@reading_past.bedtime

Wonderful retelling

Revisado: 07-28-24

I try not to leave spoilers in reviews, but if you’ve read the Bible, you know how this one turns out. I haven’t read a lot of religious retelling lately, but I really liked how this one made me think about family dynamics and personal experiences with revelation.

I love reading a religious retelling or watching a theatrical religious show (like the chosen), because it usually makes me consider the story in a different way. The person who wrote the retelling often sees things differently than I did. I can question it, look back at the Bible and determine if I think it has merit. The thing that stood out to me the most in this book was all Rebecca sacrificed to leave her family and people. I also liked the parts about Issac and his half brother. Their reconciliation and relationship with each other and their father were interesting to me. They say there’s two sides to every story and I think that’s important to keep in mind with all difficult relationships.

I listened to the audio version of this book and enjoyed the narrator.

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Perfect voice for the character

Revisado: 07-11-24 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I’ve had the narration of a book turn me away from a book, so sometimes I’m a little nervous to listen to a book I know I love. I was not disappointed with the narration of this audiobook. The narrators voice fit so well with the main character reflecting her as a person the way I pictured her.

Cora wants true love, but it has been impossible to find with her very demanding mother always watching and guiding her. Finally given the chance to attend a house party, without her mother, Cora is presented with an opportunity to be herself and hopefully find true love. The problem? Her unrequited love shows up at the party, distracting her heart from forming new attachments. Why can’t she fully give up on loving Oliver.

Oliver is surprised to find his sister’s best friend at a house party. Even more surprised when he starts to notice her as more than an acquaintance. When other men of his acquaintance also notice her, he’s forced to face these feelings.

This book was filled with the sweetest romance. So many scenes that made me want to go back and reread this book right away. The banter and chemistry between Cora and Oliver was perfect. The complexities of accepting someone can changed, balanced with lots of character growth made for a beautiful love story. This is a book that makes you smile again and again. I couldn’t put it down and read through it pretty quickly, because I couldn’t get enough of these two! I’ve now read it twice and listened to it once. A testament of how much I enjoyed this story!

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Lovely romance

Revisado: 07-01-24 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Sometimes I love novellas, and sometimes I feel like there wasn’t enough time to tell a compelling story. A couple of my favorite authors wrote stories for this anthology and I loved each story! I was also happy to be introduced to a new to me author.

Nichole van surprised me with how many emotions she could pack into a shorter story. You can tell a lot by an author with what they can do with a small amount of words. Nichole did not disappoint as she weaved a story of longing, regret, remorse, hope, and enduring love. Absolutely loved this heartbreakingly beautiful second chance romance!

Heidi Kimball wrote a beautifully coming of age story full of humor and character growth. I loved how she made me smile, while also making me cheer the main character on. A good sense of humor can lift some of the darkest days and I enjoyed this heartfelt romantic comedy. I loved these two characters!

Michelle Paige Holmes is a new to me author and I was captivated by the story she wrote. I love a forced proximity story. Mixing that with two injured souls who want to be seen for who they are inside, made this story a page turner for me. I loved watching these two characters heal from the harsh realities of life, by caring and seeking to understand one another.

I listened to the audiobook version and I felt the narrator was well chosen for the characters. It was an easy listen that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.

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Absolutely wonderful

Revisado: 06-11-24

This book sucked me in with action and intrigue from the very beginning. An arranged marriage. A young man, just called up to rule, encouraged to take a wife he had never met to save his people. A woman who had never felt her worth and doesn’t trust easily.

I loved these two main characters. I loved how they interacted and how they treated each other, as well as those around them. Imperfect and insecure at times, but always leading with good heart. Their relationship was believable and relatable.

The story takes place in the Balkans in the late 1300s. It is a time of war and a story filled with mystery, betrayal, triumph, despair, and the human experience among a people at war. I loved learning about a time and place I know little about and was pulled in by the very human experience the characters had with one another.

I listened to the audiobook and absolutely enjoyed the narrator chosen for this book. Her voice was strong and well suited to the storyline of war and love. I also loved how she pronounced places and names with an understanding of the native language. I know I would have butchered these names and places if reading this myself.

If you like action, history, and mystery mixed in with romance, this book is for you!

There are some sensitive and mature topics in this book. Feel free to reach out to me if you would like to know more about content that you might be sensitive to.

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Moving Historical Fiction

Revisado: 03-19-24

If you like Historical Fiction, you know A.L. Sowards is well researched and provides a story rich with history. This one surpassed my expectations. I absolutely loved this story of not only a historical battle, but of a complicated family, reunited friends, and a love of music.

The story is of unprovoked attack. A city full of people willing to pull together to fend off a well established trained foe. An ambassador seeking aid from nearby nations. It is the ultimate underdog story, that proves heart and faith can get you through an impossible situation. While the story was packed with action and interesting history of war tactics, it also included the very human elements faced in war. Sibling relationships, love, loss, the plight of the vulnerable in society. There were moments of triumph, followed by moments of heartache. Sowards created a story of intensity that takes you back into time and opens up your eyes to the plight of the citizens within a city at war. I loved it!

One of my favorite parts was when the heroine plays her father’s violin in a convent turned hospital. She plays a hymn I’ve always loved and didn’t realize had been around so long. It gives the people hope and stirred within me my own hope. While the story itself is not heavily religious, there are divisions among the people because of religion, and it was nice to see their religion play a role in their lives in a natural way. I have always loved the power of music to lift spirits and this scene was written so beautifully.

“Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.”

I’ve read this book and now also listened to the audio. I enjoyed this narrator. He had good inflection and enough feeling in his voice, without having too much. I really appreciated that he didn’t try to make his voice sound like a woman when reading those parts. That never sounds good. I would recommend either reading or listening to the audiobook.

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I couldn’t stop listening!

Revisado: 07-01-23

I love audiobooks and when I saw this book came out on audio I was so excited. I accidentally read the later books in the series first, but maybe that made it more fun, because I loved reading the story of a couple I had already learned to love.

Della is running from the law when she is wrongly accused of murdering her awful husband. She is disappointed when the man who ordered a mail order bride passed away before she could get there. Not able to return home she talks Sebastian into pretending to be her husband for the winter as she waits out the search.

I love forced proximity, especially when combined with a fake relationship. This books adds those two favorite tropes to the Wild West and kept me wanting to know more. I couldn’t stop listening. The narrators were male and female and I thought their voices matched well with the characters. I truly enjoyed it! I will definitely listen to this one again! And of course now I hope the other books come out on audio someday.

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Loved it!

Revisado: 04-07-23

I watched and loved the PBS Masterpiece show Victoria, so when offered an audiobook of “In The Shadow of the Queen”, I was very interested to learn about Victoria’s children.

The book was so well researched, and while not a romance or written as a story per se, the history of Princess Louise’ was fascinating to me. I loved how the facts were shared in the style of a story, but real letters and journal entries were also shared, giving the book more credibility and insight into the life of the royals at the time. I will admit being so glad that no one has access to my personal letters and journals. Could you imagine?

Life for Louise was very limited, especially in the years following her father’s death, when her mother insisted on living in a state of mourning for many years. Each acquaintance, hobby, political opinion, dress, etc, was all dictated by the queen. I admired Louise’ patience, as well as her skills in strategy to try and have some say in her life.

I loved how she perused her talents and tried to find ways to support causes she believed in, that were not in accordance with her mother’s views. It’s probably not a surprise that I also loved the part where she met and slowly fell in love with her husband. Theirs was a beautiful story, and one that was not free of heartache. They truly seemed like wonderful people through it all.

If you liked Victoria, I highly recommend this book. It was such a well researched look into the life of queen Victoria’s children and life as a child royal.

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Lovely narration for a beautiful story

Revisado: 06-23-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

My favorite thing in books is dialogue and this one had such great dialogue.

Andrew and Josie have been debating each other for years. Andrew is best friends with Josie’s older brother and is treated as a son by their parents. He’s always around and always ready to spar with her. I loved their banter.

When Andrew discovers her secret room and her secret hobby of writing, they grow closer. Then when Josie’s brother invites a suitor to their castle for Josie, Andrew’s jealousy spurs him into action.

I loved the energy of the couple. I loved the gentle escape from the world in this sweet and slow romance. This series has been different from Sally’s other books, and while I’ve loved them all, I appreciate these slow sweet romances without too much conflict. As always, Sally delivered on some history too, incorporating some interesting political problems of the time.

Loved this one. Now to go back and re-read my favorite banter scenes. I love these two together! I’ve now read and listened to this book and the narration was beautifully done. The voice was appropriate for the age and didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story.

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You don’t have to agree to love and respect each other

Revisado: 02-03-22

When I visit a new place, I like to be immersed. I don’t want to hit just tourist traps, but I like to see the culture first hand. This book does that so well! While I’ve long loved The Scarlet Pimpernel, and other French Revolution historical fiction, this one is different. Often a book crafts the story for you to choose a side. In this book we have Gilles, who is a revolutionist ready to fight for the cause. He had been swept up into the movement and felt the emotion of the other revolutionists at their meetings. He blindly supports the revolution, until he meets Caroline. Caroline is a royaliste who feels the revolutionists are acting too brashly and who has a devotion to the Catholic Church. The dialog and progression of these enemies to friends to lovers is so believably written.

I loved all the voices and opinions. I loved that voices from each side had merit.

A love how the books shows how a worthy cause can get out of control, changing direction, and leading people towards acts they would never commit if not in a situation of mob mentality. What do you do when you feel trapped in a cause that you have started to question?

Where should your loyalty lie? To family? Country? Religion? Ideals? A group? A leader?

I loved how Gilles’s opinion of his dad changed over time. It is in those difficult moments in life where we come to understand what matters most and who is in our corner.

Overall I loved the theme that you don’t have to completely agree with someone to love them. I loved how each main character was willing to fight and stand with their convictions, but also willing to listen and consider a different perspective. I loved all that this book taught me about the French Revolution. I will never look at it the same again.

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Cute Christmas story

Revisado: 01-05-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I feel like the narrator made this novel come alive. She was perfect for this book. I liked Mara right away. Her friendship and skepticism about the Hallmark town was funny and engaging. The townspeople were quirky in the best way. Noel and Mara together were perfect. A really fun Christmas read or listen in this case.

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