Karwyn

Falls Flat

Reviewed: 03-19-25

First off I do like H.D. Carlton’s writing, but this book seemed extremely tame for her style. I don’t know who she wrote this for but it wasn’t for the readers of her Cat and Mouse duet. Maybe her being a Montlake writer handcuffed her style. Maybe it was because I knew how the story ended, I can’t pinpoint it, but it just wasn’t the Carlton I read prior. The Carlton I read prior was raw and unapologetic about her plots, this was boring at times, as I didn’t feel the connection with Gigi or Ronaldo. There was more passion in the diary excerpts in the Cat and Mouse duet.

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LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!

Reviewed: 03-18-25

GenX Killers, Nobody does it better. Some people just need killed, and that is when Mary Alice, Natalie, Helen and Billie step in. This adventure is five years post book one, the gals have survived and settled back into their life, with Billie on a Greek Island with Travaner. But, Naomi at the Museum has a problem, and she needs someone to solve it, so she turns to the girls who know how to get things done. These are the FAFO posse, and they are brilliant. Things might not be as high or tight as when they were young assassins, but these woman are like a great wine because they only got better with age. The book gives both current day and 1980’s time lines, that do interconnect.
The narrators Jane Oppenheimer, and Christina Delaney are fabulous and in the split time lines the voices are very similar, but have a nuanced younger tone. Bravo for a great narration.

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Great Narrators

Reviewed: 03-02-25

The narrators were fabulous, Theresa Plummer rocks as a narrator and could have acted the male voices too. Ben Holtzmuller was very good, but the sound quality on the dual narration was off on his part. The vocals were not at the same level until the Epilogue. I checked this out on several devices before posting this review.

Now to the story which I liked but didn’t love. Why? I felt at some points the story doesn’t line up with the reasoning of the characters. Penelope a secondary character breaks up with the main male character Lukas because he is into being dominant in bed. Penelope is straight vanilla. Enter the main character Scarlett, who likes to be dominated in bed. Scarlett and Lukas start a sexual relationship with Penelope’s blessing, as she breaks up with Lukas. The problem is nothing on the page is BDSM, in fact it’s all pretty vanilla, despite the lead up. It isn’t even very erotic. Also different female angsty plot lines come and go and it is too staged for my liking as Hazelwood writes better than this. So my three star rating for the story, but the narrators do bring the overall rating up.

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Audiobook Different than written version.

Reviewed: 12-24-24

This book despite the great narration is a muddled mess. Plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. Eli, turned into a villian with fake telegraphs being the reason for him leaving. But he packed up everything and even had a box shipped to San Diego. Ending doesn’t resolve his betrayal and Gunnie must have forgot he suggested she out herself. Poof and the angst in Chapter 10 disappears. Even a character Harris made us love, is killed off page. Poof he’s gone. Highly disappointed in the installment I actually held off reading and listening so I could fully appreciate this second to last Gunnie Rose. Now I wish I would have skipped it.

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Start of a complex tale.

Reviewed: 10-04-24

Before social media help make readers obsessed with certain authors and their books, all we readers had was word of mouth, or to be inspired by a book cover and buy the book. The later is how I was first introduced to the writing of Karen Marie Moning, plus we share a first and middle name, which I kind of found cool buying the first Fever series book. Moning’s writing has always been a thinking readers style, and it is very evident in her latest book The House on Watch Hill. The House on Watch Hill is a complex story full of mysteries, suspense and layered characters that made me extremely excited to be reading a book crafted by Moning. She normally allowed me as a reader to draw conclusions as I read, which is one of the many reasons she stands out amongst her peers. The book is immersed in legacy, discovery, secrets and empowerment in a fabulous magical gothic tale. It is a woman centric book, which is apparent with the first epigraph, which was hilarious. The story centers around Zo Grey, and her inheriting a house in Divinity Louisiana, but since this is a Moning book nothing is as it seems at first sight. I kind of adored that Zo was from my neck of the woods in Hoosier land, but Zo doesn’t have very nice things to say about the area. LOL! Zo has a past she isn’t aware of, and uses sex as a coping mechanism, as her inner monologues detail. I’m a picky reviewer and Zo’s inner lust filled monologues were repeated too often for me as a reader. I was getting fed up with it, but I should have trusted Moning to reveal a reason why. Like Moning’s previous female characters Zo can go toe to toe with the assorted other characters and come out on top. She isn’t a girl in needing of saving as she’ll save herself, or die trying. Zo isn’t a young naive twenty four is written far older than her years because of her life experiences.

There is a bit of romance, and long before the currant craze spurred by TikTok, Moning was crafting the ultimate male bad boy characters and in this book, she has struck gold with her newest assortments. Yes, you read right assortments. The book ends on a cliffhanger and is obviously only the start of the story. What a cliffhanger it turned out to be!

The audio narrators did an outstanding job in performing the story, and which cemented the book’s five stars.

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2 people found this helpful

Lovely Novella

Reviewed: 07-26-24

Listening to a Greta Van Helsing book is like visiting old friends. Vivian Shaw is a fantastic author and the narrator though different from the novels is fabulous.

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2 people found this helpful

Loved IT!

Reviewed: 03-17-24

This is a slow burn romance with fabulous world building. The characters are completely fleshed out with great backstories, that make their skill levels and knowledge believable. If you’ve read Maas or Yarros you need to read this book, because honestly the world building is as good as these two phenomenal authors. Yes, I actually said this, as the Memory Puller’s world is so layered it’s a must read for romantasy readers. The major differences is that the memory puller has a smaller cast of characters, so the world building feels more intimate. It’s a world where humans and utterly subjugated by Fae, who feed on human memories to get a euphoric high. Haines also wrote great secondary characters. The spice level is about a three with heavy petting, but the main female lead is a kind of nun, so slow burn.
The narrative performance was outstanding and both the narrators gave excellent performances.

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1 person found this helpful

FANTASTIC NARRATION.

Reviewed: 12-26-23

This is by far the best audiobook narration I have ever listened to, and I have listened to a lot of books. The dual narration is completely seamless, and Arden and Rivers’ performance only bring this great dark rom com to greater heights. The book, is dark, delicious and funny as hell. I may need therapy as I loved this book.

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Utter Hogwash

Reviewed: 08-28-23

I really have enjoyed Ivy Smoak’s other books but feel utterly gaslighted by this book and Montlake. I was expecting something Gothic, romantic suspense; but instead was sold a short story that was extended by ridiculous phone calls between the main character and her best friend. Then after a slow unimaginative plot, the female lead is in love with the main character she doesn’t even know. The main male character completely gaslight her. The plot twist was telegraphed from the first chapter. I can see why kindle placement on screens benefits authors, as this book was an utter waste of my time. As Smoak never really answers the questions of who Remington actually is. She leave wiggle room to bring the character back.

The narrators could not save it nor bring it up any stars.

If you want a good author who can pull off romantic suspense and gothic vibe go with Keri Lake, and skip this book. I expected better from Smoak as she can write good books, in fact she can write riveting page turners. ARGH

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ADHD Male Main Character

Reviewed: 04-29-23

Honestly the end part of the book didn’t line up with most of the book. The last quarter of the book killed the book for me, as Memnon, was a confused awakened sorcerer, who wanted his life back. He went from dominate but likable to a character that threatened and destroyed the female main characters life. Memnon saved Selena’s life but turned around and decimated it. I seriously felt like Memnon had a horrid evil twin who should be blamed for the ending. The book just doesn’t work for me as a reader.
Stella Bloom, as always is a fabulous narrator, and if not for her narration the book would be getting a lower star rating.

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