Carole Rae's Random Ramblings

Wednesday, July 8

Audiobook Review: Seatmate by Cara Bastone

Author: Cara Bastone

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi, Zachary Webber, & cast
Title: Seatmate

Series: Love Lines #3

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella
Format: Audiobook
Published: March 24, 2022
Where I Got It: Audible

Summary:

I have exactly 5 hours and 10 minutes to get from Boston to New York City or the professional opportunity of a lifetime disappears. My only travel option? The second to last seat on a discount bus. Across from the bathroom. Wearing last night’s clothes (don’t ask). All worth it if I can make it in time.

My nerves almost get the best of me, but then there he is, sitting down in the seat next to me. Tall. Friendly smile. Bright indigo streak in his brown hair. The perfect distraction. Turns out he’s on his way to reconnect with an old flame. The one who got away. We can both make it on time - just barely - if the traffic keeps flowing.

Playing road-trip games, avoiding calls from his mother, and effortless conversation keeps us from clockwatching...until the bus breaks down. And my seatmate turns into my copilot as we wrangle a ride in a car three decades old. And hit all the traffic. And oh, Lord, the detours. And somehow I end up careening cross-town on the handlebars of a Citi Bike carrying a box of kittens. (Yeah, don’t ask.)

He’s my hero every step of the way...and I might be falling for him. But what happens when we reach our final destination? Could my seatmate really be my soul mate?

Review:

Yayy book 3.

Here we follow Gwen and Sam. They are just two strangers who sit next to each other on a long bus ride. Instead of sitting in silence, they end up chatting and enjoying themselves. Playing road-trip games, avoiding calls from Sam's mom, and clockwatching. Everything is going great until the bus breaks down. They both have to get to town asap, so they work together to get there. Could these seatmates be soul mates?

This is slightly tied into the other books. They mention a character from book 1, but otherwise this would do okay as a standalone. I'm a sucker for this series, so I highly encourage reading the other two books first.

I do wish that we had more of a connection with the other characters. Maybe see them in the epilogue?

This was adorable, and I liked it. I loved their conversations and their journey. Our mains are so sweet and so perfect for each other. The chemistry was there from the moment they said hi. I wish we had more....heat. Like a splash more. Maybe an accidental kiss or something. But it's supposed to be clean, so I get it.

Loved the full cast of narrators here. They were all perfect, and I'm a sucker for Amanda Ronconi!!! She is just so good.

Overall, I enjoyed this, and I loved the series. I hope we get another book. Maybe this couple will pop up in the next one. But yes, 100% recommend all three books. 4 stars.

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #28

Tuesday, July 7

Audiobook Review: Duke of Depravity by Scarlett Scott

Author: Scarlett Scott

Narrator: Kate Handford
Title: Duke of Depravity

Series: Sins and Scoundrels #1

Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Audiobook
Published: November 23, 2018
Where I Got It: Audible

Summary:

Crispin Ashforth returns from battle the newly inherited Duke of Whitley with two sisters under his charge. Publicly lauded as a hero, he is haunted by the bitter mission that nearly saw him killed and cost the life of his best friend. He’s desperate to drown out the demons tormenting him by any means, regardless of how depraved.

All he needs to do is find a proper governess for his hellion sisters so he can drink and wench himself into oblivion. Enter Miss Jacinda Turnbow, who is as lovely as she is prickly. It doesn’t take Crispin long to realize he’s found precisely the sort of distraction he needs in the prim governess.

But Jacinda has secrets of her own, and she’s no ordinary governess. To save herself and her father from ruin, she has agreed to infiltrate the duke’s home and search for evidence that he’s a traitor.

Resisting his advances grows more difficult by the day, however, as she discovers there’s more to Crispin than the careless life of sin he’s cultivated. And the greatest danger she faces is losing her heart to the man she has no choice but to betray.

Review:

Picked this up randomly when I saw the title! It fits a reading challenge, and plus it has been ages since I read a Historical Romance.

Here we follow Jacinda and Crispin. He is the new Duke and has to take care of his sisters, but his mind is still haunted by the war's events, so he's been drinking and man-whoring around town. However, he needs a new governess since his prankster sisters made the last one quite rather quickly. Enter Jacinda. She is undercover to search for evidence against Crispin. There are rumors that he is a traitor. As time goes on, she starts doubting his guilt, but is she biased because she is falling for the man, or is he truly innocent?

This one was alright. It had it's shiny and fun moments, but I didn't buy the love story between these two. Lust? Heck yeah, but there was little love there from what I could see. They rarely spoke, and then Jacinda wasn't who she said she was. There was little time at the end for them to talk it through and really get to know each other.

Love a good lust, and the chemistry was lovely, but I didn't buy their love. Not even in the epilogue.

Other than that, I still had a lot of fun with this story and seeing them fumble about.

The narrator did a good job. His voices fit.

Overall, this was just alright for me because I never felt the love. The lust and etc...that was great! The narrator was good. I just needed more talking. 3 stars.

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #27

- Reading Romance Challenge #16 (Duke in Title)

Monday, July 6

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Format: 400 pages, Paperback

Published: April 7, 2026 by Fourth Estate

Fiction/library

I kept seeing reviews how I would hate Natalie, and sure I did not like her. She was horrible. But at the end I just felt sorry for her.

She was clearly depressed already in College, after the first kid even more. She should have gotten help then. Instead she seems to turn more manic, people throw money at her. And she has enablers. No one ever seems to point the finger at the ever more rightwing conspiracy freak of a husband. I just cant hate someone who seems really mentally unstable, and I do not think she ever got help. She is just evil, nah, the woman needs some psychiatric help.

I feel like I read another book then everyone else. Why did no one ever help her?! I get it is hard to help someone who does not know they need help but come on.

Natalie marries young, moves to a farm, starts to film her life. Think Ballerina farm. Smile and pretend everyone is happy, even though everyone is miserable. She only cares about likes. She is focused and driven and pretends to be the best Trad Wife there is.

And then she is transported to the 1800s. And being a real trad wife sucks....

I liked it, it was good. I enjoyed the twists, but, srsly, why did no one ever help her?

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and has the social media accounts to prove it. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What Natalie’s followers don’t know won’t hurt them.

Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children―they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.