Posted Thursday, 12 April, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Alison Campbell, Kay Hunter Detective series, One to Watch, Rachel Amphlett, Saxon Publishing 0 Comments
Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “One to Watch” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working directly with the author Rachel Amphlett in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
What held me in the throes of “Will to Live” and why I was itching for the next novel:
This soon became a rather complex arc where it truly foretold the author’s intricate way of giving us a riveting story in which to feel enthralled. She even gave Kay and Adam more heartache of concern over their personal safety as much as the boundaries between private life and public service. The further we dig into the series itself, the more alarming it is to realise what Kay is facing in her career – how sometimes there are people who working against you even when your simply trying to do right by those your entrusted to protect.
What was really cagey was someone was trying to drive Kay absolutely crazy by how they were ribbing her already vexed angst with confounding disbelief how records were consistently being re-arranged, re-written and edited. The records in question were connected to the case which had placed Larch on her trail – where nothing she did was good enough and everything she did was a new reason to give her grief from Larch. This was a nod towards how electronic records are too easily erased or altered outright without having a hard-copy to back-up the proof of what they contained originally.
As you move through the series itself, you start to observe the cascading effect of everything – how what you know from one installment feeds into the second and I am sure will continue to carry forward until the dramatic conclusion of where Kay Hunter finds herself in opposition with an unknown foe. It is this thrilling element of unknowns which keeps you hitched inside the series itself but you can’t forsake each of the individual cases to pick up on the subtle clues being added to the back-story of why Kay Hunter is being professionally attacked and challenged.
You become invested in her life and the lives of her detectives under her – especially when the new recruits to her team like Gavin and Carris prove they are not just incredibly brave and dedicated to the job but they give her a new hope to hang tight to prove one way or the other, she is not at fault for whatever is coming down in the future against her. In that regard, the last time I was caught up in a conspiracy against a lead character, it was when Beckett couldn’t sort out what was the truth about her mother’s death on Castle. I have more hope for Kay Hunter to have a better ending than Beckett had herself as Castle simply derailed after awhile.
Right now – I feel hungry for more of the series – as I have yet to truly solve one of the cases ahead of Kay and her team! Each time I think I have it sorted, Ms Amphlett happily throws me for a loop, adds another twist or gives me something to chew on whilst I wonder ‘how did I not see that coming?’ – she’s a brilliant plotter when it comes to a Contemporary Thriller – as you can’t help but listen to her stories straight through – not that I had the luxury of this as I had to break it into a few different listening sessions – but she wills you to want to do that! The absences keep the intrigue level at a high height of curiosity and by the time you listen to the ending chapters, your musefully happy for tucking into the Kay Hunter series! Literally, your mind swirls with everything you learn and you can only hope in the end, Kay and her colleagues can walk away like your favourite tv serial characters.
-quoted from my review of Will to Live
Similar to The X-Files, I have the tendency to truly hone in on the sub-plot which to me feels like the entire arc and anchour to a series – in the vein of how the conspiracy surrounding Kay Hunter and the person(s) who are attempting to dishonour her are what are motivating me forward after each installment. I am appreciating the tightly conceived mysteries threading through the series, but there is a moment of curiosity solely keen on finding out who is marking Kay Hunter as one to take-down when by all appearances, she’s a dedicated detective committed to her job and to her husband. She takes the cases seriously and she enjoys the bantering in the office with her fellow colleagues but she could do without the added stress she’s subjected to by Larch (the one character I wouldn’t trust if I were her).
As you move further into the series, you start to see new layers of interest towards this angle of theory surrounding Kay; each piece in of itself is a telling component of the building climax, wherein your unsure if your fully prepared for the ‘ending’ of how it will either come fully out into the surface or if there will be a showdown – as similar to what I voiced before, it does echo the issues Det. Beckett felt crushed under (ie. Castle) whilst it also echoes the trials and adversities of Rizzoli & Isles – these are fiercely strong women in law enforcement stories who are dealing with incredibly difficult issues from a nemesis they never quite understand until they can sort out their identity. Sadly, even then, sometimes the truth leads to more questions than a resolution.
