Beach Reader

With Each Installment, It Gets Better

Revisado: 10-01-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I don’t want to just rehash my review I wrote for the e-book (and I adored it – 5 stars), so this will concentrate more on the audio version.
I thought Kale Williams did a fabulous job bring all the characters to life. In particular, he really nailed the two main characters. The C.S. Poe notes that Everett speaks in a monotone, flat voice, Kale is so great at sprinkling tiny, but significant inflections to give Everett that extra…. umph. When Williams does Ira voice, I can feel the texture of Ira’s gentleness, patience with Everett and peaks into his own wounded soul. I hold my breath every time Everett and Ira have meaningful moments – like their ice cream moment – “Just two cops sitting in the park, enjoying an ice cream cone.” ….sigh for that whole scene…..
The New York accents are spot on and make me miss being in NYC. A great mystery, the lovely coaxing of a deep relationship and great secondary characters. I can’t wait for the next installment.

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Loved the book, but narration ruined it

Revisado: 06-29-23

I love Laura Griffin's books, she's an auto-purchase author for me. I read the book very quickly and was looking forward to the audio book, but I ended up fast-forwarding through much of it. I just couldn't stand the narrator's voice for the main character, Leyla Breda. Leyla came across sounding like a 13 year-old, pinging pretty high on the Ick Meter for me. I wanted to love this audio book, but sadly couldn't bring myself to like it very much.

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I wanted to love it....or even like it

Revisado: 04-18-23

I love Karen Rose, she's usually an auto-purchase author for me. But this one, I honestly wish I could have returned it.
The narrator made Sam sound so weak and at times it sounded like his voice was wavering or even breaking - I just couldn't... Not the kind of man I would even imagine Kit would be attracted to. Maybe I should have read the book instead of listening to it.
I ended up skipping many chapters to get to the end just to find out who was the "bad guy."

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More Torus Guys

Revisado: 02-26-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Full disclosure - I've been a Mary junkie for years and years.
Jared spent his adult, working life in service to the government and much if his work done in the shadows. His life has been entwined with Owen's for decades and while he sees Owen as a man, he can't get over the age difference between them. Owen had been waiting patiently for Jared to finally see him as a kid who Jared needs to recognize he's in love with. As lovely as Jared is, he's dense as a block of lead. A maddening and treacherous dash across Thailand to rescue Owen again is the impetus that Jared needed to face his doubts about what his and Owen's hearts want and need.
I loved seeing characters from other books pop up - I always love a peek at their lives after their book has ended.
The voice artist, Nick Russo, was new to me, and he did a good job with the entire cast.
I'm looking forward to Mary's next book.

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Ira & Evie....sigh....

Revisado: 01-16-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I adore this series. Ira and Evie are such complex characters, every crumb of personal information the author drops about each of them is like a treasured grain of sand. The research for some of the parallel plot lines is excellent - which makes my perpetual grad student brain squee with joy.
Everett is a study in dichotomy. His outward interactions towards people in his daily life, but when he internally recognizes his behavior (especially with Ira), it's heartbreak and beautiful at the same time. I also love how the author doesn't shy away from Everett's addictive tendencies and his self-realization in regard to why and how.
Ira is still so mysterious, but his is the calm harbor for Everett's tempest tossed mind. He has infinite patience and understanding, all while holding himself in check. I look forward to hearing more about how he became the Ira he is for Evie.
The mystery is very engaging and it's lovely to see a secondary character from the snow & Winter series pop up.
Kale Williams does an excellent job of narration, especially with the tone and inflection of the two main characters. Everett's monotone and Ira's gentleness are just perfect.

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Sebastian & Calvin encore!

Revisado: 02-22-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Happily married Sebastian the Curmudgeon and Calvin the Protector come back out to play in C.S. Poe’s 5th installment of her Mystery series. New York is sizzling like bacon under a broiler during a summer heatwave, which makes Sebastian all the more curmudgeony. Lo and behold, an odd-ball mystery falls into his lap, but this time he was invited into the investigation at the behest of the NYPD and Calvin’s super-grouchy boss. Poor Calvin just wants to protect his husband and shield him from some of the more oppressive aspects of his work world. Sebastian saunters forth into the investigation and some moderately dangerous situations, wrapped in the justification that he’s a hired consultant. Like that would give him Superman like powers to stay safe.
More exquisite research by CS Poe on the history of fortune telling and talking to spirits in NYC bring a fresh premise to the mystery.
My only time quibble is that a few times I couldn’t tell if Sebastian was speaking or Calvin was speaking in the Audible. I wished the narrator made their voices more individually unique.
All in all – an excellent listen.

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A lovely beginning to a new series

Revisado: 12-28-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Madison Square Murders by CS Poe is the first book in a new, and hopefully long, series. The main protagonists are Everett Larkin and Ira Doyle and I adore them.
Everett is the pinnacle of persnicketiness, but it’s not by his choice. A tragic accident has left him with some quirks and foibles; some helpful for his job as a cold case detective and some that he tries valiantly to deal with on his own. For all his buttoned-upness, he’s also vulnerable, which most people miss.
Ira Doyle is also a NYPD detective, but with the Forensic Art department. He is mellow and uber observant and the perfect foil to Larkin. Doyle smooths out Larkin rough and brittle edges so well that even Larkin is unaware of it at times.
I was worried about the cheating aspect but it was handled delicately and laid the foundation for future books. There was also the sweetest proposal for a work husband I’ve heard.
The narrator does an amazing job bringing Everett and his clipped tone to life. He was just as I imagined Everett in my head. He also captures Doyle’s velvety quietness.
I can’t wait for the next installment.

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A lovely little addition to the series

Revisado: 04-10-21

I loved the L'Ange series, the charactrs are so much fun to follow. From alpha-y to priggish to sweet to scoially awkward to bad-ass - Mary Calmes covers all the personality bases. I love that poor, semi-discarded Tucker is feeling out of place, maligned and supurflous. While recovering from an injury and a tad pissy, he goes off to prove that he's not crazy and finds a mythological miracle, who is smoking hot. Love, understanding, passion and self-reflection give a lovely HEA.

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Cal & Seb

Revisado: 08-29-20

I adore this series - Calvin Winters and Sebastian Show are two of my favorite characters. As usual Sebastian accidentally falls into a mystery that pulls his boyfriend into. Not only is Cal involved, but is ex, Neil, is sucked in as well. I love how meticulously the Snow & Winter books are researched. The author always manages to sneak a history lesson wrapped inside a great story. My only complaint is the narrator. I just wasn't feeling his vocalizations of the characters, particularly Calvin.

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The best series

Revisado: 06-04-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I adore the Protector's series - but don't be put off that is is part of a series, most of the books can be listened to as stand alones - but the do have better continuity listening to them in order.
This is a m/m//m story, and while I am not a fan of multiples, this one works. Memphis, Brennan and Tristan form an unusual triad. They each bring compelling and/or challenging issues into the relationship that they all must face, together. The book does have a a violent scene that is quite difficult to listen to but the rebuilding of the relationship of the characters afterwards strengthens their commitment to each other.
My only complaint is a few times I got lost as to who was speaking but was eventually able to figure it out.
A solid audio book overall.

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