Buzy_reading

Excellent

Reviewed: 03-16-25

Drew’s been running scared for nine years. After three short months Drew’s husband began abusing her while she pregnant with their first baby. Escaping with her baby was the only option for survival.
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She saved Michael from one nightmare, yet the nightmares seem to be never ending. For nine years Drew hasn’t been able to provide a stable life for Michael. Lying is becoming more difficult as he gets older.
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Drew wants to clear her name and prove Adam is a monster, but that requires involving law enforcement. Drew believes she’s committed a crime after an incident in her past life with Adam. Now she spends her life in fear hiding away from Adam.
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The story provides three perspectives: the mother, the son, and the nanny. This is a domestic thriller. It’s gut wrenching to hear the sacrifice Drew made to save Michael. If he only knew how much she loves him. Michael knows his life is different than other. What he doesn’t know is that his mothers life is in danger.
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This is my first read by J. M. Winchester, but not my last. I found myself a new favorite author. Thriller books is one of my favorite genre’s to read. Ms. Winchester checked off every box for providing a knockout read. Fast pace, engaging, thrilling, entertaining, and exciting.
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Now that the easy part is over I have the difficult task of writing a review that will convince other readers that this book is worth investing their time in. I find that audiobooks are best in situations like these where the plot is thrilling. Hearing a well seasoned narrator perform the characters voices in the way intended by the author brings the experience to another level.

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Movie narrative

Reviewed: 08-03-24

Sleeping With Friends is about Mia waking up from a coma and her friends throwing her a remembering party. The party’s at her house where she lives with her husband Martin. As the weekend gets underway Mia feels like her friends know an awful lot about her yet it seems she might be better off learning about herself from someone else.
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The night plays out like a reenactment of events which leads to suspicious events. The party was designed to help Mia remember yet it plays out like a truth party.
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What we know is that Mia and Agnes were English majors. They took an Adaptation Studies class where they met Zoey, Ethan, and Victor—all film majors. When Mia wakes up from her coma it’s as if she’s an actress starring in a movie. For whatever reason (only the author know) she uses movie references to explain how Mia feels. Mia basically explains certain events by describing a scene from a familiar movie. As a reader you must be on top of your movie knowledge in order to understand the plot. I’m impressed how the author tailored this story with movie scenes.
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I have no idea what I’m reading. I went in blind thinking I can just go with it. I realize I’m going to need to read the synopsis. Synopsis reveals this is an attempted murder mystery with all Mia’s friends as suspects.
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Emily Schultz is the author of Sleeping with Friends. This is my first time reading a book by this author. I’m not the intended audience for this plot. The delivery of information and process of referencing movies as a narrative was lost on me.
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I’m fortunate to have invested in the audiobook. Having a narrator perform this book helped immensely. I’m certain I would’ve skim read this book or passed it on by. Huge thank you to Lisa Larsen for performing this audiobook in a way that was easy to follow.

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Cozy murder mystery

Reviewed: 07-31-24

Murder in small town Cockamamie. The last time a murder occurred in this town was eighteen years ago. When a guy who everyone in town disliked turned up dead the finger pointed to large suspect pool. Then Detective Langley discovered Maddie was the last to see him alive making her a witness and a suspect.
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After Maddie’s mother was murdered she hightailed it out of Cockamamie. She returned to take care of her aunt who suffers from dementia. Maddie had to work three different jobs to help pay the bills after leaving her job as a librarian.
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Detective Noah Langley is a new to this backward town. He wanted a change of scenery that didn’t have as much crime. Noah trusted someone he shouldn’t leaving him to question his judgment about people. Now he goes into each case with attitude. He won’t make the same mistake as before.
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This was a cozy murder mystery which I found absolutely hilarious. This takes place in small town Cockamamie. The name alone is silly. The detective working the case is working with his guard up. He’s been duped by a person he trusted so he’s been a bit of a jerk towards Maddie making him look like an amateur. He’s not thinking clearly. I don’t go looking for cozy murder mysteries I find them goofy and hard to take seriously. On the one hand, reading about book with no violence and sex is different. I tend to lean towards a darker read which is chock full of violence and sex. The problem with small town reads is the daily lives of the people living in the town. I could care less how these people spend their days. Profanity is usually not in cozy reads, but it’s not uncommon for some to have expletives.
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Shannon Mcmanus and Chris Brinkley were the two narrators performing this audiobook. This was a dual performance with alternating points of view. I bought the audiobook as part of Amazon’s whispersync. I’m an eyes and ears person who benefits from having both the ebook and audiobook versions. Both voice actors enhanced my experience.

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Cozy murder mystery

Reviewed: 07-31-24

Murder in small town Cockamamie. The last time a murder occurred in this town was eighteen years ago. When a guy who everyone in town disliked turned up dead the finger pointed to large suspect pool. Then Detective Langley discovered Maddie was the last to see him alive making her a witness and a suspect.
…
After Maddie’s mother was murdered she hightailed it out of Cockamamie. She returned to take care of her aunt who suffers from dementia. Maddie had to work three different jobs to help pay the bills after leaving her job as a librarian.
…
Detective Noah Langley is a new to this backward town. He wanted a change of scenery that didn’t have as much crime. Noah trusted someone he shouldn’t leaving him to question his judgment about people. Now he goes into each case with attitude. He won’t make the same mistake as before.
…
This was a cozy murder mystery which I found absolutely hilarious. This takes place in small town Cockamamie. The name alone is silly. The detective working the case is working with his guard up. He’s been duped by a person he trusted so he’s been a bit of a jerk towards Maddie making him look like an amateur. He’s not thinking clearly. I don’t go looking for cozy murder mysteries I find them goofy and hard to take seriously. On the one hand, reading about book with no violence and sex is different. I tend to lean towards a darker read which is chock full of violence and sex. The problem with small town reads is the daily lives of the people living in the town. I could care less how these people spend their days. Profanity is usually not in cozy reads, but it’s not uncommon for some to have expletives.
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Shannon Mcmanus and Chris Brinkley were the two narrators performing this audiobook. This was a dual performance with alternating points of view. I bought the audiobook as part of Amazon’s whispersync. I’m an eyes and ears person who benefits from having both the ebook and audiobook versions. Both voice actors enhanced my experience.

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Interesting sound effects

Reviewed: 07-24-24

When Phoebe was eight years old she had three girl friends. Luke was the only boy amongst the group of girls. Over the years Luke dated each one leaving Phoebe for last. He always pined for Phoebe, but it seemed at the time it was one-sided. Then years later he finally found his opportunity. They married quickly after her pregnancy and then Tommy disappeared. Now Phoebe has to pull herself together to piece together the events of that day. Her husband Luke blames her causes their marriage to crumble.
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Phoebe struggled with motherhood. It didn’t come naturally for her. She doubted her ability to care for Tommy. When he disappeared she questioned herself whether she had something to do with it. The stress of Tommy’s disappearance has caused dreams so vivid that she’s begun to sleepwalk.
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I hoped revisiting The Game You Played with the audiobook would improve my first reading experience. Unfortunately, I had the same experience. There were some convoluted situations with the detectives that had me believing them incompetent. Some other aspects were inconceivable regarding Tommy.
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The phone call conversations were an excellent idea but the sound quality was lacking in the audiobook. Zindzi Okenyo was the solo female performer. This was my first time listening to her voice. Overall, it was okay.
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I wasn’t aware Anni Taylor rewrote or revised this book. I invested in the audiobook because I’m an eyes and ears person who benefits from having both the ebook and audiobook. This is an abridged audiobook making it a challenge to follow the words with the narration.

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Childhood actors

Reviewed: 07-16-24

Belle’s an impressionable young girl who convinces her mother to take her to an audition. Her mother is cautious of the industry not sure shy little Belle is quite ready for the public eye. Her mother believes in her daughter and allows her to follow her dreams.
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Belle meets Donna a woman who mentors young girls. Donna created a docuseries about six young girls where cameras and mics are rolling the entire time. Belle started when she was twelve and finished when she was sixteen. The story eludes to some huge secret that was taken out of context and aired on tv.
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Ten years later a reunion show is coming and Rupert and Fred invited back the six actors. The story unfolds by sharing both the past and the present while slowly unveiling what happened to end the show.
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The Real Deal is a British docuseries that aired from 2009 to 2014. It follows six children placed in an elite performing arts programme under the mentorship and tutelage of actress, singer and dancer Donna Mayfair. Set first in London, England and later in Los Angeles, USA, the show follows the girls as they attend their first auditions, book their first jobs, and build their careers.
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I am not the intended audience for this concept or storyline. I’m struggling to keep my head in the words of the narrator. This is a character driven story in which I have no interest in any of them therefore I’m not following who is who. It reads like a soap opera with petty drama and gossip. It’s drab.
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Caitlin Devlin wrote an underwhelming ending to a long and arduous journey of a young childhood actress who came up thru the ranks with the help and guidance from a woman who adored and loved her. Belle was on a show for five seasons with five other childhood actors. They became famous together. Each girl wore a microphone on them to capture every word. The cameras followed them everywhere.
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I need to give mad props to Eilidh Beaton for performing the entirety of this story in the most professional manner. If it hadn’t been for her voice acting skills I would’ve abandoned this story from the beginning. It was a pleasure listening to Eilidh Beaton become Belle and for her I give five solid stars.

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Stranded in a lighthouse with a dangerous man

Reviewed: 07-07-24

Criminal profiler Reni Fisher and Detective Daniel Ellis work together to find closure on the deaths of women by the Inland Empire Killer. As a child Reni Fisher lured women to the hands of her serial killer father. At the time her five year old self thought she was spending quality time with her father playing a game. Now she knows that her father used her and because of her involvement she struggles to face the reality of what her involvement meant. She became a criminal profiler hoping to understand why her father committed these crimes. For thirty years her father kept the location of all those women to himself. Benjamin reached out to Detective Daniel Ellis with a promise to disclose the locations if he included his daughter Reni. Both Daniel and Reni carry deep wounds connecting them in a way two people should never be connected.
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Find Me is about Reni learning to live with the idea that her father was a serial killer yet also her father and a husband to his wife Rosalind. The consequences of her involvement causes a breakdown that has her retreating to her desert home away from civilization.
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It’s rare to read a book where the characters live and work within the same area I live. It’s exciting to read about familiar places especially ones I’ve visited before. Anne Frasier writes a fascinating story about Reni a woman who helped her father lure women to their death when she was around five years old until she turned seven. This is her journey how her childhood molded her into the woman she is today. Having a father who is a convicted serial killer conditioned her to study and profile killers to better help her understand how a man who was a great father also was a monster.
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The best way to experience any thriller is with excellent voice actors. Erin Bennett is the voice of Reni. Erin portrayed the voice of Reni like the superstar narrator she is. I’m an ears and eyes person who benefits from having both the ebook and audiobook to enhance my experience. I definitely was pleased by how well Erin performed the words written by Anne Frasier.

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I could feel the cold

Reviewed: 07-03-24

Constable Tana Larsson relocated to Twin Rivers a small isolated fly-in town. Twin Rivers runs by their own rules. Settling in has been difficult for her as a twenty-four year old female officer. She hoped being part Dogrib would help her better establish a bond with civilians since she understands the culture. She feels like she’s been set up to fail.
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Two biologists were killed when collecting data. Tana believes someone in Twin Rivers committed a crime. She’s not convinced that a bear or wolves attacked them. It’s her duty to protect the civilians living in Twin Rivers.
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Someone is sabotaging her life trying to scare her away from the case. Living in these harsh elements adds a certain level of danger for her. Being a pregnant leaves her vulnerable to the dangers.
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It took a few chapters to acclimate myself to this story. Once I settled in I found a nice steady pace of activity. This was a character driven story with a flurry of activity. I enjoy the atmospheric exploration of Twin Rivers and its inhabiting wild life and the cold elements it added an interesting level of danger. The short working days was interesting.
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Loreth Anne White provided readers with a challenging crime. This was a fascinating way of investigating a crime. There were many layers to help build the suspense and create multiple suspects.
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For me there is no better way to enjoy a good thriller than having a top narrator performing the story for me. I’m an eyes and ears person who benefits from having both the ebook and audiobook to enhance my experience. Cara Gee was a sensational voice actor who made this story a reality.

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One voice was all that was needed

Reviewed: 06-25-24

Homicide detective Sergeant Jane Munro was brought in to investigate the bones found on Hemlock Mountain. Jane is a veteran detective that’s been undergoing therapy since her fiancé disappeared six months ago on a hiking trip. Sergeant Jane Munro is pregnant and her fiancé didn’t know.
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Angela Sheldrick is a crime reporter for CBCN-TV. She’s looking for a breakthrough story to catapult her streaming career. Instead of working with Jane to provide recent current information she uses unorthodox methods to retrieve her information making her Jane’s nemesis. Jane needs to stay a constant step ahead of her. Sheldrick is known for sensationalizing news for clickbait shock value.
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The bones found lead detectives to investigate six people who held onto a secret dating back to 1976. These six individuals have so much to lose. Even without there truths the bones will tell detectives what they aren’t willing to tell.
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One thing any reader can count on when reading a Loreth Anne White book is her attention to detail. She provides readers with an informative read. This is a character driven in which readers must pay close attention to all the information provided since there are six possible suspects. I admit I’m horrible at keeping track of this many characters so I just go with it and let Loreth Anne White tell her story. This became more of a who-dun-it once the six characters were introduced. I was extremely fascinated by how the medical examiner was able to pinpoint the time period and other insetting aspects of the cause of death from reading the bones.
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The best way to experience any thriller is through an audiobook. Carly Robins was the solo female narrator who performed the role of Jane. I’m an eyes and ears person who benefits from having my eyes on an ebook and my ears attuned to the voice of a good talent. I’m pleased to say Carly brought this story to life with her exceptional voice acting skills.

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Quality talent

Reviewed: 06-21-24

A Friend in the Dark is about Eden a mother and wife whose world just fell apart after her husband Dave announced he wants a divorce and her daughter Ava blames Eden. Feeling inadequate and a failure Eden wounds her broken heart by reconnecting with Justin a guy she was infatuated with in college. They begin texting each other which turns into sexting.
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Meanwhile, Eden makes a new friend at one of her open houses. Eden unloads all her marital and daughter problems onto her.
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Ava becomes reckless while away at school which requires both Eden and Dave to jump into action. Ava’s plans to reconnect her parents don’t go unnoticed by them. It opens Eden’s eyes to the way she sees herself in the eyes of her daughter.
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This book had a steady pace of activity that brought a buzzing energy to the story. I was blown away by all the twists and turns. Samantha M. Bailey impressed me with her writing talent. She pulled off a fantastic read. The process was flawless using three parts to create the storyline was brilliant.
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Alex Picard and Libby McKnight were the two narrators performing this stunning psychological thriller. I’m an eyes and ears person who benefits by having both ebook and audiobook versions to enhance my book experience. I’m pleased and proud of the work and talent that went into producing a fantastic book and audiobook.

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10 people found this helpful