Audiobook Review: Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King

Sixth Grave on the Edge uses the typical Charley Davidson formula of mysteries to be solved (standard and paranormal) using detective skills (also standard and paranormal) combined with a little romance. I'm not going to talk about those mysteries today. What I am going to talk about is Charley and her co-conspirators. The characters in Sixth Grave are people/ghosts/dogs/supernatural beings we've grown fond of over the series. Each has her/his part in advancing the story and each grows a little in this installment of the Charley Davidson series.

First up - Charley Davidson herself. One line from Sixth Grave on the Edge sums up one of my all time favorite fictional characters. Who said it? The kid ghost - Angel. Kids can be so wise.

“You never listen. You're like those kids who poke forks in electrical outlets.”

And that is the essence of Charley Davidson. Always looking for the facts, Charley will poke into any outlet that might help her solve her case forward. And a few outlets that just happen to get in her way. Charley has a delightful, snarky sense of humor. She is willing to dive headlong into any situation to solve the case, save a soul or prevent the end of the world. Or whatever other good cause happens to land in her caseload. She always thinks she is ready for what will happen on these dives, but sometimes, help from her friends is the only thing that keeps her alive. Thank God for Garrett, Ubie, Cookie, Reyes, and Angel.

Oh, and Artemis. Love Artemis! The ghostly Rottweiler is both lovable and scary. But only demons need fear her. She protects Charley and Charley lets a Artemis sleep next to her.

Lets get back to Angel. He is a kid, but he is not. He has been around a long time. In Sixth Grave, more of the story of Angel comes out. It brought tears to my eyes. I blame that on both Darynda Jones storytelling and on narrator Lorelei King's interpretation.

Since I am discussing Charley's friends, I guess should include Reyes. Reyes has been pretty much an ass in previous books, but he is working on that. His character was pretty sedate in Sixth Grave. I am not sure if that is good or that is bad. He is more interesting as an ass. In Sixth Grave, Reyes is a better person, continues to watch out for Charley and comes to her aid if needed. But as far as I am concerned, he is a secondary character. Perhaps he will rise in importance a later chapter.

Ubie and Cookie are truly Charley's best friends. Cookie is always there when she needs a shoulder to cry on - or coffee. In the past, Ubie has had a tendency to save the day. Is it any wonder that the people that take care of Charley should be attracted to each other? The attraction has been going on for a while and Charley has had enough. Charley's antics to get them together are devious and complex. So complex, they just might backfire.

Then there is Garrett. Once dead, but resurrected, Garrett has been studying the prophecies concerning the son of Satan and Charley. Maybe. It is prophecy and you know how prophets are. They speak in mystery and allegory and code and gibberish. So who knows what they are really about. Or if they will come about. If we knew, there would not be a need for any other books. I like Garrett. He has gone to hell and back for Charley. He needs a bigger roll and more appreciation!

Once again, I was lucky to be able to listen to the audiobook version of this Charley Davidson installment. Honestly, I can't imagine experiencing the Charley Davidson series any way other than through the narration of Lorelei King. Her voice conveys Charley's sense of humor, compassion and heroics and make the character and the series memorable!

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: Unexpected Fate by Harper Sloan, Narrated by Shirl Rae and Sean Crisden

Unexpected Fate is my absolute favorite book from Harper Sloan! It is so hard to pick just one since I love them all, but there is just something about this story that has stayed with me since I first read it. For those unfamiliar with Harper's books, Unexpected Fate is the first book in her Hope Town series (a spin-off from her Corps Security series featuring the children of the Corps characters), with each book being a standalone. So when I got the opportunity to experience my favorite book from Harper in a completely new way I jumped at the chance! Unexpected Fate features narrators Shirl Rae and Sean Crisden as Dani Reid and Cohen Cage.

Danielle Reid has loved Cohen Cage since they were children. Their families have been close and the two of them have always been a huge part of each other's lives. But Dani has always wanted more. She has loved him through every girl he has dated and through his deployments. But when she finally tells him how she feels, he begins to distance himself from her as much as he can. She knows that he feels something for her even if he refuses to acknowledge it. Dani and Cohen both know that with their family and friends so intertwined that if anything happens, things will be messy. But Dani is determined to finally get Cohen to give them a chance, or move on for good. 

Dani and Cohen have to be one of my all time favorite couples! These two are absolutely perfect for one another, and exactly what you would think of when the term soulmates is used. They have such a strong and undeniable connection that was there for their whole lives. These two started out as friends when they were kids, and grew into so much more as they got older. Though Cohen fought his feelings for Dani, it was clear that it was because of age and because he was trying to protect her. Dani was strong and feisty, and her love for Cohen was unwavering. Seeing her devotion to him is one of my absolute favorite things about this story. These two would go to the ends of the earth for each other, and their love and relationship is rare and special, and truly one of a kind. 

While I enjoyed seeing this story brought to life in a way that isn't possibly by simply reading the book, I have to admit that the choice in narrators wasn't my favorite. Shirl Rae had some moments where her voice came off as a bit stiff and robotic. She didn't seem to be able to bring Dani's personality to life at times, and some of Dani's spark seemed dimmed compared to how it felt by just reading the book. Same for Sean Crisden reading Cohen's POV here. His voice seemed to be a bit too old for the age group, and just didn't fit the character I have come to know and love. Unfortunately this is something I have seen previously from Sean Crisden, as he is often the narrator for many of my favorite NA stories. I'm not saying he is a bad narrator as he clearly has talent, but his voice just doesn't seem to lend itself to the younger characters. But even though the narration here wasn't my favorite, this story is so good that I found myself enjoying it regardless. Dani and Cohen's story is one that I would highly recommend, and if you love listening to audiobooks or love the NA or contemporary romance genres it is definitely work checking out.

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | 

Audiobook Review: Be With Me by J. Lynn, Narrated by Sophie Eastlake

Before I get started, I do have to make two comments. One, “Be with Me (Wait for You series)” by J. Lynn has received amazing reviews, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to hear the audiobook. Two, New Adult is not a genre that I generally love.

When I saw all the great reviews for this story I was immediately interested and I couldn’t wait to jump in. I often would listen to the audiobook while I was running and I have to say about 30% of the story I was interested.

Teresa Hamilton was an interesting heroine. She is college kid who is suffering a knee injury. This injury is a constant reminder to her that she is not able to live out her dream and become a dancer like she has always wanted. Aside from that she has always had a terrible crush on Jase Winstead.

Jase is her brothers best friend and also very popular with the girls. When Jase offers Teresa a ride to her class because of her knee she reluctantly agrees but at the same time is really happy to spend time with Jase. This part of the story was cute and I liked Teresa a lot. I have to confess that the voice that the narrator gave Jase irritated me to no end. She made him sound like a poor little rich boy who was bored with life. I had to drop the story and months later I pushed through with the hope that I would enjoy it better. I can’t express how disappointed I was when I was on chapter 22 and realized I still had ten more to hear. I skipped some parts just to get to the end.

For me, the New Adult genre is tough. It’s my experience that all the books are the same as “Beautiful Disaster” by Jaimie McGuire. All the heroines are typical plain Janes and they end up with the hot guy that everyone wants. Really. I have yet to read one New Adult and that not be the story line. My second huge issue with NA is that everything is so melodramatic. It could be a sign of my age, but everything is the end of the world. Everything is “I am only happy and ok, when I’m with such and such guy.” Also, whenever there is intimacy, both parties are always so overwhelmed that they can’t control themselves. It’s like verbatim. The only thing that kept me going was Jase’s big secret, which I have to give to the author-it was pretty big. I was more interested in said secret coming out and what it would be like. After Jase and Teresa are finally together they have to deal with her brother not accepting their relationship and then another subplot is introduced. I applaud the author for bringing up important issues like abusive relationships and really think she did a great job of explaining the fear and shame that people feel. Kudos to her for that. The last half of the book was a series of subplots and more drama. Needless to say this was not one of my favorite stories. It just might be my last New Adult ever.

The narrator did a great job with Theresa. I thought she really got her character but -again-everything was overly dramatic. I’m confident that both J.Lynn fans and New Adult fans will really enjoy this story and the narration, but for me, it was very long and tedious.

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

Audiobook Review: The Deal by Elle Kennedy, Narrated by Lorelei Avalon

I absolutely love the Off-Campus series from Elle Kennedy, and I couldn't wait to listen to The Deal narrated by Lorelei Avalon. This was my first experience with her as a narrator, so while I knew what to expect when it came the story I didn't know what I was in for as far as a listening experience. Though Lorelei Avalon wasn't my favorite narrator I have listened to, I love this story so much that I still enjoyed the experience. I have to say that I'm not convinced she was the right choice for this book though, and I wish that there had been a different narrator chosen to bring this story to life. 

Hannah Wells is surprised to finally have found a guy that makes her hot after a horrible incident in her past. The only problem is that he has no idea she's alive. When the star of the hockey team Garrett Graham asks for her help, at first she says no. But when he figures out that she is hot for a football player, he proposes a deal where in exchange for tutoring he will pretend date her to get her crush to notice her. Hannah finally agrees, and she begins spending more time with Garrett in order to help him pass their midterm. But soon they are both starting to feel the lines blur between pretend and real, and Garrett starts to realize that he needs to convince her that what she really wants is him. 

I absolutely love Garrett and Hannah! Garrett is sexy and charming. He is cocky in a likable way and I love that he isn't a jerk. Not only is he a talented athlete though, but he is super smart. I really like that he isn't your typical jock. He is more than just the sexy guy that is a great hockey player, and there is a lot more to him. He is such a well rounded character and I think that Elle Kennedy did a great job of giving him a ton of depth and making him easy to feel invested in. Hannah is smart and witty, and easy to relate to. She made Garret work for it and it was so fun to watch these two. The tension and chemistry between them is so strong and the sparks were flying between them right from the start. 

The one thing that I will say though is that I felt like the narrator wasn't able to really convey the witty banter and how fun and flirty these two could be. This didn't have the same feel as reading the book did, and I think a lot of that was because the voice didn't fit the story. Not only did the narrator do both the male and female POVs, but her voice was older and too robotic for this story. I really like when audiobooks use a male and female narrator for a dual POV story, so I was really disappointed that this audiobook did not. I felt like that was a huge missed opportunity and it really hurt my enjoyment here. Lorelei Avalon's voice was already older than the college/NA aged characters and came off as robotic, so when you have her doing a male's voice and her tone goes even deeper it just came off as odd. Usually I love audiobook versions of my favorite stories since they bring the books alive in a way that simply reading them can't. But unfortunately this wasn't what I had hoped for with The Deal. While I didn't necessarily care for this narrator or version of the audiobook, I found myself lost in the story regardless. The Deal is one of my all-time favorites and no matter what it is just such a fun and enjoyable read that it is impossible to ruin the experience. I highly recommend this book and if you prefer to listen to your books, then I would still give the audiobook a shot. But if you have the choice, I think that this book is much better read traditionally since the audiobook doesn't do the story justice in my opinion.

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 

Audiobook Review: Kiss of the Demon King by Kresley Cole, Narrated by Robert Petkoff

Usually I start off with a review first and then I comment on the narrator but I have to say that Robert Petkoff was A-mazing! This is a very lengthy audiobook, about 12 hours and I never tired of hear Petkoff’s voice. I also loved the voices he gave to the characters. At first when I heard his voice of Sabine it took me a while to get used to it and then I loved it. I was completely mesmerized by his storytelling.

Equally amazing was this story. This is the first time I experience anything by Kresley Cole and I have to say there was not one single moment that I was disappointed. This was a fantastic story. All the characters were interesting the pacing was fantastic. It varied from tensions between Sabine and her love interest/ hero -Rydstrom Woede. To say I loved Sabine is an understatement. She was so cunning and conniving, blood thirsty and ruthless-these are just some of her good qualities. As a sorceress her powers were fun and interesting, her wit was sharp and her humor had me laughing. Hands down she has to be one of my favorite heroines.

I loved Rydstrom as well and respected his honorable intentions and I loved that the author made him just as quick and intelligent as Sabine. They were so perfectly matched. Where Sabine will lie and cheat to get anything she wants, Rydstrom is all truth and good intentions despite his being a demon. They were both a force to be reckoned with. Even though I jumped into the series with this book, the 7th , I was not lost at all. The author was able to keep me up to date on all that had transpired in the previous books and even though I’m sure it would be better to read/hear the entire series it did not hamper my enjoyment of this book in any way. Between the steamy tension between Sabine and Rydstrom, there is the ever present danger of her evil brother trying to dominate Sabine and finally make her his.

Once I started hearing this story I was instantly hooked and captivated by the characters and the story. Usually when a book is this long inevitably my attention wonders but I could not put this story down! I wanted to know what would happen next, I wanted to know would Rydstrom finally get his kingdom back… Completely intriguing and beguiling, I loved this story!

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: Legal Heat by Sarah Castille, Narrated by Charlotte Kane

Sarah Castille is one of those authors that I always keep meaning to read. I finally had a chance to read one of her motorcycle books and it fell a little short for me. However, when I began listening to “Legal Heat” I was instantly interested in the story and the characters. I loved the seductive setting that the author began with and the suspense that carried throughout the story.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and it came at a perfect time. I wanted something light, fun and interesting and this story “Legal Heat” really covered all those areas. I also really enjoyed the hero and the heroine. The heroine, Katy Sinclair, is at a “pleasure” club solely on business but it quickly turns to a lot more. Right at the entrance of the pleasure club she meets Mark Richards. Both Katy and Mark are attorneys and they will eventually end up on opposite sides of the courtroom. But before that, Mark thinks that Katy is at the club for pleasure, he moonlights there as a bartender with his partners. They are attorneys by day and they work at the club by night until business picks up for them. As luck would have it Mark’s biggest client needs representation. His clients are a big pharmaceutical company and Katy’s client is suing them because they unjustly fired her. There is a lot more happening than just employment law issues. It quickly turns into a scene with dead bodies and threats are made. Despite their big attraction to one another neither Katy nor Mark can afford to drop their clients.

Aside from the suspense of element of this story, and I have to say that the author had a lot of surprises along the way, Katy and Mark can’t fight their attraction to one another but this presents a legal issue of “conflict.” Both love their careers and neither want to jeopardize their case but neither can avoid their feelings. Katy and Mark had excellent chemistry. They really got the best out of each other and they were perfectly matched. I also personally liked how Castille evolved Katy’s character. At the beginning she was very insecure and worried about not only her career but also her personal life- her ex-husband was a key player and Castille really had a lot of surprises in store for him. Not to be outdone with suspense and excellent lead characters Castille had equally fascinating secondary characters in James, the cop, and Lana the private investigator I loved every single scene they were in and I even ended up buying the book because I just have to know what happens between those two.

Finally, there was so much going on that I was interested from beginning to end. I could not wait to see how Katy and Mark would resolve their relationship, the villains were so deliciously bad and there were surprises at every turn. The narrator Charlotte Kane was great and her voice fit with the story perfectly. This was a fun, intense and exciting story!

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: The Wager by Rachel Van Dyken, Narrated by Tanya Eby

I’ve heard so many great things about Rachel Van Dyken that I jumped at the chance to review “ The Wager the second book in “The Bet” series. This was my first experience by Van Dyken.

The story immediately caught my attention. It begins with Char Lynn meeting up with her crush Jake Titus on an airplane. Char has been in love with Jake for many years and even though they shared one night together, nothing became of it. Char and Jake use to be best friends in eighth grade until hormones and miscommunication interfered. Now years later Jake’s brother is getting married and him and Char are the best man and woman.

Char and Jake were both excellent characters and they really evolved from the beginning of the story until the end. Jake was really a very immature and shallow jerk. He has had a pretty easy and golden life and hasn’t had to really worry about anyone except himself. Char’s childhood was less than ideal and has always felt second to her sister.

Char and Jake spend a lot of time bickering and it’s only through the successful interference of his hysterical grandma that Jake and Char are forced to spend some time together and work past all their differences.

I found this audiobook to be so hysterical. It was part narrator and part story that made it so successful. I found myself laughing-out-loud and really enjoying all the obstacles that Char and Jake had to overcome to finally find their way together and as individuals. I have to confess that my only hang up was that I felt that there were parts where the story dragged and I found my attention wondering. But other than that, this book is filled with fun antics by a feisty grandma, some very sweet and tender moments, all successfully brought to life by Tanya Eby. Eby was a fantastic narrator, she really understood the individual personalities of all the characters and made this story that much more enjoyable.

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

First things first, I would not shelve this book anywhere near a romance section. I have read other fantasy books that had much, much more romantic intensity than this book did. I will give it to you straight, there was one kiss, and honestly it was quick and unexpected because neither character expressed any interest in each other romantically before the kiss happened.

Having said that, I did still fairly enjoy this book. It took me a long time to listen to the whole thing. My aim with audio books is that they push me to go workout at a gym. This one didn't do that so I couldn't bring myself to give it a higher rating. The concept of there being four different "Londons" in different realms that coexist was interesting. The history of how the rules came into place was also very well thought.

The main character is Kel. He is the adopted son of the king and queen of Red London. He has a very rare ability to travel all four Londons. It is so rare, that only he and one other share this ability. The Londons were once open to one another, before Black London became dangerous, and now to prevent that magical disease from spreading, strict rules are put into place about items being transferred from one London to another. Kel finds a small bit of smuggling peaks his interest.

The smuggling leads Kel into some bad events as he is tricked into carrying something from Black London into Gray London where he is ambushed. Lila Bard is an inhabitant of Grey London (which is basically a steampunk version of our current London) where magic doesn't exist. She swipes the object from Kel believing him drunk. Once Kel finds Lila to get it back, the two oddly enough work together to figure out what is going on and fix the problem.

