Re-listen: Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu

Author: J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Narrator:  Phoebe Fox, Rose Leslie, David Tennant, David Horovitch, James Wilby, Susan Wooldridge, Hannah Genesius

Title: Carmilla

Genre: Horror, Classic, Paranormal, Fantasy
Pages: Audiobook
Published: 1872
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



Summary: 

One of the very first vampire thrillers, this audio adaptation follows 18-year-old Laura as she recounts the story of her mysterious, intriguing and beautiful house guest Carmilla, who is stranded in the forest after a carriage accident and taken in by Laura's widowed father. The girls develop a friendship which turns into a passionate meeting of souls. A relationship of vampire and prey, the story is told through Laura's eyes as she is drawn further into Carmilla's terrifying world of pleasure and pain.

A masterpiece of erotic Gothic horror, Carmilla encompasses mystery, suspense, forbidden lust, violence...and lots of blood...

Review:

I decided, randomly, to do a re-listen. This was a fun listen in 2019! :D

This is one of the earliest vampire thrillers. Laura recounts her story of the mysterious and beautiful house guest. Carmilla was stranded in the forest after a carriage accident and is taken in by Laura and her father. Friendship....passion....and pain. 

The narration is just so good, and it makes the story so spooky and perfect for Spooky season coming up. I still found some bits slightly overdone...like the sound bits. But still entertaining overall. 

Yes. This is short and good. A nice way to start Fall. 

I'm shocked there hasn't been a movie (maybe there is, but I never heard of it) or something. This is intense and good. 

4 stars.

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #38

2-in-1 Reviews: Falling for Her Ex and Cupcakes & Macarons

Author: Chrishaun Lee

Title: Falling for Her Ex

Series: Falling For #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Short Story

Format: ebook

Pages: 48

Published: March 4, 2021

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Lena is a young aspiring writer, but she’s afraid to put her work on the market. When she secretly shares her book with her publishing boss, who can smell a best-seller in his sleep, he tells her it’s no good. Lena has to decide if she should let go of her dreams or go behind his back to see if she has what it takes to become a best-seller. Her ex finds out and he has plans of his own for getting her back.

Review:

Recently I downloaded a bunch of Amazon freebies and this one immediately caught my eye!

Here we follow Lena who is a young aspiring writer. She is afraid to put her work on the market though and that fear is even more prominent when she secretly shares her book with her publishing boss and he tells her it's no good. Lena will have to decide if she should just let her dream go or go behind his back and put it on the market. Her ex finds out about her plans and decides to help her....and win her back. 

This was cute. I adored Emmanuel and Lena's friend. They were fun. I was super annoyed with Lena though. Don't get me wrong I liked her too, but I wanted to shake her!!! When I found out the reason why they broke up I could've kicked her. It was a simple solution and if she had just taken 2 secs to listen and look they didn't need to break up. Emmanuel should have cleared his name and moved on. Make Lena chase him. 

Overall, this was a cute romance if you look past why they broke up, to begin with. I loved watching Emmanuel help her out and win her back. He's a good guy. 3 stars from me.

Author: Bethany Lopez

Title: Cupcakes & Macarons

Series: Delilah Horton #4.25

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Short Story

Format: ebook

Pages: 34

Published: April 7, 2020

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Join Lila and Cade on their European Honeymoon in this short story filled with laughs, sexy times, and the gorgeous backdrop of Europe!

Review:

Sooooo I didn't know this was part of a series. Whoopsies. I didn't even read the summary. The cover...and title.....I just grabbed it. It's a freebie so why the hellz not?

Lila and Cade are heading to Europe for their Honeymoon! Filled with laughs, sexy times, and a beautiful backdrop. 

I enjoyed this even though I soon realized this was part of a series. Eee. It was cute watching this couple just relax and enjoy their honeymoon. It made me miss mine! Sobsssss! 

Even though I missed the previous book I was still able to enjoy this. I'm sure fans of the series squealed and cheered when this came out because this couple deserves all the happiness. 

I'll give this 4 stars. 

Audiobook Review: Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

Author: Patricia Briggs

Narrator: Lorelei King & George Newbern

Title: Silence Fallen

Series: Mercy Thompson #10, Mercy Thompson World #14

Genre: UF, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Format: Audiobook

Published: March 7, 2017

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Mercy Thompson has found her voice in the werewolf pack. But when Mercy’s bond with the pack—and her mate—is broken, she’ll learn what it truly means to be alone...

 

Attacked and abducted in her home territory, Mercy finds herself in the clutches of the most powerful vampire in the world, taken as a weapon to use against alpha werewolf Adam and the ruler of the Tri-Cities vampires. In coyote form, Mercy escapes—only to find herself without money, without clothing, and alone in the heart of Europe...

 

Unable to contact Adam and the rest of the pack, Mercy has allies to find and enemies to fight, and she needs to figure out which is which. Ancient powers stir, and Mercy must be her agile best to avoid causing a war between vampires and werewolves, and between werewolves and werewolves. And in the heart of the ancient city of Prague, old ghosts rise...

Review:

This series is so addicting. Every time I say I'm going to take a break and focus on something else...I end up starting the next one. I love this world and these characters. 

Poor Mercy has the worse luck. She is attacked and abducted from her home territory while on a quick errand. She finds herself in the clutches of the most powerful vampire in the world. She is taken as a weapon to use against the alpha werewolf and the ruler of the Tri-Cities vampires. Mercy happens to escape but finds herself without money, clothing, and utterly alone in the heart of Europe. Being this far she can't connect with her pack. On the other side, is Adam the alpha werewolf and Mercy's mate. His mate is gone and he can't reach her. Teaming up with some unlikely allies, they fly to Europe to find Mercy and meet face-to-face with a deadly foe. 

This was a different format than the others but it still was fun and worked. Here Adam actually gets some narrative and we get to see things from his POV. We even got to have another narrator step in for Adam's POVs. 

Mercy has the worst luck, but also the best. She is able to escape without much injury.  Buuuuut she has no money or clothing. She can't even fully connect with her pack or mate. She is alone navigating and trying to find her way home or safety. Poor Mercy, but it was nice seeing Mercy on her own in a different setting. It was refreshing. I also loved getting some one-on-one time with Adam. We got to learn a little more about him and see him deal with the baddies.

The ending did drag on a tiny bit. I just wanted everyone to resolve the issue and reunite. 

The duo narrators were a little jarring for me at first. I am so used to Lorelei King being the voice for everyone and I loveeeeeeeeee her narration. The additional one was a male and he was good, but it took a moment to warm up to him voicing Adam's part and a lot of the cast. Different for sure, but I enjoyed the change.

But yes, this was fun! Refreshing in a lot of ways. We got to see more of Adam and see a different setting. The baddie was good and fun. My only issue was that the ending seemed to drag on a tiny bit, but other than that I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Can't wait to read more. 4 stars from me. 

 

Challenge(s):
- #61 for Audiobook challenge

Audiobook Review: Whisked Away at Christmas by Mahi Cheshire

Author: Mahi Cheshire

Narrator: Ritu Arya & Jeremy Irvine

Title: Whisked Away at Christmas

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

Format: Audiobook

Published: November 24, 2022

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

A Delicious Christmas Romance

Love. Success. Baking. Some things are all about timing.

Set against a backdrop of glamorous balls and designer fashion in beautiful, fairy-tale-like Vienna, the Golden Whisk competition promises everything for Gina Rajasinghe: it’s her big break, a chance to prove herself and win international recognition in the culinary world. The opulent concert halls and charming Christmas markets are a far cry from her humble café in Hackney, where she’s been working hard to perfect her baking skills. If only she could relax and enjoy herself, instead of worrying about her application, and the one or two tiny lies on there. Such as the professional training she never had.

And then there’s Nick Barradine to worry about, fellow competitor and media darling who seems to have it all: money, success, and his own patisserie cafés that have been heralded on both sides of the Atlantic. Oh, and he used to work with Gina. In fact, they used to be close: Nick helped train Gina at his family’s prestigious Barradine’s café back in London, until she disappeared three years ago without an explanation.

It seems they must learn how to work together again, but more than sparks fly when Nick confronts Gina about their shared past. And now there’s a video of the two of them on social media...

Whisked Away at Christmas is the perfect festive romance for listeners with a sweet tooth.

Review:

Randomly found this one on Audible while looking for something else. Works!

Here we follow Gina and Nick. This baking competition is the big break Gina needs. This is the chance to prove herself and win international recognition in the culinary world. She never had professional training, but what is a little lie or two? Nick is already successful but only because of his father's name. This is his chance to prove to himself and the world that he can win on his own talent. Little do any of them know that the other is joining the competition. They have...well...a past. Gina worked at his family's café in London. He thought they were at least friends but she vanished without explanation. 

This was a lot of fun. I loved both Gina and Nick. They have different reasons for wanting to prove themselves. She is a no-name-no-education gal. He had the education, but is just riding on daddy's coattails? I also loved that they did have a past. Nothing really romantic happened....they both wanted to take that step, but she had to go. When we find out the REAL reason she had to bail without a word....it broke my heart. Poor thing. I'm glad Nick believed her and was equally PO'ed. 

I was slightly annoyed at how long it took for them to put it all out on the table. If he truly believed his uncle's story...why would he wait SO long to confront her??? I felt like that convo should've happened a little sooner.

The baddie was pretty obvious but it didn't bug me. Sometimes baddies are easy to spot. 

I wanted to kick Nick's friend/assistant/manager in the butt. How could he be so blind to what Nick wanted and why he was doing what he was doing??

The contest was fun. I loved the sounds of all the yummy food. Made me hungry!

The narrators did well. They fit perfectly for their main characters and the side characters. The accents were done well. His voice for her and her voice for him...okay-ish.  

In the end, my only real issue was how long it took Nick to confront her. I feel like it should've been WAY sooner. Besides that and some of the narration...I enjoyed this. This was perfect for the holidays. Food, love, and a heated competition? Yes, please! 3 stars from me. 

Challenge(s):
- #59 for Audiobook challenge

Audiobook Review: Follow My Lead by Kate Noble

Author: Kate Noble 

Narrator: Alison Larkin

Title: Follow My Lead

(The Blue Raven #3)

Genre: Historical Romance, Mystery

Format: Audiobook

Pages: 355

Published:  March 25th 2011

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

Jason Cummings, Duke of Rayne is feeling the weight of his responsibilities - one of which is to get married. Being the most sought after bachelor in London can be trying, so who can blame him if he seeks refuge from the voracious hordes of young debutantes at the decidedly female-free Historical Society? Female-free, that is, until Winnifred Crane marches up to the door, demanding entrance.

Despite her prowess as a historian, Winn is denied membership the Society. So she daringly offers an unusual bargain: if she can prove the authenticity of a certain painting, she'll be granted recognition, fame, and respect. But to do that, she must go abroad. And to go abroad, she must have an escort, even a stubbornly unwilling one...

Jason has no desire to accompany Winn on her adventure across Europe, but even he is not immune to Winn's passion for her profession. As the journey proves more difficult than planned, they must work together to stay one step ahead of their rivals.... and the closer they get to the proof Winn seeks, the closer she and Jason become. But as their adventure turns dangerous, can Jason keep this headstrong bluestocking safe? And what will become of their growing bond when the adventure ends?

Review:

I was a touch unsure about this one because I was meh about Jason in the last one. However, I seen this on Audible so I decided to finally dive in. 

We follow Winn and Jason as they go on an adventure of craziness. Winn is denied membership at the Historical Society, so she offers an unusual bargain...if she can prove the authenticity of a certain painting, then they have to grant her recognition, fame, and respect. In order to do this, she has to go abroad. Through some craziness, Jason becomes her escort and guide. He is intrigued by the woman and also wants to see her win. However, their adventure turns out to much more difficult than planned and they have to stay ahead of someone who wants Winn to lose. 

This was very exciting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire listen! I had zero idea what was going to happen next. I had no idea and I loved it. It was a ball of craziness for sure. A perfect word for this book and it's characters. 

I did warm up to Jason right away especially when he took Winn's side at the very beginning. It was very sweet and noble of him. 

Winn? I actually was a unsure of. I guess you can say I had a love-hate for her. She was so clueless for being so smart. She is all brains and no polish (ha Hamilton). Without Jason she would have gotten nowhere. Poor, poor noble Jason. 

I also adored Sarah. I want her to be happy. She will find her HEA!

This was very fun and I adored it. I think it is one of my favorites of the series so far. How funny is that!? I was hesitant of this one, but it has ended up as one of my favorites so far?? Thus is life, eh?

The narrator is pure perfection. I adore her voices. Her German ones were great. 

In the end, I highly adored this. The characters, the adventure, the mystery, all the craziness? All fun. I'll stamp this with a 5. 

Challenge(s):
- #6 for Audiobook challenge

 

Book Review: Bittersweet Tapestry by Kevin O'Connell

Author:  Kevin O'Connell
Title: Bittersweet Tapestry (The Derrynane Saga, Book Three)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 380
Publication Date: November 1, 2019
Where I Got It: My shelf (Netgalley)



Unhappily returned to Derrynane, within a year, under the auspices of their uncle, a general in the armies of Maria Theresa, Eileen and her sister, Abigail departed for Vienna and a life neither could have ever imagined – one at the dizzying heights of the Hapsburg empire and court, where Abigail ultimately became principal lady-in-waiting to the Empress herself, whilst Eileen, for nine momentous years, served as governess to the Empress’s youngest daughter – during which time Maria Antonia, whom Eileen still calls ‘my wee little archduchess’, has become Marie Antoinette, dauphine of France, though she continues to refer to her beloved governess as “Mama”.

As Bittersweet Tapestry opens, it is the High Summer of 1770. Having escorted the future Queen of France from Vienna to her new life, Eileen and her husband, Captain Arthur O’Leary of the Hungarian Hussars, along with their little boy and Eileen’s treasured friend (and former servant) Anna Pfeffer are establishing themselves in Ireland.

Their ties to Catholic Europe remain close and strong; in addition to Abigail and her O’Sullivan family and General O’Connell, his wife and young daughter in Vienna, their brother Daniel is an officer in the Irish Brigade of the armies of Louis XV, whilst their youngest brother, Hugh, is studying at École Militaire in Paris, his path to a commission in the Dillons’ Regiment of the Brigade. His gentle Austrian friendship with Maria Antonia having inevitably waned, Hugh’s relationship with the strikingly-beautiful young widowed Princess Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy is blossoming.

Though happily ensconced at Rathleigh House, the O’Leary family estate in County Cork, being prominent amongst those families which are the remnants of the old Gaelic order in the area, Eileen and Art find that the dark cloud of the Protestant Ascendancy hovers heavily, at times threateningly, over them

Been itching for more when book 2 ended! I was so excited when this was ready to be read. 

The story continues with Eileen and her friends/family. After escorting Maria Antonia to the Versailles, they have withdrawn back home to Ireland. However, not all is happily ever after for them or for the archduchess. There is a dark cloud on the horizon. 

I feel so bad for everyone. I just want them to have a HEA and live peacefully, but that is never the case. There is always something so it  made this story more realistic. Sad things happen and we all know the story of Marie Antoinette especially at the beginning of her unhappy marriage. I still wanted it to be different for her! I just want her to be loved! SIGHS. And I want Art and Eileen to be all happy and live their lives in peace in Ireland. But alas....not meant to be. 

The beginning was a little slow, but it worked and I liked it. It does allow for those who didn't read book 1 of 2 to be able to know what is going on. However, I do encourage reading books 1 and 2 to fully fall for the characters and get attached.

The writing is just as lovely as the others. The author really knows how to bring the story and characters to life in a beautiful way. 

OOoooOOOOO the feels in this one especially after a certain event. My poor heart! It did get a tear from me. Ugh. Won't say what, but it got me right in my heart there. 

Grrrr that baddie!!! *shakes fist* 

I want to be like Eileen when I grow up! And I loveeeee Art too!

The ending has me wanting more even though I am worried for our characters especially as time trickles on and we know Marie Antoinette and her family will have their own doom cloud heading towards them. Sobs!

In the end, this was addictive! I couldn't put it down just like the others. I think this was my favorite so far even though I was so upset at that one scene. Sob! I highly recommend this series for historical fiction lovers. 5 stars. :) 

Audiobook Review: Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu

Author: J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Narrator:  Phoebe Fox, Rose Leslie, David Tennant, David Horovitch, James Wilby, Susan Wooldridge, Hannah Genesius

Title: Carmilla

Genre: Horror, Classic, Paranormal, Fantasy
Pages: Audiobook
Published: 1872
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



One of the very first vampire thrillers, this audio adaptation follows 18-year-old Laura as she recounts the story of her mysterious, intriguing and beautiful house guest Carmilla, who is stranded in the forest after a carriage accident and taken in by Laura's widowed father. The girls develop a friendship which turns into a passionate meeting of souls. A relationship of vampire and prey, the story is told through Laura's eyes as she is drawn further into Carmilla's terrifying world of pleasure and pain.

A masterpiece of erotic Gothic horror, Carmilla encompasses mystery, suspense, forbidden lust, violence...and lots of blood...

Couldn't resist this one especially when they said David Tennant was one of the narrators! Plus it is perfect for the season of spooks!

The story follows Laura as she recounts the story of her house guest Carmilla who is mysterious and intriguing and oooo so beautiful. They brought her in after Carmilla's carriage was in an accident. The girls develop a quick friendship which turns into something more. But nothing is as it seems. 

I had never heard of this before and I am shocked it is not more popular! It was an intense story for sure. And very Gothic horror with some passion. I could not stop listening. I had to know what was going to happen next. It was very predictable, but it was still intriguing and mysterious. 

Poor Laura. I felt bad for her. 

There were a lot of narrators at play here and they all did well. I wish we had gotten more David Tennant, but I am biased for sure on this. They were all so dramatic. Sometimes overly so. The sound effects were fun, but I do feel like that was over-done sometimes too. A touch over-the-top performance-wise, but I still enjoyed the cast. 

Overall, this was a quick listen but it is perfect if you want a little horror in your life. The narrators did well, sometimes over-the-top in the drama, but I was entranced! I'll give this 4 stars. 

Movie Review: The Devil's Mistress (2016)

Film Title: The Devil's Mistress "Lída Baarová"

Length: 1h 40 min 
Released: 2016
Genre:   Biography, Drama, History
Rating: TV-14
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:
A film about the black-and-white era actress Lída Baarová and her doomed love affair.

TRAILER:

REVIEW:
I had this on my list of movies to watch. Decided to give it a go. 

Oh boy. Where do I start? 

Well...the story follows Lída Baarová who was an actress back in the day. We get to see her rise in fame and then meeting Joseph Goebbels and falling "in love". Things don't go well because he is married and a Nazi. She is just a Czech-Austrian actress. Hitler forbids them to be together because Joseph Goebbel must have the perfect German family and having a mistress isn't good for the reputation. 

I was super intrigued the moment I turned on the movie. I was curious to see this all play out. However, things got....weird and awkward really quick. 

First, I didn't see the chemistry between the two so it made it awkward. 

Second, the sex scene was even more awkward and weird. I get she is "playing with fire" but do you really need to have her staring into the fire and have their sex faces be there??? 

Third, how could she love him especially after a certain scene?! He is obviously a monster and you are not German so where is the even slightest amount of fear!!?? Yes, yes, the whole thing she LOVES him even though he's a baddie. But there should be some sort of emotion of fear...self-doubt....something. 

Fourth, the ending scene. Ugh. I can't say it without spoilers but it was baaaddddd.

Why did I continue this film? It was like a car accident and you can't help but watch. I wanted to know what would happen next. I wanted to see her "love" turn into hate for the man. But nope. She still loved him. 

In the end, this was not the film for me. SOOOO MANY AWKWARD SCENES! Ugh! I'll stamp this with 1 star. 

Book Review: A Doubtful Inheritance by Ted Todd

Author: Ted Todd
Title: A Doubtful Inheritance
Genre: Autobiography
Pages: ebook
Published: March 25th 2015
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

 We first meet the narrator Tim in the 1970s where he attends the Esalen Institute, a quintessential 70s Californian organization designed to help participants on the path to self-awareness. There, Tim comes traumatically face to face with the biggest issue in his life – the disappearance of his beloved father Lajos during WW2. From there the story flashes back to Russia, where, near the war’s end Lajos and brother Andor are the Jewish members of a retreating Hungarian army unit. What follows is a sweeping tale, taking in many settings across the globe - from a Siberian POW camp, through to Vienna, Argentina and Australia. The plot is certainly multi layered and plays out at different time lines between 1945 and the present day. 

This genre is always fun. Taking a biography and putting some fictional aspects to areas that need it. I read one the other day that could technically fall into this category. 

This story follows Tim in the 1970s who has to face the biggest tragedy of his life...the disappearance of his father during WWII. We get some "flashbacks" and POVs of his father during the war. 

So sad, but so full of hope. I felt bad for Tim. I cannot imagine not knowing what really happened to your father and that he is missing. There was one part that really stuck with me. He is going on saying how he is a 30-year-old man who has a good life with kids and a good job. However, he is still haunted by his father's disappearance and how he still feels the void. No matter how old you get or how great your life becomes things like that will forever scar you. That part made me tear up and re-read that part a couple of times, so good. 

I liked the flashbacks and jumping POV. I liked Tim's story, but I really was intrigued by the dad's story. It was sad, but I liked seeing the dad's story. Oooo that war. I wanted more of the dad's story, but the balance did seem to be okay.

I like the philosophical points too. It really rounded out the story and added more feels and makes you think. Yes, the story was good itself, but I like when books make me think and feel. 

Overall, I really recommend this for anyone who likes a people story. Sure, there are some historical aspects since a lot of the book is set in the war. This really makes you think and feel. I'll give this 4 stars. A good one for sure.