ALC Review: Her Husband’s Mistake by Daniel Hurst
Her Husband’s Mistake
Author: Daniel Hurst
Narrators:
Tamsin Kennard
Nathaniel Priestley
To Be Published: September 30, 2023
Audiobook: 5 Hours 36 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: September 18-19, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 4.5 stars
Audiobook Description:
A week in New York with my family should be the trip of a lifetime–yet I’ve been on edge the whole time because fifteen years ago, when we were living in this city, my husband did something that ripped our lives apart. I swore I would never come back, but he insisted. As we stroll along the Hudson River, drinking coffee in the sunshine, anyone would think we’re the perfect family. But the truth is far more complicated.
Jessica’s Review:
I am pasting the Goodreads book description for this review as the book’s description everywhere else gives to much plot away for this short book! This was also the book description I read, so I wasn’t spoiled if I had read the book description elsewhere I would have been.
Jack and Lorna are from the UK originally and were living in New York until Jack did something and they suddenly left and returned to the UK with their young children. They vowed to never return until… Fast forward fifteen years with their children turning 18 and 21… big birthdays!!! Guess what both kids want??? A trip to NYC!! Knowing their kids wouldn’t stop mentioning a NYC trip Jack and Lorna decide to give that gift to them. And now we have this book and what happens!
Her Husband’s Mistake is my second book by Daniel Hurst that I have listened to this year and I have enjoyed both. He is an author I will look out for! This one was very short coming in at 5.5 hours long and so it moves the entire time! Get ready for a roller coaster of intensity with this one!
Jack and Lorna were not very likeable for me, but the kids were. So much happens so quickly it’s a book you don’t want to put down! And it even went in a direction that I would not have guessed was going to happen! I was shocked: I actually had to relisten to that chapter when I got to a certain point in the audiobook!
The narrators did a good job with their narrations, I did like Tamsin Kennard’s voice more than Nathaniel Priestley.
Many thanks to the publisher Bookoutoure Audio for granting me an alc to listen to and review! I enjoyed this very quick listen!
Release Week Review: Audiobook Review of Curves for Days by Laura Moher
Curves for Days
Series: Big Love from Galway #1
Author: Laura Moher
Narrators:
Paul Bellantoni
Michelle Price
Published: August 22, 2023
Audiobook: 10 hours 23 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: August 11-16, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 4.5 stars
Audiobook Description:
Rose Barnes has got curves for days—and to Angus Drummond, the big, bearded contractor working on her new house, she’s the perfect thorn in his side. Little does she know Angus is perturbed on a daily basis by his attraction to this cheery, smart-ass woman with her sunshiny enthusiasm, her kindness, and her beautiful body.
Angus feels he has a debt to pay to the world and doesn’t deserve love until he pays it. Best to keep his mind on his work and his hands to himself. But the more Rose sees of Angus’s gruff, honorable thoughtfulness, and the more rusty laughter she surprises from him, the more she wants him too.
As their unlikely friendship becomes love, antagonism turns to partnership, and Rose’s house becomes a home. But Rose is keeping a secret that could blow up everything with Angus, and sure enough, it comes to light at the worst possible time…
Jessica’s Review:
This was a book that is 1000% written for me! I adored it nearly completely and identified with the FMC (female main character) Rose. Rose is plus sized and this is just a feel-good book with a great deal of body positivity and women of all sizes need that!
Rose is extremely relatable (I think any woman who is of a larger size in any end will identify with her). She is also friendly and helpful, and some women will love that she has a mouth on her and will use any and all the expletives she feels she needs, intended or not! She has a quarter jar and puts a quarter in it every time an expletive is said. She would be a rich woman if that jar was full but…. This isn’t a spoiler as it is mentioned in the first few lines of the novel, Rose actually is rich due to a winning $80 million lottery ticket left to her!
Due to her circumstances Rose has trust issues and a past with a traumatic experience, she finds herself in Galway, North Carolina and decides to start over there. She meets Angus who is Mr. Grumpy who ends up working on her new-to-her house. We have the sweet and grumpy trope here! This book is a slow burn with some steam to it! And dang, it was steamy enough for me! It was probably a level 2 of 5 for the steamy scenes. I don’t think I would be much steam-wise for the serious romance reader, but we do have open bedroom scenes.
