REVIEW: Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Title: Archer’s Voice (Where Love Meets Destiny #1)
Author: Mia Sheridan
Narrator: Kris Koscheski, Emily Durante
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: August 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this story about a woman who is trying to rebuild her life after her father is murdered and a man who has endured horrific torture at the hands of the people he should have received nothing but unconditional love. Bree and Archer are so damaged but yet manage to find each other and let down their walls so that love can come in.

After losing his parents as a child and nearly dying himself, Archer has spent his years unable to vocalize. He taught himself sign language but the majority of the residents in his hometown go out of their way to avoid him, never mind trying to communicate with him. That is, until Bree Prescott arrives in town. After a chance meeting, she is determined to get to know this quiet man and understand his situation, hoping that it will take her mind off the horror of seeing her father murdered at the hands of a man who almost murdered her.

I chose the audiobook format of this story and enjoyed the narration performed by Kris Koscheski and Emily Durante. They provide the perfect blend of emotion and tension so the reader is given a good understanding of who these characters are. I found it easy to like and relate to Bree and Archer and the supporting characters also add a good dynamic to the story.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this story. I felt that almost two-thirds of the book was unnecessary filler that didn’t drive the story forward. Additionally, a major event occurs in the last thirty minutes that pulled me completely out of the story and had me so upset that I nearly put the book in the freezer. Fortunately, the story gets wrapped up in a satisfactory conclusion.

My Final Verdict: I think readers all have varying degrees of likes and dislikes when it comes to their choice of book, so even though this book wasn’t a favorite for me, I think it will appeal to some. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy passionate romances with heavy emotional baggage and damaged characters.

REVIEW: The House That Jack Built by Catherine Barry

Title: The House That Jack Built
Author: Catherine Barry
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Publication Date: October 2016
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: When life gives you a second chance…

At sixteen years old, Jack Joyce loses her virginity to her brother’s charming and charismatic friend, Matt. She finds the experience an unexpected disappointment and whilst her friends spend their twenties settling into their careers, Jack spends it partying, desperately trying to recreate the youth she felt she should have had.

More than a decade on — living in a tiny flat in Dublin, as a single mother and in a dead-end job — she still dreams of Matt, Thin Lizzy and those days of old. So, bumping into her first love at the point when her future seems its bleakest feels like destiny. Is this Jack’s second chance? Matt may be married, and have kids, but surely divine intervention must count for something? If only Jack can shift some weight and stop drinking, who knows what might happen.

When Matt invites her to join an evening class he's teaching, Jack’s fantasies soar to new heights. She soon finds that he has set her on the first step of a journey that will change her life forever. Only it isn’t quite the journey she had in mind…

My Thoughts: The House That Jack Built by new to me author Catherine Barry introduces the reader to Jacqueline “Jack” Joyce, a woman whose life isn’t going at all the way she had hoped. While her childhood friends have all grown up and settled down into careers and relationships, Jack seems to be on an ever-spiraling descent of hopeless dreams and missed opportunities. When she becomes pregnant, she moves back home to Dublin, but having the added responsibility of a child seems to feed Jack’s resentment.

This story is not all what I was expecting. I was expecting a cute chick-lit type story about a woman who has failed miserably in love, but somehow reconnects with the man she lost her virginity too and before you know it they ride off into the sunset. No, instead, this book gives the reader an in-depth look into the life of a woman who is holding on the glory days of the past and an unplanned pregnancy doesn’t seem to change her outlook. As resentment about the failures in her life increases, she begins over comforting herself with alcohol, a lot of alcohol. Parts of this story were disturbing to read as she takes out her anger and frustration on everyone around her, including her son, David. Growing up as a child of alcoholic parents, this book triggered me on several occasions to the point of tears. My heart broke for David and for the people in Jack’s life who are powerless to help her. My heart also broke for Jack and the pain she suffered in her life and her inability to love herself.

This book is powerful and raw with truth and emotion. Jack is forced to face the mess she has made of her life, admit she’s an alcoholic and that she needs help. The author does an amazing job of bringing Jack to life and the journey she is on is told with complete honesty, brutal at times, but full of the pain Jack is carrying, the reader can’t help but have empathy for her.

My Final Verdict: For a book that I was not expecting, I loved this story. Through the pain and tears I felt and shared with Jack, this story is so worthwhile as everyone is worthy of love and second chances are possible. I highly recommend this story to readers who like stories that give them strong connections to the characters and don’t mind when life isn’t always sunshine and daisies.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The House That Jack Built from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea

Title: Twenty Years Later
Author: Charlie Donlea
Narrator: Vivienne Leheny
Publisher: RB Media
Publication Date: December 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Hiding her own dark past in plain sight, a TV reporter is determined to uncover the truth behind a gruesome murder decades after the investigation was abandoned. But TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past…

Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.

Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.

But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning. And what Avery doesn't realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . .

Accused of a brutal murder, Victoria Ford made a final chilling call from the North Tower on the morning of 9/11. Twenty years ago, no one listened. Today, you will.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book much more than the last one by this author. This tale delivers all the twisty, jaw-dropping suspense I look for with this genre. There are so many secrets hidden by many of the characters to be uncovered. The anticipation was keenly felt and I had to backtrack several times just to make sure I was hearing what I thought I heard. My inner monologue was in high gear with a lot of wait, what? and oh, no you didn’t which just added to my enjoyment.

The author does a very good job of balancing the numerous plots going on with these characters so that the reader doesn’t feel lost. The reader is given the details of the past with Victoria Ford and the death of her lover, her being charged with the crime, her death in the North Tower on 9/11 and the voicemail she left for her sister begging for her innocence to be proven, which was quite enthralling. Twenty years after 9/11, Avery Mason is working to feature this story on her news show while dealing with a father who is on the run from the feds for fraud and has reached out to her for help. As she changed her professional name years ago, not a lot of people know who she or her father are, or so she thinks.

This story moves at a great pace, keeping details fresh and concise with enough suspense to keep me engaged and eager for more. The switching between past and present was done smoothly and drove the story forward. The narration of this audiobook was expertly performed by Vivienne Leheny. Her ability to captivate the reader with the perfect blend of emotion and tension adds to the enjoyment of the story.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this book has reminded me that I may not enjoy every book an author writes, but I should always remain receptive to being surprised and this book delivers many surprises. I highly recommend this book to readers who like twisty suspense novels that culminate in shocks you didn’t expect.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Twenty Years Later from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Dragon in the Garden by Erika Gardner

Title: The Dragon in the Garden (The Watcher Rising Series #1)
Author: Erika Gardner
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Publication Date: February 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: There is magic beneath the mundane and in The Dragon in the Garden, Siobhan Orsini witnesses it all. No lie can fool her, no glamour or illusion can cloud her Sight. She sees through them all and wishes she could close her eyes. Returning to face her past, Siobhan inherits her grandparents’ house in California’s wine country. She encounters a talking dragon, a hot fallen angel, a demon lord, a Valkyrie, and, oh yes, her ex-boyfriend. And that is just in the first twenty-four hours.

It’s time to find out why she has this power.

Siobhan seeks out the Oracle and learns that only her Sight can help mankind navigate the travails of an ancient war. Our world is the prize in a battle between the dragons, who would defend us, and Lucifer’s fallen angels, who seek to take the Earth for themselves. Using her gift, she will have to make a choice that will decide humanity’s future.

My Thoughts: So I am over here kicking myself in the posterior for waiting so long to read this book. I think I put it off so long because I kept getting a Lord of the Rings vibe and I just wasn’t feeling it. Let me assure you, there is no need to fear as this book was a refreshing breath of air.

Now, I must preface this review by saying I’m not a big fantasy genre reader, which is probably why the LOTR vibes I was getting was not motivating me. Instead, new to me author Erika Gardner delivers a story of a woman who has been gifted with the ability to see and hear the truth from anyone and after she meets a dragon in her grandmother’s garden as a child, everyone in Siobhan’s life with the exception of her brother, Alex and ex-boyfriend, Tim have steered way around her. Let’s face it, telling people you saw a dragon in your grandmother’s garden could see you ending up in a padded room and wearing a jacket that lets you hug yourself.

The reason why Siobhan has this gift and seeing this dragon, who Siobhan has named Daisy, is the bigger deal. Siobhan is the Watcher who was prophesied as the one in who’s hands the fate of humanity lies. Her choices and decisions will determine whether the Fallen angels and demons of Hell will be able to take over Earth and destroy every person. Obviously, Siobhan is going to need a lot of help. In addition to her brother and ex-boyfriend, Siobhan also joins forces with Daisy, Turel, an angel who was banished from Heaven for falling in love with a human woman and a Valkyrie named Nefta who appears to be less than impressed with humans, in general.