I was contemplating where this was going to take us before I entered One to Watch – as I knew the titles had a duality of purpose – except, in this one regard, I was hoping it might leant itself to drawing us closer to the conspiracy rather than being the bridge clue into the mystery. I have a feeling when I finish my listening of Hell to Pay, I am going to be in withdrawal for Call to Arms!
One to Watch
Sophie Whittaker shared a terrifying secret. Hours later, she was dead.
Detective Kay Hunter and her colleagues are shocked by the vicious murder of a teenage girl at a private party in the Kentish countryside.
A tangled web of dark secrets is exposed as twisted motives point to a history of greed and corruption within the tight-knit community.
Confronted by a growing number of suspects and her own enemies who are waging a vendetta against her, Kay makes a shocking discovery that will make her question her trust in everyone she knows.
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
Find on Book Browse
ASIN: B075ZY63PY
on 3rd October, 2017
Length: 7 hours, 27 minutes (unabridged)
Published by: Saxon Publishing
Scared to Death Cover AUDIO
Order of the Kay Hunter Detective series:
One to Watch | Book Three
Hell to Pay | Book Four | Synopsis
Call to Arms | Book Five | Synopsis
About Rachel Amphlett
Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.
She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.
Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.
She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | LibraryThing | FantasticFiction
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Posted Thursday, 12 April, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), British Literature, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Detective Fiction, England, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Good vs. Evil, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Indie Author, Lady Detective Fiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mother-Son Relationships, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Psychological Suspense, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, True Crime
Posted Sunday, 8 April, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Alison Campbell, Kay Hunter Detective series, Rachel Amphlett, Saxon Publishing, Will to Live 2 Comments
Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Will to Live” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working directly with the author Rachel Amphlett in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
What held me in the throes of “Scared to Death” and why I was itching for the next novel:
Your heart is clutched in your throat as soon as you enter into the horror of their lives – two parents are madly driving off to the location they frantically jotted down in a desperate search for their daughter – as they argue about directions and which turn is which – you grow more anxious by the second as their car increases speed to shorten the distance from her to them. You feel their anxiety, you worry your own nerves won’t hold out nor will theirs as they inch closer to arriving.
The minute details of police procedurals, crime scene investigations and the actions of all of the characters each in turn of each other is a special feast for the reader – as all of these details add to the layering of how the audiobook is being narrated. You are happily so well in-tune with the visual aspects of this story as it unfolds as to feel like you’ve stepped through the pages and have entered each of the character’s souls. You feel and think just as they are whilst they are going through the motions of where each of their roles takes them. It’s a very intimate layering effect – as the human condition is dissected and re-affirmed through how Ms Amphlett gives her characters’ the freedoms to be raw and authentically honest as you would expect to find them if you had arrived on scene yourself.
I have a lot of praise for Ms Amphlett threading through this review but it was her tenacity for truism for the way in which she crafted this Thriller I wanted to make a special note about as she truly fused real-life methodology with a fictional crime in such an expert way of execution you simply could not forsake the time you had within it’s chapters! She pulls you in immediately as she’s mastered the heart-connection of giving an emotional layer of empathy between her readers and her lead investigator, Kay Hunter. This is pivotal not just for a Thrilling Crime Drama but for all stories as it lends itself a better route towards securing your attention for the long-term.
I was fascinated by finding the ‘science’ within Criminology being inclusive to the story-line but also, the layers of how Forensic Science played a crucial role as well. Even Forensic Psychology could be rooted out by how well she utilised her research into the background of the narrative and of the pacing of all the disclosures along the route of where the investigation turnt perspectives on the criminal minds behind the scenes. In short, she’s one writer to keep a keen eye out for future stories and series – she has a convicting way of alighting you into her character’s lives and once you feel that connection taking root in your own heart and mind, it’s an experience you want to keep repeating!
-quoted from my review of Scared to Death
I was so excited to be a part of this blog tour as soon as I finished the first installment – I had finally found a Contemporary Thriller novelist who gave me something I was looking for inside a gripping and realistic police drama without the overt explicit content too often running amuck in the offerings today. I don’t mind a bit of intensity but I’m not into the graphic nature most police dramas take you visually – irregardless if their on tv, in film or in a novel.
Blessedly, Ms Amphlett leaves me wanting more of her Kay Hunter series – because she’s found an empathetic bridge into Kay Hunter’s mind and heart – of anchouring us into her personal journey and the reasons why we should feel as attached to her as we do. She has a back-story running parallel to the cases and this reminds me of why I was attached to Rizzoli & Isles whilst the foundation of the series truly is a homage to NCIS. For these reasons, I am honoured to be a part of the blog tour and continuing my time with Kay and her team of detectives who have one of the most difficult caseloads anyone could ever hope to be delivered.
Will to Live
Reputation is everything.
When a packed commuter train runs over a body on a stretch of track known to locals as "Suicide Mile", it soon transpires that the man was a victim of a calculated murder.
As the investigation evolves and a pattern of murders is uncovered, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter realizes the railway's recent reputation may be the work of a brutal serial killer.
With a backlog of cold cases to investigate and attempting to uncover who is behind a professional vendetta against her, Kay must keep one step ahead of both the killer and her own adversaries.
When a second murder takes place within a week of the first, she realizes the killer's timetable has changed, and she's running out of time to stop him....
Will to Live is the second book in a new crime thriller series featuring Kay Hunter - a detective with a hidden past and an uncertain future....
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
Find on Book Browse
ASIN: B076B2B82J
on 12th October, 2017
Length: 7 hours, 15 minutes (unabridged)
Published by: Saxon Publishing
Scared to Death Cover AUDIO
Order of the Kay Hunter Detective series:
Will to Live | Book Two
One to Watch | Book Three | Synopsis
Hell to Pay | Book Four | Synopsis
Call to Arms | Book Five | Synopsis
About Rachel Amphlett
Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.
She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.
Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.
She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | LibraryThing | FantasticFiction
Read More
Posted Sunday, 8 April, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), British Literature, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Detective Fiction, England, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Good vs. Evil, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Indie Author, Lady Detective Fiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mother-Son Relationships, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Psychological Suspense, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, True Crime
Posted Thursday, 29 March, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Alison Campbell, Kay Hunter Detective series, Rachel Amphlett, Saxon Publishing, Scared to Death 0 Comments
Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Scared to Death” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working directly with the author Rachel Amphlett in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
What initially prompted me to listen to Scared to Death & why I loved it:
I became keen on Police Procedurals in my twenties – those were the years where I watched all the Law & Order series on television – where my preference was for the Original series and Criminal Intent. I also watched a heap of NCIS – including getting caught up inside the spin-offs, but it’s the Original series which captured my heart – all because of Mark Harmon, as it was his character of Gibbs who truly anchoured me into the series overall. The ensemble cast was impressively connected – they had a chemistry of connection you love to find in a tight knit series such as this one.
As I was listening to Scared to Death, there were overtures of NCIS within how it was being written whilst the details of what make this a hard-boiled crime drama also echoed those memories of watching NCIS and feeling as if the series was pushing me to the very edge of where I could go with a crime drama. There is a certain layer of intensity I can handle and then, if it goes too far afield from there, I tend to pull back and seek lighter faire. I always knew NCIS was at the height of what I could appreciate whilst Criminal Intent on the opposite end of the spectrum was also winning the top spot for it’s own unique styling of how you shift focus from the crimes to the law and to the police in tandem.
Generally speaking, I do not oft seek out the harder hitting Suspense & Thrillers as I can only take so much visually – generally erring on caution as I am a sensitive hearted reader. Ergo, when I learnt about this series, there was a particular reviewer who was commenting about the aspects of it’s center core – of what is inclusive and what isn’t – of course, this is subjective per each reader, but something made me think perhaps this series was one I not only could handle but perhaps, one I would enjoy listening too.
From the very first moment I started listening to the narrating styling of Ms Campbell, I knew I had made a good choice – even if I knew going in – I was going to re-examine my ‘live on the edge of my seat’ listening experience such as the ones I had during NCIS – I was game for a dramatic crime series such as this one due to series I have been appreciating through Seventh Street Press. (ie. Hiro Hattori, Marjorie Trumaine, Anna Blanc and Samuel Craddock respectively – all of which you’ll happily find on my blog)
Scared to Death
"If you want to see your daughter alive again, listen carefully."
When the body of a snatched schoolgirl is found in an abandoned biosciences building, the case is first treated as a kidnapping gone wrong.
But Detective Kay Hunter isn't convinced, especially when a man is found dead with the ransom money still in his possession.
When a second schoolgirl is taken, Kay's worst fears are realized.
With her career in jeopardy - desperate to conceal a disturbing secret, Kay's hunt for the killer becomes a race against time before he claims another life.
For the killer, the game has only just begun....
Scared to Death is the first book in a new crime thriller series featuring Kay Hunter - a detective with a hidden past and an uncertain future....
If you like the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, Peter Robinson's DCI Banks series and the Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza, discover Rachel Amphlett's new detective novels today.
Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
Find on Book Browse
ASIN: B076127JBZ
on 2nd October, 2017
Length: 8 hours, 27 minutes (unabridged)
Published by: Saxon Publishing
Scared to Death Cover AUDIO
Order of the Kay Hunter Detective series:
Scared to Death | Book One
Will to Live | Book Two | Synopsis
One to Watch | Book Three | Synopsis
Hell to Pay | Book Four | Synopsis
Call to Arms | Book Five | Synopsis
About Rachel Amphlett
Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.
She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.
Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.
She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | LibraryThing | FantasticFiction
Read More
Posted Thursday, 29 March, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), British Literature, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Detective Fiction, England, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Good vs. Evil, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Indie Author, Lady Detective Fiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mother-Son Relationships, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Psychological Suspense, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, True Crime
Posted Thursday, 15 March, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Elizabeth Klett, An Unbidden Visitor, Dianne Ascroft, Self Published 2 Comments
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts,
I found out about this blog tour nearly too late to become a part of it – as I hadn’t been reading my newsletters recently. I had a lot going on the first quarter of 2018, which I why I am still working on my self-directed Feminist reads even as half of March has already become erased off the clock! You’ll be seeing more posts arriving which feature strong women – either in narratives which held me to the page, in audiobooks which gave me a wicked good story to feel enveloped inside or Non-Fiction stories which celebrate #WomensHistory and/or memoirs of women who are trying to share their lives, faith and the ways in which they drew strength through living their authentic life.
Imagine, then – as I was looking forward to settling into these stories, I pulled open a newsletter for the lovely Audiobookworm tours and discovered there was a *ghost!* story coming up for March! I was overly excited – as I still remember the joy of settling into the Ghost Stories by Edith Wharton – a special inter-library loan – as it was the first time I had started to seek out the stories I wanted to read through my participation in The Classics Club.
I even spoke a bit about why I love organic ghost stories or those stories which are paranormally inclined on a recent post where I showcased my first vlog interview. I love seeking out Gothic Literature as well – as there is something special about the manners in which the stories are written. A well-told ghost story in my opinion is the one where there is a firm suspension of reality and the supernatural – where you could literally either see the story going in two different directions by it’s conclusion (ie. either it will be explained or remain unexplained) or you feel so fully removed from everything you thought you knew about what is known in the world to where you believe strongly in the elements of the story by how it’s been presented.
There is a lot about the paranormal to explore – not just in ghost stories, but in the lore & legends behind the stories themselves. I would have signed on to listen to this audiobook but I was a wee bit late in getting my request submitted – which is why I have the delightful pleasure of featuring a conversation with the author, Ms Ascroft about what inspired her to write a short story on behalf of such a well-known story of lore!
I know this is one short story on audiobook I’ll be seeking out to listen to as soon as I can – as after I listened to the sampler, there was *something!* quite lovely about how the narrator (Elizabeth Klett) approached this narration! You feel so immediately drawn into the story – not only due to her voice or her articulation of the story-line but because of how she delivers the lines and evokes such a strong presence within this world you want to step inside!
Be kind to yourself – brew yourself a cuppa & settle in for a wicked good convo!
A short story inspired by Northern Ireland’s famous Cooneen ghost.
A tale of family, friends, and fear….
And the unnatural force that threatens to ruin everything….
March 1913: Struggling to make ends meet, widow Bridget Murphy finds life in rural Ireland difficult, raising six children while farming her small acreage. With the help of neighbors and friends, Bridget is able to cope with the many arduous tasks and chores required of her.
When an unnatural and terrifying force invades their house, threatening their family, Bridget is surprised to see so many backs turning on her. Fearing for themselves, those she once counted on for help and support will not risk their safety for her. Father Smyth, their priest, is the only one who stands alongside their family in the battle against the uninvited and fearsome poltergeist. But, prayers alone won’t run the farm. Will Bridget find a way to save her home and her family before there’s nowhere left to turn?
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Posted Thursday, 15 March, 2018 by jorielov in Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Gothic Literature, Gothic Mystery, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Inspired by Stories, Ireland, Parapsychological Suspense, Re-Told Tales, Reader Submitted Q&A, Self-Published Author, Suspense
Posted Sunday, 4 March, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator Tom Jordan), Aubrey Wynne, Dante's Gift, Self Published 0 Comments
Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Dante’s Gift” via Audiobookworm Promotion in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I wanted to listen to this story:
When I first read the premise of this audiobook – what drew my attention to it is the fact it was a time slip / time shift between the Contemporary setting and the Historical. I have a passion for dual time-lines in stories and I was hoping this would be a good fit for me in regards to an audiobook. There are several stories I’ve read in the past which have handled this vein of interest which have not only pulled me into their narratives but it’s how deftly in-tune the writers were to bridge the gap between both eras in time they focused on which left me wanting ‘more’ of their stories!
Sadly, though, as I will talk about below – what I was hoping to find inside this story was hindered by the performance of the narrator – whose narration truly affected how I was interpreting the story and finding it an uncomfortable experience due to how he had approached it.
Dante's Gift
Subtitle: A Chicago Christmas (book one)
by Aubrey Wynne
Source: Audiobook via Audiobookworm Promotions
DNF
Narrator: Tom Jordan
Kathleen James has put her practical side away for once and looks forward to the perfect romantic evening: an intimate dinner with the man of her dreams and an engagement ring. She is not prepared to hear that he wants to bring his grandmother back from Italy to live with him.
Dominic Lawrence has planned this marriage proposal for six months. Nothing can go wrong-until his Nonna calls. Now he must interrupt the tenderest night of Katie's life with the news that another woman will be under their roof.
When Antonia's sister dies, she finds herself longing to be back in the States. An Italian wartime bride from the 1940s, she knows how precious love can be. Can her own story of an American soldier and a very special collie once again bring two hearts together at Christmas?
Genres: Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, War Drama Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
ASIN: B07847MDS3
Published by Plato Publishing
on 27th November, 2017
Format: Audiobook | Digital
Length: 3 hours and 5 minutes (unabridged)
Published by: Plato Publishing
A Chicago Christmas series:
Dante’s Gift | Book One
Paper Love | Book Two | Synopsis
Merry Christmas, Henry | Book Three | Synopsis
Formats Available: Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook
About Aubrey Wynne
Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule and barn cats. She is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. Obsessions include history, travel, trailriding and all things Christmas.
Her short stories, Merry Christmas, Henry and Pete's Mighty Purty Privies have won Readers Choice Awards and Dante's Gift received the 2016 Golden Quill, Heart of Excellence, and Aspen Gold award, as well as being a Maggie finalist.
Aubrey’s medieval fantasy series launches in 2017 with Rolf's Quest. Besides the Chicago Christmas novellas, Aubrey will also release "A Vintage Romance" series inspired by tales of her stepfather, who served for the British Air Force in WWII. The stories will be set in the 40s & 50s.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Posted Sunday, 4 March, 2018 by jorielov in Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Indie Author