The story was very action packed and full of magic. I enjoyed listening to the story. The narrator did a pretty good job, except for Lila's voice. He made her come off very annoying, which may be accurate to how she is, but it drove me a little crazy. So I liked the book overall despite its lack of romance, but not all romance readers like just plain fantasy.

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: Macrieve by Kresley Cole, Narrated by Robert Petkoff

Let start by saying that I love this series. Seriously, it's one of my favorites. That being said this book, yeah it wasn't my favorite. I've actually had this book since it came out but just haven't had a chance to read it and honestly I hadn't heard the best of things about it. Now I can see why. Don't get me wrong, this book is in no way awful but Macrieve, yeah it was hard to like him.

The first part of the book I loved. It was quintessential Kresley Cole. It was witty, sexy and action packed--everything that I've come to expect and love about this series. And then we find out what Chloe is and the book just takes a dive. From then on I found myself cringing and really just not liking Macrieve at all.

Don't get me wrong, I completely sympathize with him and the things that happened to him were awful and gut wrenching to read but it was difficult to get behind him and like him as a hero when he treats Chloe like crap. At times it was hard to listen to because he was just so awful to her. Honestly, I really don't know how she was able to overcome some of the things he said to her and the way he treated her.

As for Chloe I really truly adored her. She's spunky and witty and she doesn't take Macrieve's crap. I like that she was strong and not a push over, especially since Macrieve was such an ass for most of the book.

I will say that when these two were good, they were really good. They were hot together and the sparks just sizzled between them. It's just hard for me to get past the way Macrieve was for most of the book.

One thing I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Macrieve's clan. I laughed quite a few times at their antics and I loved the way they accepted Chloe. I can't wait to read more of them in future books.

Let me just say that Robert Petkoff is freaking amazing I think he's hands down my favorite narrator ever. He just brings something to each story and each character. I don't know how he's able to make everyone their own but it does it flawlessly. I am definitely on the lookout for more books with his narration because he is a genius and I just need more.

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: What to Do With a Duke by Sally MacKenzie, Narrated by Beverley A. Crick

“What to Do With a Duke” by Sally MacKenzie was my first time hearing anything by this author. I loved the idea of a Duke who could not be tricked into marriage and also a heroine who was determined to stay single.

This was the first book in the “Spinster House” series. I have not read the books and this was my first time with the author, but both the story and author were enjoyable. Marcus the Duke of Hart is sick of having London women throwing themselves at him. Some, literarily trying to trap him into marriage through different schemes. Luckily for him, he has to return to the Spinster house in Loves Bridge because of an old family curse and it gives him a chance to leave London. There he meets Isabelle Catherine Hutting.

Cat could care less about marriage and least of all to a Duke. She has one priority on her mind and that is moving into the Spinster House. There she will have some solitude and time to write. Although Cat loves her family, she is the daughter of a vicar with a house full of siblings. Cat is determined to live in the Spinster House but she is not impervious to Marcus and the affects he has on her.

Cat and Marcus are drawn to each other and even though both have no interest in marriage or love the more they get to know each other the less they can deny their attraction. There is a big catch however. Marcus and his ancestors have been cursed. His grandfather left Isabelle Dorring a native of Loves Bridge pregnant and unwed. The legend goes that Marcus’s ancestors are doomed to die after they are wed and with an heir. Cat is also a distant relative of Isabelle’s but she doesn’t believe in the curse however when she sees that Marcus does and is afraid she begins to understand how much his family’s past haunts him. The Spinster House was set up for women who don’t want to live in the confines of marriage but remain spinsters. When there is one opening, after following the procedures put in place, Marcus gives the open vacancy to Cat so she can write and have solitude as a spinster.

Marcus is a tormented man, besides the curse Marcus never grew up with his mother. He grew up thinking that she left him when he was born because his own father followed much in the footsteps of his grandfather.

Because Loves Bridge is a small town, the usual gossip ensues when Marcus and Cat are rumored to be involved. Marcus and Cat eventually find their way to each other, but not before they have to confront some ghosts from their pasts. I really enjoyed the hero and heroine and found them to be really fun characters. Much, if not all of their problems were self-inflicted. They caused many of their own heartaches and pains. But overall, this was a fun novel with many lively and fun characters.

Beverly A.Crick was a perfect narrator for this story. She kept the pacing lively and fun and I especially loved her voice of the cat!

**Audiobook provided by Tantor**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |