Derek S Smith

not the best work by LJ

Reviewed: 09-27-24

Honestly, I feel like this was written by someone else. it's just not as good as her stuff normally is. It was very disappointing because I finally got my book club to read one of her books and I wish I'd chosen one I'd already read.

There's a lot of flash but no substance or heart in this one. The murders were gruesome, but also very secondary in the story. That in itself is quite the feat since the character development was non existent. This is by far the least likeable main character I've ever read in one of her books.

Plus side, though, the narrator was pretty good and a couple of the scenes were well described, like the turn table (if you know, you know). So, overall 3, maybe 3.5 stars.

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Short and Sweet - Perfect pallet cleanser

Reviewed: 01-31-24

I just finished an intense series and was looking for something short and sweet, with little to no drama. This short story, which was delivered more in a radio drama style than typical book format, was the perfect choice. Both characters were interesting and likeable and the narrators delivered their lines with emotion and really brought the characters to life well. I 100% would recommend this to anyone looking for a short and sweet rom-com that is straight fwd. No steamy scenes, either, so it's good for all ages.

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So much better than the first book in this series!

Reviewed: 03-29-23

I loved this book so much! After the first one, I was unsure if I was going to give book 2 a try, but I grew to like the characters by the end of book one, so I did. I am so glad I did. Jack is so adorably wonderful a character and Kate, too. Both voice actors bring them to life beautifully. I just can not say enough about how terrific this one was. It was heartfelt, and had a level of depth to the characters and the emotions they felt. Definitely glad I gave this one a chance. It feels more true to the way Tessa Bailey usually writes.

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Honestly, not my favorite from Tessa Bailey

Reviewed: 03-29-23

I've now read and listened to many Tessa Bailey books and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them so far... Until this one. this one almost made it to my DNF pile. First, the male voice actor is HORRIBLE. Like, one of the worst I've ever listened to. His attempt at a female voice was nasaly and sounded more like he was making fun of women. It was awful. The story would have been better read completely by the female voice actor. Secondly, the plot itself was so-so at best. Two players that are secret commitment phobes suddenly fall hard for each other? That's normally a plot I love. I think it was the male character that I mostly didn't feel. He supposedly fell in love with her before he got to know anything about her at all, other than she was a fantastic fit for him in bed. Then he sabatoges all her attempts at dating for real. Personally, it was horrible. Now, it did get better at the end, which is why I gave it 3 stars. By the end, the male lead turned into an okay dude and the female lead made him work a bit for it. So, I'll be listening to book 2 still, but book 1 was not my favorite by Tessa Bailey.

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Lords of Avalon

Reviewed: 03-16-23

Amazing book with a terrific narrator. Brom is masterful at painting a tale that takes you there through the ups and downs. This book has many of both. It's an adult fairy tale inspired by the original Peter Pan story. It's full of foul language, blood and gore, fairy politics, revenge, adventure, and so much more. You don't know whether to love or despise Peter, but you cheer for him and his lost boys all the same. Seriously an amazing story that was crafted so well and the narration just added to the magic.

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The start of this one was a bit hard to stomach

Reviewed: 09-03-22

I LOVE this series as a whole. It's been an amazing ride. This one, at the beginning, though, was hard to listen to. At least, until you know what's going on. Sex trafficking is a hard subject to swallow, and this book really makes you uncomfortable, but stick with it. It was one of my top favorites out of the series. Definitely read/listen to the series in order, though. They technically CAN stand alone, but their best in order.

The narration in this book was FANTASTIC! Seriously, I can not WAIT for Apollo's book! ❤️

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2 people found this helpful

Still not sure about this one...

Reviewed: 09-03-22

I have to admit... I almost couldn't finish this one. I get that part of the main plot line tied into the incest, but, for me, there were several boundaries that were crossed in this story that made it less enjoyable a listen. It's my first exposure to this author. I have a few of her audio books downloaded, but I'm hesitant to start another one. The story line itself was intriguing enough to make me finish it, and the narration was very well delivered. There was one spot specifically, where the Grandmother is giving a very heartfelt bit of dialog that actually made my heart squeeze a bit.

Overall, there was a little too much love in one family, and much of it was a bit borderline pedophilia, for my personal taste. That was, honestly, my biggest complaint. Yes, I finished it, but probably only because I had a LONG drive and had already paid for the book anyway.

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Good plot & great narration, but a bit predictable

Reviewed: 05-13-21

I really liked this story. The cast of characters were easy to differentiate due to the narrator's tones. the plot was solid, and had some great twists, though the who-done-it was easy to predict. Sex scenes were hot enough for those that like them, but not so over abundant as to be off putting to those that don't like them. The relationships felt more than two dimensional, but not quite three dimensional. Not Nora's best work, but one of her good ones. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good combination of romance and thriller.

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