An Audible Original: 33 Unplayed Voicemails by Melissa de la Cruz
33 Unplayed Voicemails
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Narrator: Full cast narration
Published: August 18, 2022
Audiobook: 2 hours 28 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Read: June 5, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Audiobook Description:
Straitlaced Evelyn and reformed bad boy Marco might make an unlikely pair, but the two lovebirds couldn’t be more head over heels for each other. Sure, they’ve had some missed calls along the way, but all that’s in the past. They’ve got their sights set on forever, and the next stop is a walk down the aisle in front of their friends and family. It’s the big day, and everyone’s gathered to watch Marco and Evelyn say “I do”. Everyone except Evelyn that is. Is the bride running late or running? With happily ever after on the line, the surprising answer might just be in their voicemails—too bad they never listen to them.
Jessica’s Review:
This one is strictly available as an audiobook and this short story is just 2.5 hours long, and frustrating the whole time! All I have to say is this: People, listen to your voicemails! You mean to tell me that over the course of their relationship that neither Evelyn or Marco realized this!?!?! It will just get worse not better if they don’t realize this. If so, then just answer your phone! And these two just don’t really seem to know much about each other and decide to get married. The whole thing spells disaster!
The saving grace for this short story was the audio format that it is in. This is the perfect story for audio since it is all about voicemails. We do also get other conversations, but the whole point of this story is the missed messages. I added one star for the format, otherwise this one would have been a 2 star listen. I hate to say it for any book, but this is one to avoid!
Short Story Sunday: Trouble by Janelle Brown
Trouble
Series: We Could Be Heroes
Author: Janelle Brown
Narrator: January LaVoy
Published: February 7, 2023
Audiobook: 1 hour 7 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Listened To: March 1, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Short Story Description:
What does it take to be a good mother? A good neighbor? Straight answers are hard to find in this keenly observed short story by New York Times bestselling author Janelle Brown.
Polly’s fourth-grade daughter has been spending a lot of time with her classmate Sylvie—maybe too much. Sylvie’s clothes are a little…flashy…and her phone (a ten-year-old with a phone!) doesn’t seem to have any parental controls. It seems that Sylvie’s mother, with her vape pens and her too-high heels, may not be making good choices. As Polly tries to exert a positive influence, she discovers just how little anyone can tell about a family from the outside.
Janelle Brown’s Trouble is part of We Could Be Heroes, a darkly inquisitive collection of short stories that examines heroic intentions versus their real-life consequences. Read or listen to each in a single sitting.
Jessica’s Review:
Oh wow! I really enjoyed this short story. I was not sure where it was going to go, who to believe, and is this child to blame or a victim herself. I can’t say much more than that, and you don’t know the who, what, why, or how, until the very last line!
Trouble was my introduction to Brown, and since I enjoyed it I will be on the lookout for more by her!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Short Story Sunday: Pigeon Tony’s Last Stand by Lisa Scottoline
Pigeon Tony’s Last Stand
Series: We Could Be Heroes: Short story 1 of 5
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Narrator: Edoardo Ballerini
Published: February 7, 2023
Audiobook: 1 hour 13 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Read: February 10, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
When amiable Italian immigrant Pigeon Tony discovers that local drug dealers are pressuring his young neighbor into joining their ranks, he resolves to put an end to the crime wave before it can take over the community. Pigeon Tony knows the law isn’t always on the right side, but it takes only one person to rally a revolution.
Jessica’s Review:
This is the first short story in Amazon’s We Could be Heroes series and takes all of the ‘Tony’s’ characters from Scottoline’s popular Rosato and DiNunzio series. I am a fan of Scottoline and was very excited when I heard about this short story, and I have really missed her R&D novels.
As the title shows, Pigeon Tony is the featured character in this short story, but all of the Tony’s appear along with Mary DiNunzio! All of the Tony’s are much older and are scene stealers in the R&D series. If you have read the series then you already know what you need to know about these characters that you have grown to love over the years. If this is your introduction, the story may seem a bit ‘out there’ for you with the way the characters act.
Pigeon Tony’s Last Stand is a quick and enjoyable read for fans of the series. The narrator did a great job. I really hope Scottoline gets back to the R&D series, but it seems that she has a new love of writing historical fiction.
Purchase Links: This short story series is currently available only on Kindle and Audible.
Amazon US
Amazon UK