Katy

Didn't love or hate it

Reviewed: 06-07-22

I must start out by saying that Merida is my favorite Disney princess, so my review may be a little biased. What I love about her character (from the film) is that she is not a typical princess, she's fiercely independent, and is a true fiery red-head. In this book, she still had the independence, but some of her fire seemed diminished. She was just meandering through life..

It was hard to tell exactly how long it had been since the time of the film and the events in this book. Between 5-10 is my best guess. The story never really engaged my interest. It felt very slow. Also Elinor's character seemed much different than in the film.

I also had some issues with a few of the Scottish bits.. Long-haired cows are called "hairy coos" in Scotland. With the narration, Feradach sounded more Irish than Scottish, and the way the narrator pronounced McLaggan was bad (MACK-laggen). I also would have enjoyed the narrator POV to also be with a Scottish accent (it was English).

Also, one who plays the harp is a "HARPIST" not a "HARPER". As a musician, this part bugged me a lot.

Overall it was a decent story, but it didn't live up to my expectations.

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6 people found this helpful

This is the Book that Wouldn't End

Reviewed: 05-04-22

Woooowwwww I did not like this book. The narrator was fine ONLY when speaking as John and Henri. Every other character's voice was AWFUL (Sam's was the absolute worst). I didn't like the characters, the whole relationship with Sarah was ridiculous (they are FIFTEEN, chill). The book actually felt like it was written by a 15-year-old. I just wanted this to be over. Wow. Will not be finishing the series.

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Narrator Issues

Reviewed: 03-06-20

Okay, are Lee Angel and Angelica Lee the same person? Lee Angel narrated Before Jamaica Lane (Liv & Nate's full book) and her Scottish accent was terrible, and this one sounded exactly the same.. It was all garbled and painful to listen to. Y'all. Get someone who can actually speak in a decent Scottish accent if one of the main characters is actually Scottish. ALSO, she gave Joss the terrible Scottish accent. Joss, who all fans of the On Dublin Street series knows, is American.

Story was pretty good, but I didn't like how mean Nate was.

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2 people found this helpful

Good story... narration meh

Reviewed: 03-06-20

So I love the whole On Dublin Street Series. This story was no exception. My problem with this audiobook was the narrator. Now, she was great when she was speaking for the protagonist. I like the timbre of her voice, as well as her storytelling.. But oh my gosh her Scottish accent was terrible. It sounded like she was garbling something. And, for a book set in Scotland, I expect a much more convincing Scottish accent.

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I Want More

Reviewed: 04-13-18

I am so impressed with this story. You must give this a listen. I will buy everything that Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey write. (Psst, please write more you guys!)

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1 person found this helpful

A MUST for Gilmore Girls Fans

Reviewed: 06-12-17

This book is fantastic. If you watched Gilmore Girls you have to read this book! Lauren is funny and open and a very good writer. It was such a great experience to hear about her life directly from her.

When Lauren started to go into detail what it was like to return to Gilmore Girls, I actually got pretty emotional. When she spoke of Edward Herrmann and the loss of him, I lost it. And I was at work. It was pretty awkward.

I love how she spoke of being single when everyone else is married (*cough* check out my other blog Surviving Singlehood cough*). “Because here’s the thing: I was fine on my own, and so are you. But it can be hard when you feel ready for Happy Couplehood and you seem to have missed the train.” She is so incredibly relate-able.

This is a must read for fans of Gilmore Girls. To glimpse into that wonderful world was an excellent treat.

In conclusion, I will leave you with this happy quote: “I guess what I’m saying is, let’s keep lifting each other up. It’s not lost on me that two of the biggest opportunities I’ve had to break into the next level were given to me by successful women in positions of power. If I’m ever in that position and you ask me, “Who?” I’ll do my best to say, “You” too. But in order to get there, you may have to break down the walls of whatever it is that’s holding you back first. Ignore the doubt—it’s not your friend—and just keep going, keep going, keep going.”

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1 person found this helpful

I adore this series

Reviewed: 06-12-17

Wow this series.. I got completely sucked in to the world that Higginson created.

Eden is a 16-year-old girl who, for reasons unknown to her, keeps blowing up (or flooding or creating a plague of crazy insects) at her high schools and is forced to transfer. She lives with her Aunt Syl and eventually gets placed at Kingsley high school. Her first day she runs into Kiran and Talbott, also their first day. Kiran is extremely swoon-worthy (blonde, messy hair, turquoise eyes..) and extremely cocky. Eden sits next to Kiran in their first class and for some reason her blood goes crazy and she passes out and is caught by, who else, Kiran. She also befriends Lilly, who seems to be a loner.

Okay, enough set up...

Instead of having a normal high school PE class, the entire class goes on a camping trip. Eden and Lilly pair up with Kiran and Talbott and go for a walk.. They end up being stalked by strange hooded men and are attacked. Eden, finally realizing what is happening, discovers there is magic inside of her (as well as the strange men) and somehow sucks all of the magic out of them. She believes to have killed them and eventually ends up back at home.

Enter Principal Amory Saint. He explains to Eden that she is not going crazy and that she is actually an Immortal and has magic in her veins and that Kingsley is a school for immortals. There are four different types of immortals - witch, titan, medium, and shape-shifter. Eden is told that shape-shifters are the outcasts of the immortal society and Lilly was one of them. Lilly is sent to Romania to stand trial just for being a shape-shifter and hiding her identity. She also finds out that Kiran is the prince of the immortals and his father, Lucan is the king.

A new student named Avalon St. Andrews begins at Kingsley and immediately befriends Eden. Kiran continues to *stalk* Eden and their love begins to blossom.

Definitely continue to the second book because I guarantee that once you make it through that one you won't be able to stop.

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13 people found this helpful

Really Great Memoir

Reviewed: 06-12-17

What did you love best about The Princess Diarist?

I loved Carrie Fisher's narration and her very honest and open telling of her time filming the first Star Wars.

Any additional comments?

I really loved hearing Carrie's diary entries read by Billie Lourd. She was so open and a bit of a poet as well.

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1 person found this helpful

Wonderful Story for Austen Fans

Reviewed: 01-03-17

Where does Austenland rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely towards the top. I mean, Katherine Kellgren alone makes the listen worth it. Add a great story and you've got yourself an excellent audiobook.

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

Literally everything.

Any additional comments?

This was one of those "I saw the movie first" for me but I still enjoyed this book like I had no idea of what the plot was. Jane (our heroine) basically goes to a magical place where she gets to live in Jane Austen's world - complete with bonnets and corsets. I seriously wish this was a real place. HIGHLY recommend.

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Finally!

Reviewed: 01-03-17

Would you listen to The Return of the King again? Why?

Absolutely. The narrator was excellent and the story is timeless.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Return of the King?

(No spoilers, I promise) Toward the end there is a whole section that was not in the films at all. This was my first time reading and it made the story new again for a film fan.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Of course, but I don't want to give away anything.

Any additional comments?

As a long-time Lord of the Rings movie fan, I finally tuckered down and listened to the books. They are fantastic. They are filled with new (to me) characters and additional stories that you wouldn't know about if you'd only watched the films. Definitely get this series on your "to read" list.

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4 people found this helpful