Short Story Sunday: The Matchmakers by Carolyn Brown
The Matchmakers
Author: Carolyn Brown
Narrator: Bailey Carr
Published: April 7, 2022
Audiobook: 2 hours
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Listened To: October 24, 2022
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
Three mischievous matchmakers. Two lonely hearts. And one last chance at a happily ever after. Don’t miss this heartwarming short story from New York Times best-selling author Carolyn Brown.
Meet Minnie, Dotty, and Stella—all retired and year-round residents on a cruise ship, they have dubbed themselves the unofficial matchmakers aboard. Minnie can ferret out a lonely woman by the second day of the cruise. Dotty can spot an openhearted man all the way across the Lido Deck. And Stella is great at putting a plan together. Together they’ve been every bit as successful as one of those online dating sites, and they can watch the romance unfold right before their eyes.
The trio face their biggest challenge yet when an unusual pair makes it onto the 10-day cruise to Alaska. Ava and Vince are on the verge of a divorce and have no idea that they’ve each booked the same cruise to think things over. Now, with a little help from the Matchmakers, they’re about to discover that every great voyage has its storms—and love means weathering them together.
Jessica’s Review:
This is a cute one, where you know from the beginning how it will end, but that is chick-lit for you: It can be a nice refresher from all the thrillers I read. It was short and I was able to listen to it during my commute to/from work in one day.
The narrator went a bit out there with the southern accents. Not all southern women have distinct southern accents, I am one of those as I am from Georgia. Once I got used to the way the narrator was portraying them, I was able to enjoy this audiobook.
The ladies remind you of the Golden Girls so you know you are in for a ride! They are such a fun group, I would love to see more of their adventures on cruise ships!
Purchase Links:
This short story is only available on Audible or audio cd
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Review: The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones
The String Diaries
Series: The String Diaries #1
Author: Stephen Lloyd Jones
Published: July 1, 2014
448 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
A family is hunted by a centuries-old monster: a man with a relentless obsession who can take on any identity.
The String Diaries opens with Hannah frantically driving through the night — her daughter asleep in the back, her husband bleeding out in the seat beside her. In the trunk of the car rests a cache of diaries dating back 200 years, tied and retied with strings through generations. The diaries carry the rules for survival that have been handed down from mother to daughter since the 19th century. But how can Hannah escape an enemy with the ability to look and sound like the people she loves?
Stephen Lloyd Jones’s debut novel is a sweeping thriller that extends from the present day, to Oxford in the 1970s, to Hungary at the turn of the 19th century, all tracing back to a man from an ancient royal family with a consuming passion — a boy who can change his shape, insert himself into the intimate lives of his victims, and destroy them.
If Hannah fails to end the chase now, her daughter is next in line. Only Hannah can decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to finally put a centuries-old curse to rest.
Kim’s Review:
This book had so much potential! A complicated plot that had nowhere to go but up! An interesting premise and characters that were willing to go along for the ride … and it just all fell flat. No real explanation; which y’all know is going to annoy the ever living stuffing out of me! And then major cheating. I know that sounds childish, but it’s true. You don’t get to change the rules willy-nilly, and expect me to just accept it. The multiple timelines added some nice dimension, but the old one didn’t offer any good resolution and the modern one just cheated. Plus, I was left unsatisfied by the motivation of the villain … if I wanted high school drama, I would have shopped in the YA section. I wasn’t planning on continuing the series, but I bought the sequel by accident. This book offered enough potential, that I think I’ll give the sequel a chance.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Review: The Lunatic Memoirs by Thatcher C. Nalley
The Lunatic Memoirs
Author: Thatcher C. Nalley
Published: July 25, 2013
207 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
This memoir has been printed in the original raw format as penned by Jack Downing to keep the veracity of his madness intact…
Jack Downing has become one of the most influential business tycoons in America.
Jack Downing also believes that God has chosen him to annihilate the entire existence of human beings.
Convinced that God has chosen him to be “The One”, the successful Jack Downing will set out to kill off all of mankind. As he begins to carry out the plan of extinction, and with only one year left to do so, Jack begins to write on how he became God’s chosen one.
On the outside the publicly respected Jack Downing in charming and charismatic, but unbeknownst to the world around him, the secret Jack is descending into violent madness.
Written in a narrative form, THE LUNATIC MEMOIRS, is a novel that journeys deep into the detached reasoning of a sociopathic mind. Jack Downing illuminates how the mind’s line between that which is sane and insane can be truly very thin.
Kim’s Review:
You want to look into a delusional mind that sometimes makes sense but sometimes doesn’t and yet still manages to blend into society with fewer problems than you imagine?? Ok, then read this book. I wasn’t a huge fan of the format so that added to my frustration. I enjoy things that make sense, and the mind of a psychopath doesn’t always. This is just an odd book that I’m glad I read, but can’t recommend to everyone. I may be the weirdo who loves a haunted asylum, but not all the patients intrigue me, and Jack didn’t really intrigue me. But I mostly enjoy Nalley’s work and I am glad I read it.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
