Amy J

. . . if Cinderella is into UFC

Revisado: 02-16-14

I think the title is a red herring, it references the last 30 seconds of the book. This was a very easy, very hot listen. The plot is a little one dimensional, there is a definite absence of secondary characters and sub plots. At least 90% of the story was interactions between Reid and Lucie and NO this did not bother me at all. There is a definite simplicity to the writing style and story but I found this refreshing. Although part of a series (at this point only 2 books) it is a very strong stand alone listen. I would recommend this to anyone who doesn't mind blushing while listening to their iPod, something I found myself doing quite frequently.

I really enjoyed the characters of Reid and Lucie. Reid is a strong, alpha, fighting man who is pressured to play into that persona while struggling to hide his softer more sensitive side. He is driven and entirely focused on his career at the start of the novel and really evolves into a different but believable version of himself. Lucie is a self-unaware, successful and sweet. She wants to be loved and happy and I found myself rooting for her the whole novel. These characters were so likable I wasn't bothered by the novel being so solely focused on them.

This novel is definitely worth your time and I am looking forward to listening to the next story in the series.

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For a specific listener.

Revisado: 02-15-14

I did enjoy this book. This whole series is a little hit or miss with me but I think this book is a good representation of the rest of the series. These books are a "sweeter"vampire romance they don't have the zing of, say, The Black Dagger Brotherhood but definitely fall in the adult listens category. Ms. Sands has a unique sense of humor and I find her books quite funny but they are situational funny and verge on slap stick or silly at times, and the dialogue verges on corny. These are easy listens, for me.

As unlikely as the plot of this novel is I do find the characters believable, well rounded characters. Greg and Lissianna make a good team and although flawed lack the predominantly present alpha male and willing submissive characteristics often found in similar listens. Their journey from strangers to happily ever after is sweet and corny with a little action, a little suspense and plenty of loving along the way.

The narration fit the story and wasn't distracting at all.

This novel is definitely worth a credit but seems to be included in many audible sale lists, so it might be worth waiting to catch on sale.

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Installment number two and twice as good.

Revisado: 02-11-14

I was forced to give the first story in this series a scathing, for me, review on audible because of production issues. The audio quality of the first book is bellow sub-par. I loved the narrator so much and was intrigued by the story I decided to go ahead with the second book and I am so glad I did. There were no productions issues. The narration was superb, Ms. Ronconi does such a good job giving each character their own voice, it is really so pleasant to listen to her.

The plot of this book was more developed and engaging than the first book. I also thought it was funnier than the first. Sebastian and Garnet continue to develop and define their relationship, although some of this seemed out of character to me. Garnet makes strides to reconcile with her past and identity. The secondary character that I found quite endearing are back, for the most part. My biggest problem with the story is that sometimes it seems abridged although it claims not to be. There would be phrases that sounded like they were referring something that happened earlier in the novel, except I don't think it did. This happened several times. Maybe these are things that will be addressed in forthcoming books in the series but they were mundane enough to not seem likely.

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

A truly engaging listen

Revisado: 02-09-14

I purchased and listened to this story prior to reading any of the reviews. I loved the story. I think the characters, while well developed, were a little stereotypical. I can't say this really bothered me or detracted from my experience. The hero a former military man, with wilderness expertise and an alpha attitude. The heroine although smart and competent and tough is situationally dependent on the hero. Isolation and attractions ensues. Although one could argue it is predictable it was such an enjoyable and engaging listen that I can't fault the mechanics of the storyline. It was adventurous and sexy and even humorous at times. There are portions of the novel narrated by a bear and this seems to irritate other readers but they are short and add a unique element to the book. I would recommend this novel to any LH fan or a fan of romantic suspense.

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A solid 4.5 stars

Revisado: 02-09-14

It is obvious that the series continues past this book but this story really felt like culmination, several story lines are finalized. For the time being anyway. I have really struggled with liking Paris and Sienna in previous books, and even in the beginning of this one, but their story is really very sweet and incredibly well written. There is plenty of action in this book, in more ways than one. I felt very engaged for the whole story, my interest never wandered. I can't wait for the next installment. I am puzzled by some of the lower ratings and less than glowing reviews, I couldn't feel more differently.

Max Bellmore did a wonderful job in this book, as he does for the entire series.

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So Sweet

Revisado: 10-29-13

I loved this book, I really liked the first three novels in the series and this one in particular is just so . . . sweet. If you are familiar with the series you are already familiar with our heroine Lillian Bowman, a spirited and tempestuous American that is out of place in the English countryside. Westcliff is a staid and bit stodgy lord that doesn't stand a chance against her. You probably already have a really good idea about how the story progresses but Kleypas's storytelling is so engaging that I found every minute of the mildly predictable plot enjoyable. I really enjoyed the relationship between the four women, especially between the two sisters. There is one scene in particular that made me giggle out loud. I really recommend this series and I especially encourage people to listen in order.

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Somebody please get the narrator a Ricola

Revisado: 10-27-13

I continue to feel completely polarized by this series. I loved the first story and is still in my mind the best, each subsequent installment I have liked less and had a harder time grasping the connections and explanations the authors uses. I still enjoy the plots enough that I will see the series out and with only one more book that is not much of a commitment. In this story Aisling's relationship with her demon, lover and mentor all progress with a heavy does of hijinks thrown in. Parts of the story were a little dramatic for me but I wonder if I would have had the same issue if I were reading the books instead of listening. The Aisling in my head does not speak the lines the way the narrator reads them.


Which brings me to my main issue with this series. The narrator is awful. I really don't mind the way she voices every other character but the voice she uses to read Aisling is that of a heavy smoker and old lady. If that isn't bad enough she has this habit of swilling mucus noisily around in her mouth, you can hear her sucking it through her teeth and swallowing, I find it not only disgusting but distracting. Also in this installment there are some really weird pauses, long enough to make me check if my earbuds had become unplugged. I don't know how this was ever approved of the finished product. It saddens me that such a promising series has been torpedoed by terrible performances.

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esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

I guess I'm in for all 3 books!

Revisado: 10-26-13

First of all this book contains self-harm triggers and if you are sensitive to those you should choose another book.

I understand the comparisons to 50 shades and the Crossfire trilogy, oh wait now it's not a trilogy, the similarities are overwhelming and maybe I would care if I had downloaded this book looking for literary ingenuity that would blow me away. Instead I got what I expected a sexy and thrilling listen that kept me engaged and wanting more until the very end. I did feel connected to both protagonists but I am glad there are more books because I feel that there is more to both of them that was presented in this novel. The "likability" factor for both Damien and Nikki is high and for me that is important.

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Madam Lambert's mysteries explained

Revisado: 10-26-13

I really like this series, that being said Ice Storm is my least favorite novel in the series. The narration was OK, I really enjoy the job Ms. Sands does in the later books and just don't enjoy the other narrators as much. This is the problem with picking a different narrator to preform different books in a series. She really had a difficult job, Killian's accent is a conglomeration of every accent ever and Isobel has an British accent except when she doesn't, like I said not an easy job.

The storyline had some minor issues with me. Going into the book I was unmotivated because I didn't feel connected to Isobel like I had with previous characters. She is complex and emotionally compartmentalized and although her background was explained in detail she didn't seem as mulch-dimensional as the other committee members had, to me. Killian also I don't feel like I really got to know, which in a weird way fits with his character. There were times in this book where it just didn't make sense to me that characters would do what they did and the motivation just didn't make sense, I had never felt this way during previous books. I did really enjoy how this plot pulled many of the other characters back into the spotlight, I really appreciated that. I would still recommend reading this book if you are following the series.

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Thrilling on so many levels

Revisado: 10-24-13

I want to start off by saying I love this series but the biggest drawback is the switching of narrators. My personal favorite is Ms. Xe Sands who voices the last two books and although Ms. Zackman does a passable job it just doesn't stand up to Sands especially when it comes to Reno and Taka. And most bizarre was the narrator giving Genevieve a British accent, this makes no sense.
This book has action and heat and quite a bit of sweetness to it as well. I really enjoyed the development of Taka's character. The plot is totally implausible an international man of mystery sent to eliminate a demure and innocent young lady but the characters seemed real. Ms. Stuart does such a good job developing these characters that situations that are off the wall and unrealistic seem explainable and make sense in the perspective of this novel. The interactions between Taka and Summer range from hostile, to sweet and innocent to passion overload to humor.
This book is worth a credit and if you have not read/ listened to the whole series they are all wonderful.

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