This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Kelsey James, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley.
The narrator of this audiobook is SoThis audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Kelsey James, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley.
The narrator of this audiobook is Sofia Willingham. Ms. Willingham's used a soft, slightly breathy/whispery tone with this narration. I found it charming in the first chapter but grating by the third. I did not enjoy the narrator's style in this novel.
This is a steamy historical cozy mystery with a bit of romance very loosely retelling the classic tale of gaslighting in the movie with Ingrid Bergman. This is set in Gilded age New York society set partially in a remote house in an isolated location. This has many standard aspects of cozy mystery series which surprised me. I was expecting this to be more of a horror/thriller. Really the only gothic aspect of this story is the setting.
Millie is from a new money New York family which gained their wealth during her lifetime. So she's somewhat on the edge of the high society social scene. All of that is poised to change now that Millie has married the wealthy and connected Charles Turner. They had a bit of a whirlwind courtship and are planning a large high society party to introduce themselves as a couple. Millie prepares for the party and the next thing she remembers is waking up weeks later. Charles tells her something happened to an attendant at the party. He believes that Millie is mentally ill and responsible for this incident.
Millie set about investigating the incident to prove her innocence to Charles and her society friends. Helping her is David, a reporter that she grew up with before her father became wealthy. They make a great investigative team. This has a nice set up and I feel confident Millie & David will return for other sexy cozy mystery adventures.
Thank you to Kelsey James, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own. ...more
This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Julie Mae Cohen, RB Media, and NetGalley.
The narrator of this domestic thriller isThis audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Julie Mae Cohen, RB Media, and NetGalley.
The narrator of this domestic thriller is Nathalie Buncombe. Her voice was very nice, I appreciate her use of different voices for different characters. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be edited out before production or what but I could hear her swallowing and I found it grating. If I had purchased this audiobook I'd have returned it and probably dnf'd this novel. Which would've been a shame because I adored everything about this book.
Although this is marketed as a domestic thriller, it almost read like the beginning of a cozy mystery series...more
This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Kekla Magoon, Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley.
This was surprisingly good. I plan This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Kekla Magoon, Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley.
This was surprisingly good. I plan to pick up a physical copy for my grandkids. They're too young now but won't always be. I was engaged from the beginning and very quickly became invested in these characters. The story is told using 2 alternating timelines with 3 main characters from the 2005 storyline: Penny daughter of a teen single mom, Mina biracial with a father from Ghana and an upper middle class family, and Sheryl a foster kid who has bounced around a bit because her mom struggled with substance abuse. The second timeline from 2024 included 3 new main characters in addition to those from the 2005 storyline: Amber, Penny's daughter, Blossom, Mina's daughter, and Cole, Sheryl's son. In both timelines the story is centered around and focused on high school senior prom.
This deals with some heavy issues including abortion, birth control, foster care, sexual assault, substance abuse, LGBTQA+ struggles, gender expectations, the politics of consent and adoption. Some of these issues are merely mentioned and others are plot points. I don't want to be more specific because of spoilers. So I would say the publishers suggested age of 14 is probably a good benchmark for parents. These issues are crucial for understanding for teens of all genders so I'm glad this novel exists.
I loved that this audiobook has multiple narrators to go with its multiple pov characters. This was narrated by Andy Garcia, Imani Jade Powers, Krysta Gonzales, Matt Bridges, Victoria Connelly and Yinka Ladeinde. The individuality of each separate character voiced by their own narrator truly helped to differentiate the characters as well as made the story easier to follow.
Thank you to Kekla Magoon, Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own. ...more
2023 Reread: I'm really just rereading this series during a stressful move for comfort.
2021 Reread: I love what this book offers. Its not a direct cont2023 Reread: I'm really just rereading this series during a stressful move for comfort.
2021 Reread: I love what this book offers. Its not a direct continuation of Lilith's story but it allows you to see what she became and the family she builds with her Oankali mates. Akin is charming and one of my favorite characters of Butler's. This book deals with a fatal contradiction that I agree with Butler in many ways feels like its human nature. I don't agree thats our nature though. I think the last almost 600 yrs of brutality has been confused for human nature. I don't agree that white supremacy is human nature. I don't even think its a natural state for white folks. So I think this contradiction can be overcome with a honest look at who we actually are rather than the lies we ymtell ourselves. Still I would stick with the Oankali. I find the idea fascinating and always have.
Review from 2020 reread: This is every bit as good as I remember. This book picks up decades after Dawn and features the first human-born male Construct. I loved Akin and his adventures. He's right about a human Akjai. We probably will destroy it but we deserve the chance. Personally I wouldn't go but I'd be more peaceful knowing humanity was continuing unaltered somewhere far away from my descendants....more
4.5 rounded up I loved everything about this. I sincerely hope this isn't the final installment in this series.4.5 rounded up I loved everything about this. I sincerely hope this isn't the final installment in this series....more
This was stunning and will live in my memory for a long time. We don't have enough stories about Maroons and what their lives consisted of and were likThis was stunning and will live in my memory for a long time. We don't have enough stories about Maroons and what their lives consisted of and were like. One day I will visit the Great Dismal Swamp and leave Ancestor offerings for those who survived. I am because they were. I could not be more proud....more
This was beautifully done. Often chattel slavery & the transatlantic slave trade history focuses on colonial ports but this takes it back to what was gThis was beautifully done. Often chattel slavery & the transatlantic slave trade history focuses on colonial ports but this takes it back to what was going on for my ancestors. Interesting and well done....more
This is phenomenal. So much better than I was expecting or anticipating. This is heavily feminist, unlike The Handmaid's Tale, which is white feminism. wThis is phenomenal. So much better than I was expecting or anticipating. This is heavily feminist, unlike The Handmaid's Tale, which is white feminism. well done....more
4.5 Stars rounded up This is really, really good and different.
I was raised in sn unhealthy family and was once married to an abusive man. That's not al4.5 Stars rounded up This is really, really good and different.
I was raised in sn unhealthy family and was once married to an abusive man. That's not all this is but wow. Well done...more
I read this as an independent story but it was part of the 'Daughters of a Nation: A Black Suffragette Historical Romance AnthExceptionally well done.
I read this as an independent story but it was part of the 'Daughters of a Nation: A Black Suffragette Historical Romance Anthology'. I was unable to get a copy of the book so I purchased and read the stories separately....more
Upon finishing this sequel, its clear that more installments are planned in this series. With that said this installment isn't fi4.75 Stars Rounded Up
Upon finishing this sequel, its clear that more installments are planned in this series. With that said this installment isn't filler, the back story is more clearly revealed, the main character grows quite a bit and the resulting is as impressive, if not more, than the first book. Mind blown...more
This is a wonderful companion read to the series. I'd read it after Dread Nation and before Deathless Divide. This functions as back stories Great fun
This is a wonderful companion read to the series. I'd read it after Dread Nation and before Deathless Divide. This functions as back stories for strong secondary characters....more
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