JT
- 9
- reviews
- 18
- helpful votes
- 9
- ratings
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The Third Pole
- Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest
- By: Mark Synnott
- Narrated by: Steve Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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A hundred-year mystery lured veteran climber Mark Synnott into an unlikely expedition up Mount Everest during the spring 2019 season that came to be known as “the Year Everest Broke”. What he found was a gripping human story of impassioned characters from around the globe and a mountain that will consume your soul - and your life - if you let it.
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This is not a book about the search for Sandy Irvine
- By erik on 09-15-21
- The Third Pole
- Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest
- By: Mark Synnott
- Narrated by: Steve Campbell
Meandering
Reviewed: 06-10-23
Synott spends a lot of time talking about various people who have attempted to summit Everest, and the challenges faced along the way. The conclusion he seems to be leading towards - that this obsession is recklessly dangerous, not only for individual climbers but also their teammates and guides - never manifests. They're just anecdotes with no thesis. And, as has been mentioned in other reviews, the search for Sandy Irvine is very much not the focus of the story or even in the end the focus of the expedition. Round it out with some good old Big Bad Chinese government red scare fear-mongering and it's all a big hard pass for me.
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The Hitman's Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love
- By: Alice Winters
- Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Being a hit man has its perks, but I never thought getting an accidental mooning by an attractive PI while he’s caught on a fence would be one of them. While it’s not exactly love at first sight, he’s captured my interest and won’t let go. Suddenly, I find myself caught in a game of cat and mouse, determined to attract the attention of Jackson, the PI who should be my enemy. He pretends like he’s not flattered by my flowers and the mentions of my totally-not-fictitious blow-up doll, Randy (or was it Dandy?), but I know better.
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literal tears of laughter
- By Miareadsbooks on 11-29-19
putting the sass in assassinate
Reviewed: 08-28-20
If you were ever like "man, Cable and Deadpool should really be dating" boy have I got a book for you.
Leland is manic, immature, distractable, glib, and scarily competent at killing people. He's obnoxious and also adorable. Big ADHD energy, also big Wade Wilson energy. like I'm not saying this concept maybe started life as an AU fic but I AM saying I can see some parallels - and if you like one, I'd imagine you'd like the other.
This whole story is genuinely funny, often verging into goofy, complete with slapstick. And can I say how refreshing it is to encounter characters who LAUGH and seem to have FUN during sex? it's still steamy, but in a way that feels honestly affectionate.
Michael Ferriauolo's narration is PERFECTION. His Jackson voice is very H. Jon Benjamin, while his Leland voice is almost lilting and sweet. And every time the narrative describes a character as laughing (which Leland does quite a lot) he ACTUALLY LAUGHS with the dialogue. It's mostly Leland giggling and it's so cute and charming?? I absolutely loved it. Definitely going to be seeking out more from him.
Overall this audiobook is an absolute keeper for me, worth a relisten and DEFINITELY worth immediately diving into the sequel. Can't wait to see what they get up to next!
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4 people found this helpful
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Brothers of the Wild North Sea
- By: Harper Fox
- Narrated by: Hamish Long
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Hundreds of years ago, on a wild sea coast, two bold-hearted men met in combat and love...This is the story of Caius, a Christian monk struggling to reconcile his sensual nature with his newfound faith, and of Fenrir, a ferocious Viking raider abandoned by his comrades and left for dead. When Caius takes pity on the wounded man, his brethren are horrified: what kind of wolf has Cai brought into the fold?
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Cai and Fen, Captivating
- By Placeholder on 01-24-18
- Brothers of the Wild North Sea
- By: Harper Fox
- Narrated by: Hamish Long
a starkly lovely epic
Reviewed: 01-20-20
First things first: potential trigger warning for a character committing suicide. Not a big spoiler as it happens in about the first third of the book, but skip to the next paragraph if you don't want any more details. Otherwise...... The book obviously centers around early Christianity, but only one character is really fire-and-brimstone, eternal damnation in the pit, burn for your sins Westboro Baptist about it. Unfortunately, one of the monks internalises a lot of this homophobic bullshit and ends up consumed by guilt and self-loathing. I will say it was for me very jarring and unsettling, it nearly made me stop entirely. I ended up being glad I stuck it out but ymmv.
I object to the classification of this book as a romance novel. it's a love story, sure, but sort of in the sense that Gone With the Wind is a love story; it is, but it's also a portrait of a particular time and place. It has a happy ending for our leads, and the focus of the story is love, but it's more than just the love they have for each other. It's a story about magic, or maybe miracles, and faith, and home, and things worth fighting for. it's about a lot of things, and it's maybe difficult to fit it into any one genre. But I suppose I can't really complain, as I probably wouldn't have given this one a listen if it didn't fall under the Audible Escape line.
The narration takes an already compelling story to a level of near perfection. i cannot imagine experiencing this story any other way, having now heard Hamish Long's take. The VOICES, the range, the emotion! I can't possibly praise it highly enough. Simply one of the best audio performances I have ever heard.
In a lot of ways, this story is almost difficult to get through, and it's not one I think i can return to any time soon. But it will stay with me, and it was an experience worth having. It's as beautiful (and, yes, occasionally harsh) as the coastlines of the wild north sea.
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1 person found this helpful
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Kindred Hearts
- By: Rowan Speedwell
- Narrated by: Paul Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Charming rascal Tristan Northwood seems to have it all: an ancient name, a noble inheritance, and a lovely wife. Women love him, men admire him, and it seems there is nothing he can’t do, whether it’s seducing a society wife or winning a carriage race. Little does society suspect that the name means nothing to him, the fortune is in his father’s hands, and he has no interest in his wife except a very distant friendship. Society bores him, and he takes dares because he only feels alive when he’s dancing on the edge...until his wife’s brother comes home from the wars.
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Pronunciation matters!
- By Claire on 08-23-13
- Kindred Hearts
- By: Rowan Speedwell
- Narrated by: Paul Morey
lovely novel, poor choice of narrator
Reviewed: 12-24-19
Full disclosure, I did not finish this audiobook but instead read the ebook from Hoopla. There's nothing WRONG with the narrator, precisely - but he's American. reading a novel about British characters, living in England, during the Napoleonic Wars. it's jarring. he makes the barest attempt at dialects when they are specifically written out, but, for example, no attempt to make a specifically Scottish character sound any different than any of our English leads. it really didn't work for me.
The novel itself is wonderful and will probably be a reread for me, and I recognise that not everyone will be as thrown by the American accent as I was. but personally, while I wholeheartedly recommend the book, I'd only choose this method of enjoying it if I had no other option available.
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4 people found this helpful
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According to Hoyle
- By: Abigail Roux
- Narrated by: Mason Lloyd
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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US Marshals Eli Flynn and William Henry Washington - longtime friends and colleagues - are escorting two prisoners to New Orleans for trial when they discover there's more than outlawry to the infamous shootist Dusty Rose and the enigmatic man known as Cage. As the two prisoners form an unlikely partnership, the marshals can't help but look closer at their own. When forces beyond the marshals' control converge on the paddle wheeler they've hired to take them downriver, they must choose between two dangers.
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A Fun Ride Through the Old West
- By Pamela I Greene on 05-30-18
- According to Hoyle
- By: Abigail Roux
- Narrated by: Mason Lloyd
a definite reread, but maybe not a relisten
Reviewed: 11-24-19
I was so taken by this that I stayed up much too late finishing the audiobook, and the next morning I couldn't resist buying the Kindle edition in anticipation of the inevitable reread. It honestly baffles me that a genre so ripe for m/m romance as the classic Western is so TRAGICALLY UNDERUTILIZED but thank goodness for gems like these that fill that void.
The highlight of this story for me is the relationship between the two prisoners, who meet when they're both being escorted to trial and form an immediate connection. I want to read like two more full novels about them, honestly, they were just.... very sweet and charming. The Marshals have a romance built on years of friendship, which I did enjoy as well, but I didn't find myself quite as invested. I think it would've helped to have Wash's perspective - the narration follows Flynn and Cage, with a handful of scenes from the villains' POV. Cage and Rose's affection for each other is obvious, and since we have Flynn's perspective we know he's pining away, but Wash is much less emotionally demonstrative than Rose. Seeing his thoughts on Flynn could've given their story more emotional weight.
Of course, that said, there's more to this story than just romance. In fact if you're searching for something steamy, this isn't it - there's no sex until the very end. The main story is more of a road trip/heist adventure, naturally with some shootouts along the way. The plot does get resolved, but without all of the answers really coming together. I would've thought this was a setup for a sequel, or even a series, but apparently this was published in 2014 and I don't see any recent discussion of it on the author's blog. It's not an unsatisfactory ending, but it's a shame to leave some of the questions dangling with no resolution.
The narration isn't exactly BAD. The narrator's voice is very rich and that's always nice to listen to. But there's little to differentiate the various voices, and the absolute most minimal effort at a British accent for Rose. It's disappointing. I know I'll want to revisit this story (and I do hope that someday Ms Roux will, too!) but next time, I'll just stick to reading it for myself.
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A Gentleman of Substance
- By: Julia Talbot
- Narrated by: Austin Jay
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Michael St. James hates tidewater post-Colonial Virginia with a passion. Banished there thanks to an ill-timed duel, Michael is bored with the countryside, and thinks his new companions are poorly-educated boors. What he needs is a challenge, something to stimulate his mind. Which is why, when Michael meets Daniel Calhoun, he takes such an immediate interest.
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more or less PWP
- By JT on 11-22-19
- A Gentleman of Substance
- By: Julia Talbot
- Narrated by: Austin Jay
more or less PWP
Reviewed: 11-22-19
If you're in the mood for something steamy with a bit of story mixed in for flavour, then you've hit a winner. There's enough plot to make it clear how and why two ostensibly different people would fall in love, and even to establish some good side characters, but I'd say about 70% of the book is smut. Which isn't a complaint by any means! Sometimes that's what you're feeling, and this is well-written and engaging besides. but it's not my preference, so for me it was just... pretty good? Enjoyable, but not something I'd come back to. The performance is decent, but unexceptional; there are some varied voices, a few Southern accents mixed in and some more feminine tones, and for the most part the two leads' voices were distinct. But again, nothing that stirred strong emotions in me. Overall, this one wasn't quite for me, but I can see its merits well enough to think it might be someone else's perfect pick.
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4 people found this helpful
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Consorting with Dragons
- By: Sera Trevor
- Narrated by: Philip Alces
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Lord Jasen of Grumhul, an impoverished young nobleman, has come to the Draelands to find a rich husband to help pay his father's debts. To the shock of everyone, he ends up attracting the attention of King Rilvor himself and the dragons who control the magic in the land. Becoming royalty wasn't something Jasen either expected or wanted, but he can't control his growing feelings for the kind and handsome king.
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Not Recommended
- By Randy on 01-08-19
- Consorting with Dragons
- By: Sera Trevor
- Narrated by: Philip Alces
a very cute fantasy adventure!
Reviewed: 11-18-19
I'm a big fan of the fantasy/fairy tale genre; I love stuff by Naomi Novik and Shannon Hale, things that combine adventure and intrigue with romance. In fact I first started dipping into romance novels because I was hoping to find something that satisfied that criteria while also being queer, and I think this book is exactly what I was looking for. It's a fun, sweet story, with enough conflict to keep things interesting but never enough to lean towards angst. There's even a love-at-first-sight feel, just to really play up that fairy tale angle, though the relationship is fleshed out enough not to seem trite.
The performance is definitely very good; Philip Alces has a nice voice, and the characters are varied and distinct enough to make it mostly clear who's speaking. I would listen to something by him again, though I wouldn't be willing to stick out a bad book just for his sake. (yes, there are actually narrators whose voices I enjoy THAT much)
Overall I was absolutely pleased with this book and will probably read it again. My understanding is that it's an expanded novella, but it definitely doesn't feel needlessly padded out. A note for those who are here for the spice: there is nothing explicit in this novel. There's definitely some mature implications and discussion, but nothing on-page. Obviously not something I take issue with but ymmv. Personally I was happy with it, especially since it means I can recommend this one to my niece (who's 16) without guilt. I'll probably be recommending this one to quite a few people, come to that!
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Kidnapped by the Pirate
- By: Keira Andrews
- Narrated by: Cornell Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Nathaniel Bainbridge is used to hiding, whether it's concealing his struggles with reading or his forbidden desire for men. Under the thumb of his controlling father, the governor of Primrose Isle, he's sailing to the fledging colony, where he'll surrender to a respectable marriage for his family's financial gain. Then pirates strike and he's kidnapped for ransom by the Sea Hawk, a legendary villain of the New World. Bitter and jaded, Hawk harbors futile dreams of leaving the sea for a quiet life, but men like him don't deserve peace. He has a score to settle with Nathaniel's father.
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Started reading the Kindle book while in hospital
- By G. Eggleston on 08-07-18
- Kidnapped by the Pirate
- By: Keira Andrews
- Narrated by: Cornell Collins
reasonably fun
Reviewed: 11-15-19
I've enjoyed Cornell Collins work on some of KJ Charles' novels, so I thought this might be a fun listen. I ended up sticking through it more on the strength of his narration than anything. The plot isn't bad, but there was quite a bit of back and forth with the emotional drama that sort of dragged. Pirate captain Hawk spends a lot of time catching feels, denying them, trying to act like a hardass, and then catching feels again. I think the story might've benefited from some other form of conflict, maybe, or just by being a bit shorter.
It was funny to me to see other reviewers say they felt the voices didn't match the characters. They might not match up to the cover art, but the characters themselves are 18 and 41. There's 20+ years between our leads, no matter what the cover might lead you to believe, and the story itself certainly makes that clear enough more than once. Caveat lector (or caveat audiens, I guess): if the phrase "barely legal" doesn't do it for you, maybe give this one a miss.
That said, Cornell Collins' narration is worthwhile for me; his normal speaking voice is low and soothing, with Hawk's voice even lower and with a West Country accent that I found pretty charming. and the sex is SPICY - his breathy take on Nathaniel's voice when things get steamy is honestly a blessing. He's got the range to make the characters distinct, which makes this a pleasure to listen to, though probably not one that will merit a relisten from me.
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5 people found this helpful
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Think of England
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Tom Carter
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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England, 1904. Two years ago, Captain Archie Curtis lost his friends, fingers, and future to a terrible military accident. Alone, purposeless, and angry, Curtis is determined to discover if he and his comrades were the victims of fate, or of sabotage. Curtis's search takes him to an isolated, ultra-modern country house, where he meets and instantly clashes with fellow guest Daniel da Silva. Effete, decadent, foreign, and all-too-obviously queer, the sophisticated poet is everything the straightforward British officer fears and distrusts.
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Lie back and enjoy!
- By Annika on 07-10-18
- Think of England
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Tom Carter
wonderful story, just okay audiobook
Reviewed: 11-15-19
I listened to this as part of my Audible Escape subscription, and for that it's certainly worth a listen. the story is a delight, as is everything KJ Charles writes, and I'm very excited to know she's considering a sequel. The narration is just alright - I didn't find the voices distinct, and honestly I felt the sound quality itself wasn't the best, though i tried a few devices just to make sure it wasn't a hardware problem. Someone else said the narrator has a lisp, and I'm not sure it's quite that; to me it sounds almost like a faint accent that's only sometimes audible. Regardless, I did find it a bit distracting. not a keeper, but worthwhile on the strength of the story alone.
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