Audiobook Review: Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Expiration Dates
Author: Rebecca Serle
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Published: March 19, 2024
Audiobook: 7 hours 6 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: November 6-9, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.
But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.
Jessica’s Review:
This book has such an interesting premise: A woman receives a paper with a man’s name on it and how long she will spend time with him. Whether for just a few hours or much longer. Needless to say, Daphne knows how long her relationships will last. Then one day she receives a slip a paper… with just a name… and no end date…
There is so much or so little that can happen with a name and a time period on it. But what if there are other factors involved? I was fully involved with the story and what was ultimately going to happen. I figured out the ultimate ending (blame the thriller reader in me) I saw it coming but there was one twist I was not expecting that changed everything for me when it entered the picture.
We do not find out who or what is responsible for getting these mysterious pieces of paper to Daphne throughout her life. In some ways I wanted to know, in some ways the reader is better off not having that answer. Life doesn’t always give us answers, and when it does give answers, sometimes we like them, sometimes we don’t.
Expiration Dates made me think about so many things. Such as what if I received these pieces of paper? How would I have treated my life and relationship with my ex-husband back in the beginning? Would I have wanted to continue it and even gotten married knowing that it was ultimately going to end? I can’t answer that, but if I could go back in time I would still marry him because of other events and experiences that have happened in my life that would not have happened otherwise.
The narrator is Julia Whelan and I just can’t add anything else to say about her than I have said before: I love her narrations!
I really enjoyed this novel. If you enjoy magical realism and some romance added in, pick this one up and see what you think!
Audiobook Review: Wished by Sarah Ready
Wished
Series: Ghosted #4
Author: Sarah Ready
Narrators:
Amanda Ronconi
Will Watt
Published: October 1, 2024
Audiobook: 9 hours 36 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: September 4-16, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Audiobook Description:
When Anna Benoit wishes she’s married to the enigmatic owner of the chateau she cleans, she wakes up in a topsy-turvy world where she’s Max Barone’s wife.
Anna is a romantic who believes in The One and Love at First Sight. Why? Because it happened to her. The second she saw Max Barone she fell desperately, hopelessly in love.
It didn’t matter that they were from completely different worlds—he owned a jewelry empire, she cleaned houses—love had no barriers.
Except one: Max didn’t know Anna’s name, much less that she existed.
Then one day Anna made a wish. Suddenly she was in an upside-down world where everyone believed she and Max had been happily married for years. It was passion. It was romance. It was love. It was everything she’d ever wished for.
Wasn’t it?
Jessica’s Review:
I have listened to all four of the books in the Ghosted series and loved Ghosted (book one) and Switched (book two). Fated (book three) and now Wished (book four) just didn’t work for me. I didn’t get attached to the characters. All the books are standalones but are connected, with books one and two connected and then books three and four connected. The ideas of the stories I loved, but it just didn’t work for me. I think part of it might have been that the first two books dealt with the female protagonists having STEM careers, and are also a bit ‘nerdy’ where the next two did not.
In Wished, we have Anna who is in love with Max whose house she cleans. She comes across a family heirloom and makes a wish… And BOOM it comes true. I thought it would kind of be similar to the Jennifer Lopez movie Maid in Manhattan where the maid falls in love with the rich senate candidate. Can two people from totally different worlds fall in love and it actually work out? The family is a jewelry dynasty and we learn some about the ‘jewelry world’.
As I have said with my reviews of the previous books in the series: I just love these covers! The covers alone would have me pick these books up in a bookstore to see what they are about. I might even buy them because of these covers.
As with the other books in the series, this one also has spice to it. Spice lovers will enjoy it, but it was a bit too much for me! I am used to it now with this series.
The narrators were Amanda Ronconi and Will Watt. Watt did not work for me at all. The book starts with his narration, and when I started it I wasn’t sure I was going to continue. Luckily, he only narrates two chapters. Ronconi otherwise did a great job!
Overall, I just had some personal issues with the book. All books are not for everyone, but maybe if you like the premise and enjoy spice, you might enjoy it!
Many thanks to the publisher for making this series available for readers and listeners to read or listen and review on NetGalley!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Audiobook Review: Four Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss
Four Years Trapped in My Mind Palace
Author: Johan Twiss
Narrator: Johan Twiss
Published: December 8, 2016
Audiobook: 7 hours 29 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: September 17-23, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Audiobook Description:
I was paralyzed—trapped in my own mind. The friendship of a crazy old man was my way out.
Fourteen-year-old Aaron Greenburg is trapped in a vegetative state. He’s awake and aware of everything around him, but the doctors don’t realize it. After being placed in a care facility, he receives a new roommate–Solomon, an old eccentric jazz musician with dementia. When Aaron talks in his mind to stay sane, Solomon hears his thoughts and replies. But no one believes that Aaron and Solomon can converse, except for Solomon’s teenage granddaughter, Sarah.
When Solomon relives the past during his dementia episodes, Aaron joins him in those moments in time to experience 1920s New York City, getting into a scuffle with the mob in a Chicago nightclub, fighting in World War II, and much more as the two develop an unlikely and unique friendship.
Four Years in My Mind Palace is a humorous and heartwarming coming-of-age story, entwined with an end-of-age story, that will capture your imagination and renew your faith in the power of friendship.
Jessica’s Review:
My friend Beccie has been on me for YEARS to read this book. For Christmas in 2020 (yes, I am very embarrassed about this now!) she even bought me a signed edition by the author. I promised I had intended to read it before now because I did buy a kindle copy years ago. Twiss now has a new edition of Four Years with a gorgeous cover, so I finally decided to read it. Let’s just say that 2024 has not been my year to read books, so I am thankful that audiobooks exist and I used an Audible credit for this one: I can say that I have all the formats of this book covered!
THIS BOOK: It gives you all the feelings! I was pulled in from the very beginning and just fell in love with Aaron and Solomon. This book is magical realism with a bit of historical fiction added. It would be appropriate for middle grade readers and up. Everyone will find something to love with this book. I loved everything about it. We even get some history mixed in with Solomon’s life. This reader learned some things.
Twiss also narrated the audiobook. He really brought both Aaron and Solomon to life. This is a book that deserves so much more attention than it has gotten, and with a gorgeous new cover, I hope it does! This is a book that will touch you and you will look back at it fondly.
Twiss also talks about the research he did with the historical aspects of the novel.
I have a kindle version of his novella 30 Red Dresses that I hope to read sooner rather than later now! If you haven’t read Twiss yet, do pick it up and read it now versus waiting as long as I did. My excuse is this: There are too many excellent books and never enough time!)
Here are pictures of my signed copy courtesy of Beccie:
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK