Posts Tagged ‘audible review’

I have such a good book to share today. I finally got my hands on the first in Katie Ruggle’s Rocky Mountain K9 Unit Series.

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My Review

I love character driven stories. And this one has a bomb sniffing K9 officer. I couldn’t wait to dive in.

First, there’s Jules Jackson. She rescued her younger siblings from cruel relatives and is on the run. Help from an unexpected source lands her and the kids in the picturesque town of Monroe in the Rocky Mountains.  But maybe hiding in a small town, even with new identities, isn’t the best idea. Those pursuing her won’t stop searching.

Next up is Theo Bosco. I love that name. He’s reeling from the loss of his canine partner to cancer and his human partner to suicide.. The officer leaves behind a four legged officer that needs help adjusting. Can these two damaged beings bond and overcome their losses?

I had such fun with Jules and her siblings. She’s taken on a lot and the kids are a handful. As they settle into their rundown new home there’s some fun incidents. Like when the stove caught fire and almost burned down the house. I don’t know how she does it. Juggling a new life with a bunch of young kids, worrying about being found and holding down a waitress job. You’ve gt to admire her determination and love for her family.

Theo is taciturn and withdrawn. He doesn’t want a new canine partner and the dog doesn’t want anything to do with him or police work. He just happens to be in the neighborhood and spies the smoke pouring out of Jules’ house and rushes to help. Turns out a rat had built a nest in the old stove. More smoke than fire. At least as far as the stove goes.

Jules is fighting a growing attraction to Theo and Theo has no time for a woman. But the grieving dog, Viggy, and the kids are instant friends and that leads to more encounters and romance keeps growing. I liked the dilemma here. Jules is hiding and she’s falling for a police officer, someone she should be avoiding like the plague.

It was hard to listen to parts of this story about Viggy. The dog was so traumatized and I felt so bad for him. I couldn’t help but hope that Viggy and Theo would form a bond and help each other.

With the fear of discovery and a sinister evil waiting to strike, its not all fun and romance. The suspense builds as a school shooting occurs and its heart pounding action right up to the end. It came as a total surprise to find out who was behind all of the mayhem.

I had been wanting to try this series. Seen it around. And I thought I might enjoy it. I loved it. I’m hooked. And I am now starting On The Chase, the second in book in this fabulous series.

  5  Stars

 Read by Callie Beaulieu

Callie did a super job narrating this story. Her switch from adult to child and male to female was flawless. She especially nailed it with one of the boys, who stutters. And with the subtle southern accent of Jules. It was a pleasure to listen to her and I’m happy she will be continuing with this series.

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Thanks so much to Tantor Audio and the author for the complimentary copy.

My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

Grieving the death of his partner, Theo Bosco has no room in his life for distractions. Though his instincts scream that he should avoid Juliet “Jules” Jackson, he can’t seem to stay away. It doesn’t help that Theo’s new K9 companion has fallen head over paws with Jules’s rambunctious family.

Or that when he’s with her, Theo finally knows peace.

When Jules rescued her siblings, whisking them away to the safety of the beautifully rugged Colorado Rockies, she never expected to catch the eye—or the heart—of a cop. Yet as Jules struggles to fight her growing attraction to the brooding K9 officer, another threat lurks much closer to home . . .

And this time, there’s no escape.

Amazon / Tantor

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This counts towards my They Call It Puppy Love Challenge.

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Welcome to Freaking Fridays, where I share my reviews of books that scare you, thrill you, and get those endorphins pumping.

I’ve got another one to share from the John Cleaver Series by Dan Wells. 

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My Review

Spoiler alert: If you haven’t read the early stories, this review may contain spoilers.

John’s only seventeen and lost everyone important in his life. With no where to turn he joins a covert team that hunts the monsters that go bump in the night.

It’s a whole new ball game, maybe. Hunting monsters isn’t new. John’s still battling his dark side.  But the team he’s joined isn’t much better than the monsters. The twisted lengths he goes through to not kill are so very macabre.

I’m so glad the author kept John on course. Kept him scary. It’s his constant struggle not to give in and go on a killing spree that keeps the story taut and edgy.

Egads. Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better, that Dan Wells couldn’t take it further into the out of, I’m proven wrong. This is a chilling read and makes you squirm. I loved every bit of it and smiled in ghoulish glee.

Way to go, Dan. Keep em coming. And please, keep making me squirm.

  5 Stars

Narrator Kirby Heyborne

I’m so glad Kirby is still narrating this series. I’ve gotten used to his voice and his ability to give the character’s distinctive and easy to recognize voices makes him a favorite of mine.

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Thanks so much to Tantor Audio and the author for this complimentary copy.

My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

John Wayne Cleaver hunts demons: they’ve killed his neighbors, his family, and the girl he loves, but in the end he’s always won. Now he works for a secret government kill team, using his gift to hunt and kill as many monsters as he can…

…but the monsters have noticed, and the quiet game of cat and mouse is about to erupt into a full scale supernatural war.

John doesn’t want the life he’s stuck with. He doesn’t want the FBI bossing him around, he doesn’t want his only friend imprisoned in a mental ward, and he doesn’t want to face the terrifying cannibal who calls himself The Hunter. John doesn’t want to kill people. But as the song says, you can’t always get what you want. John has learned that the hard way; his clothes have the stains to prove it.

When John again faces evil, he’ll know what he has to do.
The Devil’s Only Friend is the first book in a brand-new John Wayne Cleaver trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Dan Wells.

Amazon / Tantor

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I’ve listened to and reviewed I Am Not A Serial Killer, the first in the John Cleaver series and the second story, Mr. Monster, plus I Don’t Want To KIll You, the third book.

   

 

Click on the covers for my reviews.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing my thoughts about the audible book A Human Element, the first book in Donna Galanti’s Element Trilogy. I read the eBook and was excited to listen to it too. I know this is supposed to be a short review but I got carried away.

A Human Element

The Element Trilogy #1

by Donna Galanti

Narrated by Chase Bradley

A Human Element Audiobook

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Format: Audible

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My Review

Ben is hiding from his parents on the shore of Coopersville Lake when it happens.
A meteorite crashes into a group of cabins, one of which contains his parents, and all that remains is a huge crater of steam and fire. In one bright green flash, Ben’s life is forever changed, and for another, it has just begun.

No one could know the long-reaching consequences of that fatal night.

Some months  later.

A young girl struggles to bring her child into the world. She came to the doctor in secret.

The doctor doesn’t know why the mysterious man waiting outside wants the baby, he just cares about getting paid.

In a rush, the baby enters the world. Sadly, the young mother does not survive. But wait, there is another baby fighting to be born, a beautiful baby girl.

An exchange is made, but the doctor doesn’t mention the baby girl, he will give her to the Armstrongs to raise.

This is an especially dramatic scene in the audible book. I read it and got a good feel for it in the eBook, but listening to it makes it much more chilling.

Many years later, that baby girl, Laura, is all grown up and back home trying to find out why the people closest to her are being slaughtered. The answers lie here. She has always had the headaches and nightmares and she knows everything is coming together – the monster chasing her in her nightmares, the mysterious man in black who has always been on the periphery of her life, and whatever happened the night of the meteorite crash. It’s all connected.

This part of the story is also very powerful when narrated. I was anxious even though I knew what was going to happen.

Laura and Ben are thrown together as death races towards them. They need answers about that fatal night if they’re to survive what is coming.

Two babies were born that night, Laura and the boy child called X-10. One looked human in every way and the other looked like a monster.

From the first page to the bittersweet end, I was completely immersed in this book. A story of love, humanity, and absolute evil. And now, listening to the audible, I’m even more full of feels for this series.

Donna Galanti’s debut novel has an energy, an essence, that gives it life.
With a superb plot and a thrilling all- out race to the end, A Human Element is excellent.

5 Stars

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Narrator Chase Bradley

I enjoyed this audible edition as much as reading the book. Chase Bradley did a great job, his enunciation is strong and he’s keeps the story always moving forward. Donna made a wise choice using him to tell her story and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books read by him.

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Synopsis

Evil comes in many forms…

One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.

Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together.

But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices-redeem him or kill him.

AMAZON

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE