An ALC Review: Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols
Granite Harbor
Author: Peter Nichols
Narrator: Peter Ganim
To Be Published: April 30, 2024
Audiobook: 11 hours 20 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: April 2-11, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 2 stars
Book Description:
In scenic Granite Harbor, life has continued on―quiet and serene―for decades. That is until a local teenager is found brutally murdered in the Settlement, the town’s historic archaeological site. Alex Brangwen, adjusting to life as a single father with a failed career as a novelist, is the town’s sole detective. This is his first murder case and, as both a parent and detective, Alex knows the people of Granite Harbor are looking to him to catch the killer and temper the fear that has descended over the town.
Isabel, a single mother attempting to support her family while healing from her own demons, finds herself in the middle of the case when she begins working at the Settlement. Her son, Ethan, and Alex’s daughter, Sophie, were best friends with the victim. When a second body is found, both parents are terrified that their child may be next. As Alex and Isabel race to find the killer in their midst, the town’s secrets―past and present―begin bubbling to the surface, threatening to unravel the tight-knit community.
Jessica’s Review:
This one sounded right up my alley and I was interested in reading it, but it was not for me. I was sent an advanced listening copy and looked forward to listening to it. It is the ‘whodunit’ trope and a slow burn atmospheric read.
I think this is one where the narrator did not work for me. I don’t remember much about the story other than teens being killed and toads being mentioned a lot. In fact, looking at some other reviews I was shocked that I missed many things, many which should be trigger warnings and knowing these now I would have avoided this book and maybe I am fortunate that I didn’t catch this while listening. Again, I think this was the narrator, and usually I would be interested in giving the book a try in the future, but I will skip this one.
Trigger warnings to be aware of:
Animal Abuse
Sexual Assault
Child Abuse
Teen Bullying
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me an alc, I wish I could have enjoyed it!
Pre-order Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Audiobook Review: Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
Forget Me Not
Author: Julie Soto
Narrators:
Callie Dalton
Teddy Hamilton
Published: July 11, 2023
Audiobook: 9 hours 15 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: November 9-14, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 2 stars
Book Description:
An ambitious wedding planner must work with her grumpy florist ex, whose heart she broke, on the most high-profile wedding of her career, in this spicy and emotional romance from popular fanfic author Julie Soto.
He loves me; he loves me not…
Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. But with a mother who has been married more times than you can count on your fingers, Ama has decided that marriage is not the route for her. But weddings? Weddings are amazing. As a small business owner, she knows how to match her clients with the perfect vendor to give them the wedding of their dreams. Well, almost perfect…
Elliot hates being a florist, most of the time. When his father left him the flower shop, he considered it a burden, but he’s stuck with it. Just like how he’s stuck with the way he proposed to Ama, his main collaborator and girlfriend (or was she?) two years ago. But flowers have grown on him, just like Ama did. And flowers can’t run off and never speak to him again, like Ama did.
When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding that will bring her business national exposure, there’s a catch: Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. Add in a meddling ex-boss, and a reality TV film crew documenting every step of the wedding prep, and Ama and Elliot’s hearts are not only in jeopardy again, but this time, their livelihoods are too.
Jessica’s Review:
This much I can say: I love the cover!
But can I please forget Forget Me Not? This one started as a buddy read with my friend Beccie but she ended up DNFing (did not finish) it at 53%. I made it through the audiobook, but it was not for me. What kept me going was all the wedding planning: I found that interesting and wanted to know what was going to happen on the big day. That was the only reason I kept listening.
Ama and Elliot are our narrators with Ama narrating present day and Elliot in the past, where it seemed like he still was! Neither of them was likeable. And Teddy Hamilton’s narration/ voice of Elliot just rubbed me the wrong way! It made Elliot even less likeable. There was also no chemistry between the two, it was all about hooking up: There was no romance here! And I’ll just say this, those sex scenes were just too much detail for me! I was skipping through the track during them. Apparently, I need ‘sweet romances’ and fun ‘rom com’/ ‘chick lit’.
All I really know about these two characters:
Elliot is grumpy and supposedly heartbroken (but again there was no romance, just sex!). Oh yeah, he also has flower tattoos all over his body which makes him hot.
Ama loves donuts to an extreme. An extreme danger: If you are allergic to peanut butter, why do you still buy peanut butter donuts? Answer: Because they are a top seller. Really?!?!?! She also has a former boss who kept showing up. Is she trying to sabotage Ama or help her?
I’m not going to say anymore about this one other than Beccie and I seem to be in the minority here. Or are we? We both had similar thoughts on the book. I kept her up to date on what happened since I finished it. Maybe we will have better luck with another buddy read at another time!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Audiobook Review: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse Five
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Narrator: Ethan Hawke
Published: March 31, 1969
Audiobook: 6 hours 2 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: August 3-7, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 2 stars
Book Description:
Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.”
Jessica’s Review:
“And so it is”… Slaughterhouse Five was not for me. For me it seems that Vonnegut is an acquired taste. Slaughterhouse is a short book but also a very hard read. I only finished it because it is a book club read, I most likely would have never picked it up otherwise. Maybe my opinion of it will change after we have our meeting on this one and I hear what the other ladies have to say.
Maybe it was that I did not know the history of Dresden or I am not a fan of symbolism, but it just did not work for me. The novel was also non-linear which can make it harder to read if you are not enjoying it. And then there are aliens and time travel…. Slaughterhouse is a classic that most people seem to enjoy but I just really struggled. It is semi- auto biographical for Vonnegut as he served during WWII.
I listened to an older audiobook version which was narrated by Ethan Hawke. His narration was fine, and it actually helped me get through listening. There was also an interview with Vonnegut. The main thing I got from that interview is that Vonnegut is NOT Billy Pilgrim. Billy Pilgrim was based off of a real person: Edward R Crone Jr, who actually died at Dresden. That was interesting to find out.
Though not for me, maybe this classic will be for you. “And so it is”…
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK