REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Narrator: Jim Dale
Publisher: Pottermore Publishing
Publication Date: November 2015
Genre: Children’s / Fantasy / Young Adult
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: ‘Give me Harry Potter,' said Voldemort's voice, 'and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded.'

As he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid's motorbike and takes to the skies, leaving Privet Drive for the last time, Harry Potter knows that Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters are not far behind. The protective charm that has kept Harry safe until now is broken, but he cannot keep hiding. The Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything Harry loves and to stop him Harry will have to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes. The final battle must begin - Harry must stand and face his enemy...

Having become classics of our time, the Harry Potter stories never fail to bring comfort and escapism. With their message of hope, belonging and the enduring power of truth and love, the story of the Boy Who Lived continues to delight generations of new listeners.

My Thoughts: My feelings while reading this book were very bittersweet. Even knowing how it would play out, I wanted to savor this last Harry Potter story. Knowing I would cry as some of the main characters are killed did not deter me. The same feeling of hopelessness I felt before came back, compassion for Harry to lose so many loved ones, anger on his behalf for the cruelties and evil committed against him for no good reason and lastly pride that in spite of it all, Harry continues to be a giver instead of a taker, a boy quickly becoming a man and putting the needs of others in front of his own. Even at the very end, knowing that one of them must die, he is willing to make that ultimate sacrifice.

Most of this story takes place away from Hogwarts, unfortunately. Though Rowling does an amazing job of drawing us into the world Harry is currently situated, I still found myself missing the days at Hogwarts, as I’m sure Harry did. Sadly, there was no Diagon Alley trip to buy school supplies, no boarding of the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾ , no sorting hat ceremony, no Quidditch, no pranks by Peeves to contend with, no excursions to Hogsmeade on the weekends and no Halloween feast, just to name a few. After seven years, I had become so enamored of life at Hogwarts that not being able to be there bothered me a great deal. Instead, Harry is living in hiding with Ron and Hermione as public enemy #1. He is being hunted by Death Eaters constantly, so they are not staying in one place for too long. After a very near miss when Harry is being moved from the Dursleys and again at Bill and Fleur’s wedding, Harry’s only choice is to hide while hunting the Horcruxes. Luckily for him and Ron, Hermione foresaw this eventuality and planned ahead with supplies. Unfortunately, none of them know where to find the Horcruxes or how to destroy them.

Their quest takes them to several places as they try to decipher the clues that Dumbledore left for them. Tempers are short as well. They are all frustrated and I felt frustrated for them. Ultimately, the war comes full circle as Harry and his friends return to Hogwarts for the final showdown with Voldemort and his followers. Harry learns many truths that were kept from him until now and I felt that finding them out now made his resolve stronger. I don’t think he could have or would have appreciated the significance of the Deathly Hallows in his first or second year.

So now I have finished the series for the fourth time, breaking my own rule of never re-reading a book. I have thoroughly enjoyed this adventure with Harry, Ron and Hermione once again and I must say that this time around was even better. I am sad to see it end, however. This is a story that could have stretched into another 3 books, in my opinion. The audio narration performance by Jim Dale was both riveting and brilliant and makes the enjoyment of this series more pronounced.

I will miss Harry, Ron and Hermione but I know they are just a short distance away from me anytime I want to visit them again. And as Sirius said to Harry at the end of Azkaban, “the ones who love us never really leave us, you can always find them in here.”

My Final Verdict: As with every reading of the books in this series, there are things that stand out and resonate much louder for me than in prior readings that I somehow overlooked or forgot. In this reading those moments, in no particular order, were as follows:
1. Tonks and Remus get married and are having a baby, but Remus seems to be a reluctant father and Harry is angry and chastises Remus for not doing all he can to be with his family.
2. When Harry and the lookalikes all leave the house on Privet Drive, Harry’s destination is the home of Tonks’s parents before going to the Burrow.
3. Harry provides the hair for the Polyjuice potion willingly instead of Hermione yanking it out of his head.
4. Hermione wipes her parents’s memory and they go to Australia with new names. I don’t remember anything being clarified before about where or how they ended up.
5. Their departure from the Burrow is planned ahead instead of being a spur of the moment decision.
6. Ron puts out the story that he is ill with spattergroit to explain his absence from Hogwarts. Honestly, it never occurred to me in prior readings that their absence from Hogwarts would ever be an issue, in light of the events occurring in the wizarding world.
7. Hermione makes the connection of the ability of basilisk venom to destroy horcruxes before they leave the Burrow.
8. Harry uses Polyjuice potion to disguise himself at Bill and Fleur’s wedding.
9. Hagrid and Viktor Krum are both guests at the wedding.
10. Arthur Weasley sends his Petronus to Harry, Hermione and Ron to let them know everyone escaped and are fine.
11. Kreacher and Regulus went to the cave to switch out the lockets and Kreacher was ordered to leave and return to Grimmauld Place. Regulus was dragged into the water by the infieri. It was heartbreaking to hear Kreacher relating this to Harry and explained so much about why Kreacher was behaving the way he was up to this point. Kreacher’s attitude towards Harry, Hermione and Ron begins to thaw after he is shown kindness and when he tells Harry that he will have supper waiting for them upon their return from the ministry got me right in the feels.
12. Harry and Hermione use Polyjuice potion to disguise themselves as an elderly couple for their trip to Godric’s Hollow.
13. Phineas Nigellus Black reveals to Harry that the sword of Gryffindor destroyed the ring horcrux.
14. Rita Skeeter used veritas serum on Bathilda Bagshot to write her novel on Dumbledore. Honestly, she could give Dolores Umbridge a run for her money on which one I would love to slap into next week.
15. Bathilda is Grindelwald’s great aunt.
16. Harry realizes the resurrection stone is inside the snitch that was left for him by Dumbledore.
17. Harry, Hermione and Ron don’t get grabbed by the Snatchers right after leaving Lovegood’s house.
18. Griphook tells Harry that Gryffindor stole the sword himself and the goblins are the rightful owners.
19. A Deatheater confronts Harry, Hermione and Ron when they go to Gringotts to get into Bellatrix’s vault. Of course, I already knew that the bank had been warned of imposters but forgot that a Deatheater would be present.
20. Voldemort kills Severus Snape in the shrieking shack. The location didn’t really matter to me but I was surprised that I had forgotten something from one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the book. I will always wish that Harry and Snape could have mended their fences, but finally knowing the truth of everything and the role Snape played was therapeutic for Harry.
21. The gem in the ring worn by Marvolo Gaunt, that later was turned into a horcrux that cursed Dumbledore, was the resurrection stone. Has this book been edited and content changed? Did I read the same book the last three times? I honestly don’t remember this at all.
22. Kreacher makes an appearance at Hogwarts fighting alongside the elves.

REVIEW: Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards

Title: Seven Dirty Secrets
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Narrator: Natasha Soudek
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: November 2021
Genre: Teen / Young Adult / Mystery / Thriller

Description: I know seven dirty secrets:

One caused the fall. One did nothing. One saw it all.

One didn't care. One used their head. One played the hero.

One was left for dead.

On her eighteenth birthday, Cleo receives a mysterious invitation to a scavenger hunt. She's sure her best friend Hope or her brother Connor is behind it, but no one confesses. And as Cleo and Hope embark on the hunt, the seemingly random locations and clues begin to feel familiar.

In fact, all of the clues seem to be about Cleo's dead boyfriend, Declan, who drowned on a group rafting trip exactly a year ago. A bracelet she bought him. A song he loved. A photo of the rafting group, taken just before Declan drowned. And then the phone calls start, Declan's voice taunting Cleo with a cryptic question: You ready?

As the clock on the scavenger hunt ticks down, it becomes clear that someone knows what really happened to Declan. And that person will stop at nothing to make sure Cleo and her friends pay. Can they solve the hunt before someone else winds up dead?

My Thoughts: Told in first person point of view from Cleo, the reader is introduced to so many characters that I found it not only hard to keep it all straight, but started to get dizzy with all the who did what and to who merry-go-round.

In a nutshell, one year after her abusive boyfriend dies on a rafting trip, on her eighteenth birthday, Cleo finds a box in her home after she gets out of the shower. As she was the only person in the home, she has no idea who the sender is and the contents and clues are an invitation to a scavenger hunt. Sounds pretty interesting, right? Especially as the clues all point to her dead boyfriend, Declan, and the threat that if she doesn’t complete the scavenger hunt in time, this unknown person will ruin her life and tell everyone what really happened. Cleo ran track in high school and is looking to get into college to study forensics, so she has a lot to lose. Of course, I immediately assumed that Declan wasn’t dead, but has decided being the abusive jerk is fun and wants to torment Cleo, but that got old really quick and the only thing motivating me to continue was to just find out who was behind this and why.

There are several flashback scenes where the reader gets more than a passing introduction to Declan and the levels he would go to hurt Cleo, often without remorse. Major trigger warning for me and to be honest, pushed some hot buttons that nobody noticed what was happening to Cleo. It shouldn’t have surprised me as Cleo, her brother and all these so-called friends keep a lot of secrets, themselves. I didn’t rate this book higher than I am because I felt almost zero sympathy or compassion for any of them and when the identity of the person behind it is finally revealed, it wasn’t a surprise and really anti-climactic.

The narration performance by Natasha Soudek was well done. She demonstrated appropriate levels of emotion and tension to make the situation Cleo and her friends are going through realistic

My Final Verdict: This was my first book by this author and though overall, I found the book to be just OK, I would be willing to read more of her work. The premise of the story was amazing and is what drew me to the story in the first place, but the delivery left me disappointed.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Seven Dirty Secrets from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Her Sister's Killer by Michelle S. Smith

Title: Her Sister’s Killer
Author: Michelle S. Smith
Publisher: Joffe Books
Publication Date: August 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Suspense

Description: A beautifully crafted psychological thriller that will have you hooked until the stunning conclusion.

How well do you really know your family?

You should never have left.

This is what Victoria Wharton’s mother tells her every time she calls.

But this time she’s calling to say that Vicky’s twin sister, Becky, has been murdered.

Vicky is one of Chicago’s best police detectives. She thought she’d never return to her tiny New England hometown. But she needs justice for her sister.

As Vicky is drawn inexorably back into her family’s dysfunctional relationships, she finds things aren’t quite as they seem.

When the death threats start, and a local man is beaten half to death, Vicky must look closer to home to find her sister’s killer.

A taut family drama unfolds in this chilling domestic thriller.

My Thoughts: Honestly, I don’t know where to even begin with the hot mess that is this book.

1. Victoria Wharton, a “highly skilled detective” from Chicago PD returns to her hometown after her twin sister, Rebecca, is found murdered and is working with local detective Steve McCade to solve the crime. 

• There is absolutely no way any reader can or should suspend disbelief on any level to think that any law enforcement agency would allow a detective to get anywhere close to an investigation involving a close friend or family member. Not going to happen and I find it highly insulting that the author would do this.

2. The author throws a bunch of characters at the reader in rapid succession without any rhyme or reason. Who are all these people and how do they fit into the story?

• Besides Victoria and Steve, who the reader is led to believe are the main characters and have history, the reader is given bits and pieces of Rebecca, Victoria’s mother, Vera, John Gardner, John Gardner’s mother, Victoria’s friend, Janet, Victoria’s father, the Jenkins family and on and on. How does the author expect the reader to develop any connection or bond with the main characters? When the reader is introduced to so many people it feels like I’m lost in Grand Central Station.

3. With so many characters to keep track of, no time is spent making these characters multi-dimensional.

• The reader is given brief glimpses into the characters and their past relationships and current situations but not enough time is spent developing these characters. They felt cardboard to me and as a result, I felt no connection with them.

4. The story structure is very choppy. The plot is all over the place, making it nearly impossible for me to follow, keep up or understand.

• Victoria turned her father in for… (seriously? The author can’t just tell us what he was turned in for? I have to wait several pages for Victoria’s inner monologue to tell me he used to creep into her bedroom?) At this point, if this book were in print format, it would have been a wall-banger.

• Victoria doesn’t like to be touched and demonstrates nervous apprehension around John Gardner. If she’s supposedly a highly skilled detective in Chicago, of all places, I find it completely unbelievable that being in close proximity to a man, even with her background, would cause her to react this way. How did she manage to pass her psych evaluation to get hired by Chicago in the first place if this is the case?

• At the 25% mark, Victoria tells her friend, Janet, that she thinks Steve might be interested in more than friendship, but nothing in the story up to this point remotely suggests this.

• Steve interrupts John Gardner in his veterinary operating room during a surgical procedure. Not only is this beyond inappropriate, but quite tacky and doesn’t fit. Additionally, the reader is led to believe that out of the blue, there’s bad blood and hostility between the two due to Steve attacking John prior to the story beginning. If the author wants to refer to previous events, then build up to it. Please do not throw it at the reader as an afterthought.

