Audiobook Review: Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith
Something Like Gravity
Author: Amber Smith
Narrators:
MW Cartozian Wilson
Sandy Rustin
Published: June 18, 2019
Audiobook: 9 hours 7 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: October 21-25, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
Chris and Maia aren’t off to a great start.
A near-fatal car accident first brings them together, and their next encounters don’t fare much better. Chris’s good intentions backfire. Maia’s temper gets the best of her.
But they’re neighbors, at least for the summer, and despite their best efforts, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other.
The path forward isn’t easy. Chris has come out as transgender, but he’s still processing a frightening assault he survived the year before. Maia is grieving the loss of her older sister and trying to find her place in the world without her. Falling in love was the last thing on either of their minds.
But would it be so bad if it happened anyway?
Jessica’s Review:
I saw this one in my Audible account and it was available until October 30th, so I decided to go ahead and listen to it. And it was just ok. I didn’t really connect with Maia as she was just so… I’m not sure but poor Chris. He had experienced so much bad in life already at a young age! But really both Chris and Maia are going through losses. They are two traumatized teens who meet when Chris almost hits Maia with his car!
I had no issue with one of the characters being transgendered, we need more of those books for trans youth. But maybe they should be written by trans authors. Authors who know what these characters are going through. The author is in the community, but not trans herself, so it may have been some of the issues I felt. I did not know this about the author until I went to go write my review. I have read some books about trans characters written by trans authors and I felt what I was supposed in those books!
There is a little bit of spice for a YA novel, but nothing too much. Its two young people having their first relationship and experiences.
The narrators MW Cartozian Wilson and Sandy Rustin both gave fabulous jobs in their narration!
Overall, I give this novel a solid three stars. It was a good effort with intended love written by the author that just overall did not work for me.
ALC Review: The Hidden by Kiersten Modglin
The Hidden
Author: Kiersten Modglin
Narrator: Gail Shalan
Audio To Be Published: November 5, 2024
Audiobook: 5 hours 7 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: October 16-19, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
When Sophie Thatcher wakes up in a room she doesn’t recognize after a night she can’t remember, she assumes she had too much to drink and went home with a date.
Except…the date is nowhere to be found.
No one is.
The space she finds herself in is completely nondescript—the walls bare, fridge empty.
And just when she thought things couldn’t get bleaker or more confusing, she realizes the doors are locked from the outside.
Trapped inside an unfamiliar place and faced with a clock counting down to a mysterious deadline, Sophie tries desperately to recall the hours missing from her memory and formulate a plan to escape, but each attempt proves more futile than the last.
Hidden away from the world and unable to contact the people who would care that she’s missing, Sophie has two questions ringing in her mind: Who would bring her to this place? And why?
When she’s joined in her personal prison by someone she never thought she’d see again, everything changes and the idea of her being a random target instantly vanishes.
Whoever brought Sophie to this place has plans for her and, if she can’t figure out a way to escape before time runs out, her fate may be to remain hidden forever.
Jessica’s Review:
The physical and kindle versions of The Hidden are already out and the publisher was wonderful in granting me an alc (advanced listening copy) to listen to and review.
This one has a freaky premise that I did overall enjoy. It wasn’t the worst but also not the best I’ve read, but K. Mod can always do it with her shorter novels that just keep you reading, or listening in my case. There are some LGBTQ+ themes in the novel, but I did not have any issues with that. There was also an intensity and urgency in this one along with some fears and truths being faced that Sophie never expected to face. Sophie and her companion in terror go through some things that most people would never want to deal with. The ending did seem a bit rushed, but I did like the final chapter than put everything together afterwards.
The narrator did do a good job except for one of the characters: When she was narrating the ‘bad guy’ it was like she was trying to muffle her voice and sound like a man, but it did not work for me. She was extremely hard for me to understand him when she narrated his voice.
Overall, The Hidden was not the best I’ve listen to from K.Mod, but I am still a fan of hers!
Many thanks to the publisher Dreamscape Media for the alc!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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Audiobook Review: The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
The Boyfriend
Author: Freida McFadden
Narrators:
Victoria Connolly
Adam Blanford
Published: October 1, 2024
Audiobook: 9 hours 20 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: October 11-16, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
She’s looking for the perfect man. He’s looking for the perfect victim.
Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can’t shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.
Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He’s charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.
Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.
Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim…
Jessica’s Review:
**Please note that I listened to this book with the original male narrator Adam Blanford, so my review will be based off of his narration.
I enjoy Freida McFadden, but not obsessed with her like some of her fans are. Her newest book is The Boyfriend and I most likely see it with a different perspective now than I would have a year ago Hello dating.. I’m not sure when I will be ready for that; then books like this make you want to think twice about dating and any internet dating/apps!
We have two POVS with two different narrators: Single girl Sydney taking place in present day and 16-year-old Tom taking place in the past. We experience a super bad date Sydney has, and then later she has a boyfriend that she feels is perfect. But is he? While Sydney’s relationship is going on the police are investigating a series of murders believed to have been committed with the connection of online/app dating.
As usual with McFadden, we have short chapters! And she can just pull the reader in where they don’t want to stop reading or listening and keep going at all hours! (Not me, as I value the sleep I am able to get!) And most likely who you think the villain is… you are wrong! I had convinced myself that so-and-so was the killer, and I told myself that I am wrong, but as I continued the book, I still thought it was that person…. And I was 1000% wrong!
The narrators: Adam Blanford was the original male narrator. Two days after I finished the audiobook, it was announced that he was replaced, and Ms. McFadden is very happy with the new narrator. I had no problems with Mr. Blanford and listened to the audio at 1.2 speed. Others who had issues with him listened at ‘normal’ speed, while others just did not like his narration. I’m not going to listen to the audio again so soon, but if you listen to the audiobook now or in the future it is now the ‘new’ narrator. Victoria Connolly is our female narrator and I also had no issues with her.
I enjoy McFadden and will keep reading her backlist and her future novels.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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