May 2019 Review Recap Giveaway

May was quite a month! With 5 book and 6 audiobook reviews, it was kind of a mixed bag this month, but there are a lot of exciting books for June! Let me know if you’ve read any of these and what you are looking forward to in June!

Remember that my FULL REVIEWS have all the Likes & Dislikes of each book, which is a feature so many of you tell me you like, as well as quotes and bookstagram photos, and I do not give spoilers.

That Guy by Kim Jones
Narrated by Samantha Cook and Aaron Shedlock

“Mother of fuck, woman. You’re like a goddamn fungus!”
I smile. I can’t help it. “Because I’m growing on you?”

The Narration:
I think that Samantha Cook was really great for this. She made the book even better with her delivery, and she had great comedic timing. Though Aaron Shedlock is listed, he was more of a guest, only in the epilogue. I was a bit disappointed because I expected a dual narration book.

The Down & Dirty:
You have to realize going in that THAT GUY is satire. It makes fun of all the romance novel clichés and the romance genre as a whole but in a fun way. Penelope was over-the-top absurd, but she totally made me laugh, though I think it got to be a little much by the end. Jake Swagger (see? Satire.) was a bit too much of an asshole sometimes. Sometimes I just wanted him to be That Guy, you know? I also don’t feel like, after 2 weeks, I remember Jake. I remember it being funny. I remember she was over the top, but I didn’t like him enough to stick in my memory.

But all-in-all THAT GUY was a totally fun and outrageous romcom. There are two kinds of romantic comedies – the romance with some light funny moments, or the comedy with a little sweet romance. That Guy absolutely falls in the latter category. It seems like she may have been setting up another story. I will totally listen to that on release.

I hope Kim Jones keeps writing romantic comedies. I’d love to see her write one that isn’t quite as ridiculous as this was, but even if they are all just like this, I’d listen to them all and enjoy the laughter, because That Guy was the rare rom-com that made me literally laugh out loud numerous times throughout the book.

See My Full Review | Purchase on Amazon | Audible | Goodreads

The Dating Proposal by Lauren Blakely
Narrated Duet Style by Andi Arndt & Sebastian York with a Bonus Story Narrated by Jason Clarke & Andi Arndt

“My God, this is better than Tumblr. This is almost like the best parts of Tumblr weren’t shut down.”

The Narration:
I love Andi and Sebastian together no matter what, but the duet narration in this book didn’t sound choppy and pieced together like so many do, it feels like these two recorded it together, and you can feel them playing off each other. I must admit though, that I prefer Andi playing older characters. She just doesn’t have the voice of such a young woman to me.

The Down & Dirty:
I’ve never met a Lauren Blakely book I didn’t love. She never fails to deliver a happy, feel-good, light, funny, sexy and smart audiobook where the narration makes it even better. The Dating Proposal features the same characters as the now unpublished Trophy Husband, but if you think you know the story, nope—it’s all new, and while I really enjoyed the original, I LOVED The Dating Proposal. Lauren Blakely is a no-fail author for me and she just keeps getting better.

See my Full Review | Purchase on Amazon | Audible | Goodreads

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

“I’m autistic, and I have sensory issues. There’s a certain way to touch me, especially my face and hair.” He switched his attention to her face. “It’s probably best if I show you. Can you give me one of your hands?”

The Down & Dirty:
Getting to know Khai and seeing him gain a better understanding of himself was my favorite part of The Bride Test. As a reader, we were able to see that Khai was in love, and it was heartbreaking to read that he thinks he is incapable of the emotions he so clearly has. I also loved the drive Esme had to better herself as an immigrant woman. The Bride Test was a charming story that I gobbled up in one day and loved every second of, but there were a few things that held me back from the 5-star rating. I felt that his autism should have been explained to her early on (and to the reader as well), and I didn’t feel that she had the same desperate love for Khai as he did for her since she had her own reasons for staying. Still, I would 100% recommend this unique and diverse book to anyone looking for a romantic comedy with a little something extra, and I can’t wait for the next in the series.

See my Full Review | Purchase on Amazon | Audible (Romance Package) | Goodreads

The Mister by E.L. James
Narrated by Dominic Thorburn and Jessica O’Hara-Baker

“Would this ever get old? Listening to her? I open my eyes. Watching her. Her beauty. Her talent. Playing such a complex piece from memory. The girl is a genius.”

The Narration:
I think the narration enhanced the story. Hearing words I don’t normally hear in a good accent works for me better than reading it does, so his British and her Albanian accents really added to the story for me. I also don’t notice flaws as much because I get caught up in the acting.

The Down & Dirty:
I enjoyed The Mister. Did I love it? Some parts of it I did, but other parts not-so-much. It was a 16.5-hour book that would have been better in 8-10 hours. That being said, I loved the story and the romance but think that a good editor could have come in and made it so much better. I loved being in Maxim’s head. I love a Cinderella story. I loved the power differential. I loved the romance. I loved the music connection. But boy, there were some cringe-worthy moments reminiscent of Fifty that didn’t work here. There was a pacing issue–too slow at the beginning and rushed at the end. I didn’t love that we are left kind of open-ended with a happy for now and no epilogue. But I still enjoyed it thoroughly and I guarantee you, if there is a The Mister 2, I will be grabbing it.

I think it is very hard to get a pure review from anyone about an E.L. James book unless she uses a pen name. Everyone will go into it with expectations that will influence how they feel. I overall enjoyed the read, I was never bored, and I loved the story, but would have loved it more if it were shortened and modernized a bit. But I am the first to admit that I’m not sure if I gave it more of a chance or was more critical because of who wrote it. I think if anything, it’s the latter.

Last, if I read it 10 years ago when she started writing it, I think I would have enjoyed it more, but the wave of amazing books that was sparked by Fifty has spoiled me and made me much pickier now. It’s ironic that she is responsible for that!

See my Full Review (and audio sample)| Purchase on Amazon | Audible | Goodreads

Arranged by RK Lilley

“I could still taste her, still feel her on the bed of my tongue. I hated her guts, but she tasted like paradise.”

The Down & Dirty:
I am thrilled to have RK Lilley back and writing. Arranged sucked me in faster than a book has in a long time and made me drop my plans to keep reading. However, I think it needed to be a duet. For the first 80%, I was sure this was a 5 star read and a new favorite, then it all just wrapped up so quickly! The end was so rushed and really disappointed me after the fabulous majority of the book. Still, I am so glad to see RK Lilley still has it. I hope this is the beginning of her coming back and writing more because I am looking forward to more of that RK Lilley brand of angst.

See my Full Review | Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads

Can’t Text This by Teagan Hunter
Narrated by Emma Wilder and Rudy Sanda

“Hi Monty. Wanna see my python?”

The Narration:
The first two books were narrated by Emma Wilder alone and they were AMAZING because she does the sexiest guys! This book broke form and has a second male narrator. While I usually like that, in this case, Emma was enough, I think that she did the guy’s part better than he did. His narration just didn’t do it for me, especially when her male voice is sexier than his.

The Down & Dirty:
I waited a little too long to review this so to refresh my memory I bought the kindle book with the intention to skim it but ended up reading it again because every page just kept making me smile! It may have even been funnier the second time (reading it), but some lines were just better via the narrator’s comedic timing. Either way you read it, if you like funny banter via text, this book is for you. If you like books with precocious little kids, this book is for you. And if you like opposites attract stories, again, Can’t Text This is for you.

That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn
(First read, then listened) Narrated by William LeRoy and Reese Covington

“My heart hammers so goddamn rapidly that it almost feels like I’m about to have a heart attack as I close the last few inches. All I want is to treat myself this one time, to see what it’s like to indulge in the woman who captured me the moment she appeared in my life. All I’m asking for is this one moment, this one instance, when I can forget about the past, forget about the curse, and live the life I wish I could have.”

The Narration:
William LeRoy did an amazing job doing all the brothers – especially in texts between all of them. How incredibly hard to read that through in 4 voices without any hesitation! With fresh new voices, the narration made me enjoy it even more the second time through.

The Down & Dirty:
Meghan Quinn is one of my top 5 authors so I get excited for every one of her books, especially the romcoms. While I enjoyed That Second Chance, it wasn’t my favorite of her books. I felt like it was missing a little of her teenage-boy humor that I love. I really liked it both times I read and listened, but there is a twist that took away from the story for me and would have worked better for me if it happened after the story, in the epilogue. Still, I love the town of Port Snow and all the Knightly family and I can’t wait for That Forever Girl in August.

“Wounds don’t heal until you stop touching them. Same goes for mental wounds.” She did not like my answer. That was clear in the frown and deadpan look her eyes were giving me. “So, I just let it all go? That’s it? The key to my happiness is letting go of the bad shit?”

The Down & Dirty:
I really enjoyed Inspired by Jessica Florence. I liked how it was more than a romance, and it inspired me to treat myself better and spend more “me” time which I NEVER do. Jessica included some tips (via the story) on dealing with anxiety and other issues that may be holding you back from enjoying your life to the fullest. While Inspired was definitely a romance novel, I loved how she snuck a self-help book in there as well.

The Kiss Thief by LJ Shen
Narrated by Stephen Dexter and Savannah Peachwood

“They say your first kiss should be earned. Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.”

The Narration:
I usually love Savannah Peachwood but I didn’t love her for Francesca. She made an already dramatic book a little too over-the-top dramatic. Stephen Dexter was great as Wolfe but all-in-all, perhaps it was the dramatic narration that held me back from loving it.

The Down & Dirty:
The Kiss Thief by LJ Shen is one of the best selling and highest rated books in the Kindle store, so when I saw it was in the Audible Romance Package I couldn’t click fast enough. I had super high expectations and didn’t even read the blurb or any reviews. Perhaps I should have because honestly, the virgin who can’t control her physical reactions around a man she hates is something that I am just over in romance books. Perhaps I am getting too old, but I wanted to tell Francesca to run the other way, maybe I’m just too much of a mom now. It was a well-written book but reminded me of a historical and a 2012 era New Adult novel in one, and I kept hoping I would love it, but sadly never did. I think in this case I would have enjoyed reading it more than listening because the narration was very dramatic and made the whole story a little too over-the-top in drama for me.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

“It sounds dangerous.” This makes him laugh. “Dangerous, like we’d end up either naked or dead?”

The Down & Dirty:
I love Christina Lauren’s romantic comedies and The Unhoneymooners was no exception. Hate-to-love is one of my favorite tropes because I love banter, and there was a lot of it here. The Unhoneymooners was a slow burn that had two pretty distinct parts, Hawaii, which was all fun and flirty and filled with build-up, then the part where they get home, which was much more serious. Told almost all from the heroine’s POV, it was a nice change to not know what was going on in the hero’s head, and to learn his feelings with Olive. At first we are led to believe that the heroine was a plus-sized latino character, and while yes, she was Mexican, it seems that the curves she mention are only in her bra, and that part of the story, sadly, didn’t really materialize.

Still, The Unhoneymooners is another solid romcom from Christina Lauren that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

See my Full Review | Purchase on Amazon | Audible | Goodreads

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Narrated by Ramon de Ocampo

“You are,” he says, “the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.” Henry’s mouth spreads into a slow smile, and Alex kisses it. 

The Narration:
I think the narration took away from the book and I wish I read instead of listened. There were too many characters with too much dialog to be able to follow easily. While Ramon de Ocampo did a pretty good job of switching voices and accents, I did notice several times that he used the wrong voice for a line here and there. If ever a book needed an ensemble cast this would be the one.

The Down & Dirty:
Red, White & Royal Blue has all the makings to be a hit. It’s fresh and different. It’s modern. It’s relevant. It’s fun. It has a wonderful message of inclusiveness with the understanding of the consequences. But I think the narration, for me, took away from the story. There were a lot of characters and I had a hard time following along with who was speaking. The beginning moved a bit slow for me, but the last third of the book was amazing. Though this is definitely an adult book with some sexual scenes, the actual sex is fade-to-black which I think works fine for this and will help it appeal to the more mainstream reader. I loved the characters and the storyline was just perfect. I see why everyone has been talking about Red, White & Royal Blue, but I think the narration held me back from being as blown away as everyone else.

*Note: while taking the photo I started listening again, and now that I know the characters I am enjoying it even more. Though the beginning is still a bit of an info overload – I can see why I had trouble following, because it’s a lot even the second time.

See my Full Review | Purchase on Amazon | Audible | Goodreads

 

Win a $10 Amazon Card! (If you prefer a signed book, let me know and I’ll show you what I have)

a Rafflecopter giveaway