This book pulled me in quickly and it was hard for me to look away. The story moves at a quick pace and does a fantastic job of giving the reader a sense of the urgency and time running out before Siobhan and her crew have to face a battle that will have permanent consequences. Amongst the suspense and apprehension these characters are feeling, there are several tongue in cheek humorous moments that lightens the atmosphere and made me laugh.

As of this writing, there are supposed to be two more books in this series, but I cannot confirm if or when they will be available.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a story I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to read more by this talented author. I highly recommend this book to fans of the fantasy genre as well as readers who like to be amazed and entertained with otherworldly elements, epic battle scenes, laughter and even romance.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Dragon in the Garden from the author in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Missing Husband by Natasha Boydell

Title: The Missing Husband
Author: Natasha Boydell
Narrator: Rupert Degas, Penelope Rawlins
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: September 2021
Genre: Thriller / Suspense
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Kate and Pete have been the perfect couple ever since they were teenagers. Fifteen years later they have two young daughters, live in a beautiful London townhouse and seem like they have it all. But one day, Pete leaves for work and never comes home.

In a note Kate discovers, he confesses that he’s been unhappy for a long time and that he’s met someone else.

Distraught, Kate later learns that he has left everything, including his mobile phone, behind and sets out to learn the truth about her husband’s disappearance.

But is she prepared for what she will learn?

When nothing is as it seems, who can you trust?

My Thoughts: So, yeah, my least favorite trope is at play here. Adultery… Pete the adulterer says to his wife that he didn’t go looking for it, but it just happened… How about just saying no, Pete? Guess that never occurred to you, did it? Obviously, not. You’ve been so unhappy and unsatisfied in your marriage for so long. I suppose it never occurred to you to talk to your wife and let her know if it’s something that can actually be resolved. You know, before you swan off to France with your little chippy to live that perfect life. Nope, not good ole Pete. Instead, his plan is to leave a note on the pillowcase and take off. No goodbyes, no explanations. How did it work out for the brilliant Pete? You have to read this book and find out.

Before we tie Pete to the stake and set him on fire, let me just say that Kate isn’t completely innocent in all of this either. She never bothered talking to Pete about the resentment and frustration building within her. Raising two small children, she feels like she has given up her whole life, while Pete gets to continue living his life and having no cares in the world. I understand that having children and being a first-time parent is a life-changing experience, a game changer. Feeling overwhelmed is a natural reaction to my way of thinking. Kate doesn’t ask for help and resists attempts for help for a long time.

So much anger, heartache and misery could have been avoided if they had just communicated and if they had just tried, any effort really. I saw zero effort being made on both of their parts.

I really wanted to despise the other woman, Claire and for the majority of the book I did. She didn’t cause the problems in Pete and Kate’s marriage, but she knew he was married and she should have nipped that right off the bat. It would be really difficult for Pete to enter into an affair with her if she isn’t entertaining his flirtatious behavior and encouraging his attentions.

So, the burning question is what happened to Pete? How does Kate pick up the pieces of her life and be the parent her daughters need and deserve?

I thought this story was riveting, though I absolutely hate adultery story lines. I believe there are some lines that one should never cross and this is one of them, but the author does a great job of drawing the reader in with just enough details to keep the reader engaged, sitting on pins and needles.

The chapters are broken up and narrated by the different points of view of Kate, Pete and Claire. Rupert Degas and Penelope Rawlins did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life with the right amount of emotion that made their actions believable and kept the story progressing.

My Final Verdict: How can a reader expect a happy ending or any closure with a story like this? I had zero empathy for any of these characters. I found them all to be quite selfish and despicable in their own right. My compassion lay with the children, Lilly and Maggie. They are left to grow up without their father in their lives. He won’t be a part of all the milestones they will achieve.

There are no winners in this dynamic, just varying degrees of coping, moving on and survival. I highly recommend this story to fans of thrillers and suspense and books that surprise the reader.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Missing Husband from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

Title: A Thousand Boy Kisses (A Thousand Boy Kisses #1)
Author: Tillie Cole
Narrator: P.J. Ochlan, Katie Schorr
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication Date: June 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Teen / Young Adult
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: One kiss lasts a moment. But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime. One boy. One girl. A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade. A bond that neither time nor distance can break. A bond that will last forever. Or so they believe.

When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation? Rune's heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. When he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.

A stand-alone young adult tearjerker romance, recommended for ages fourteen and up.

My Thoughts: ”Life is fragile, yet in that fragility, there is strength. There is love. There is purpose. It reminds us that life is short, our breaths are numbered, and our destiny is fixed regardless of how hard we fight. It reminds us not to waste a single second. Live hard, love harder, chase dreams, seek adventures…” ~ Tillie Cole

The above quote, in a nutshell, sums up the message contained in this beautiful, heartbreaking story. At the age of five, Poppy and Rune meet for the first time after he moves in next door. They quickly become the best of friends and are each other’s shadow. Unfortunately, as life often does, circumstances separate them when they are fifteen and Rune and his family move back to Norway. Rune and Poppy are heartbroken, but vow to remain loyal and wait for one another. Two years later, Rune and his family return and he is determined to find out why Poppy cut him off without a word of explanation a few months after he left.

Buckle up, dear readers, you are in for a very intense ride. This book broke my heart, put it back together and then broke it all over again. I loved Rune and Poppy individually and as a couple. What really stands out for me is how Rune evolved from someone Poppy knew and loved to someone she barely recognized then back to the person she always loved. Obviously, this book’s primary focus is on relationships, but not just the relationship between Rune and Poppy. The relationships they have with their families and friends was also poignant.

I went with the audiobook and the performances of P.J. Ochlan and Katie Schorr just enhanced the complete experience. The depth of raw emotion infused the performance with an intensity that brought me to tears more readily than if I had read the printed book.

Despite the emotional roller coaster this book put me on and how much I loved this story, I absolutely hated the ending. The story could have allowed me the illusion that everything worked out in the end as it was meant to and ended it there. Unfortunately, it did not. It left me with more questions than answers. Ironically, as much as I am less than pleased with the ending, it fits. Life, love, joy and sadness all come full circle. I am now struggling with whether I want to read the next book in the series. I don’t know if my heart can take another beating, but I have so many unanswered questions with this book that I wonder if any of it will be resolved.

My Final Verdict: If you want a book that will make you feel all the feels, if you don’t mind a book that makes you cry, full-on ugly crying, snotting all over yourself with a pile of tissues next to you, this is the book for you.

REVIEW: Driving Me Wild by Maria Benson

Title: Driving Me Wild
Author: Maria Benson
Publisher: ATG Communications
Publication Date: August 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction

Description: In a dating scene full of well-educated, ambitious and attractive players, is the “terminally single” woman her own worst enemy?

That’s the accusation hurled at Aimee Chase, a young Chicago sports marketing executive who finds herself confronted with professions of love from Michael Blake, a handsome but bland high school classmate. When Aimee tries but fails to let him down easy, habitually nice Michael hits below the belt, implying she’s too damaged to appreciate a good man. Check, An insulted Aimee showers Michael in her glass of sweet-but-smoky Merlot.

Truth is, Michael's accusations drew blood. With a romantic history littered with cheaters and bad boys–including a married one with a very big job who is still in her life–Aimee fears that she has sabotaged her chances of ever finding the right guy. Months later, as her career implodes and she finds herself enveloped in a high-profile scandal, she’s not sure what to think when a suddenly captivating Michael reappears.

Thrilled to find that this “safe” guy now makes her weak in the knees, Aimee ultimately has her ecstasy interrupted by the revelation that Michael has transformed into a promiscuous, cold-hearted pick-up artist he thinks women like Aimee want. When he’s caught with related baggage but declares his fidelity, should Aimee toss aside a promising relationship, or just accept that “it’s complicated?”

My Thoughts: Can you see the dent in my forehead? I had high hopes this book would be witty and entertaining, but it fell way short of the mark and now I have to see a neurologist for the possible brain damage I have caused myself for beating my head against the wall. I should have DNF’d this book and saved myself the ultimate disappointment, but I kept hoping these characters would pull their heads out of their posteriors and grow the eff up!

Aimee Chase, a young, intelligent, ambitious person who works in the sports marketing arena could probably have any man she wants. When the nice guy from high school is all but proclaiming his love for her over dinner, what does she do? Stomp all over his emotions telling him he doesn’t “do it for her.” No, she would rather continue seeing the guy who cheated on her and ended up marrying the other woman. Where’s your self-respect, Aimee?

Michael Blake is a nice guy and has carried a torch for Aimee since they were in high school, but after Aimee’s scathing rejection, he enlists the help of his friends to teach him how to be a bad boy and leave a trail of one night stands behind him. Of course, now Aimee finds him interesting. Shame on you, Michael. A woman who doesn’t accept you for who you are isn’t worth knowing and changing yourself into someone you think Aimee will go for just makes you weak. Where is your self-respect, Michael?

I had a very difficult time mustering up any empathy for these characters but I kept going just to see how it all played out. There was some redemption with the characters at the end, but it was too little, too late. I suppose the one good thing to come out of Aimee’s train wreck of a life was the potential for reconciliation with her estranged father who was never there for her growing up.

My Final Verdict: Unfortunately, a book that I thought would be interesting, witty and entertaining was just OK. Fans of contemporary romances and women’s fiction will find more satisfying choices elsewhere.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Driving Me Wild from the author in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton

Title: You Can Never Tell
Author: Sarah Warburton
Narrator: Jorjeana Marie
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: August 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Joshilyn Jackson, Sarah Warburton's chilling thriller, inspired by the Moors Murders, explores the twisted side of suburbia.

Framed for embezzlement by her best friend Aimee, museum curator Kacy Tremain and her husband Michael move from New Jersey to a charming Texas suburb to escape their past. Kacy quickly makes new friends--preppy, inscrutable Elizabeth, chatty yet evasive Rahmia, and red-headed, unapologetic Lena. But good friends aren't always what they seem.

As she navigates the unexpectedly cutthroat social scene of her new town, Kacy begins to receive taunting postcards--and worse, discovers cameras hidden in the wall of her home. Lena and her husband, Brady, reassure her that the cameras are just relics of the paranoid previous homeowner . Once the cameras are removed and Kacy's fears are quelled, Kacy and Michael make the happy discovery that they are going to be new parents.

Months after the birth of their daughter, Michael accidentally makes a shocking discovery about Brady's past. And when Lena suddenly goes missing, Kacy and Michael begin to uncover the truth about their neighbors--and it's more terrible than anyone could have imagined.

Interlaced with transcripts of a chilling true crime podcast that follow the tangled threads of the drama, You Can Never Tell is a taut and complex psychological thriller that never lets up until its breathless conclusion.

My Thoughts: New to me author Sarah Warburton offers up a twisted and dark tale about a woman who is reeling from the aftermath of being betrayed by her best friend, set up for a crime, fired from her job only to move to Texas to start over only to realize that it isn’t easier to trust people in a new place either, especially with serial killers in your midst.

A fresh start is what Kacy and Michael think they need to get past the trauma of the previous year in New Jersey. They relocate to Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston, buy a house in a charming subdivision and Kacy begins to make friends with some of the neighbors. Elizabeth, a Canadian transplant who appears to have the perfect life, Rahmia, a Middle Eastern woman who is overtly friendly but also evasive and Lena, who lives directly next door and is outspoken and blunt.

For the first time in a long time, Kacy begins to feel her life is finally getting back on track. She joins a charitable women’s group and learns she is pregnant, but their sense of safety quickly turns into one of horror when Lena goes missing several months after Kacy’s baby is born.

The way the story is told both from Kacy’s perspective and the interspersed transcripts of the podcast, the identity of the serial killers is revealed fairly quickly, but the reader is left with high anticipation of what the killers will do next, giving the reader a heightened sense of tension. It was also evident to me that the killers were possibly stalking Kacy and her husband, but that fell a little flat too. It’s assumed that they are potentially the next victims, but the reader doesn’t know for sure.

I enjoyed the story and thought Kacy’s actions, for the most part, were believable and realistic, but I wish the ending had a bit more bite for all the build-up the story gives. I came away after finishing feeling that the story lacked a final punch.

The audio narration by Jorjeana Marie was quite good. The performance drew me into the story with the right amount of emotion and personality so that I would connect to the characters and empathize with them

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a good story that cautions us to be careful of who we trust and invite into our lives. You may have a serial killer in your inner circle. Fans of mysteries, thrillers and suspense novels will enjoy this, as well as fans of true crime podcasts.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of You Can Never Tell from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.