Audiobook Reviews

The Skeptic (Arcana Books, Book 1) by Lily Morton, Narration by Joel Leslie: Audiobook Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Audiobook Review and Giveaway

March 8, 2023 by Denise

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As the best friend of a psychic, Will Buchanan can’t help but believe in the dead. It’s the living that he finds to be problematic. However, after a spate of betrayals, he finally has the chance of a new life within his grasp, and he’s not going to risk it for anyone or anything. Staying safe is the name of Will’s game.

Jem Dawson defines the word temporary. A talented cameraman, he’s here today and will undoubtedly be gone tomorrow chasing adventure and danger. But, while he’s in York, he’s made it clear he wants Will, and Will can’t help liking the charming daredevil.

This inconvenient attraction results in Will accompanying Jem to the site of a notorious poltergeist outbreak. A malevolent spirit has targeted a family, and now the ghost hunting team for whom Jem does camerawork are going to be locked down in the house for three days.

The house is strange and filled with sinister and violent undercurrents. One by one, the group experiences threatening incidents, and as events escalate, Will has to ask himself if he’s risking not just his heart but also his life with this impulsive gesture.

This is the first book in the Arcana Books series featuring characters from the bestselling Black and Blue series.

The Sceptic

By Lily Morton

Arcana Books, Book 1

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Audible – Audiobook

Goodreads

“Cheers.” Jem takes a sip before putting the mug down and fiddling with the little paper label.

“You okay?”

He smiles. “Just working out what to say.”

“Don’t think. Just say what’s in your head, Jem.” I look around. “I had some biscuits somewhere. Biscuits always help.”

With a rustle of paper, the packet of chocolate bourbons slides slowly across the counter, coming to rest in front of me. Jem’s mouth falls open.

“Thanks, Rosalind,” I call. I kick his ankle, and he jerks.

“Oh. Okay, thank you, Rosalind,” he says, obeying my silent urging.

I smile at him and push the packet towards him. “Take one.”

He reaches out his hand, and we both stare as the packet is moved very firmly away from him.

“Erm,” I say.

He tries again, but once more, the packet moves until it settles by my side.

He bites his lip. “Either she thinks I need to go on a diet, or she doesn’t like me.”

“Why wouldn’t she like you ?” I ask in amazement.

He smiles. There’s a breath of cold air and the smell of lily of the valley, then we both watch as his cup is pushed away from him, and his bag is lifted from the chair and set at his feet.

“Rosalind,” I sigh. I hesitate and then look imploringly at Jem. “I’m going to do something now. Can we please forget what is about to happen and never mention it to another living soul?”

“I don’t think I can promise that,” he says solemnly. “This has the feel of something good.”

I take a breath. “Rosalind, this is Jem. He’s a friend, and he means well. He’s very nice, and you’ll like him. I promise.”

An invisible hand runs through my hair, and I shiver at the cold blast of air.

Jem stares at me, his eyes wide. “She just ruffled your hair. Wasn’t she a famous murderess?” he whispers.

“Yes. But it’s rude to mention it,” I say firmly. “Say hello.”

“This isn’t a prank, is it? There aren’t any cameras in here, are there?”

“At least thirty recording your every move. Say hello.”

“H-Hello,” he finally stutters. “Lovely to meet you, R-Rosalind.”

The cold wind eddies around us, sending the biscuits rolling off the table. Then, the cupboard doors fly open one by one before the kitchen door slams shut. Footsteps thump loudly on the stairs. The warmth slowly returns to the kitchen, and I get up and close the cupboard doors. When I settle back into my chair, I find him staring at me.

Is there a Lily Morton book that I haven’t loved? Haven’t found one so far. Yes, I like some more than others, but this author writes humor better than most any author in this genre, and The Sceptic is no exception. Even with the mystery surrounding the house that Will and Jem are helping at, there are lots of little snarky moments, courtesy of Jem, quite a bit, but also Will as he became more comfortable.

I will not give anything away about the mystery and suspense in this story, except to say that I would have been out of there pretty quickly myself. 🙂

Will, Blue Billings’ best friend, definitely got the short end of the stick more than once in his life, and someone who was a gentle giant like him, I don’t know how that character wasn’t hard and cynical. I would guess the only reason he wasn’t cynical and hard was because he had his best friend for so many years. Instead, he was looking forward to going away to college, now that he didn’t have to take care of Blue. However, with the circumstances he had dealt with, it was fairly easy to see how he didn’t trust that anyone would be there for him, when the chips were down. Jem, though, did not let him down, and that had to have been just one more reason why Will was willing to let his heart feel again.

Jem, a photographer with mad wanderlust (his word), but also felt a strong pull towards the gentle man who he met through Blue. He was quick witted, funny, and determined to work his way into Will’s heart slowly. It was very sweet how he let Will know right away that he was chasing after him. And Will, slowly became less nervous around Jem, until he realized he wasn’t any longer. They were very much opposites, yet their personalities meshed so well together, supporting and caring for each other.

And the hugs-the sweetness of the hugs! There just isn’t enough simple hugs in romancelandia, and we need to correct that.

As usual, Joel Leslie knocks another one out of the park. I don’t know how he does it to, be honest. He’s able to give each character distinct voices and mannerisms, no matter their gender. The listener knows who is speaking/narrating at all times, whenever he is on tap for a book. His voice can wrap you up in the story, exactly like one of those comforting hugs between Will and Jem. When you are done, you feel better for having spent the time in a marvelous story with a marvelous narrator.

The blurb on this says it is the first book in the series, and I am hopeful there is more to come. I do enjoy my romance filled with suspense.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

Up To Snow Good: An MM Christmas Romance by Charlie Novak: Audiobook and New Release Review

January 25, 2023 by Denise

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This Christmas, Trouble Tastes Like Chocolate

Maximillian Arthur Felstead is up to no good.

Having taken it upon himself to plan an anniversary surprise for his brother and his fiancé during their annual December ski trip, Max realises nothing happens quickly this close to Christmas. Deciding chocolate is the answer, Max accidentally incurs the wrath of chocolatier, Luca, who’s having a pre-Christmas nightmare of his own.

Luca is short staffed and short on patience, and he isn’t enamoured with Max’s clueless demands, even if he is utterly gorgeous. So when Max reaches out to apologise, Luca can’t help but be drawn in by his charm and Max’s offer of help, especially when their chemistry is hot enough to melt the ice on Mont Blanc.

With their time together running out, can a little Christmas magic help Max and Luca find what they’ve been searching for?

Up to Snow Good is a 49,000-word, low-angst MM contemporary Christmas romance featuring snow-topped mountains, Christmas market cuteness, delicious chocolate, and plenty of sweet, steamy moments.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Audible

This was just a fun, fluffy, enjoyable listen. I really like Dan Calley’s narration, as his accents really hit the mark for me. However, in the end, it’s the story that has to work best, right? And this one does for me.

It’s a holiday book (yes, I like to read/listen to them at any time of year), that has Max surprising his brother and best friend with a surprise during their ski trip. Initially, Max doesn’t make the best impression on Luca, in his chocolate shop. He does end up going back and apologizing, and once Luca has a spare minute, they fall into bed, and begin to have fun together. (Side note, I’d like to see the Christmas market).

Luca, after his cousin flakes out on him, is doing his best to keep his shop running, with the help of his snarky assistant, but is on a short timeline for the holidays and cannot seem to work enough. Once Max offers to help, it doesn’t solve the problem, but helps Luca immensely and allows them a little more time together. It also gives Max time to think about what he wants out of his life.

There were some funny parts (I haven’t heard “butt munch” in a long time and it made me lol), but it was mostly just a sweet story, with some heat, and a lovely MC in Max that you just want to give a huge hug to, as he decides how he wants to move forward with his life. Spoiler alert: there is an HEA 🙂

Sit down for a bit to read this, have a cup of hot chocolate in honor of Luca, and enjoy this one.

4 pieces of eye candy

Prince of L.A. (FBI Files Book 1) by Patricia Logan: Audiobook Review

December 13, 2022 by Denise

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Special Agent Leo Reeves is new to the FBI’s LA field office. His career has been on track since the day he joined the bureau. He loves his job as a profiler, and being assigned to a new team in one of the busiest offices in the nation will be the opportunity of a lifetime…if he can put the past behind him. The face Leo shows the world is strong, focused, dependable, and capable. The long list of citations in his file only serve to prove how good he is.

If he could only forget he was sired by a monster.

Former marine staff sergeant Max Prince leads by example. Whether it means protecting men in battle, working for the US marshal service, or being the best damn field agent the FBI has ever seen, he brings a special kind of bravery to the job. His teammates depend on his ready smiles and his funny jokes and know him as the excellent agent he’s proven to be. They never see the man who buried his heart eight years ago.

The last thing he wants is to fall for the new guy.

When a serial killer suddenly starts targeting innocents, both men have trouble pinning down who they’re dealing with. With victimology all over the place, Leo can’t make sense of a profile, and Max simply wants to put the bastard away before he murders anyone else. The case is maddening, but worse, the attraction the two men find every time they look at each other is beginning to get in the way.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Audible

What can I say about this book?

First, the action and suspense were all done very well. It was obviously well researched and plotted out. And even though we don’t get a full resolution, there is the beginning of one.

However, this book could have easily been about 1/3 shorter, and gotten the same amount of story across. There was a large excess of, while not fluff, unnecessary verbiage. In almost every new location, every single detail was laid out for the reader. The color of the sofa, along with the type of material, etc. It was too much. It was a perfect example of forgetting to “show, not tell”.

It was the same with the characters. The reader received so much information on the characters that entered the scene, their height, eye color, hair color, skin color, etc that it was too much. It all washed into the background. In addition, there were SO MANY times that the new character(s) to the scene were described as beautiful, gorgeous, best looking, etc. It was complete overkill.

And not to pile on, but maybe not 600 characters in one book. I exaggerate, but only a little. There were A LOT of characters to keep track of. (One major character in one scene, I can’t figure out why he was introduced at all. Maybe it will make sense in a second book?) It was impossible. Many were from what I was able to glean, a different series. As this is book 1, it should read as a book 1, and not a continuation of the other series.

The narrator, Michael Dean, was usual did a great job of keeping the characters distinct, which wasn’t easy with different accents, multiple characters, and different first languages.

If you are a fan of this author’s books, you will likely love this one. There’s a lot going on, but the action and suspense flows well. There’s just too much other stuff that I felt got in the way of telling the actual story that the author was intending to tell. I’m going to give book 2 a shot to see if it fares better for me.

2 pieces of eye candy

Underdog (In Vino Veritas) by L.A. Witt: Audiobook Review, Narration by Nick J. Russo

October 14, 2022 by Denise

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Life in foster care wasn’t easy. Life after prison? Unforgiving. But I’m determined to stay out of trouble, and I’m gaining a foothold on the closest I’ve ever known to normal.

Then, thanks to a pair of escape artist dogs from the sanctuary where I’ve found work, I cross paths with my boss’s neighbor, Ty Adams. He’s a horse trainer, and winter is his quiet season. It’s also the season when he gets restless and lonely—two things I know all about. He’s not interested in love or romance. I’m just happy someone’s interested in me at all, even if emotions are strictly forbidden.

When we’re not together, I’m thinking about him. When we are together… Well, I’m definitely thinking about what he does to me and what I want to do with him.

As we keep each other warm through the Vermont winter, this feels a lot more than physical. Somehow he soothes my pain, and I wonder if I’m touching something deep inside him too. But Ty won’t let himself love anyone. I never had a chance. And now, with my past closing in, I could lose the one man I hoped I could count on. The one I thought might be different.

When his present and my history collide, is it too much to hope he’ll choose me?

CW: Sick horse and a minor accident involving a horse—no animal deaths or serious injuries/illnesses.

Audible – Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

First, this is not a short book/audiobook. I mean let’s face it, L.A. Witt doesn’t really write short books, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. It tops out around 400 pages in the ebook, and 12 hours on the audiobook, and not one ounce of filler in there. Zero. So, plan to be engaged the entire way! I know I was.

What can I say? Landon got ALL the love from me. A really good guy (c’mon he loved animals so much!) who thanks to a really cr@ppy childhood grew up and got himself into a lot of trouble, multiple times, until he was locked up for nearly 10 years. It’s hard to imagine how someone can not come out of something like that completely changed. And to see how many people questioned him, shunned him, assumed that he was always up to his “old ways”. He took each of those blows to heart, but tried to be so forgiving, and understanding of them, that this is what he felt he deserved and always would. Yet he treated each one of those animals like they were precocious children and gave them all the love he had in him. It was hard not to love Landon from the first page.

Ty was also a really good guy, very dedicated to his career, so much so that he never saw it coming that he and Landon were just going to continue on the path toward each other. It was honestly a little funny how he kept denying it, and explaining it away as two friends just having great sex, denying it to himself as much as he did to Landon. This guy could not get out of his own head. But he quickly began to see Landon not as a friends with benefits situation, but as someone who he could depend on, and learn to incorporate into his life.

There was one thing that Ty did that, while I understood why he did it, and honestly would have likely done it myself in that situation, I was bothered that he didn’t end up telling Landon about it. I would have liked to have seen that level of honesty from Ty. But it didn’t change the course of the book, and likely wouldn’t have changed their relationship in the long run.

I will admit I cried more than once at the treatment of Landon, who just wanted to get his life on track, to put his head down and work. Meanwhile so many people would not give him a chance. It was heartbreaking. And yet, I would imagine so realistic to those who are coming to the outside after incarceration.

The knowledge given to the reader/listener about the horse world was not overwhelming, but definitely enough to make sure you knew what was going on. And with all the different personalities in the different animals, it just made it that much more fun to read.

I don’t often re-read/re-listen to books, but this one will definitely hit that list. Now that my heart isn’t in my throat wondering about the HEA (which this author always gives…but it was hard sometimes to see it coming!)

Narrator Nick J. Russo, does another fantastic job with character voices. I always appreciate a narrator who can give multiple voices to his characters, and being able to tell who was who based on voice is a talent. He did a great job of this. I enjoy his narration every time I get the chance to listen, and I will be listening to this one again!

Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candyNarration: 4 pieces of eye candy

We Choose You (Choice Versus Fate, Book 1) by Katy Manz: Audiobook Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

June 30, 2022 by Denise

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James and Aidan didn’t need fate. They had each other.

Alpha James and Beta Aiden love each other and don’t care what fate has to say about that. Mating doesn’t need to be based on pheromones and scents. And kids? There were many ways to build a family.

When fate comes knocking years later, James does what any wolf in his situation would—he runs away. He has a mate he loves more than anything, and they’re just about to get everything they want: a family. He can’t risk losing everything because Fate decided to be a butt.

Omega Riley scented his fated mate once months earlier, and the wolf ran away. He is coming to terms with his singledom. Everything is going as well as it can, that is, until his fated mate’s children walk into his classroom.

We Choose You is book one in the sweet with knotty heat MM shifter mpreg romance series: Choice Vs. Fate. It features an alpha wolf shifter who mated his beta best friend, the omega sent by fate, true love, twins who will steal your heart, adorable babies, and a guaranteed happy ever after.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Audible – Audiobook

“Yes. God I missed you so much. Mm.” I loved hearing Aiden scream out. Some don’t like their partners to be vocal, but the more I heard his pleasured sound, the harder it drove me to get him to moan out more. I fell deeper into my pleasure and the search for mutual release. Continuing to pump his cock in tandem with my movements, I could tell this was going to be a quick one. I could already feel my knot forming. Usually, alphas couldn’t knot betas, but I always had with Aiden. Even if we could never have a family this way, our bodies fit and wanted that extra connection. Instead of ensuring conception, our locking together was for us to feel close.

Soon, the warmth of his release covered my hand as my cock spent itself deep inside his ass. We would be stuck like this for the next few minutes, so I gently maneuvered us into a nearby chair. After so many years, we were pros at getting comfortable wherever and whenever we ended up having sex. We’d also learned quickly never to do this in public unless we felt like getting caught. No matter if there was a witness to our lovemaking, there would be no way to quickly deflate. Some didn’t like the feeling for an extended amount of time. We found it amazing.

“So, how was the trip?” I asked as we caught our breath. With desire sated for the moment, I wanted to hear all about the art tour and my husband’s plans for the coming months.

“Great. I sold all the paintings I brought along and I got contracted for another twenty-four canvases before the next show in the summer. They want a beach feel to the collection but said I can follow my muse and see what it produces. I missed you though.” Aiden sighed and leaned deeper into me before continuing. “I was thinking maybe I should stop touring after the summer show. At least for a bit. Maybe we can revisit the idea of starting a family? We said we would wait a few more years, but I think the timing is right, now.”

My original 3 pieces of eye candy review of the ebook is here. And I wish I could say that I liked it even more on audiobook, which quite often happens with me. But in this case, no.

Generally, I listen to audiobooks on about 1.2-1.3X speed, mostly because it takes me so long to listen to one, that I need to keep going. 🙂 But wow, this narrator read so slow, that I ended up listening at 1.6X speed. And just to be sure, I went back to 1.3X, as well as 1.0X and it felt like he was talking through molasses. I just couldn’t stay there. Also his enunciation just seemed off and stilted. He seemed to emphasize the wrong words in sentences, and took me right out of the story. I was thinking that he must have been a first time narrator, but no, it looks like he’s narrated quite a few books.

The voices seemed not quite right to me, as well as the pitch…which I will admit could partially be because of listening at 1.6X speed. However, any slower and I just would not have made it through.

There have been very few audiobooks that I haven’t finished before. I finished this one, but it was tough. This narrator is definitely not for me.

I wish I could give it a higher rating, but 2 pieces of eye candy is all I can give.

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Katy Manz has always dreamed of being a romance writer. She wanted to bring the stories created in her mind to a world of readers that would fall in love with her characters as much as she has. Keep a lookout for more books in this series and future series to come.

Connect with Katy:
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Website: http://www.katwritesthebooks.com
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Finding Finn by Charlie Novak, Narrated by Dan Calley: Audiobook Review

April 19, 2022 by Denise

What happens when a quiet boy with a secret falls for his best friend?

Finn has always kept people at arm’s length. Being quiet and shy doesn’t get you many friends outside your family, and it’s even harder when you’re running a spicy, secret side project.

But Gem might be the exception to the rule. The game designer is clever, self-deprecating, and appreciates Finn’s affection for all things nerdy. He’s the one man who can find the real Finn…if Finn lets him in.

When Gem asks for Finn’s help opening a new board game store, it brings the two of them closer than ever before. Soon things become complicated as lines of friendship blur between them, and Finn begins to worry Gem will find out his secret.

But maybe that wouldn’t be as bad as it seems. Maybe Gem already knows the secret Finn’s keeping. All he has to do is convince Finn to share….

Finding Finn is a 78,000-word contemporary MM romance featuring late-night shop shenanigans, far too many nosy siblings with no boundaries, two best friends, and some steamy audio fantasies. It contains no love triangle, no cheating, and no angst.

Amazon – Ebook – Kindle Unlimited

Audible – Audiobook

Link to my book review here.

Ok. Whew. Imma need a minute! I knew this audio would be off the charts hot after reading the book. And I couldn’t wait!

Dan Calley has a nice cadence to his narration. And while a previous audio of his I didn’t notice too much of a difference between characters, in this one I did.

Jem has just enough of a Scottish brogue to hint at his upbringing without being a THICK brogue that can be hard to understand. I had no problems understanding anything.

Finn has a quiet dominating strength about him and that totally comes through. I could picture him saying the words. Especially when he goes from regular Finn to sexy Finn. It’s always the quiet ones.

As much as I enjoyed the book, the audio really brought it all to life. This is a must listen.

4.5 pieces of eye candy