2026 Audiobooks – Rosepoint Publishing

Free Ride by Noraly Schoemaker–Heartbreak, Courage, and the 20,000 Mile Motorcycle Journey That Changed My Life #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

By the YouTube sensation with three million followers, the inspiring account of a young woman who, in a moment of personal crisis, embarked on an epic, transcontinental motorcycle ride—and along the way found a new sense of purpose.

Noraly Schoenmaker was a thirtysomething geologist living in the Netherlands when she learned that her live-in partner had been having an affair. In desperate need of a new beginning, she decided to quit her job and jet off to India. But her plans were dashed when she fell quickly and helplessly in love: with a motorcycle. Behind the handlebars of a Royal Enfield, a short tour of the Himalayas quickly morphed into an epic 20,000-mile journey. She would cover remote and utterly unfamiliar territory, break down on impossibly steep mountains, and push too many miles down empty roads. But through her travels, she discovered the true beauty and simplicity of the world’s open spaces, the kindness of its people, and a newfound, unshakable belief in her capabilities.

Free Ride is a “no-frill, from-the-heart” (BBC) story of self-discovery and renewal that is filled with unforgettable figures and hilarious disasters, showing what happens when you open your heart and let the world in.

Free Ride banner posted on Amazon — Free Ride banner courtesy Amazon book page.

My Review:

One of my bookblogger buddies recommended this book to me and so glad she did. Not like I didn’t have riding buddies in my women’s riding groups that pulled some amazing miles, but granted, though many of them enjoyed off-road bikes, I wasn’t one of them. I was definitely more the cruiser type, not the Road King level cruiser, but my BMW caught many an eye.

Having gotten separated from my riding buddy as we were approaching Death Valley (she stopped for breakfast and I thought we were going straight through), I seldom rode alone. When I stopped at Furnace Creek to ask about her, was asked if I was riding alone, and if I had plenty of water. I told him, yes, for the bike. I didn’t plan to stop.

This woman rider was riding an off-road bike—400 lbs fully loaded…and single cylinder (Royal Enfield. I forget which model and I’ve also forgotten whether it was air/oil cooled rather than liquid cooled—might have been important considering where she was riding).

Not like she hadn’t ridden before, just that she wasn’t used to riding off paved roads.

Discovering her partner had been cheating on her for some time, she decided the best way to get over it was to get a bike and ride. Not the first time that’s happened, just a little extreme in this case.

Based out of the Netherlands, she had designs on riding to India. But that ride quickly gave her the taste for more…the Himalayas and frigid temps, wide open spaces and deserts, roads barely more than goat paths.

Taking off with as little prep or knowledge as she had, she did give some thought to getting some lessons on the way, which helped as there was almost no obstacle she didn’t encounter, including engine problems, flat tires, quest for gas, food, and shelter. For the most part, she found only men willing to help (not menace), and appeared to navigate customs, language, and clothing fairly well.

I enjoyed the tidbits of history, their food, culture, and language as well as her personal history, but the latter of which temporarily interrupted the pace of her narrative. She usually held a positive outlook, and when confronted with situations that appeared hopeless with the equipment or a remote location, kept her wits about her, puzzling out solutions.

Having worked as a geologist in remote areas, she was not unfamiliar with periods of total isolation. Her experiences with extreme weather and the people she met along the way served to forge a new reality in her and she came to revel in her strengths and the ability to overcome critical conditions and decision-making.

I would think anyone who has ever ridden would enjoy her book and marvel at the accomplishments made by a solo female rider in unfamiliar territory. It’s a fascinating chronicle and confirms what we always said, “It’s not the destination—it’s the ride!”