• Gavin Jenkins rats out his parents and the bogus lawsuit they filed against the hospital Rebecca worked at and then tells Victora that his father, Maurice, had a thing for Rebecca, and either one of his parents could have been the killer. I get that kids may not always like or even love their parents, but to go to the lengths that Gavin does didn’t ring true for me.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this book did not work for me on any level, unfortunately. The choppy and uneven flow of the plot, one-dimensional characters and pointless red herrings made this book one I cannot recommend to anyone. The only character I did feel the slightest bit of empathy for in the beginning was Rebecca.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Her Sister’s Killer from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: My Sister's Wedding by Vicky Pattison

Title: My Sister’s Wedding
Author: Vicky Pattison
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: June 2017
Genre: Chick-Lit
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: For better or worse, two families are about to become one . . .

The Ashworth sisters couldn't be more different. Becky is focused, driven and about to marry her lovely fiancé, Daniel Balfour. Lizzie, on the other hand, bounces from one temp job to another, keeps falling for the wrong man and is a whirlwind of chaos in Becky's otherwise well-ordered life. But they love each other fiercely and the Ashworth way has always been family comes first.

As preparations for Becky and Daniel's wedding get underway, it soon becomes clear that the Ashworth way is not the Balfour way. Daniel's family have never thought Becky was good enough for him but he loves her and that's always been enough for the happy couple. But when Lizzie gets caught in the crossfire between Becky and the Balfours, Becky and Lizzie find themselves drifting apart at a time when they need each other the most. Will they be able to repair the damage before Becky walks down the aisle?

Warm-hearted, fun, witty and romantic, My Sister's Wedding will have you crying with laughter one second, and then crying with emotion the next. It's Vicky Pattison at her very best!

My Thoughts: I absolutely love it when I find a book where I immediately feel a connection to the characters. In this case, sisters Becky and Lizzie Ashworth are as close as sisters can be and then some. Their mother abandoned them when they were little and their father raised them. Lizzie was very young when her mother left, so Becky was the only mother-figure she had ever known.

Becky is a book editor, lives in Notting Hill with Daniel, who has finally popped the question. Everything is coming up sunshine and daisies. Unfortunately, Lizzie is a bit of a hot mess. After getting fired, yet again, she doesn’t seem able to hold down a job or even figure out what her life’s passion is beyond hitting the pubs and waking up with raging hangovers.

The proverbial fly in the ointment is Daniel’s family. His parents are complete snobs. Daniel’s sister, Nicole, is a total witch, who will stop at nothing to break Daniel and Becky up. She’s extremely competitive and wants her father to make her the head of their multi-million-pound company instead of Daniel. Her idea of charity is taking presents to a children’s hospital and sneaking out the back door without actually spending time with the children. She will use anyone to her advantage and for her benefit. She pays local paparazzi to be where she is so they take staged photographs that she will approve for publication. I kept hoping someone would push her into the path of a red double-decker bus.

Due to her imminent nuptials into one of the most prominent families in London, Becky finds herself at the center of a media frenzy, with her picture being taken constantly and companies sending her their products to try and promote. Things turn sour at Becky’s engagement party when a near brawl occurs between Lizzie and Nicole which drives a wedge between Lizzie and Becky. I was so taken in with the Ashworth sisters, I couldn’t put the book down, intensely anticipating what would happen next.

Meanwhile, Lizzie, who lied to her sister about having a job as a dog-walker, spends her days in the park taking photographs of dogs when she meets Justin, a singer she has had a crush on after seeing his band perform. As they get to know each other, things take a sudden turn when Lizzie and Becky’s mother turns up unannounced and the rift between the sisters gets wider.

I absolutely loved this story and the author had me laughing at so many moments in this book. I never sided with either sister but kept hoping they would find their way back to each other and clear the air. The story is told from alternating points of view from Becky and Lizzie, which made it easier to empathize with both of them. I honestly didn’t want it to end and really enjoyed some of the unexpected twists that the author throws in.

My Final Verdict: Readers who like a happily ever after without any cliffhangers should grab this book. Additionally, readers who like romantic comedies or books that feature characters the reader immediately feels a bond with will enjoy this and, like me, wish they were part of the Ashworth family. I will be on the lookout for more of this author’s work and am hoping I will get to spend time with these characters again.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of My Sister’s Wedding from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Title: Little Secrets
Author: Jennifer Hillier
Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: April 2020
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret....

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son, Sebastian, is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a PI to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

Permanently.

My Thoughts: Little Secrets was my introductory ear-read to author Jennifer Hillier and it won’t be my last! This story was quite riveting and the lines between good and evil are definitely blurry here. After her four-year-old son is taken in broad daylight in a packed Seattle marketplace, Marin has lived her life just going through the motions. Video footage shows Sebastian leaving the area with someone dressed as Santa and no trace of him is ever found. She had one attempted suicide several months ago, but she had made a promise to herself that if Sebastian is found dead, she will be following him.

Fifteen months later, Marin is seeing a therapist, participating in a support group and has hired a private investigator to keep searching. Through the P.I., Marin discovers her husband, Derek, is having an affair. Though I do not condone Derek’s actions, their marriage is practically nonexistent. They rarely see one another or speak and for all intents and purposes are living separate lives.

The rage that Marin feels is so palpable and so blinding in its intensity it drives Marin to do the unthinkable and remove the threat to her marriage from her life. While I had a hard time with Marin’s decision, I certainly understood it and I felt massive quantities of empathy and compassion for her. It’s certainly easy for someone to Monday morning quarterback the situation, but how can any of us say, with complete certainty, how we would react to our child being taken and then having this bombshell land in our laps? I enjoyed that this story dives into Marin’s choices and her thoughts and feelings about it, which drive her to make other choices.

I really wanted to hate the other woman, Kenzie, but she elicited some empathy and compassion from me too once I got to know her backstory and understood what was driving her motivation. As with Marin, I didn’t approve of the choices Kenzie was making in life, but she is one of those characters that make an impact. She’s a survivor, she’s had loads of experience getting the short end of the stick and she knows that nobody is going to look out for her so she has to do it herself.

Marin’s best friend, Sal, was also an interesting character and his unwavering love for Marin was keenly felt. I also enjoyed the scenes with Marin and her support group, listening to their experiences and how they were coping with their own loss and pain.

This story packed quite a punch and Ms. Hillier does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into Marin’s life with all the feels. I began to feel anxiety whenever the private investigator reached out, terrified at what news she had to impart. Please, God, let Sebastian be found alive. I went with the unabridged audio format for this book and I think my enjoyment of this story was in great part to the wonderful narration by Kirsten Potter. Her performance brought these characters to life and their thoughts and emotions were portrayed realistically.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was equally intense and convincing. At the heart of the story, my main concern was who took Sebastian and what happened to him. My need for closure was strong and Ms. Hillier delivered on all fronts. I highly recommend this story to readers who love thrillers and novels of domestic suspense. All the threads are neatly tied off with this story, though I can’t say it ends with a happily ever after, there is hope for healing.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Little Secrets from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Narrator: Jim Dale
Publisher: Pottermore Publishing
Publication Date: November 2015
Genre: Childrens / Young Adult / Fantasy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: There it was, hanging in the sky above the school: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left behind whenever they had entered a building... wherever they had murdered...

When Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive one summer night to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is blackened and shriveled, but he does not reveal why. Secrets and suspicion are spreading through the wizarding world, and Hogwarts itself is not safe. Harry is convinced that Malfoy bears the Dark Mark: there is a Death Eater amongst them. Harry will need powerful magic and true friends as he explores Voldemort's darkest secrets, and Dumbledore prepares him to face his destiny...

Having become classics of our time, the Harry Potter series never fails to bring comfort and escapism. With their message of hope, belonging and the enduring power of truth and love, the story of the Boy Who Lived continues to delight generations of new readers.

My Thoughts: This book definitely did not hold the same shock factor for me in this reading that it did 18 years ago. On this, my fourth read of Half-Blood Prince, knowing what’s coming helped me actually focus more on the story instead of worrying about what may or may not happen. On the heels of Book 5 when Harry lost Sirius, I was dreading finding out who Harry would lose next. If Rowling could kill off Harry’s godfather, then nobody was safe. Having grown up without his parents, unfortunately, Harry has become accustomed to losing the people he loves.

After a long summer at the Dursley’s, Harry is collected from Privet Drive by none other than Professor Dumbledore who takes Harry on an excursion to contact an old colleague and then escort him to the Burrow.

Harry, Ron and Hermione finally receive their long anticipated O.W.L. exam results and Harry finds himself in an advanced Potions class with a new professor, Horace Slughorn. Potions have never been Harry’s favorite class, especially when Snape was the instructor. Harry acquires a potions book that belonged to someone calling himself the “Half-Blood Prince” and following the notes and tips provided within the book by the previous owner, Harry outperforms Hermione.

Harry is convinced that Draco is up to something sinister and spends a lot of time trying to figure out what it is. There are a few occurrences of students being cursed by unknown perpetrators that add to the suspense of the story. I enjoyed that Harry is made Captain of the Quidditch team and puts together a team that will hopefully win the House Cup.

The best part of the book, for me, are the private lessons Harry has with Professor Dumbledore where he learns what Dumbledore already knows about Voldemort’s early years and family. Through Dumbledore’s memories, Harry witnesses Dumbledore’s first meeting with the boy who would become the most evil wizard of all time. Harry is also tasked with finding out the true memories of one of the professors that had been tampered with. Harry has his work cut out for him in this installment and as with the whole series, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Also, the narration of the audiobooks is absolutely brilliant and makes my enjoyment of this series so much more. Jim Dale is no stranger to the arts, being a highly talented and experienced actor, himself. The decision to use him for the narration was and continues to be perfect. Once again, as always, much love and all the stars to J.K. Rowling for bringing Harry and this wonderful world to life and then sharing it with us.

My Final Verdict: As with most of the fans of this much beloved series, I have watched the movies and though Snape is quite despicable in the books, I was completely head over heels with Alan Rickman’s performance. Though most people should find his actions in the book deplorable, Rickman’s performance in the movie made me feel heartbroken, but a little sympathetic. Though there are always many every time I read these books, I can’t help but notice some major differences between the books and the movies that really stood out for me. These observations didn’t create any negative feelings or take away any enjoyment of the story, but were more of an hmmm, that’s interesting moment.
• The muggle Prime Minister is aware of the wizarding world
• Cornelius Fudge has been replaced as the Minister of Magic by Rufus Scrimgeour (I can’t remember if that is ever addressed in the movies at all, but I do recall him making an appearance in the first half of Deathly Hallows)
• In the book, Narcissa speaks the words of the unbreakable vow and not Bellatrix
• Dumbledore collects Harry at the Dursley’s, not at the London tube and disrupting his potential date
• Ginny and Molly have an intense dislike for Fleur. This was interesting because the movies don’t spend any time on the courtship between Fleur and Bill until it’s time for their wedding. Additionally, Ginny calls Fleur ”Phlegm” behind her back, which I found hilarious
• Harry, Hermione and Ron use extendable ears to eavesdrop on Draco when he is in Borgin and Burkes and Hermione goes into Borgin and Burkes to try to determine what Draco wants held for him on reserve
• Tonks finds Harry on the train and fixes his broken nose and not Luna
• Luna is announcing the Quidditch match, or rather, making offhand remarks about complete nonsense, infuriating McGonagall which was quite entertaining
• Bellatrix isn’t one of the Death Eaters on the astronomy tower
• At the end when Harry is dueling with Snape, Buckbeak attacks Snape to protect Harry

REVIEW: Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane

Title: Pretty Little Wife
Author: Darby Kane
Narrator: Xe Sands
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: December 2020
Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?

Lila Ridgefield lives in an idyllic college town, but not everything is what it seems. Lila isn’t what she seems. A student vanished months ago. Now, Lila’s husband, Aaron, is also missing. At first these cases are treated as horrible coincidences until it’s discovered the student is really the third of three unexplained disappearances over the last few years. The police are desperate to find the connection if there even is one. Little do they know they might be stumbling over only part of the truth….

With the small town in an uproar, everyone is worried about the whereabouts of their beloved high school teacher. Everyone except Lila, his wife. She’s definitely confused about her missing husband but only because she was the last person to see his body, and now it’s gone.

My Thoughts: Pretty much from the beginning of the book, the reader is made aware that Lila’s marriage is terrible. The fairy-tale ending that Lila was hoping for when she and Aaron got married is far from the reality. He’s abusive and controlling. Their conversations are layered with contempt and hostility and he’s dead. Lila should know because she’s the last one to see his body. The problem is now that Aaron’s body is no longer in the place she left it. She left it in a very public place, hoping it would be discovered as well as the evidence of the atrocities he had committed. But, no, the body is gone and instead of the police investigating an assumed suicide, they are now investigating a missing persons case and logically wondering why Lila doesn’t seem upset about her husband’s disappearance.

The provocative questions I had at the start were did she kill him? If so, why? Where is he? Is he really dead? Lila is not a likable character but as I got to know her, I began to respect her ability to survive and think fast on her feet. I didn’t agree with a lot of the choices she makes, but by the end of the book I had a lot of admiration for what she has gone through and survived and come out on the other side with scars and damage she keeps neatly hidden.

Finding out you’re married to a monster is pretty bad, but better the monster you know, right? Lila has experience dealing with monsters. She’s been dealing with them her whole life. It took me a long time to figure out who the current monsters were and what they had planned, but though I found this book good, it really didn’t really knock my socks off. The ending was well played and I had to hand it to Lila. I can’t decide whether she’s a true victim and survivor or if she is another monster but I was impressed with her determination to not only survive, but win.

I chose the unabridged audio format for this story. Xe Sands’ performance was quite good blending the tension, suspense and emotions of the characters together making their behavior, decisions and actions believable.

My Final Verdict: I recommend this story to fans of mysteries, thrillers and domestic suspense novels. Some of the subject matter may be hard to read as it may be triggering.

REVIEW: Flying by the Seat of my Knickers by Eliza Watson

Title: Flying by the Seat of my Knickers (The Travel Mishaps of Caity Shaw #1)
Author: Eliza Watson
Publisher: Elizabeth Watson
Publication Date: February 2016
Genre: Chick-Lit / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: Why run from your troubles when you can fly instead?

When Caity Shaw is fired from her first job that doesn’t require an elf uniform, her older sister, Rachel, an event planner, hires her to work a meeting in Dublin. Caity jumps at the opportunity to travel abroad and escape her pathetic life. However, even four thousand miles from home, there’s no avoiding debt collectors, an overbearing mother, and haunting memories of a controlling ex.

While in Dublin, Caity suffers a series of humiliating mishaps, causing her to lose even more faith in herself. Caity struggles to earn Rachel’s respect — and to keep Declan, her hot Irish coworker, at arm’s length. Declan repeatedly saves Caity’s butt and helps boost her self-confidence, making it difficult to keep her distance from the charming womanizer. When Declan helps her research her Irish grandmother, Caity discovers the mysterious past of the courageous woman she barely knew might hold the answers to her future.

My Thoughts: Flying by the Seat of my Knickers is the first book in a series by new to me author Eliza Watson. Please note this series is best read in order as each book follows our main character, Caity Shaw, on her travels. This story is set in Ireland and I found it to be well researched and illustrated in my mind so eloquently that I really need to get myself over to the Emerald Isle. Note to self: update bucket list.

Upon first meeting Caity, the first thing I noticed is she’s a hot mess. She is newly single, after leaving an abusive relationship with her narcissistic ex who was stalking her. It got so bad that her performance at her job suffered and she was fired. Now, she’s working for her sister, Rachel’s events planning company, trying to prove to herself and everyone around her she can be a functioning adult. She is struggling to learn her job, not mess it all up, not make her sister regret hiring her all while trying to figure out what her next step will be. Now that her car has been repossessed back in Wisconsin and the only job prospects sitting in her email inbox is a seasonal gig as an elf and working at the local motor mart convenience store, let’s just say that Caity has hit rock bottom and the only direction for her is up.

In addition to this, yes there is more, Caity learns that her grandmother came from Ireland and in between doing her job and getting information from her mother, she is tracing her genealogy to find out where her grandmother came from and discover if there are members of her family left in Ireland. I found this bit quite interesting as I am experiencing this with my husband who is researching his family tree and finding relatives he never knew he had. I am hopeful that there will be more time spent on this in future books.

Caity works with Declan and Gretchen. I thought Declan was a great character and though there is some hint of attraction, nothing happens, but the relationship may develop over the series. On the flip side, Gretchen was a complete witch. I found her to be condescending and full of herself. When she isn’t flipping her hair and making pouty lips and fluttery eyeballs at Declan, she’s trying to sabotage Caity in front of Rachel.

My Final Verdict: It appears that each book in this series features a new travel destination, so readers who love stories set in interesting locations will enjoy this series. I liked Caity for the most part, but she needs a lot of work. She needs to grow a spine, stand up for herself more and take her power back. There wasn’t a lot of time spent on the abusive relationship, but I had a good sense that she is terrified of her ex showing up and this detour pulled me out of the overall story a few times. The next book in the series takes place in Paris and it will be interesting, if not entertaining, watching Caity try to make her away around. Hopefully, Declan will be there to offer a hand.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Flying by the Seat of my Knickers from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Title: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
Author: Judy Blume
Narrator: Laura Hamilton
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: January 2010
Genre: Teen / Young Adult
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Margaret Simon, almost 12, has just moved from New York City to the suburbs, and she’s anxious to fit in with her new friends. When she’s asked to join a secret club, she jumps at the chance. But when the girls start talking about boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret starts to wonder if she’s normal. There are some things about growing up that are hard for her to talk about, even with her friends.

Lucky for Margaret, she’s got someone else to confide in...someone who always listens.

My Thoughts: Though this book has been around for a very long time, originally published in 1970, it never crossed my mind to pick it up until I heard about the movie coming out. I'm still on the fence about whether or not I will watch the movie, but enjoyed this book, a coming-of-age story about a girl who has meaningful conversations with God about getting her period, growing breasts, liking boys and whether she should be Jewish or Christian.

I liked Margaret and thought she was pretty typical of most girls her age, though it was never my experience to brag to my friends about who got their period or, more importantly, who got it first. Additionally, it was never an occasion that was celebrated, at least not with my parents.

I listened to the unabridged audio format that was a fast listen at just over 3 hours in length. Laura Hamilton’s performance was very good and breathed life into all of the characters, giving me a better understanding of them and their personalities.

My Final Verdict: This book’s target audience is for children ages 9-12, but I may not have understood the references had I read this then. Judy Blume is a talented author with an excellent insight and voice that will appeal to readers of all ages.

REVIEW: The Empty Nest by Sue Watson

Title: The Empty Nest
Author: Sue Watson
Narrator: Jasmine Blackborow
Publisher: Hachette UK - Bookouture
Publication Date: November 2019
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: "Sometimes we can’t see what’s right in front of us, Kat. Everyone has secrets, even the people we love, the people we live with...."

Kat remembers the days when her only daughter Amy wouldn't leave her side. Amy was the baby who cried when you walked out of the room, the toddler who was too shy to speak to strangers, the small child who clung to Kat's legs in the school playground.

But now Amy is grown up, and Amy is gone - to university in a town several hours away. Kat's house - which once felt too full, too noisy, too busy - is deathly quiet, and Kat awaits the daily phone call to tell her that her beloved daughter is thriving and happy.

But one day Amy doesn’t call. Kat’s husband and friends think she is being paranoid - surely Amy is just out, having fun with her friends. But Kat knows right away that something is very wrong. Her daughter would never forget to call. She would never just disappear.... After all, Amy has nothing to run from. Or does she?

A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Fans of The Wife Between Us, The Girl Before, and Gone Girl will be gripped by this story about a mother’s obsessive love for her child.

My Thoughts: I am so conflicted with this book. Sue Watson is one of my go-to authors when I crave the twisty and suspenseful, but this one just didn’t pull me in gripping the edge of my seat in high anticipation like she has with her other stories. The story was good, it definitely wasn’t that, so the only thing that I can conclude is the audio narrator really had me annoyed and irritated at Kat for most of the book. I just couldn’t connect with her, though I felt tremendous empathy for the fear and anxiety she is feeling. It was just so over the top and like a lot of the other characters in the book, I wanted to tell her to chill the eff out.

Obviously, it turns out that Kat was right to worry, but she was in near hysterics and panic mode practically from the moment the book started. Yes, I get it. You and your daughter have a special relationship. You’re extremely close. What I couldn’t help wondering, like a lot of people, is maybe Amy needed a breather from her helicopter mom, always hovering overhead, breathing down her neck. She’s away at university in Wales and for the first time in her life living on her own so maybe the girl just wants to embrace that freedom for a hot minute without her mother smothering her. Five minutes after Amy is supposed to walk through the door for a weekend home, her mother is obsessively checking her phone, scrolling through Amy’s Instagram, calling the friends.

Five minutes turns into 24 hours turns into 48 hours turns into 8 days and the police are involved. Facebook pages have been created for people to post information about her and then things start to turn quite ugly. Amy’s roommates tell the police that they saw Amy with an old guy the night before she was supposed to go home for the weekend. Then the roommate tells the police that the man is Richard, Amy’s stepfather. Shut The Front Door! Why was Richard in Amy’s flat? Why didn’t Kat know about it?

I’m all in now, let me tell you. Still not enough information to determine if Amy was taken or if she left on her own and who she left with remains a mystery until nearly the end. In typical and brilliant Sue Watson fashion, she rips the rug right out from under me and I’m completely blown away.

Thumbs up must also go to Jasmine Blackborow for her superb narration performance. In addition to making Kat sound as neurotic as humanly possible, she breathes life into the other characters so magnificently that when the final twists come, the reader is so trusting of the people around, just like Kat, that I could hardly believe what was happening!

My Final Verdict: Readers who like a very slow burning story and don’t mind characters that get on your nerves in the beginning will adore this story. It wasn’t my favorite, but once things started to heat up beyond Kat’s hysterics, I couldn’t pull myself away.

REVIEW: Making Your Mind Up by Jill Mansell

Title: Making Your Mind Up
Author: Jill Mansell
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: May 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Love is a complicated thing...

Lottie Carlyle is happy enough. Living in a beautiful cottage with her two adorable-sometimes-kids in an idyllic village, on good terms with her ex-husband, and with friends all around, everything is going just fine. But when she meets her new boss, her peaceful world is thrown into delightful, exciting, and frustrating chaos. Tyler is perfect for Lottie, but her kids do not agree. To make matters worse, the handsome and mysterious Seb appears on the scene, intriguing-and distracting-Lottie and charming her children, making it more and more difficult for her to make up her mind...

My Thoughts: Quite an enjoyable story, rich in detail and so character driven, I honestly had a challenging time who I wanted to see more of. Though Lottie and Tyler are major characters, there were also several that I felt a deep connection with. Cressida, Freddie, Mario, Amber, Jojo as well as Lottie’s children, Ruby and Nat who were quite bratty for two thirds of the book. Usually books with this many characters all with different storylines can be a challenge to follow and keep everything straight, but Ms. Mansell does it so seamlessly without dragging the reader out of the story.

As the reader gets to know Lottie, Cressida and Amber and how they are all connected, I loved how each of them are in a place in their lives where they need to make up their minds. Lottie needs to make up her mind about Tyler. Will she allow her children to dictate her love life? They like Seb, but he’s really just an overgrown kid himself. Will he be there when life throws hurdles in their path?

Cressida lives a solitary existence making greeting cards and spends lots of time with Jojo, who is her ex-husband’s daughter. I found this relationship surprising and a little disturbing, but I quickly warmed up to these two and realized how well they got along and felt bad that Cressida’s husband left her for not giving him a child but relies on her to take care of the child he has with his next wife. Wouldn’t have minded seeing that guy get run over by a bus. Cressida meets Tom and his son Donny and may have a chance at romance but will need to make up her mind about Jojo and her role in Jojo’s life.

Amber is dating Lottie’s ex-husband, Mario. She gets along wonderfully with Ruby and Nat (don’t get me started about how unfair these kids are towards Tyler dating Lottie) but she has trust issues with Mario and begins to wonder if his bad boy persona is just that or if he really is a liar and cheater. Amber needs to make up her mind about whether she needs to find someone who she can fully trust and will make her happy or if she should stay with Mario.

In addition to all of this going on, Lottie’s boss, Freddie wants Lottie’s help tracking down people from his past that he needs to make amends with, as he has already made up his mind about his life and the direction it will go.

My Final Verdict: A story with so much to unpack but leaves me caring so much about what happens to them is a book not to be missed. This book made me smile and cry. There were some laugh aloud moments and some moments of righteous indignation and irritation. What more could a reader ask for? Fans of romance and fiction will find something in this story that will tug on their heartstrings. You just need to make your mind up but save yourself the trouble of indecision and just go for it.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Making Your Mind Up from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea

Title: Those Empty Eyes
Author: Charlie Donlea
Narrator: Vivienne Leheny
Publisher: RB Media, Recorded Books
Publication Date: March 2023
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: You know her name.

You know her face.

You know those eyes…

Ten years after she was exonerated for the slaughter of her family, the girl the tabloids called “Empty Eyes” is the only one looking for the truth in this propulsive thriller from #1 internationally bestselling author Charlie Donlea.

Alex Armstrong has changed everything about herself—her name, her appearance, her backstory. She’s no longer the terrified teenager a rapt audience saw on television, emerging in handcuffs from the quiet suburban home the night her family was massacred. That girl, Alexandra Quinlan, nicknamed Empty Eyes by the media, was accused of the killings, fought to clear her name, and later took the stand during her highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the attention of the nation.

It’s been ten years since, and Alex hasn’t stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed, even as she continues to hide her real identity from true crime fanatics and grasping reporters still desperate to locate her. As a legal investigator, she works tirelessly to secure justice for others, too. People like Matthew Claymore, who’s under suspicion in the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister.

Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Alex believes Matthew is innocent, and unearths stunning revelations about the university’s faculty, fraternity members, and powerful parents willing to do anything to protect their children.

Most shocking of all—as Alex digs into Laura’s disappearance, she realizes there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. For as different as the crimes may seem, they each hinge on one sinister truth: no one is quite who they seem to be . . .

My Thoughts: Based on the description of Those Empty Eyes by new to me author Charlie Donlea, I anticipated a thrilling and twisty ride of suspense and mystery. Unfortunately, this book failed to deliver. Instead, I was given a very choppy story, disjointed writing and excessively repetitive details (how many times does the reader need to be told that hiding behind the grandfather clock saved Alex’s life?) Honestly, I got it the first time! If that wasn’t bad enough, the author adds insult to injury by giving me an ending that provided absolutely zero closure with a whopper of a cliffhanger! Is Alex going to be privy to the nuclear explosion you just dropped in my lap? Will there be a sequel or will Alex live out the rest of her life never knowing the whole bloody truth of what really happened to her family and who was involved?

Come on dude, you can’t end a book like that, with some out of left field twist without any follow-up or resolution after everything Alex has gone through with losing her family, being accused of the crime, being stalked and harassed by paparazzi to eventually learning the truth and rebuilding her life.

So, what did I like? I liked the cover and the narration of the audio by Vivienne Leheny. This was also my first audiobook narrated by Ms. Leheny and I found her performance to be realistic and the characters authentic. She employed the right amount of emotion of verbal tension to make their actions more believable.

My Final Verdict: I would have liked this book so much more had there been logical resolutions that fit the plot instead of twists that seemed to be thrown in as an afterthought. Fans of suspense, mystery and thriller novels will find much better options elsewhere.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Those Empty Eyes from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: One Night Only by Catherine Walsh

Title: One Night Only
Author: Catherine Walsh
Narrator: Jessica Regan
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Publication Date: July 2021
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Who could have predicted this? Being at the same wedding. In Ireland. There’s a reason one-night stands are one-night stands. You’re not supposed to see each other again, especially not when you’re the maid of honor, and he’s the groom’s brother…

Sarah Anderson has never been more excited about anything in her life. She’s going to her best friend’s wedding. And not just any wedding. An Irish wedding. Goodbye New York, hello rolling green hills and men with beautiful accents and twinkling eyes.

But Sarah should have known that not all guests are fairy-tale princes…

There’s the chinless Uncle Trevor, whose idea of small talk is to claim climate change is a conspiracy.

Then there’s Great Aunt Eileen, who doesn’t talk at all (she’s too busy replacing the hotel cutlery with her own set).

Worst of all, there’s Declan Murphy. Best man. Brother of the groom. And the man Sarah last saw naked.

Is there anything more mortifying than bumping into a one-night stand halfway across the world? Especially as Declan seems determined to embarrass Sarah at every turn. At least when the wedding’s over she’ll never have to see him again.

But, back in New York, Sarah finds the more she tries to forget Declan, the more she can’t shake the thought of that infuriatingly charming smile and the way he wears a tux…

Was he really just for one night only, or might Declan Murphy be The One?

Prepare to laugh until you cry with this perfect feel-good romantic comedy about taking a chance on love. Fans of Sophie Ranald, Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes won’t be able to put this down!

My Thoughts: Fun premise for a story I enjoyed but did not love. How awkward would it be to have a one-night stand with a hot guy with an Irish accent only to have him show up at your best friend’s wedding because he is the groom’s brother? For Sarah Anderson, this is exactly what happens.

I liked Sarah for the most part, but I thought her aversion to relationships became tiring and annoying. The reason for her aversion was completely understandable, but get over it, already! Not every guy is your ex who dumps you after you tell him you love him or your mother who bailed.

Declan Murphy, on the other hand, was a great character. He has looks, charm, a great sense of humor, loves his family and has a fantastic work ethic. Sarah, and every dang unattached woman in this book, should be clamoring to catch Declan’s eye. In spite of their initial hook-up, Sarah and Declan have great chemistry and, when she isn’t trying to ruin it, what it takes to make a go of a relationship.

Lots of great supporting characters add to the story and it should be a keeper shelf book, right? I went with the audiobook edition and enjoyed the narration by Jessica Regan. Her Irish accent was lovely and her American accent was good, though I caught hints of her Irish lilt in Sarah’s voice at times. I will check out more of Catherine Walsh’s stories, especially if the protagonist male is anything like Declan.

I would have loved to see Sarah cut loose a little bit and let her hair down, which you would think she does considering she has no problem picking up and sleeping with men she just met. Unfortunately, not Sarah. She’s wound tighter than a straight man’s butt cheeks in prison. Hopefully with Declan around, she will learn to lighten up, grab life by the horns and live in the moment.

My Final Verdict: Fans of the romantic comedy, chick-lit and women’s fiction genres will likely enjoy this book. Books set in interesting locales such as New York and Ireland also hold great appeal.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of One Night Only from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan

Title: The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris
Author: Jenny Colgan
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: August 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Life is sweet in this heartwarming tale of a little chocolate shop in Paris, by the bestselling author of Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams and Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe.

Mouth-watering recipes inside!

As dawn breaks over the Pont Neuf, and the cobbled alleyways of Paris come to life, Anna Trent is already awake and at work; mixing and stirring the finest, smoothest, richest chocolate; made entirely by hand, it is sold to the grandes dames of Paris.

It's a huge shift from the chocolate factory she worked in at home in the north of England. But when an accident changed everything, Anna was thrown back in touch with her French teacher, Claire, who offered her the chance of a lifetime - to work in Paris with her former sweetheart, Thierry, a master chocolatier.

With old wounds about to be uncovered and healed, Anna is set to discover more about real chocolate - and herself - than she ever dreamed.

My Thoughts: Jenny Colgan writes the kinds of books that tempt the reader so subtly, like a whisper, drawing the reader ever closer with thoughts of cupcakes, bakeries and chocolate that before the reader realizes what has happened, they are drawn into the story and completely mesmerized by their surroundings. Having a major sweet tooth and sugar craving, The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris captured all of my senses, the sights, sounds and scents of Paris and the elite Le Chapeau Chocolat where the chocolate is made daily and by hand and is sought out by the entire city of Paris, it seems.

As Anna Trent learns, once you have tried the chocolate made by Thierry Girard, no other chocolate will ever come close and she knows first-hand, having worked in a chocolate factory in England. She also knows that what she thought she knew about making chocolate doesn’t even come close to what she witnesses in Paris. After a tragic accident finds her out of a job and recuperating, she crosses paths with her old French teacher, Claire, who not only helps Anna improve her French but puts her on a path of self-discovery and an opportunity to learn from the best.

This story is really two stories with Anna’s story told in the present and Claire’s story told in the past. Though these women lead very different lives and walk different paths, fate brings these women together at a time when they needed one another, with Anna recuperating from her accident and Claire battling cancer.

I really liked that these characters are flawed humans, not perfect, living lives that are far from perfect, filled with daily challenges that so many of us take for granted. I felt a deep connection with both of these amazing women. I could relate to Anna as she takes her first steps, moving to another country, trying to fit in and find her place. I empathized with her on her accommodations leaving a lot to be desired, but the view of the Eiffel Tower from her tiny balcony is breathtaking. I could also relate to Claire and the lifetime of opportunities that were missed and the regret she carries with her, which is probably just as painful as the cancer ravaging her body.

The secondary characters are just as vibrant, breathing additional life into this story. Thierry, his son, Laurent, Thierry’s partner, Alice, Claire’s ex-husband, Richard, Anna’s eccentric roommate, Sami were all interesting to varying degrees. The detail the author gives for the intricate process of making the chocolate was fascinating.

This story made me laugh and made me cry and made me catch my breath when events come full circle, as life usually does.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this story for the charm and excitement of Paris, for the melt in your mouth chocolate, but most especially for the opportunity to meet two characters who live life on their own terms even if it pulls them out of their comfort zone.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: One of Those Flings by Lauren Blakely

Title: One of Those Flings
Author: Lauren Blakely
Narrator: Andi Arndt, Jason Clarke, Erin Mallon, Savannah Peachwood, Emma Wilder, Jakobi Diem, Dan Bittner
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: August 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Audible | Amazon

Description: Skyler’s breakup survival plan is simple: Swear off men for a year and celebrate her man cleanse with a solo tropical vacation to Hawaii. Snorkeling, sightseeing, zip lining, and leisurely dinners by the sea are just what the doctor ordered to mend her broken heart.

That is, until she meets a hunky adventure tour guide who makes her want to break all her own rules. Handsome, funny, and exciting, Caleb is by far the hottest local attraction. Will a romantic island fling lead to more heartbreak - or a new beginning?

My Thoughts: Initially, what I thought was going to be a fun adventure for a woman taking a manbatical after her latest break-up just didn’t measure up. I really liked the idea of taking a year off of dating and focusing on self-care with a tropical vacation to Hawaii thrown in to celebrate it. I just didn’t feel invested in Skylar or her journey and never felt connected to Caleb.

Books with the vacation fling premise can be quite fun and entertaining, but this one just fell flat for me and honestly, I think it’s because it was an audiobook and it was only 1 hour and 17 minutes long so there was absolutely no time to flesh out Skylar and Caleb so the reader can get to know them better. Also the sound effects were too much. By this, I felt like I was in a crowded restaurant with all the white noise in the background; flatware scraping on plates, conversations that aren’t clear enough to make out what’s being said but distracting enough to pull me out of the story. The most annoying for me were the scenes where Skylar is texting her friend about Caleb. There were sound effects for the sounds on the phone when you are typing out a text. I’m rolling my eyes so hard, I began to worry, they would get stuck. At one point, I started to think there was a problem with the recording and that something else had been recorded with this book. Sometimes too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing.

I enjoyed the performances of all the narrators and the story itself was OK. I think I would have enjoyed it more as a Kindle book with quality time spent getting to know the characters better.

My Final Verdict: If you are a person that is easily distracted by a lot of extraneous noise may want to give this one a pass. If you are a reader looking for a quick fix and welcome the plethora of sound effects, this book will fit the bill.

REVIEW: The Werewolf's 15 Minutes by Jonathan Maberry

Title: The Werewolf’s 15 Minutes
Author: Jonathan Maberry
Narrator: Ray Porter and Dina Pearlman
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: October 2021
Genre: Fantasy / Urban Fantasy
Buy The Book: Audible | Amazon | BN

Description: Gary Bruce is a slacker of epic loserness. Can't keep a job. His friends are as bad as he is. No girlfriend. No direction.

Gary Bruce is also a werewolf.

Desperate for any kind of success, Gary decides to out himself on You Tube. The moment this ordinary guy goes full-on fur, fangs, and claws, the world can't get enough of the biggest thing on social media, he's on every talk show, book and movie deals fall in his lap, and for the first time in his life he gets invited to all the best parties.

But celebrity is a special kind of voracious monster. And when Gary's star begins to lose its luster, he has to decide how far he'll go to stay relevant in a world that discards has-beens in favor of the next big thing.

Fortunately, Gary has a plan....

My Thoughts: Audible has struck a goldmine with their original stories, in my opinion. This one is less than two hours in length, but is thoroughly entertaining, funny and shocking.

Gary Bruce is a slacker, a loser, someone you would expect to be living in their mother’s basement in his fifties and the type of guy most girls want to avoid on the online dating apps. But Gary does have one thing going for him. He’s a werewolf and he decides to out himself by filming his change and posting it on YouTube. Of course, the initial reaction is huge, though most of the comments are assumptions about the use of a morphing software app for special effects.

Once Gary proves it’s real, he’s an overnight celebrity. People can’t get enough of him, he’s invited to talk shows, there are book deals, movie deals in the works, medical professionals want to examine him to figure out how this is possible. There are even werewolf groupies and he has an agent.

The funny thing about overnight fame and glory is it can be short-lived and over-rated and Gary finds himself caught between staying relevant to the public and possibly losing his humanity completely or embracing his life and taking charge of his own destiny on his own merits.

New to me author Jonathan Maberry’s writing is clever and witty while also depicting the trauma one would expect a werewolf to suffer, especially once they have been outed. The narration by Ray Porter and Dina Pearlman was fantastic and kept me riveted on what Gary’s next move will be. I enjoyed that while in wolf form, Gary speaks with a throaty, growl of a voice and the performance of these parts really add to the story, making Gary one of the most interesting characters I have come across in fiction.

My Final Verdict: Werewolf fans will definitely want to sink their teeth into this story, but I think it will appeal to fans of urban fantasy genres and readers who like to root for the underdog…or underwolf.