Simone

Love Joanna Shupe

Reviewed: 01-24-20

Narrator was great, story kept moving, amazingly liked Mamie's dad towards the end and enjoyed how he was revealed by circumstance.

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Enjoyable Story Sunk by Awful Narrator

Reviewed: 12-23-18

There are exceptional narrators who infuse humor, anguish, and variations in tone and delivery....this narrator isn't one of them, which is unfortunate to the author and her story. The poor reading detracts, making the writing sound more stilted and disjointed than it actually is when reading the book to one's self. The overall poor rating is due to narration only. Shupe writes of motivated, determined women and deserves high quality narrators on par with Kate Reading.

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Sweet Story, Choppy Narration

Reviewed: 12-20-16

Narrator's tonal quality good but so terse and choppy when reading the printed words it sounded quite robotic instead.

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Witty Brothers Steal the Show

Reviewed: 09-01-16

Excellent performance, well read, loved interchanges between Devon and West, heroine decent, enjoyed story overall.

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New to Kinsale's Books, Favorite Story of Them All

Reviewed: 06-28-16

Great narration, lively and likeable hero and heroine with engaging dialogue, and fun supporting characters,

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Worthy of a Novella, Not a Novel

Reviewed: 12-27-12

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Edit, edit, and more edit. I truly admire Lora Leigh's prolific output and her ability to make every moment of intimacy that much more rauchy. When one reads a story, it's very easy to skim/gloss over extraneous details at one's leisure. However, the problem with 'listening' to a story (particularly on a long road trip), one clearly hears the the lack of editorial review. For instance, the puppy in the story had apricot fur, and I lost count of the number of times this was stated . . . The fact I remember this over a week later is most distressing.

What was most disappointing about Lora Leigh’s story?

Bottom line was the story dragged on unnecessarily for at least the first three hours of listening due to lack of editorial review. That shouldn't be the author's fault necessarily (I guess it depends on Ms. Leigh's relationship with her publisher). Would have been a very good, well-paced novella once all the unnecessary bits were removed.

Which character – as performed by Clare Claremont – was your favorite?

The heroine . . . she was just as tough and daring as the hero.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Continued the Callahan Series, Book 2 perhaps, so it was nice to visit the characters again.

Any additional comments?

Don't overlook other Callahan books because of this review. I just finished reading Secret Sins involving Sheriff Archer Tobias and Anna Corbin and really enjoyed it.

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2 people found this helpful

Wild Card is a Wild Ride

Reviewed: 11-30-12

What made the experience of listening to Wild Card the most enjoyable?

The ultimate Alpha hero . . . they don't make Teflon nearly as tough as Nathan/Noah . . . nor a hero nearly as verbal. The mystery storyline interesting enough to be engaging. The "set pieces" aka sex scenes were more than graphic, detailed in brutally masculine terms, but this is Lora Leigh so you've been warned. Nothing's airbrushed, glossed over or implied in her stories. Definitely listen with ear buds only when around the children; blame any blushes on the thermostat setting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Split . . . between Nathan/Noah and Bella/Sabella. The hero as we watched him become human again, and the heroine for her strength; she embodied the arc we women all go through in the natural evolution of a marriage/partnership, stumbling until we find our footing in the dynamic and ourselves.

What three words best describe Clarissa Knightly’s voice?

Paced, throaty, well-delivered. On a side note, I didn't necessarily care for the Ms. Knightley's interpretation of Bella/Sabella. Not dischordant, just heavy on the Southern accent. All the other characters I thought she did brilliantly.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No laughing or crying but the mole in the story really, truly caught me off guard, insidiously placed and totally surprising. Listening again, it was easier to pick up on the clues.

Any additional comments?

So far, this has been my favorite Lora Leigh story, period.

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Quirky Heroine, Decent Hero but Forgettable Story

Reviewed: 10-05-12

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The hero "fixed" things too much, private meetings after the fact . . . Overall, it was a quirky story, likeable enough and easy to listen to, but I had no desire to listen to it again. Have already removed it from my Droid.

If you’ve listened to books by Amanda Quick before, how does this one compare?

This was the first time reading or hearing an Amanda Quick novel, so I have no point of reference.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Too affected, even for a Brit :-) Sorry, but it was just a bit too "gaspy" or would "breathy" be a better word? Reminded me a bit of the Eloisa James narrator who did the Fairy Tale series.

Did Deception inspire you to do anything?

No. Unless I can find a review identifying the "best" of Amanda Quick, this book will probably be the only Amanda Quick story I'll listen/read. Again, it wasn't awful, just not worth listening to again.

Any additional comments?

I did like the aspect of the two "aunts" - provocative point tying in with the denoument.

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1 person found this helpful

Doctor McHottie and the Willowy Blonde

Reviewed: 10-05-12

Where does Forever and a Day rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very high. Already a steady fan of Jill Shalvis, and I really enjoyed this story and the narrator's voice/interpretation. This is the sixth of six Lucky Harbor stories (rumors abound there'll be more) and is a satisfying conclusion the series as we know it. Of the "Chocoholic" trio, this ranks right after "Lucky in Love" (still my favorite story) and before "At Last."

What did you like best about this story?

Regardless of the love story, it reveals the struggles of a working dad with sole custody of a child, a demanding career field, the pains of dealing with an irascible sibling, and, thankfully, a man who didn't have mommy or daddy issues clouding his story line.

Have you listened to any of Erin Bennett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She also read "At Last" by Jill Shalvis and reads well, pleasant on the ear, reads the male voices without unnecessary affectation.

I still think Suehla El Attar (Books 3 and 4 of Lucky Harbor series) manages to vocalize Jill Shalvis' writing best, but Ms. Bennett's work is great. Still am disappointed Books 1 and 2 haven't been re-recorded - cannot stand the narrator of those two. Might I recommend Audible coordinate Ms. Bennett revisit Books 1 and 2 of Lucky Harbor so they might be more palatable to the ear?

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it's a great distraction to laundry, lawn work, dishes, cooking, ad nauseum.

Any additional comments?

As with any romance novel and the inherent sexual nature of the genre, mightily recommend earbuds versus speakers on the laptop. :-)

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6 people found this helpful

Fall in love with Lucky Harbor

Reviewed: 08-24-12

Where does Lucky in Love rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very, very high. Lucky in Love was the first I heard of the six-part series highly recommended by Eloisa James on her B&N blog. This book is fourth one, and, without having heard or read the preceding Lucky Harbor stories, I fell immediately into the story, characters, location, and absolutely loved the narrator Suehyla El Attar's voice. Appreciated her ability to pause at just the right moment, letting the moment hang or the mad dialogue rush of an embarrassed female. The other five novels [Book 1 Simply Irresistible, Book 2 The Sweetest Thing, Book 3 Head over Heels, Book 5 At Last, Book 6 Forever and a Day] are well worth the time, although I didn't like the narrator for Books 1 and 2, and that really ruined the stories for me. El Attar (Books 3 and 4) and Erin Bennett (Books 5 and 6) read Shalvis much more fluently.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mallory is hard to beat - and what woman can't relate to a character who is constantly giving of herself, her time, her affection, and rarely receives the same in return?

Which character – as performed by Suehyla El Attar – was your favorite?

Ty Garrison, without a doubt. El Attar's dry, terse interpretation, similar to how she read Sheriff Sawyer Thompson the third of the Lucky Harbor series, was wonderful. The huskier male tones did not sound deliberately forced and actually sounded legitimate.

Second would be how El Attar read the perpetually flustered and harrassed Mallory.

I'd be remiss in not mentioning Mallory's mom with what I'd consider a Minnesotan accent (and I blame/thank Prarie Home Companion).

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Several laugh-out-loud moments :-) Jill Shalvis writes great contemporary romances with dialogue that zings, snaps, and sounds completely plausible in today's society.

Any additional comments?

I would buy Books 3 - 6; save a credit or two for Books 1 - 2. Again, not because of the story but because of the narrator's interpretation.

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