Audiobook Review: Death Overdue by Allison Brook

Author: Allison Brook 

Narrator: Mia Gaskin

Title: Death Overdue

(The Haunted Library Mysteries #1)

Genre: Cozy mystery, Paranormal, Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy

Format: Audiobook

Pages: 329 

Published:  October 10th 2017

Where I got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she's offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies.

The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie's determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it's the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.

Review:

I picked this up without even reading the summary. Decided to take a gamble! All I check was that this was book 1 of the series ;) And I feel my gamble worked out well. 

The story follows Carrie who is about to leave again and go somewhere warm. The heart of the traveler rarely stays somewhere too long. However, she is offered a good job as the head of programs and events at the local library. She was going to deny the job at first but with the gentle nudge from the a ghost she decides to take the job and stay. Her first major event at the library is Al Buckley who is a retired detective and claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster 15 years ago. During his presentation he suddenly keels over and dies. Carrie feels responsible and decides to try and uncover who killed Al and Laura Forster. 

Woah. I expected a mystery and maybe a murder...but it turns into two! Haha you should've seen my face since I was totally going in blind to this book. Loved it. 

The mystery had a lot of twists and turns but I stuck my guns to who I thought it was and I was right. HAHA! I shall pat myself on the back. However, I will say....I doubted my choice especially as more clues and hints and red herrings popped up. The ending was fantastic! I cheered when Carrie did what I was wanting her to do since nearly the beginning. You go girl! 

I liked Carrie. She was very sweet. I did get really sleepy during her long-winded explanation of nonimportant things. Like what everyone was eating at the table or her shopping trips that didn't really seem to push the story along. I think I would've been more forgiving if this was more of a journal/diary format? 

I loved our ghost friend. She was funny and a nice cherry on top of this story. I hope she is in more books. Well...I do want her to find peace and not haunt the library anymore, but I like her a lot so I am selfish and want to see her more. 

The narrator was good. I liked her voices and she did well overall. No issues there. She fit and did well with all the characters. 

In the end, I did like this. A good mystery with a fun set of characters which includes the library ghost. Fun. There were some moments that dragged on a bit, but overall, this was a nice holiday cozy mystery for Halloween AND Thanksgiving. I am tempted to check out book 2. We shall see. 3 stars is what I shall stamp this one. 

Challenge(s):
- #49 for Audiobook Challenge

Audiobook Review: How to Catch a Wicked Viscount by Amy Rose Bennett

Author: Amy Rose Bennett 

Narrator: Sienna Frances

Title: How to Catch a Wicked Viscount

(The Disreputable Debutantes #1)

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: Audiobook

Pages: 352

Published:  August 27th 2019

Where I got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: Shy, bookish Sophie Brightwell is expected to make an advantageous match to improve her family's fortunes. However, Sophie's plans to make a spectacular debut go horribly awry when she and her three closest friends are expelled from a young ladies' academy for unbecoming conduct. Since the ton will be sure to close their doors on these disgraced debutantes, they determine that unconventional means need to be employed in the husband-hunting market. Rakehells—the beau monde's wickedest members—might be the only men willing to overlook a young lady's besmirched reputation.

But how does one catch a rake?

Nate Hastings, the devil-may-care Viscount Malverne, is the older brother of Sophie’s best friend, fellow disgraced debutante Lady Charlotte. When a terribly foxed Nate accidentally compromises Sophie, Charlotte strikes a wicked bargain: in order to avoid a scandal and the parson's mousetrap, Nate must help Sophie snare a husband. But as Nate fulfills his obligation and begins to instruct the lovely Sophie in the art of luring rakes, he soon finds himself battling his own fierce attraction to her.

Review:

What a fun series this might be! I grabbed book 1 to give it a try. Plus....look at that cover! It is beautiful. The colors and that dress?! Love it. 

Sophie Brightwell who is expected to make a good match to improve her family's fortunes. However, all seems over when she and her friends are expelled from a young ladies' academy for unbecoming conduct. Since many men in the ton will not be able to look past their scandalous ways, these disgraced debutantes decide that the best husbands will be the rakehells of society. Enter in Nate Hastings. He is a rakehell and Sophie's best friend's older brother. One night while he is terribly foxed, he accidently compromises Sophie, so in order to appease his sister and keep her from telling someone, he strikes a bargain....help Sophie find a husband. However, he soon finds himself battling his own attraction for Sophie Brightwell. 

What a fun story overall. A very different take and it was refreshing. We have a group of friends who are expelled from their lady school so their pool of men are going to be smaller. I guess that is the best course! Finding men who can't really judge since they are also very judged by the ton as well. It works!

I liked Sophie, but I LOVED Charlotte. I can't wait for her book. I do not think that one is out yet. We didn't really get much time with the other 2 friends yet, but I liked them so far. 

Now....I did NOT like Nate. He is an idiot. He is an arsehat. He is selfish. He is a jerk. He needed a good kick in the romp. Nope. Sophie should've said yes to another suiter who obviously like her and seemed like a good catch. Sighs. I hope he gets a HEA. He's not really a rake so I do not think he will get any of the other girls. But I do hope we get to see him find love someday. Poor fella. 