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Transportation Engineering, Travelogues & Travel Essays, Travel Writing & Commentary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Narrator: Imani Jade Powers
Release Date: June 3, 2025

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Noraly Schoenmaker is the creator of Itchy Boots, a YouTube channel with three million loyal subscribers. A motorcycling obsessive, her journeys have taken her the length of the American continent, from Argentina to Alaska; from the northernmost point of Europe to the southernmost point of Africa; and to some of the least traveled regions of the globe. Trained as a biologist and geologist, she is based in the Netherlands. [Amazon]

Noraly Schoenmaker, known as Itchy Boots, is a Dutch adventurer and popular content creator on YouTube, renowned for her thrilling motorcycle journeys around the world. She initially worked as a geologist in gold exploration but later decided to leave her job to follow her passion for travel and adventure.

She launched her YouTube channel in 2018, documenting her adventures across various continents, including Asia, Africa, and South America, in a simple and engaging style. Noraly shares her daily experiences on the road, including the challenges she faces on rough terrains and in harsh weather conditions, making her content both realistic and inspiring.

Noraly has gained widespread fame for her courage and love of exploring the world, inspiring her followers to pursue their dreams and embrace new experiences. The Itchy Boots channel has become a favorite destination for adventure and travel enthusiasts, showcasing how passion can transform lives. [Goodreads]

Website
https://www.itchyboots.com/

Audiobook graphic with earbuds

The Astral Library: A Novel by Kate Quinn #AudiobookReview #MagicalRealismFiction

in Magical Realism Fiction

Book Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures. Beautifully performed by award winning narrator, Saskia Maarleveld.

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives…inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself? Includes a bonus conversation with Kate Quinn, Saskia Maarleveld, and Tessa Woodward (editor of The Astral Library).

My Review:

From the creative mind and the commanding master of her craft comes the author from a whole new direction no one saw coming. I devoured her 20^th Century books and looked for more—jumped on this one and noted Saskia Maarleveld as narrator. An absolute powerhouse of audiobooks. And a departure from anything I expected. Note to Self: Must read the book blurb in addition to author and narrator.

Stretching my chops as a reader into fantasy, a genre heaven knows I don’t often do.

But, hey, we’re talking Kate Quinn and I must admit it is an uncommon and unique experience. Written well, haven’t you put yourself in a book? FMC Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned to do that. Within the Boston Public Library, she often escaped her fierce struggle for survival as a foster care kid. But this time, she also happens upon a hidden door that opens to another library, a librarian, and books. These books are different.

Alix is a great character, full of the feisty intelligence we are used to in a female protagonist from a Quinn novel. There are some strong support characters as well. Appreciated the fashion descriptions of the different periods; the sights and sounds all come alive under Quinn’s pen.

I loved escaping to Boston. Drank in the historic atmosphere, the buildings, the people, food and drink, then to be whisked away to London or…? Alix is not the only one who has found a refuge from tedious lives, however. Having made a choice to escape into the book of their choice, some may not have turned out to be the glorious and safe haven they expected.

The antagonist appears to be the library board, which is ready to change the rules, and it’s a fight Alix eagerly tackles. The storytelling blurred just a bit for me there. There is a modicum of romance and the character of the Astral librarian is a hoot. I loved the shout-out to the various authors of the classic novels. It’s a prose-filled exploration of simultaneous alternate lives.

Heavy into fantasy, metaphysical, and Quinn books, you’ll enjoy the departure of her famously popular historical fiction novels. I enjoyed it, but must admit it won’t be my favorite Quinn book.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Magical Realism Fiction, Fantasy Action & Adventure, #Literary Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow
Narrator: Kate Quinn, Saskia Maarleveld
Release Date: February 17, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” “The Diamond Eye,” and “The Briar Club.” She is also a co-author in several collaborative novels including “The Phoenix Crown” with Janie Chang and “Ribbons of Scarlet” with Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Eliza Knight, Sophie Perinot, and Heather Webb. “The Astral Library,” releasing in 2026, is her first foray into magical realism. Kate and her husband now live in Maryland with their two rescue dogs.

audiobooks — Graphic courtesy combination Canva and Freepik.com

To the Moon and Back: A Novel by Karen Kingsbury #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Baxter Family Collection

Book Blurb:

Brady Bradshaw was a child when the Oklahoma City bombing killed his mother. Every year, Brady visits the memorial site on the anniversary to remember her. Eleven years ago on that day, he met Jenna Phillips, who was also a child when her parents were killed in the attack. Brady and Jenna shared a deep heart connection and a single beautiful day together at the memorial. But after that, Brady never saw Jenna again. Every year when he returns, he leaves a note for her in hopes that he might find her again.

This year, Ashley Baxter Blake and her sister Kari Baxter Taylor and their families take a spring break trip that includes a visit to the site to see the memorial’s famous Survivor Tree. While there, Ashley spots a young man, alone and troubled. That man is Brady Bradshaw. A chance moment leads Ashley to help Brady find Jenna, the girl he can’t forget.

Ashley’s family is skeptical, but she pushes them to support her efforts to find the girl and bring them together. But will it work? Will her husband, Landon, understand her intentions? And is a shared heartache enough reason to fall in love?

My Review:

It would appear that I managed to come in well after Book 1 and may be the final book in this series. My first with the author and treading on romance as well as Christian romance. As you will know, I’m not big on romance.

Federal building following the Oklahoma City bombing — Photo courtesy Wikipedia*

This installment remembers the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, perpetrated by two anti-government extremists, who parked their rental truck laden with explosives in front of the nine-story federal building. An act of domestic terrorism, it destroyed more than a third of the building as well as damaging other buildings and destroying vehicles.

Jenna and Brady both lose their parents in the tragedy but serendipity puts them together at the site when they are 17. It’s Brady who leaves her a letter at the site every year since then, hoping to meet up again.

Ashley Baxter learns of the story when she meets Brady on a Spring Break with their children and feels she would be able to help find Jenna. Together Jenna and Brady shared a memorable day, the heartache, the loss, the memories, and their progress to overcome the disaster. They also shared numbers, but despite Brady’s return each year, has not been able to link up again. Perhaps they were meant to be together, maybe not, but it’s been ten years and Brady is about to give up.

The author writes with tender prose around the catastrophe, exploring the characters’ stories with her view on the position of God in such a nightmare. Who would have committed such an act? Why?

Ashley appears to be the protagonist, though there are other POVs, and Ashley is heavily bent on finding Jenna. The attention away from her hubby creates friction with him, but she’s pretty sure she is on God’s mission.

I loved the story of the Survivor Tree and the annual sapling giveaway—that’s a beautiful tribute—and an amazing tree. This is a story of love, redemption, and the journey to overcome monumental, life-changing loss with the power and support of God.

I enjoyed parts of the story, even if a romance, but got a little weary of the sermonizing as well as the struggle with hubby who it appeared backed down and apologized fairly quickly.

And Jenna and Brady. Really? I thought it stretched credulity a bit and the ending too Hallmarky (I even think I heard violins). I’m a fan of happy ever after. I’m sure you remember that. But this one pushed me into disbelief and I couldn’t buy it. Not sure I missed too much by coming in on this one when I did, but I’m thinking this is not a series for me.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance, Religious Romance, Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Narrators: January LaVoy, Kirby Heyborne

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime in the next year. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty-nesters, living in Tennessee near five of their adult children.

Audiobooks with earphones and earbuds

*Wikipedia photo

Two Audiobook Mini-Reviews – #audiobookreviews – #PoliceProcedural – #DomesticThrillers

Chosen and listened to prior to gathering titles for Reading Ireland Month, I read both of these authors before and thought I’d try again. I do enjoy both police procedurals and domestic thrillers. (Title links are to Amazon.)

See How They Hide by Allison Brennan

Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Narrator: Suzanne T. Fortin
Quinn & Costa #6

My Thoughts

I read Book 3 in the Quinn & Costa series, The Wrong Victim, which didn’t totally excite me, and then read two additional books in her other series, both of which I found much the same.

This installment discovers victims some distance apart, left in the same dispassionate position, covered with red poppies. The main characters of Kara Quinn and Matt Costa are okay, though I can’t seem to become thoroughly engaged with either or their interest in each other.

When they find Riley Pierce, it appears they will get the answers they seek and will be able to get to the bottom of it soon. But it’s not so easy and I was a little dismayed to discover it was another of the cult-type plots. You can check in but you can never leave.

Riley is sympathetic but doesn’t seem to get a lot of slack from Kara. The antagonist is truly despicable. I wrestled with the pace of the narrative, MCs I didn’t love and a story that feels a bit trite and overdone. The suspense is rather deluted and the setting tends to change location often.

A fan may enjoy this one, or find it a bit of a slog, but in my case, having sampled several of her series now, I’m not sure I’ll try another.

My Husband’s Wife: A Novel by Alice Feeney

Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrators: Bel Powley, Henry Rowley, Richard Armitage
Amazon Charts #11 this week

My Thoughts

Oh, yes, I’ve read Feeney before, too, the last one being Beautiful Ugly. I have to give it to Finney for coming up with some unusual plots. On the surface, this novel appears to be one of the old switcheroos we’ve read before, but this is Feeney. Maybe not.

Eden comes home from a run sans purse, money, or ID and discovers her home, Spyglass, appears to be occupied by someone who looks like her but denied entry.

Her key won’t fit, her husband denies knowing her, her daughter does as well, and the wife looks like her. Sound familiar? That’s where it ends. A favorite character, Olivia Bird (Birdy) is in town on a related matter, gets in on the whole debacle and works to help clear the mystery.

Prepare for the twists.

It’s chaotic, building suspense, building drama, building unreliable narrators. Who do you trust? No one.

Feeney is an author who is hit or miss for me. The number of twists and disbelief this one creates just blows the whole thing out of the water. Contradictions, some nonsensical dialogue. The conclusion gets so nutsy for me I have to just shake my head and give it a “whatever.”

I greatly enjoyed the narrators who helped me hang in there until the end.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these audiobooks. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #policeprocedurals

Catalina #1

Editors’ pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Introducing Detective Stilwell: a cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina Island.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been “exiled” to a low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island, after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland. But while following up the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that come with his new territory, Detective Stilwell gets a report of a body found weighed down at the bottom of the harbor—a Jane Doe identifiable at first only by a streak of purple dye in her hair. At the same time, a report of poaching on a protected reserve turns into a case fraught with violence and danger as Stilwell digs into the shady past of an island bigwig.

Crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction, Stilwell doggedly works both cases. Though hampered by an old beef with an ex-colleague determined to thwart him at every turn, he is convinced he is the only one who can bring justice to the woman known as “Nightshade.” Soon, his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city.

My Review:

Of course, my favorite books by this author are the Ballard, Bosch, or Haller stories, but, hey, it’s Michael Connelly and he’s a go-to author for me no matter the book, in this case, number one of a new series.

This one centers around Santa Catalina Island, one of California’s Channel Islands twenty-six miles off the Los Angeles coastline. I’m most familiar with Avalon, located on the south end. It’s the storied stuff of an old song. (Yeah, a long time ago, oh the nostalgia.)

Anyway, one of those quiet little island paradises that holds tourist interest but probably not the ideal location where LA Detective Stilwell would have wanted. It’s a low-key assignment, drunk and disorderlies, not exactly the exciting homicide department he’s used to, so it’s extremely unusual when a body is found at the bottom of the harbor. About the same time, a poaching on the island reserve is a no-no, which investigation takes him into the dark territory of an old island despot.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly — Nightshade cover – US

He tackles both, sometimes creating conflict with an ex-colleague left on unfriendly terms. In the meantime, the reader enjoys an armchair visit with the island and the people, the little town of Avalon, a unique location.

Underneath that bucolic sea air and picturesque setting lies a cloudy layer of subterfuge. Secrets never meant to surface. It doesn’t take long before the twists and turns have you flipping pages.

Stilwell is richly drawn, the storyline gritty, and the setting atmospheric. Connelly fans get a hook at the beginning as it sets up and establishes the setting and the characters (quite a few of them). There is a budding romance (seems like there always is) and as usual the MC’s fierce dedication to his job may cause a bit of friction. We’ll see.

I waited quite a while for this audiobook to come up on the wait list. It was worth it. Narration was smooth and nuanced. The CE read and reviewed the book when it first came out, offered by NetGalley. He quite enjoyed and gave it five stars last year.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Narrator: Will Damron

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.

Audiobooks with headphones — Graphic books and coffee courtesy Freepik.com

Three Audiobooks Mini-Reviews – #IndigenousFictionforTeens, #MysteryThrillerandSuspense, #RichandFamousBiographies – #TBT

It’s just too easy to listen to audiobooks! They’ve gotten ahead of me again, so I’m posting shortened versions here. (Title links are to Amazon.)

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Isabella Star LaBlanc
Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Debut Novel (2021) Winner for Readers’ Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2021)

The main character, Daunis is a bi-racial daughter of a French mother and a native Ojibwe father. The Ojibwe is a tribal community located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Because her father was not listed on her birth certificate, she is not allowed to be listed as a full tribe member. She has a strong attachment to the tribe but never felt she was fully accepted in either society.

The novel favors a strong theme of family, responsibility, and loss. It’s a beautiful peek into the beliefs, traditions, and customs of the tribe and follows Daunis on her quest to discover and bring to justice the person responsible for the murder she witnessed. She must weigh the odds that the perp may very well be someone she knows and loves and whether or not that will seal a yay or nay in her Ojibwe community.

An emotional writing style with heart, layers of plot, and well-developed characters. As a YA narrative, it includes the inevitable romance and abundance of hormones, but the overall storyline will be of interest to adults as well.

The Wife and the Widow by Christian White
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Caz Prescott
Amazon Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Hate to admit that it wasn’t that long ago I finished this book but now only have a vague memory of it and didn’t take notes. Well, then again, either inconvenient or just lacking stellar quotes(?). I must have missed some serious stuff as it got an accolade, but (scratching my head), what was it?

It did start out a bit slow for me. I wondered for a while why we were getting these two very divergent stories of Abby and Kate. I do enjoy stories that have a monster twist, an AH HA moment that leaves you shaking your head and this one does. Just for me—it took too long, a bit laborious, and sometimes I get tired of the sloppy police work trope that forces mere mortals to take over.

Belport could be atmospheric, the community inhabitants cliquish and gossipy, but, really, a main character whose hobby is taxidermy? Ugh!

If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) by Betty White
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrator: Betty White

Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Humor (2011)

Good grief! Could the woman have written eighty-two books? When did she have the time for that? Okay, well, given this audiobook was only 2 hrs 16 mins, I guess it might be possible if the others were also short.

One of our National Treasures, Betty White was an actress for a very long time, achieving six Emmys and eighteen Emmy nominations. She won comedy awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. Of course, she also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

One of my favorites, who doesn’t love Betty White? For one thing, she brought a whole new concept of sexuality to older women.

I was disappointed this audiobook was so short, although she talked about her TV shows, the people she loved to work with, and shared little snippets of stories from her experiences “getting there.” She also shared her observations about the animals in her life, how she created shelters.

The narrative ended all too soon but I’ve no doubt it’s one you’d enjoy as much as I, and as short as it is, why not?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these audiobooks. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #psychologicalthrillers #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April; secrets she’d rather you didn’t know – like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard?

Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her. I’ll make sure of that.

My Review:

I’ve been flipped again. Misdirected. Unashamedly misled.

And why was that a surprise? I’ve read this author before, the most recent being The Intruder. At this point, aren’t you expecting another twist, one last zinger? The one you didn’t see coming. Or did you?

Here we have the typical small town, the gossip (because what is there to do other than that in a small town?) and the new family to the hood. Are they suspicious? The POV of the main character is that of baking sensation April Masterson—on the periphery of the “in-crowd”, possibly by virtue of her apparently successful YouTube channel that includes a “secret” in her recipes. They are all delicious!

The problem is, as possibly often happens, the face on the camera and the face at home may not be the same. The first time she pulled a switch in a demonstration of how to get her new neighbor’s child into the proper school should have been a big red flag.

The fun part begins when April starts getting scary little texts. But from whom? Dang, is she beginning to get some of her own medicine?

Big switch!

Try to keep up. If you got past a slightly slow start, this is your reward. Crazy twisty. Can you trust no one? You aren’t supposed to love these characters (I don’t think), so switch of POV…go with it. I didn’t love the epilogue, the ending, but the novel on the whole is wildly entertaining, page-turning turmoil that just keeps getting crazier.

McFadden fan? Then you no doubt will enjoy this one.

Well plotted and paced. Okay, ignore those points of disbelief. Is it entertaining? Engaging, keeps you reading?

Yes. And isn’t that the point?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense
Narrator: Alyson Krawchuk
Release Date: December 30, 2021

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a physician who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.

Freida lives with her family and cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden.

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #histfic

Book Blurb:

2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

My Review:

As mentioned before, I do enjoy dual timelines—and it would seem, the older one. It appears to me that sometimes the more detailed development of characters occurs in the past characters, while the more contemporary characters barely get fleshed out enough to count as a character.

That said, I really enjoyed the characters of 1942, particularly sixteen-year-old Briar, who cried wolf once too often regarding the sighting of German U-boats. I did wonder, however, why the older girl determined she’d hide the fella washed ashore and his too convenient connection to the US.

On the whole, while a bit of a slow burn to get off the ground, it was a cute, almost cozy, narrative and often led right down the road expected. Descriptions of the island and the inhabitants, history, are fun; just wish the pace was more evenly distributed.

It won’t make classic Potato Peel Pie level book club, but it is a sweet story and weaves in a variety of appealing characters. Interspersed in the novel are Cadence’s columns that she writes for the local Vineyard Gazette, which eventually leads to greater writing possibilities.

I must admit to being caught off-guard by the mystery, as it was reading so benign, it snuck up on me, I didn’t see a dark side coming to the war time story that sees their brothers and others off to war with the devastation when they don’t return. The plot builds with added hooks including our own soldiers who arrive to set up coastal military training.

The denouement gives a satisfying close to the story and manages to come up with solutions to any remaining threads.

On the whole, a sweet read, well plotted. You’ll no doubt enjoy it if you like timeline switches, historical WWII life, and well-crafted characters in the setting.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: World War II & Holocaust Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrators: Martha Hall Kelly, Mary Elizabeth Kelly, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Imani Jade Powers, EJ Lavery

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Martha’s debut novel LILAC GIRLS, about socialite Caroline Ferriday and her fight to help a group of concentration camp survivors, became an Instant NY Times bestseller in 2016 and went on to sell over two million copies. Once the paperback stayed on the NYT list for fifty-four weeks, and became published in fifty countries she wrote two more novels: LOST ROSES about Caroline’s mother, and SUNFLOWER SISTERS about her great grandmother, which also became Instant NY Times best sellers. Her latest novel, THE GOLDEN DOVES, which returns to WWII, arrives in bookstores April 18th, 2023.

Martha grew up in Massachusetts and now splits her time between Connecticut and New York City.

You’ll find more info about the incredible, true stories behind all of her books at her website: http://www.marthahallkelly.com, on Instagram: @marthahallkelly, Facebook.com/marthahallkelly, Twitter: @marthahallkelly and on her ever-changing Pinterest page.

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