Audiobook Review: The Fire Between High & Lo by Brittainy C. Cherry

The Fire Between High & Lo by Brittainy C. Cherry
Series: Elements #2 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: June 19th 2016
Length: 9 hours and 3 minutes
Narrated by: Graham Halstead & Emily Woo Zeller
Links: Audible • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

There once was a boy, and I loved him.

Logan Francis Silverstone and I were complete opposites. I danced, and he stood still. He was quiet, while I ran my mouth. He struggled to find a smile, and I refused to frown.

The night I saw the darkness that truly lived inside of him, I couldn’t look away.

We were broken together, yet somehow whole. We were wrong together, but always right. We were the stars that burned across the night sky, searching for a wish, praying for better tomorrows.

Until the day I lost him. He threw us away with one hasty decision–a decision that changed us forever.

There once was a boy, and I loved him.

And for a few breaths, a few whispers, a few moments, I think he loved me, too.

I’d been excited for The Fire Between High & Lo to come out in audio after listening to The Air He Breathes, and I was hoping to get the same narrators, but the two narrators for The Fire Between High & Lo turned out even BETTER than those in the previous book! I absolutely LOVED listening to Graham Halstead and Emily Woo Zeller – they voiced and embodied Logan and Alyssa perfectly. I really hope they narrate more books together, they were that amazing.

The story of Logan and Alyssa though… I didn’t love quite as much as the narration. We begin the story with them as teenagers and becoming best friends, and then eventually something more – this was definitely my favorite part of the story. The connection and deep friendship between them warmed my heart, especially since even though they’re both a little broken, when they’re together, nothing can bring them down. And the slow burning romance that develops makes everything even better. These were two characters I couldn’t help but root for a HEA, or at least SOME happiness, because they both deserved it.

Then tragedy strikes, because the hand they’ve already been dealt with isn’t bad enough. My heart broke for both Alyssa and Logan, but at the same time, I didn’t like the way they handled the tragedy, Logan especially. He becomes someone a little bit despicable, so he ruined the story for me. Alyssa becomes a doormat, unfortunately, so things quickly go downhill in the second half of the story.

The Fire Between High & Lo had such promise, especially with the fantastic narrators – I’d give them a 5 star rating alone. But the story just didn’t work out for me, but I’m sure I’m in the minority for this. If you loved either one of the Elements books, then I highly recommend you give the audiobook of The Fire Between High & Lo a try, because I have a feeling you’ll love it. The story wasn’t for me, but the narration was – I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more audiobooks narrated by Graham Halstead and Emily Woo Zeller!

THE FIRE BETWEEN HIGH & LO is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/28XpgSY

3 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Elements series

 

#1 ~ The Air He Breathes: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Fire Between High & Lo: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Silent Waters: Goodreads (release date TBA)

Here’s an audio excerpt from The Air He Breathes, book 1 in the Elements series!


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Audiobook Review: Chasing Spring by R.S. Grey

Chasing Spring by R.S. Grey

Chasing Spring by R.S. Grey
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Publication Date: June 7th 2016
Length: 6 hours and 16 minutes
Narrated by: Alia Tavakolian, Ricco Fajardo, Jeannie Tirado
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

I thought I’d left Blackwater, Texas behind for good. I didn’t belong in the small town, but my dad wouldn’t listen. He dragged me back home in his beat-up truck and dropped a bomb along the way: Chase Matthews was moving in with us. He was the golden boy of my high school, my former best friend, and the last person I wanted sleeping across the hall. His presence was too great a reminder of the ghosts I was trying to forget.

I didn’t ask for a hero. I don’t want to be saved.

To me, Lilah Calloway meant late nights sneakin’ out, moonlit hair, and sparklers in July. She was my best friend until the day she left and I’d assumed Blackwater had seen the last of her. Then, like a tempest, she rolled back into town for the final half of senior year. The chopped hair and dark devil-may-care attitude warned most people away, but I knew if I fought hard enough, I could find the lost girl.

I didn’t want to be her hero. Some girls don’t need to be saved.

I’m a big fan of R.S. Grey’s rom-coms, but I knew going into Chasing Spring it would be a little different from what the author normally writes. It’s a YA book, not new adult, and it’s much more serious that her usual fun and flirty books. I wish I could say I loved Chasing Spring as much as I loved her previous books, but the execution of the story just wasn’t up to par. I really enjoyed listening to the three narrators, but the story wasn’t cohesive enough for me to truly appreciate the narration. I do applaud the author for venturing out of her normal genre, and wouldn’t mind giving a try at another of her YAs.

Lilah Calloway and Chase Matthews used to be childhood best friends before tragedy tore them apart. They haven’t seen each other for years, but Lilah has finally come home for their senior year of high school, but she’s not the same girl she used to be. She’s dyed her hair black, turned a little emo and grunge… she’s a bit of a mess and not at all happy. Chase is his usual shining, star athlete self… except looks can be deceiving. Chase’s mother is dead and his father is an alcoholic – but Lilah’s father offers him a place to stay in his home. Once again, Chase and Lilah will be together again, but not as close friends anymore.

Here we have coming-of-age YA, as Lilah struggles to deal with her problems and Chase trying to help her while saving himself. The romance between them kind of went on the backburner, which is a shame because if the author had fleshed out the love between Lilah and Chase more, it would’ve been so sweet and heartwarming. But the main focus was on Lilah’s problems, especially with drug and alcohol abuse. It was a little tiring and boring as I listened to Lilah NOT deal with her problems even though she wanted to, and Chase trying and failing to help her because she didn’t want his help. I lacked a connection with the characters and story, which impacted how I felt as I listened to the audiobook.

Luckily, the narrators did a great job at voicing the main characters. I was a little confused at why there were three narrators instead of just two, but I eventually found out that besides Lilah and Chase, there is a third POV, Lilah’s mother Elaine, who is also central to the story. I found her story to be the most intriguing and I really wish we’d gotten more of her POV than we did.

Chasing Spring had potential, but the story just wasn’t executed very well. I loved the narration, but it wasn’t enough for me to enjoy the story like a wanted. I still love R.S. Grey and will read more of her NAs, but this one is not one of my favorites of hers!

CHASING SPRING is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/1Yt0g99

3 hearts
lacey


Also by R.S. Grey

Scoring Wilder by R.S. Grey  
The Allure of Julian Lefray by R.S. Grey The Allure of Dean Harper by R.S. Grey  

Scoring Wilder: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
Settling the Score: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
With This Heart: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
The Allure of Julian Lefray: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
The Allure of Dean Harper: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
The Duet: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
The Design: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Audiobook Review: Never Never: Part 3 by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

Never Never Part 3 by Collen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

Never Never: Part 3 by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
Series: Never Never #3 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: June 7th 2016
Length: 2 hours and 46 minutes
Narrated by: Kevin Free & Elizabeth Evans
Links: Audible • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

New York Times best-selling authors Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher are back with the much-anticipated final installment in the Never Never novella series.

Together, Silas Nash and Charlize Wynwood must look deeper into the past to find out who they were and who they want to be. With time ticking down, the couple are in a race to find the answers they need before they lose everything.

Can they regain what they once had? And will it restore who they once were?

The final Never Never installment is here in audio! I previously listened to the first two parts and really enjoyed them, so the wait for part three in audio was worth it. Kevin Free as Silas and Elizabeth Evans as Charlie are perfect, and I couldn’t wait to listen to them again. And of course, they did another incredible job narrating Never Never: Part 3 – it’s a fun conclusion to Silas and Charlie’s mind-blowing story, if a little unbelievable. Things took a turn for the weird side, but I still did enjoy listening to it. I just hate that the installments are so short – I didn’t want Charlie and Silas’s story to end!

Part 3 follows up right where part 2 left off, at the start of another 48 hours. Have Charlie and Silas forgotten who they are again? What happens if they actually remember? Will they find out why their memories have been lost? Will they be able to stop themselves from forgetting again? Thankfully, Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher answer all of these questions – it doesn’t answer ALL the questions we’ve come across throughout the series (I still want to know what happened with the blood in part 1) but the burning, important questions are answered… in a slightly over-the-top, unbelievable way that leaves you going, “That was it!?”

Other than the ridiculous plot, I did love everything about NN #3. Charlie and Silas are incredible, well-written, and well-developed characters. I love them and their sweet banter and steamy chemistry – they make the most adorable couple ever, and I really hope CoHo and Tarryn might write a little more about them. But I’m glad to see where they ended up by the end of the novella – the epilogue was amazing!

You’ll either love or hate NN #3 – I’m in the middle since there were parts I loved and parts I hated. Still, if you’re a fan of the series, I know you’re dying to solve the mystery. Why not get the audiobook with narrators who make the story even more enjoyable?

NEVER NEVER: PART 3 is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/1tlNdvb

3.5 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Never Never series

Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher Never Never Part Two by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher Never Never Part 3 by Collen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

#1 ~ Never Never: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Never Never: Part 2: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Never Never: Part 3: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Audiobook Review: First Touch by Laurelin Paige

First Touch by Laurelin Paige

First Touch by Laurelin Paige
Series: First and Last #1 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: May 10th 2016
Length: 12 hours and 40 minutes
Narrated by: Ava Erickson
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

DESPERATE FOR THE TRUTH. OBSESSED BY DESIRE…

Emily Wayborn is finally her own woman.

After a string of shameful relationships and reckless partying with her best friend Amber, she’s now a successful voiceover actress, her wild past and everyone in it firmly behind her. Until she receives a cryptic voicemail from her former friend that sends her spiraling into the darkness she thought she had outrun. One thing is clear from the message, Amber is in trouble.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that leads her to Reeve Sallis, a gorgeous and equally dangerous hotelier known for his power games and shady dealings. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must return to her playgirl ways to uncover his secrets and track down her friend. But as she becomes more entangled with him, she finds she’s drawn to Reeve and his depravity despite her growing conviction that he may be the one responsible for Amber’ s disappearance.

For some reason, I always love listening to audiobooks that I’ve already read as a book, especially when I loved reading the book. First Touch was phenomenal, so when I had the chance to listen to it in audio, I couldn’t wait to! And wow, it was just as good, if not better, listening to Emily’s story this time around. It was just as hot and suspenseful – the narrator did a fantastic job voicing Emily!

Emily and Amber were best friends who lived quite the unconventional and disturbing life. But they split ways years ago, and Emily hasn’t heard from Amber since – until now. When Emily receives a voicemail and hears Amber saying their safe code, Emily knows her former best friend is in danger. Amber could be alive or dead, but either way, Emily does whatever she can to find out what happened to her. And the main suspect in Emily’s investigation is the enigmatic, playboy billionaire Reeve Sallis. Reeve is sexy and dangerous, and even though Emily goes to him with a hidden agenda, she can’t resist falling for him. The visceral connection between the two of them is erotic and the chemistry powerful, but when their whole relationship is built on lies and secrets, can they actually have a life together? Or will those secrets and lies – Amber – tear them apart?

Listening to First Touch was thrilling, addicting, and suspenseful, but Ava Erickson’s narration made it all the better. Her voice is amazing to listen to, very smooth and articulate. Seriously, listen to the excerpt below and tell me you don’t enjoy her voice! I do wish she went a little deeper when voicing the male dialogue, but otherwise, she was perfect as Emily. I’m definitely going to go looking for other audiobooks she narrates.

I wasn’t let down by First Touch in audio. It had a gripping story with a spot-on narrator. I’m definitely looking forward to when the sequel will be out in audio, hopefully with the same narrator. If you’re a fan of Laurelin Paige or romances with mystery and suspense, I highly recommend spending your credit on this audiobook! Just fair warning, there’s a cliffhanger at the end! 😉

FIRST TOUCH is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/1SG5GKF

4 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: First and Last series

First Touch by Laurelin Paige Last Kiss by Laurelin Paige

#1 ~ First Touch: Book Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Last Kiss: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s an audio excerpt from First Touch!


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Audiobook Review: Beautiful Burn by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Burn by Jamie McGuire
Series: The Maddox Brothers #4 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: May 24th 2016
Length: 10 hours and 33 minutes
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Fresh out of college, Ellison Edson has fallen through the cracks of rock bottom. While staying in her family’s vacation home in Colorado, her behavior has finally gained the attention of her parents—but not in the way she hoped. Cut off from the millions she’s always taken for granted, and left alone to fend for herself, Ellie spirals further out of control, making a mistake she can’t take back.

Like his twin brother Taylor, Tyler Maddox is a member of the Alpine Hotshots, fighting wildland fires on the frontline. As arrogant as he is charming, Tyler’s nomadic lifestyle makes it easy to contain his relationships to one night. When he meets Ellie at a local party during off-season, her extreme personality and dismissive attitude fascinates him at first, but as his feelings deepen, Tyler realizes that the crippling inner demons of the woman he loves might be the strongest enemy any Maddox has ever faced.

The audiobook for the 4th and final Maddox Brothers novel, Beautiful Burn, is here! This is actually the first that I’ve read (listened) in the series, and while I didn’t love it as much as Beautiful Disaster (aka the original Maddox brothers book *wink*), it was a good read with a wonderful hero. I had a tough time liking Ellie, the heroine, but thankfully her narrator was top-notch, so I didn’t completely dislike her. Jamie McGuire delivers a well-written new adult novel in Beautiful Burn – it’s fast-paced, sexy, and intense – and Brittany Pressley’s narration made it even better. If you enjoy the series, then you just might enjoy Tyler and Ellie’s story too.

Ellie Edson is used to living the life of a pampered princess, with no responsibility or consequences for her actions. Until this time, one mistake leads her to be cut off from her family’s wealth. For the first time in her life, she’s scrambling to earn money to survive, and though it seems at first like she might fail, she eventually manages to find a job as a photographer. It’s nothing fancy or well-paid… but for once in her life, she’s somewhat content. She’s still dealing with her alcoholism and self-destructive tendencies, but being in a new environment helps. Of course, it also helps that the gorgeous, wonderful Tyler Maddox has set his sights on her, and isn’t giving up until she gives in to the idea of them.

Tyler, along with his twin brother Taylor, is a member of the Alpine Hotshots, traveling around fighting wildfires. He’s not your typical Maddox – dare I say, he might be better in that softer, sweeter way. He’s incredibly patient with Ellie as she fights against her alcoholism and their relationship. She thinks he’s too good for her – and he is, but he wants to be with her anyway. I loved Tyler and his determination to win Ellie over, not matter how frustrating she got. He was really the highlight and my favorite part of the story.

Brittany Pressley did a phenomenal job with Ellie’s voice – her narration was spot-on, and I even enjoyed the way she sounded voicing Tyler and the rest of the Maddox men. She’s definitely an audiobook narrator I’d listen to again.

I wish I loved Beautiful Burn more, but I was too frustrated with the heroine to love it like I wanted to. Everything else about this audiobook was fantastic – the writing, the hero, the narration – but the heroine brought it down for me, unfortunately. I am intrigued enough, though, to start the Maddox series from the beginning and experience more of Jamie McGuire’s writing. I would definitely recommend this audiobook if you have a lot of patience and love the new adult genre!

BEAUTIFUL BURN is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/1PoluTV

3.5 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: The Maddox Brothers series

Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire Beautiful Sacrifice by Jamie McGuire 

#1 ~ Beautiful Oblivion: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Beautiful Redemption: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beautiful Sacrifice: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Beautiful Burn: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s an audio excerpt from Beautiful Burn!


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.