AGirlUShouldKnow

Was this recorded 30 minutes before it was due?

Revisado: 07-29-21

I picked this up along with a few other ancient stories. I figured I would never get around to reading them so I would just listen to them, and I was shocked by how bad they edited and performed a 16-minute book. I get it, this is probably someone translating the text as they read it... At least I hope it is. That being said this is the absolute worst editing/recording/performing I have ever heard.

In all fairness, this may not be Andrea Giordani's fault, they may have just not edited what she performed and then that is on Museum Audiobooks...

The voice at first made me think it was Microsoft Word reading a book, but she caught her rhythm. Then she would stop three or more times and REREAD the same sentence (stopping at different points to reread again) with a slightly different pronunciation. I get it, it takes a few reads to translate something (I still hope you are at least doing that and not making this mess with something already in English)... oh god I just realized it was translated by someone else so it must have been in English.

The most awesomely horrible part is she belches in the middle of reading and they left it in... and it isn't a comedy act, it is supposed to be a serious reading of a translated story. Seriously a high schooler could do better in their mother's basement. Does Audible do any sort of quality control? I suspect not if this gets through.

It is only a 16-minute audio file. I record and cut videos longer than this for youtube and it literally would take an editor less than 15 minutes to cut out the re-reading and make it sound 100 times better.

Oh and I just found that this isn't actually a full book, the full book is Cornelius Nepos: Three LIves -- Alcibiades, Dion, Atticus, so they basically grabbed a few chapters out of a book...

Dang, now I have to go back and check out the other books I Have from "Museum Audiobooks".

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

It is worth it overall to read, with caveats

Revisado: 01-20-21

The third book has the same review as the first two. I liked it overall, but it had some tropes I don't personally like. I figure I would give a list of things I would change and then copy the original review at the bottom if you hadn't seen it for Broken Wings and Broken Trust.

Things I would have changed:
1. Increase the age by 10-15 years at the very least. This would wipe out a huge chunk of my issues. No, you aren't a badass at the age of 20 no matter how rich and trained and experienced you are. Also, no one puts you in charge of a corporation at the age of 21. It is also creepy to have "badasses" beat up high schoolers (yes it's an academy that goes into college-level). Just up the age and move it to a private advanced adult academy.
2. Make it a full reverse harem story. I didn't mind that the other three of Riley's "boys" loved her so much and treated her like one of them. I just would have preferred that she had a relationship with all of them. Not a failing on the author, I see she does reverse harems so obviously just a story decision.
3. Who the hell was Evan even? I realize the story is about Riley, and her focus was Beck, but even Jasper had more of a personality. Evan talked occasionally but honestly didn't really even seem he was important to the group.
4. Please no power suits for women... Felt very 80s vibe to me (and I lived in the 80s). You don't look like you are powerful at the age of 18, no matter how you are dressed. Oh wait am I harping on age again?
5. The addition of a serial killer was not necessary in the third book.

While I have those complaints, there is something about her writing that kept me listening (audiobook). I just am glad I work from home during the pandemic, otherwise, I would be terrified of my headphones giving out and the sex scenes play loudly across my office and coworkers ;).

I have pasted my original review for the first two books below just in case you wanted more detail.

To be honest, I really wanted to dislike this book and series after reading the jacket. I needed an easy listen and I figured it might be something to pick apart and dislike (sometimes I do hate-read, it is a thing), and the first part of this review will sound like I do. However, for whatever reason it still got four stars from me so evidently, I liked it.

I am not super familiar with most romance tropes yet, so maybe things I have a problem with are normal for the genre and that hopefully will explain to you why I am surprised about them.

The vast majority of the problems I have with this book deal with the ages of the characters. The main character is 17 1/2 (still legal in NY state) and the men are all about 20 years old that comprise Riles's group. That is my problem, 17 and 20-year-olds are not that interesting, and making them interesting strains credulity (and since I love urban fantasy, sci-fiction, and traditional fantasy, I have a lot of credulity that can be strained).

If you want a school setting, just flip it make Riles a full-grown woman whose family all died except a sister that needs intense medical treatment, and Riles's birth mother Katherine comes out and says she will take care of it if Riles agrees to go to take over for her, but first, she has to attend a private university to gain a degree to help her on the board when she does takes over. See, we still have a university setting, but without questionably underage people present.

The guys themselves are a huge problem. No one at age 20 is a badass. I have friends that were in special forces at an earlier age, and I still wouldn't call them a badass at 20. This is especially true for rich boys. Sure their life has been in danger, but I would put someone who has been over in Afghanistan for two years fighting for the US military over some rich boys who had training and might have had a few incidents.

Make the "boys" older. There is no reason to be 20 years old. If Beck is to be that badass, make him in his mid-30s. That gives you 15-20 years of living as an adult and that would qualify him (and the rest) as being a "badass".

Also, a note for authors here. I grew up around very dangerous men. The kind people write books about (Vietnam Vet, 1% MC Outlaws) and not once did they ever call themselves badass. They were the goofiest set of guys you would ever be around... until shit hit the fan. No one who is a badass calls themselves "dangerous", let alone calling themselves dangerous so many times.

Back at the age thing again, no one is taking over the board of a world controlling corporation at the age of 21. Especially since their parents are probably not any older than their early 50s at the most. Making the boys older and perhaps having them take over at the age of 35, or more likely when their parents are too old makes more sense.

The age thing goes on like this about details that bother me, and this really is 70-80% of the problems I have with the book.

The non-age problems mostly come into the emotional/verbal abusiveness that happens in the first two books between Beck and Riles. I don't know if Bully Romance is really a thing, but maybe it's just my taste that runs a little bit against that sort of thing. Although if that sort of thing bothers you as well, I can give you a spoiler that it mostly goes away in the third book.

The positives are the sex scenes are fairly interesting (but like I said, maybe there are way better ones out there since I am relatively new, but I enjoyed this) and to be honest something about the way Ms. Eve writes the story makes me want to keep reading (well listening because it's the audio version I have).

She does well with the writing, I enjoyed it a lot and bought the next two without even pausing. I actually bought the next two before I was halfway done with the first, even while I was complaining about the age of the characters. If only she wrote this about older people, that would have gotten it a higher mark.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Great value for the money (or credit)!

Revisado: 01-30-20

A tale of a female protagonist who doesn't know who she is, working for the church and mouthy as hell. Honestly it is pretty mundane for urban fantasy (not a complaint, I am writing a book that isn't really any different either).

While filled with some cliches, and not the most fresh take it is interesting. The characters are good (I like Callie), the storyline is interesting enough. There is something extra that I can't quite point out (which is why I bought the next five books, they come in three book sets for the first six books).

It is a good read, goes pretty quickly but don't expect something revolutionary. Its like an American Diner experience, it doesn't surprise, but it does hit the notes you want and leaves you full.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

Not a bad story if you get the 3 book set

Revisado: 01-30-20

I do wish I saw the three book sets before I got this specific one (but I did get two three book sets, it was still cheaper then buying the other two books in the first set separately).

A tale of a female protagonist who doesn't know who she is, working for the church and mouthy as hell. Honestly it is pretty mundane for urban fantasy (not a complaint, I am writing a book that isn't really any different either).

While filled with some cliches, and not the most fresh take it is interesting. The characters are good (I like Callie), the storyline is interesting enough. There is something extra that I can't quite point out (which is why I bought the next five books, they come in three book sets for the first six books).

It is a good read, goes pretty quickly but don't expect something revolutionary. Its like an American Diner experience, it doesn't surprise, but it does hit the notes you want and leaves you full.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Another great Longmire Novel

Revisado: 01-23-20

Not much to say except it is a Longmire novel, and all the goodness that comes with an laconic lawman drawing down to the dusk of his life. It is refreshing, melancholic, and a good mystery/police read.

Oh, and Mr. Guidall is the perfect voice!

Just shut up and read it!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Scalzi does it again.

Revisado: 01-23-20

A great sequel to the original book. I am always fond of John Scalzi's work, but this empire spanning book with multiple people was on top of my list. Great writing, an impressively built up world that keeps expanding and characters I actually like. It is a good read!

Oh, and I am so shipping Cardenia and March.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Too much propaganda

Revisado: 01-15-20

All this really is, is a propaganda, American chest thumping account. There are far better books out there that tell the whole story.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Engaging and thought provoking

Revisado: 01-13-20

An in-depth look at the Battle of Hue from both sides of the fighting. Put together from what seems like various interviews, the author brings a very human face to a very brutal battle between US/ARVN forces and the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army.

It is a little long, but I don't think that takes away from it. A good read if you want to take a journey on one of the lesser talked about battles in Vietnam.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Not your normal super villian book.

Revisado: 01-13-20

I normally dislike the whole superhero genre in books lately, especially from the villain's side. However, this book totally did it differently and I very much liked it.

I can't place what I like about it, except it isn't about how cool a supervillain is, rather it is a story about a normal guy becoming a super villain but also still being a normal guy as well. I especially find the love story kind of cool, cute and unexpected.

I think it is worth the time to read it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Best new urban fantasy in a decade

Revisado: 01-12-20

My favorite new urban fantasy I have read in years. The perspective of October Daye is one I can identify with more, implementing a viewpoint from her that feels more feminine then most male authors can write (probably because the author is a woman).

Her struggles are allowed to move forward, she is allowed to find some closure and still be strong. I especially liked how the author could articulate multiple layers of emotions that October would have for other individuals, very much how I work.

I already plan on reading the rest of the series, all I can say though that this isn't just another Anita Blake type book. The story and characters are far more realized.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña