bags and randomness can be fun too.

 

Yaddah, yaddah, blah, blah – links below are associate ones.


Amazon Prime

Free Kindle Reading App

Audible

3 Free Clean Romance Stories

Julie Gilbert historical, London, Reader Resource, romance , , ,
I like the new cover.

Introduction:

I’ve been throwing weird at you. And murders. Here’s a collection of sweet looking romance stories.

Most Akin to a Hallmark Movie

Her Best Match by Tamie Dearen.

A billionaire, a matchmaker, and a meddlesome grandmother, what could go wrong?

Friends or more than friends?

Far from Falling by K.D. Garcia

Heads wrestle with many questions when hearts are on the line.

Enough Contemporary … Let’s head back in time…

Gabriella by Brenda Hiatt (Regency Romance)

A common girl and a handsome duke each get more than they bargained for.

Conclusion:

If romance is your thing, there’s bound to be one of these that appeals to you.

 

(Fair warning: There be associate links below.)

But just in case … here are yet more options


Amazon Prime

Free Kindle Reading App

Audible

 

 

Fantastic Fall Freebies and Fun Stuff

Julie Gilbert dystopia, Fantasy, freebies, historical, Kindle books, mystery, Reader Resource, romance, scifi, women's fiction, Young Adult , , , , , ,

First up – Paperbacks

Don’t miss this grand opportunity to grab some awesome books. Ebooks are lovely things, but let’s be old fashioned and pick up the real thing. Join over twenty indie authors and enter for your chance at one of 10 prize packs full of swag and paperback books. (Full details available at this site. Also, go there to check out the goods.)

8 Scifi, YA, and Fantasy Books

Official giveaway ended a couple of days ago, but I was told the offers should still be good so grab ’em while they’re hot.

7 Free Romance, Mystery, and Dystopian Books

Oh, look, preview. Technically, this one isn’t running yet, but I twisted some arms and gotcha a sneak peek. Seriously, people, if you can’t find something to love within this oddball (I mean awesome!) collection, dunno what to tell you. Pretty sure 90% of the genres are covered by at least one of these giveaways.

 

The usual litany of Amazon affiliate links.

 

Prime Student – Basically, Prime is awesome but super expensive, so if you’re a student, take advantage of the lovely opportunity to save big.

Kindle Unlimited – Never tried it, but then my personal reading time is severely limited by that the need to work for a living. Why can’t anybody just pay me millions for being cute?

Amazon Prime – Okay, so all those of use who are official adultified, here’s the real deal.

Free Kindle Reading App – Got nothing to lose on this one. Just a way to READ MORE BOOKS.

Audible – And for those of us addicted to stories who don’t have reading time, there’s always Audible.

Audiobook Reviews: An Inner Fire by Jacki Delecki

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Kindle books, Paranormal, Reader Resource, romance, women's fiction , , , ,

4/5 Stars Romantic Suspense Story with Fun Characters

Summary:

Grayce Walters, paranormal vet, gets a vision from Mitzi that Ewan Davis is in danger. He, of course, is a hot fire investigator who’s looking into a suspicious fire down at the wharf.

Additional Comments:

  • Writing quality is very strong overall.
  • The mystery itself is fairly straightforward. It’s not a police procedural or anything so the main character’s investigation is confined more to generic snooping. She does do some pretty stupid things overall, but it’s all because she loves her man … I guess we can at least understand the why of it.
  • The repeated use of strong language got tedious for me. (But I will say that the narrator did a nice job with the performance.)
  • The touch of paranormal in here was well done. I think more could have been done with the connection to Grayce’s sister, but the dreams/visions were decently described.
  • Twist at the end kind of cheapened all the character(s) did to investigate up to that point.
  • The idea of doing acupuncture on pets is intriguing. I know zip about acupuncture in general, but the descriptions sounded reasonable.
  • Fun side characters – Davis’s aunt and Grayce’s friend James are outlandish in their own ways
  • Content warnings: very strong language, adult content goes beyond the “mild” setting (I’d probably categorize it as medium level in at least 1 scene)

 

Conclusion:

Good romantic suspense/ mystery story if you can handle the descriptions of sex and the repeated strong language.

As Always …

You should still join Audiobook Readers’ Edge, but this book will not be featured in the regular list. It will be available by Matchmaker. Sign up then email me. (Devyaschildren @ gmail.com).

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

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 😉

Er, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.

Audiobook Reviews: Unexpected Superhero by Kitty Bucholtz

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, Reader Resource, romance, scifi , ,

Introduction:

Some superhero books try to be serious. This isn’t one of those times. There might be possible spoilers ahead in my discussion. I have some mixed feelings about the book as a whole. There’s a lot to love and some stuff that raises eyebrows.

Summary:

Tori Lewis discovers she has a superpower. Meanwhile, her new husband, Joe Clarke, also has a secret identity.

Additional Comments:

  • I love the pop culture references. The references include: Spiderman, The X-Files, Superman, and much more.
  • Comic books do not qualify as research.
  • Neutral:
  • Limited first person sometimes slips into stream of consciousness. In general, the amount of arghs and grrs should be kept to a bare minimum in books, especially audios.
  • The MC gets mugged twice.

What I couldn’t connect with … :

  • The genres flip quite regularly. It’s mostly a lighthearted romantic comedy set in a mildly urban fantasy setting. In addition, there are elements of Christian romance, Harlequin romance, mystery, and scifi. I happen to like most of those, but I’ll admit the blend is not always pretty. Odds are very good that either you’re going to be offended by the amount of intimate scenes described between the newlyweds or you’re going to be offended by the amount of times Tori prays or somebody brings up a Bible verse.
  • Content warning: contains curse words and “moderate spice adult scenes”
  • There’s a fair amount of very slow build. I clocked it. Tori took 7.5 hrs to tell Joe the truth, and he took about 9.2 hours to tell the truth. That’s weeks upon weeks in their time. I’ll tell him soon, I’ll tell him later, I’ll tell her soon, I’ll tell her later, well maybe … It got maddening.
  • Some plot threads get brushed off in a “that’s not really our focus as super heroes” vibe instead of wrapped up.

What I liked:

  • The narrator fit the character very well. She gave a solid performance.
  • The scifi and mystery aspects are great. I wish more of this existed.
  • I enjoyed Kane (sorry about spelling, I heard the audio) as a villain.
  • The last hr and a half was excellent. Once they leveled with each other and finally got to the exciting stuff including the showdown, it was awesome.

Conclusion:

If you can handle the “heat level” and don’t mind genres flipping all over the place, it’s an intriguing tale.

 

As Always …

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

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

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 😉

Er, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.

 

Music Unlimited

Home Services – Is there anything Amazon doesn’t dabble in?

Audiobook Reviews: Swept Up by Kayla Dawn Thomas

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Reader Resource, romance , ,

Introduction:

I don’t generally read romance so I can’t compare it to tons of other books. That said, I thought it was pretty good.

Summary:

This is a complicated book. Webster Baker and Kara Deleray meet in a very unusual way and their relationship stays cool, then rocky for a while.

Additional Comments:

– The beginning could be seen as the adventures of Web picks up the pieces of Kara. Every couple meets some way. Web almost runs over Kara with his street sweeper. The introduction of Web takes quite a bit but it’s worth it.
– Kara’s relationship with Darren didn’t exactly put her in a flattering light. Some people are probably going to have issues with her being a professor and him being a grad student.
– Romance isn’t a genre I necessarily gravitate to. That said, I’d categorize it as mild/medium heat level. It wouldn’t land on a “clean” fiction list, but the physical side of the relationship is handled with care.

– I didn’t care for the way Kara’s family was portrayed, (ie. that Christian = judgmental) but there are mitigating circumstances explained later in the story. She was a realistically flawed character.
– A plot point or two could be considered the “expected unexpected” but it works here. You’ll probably find yourself rooting for the couple.

Pros:

– The author includes some pretty heavy-hitting topics. (Alcoholism, need for love/acceptance, mental illness and it’s effects on family, etc.) All of these are also handled with relative grace.
– The main character’s struggle with alcohol is genuine, but I personally got annoyed at her a few times. This tells me that the author has some skill at creating realistic characters. Web’s a little too saint-like to be realistic, but I think that’s fitting. He’s not quite knight-in-shining-armor status, but he’s up there.
– I heard the audiobook. The narrator wasn’t my favorite, but she does a hands-down awesome job at male voices. (It might be the best I’ve ever heard from a female narrator.)
– My favorite scene by far is at the cowboy bar.

Conclusion:

Kara and Web’s journey together is a worthwhile one to watch if you enjoy romance stories.

 

Special Offer:

If you want the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge. Note, this will not be featured on the main list but it is available in the Matchmaker 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.

Take the Book Quiz; Win Stuff

Julie Gilbert Uncategorized, Writing , , , ,

So, this is gonna be a super short post.

Go here: http://www.litring.com/giveaways/ and answer a few simple questions to grab some freebies and enter to win some great stuff.

The concept is pretty cool. These questions will help you narrow down from a bunch of different genres to get you a focused list of books aimed at your likes and passions.

Go for it. You’ve got nothing to lose.

quiz-graphic