Audio Book Review with Featured Author: The Survivors by Jane Harper narrated by Stephen Shanahan

The Survivors by Jane Harper 

Narrated by Stephen Shanahan

 

 

 

Publisher & Release: McMillan Audio, February 2, 2021

Setting:  Present Day, Evelyn Bay, Tasmania

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Length:  11 hours 57 minutes

Rating: 2.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Coming home dredges up deeply buried secrets in The Survivors, a thrilling mystery by New York Times best-selling author Jane Harper.

Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. 

The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home. 

Kieran's parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn. 

When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away....

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Survivors-Novel-Jane-Harper-ebook/dp/B087ZY8NXX

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Survivors-Audiobook/1250790883

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-survivors-jane-harper/1136963067

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-survivors-43

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jane_Harper_The_Survivors?id=8hDhDwAAQBAJ

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53406465-the-survivors

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-survivors-by-jane-harper-2020-05-04

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary audio copy of The Survivors by Jane Harper. I voluntarily agreed to listen and review this recording prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.

 

The Survivors is a mystery thriller set in a small coastal town where everyone knows everything. The novel goes from the present to twelve years in the past which made it difficult at times to follow along. The pacing is excruciatingly slow, and I considered not finishing it on more than one occasion, but I refused to give up.

 

Kieran Elliott is the main character. He and his girlfriend have come back to Evelyn Bay to help his parents move since his father has dementia. This brings on lots of painful memories for him, and there are hard feelings toward him by some of the townspeople who blame him for the deaths of two of their own.

 

Stephen Shanahan is the narrator, and while he has a smooth tone, the pitch is very deep, making it difficult to understand him. I normally listen at 1.5 to 2 speed, and I had to slow it down a lot. He did give the various characters a different tone, so it was easy to know who was talking.

 

Ultimately, I struggled with the story and couldn’t become vested in any of the characters, and although I enjoyed the ending for the most part, it ended quite abruptly. The mystery is intriguing, but it wasn’t strong enough to keep me engaged, but I am in the minority. Many other readers loved The Survivors. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Jane Harper's debut novel The Dry is an atmospheric thriller set in regional Australia.
The novel won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2015 and rights have since been sold in more than 20 territories.
The Dry was a No.1 bestseller in Australia and has been optioned for a film by Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea's production company, Pacific Standard.
Jane worked as a print journalist for 13 years both in Australia and the UK and lives in Melbourne with her family.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://janeharper.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janeharperauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/janeharperautho

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janeharperauthor/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jane-harper

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/556546.Jane_Harper

Audio Book Review: Olive Bright, Pigeoneer by Stephanie Graves

Olive Bright, Pigeoneer by Stephanie Graves

 

 

Publisher & Release: Kensington Books 

Setting:  WWII, Pipley, England

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 368 Pages

Rating: 2.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Though war rages across mainland Europe and London is strafed by German aircraft, the little village of Pipley in Hertfordshire bustles along much as it always has. Adrift since her best friend, George, joined the Royal Air Force, twenty-two-year-old Olive Bright fills her days by helping at her father’s veterinary practice and tending to her beloved racing pigeons. Desperate to do her bit, Olive hopes that the National Pigeon Service will enlist Bright Lofts’ expertise, and use their highly trained birds to deliver critical, coded messages for His Majesty’s Forces. 
 
The strangers who arrive in Pipley are not from the NPS. Instead, Jameson Aldridge and his associate are tied to a covert British intelligence organization known as Baker Street. If Olive wants her pigeons to help the war effort, she must do so in complete secrecy. Tired of living vicariously through the characters of her beloved Agatha Christie novels, Olive readily agrees. But in the midst of her subterfuge, the village of Pipley is dealing with another mystery. Local busybody Miss Husselbee is found dead outside Olive’s pigeon loft. Is the murder tied to Olive’s new assignment? Or did Miss Husselbee finally succeed in ferreting out a secret shameful enough to kill for? With the gruff, handsome Jameson as an unlikely ally, Olive intends to find out—but homing in on a murderer can be a deadly business . . .

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Olive-Bright-Pigeoneer-Stephanie-Graves-ebook

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Olive-Bright-Pigeoneer-Audiobook

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/olive-bright-pigeoneer-stephanie-graves

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/olive-bright-pigeoneer

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Stephanie_Graves_Olive_Bright_Pigeoneer

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub: 

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53302845-olive-bright-pigeoneer

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/olive-bright-pigeoneer-by-stephanie-graves

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary audio copy of Olive Bright, Pigeoneer by Stephanie Graves and narrated by Rachael Beresford. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this audio book prior to publication. My opinion are my own, and no one has influenced them.

 

Olive Bright, Pigeoneer is set in a sleepy British village during WWII. I listened to the audio and struggled with focusing on the story, but it was not because of the narrator. Rachael Beresford has a lovely voice, but the story just wasn't compelling enough. The characters didn’t pull me in, and the pacing is slow. I am being kind in giving it three crowns. Normally, I thoroughly enjoy novel set during WWII, and found the premise of carrier pigeons intriguing, so I truly wanted to like this book.

 

Olive Bright’s character is extremely impulsive and determined to break the rules to such an extent, it kept me from liking her. She seemed much younger than her age. Her willingness to deceive her father did not sit well with me.

 

This was supposed to be a mystery, but it never pulled me in as this genre usually does. While there is murder, spying, and some suspense, it fell flat for me, but that may not be the case for others. Reading is subjective, and what appeals to one reader doe not to another. I fell in that second category. Happy reading and listening!

 

Audio Book Review with featured Author: London Restoration by Rachel McMillan

London Restoration by Rachel McMillan

Publisher & Release: Thomas Nelson, August 18, 2020

Time and setting:  WWII Aftermath, London

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 331 Pages

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

From author Rachel McMillan comes a richly researched historical romance that takes place in post-World War II London and features a strong female lead.

Determined to save their marriage and the city they love, two people divided by World War II’s secrets rebuild their lives, their love, and their world.

London, Fall 1945. Architectural historian Diana Somerville’s experience as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park and her knowledge of London’s churches intersect in MI6’s pursuit of a Russian agent named Eternity. Diana wants nothing more than to begin again with her husband Brent after their separation during the war, but her signing of the Official Secrets Act keeps him at a distance.

Brent Somerville, professor of theology at King’s College, hopes aiding his wife with her church consultations will help him better understand why she disappeared when he needed her most. But he must find a way to reconcile his traumatic experiences as a stretcher bearer on the European front with her obvious lies about her wartime activities and whereabouts.

Featuring a timeless love story bolstered by flashbacks and the excavation of a priceless Roman artifact, The London Restoration is a richly atmospheric look at post-war London as two people changed by war rebuild amidst the city’s reconstruction. 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/The-London-Restoration/dp/B0829G67N9

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-london-restoration-rachel-mcmillan

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-london-restoration

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-London-Restoration-Audiobook

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54863171-the-london-restoration

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-london-restoration-by-rachel-mcmillan

Vikki’s Musings

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary audio copy of London Restoration by Rachel McMillan for the purpose of listening and reviewing prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.

London Restoration is an outstanding look at the start of the Cold War after WWII ends, and England’s effort to combat it. The characters hold secrets from their time during the war and both are afraid to tell the other. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspects of this amazing novel. I love old churches and the history behind them and have visited several mentioned in this book.

Diana Somerville’s character has many facets, one that prove fascinating. Since I too enjoy visiting historical places, I identified with her chosen path. I also became vested in her frustration over not being allowed to share why she wasn’t at her husband’s side when he received his injuries at the end of the war. 

Brent Somerville is an intriguing character. I liked him a great deal and could understand his fear of sharing what happened to him at the end of the war. I also admired his patience with Diana when she’s doesn’t tell him why she didn’t rush to him while he laid in a hospital suffering from severe injuries.

The love story between the couple is built on a firm foundation, and even though they must deal with what happened during the war, both are determined to find the way back to each other.

I listened to the audio book of London Restoration and thoroughly became enmeshed once the story started. At first I wasn’t sure because it read like a documentary. Hannah Curtis is the narrator, and her lovely voice pulled me into the tale and kept me listening until the end. She brought the characters to life, and I could easily know which charter was speaking. There is richness and layers to her tone, and she read with just the right amount of emotion.

If you like historical fiction with strong romantic elements, and a narrator who adds to your listening enjoyment, then you want to grab your copy of this excellent novel. Whether you chose to read or listen to London Restoration, you are in for a treat. Happy reading and listening!

Author Bio:

My passion for all things Europe infuses my contemporary romances,  including the Vienna-set  Three Quarter Time series featuring Love in Three Quarter Time and Rose in Three Quarter Time. With Memory in Three Quarter Time publishing in 2020

​

2020 also finds my first foray into non-fiction with Dream, Plan, Go: a travel guide/ memoir that inspires you to adventure near and far (May, 2020).

​

I am also delighted to be writing historical romance set amidst the beautiful architecture of London and Vienna in the post-war years. The London Restoration releases in Fall 2020 and introduces readers to the gorgeous Christopher Wren churches blitzed during the War as well as the enigmatic codes of Bletchley Park. 

​

Stay awhile and explore. I'll always have new book recommendations as well as tips and tricks on how to find the world far away--or in your own backyard. 

​

I live in Toronto, my favourite film is Master and Commander, I am obsessed with Hallmark Christmas movies, Broadway musicals and Starbucks.

Social Media:

Website: https://www.rachelmcmillan.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachkmc1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachkmc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachkmc/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rachkmc/boards/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-mcmillan

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14165949.Rachel_McMillan

Audio Book Review with featured author Brenda Novak: One Perfect Summer

One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak

Publisher & Release: Mira, April 7, 2020 

Time and setting:  Present Day, Nevada

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Length: 464 Pages

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Some families we’re born into

Some we find for ourselves

When Serenity Alston swabbed her cheek for 23andMe, she joked about uncovering some dark ancestral scandal. The last thing she expected was to discover two half sisters she didn’t know existed. Suddenly, everything about her loving family is drawn into question. And meeting these newfound sisters might be the only way to get answers.

The women decide to dig into the mystery together at Serenity’s family cabin in Lake Tahoe. With Reagan navigating romantic politics at work and Lorelei staring down the collapse of her marriage, all three women are converging at a crossroads in their lives. Before the summer is over, they’ll have to confront the past and determine how to move forward when everything they previously thought to be true was a lie. But any future is easier to face with family by your side.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R71BG48/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-perfect-summer-brenda-novak

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/one-perfect-summer-4

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/one-perfect-summer-by-brenda-novak

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51525626-one-perfect-summer

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/one-perfect-summer-by-brenda-novak

Vikki’s Musings

I’ve awaited the release of this book for quite some time, and once it was out, I downloaded it. I listened to the audio version of One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak. I have been a fan of Ms. Novak for years and love her books, no matter which genre she chooses for her latest story. Whether it’s a romance, small town USA, a thriller or mystery, or in this case, women’s fiction, I’m confident it will be fantastic! One Perfect Summer is another well written book with enthralling characters and an original storyline. 

This book follows three sisters who have just found each other. There is a mystery to be solved. The half-sisters set out to find out who their father may have been. Since they established their connection through DNA testing, they have very few clues as to the identity. 

I thoroughly enjoyed their journey. It’s a difficult task to develop the stories of three main characters and fully flesh them out. The talented Ms. Novak does this with finesse. I became vested in all three women.

There is a romantic arche in this book, but it is by no means the central focus. It’s a story of three women facing their lives with many unanswered questions where each must face their future and ones that look so different than what they had expected.

Serenity is searching for the clue that would explain how these other two women are related to her. She has an established family and doesn’t want to approach them until she has more information. It is Serenity’s love interest that is the strongest. I enjoyed that aspect of the story and wanted her to find a happy ending!

Reagan is interested in finding out if the man her mother told her was hers or if it was someone else too, but she’s drawn to her sisters since she’s been raised as an only child to a career driven woman. She’s lived trying to make her mother proud so is driven by her career, but that’s being blown apart by a very reckless decision that changes the direction of her life. Reagan’s situation makes it difficult to focus on love, but I suspect we may see her love story play out in another book. At least I hope Ms. Novak will do that!

Lorelei is searching for a bond with family since she ended up in the system as a foster child, never being part of a family. She’s also suffering from betrayal will not only impact her life, but her young daughter’s as well and wants to do the right thing for her. While Lorelei is attracted to their next-door neighbor, she’s not at a place in her life to focus on love. I again hope, Lorelei will have a book with the rest of her story!

I mentioned that I listened to the audio version. Erin Bennett is the narrator, and this is the first book I’ve listened to with her as the narrator, but it will not be the last. She does an amazing job of emoting the feelings of the characters and gives each a unique voice.

If you enjoy a novel that is about family and sisters bonding, with a mystery to solve, and compelling characters, then you will love One Perfect Summer as much as I did. If you haven’t read books by the talented Ms. Novak, then I suggest this amazing story is a good place to start. You will quickly become addicted to her fantastic world. She is truly a multifaceted author, writing in several genres. Happy reading and listening!

Author Bio:

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.

“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”

However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business.

Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer.

“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”

Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Many of her novels have won or placed in contests such as the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Write Touch, the Award of Excellence and the Beacon Award for Published Authors.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. When she’s not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising money for diabetes research. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking — she rides an amazing 20 miles every day!

Social Media:

Website: https://brendanovak.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaNovakAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brenda_novak

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorbrendanovak/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bnauthor/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brenda-novak

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12937.Brenda_Novak

Book and Audio Review: Mr. Darcy's Mail-Order Bride by J. Dawn King

Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride by J. Dawn King

Publisher & Release: Quiet Mountain Press, November 24, 2016

Time and setting:  1869, Oregon

Genre: Historical Romance/Pioneer Western

Book Length:   354 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Sweetheart

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice meets the Wild, Wild West.

In 1869, females are in short supply in the west while a single man in want of a wife is rare in the east. When lonely Charles Bingley convinces his good friend, Will Darcy, to write a letter offering marriage to Miss Jane Bennet, she likewise convinces her sister, Elizabeth, to pen the reply. Elizabeth is struck by the beauty of the letter and responds by opening her heart to the Oregon wordsmith, who she believes to be Mr. Bingley. It’s love at first letter—for both the couples. Misunderstandings and bad impressions abound as the true identities of the authors are discovered.

In the days following the double wedding, Will and Elizabeth Darcy face challenge after challenge while Mr. and Mrs. Bingley appear to live in wedded bliss. Will Mr. and Mrs. Darcy find their own true love? In this sweet variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, we will see open disdain shift to a wary friendship and the wary friendship grow to the tenderest of emotions—or will we?

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Mr-Darcys-Mail-Order-Bride-Prejudice-ebook/dp/B01MRLCJAR

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33015399-mr-darcy-s-mail-order-bride

Vikki’s Musings

This is the first book I’ve read/listened to by Ms. King, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from the first page to the last. I found this through the romance package on Audible and selected it because I love Wendy Rich Stetson’s narrations. 

Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride is a Pride and Prejudice variation, and I am normally less than thrilled with those, but Ms. King allowed me to visit the beloved characters from that classic in a completely different setting that works surprisingly well. She caught Lizzy’s optimistic personality and Mr. Darcy irascible one perfectly.

This emotionally-charged romance brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion. The pacing is excellent, and the writing flows smoothly. Ms. King gives enough description without giving too much detail. 

Now, for the main reason, I am writing a full review. As I mentioned, I love Wendy Rich Stetson as a narrator. She is amazing. She truly brings all the characters to life, from Lizzy and Darcy to the children in this story, to Lydia and Mr. Wickham. I became totally enmeshed in this story through her astonishing abilities as a narrator. If you have never listened to her, then you are truly missing out!

If you enjoy seeing some of your most favorite characters brought to life in an entirely new setting, yet one where their personality traits are still true, then you will love this book. I highly recommend Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride by this very talented author. Happy reading/listening!

Book & Audio Review: The Trouble with Dukes by Grace Burrowes

The Trouble with Dukes by Grace Burrowes

Publisher & Release: Forever, December 20, 2016

Time and setting: Regency period, London

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency

Book Length:  369 pages

Heat Level: 2 Flame

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

THEY CALL HIM THE DUKE OF MURDER...

The gossips whisper that the new Duke of Murdoch is a brute, a murderer, and even worse--a Scot. They say he should never be trusted alone with a woman. But Megan Windham sees in Hamish something different, someone different.

No one was fiercer at war than Hamish MacHugh, though now the soldier faces a whole new battlefield: a London Season. To make his sisters happy, he'll take on any challenge--even letting their friend Miss Windham teach him to waltz. Megan isn't the least bit intimidated by his dark reputation, but Hamish senses that she's fighting battles of her own. For her, he'll become the warrior once more, and for her, he might just lose his heart.

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Other-Duke-Will-Windham-Brides-ebook/dp/B06XFR3CCH

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/34523598-no-other-duke-will-do

Vikki’s Musings

Oh, my, this is a wonderful book. This is the first book I've read by Ms. Burrowes in quite some time, and it's a fine example of her incredible skill as an author. The story flows beautifully, the plot is lively, but the best part is the engaging characters that will capture your heart from the first page to the last.

Meggie's character is a pure delight. She is one of the most endearing characters I've encountered in quite some time. She is a true Regency lady, loves her family and will protect them from harm at her own expense.

Hamish is a wonderful hero who will steal your heart. I know he did mine. He is burdened by the unexpected title of duke, something he would never want, but he assumes the mantle superbly well. His most engaging characteristic is his high sense of honor. He loves his family, and falls for Meggie right away, which moves the story along at a fast pace.

The romance between the pair is sweet, yet sensual. The sexual tension practically jumps off the page. The plot has the couple falling in love early on, and the conflict is more external then internal. I really enjoyed that aspect of this book a great deal. So many times, the conflict is antagonistic, which is not something I enjoy.

I listened to the sudio version, and James Langdon is fabulous. His ability to bring each character to life is brilliant. I will definitely look for more books narrated by him.

If you're looking for a romantic Regency tale with amazing characters and a truly dastardly villain, then you will enjoy The Trouble with Dukes as much as I did. If you are a fan of her original Windham series, you are in for a treat because many of them are in this story. Happy reading!