Rebecca Lasky

not my favorite of the series

Reviewed: 11-07-22 Listener received this title free

I wanted to love Atticus and Joshua. I did. I really, really did. And a mystery? I was so there. But I couldn't seem to like or care about either of them. I found Atticus to be annoying and Joshua to have way too many hangups that miraculously disappeared after getting to know Atticus. Sure, I guess, some things can be worked through and over time fade but I don't know. I honestly found Trace and the detective to be far more interesting.
Another great job narrating by Kevin Earlywine, even if I did catch myself losing interest now and again.
I received an audiobook from the author but a review was not required.

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grumpy/sunshine but not enough

Reviewed: 11-07-22

The second book in the Not So University series and I was delighted knowing Ben and Gabriel were the MCs of my favorite trope: grumpy/sunshine. However, at some point, I lost interest in them and found myself just halfheartedly listening to their relationship unfold. It almost had an insta-lust aspect and felt like non-stop sex with a smattering of plot sprinkled on top. It had its moments, certainly, but not enough for me to find it memorable.
Kevin did a great job narrating, keeping the voices and mannerisms of repeat characters from the previous book and that, for me, was a bonus.
I had really hoped this book would've lived up to my trope standards and I still enjoyed it, but I think I liked the first one more.

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Overly sweet - and not necessarily in a good way

Reviewed: 08-31-22

Now that's not to say it wasn't good. It was an okay start to a series I intend to continue reading. For me, Reid and Maddie were not terribly relatable and a bit challenging to like. They both bounced like pinballs and despite all their efforts in reading and understanding social queues, failed to communicate some of the simplest things. Some of their interactions were cute, and some were cringy but the references in places (eg Doctor Who) made me smile. Their besties were ... okay? Aggressively supportive and equally intrusive.

Overall, the story was okay. There was a lot of repetition of facts, like how smart Reid was, how young he was, how smart he was, and how young he was, etc. My point is that yeah, okay, he's a genius who graduated high school at a very young age and it was covered fairly early on in the story. Reid seemed to fall back on that detail and bring it up over and over and over, through dialogue and his inner monologue. It was moments like that that took me out of the story.

The narration was a bit off, as well. The voice for Gal and Professor Oliver were perhaps the only consistent voices used. Maddie's and Reid's voices kept shifting, and then the monologue between the dialogue itself was a tossup. I spent a good portion of each chapter mentally backtracking to make sure I knew who was meant to be talking.

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Cute series continuation

Reviewed: 08-30-22 Listener received this title free

I quickly hopped onto this book after devouring the first one and was delighted as the story picked up almost where it had ended with the first book. I kind of felt bad for Kip, all these bad things kept happening to him! I still had a few moments where I had to really think about who was talking and who wasn't but the overall story was worth the listen. There were definitely times I wanted to strangle Kip for being so completely dense but in the end... he eventually saw the light. Great story. Looking forward to the next one.
I received a copy of the audiobook from the author but a review was not required.

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Intriguing start to a series

Reviewed: 08-25-22

I initially had a hard time syncing with Kip, or any of the characters, partly because I had a difficult time always distinguishing who was talking or who’s thoughts I was hearing, and partly because I just didn’t connect with them. In the end, I was giggling at Kip’s family’s attempts to set him up with Merrick (and secretly rooting for it to happen). I was also surprised by the twists and turns S. C. Wynne managed to sneak into the story. I kept thinking “oh, I know where this is going” and was always delighted when it went elsewhere. Good book.

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Why didn’t I listen to this sooner?!

Reviewed: 08-09-22

I should’ve read this ages ago!!! Iggy Toma and Alexander Cendese gave Chad and Bailey the EXACT life I didn’t know I needed! I may not have been part of Greek life in college but damn was that a fun ride to listen to!
Favorite moment:
“Because now I’ve met you. I couldn’t run if I tried.”

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Made me wanna bake a cake

Reviewed: 03-25-21

Jack Watson was a new-to-me narrator whereas BL Maxwell and Claire Castle are favorite authors. His performance for each character was distinct, easy to follow, and entertaining (especially when he exaggerated some of the lines in a way that reading alone didn't quite create). Cake Clash was a fun ride through a baking competition that made me wish I could bake cakes half as well as the characters could. Finn and Josiah's relationship was as sweet as the desserts they were creating and the dynamic between them and the side characters was the proverbial icing on the cake.
I received a copy of this book but a review was not required.

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Enough everything to keep me intrigued

Reviewed: 03-14-21 Listener received this title free

Initially, I was hoping for Drake and Liam's relationship to be a bit rougher, explore more of Drake's dominant nature rather than his "I don't do relationships" hangup. He was strong, in control, and knew what he wanted and I suppose I hoped it would evolve more with Liam. I really enjoyed the murder case and how it kept circling back to Liam, pulling him in. What I wasn't too fond of, since it didn't evolve in the way I initially thought, was Drake's overtly domineering attitude. He was always commanding Liam to do one thing or another during their intimate moments, of which there were plenty. And while Liam seemed to enjoy it, I wished it had evolved beyond it.
As for the narration: oh wow. First time listening to Christopher Solon and I think I'm now hooked. He captured the gruffness of Drake, the independent nature of Liam, and had the right amount of drama for the story as it unfolded. I couldn't stop listening!
I received a copy from the narrator but was not required to leave a review.

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1 person found this helpful

Good story, not digging the narration

Reviewed: 01-06-21 Listener received this title free

I’d actually give it a 3.5, mostly because I couldn’t get into the voices the narrator had created for Striker and Kace. Neither seemed to fit what I had envisioned for either character. Other than that, I loved the story. A well-executed romance with enough drama to not take over the story arc while still providing the happy feels of a relationship worth holding on to.

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A good paranormal mystery with a side of romance

Reviewed: 12-19-20 Listener received this title free

I loved the paranormal aspects of Lissa’s storytelling, the exploration into the unexplained and the aftermath of what the characters went through. While I enjoyed Tyler Kent’s performance, I didn’t feel as though he was “Alex enough”. Great portrayal of Micah, though.

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