Yes, I enjoyed this story overall, but it was a little rough because even when Nate got himself in order, I really didn't forgive him or warm up to him fully so it made it hard for me to 100% enjoy this. Yes, yes, I understand he is a bad boy and rake. He had 100 excuses why he doesn't/can't get married and why Sophie is not suitable for him BUT he still kept getting in the way of Sophie moving on and finding a man to love her. He kept toying with her and then pushing her away. GAH. It got old and annoying. A part of me wanted her to marry someone else and let him stew in his misery. SURE he did make amends and did a lot for Sophie, so I can see her forgiving him and accepting his proposal finally, but still. GAH. 

Switching gears because I can simply ramble about my annoyance with Nate all day...the narrator was fantastic! I really hope this narrator does the next one of the series (yes - I will more than likely do the audio for the next as well especially if this narrator does the next one too). 

Overall, I did like this BUT Nate made it hard to love this one. I get he is a rake, but it doesn't mean he should be a big jerk. The narrator was wonderful. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Challenge(s):
- #48 for Audiobook Challenge

- #9 on THE BAD BOYS OF ROMANCE challenge

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Christmas Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne

Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson

Series: Haven Point, Book 12

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Release date: 10-13-20

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Contemporary romance

To review

A cute xmassy book.

Abby comes with her son to a sweet little town. She will only stay a little while to help out a friend's grandma. And Abby is sweet, kind. She lost her husband and is trying to move on with her life.

Christmas is also around the corner, and they are prepping the house for it. Very xmassy, with snow, skiing and more.

And of course she meets at first grumpy guy called Ethan, who thinks his grandma should be in a home so she wont get hurt. But Ethan was a sweetie, also a stupid idiot who thought he was incapable of love. Men!

But yes it is a simple story, they meet, they become friendly, they want more. And they live happily ever after,

One weird thing though, his sister had this backstory where she finally ended up with her bestie. I felt like they could have had their own book.

Sweet and short.

Good narrator. I liked what she did with her voices. And easy story to listen to

A widowed young mother's search for the perfect Christmas for her little boy leads her to Silver Bells, Colorado. There, Abby Powell finds a heartwarming small-town community--with snow!--as well as less-than-jolly Ethan Lancaster, a single-minded businessman who has learned the hard way that love and family are not for him. But he never counted on the lovely newcomer to town--or her the emotional pull she and her son, Christopher, have over him. As Ethan and Abby work together to restore Holiday House, Ethan's historic family mansion, in time for Christmas, Ethan's heart begins to open along with his home.

Book Review: The Jade Tiger by E.W Cooper

Author: E.W. Cooper

Title: The Jade Tiger
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Format: ebook

Published:  October 14th 2020 
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

Summary: NEW YORK, OCTOBER 1928. The Big Apple teems with the glitter of Bright Young Things, Prohibition, and scofflaws-the perfect place for Penelope Harris to start her life over. As a former opera singer turned Shanghai nightclub owner, she's seen and done a lot, maybe too much. With any luck, she'll leave more than The Jade Tiger casino behind her-a murdered husband, a blackmailing torch singer, and Thom Lund, the ex-cop who stole her heart. But Penelope has never had that kind of luck; her past is already waiting for her in New York.

When someone murders her chiseling blackmailer at an out-of-control party and Thom is accused of the crime, Penelope must face down her darkest memories to prove his innocence. Is the murderer her cousin Charles, suckered into a hasty marriage by Penelope's blackmailer? Or is it Penelope's over-protective mother, who can't remember a thing after a blow to the head? Or was it Thom after all, ready to commit murder to save Penelope from the blackmailer's wicked plans?

Among the opulent mansions of the obscenely wealthy and the grit of a Hell's Kitchen speakeasy, Penelope and Thom must navigate double-crosses, bad liquor, bootleggers, and dark, obsessive love to find the murderer before the past reaches out to put a noose around both their necks

Review:

The cover drew me in and then the summary had me super curious to read this. Yes, the cover is simple, but there is something about it that I can't stop looking at it. 

It is 1928 and Penelope is looking to start her life over and leave the past where it belongs. Penelope was a former singer turned nightclub owner in Shanghai, but when her husband is murdered she decides to go back to New York. However, the past never stays buried. She is soon approached by a blackmailer and things get worse when that blackmailer is killed at a party and a man who owns her heart is accused. 

Poor Penelope. She cannot get the peaceful life she wants and deserves! Poor thing. And poor Thom. 

Yes, I liked Penelope and Thom right off the bat. I just want them to be together and happy!

The mystery was certainly a mystery. I had no idea who or why! Yessss, there are a lot of people who would have an excellent motive for murdering that person. I felt bad for the cops...because there are a lot of suspects and lots of bad blood and secrets running around. I don't envy them this mystery. 

Now, there are a lot of dialogues that did seem to drag a tiny bit, but I do feel it was important conversations to the characters and even for the reader. Lots of clues, red herrings, and so forth. It fit and even though I was anxious to move forward it was important to read through.

The revelation was a surprise and I applaud the author for the twists and turns! That was one heck of a end. I enjoyed it immensely! It really made me curious about if there will be a book 2. 

Overall, I did really like this. It was short, but good. A very good mystery for a cold fall day. I'll give this 4 stars.