I really enjoyed the growth of the relationship between Angus and Rose. Even though he is grumpy he is also a Mr. Softy at heart. They both have issues that have to be worked out. Curves for Days is a bit deceptive with the cover as there are many serious issues brought up, and this would be the trigger warnings:
Body Shaming
Rape
Veterans’ issues including PTSD and suicide
The veteran’s issues that Angus deals with and his work with veteran’s is very important and going in I had no idea this was going to be a romance with serious issues throughout. These issues that veterans experience and are unable to get help are really brought to the forefront of this book. Our veterans’ really need so much more done for them than what is done now. Bravo to Moher for bringing attention to this.
The only thing I didn’t really like was the given ‘third act conflict where I was becoming less of an Angus fan. I am totally #TeamRose and adore her! By the end of the novel, I was very happy!
Both Paul Bellantoni and Michelle Price did a fantastic job with their narrations as Angus and Rose. They really brought both of those characters to life for me. And I really liked Bellantoni’s voice!
I really enjoyed this first in the series and look forward to the next book that comes… Next April! It seems so far away now, but will be here before I know it!
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me an alc (advanced listening copy) to listen to and review. I really enjoyed this one!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Review: The Chaperone by M Hendrix
The Chaperone
Author: M Hendrix
Narrator: Laura Knight Keating
Published: June 6, 2023
Audiobook: 6 Hours 45 minutes/ 448 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To/Read: June 26-29 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 4.5 stars
Book Description:
Like every young woman in New America, Stella knows the rules:
Deflect attention.
Abstain from sin.
Navigate the world with care.
Give obedience.
Embrace purity.
Respect your chaperone.
Stella can’t go out by herself, or spend time with boys except at Visitations. Girls in New America must have chaperones at all times until they marry, so Stella’s lucky that Sister Helen is like a friend to her. When Sister Helen dies suddenly, she’s devastated, especially when the Constables assign Stella a new chaperone just days later.
Sister Laura is… different. She leaves Stella alone at the library (isn’t that illegal?) and knows how to get into the “Hush Hush” parties where all kinds of forbidden things happen. As Stella spends more time with Sister Laura, she begins to question everything she’s been taught. What if the Constables’ rules don’t actually protect girls? What if they were never meant to keep them safe?
Once Stella glimpses both real freedom and the dark truths behind New America, she has no choice but to fight back against the world she knows. She sets out on a dangerous journey across what was once the United States, risking everything.
Jessica’s Review:
This book was something! I have not read The Handmaid’s Tale, but saw the first episode of the tv show and know what it’s about and The Chaperone is definitely a cleaner YA version. (A cleaner as in PG-13 for a few parts.)
In New America women don’t have rights and girls are subjected to even more rules. You can never be alone and once girls become women (ie has their first period) they have to have a chaperone. Stella is in the upper class and has her own private chaperone that lives with her family and Stella’s younger sister will have her own chaperone in a few years. The book starts with the death of Sister Helen and everything changes.
Next comes Sister Laura who is different and she begins teaching Stella things and Stella begins to have experiences that she never would have under Sister Helen. Stella begins to think differently and then the book goes in a direction with Stella that months ago she would have never questioned. A journey of self-discovery, finding out the many truths and more comes with the rest of the novel. Saying anything else would be giving away things.
I really enjoyed this book! This is a society that we would not want to live under at all: Girls are expected to marry and then have many babies. Some girls do get to go to college, some become chaperones. The book is about 450 pages but is an extremely fast read and the shorter chapters help. In addition to having a paperback copy, I was also granted a listening copy from the publisher and was able to listen to it during my hour commute to and from work. I therefore finished this book in just a few days! I could not put it down! I wanted to know what was going to happen next!
This is a book that makes you think a lot about women rights/etc and I was thinking about it for a few days after finishing! I really hope M Hendrix is able to continue the series as I really want to know what is going to happen next in Stella’s world! There is an ending to this book, but there is still so much more for us to experience next! If you enjoy dystopian’s this is one to pick up!
The narrator is Laura Knight Keating and she did a great job portraying Stella. I hope she is brought back for the next book. Many thanks to the publisher for granting me an audio copy which I listened to as I read my paperback copy!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK