Annery
Rating is averaged out between the story and the narrationThis audio was fine as far as the narration goes but it was waaay too long. [a:Vincent Bugliosi 28828 Vincent Bugliosi https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1299068352p2/28828.jpg] is clearly enamored of himself and his role as an attorney. The things that worked for me in [b:Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders 105992 Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders Vincent Bugliosi https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347694754l/105992.SY75.jpg 1077715] were tedious and wore out their welcome this time around. Probably the bulk of my disappointment stems from the fact that the defendant, Bugliosi's, client, is/was unsympathetic to me. I didn't believe her story as a sort of victim to Buck Walker. To me she was someone who like many others at the time, took a vacation from her life, got a shock and returned to live an upper middle class life. There's no shame in that but this was after aiding & abetting or perhaps even participating in the murder of two people. I could be wrong but those are my two cents. Meanwhile the author not only defends his client as any attorney should but is/was clearly enamored by her or under some kind of spell to the point where he substitutes only her name in the recounting of the whole tale. Additionally the reader/listener is regaled with a précis on law, cases, and case law. Make of this whatever you will. It didn't work for me but if you're interested the late 70s or early 80s this will add to that picture. As usual YMMV.
This is book 3 in [a:Kaje Harper 4769304 Kaje Harper https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1307630439p2/4769304.jpg]'s Life Lessons series. Can you start here? Maybe but you'd be missing the richness of these characters, how they came together, and the depth of their love. Do yourself a favor and read or better yet listen to the first two and then this one. KH and J.F. Harding won't let you down. The story picks up shortly after where book 2 left off. Mac and Tony are now living together, getting the hang of being full time parents to two kids who have issues of their own, navigating the expectations of cohabitation plus Mac being a publicly out cop in 2011. It's not easy but the author portrays it all realistically and beautifully. As in the previous installments there's a murder mystery, Mac is after all a police detective, but the victim(s) & suspects are fairly dislikable or outright heinous people. I for one couldn't have cared less about them except as to how they affected Mac & Tony, and did they ever. To me it was a frame to tease out the day to day life of our MC. This volume pretty clearly spells out the realities of Mac coming out as a cop in 2011/12 or even now. I liked how the author didn't dress up or minimize the facts of this new life they are forging together while never losing perspective that this is after all a romance. About adults. On the homefront we have Tony who is infinitely patient and understanding but not a doormat saint. Meanwhile Mac is learning that he's no longer alone in the journey of life and that companionship requires reciprocity. He's happy to learn. Meanwhile work throws a rather big spanner into their lives but seeing them wade through the hurdles is both painful & beautiful.I love how Mac & Tony were with each other. How despite the humdrum or excitement of everyday life they were always there for each other in friendship, romantic, and carnal ways. This was a very satisfying read and highly recommended. I'd also follow up with Compensations, which is kind of a longer epilogue to [b:Home Work 59639869 Home Work (Life Lessons, #3) Kaje Harper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637101001l/59639869.SY75.jpg 21370466]. I'm very much looking forward to book 4, particularly if it's narrated by [a:J. F. Harding 21790011 J. F. Harding https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png].I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.More reviews & fun stuff on the blog, check it out ❤️
A story that we're all familiar with (the Epstein scandal) in the hands of an intuitive & empathetic writer like [a:Jonathan Epps 19787896 Jonathan Epps https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1638136449p2/19787896.jpg] can take the reader down unexplored yet very satisfying narrative tangents. Instead of giving headspace, for the umpteenth time to these predatory men, the author chooses to narrate the bulk of the story from the POV of two of the victims who perforce became coconspirators in the crimes. Who were these girls/young women? What about their backgrounds made them easy prey for the likes Maxime (Ghislaine) & Jeffrey? What price do you pay when you don't have a childhood to speak of, when it's stolen and perverted? The author explores these questions incisively and sensitively. Recommended. * I did the audio narrated by [a:Molly Secours 22037466 Molly Secours https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] which I enjoyed very much except for two negligible things: a) there are a few instances in which she seems a smidge tentative in her delivery. Perhaps it's a narrative choice? b) The engineering/production could use some polishing up, but nothing that will detract from the enjoyment of the story.
Black is certainly back and so is his world. Roxy and her sass, his parents who are ... characters, and of course Mugsy, his overweight evil cat.
In this outing Black is drawn into the music world, specifically rap, and the author captures the milieu without getting lost in the weeds.
The mystery isn't overly complicated but it was fun tailing with Black as he makes the rounds of suspects. I was thoroughly entertained and I'm hoping some developments so I'll definitely be back for more.
4.5This is Bk.2 in the Life Lessons series and I can unreservedly say that it's a welcome addition along with the continued narration by [a:J. F. Harding 21790011 J. F. Harding https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. I would however add that to really appreciate this volume you should read Bk.1, [b:Life Lessons 59074519 Life Lessons (Life Lessons, #1) Kaje Harper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1632592568l/59074519.SY75.jpg 16204726]. You won't regret it.About a year has passed since the events in the first book and Tony & Mac have settled into a kind of half life. Tony is still a teacher and Mac continues working as a Homicide Detective. In the privacy of Tony's apartment they're like any other new couple, learning each other's ticks, foibles, and contours but this discovery is only possible away from prying eyes because Mac is decidedly still in the closet and with no immediate plans for coming out. This situation cannot hold and a case lands in Mac's lap that will change both of their lives irrevocably. What I like best about [a:Kaje Harper 4769304 Kaje Harper https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1307630439p2/4769304.jpg]'s books is that while adhering to the tropes of romance she manages to keep her stories grounded in the material reality of when & where the MC live. In this case I'm sure many readers will have issues with Mac being in the closet and Tony, despite being “out & proud”, acceding to essentially being a dirty secret. To make matters worse (or maybe it's a logical side effect) Mac can't even say the three magic words. It's a lot and I appreciated the realistic depiction of a same sex couple living in this world. The things they have in common, their sexual and emotional compatibility, what makes them a couple, are the things that keep Tony clinging to a relationship that goes against everything he's fought against. He's infinitely patient and accommodating to Mac's work and frame of mind but something happens and Tony can no longer extend such largesse. Mac must make a choice and I'm happy to say he comes through in shining color when it matters.I liked how things developed fairly organically. How Mac's reasons for staying closeted, for having his daughter in the care of his cousin, were absolutely logical without being melodramatic. I also liked that though there are two children who are integral to the story they don't overshadow Tony & Mac. Yes, the children are perhaps a bit idealized, but we already have enough drama to go around. It's also worth noting that this was originally published in 2011 and it seems like the story takes place around that same time, Marriage Equality hasn't been decided, and that reality necessarily informs the mindset of the characters. It's almost historical! To recap: I really liked it, loved [a:J. F. Harding 21790011 J. F. Harding https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration, and will definitely be looking forward to the next volumes on audio.Unimportant Niggles That Will Bother No One But Me: As I said, the book/story was originally published in 2011 and in a sense is an artifact of a certain time & place. I own copies of the 2011 publication. There's been an effort (IMO misguided) to change some terms and even more to align with 2022 standards. It is/was unnecessary and at times just makes the story read anachronistic as the rest remains rooted in the past and the reader is pretty aware of it, i.e. Tony & Mac can't get married in their state. I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.More reviews & fun stuff on the blog
What to say? My heart is full. I'm depleted. I'm happy. I'm sad. It's all true. ❤️❤️Way back when I read the first chapter of [b:Pretty Pretty Boys 36623175 Pretty Pretty Boys (Hazard and Somerset, #1) Gregory Ashe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511094676l/36623175.SY75.jpg 58383961] I knew I was in good hands. I wasn't wrong. In this, in what seems to be the final entry in the H&S series (I'm not mad about it) the case/mystery was to my mind unimportant. More like a frame onto which the MC get to continue the eternal tinkering of this thing we call life. The blurb pretty much encapsulates the kick off point and then the story moves on which is a good move. There are too many ways to get lost in the weeds with a subject like this. Instead we get the recurring thematic themes of this series as a whole: monstrous parents (even when they don't mean to be) and the ones who are doing their best; the past always returning like the tide (it recedes, it's never gone, and will come back); how things can and do change for the better (even when we're not looking); how people are more (and sometimes less) than what we imagine them to be and have layers upon layers that can take a lifetime to peel and parse. I'm sure I'll be doing a reread and will perhaps have more to say but in the meantime:I think this was a perfect way of leaving Emery & John-Henry, surrounded by old and new friends, family, though some can be a cross to bear. I loved how there were echoes of many of the things that have happened throughout the series. I loved that the ending was happy in a realistic, romantic, non-mushy but absolutely hopeful way. I loved that the two rather explicit sex scenes (a rarity for Greg) served a narrative purpose and were perhaps even not sexy at all. It wasn't the point.I loved that there weren't rainbows and unicorns raining down on everyone we've met in this universe but there's a path forward for them. I'm talking about Dulac and NicoFinally that last scene ... my heart stopped beating for a second because you could see things go not-optimally. But GA took pity on us the readers but primarily on his characters. Thank you.
I'm not going to parse out ratings for these individually. I don't have the energy for that, I'm an unapologetic Greg ‘stan and these are all the little stories that happen in between the big books. They fit perfectly and give this world life. IF YOUR FRIENDS JUMPED OFF A BRIDGEThis happens before H&S wedding, each going overboard with gifts for Evie's birthday. Emery dead set on getting her a particular gift. Predictably thing go haywire. It's all worth it. DON'T TELL YOUR DADColt is having growing pains. The Hazar-Somerset household is feeling it. Somers most of all but he's a good man.WAIT TILL YOUR FATHER GETS HOMEIt's John's birthday. He's trying to take a nap but his family won't cooperate. We've all been there.RESPONSIBLE ADULTSIf you read [b:Domestic Animals 59716353 Domestic Animals (Hazard and Somerset Arrows in the Hand, #3) Gregory Ashe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638128761l/59716353.SY75.jpg 94039318] and at the end thought “aww, how sweet
4.5
This is a Hazard-centric outing. As the tittle suggests we continue to unravel the knotty skien that is parenthood, dealing pretty exclusively with fathers. Almost every character from murder victims to possible murderers, from Colt to Hazard, are coping (mostly not well) with that oft fraught relationship.
About the mystery itself there isn't much to say and the dead are of no great loss to anyone. One of the twists was clear to me from the get go but I wasn't mad about it. The case is a canvass for the author to continue his exploration of Wahredua politics (which IMO is a stand-in for current America) and the ever maturing relationship between John-Henry & Emery. I like that he isn't heavy handed, he allows even the most villainous of villains moments of grace and humanity and there are some interesting, but not farfetched developments among some of the recurring cast of characters.
Becoming Colt's father makes Hazard to revisit/reevaluate his thoughts & feelings about his own father. It's progress even if it's at tortoise speed. Life has its own pace. Meanwhile we have Colt who's the walking, talking stereotype of a teenager, emotions like a pinball machine. My first thoughts were:
*1Super glad to not be regularly around teenagers
*2I wouldn't never have gotten away with that behavior
*3how does Hazard love this virtual stranger so much in such a short time?
*4has Colten forgotten what/who Danny Lee is?
and then I remembered what it was like to be in that limbo age where you're not one thing or another, that those initial formative years mark us indelibly whether we admit it or not, like it or not, logic has no sway. Fifty year-olds are still talking about their parents when they go to therapy. As for Hazard's love, who knows? Maybe Colt, who looks so much like him (and not just physically) is a chance to save the boy he once was and all the boys like himself who've been ill used by a cruel world.
Overall I liked how we get to see the MC growing and learning from their mistakes and how they're becoming a true family. Beautiful
If you've gotten this far along in this series it's safe to assume that you know this isn't romance. Not solely. Not in the genre sense and yet ...
Continuing with the theme of this final arc in the H&S series we get the mind numbing banalities of family life, the sand in your shoe, the sheet that's just a bit short, the balancing of the grocery budget, the thousand little cuts of day to day life. Parallel to that is the warm blanket, the hot cup of cocoa, the feathered nest to land on.
This outing is Somers centric. He's dealing with Emery (which as much as I love him is a full time job), becoming a dad to a teenage boy (don't get me started), his mom & dad (the less said the better), and being the boss to friends & former colleagues. He's not coping well, who would?
I won't lie. The first two thirds had me thinking that maybe the spell was broken. That perhaps Greg had gone too far with the ‘kitchen sink' drama. Hazard and Somers go at each other in ways that only people who know each other intimately can, those who know each other's soft white underbellies. It's brutal. Somers is having difficulty recalibrating his role at work and as an added wrinkle Colt has inexplicably decided that he hates Somers, who thrives on being the guy everyone likes. It's a lot. The salt on the wounds is a case that hits Hazard & Somers in their back yard, literally and figuratively. But I'm relieved to say that it was all worth it. My faith in Greg as an author continues unabated. The cumulative narratives led to Somers going through a dark night of the soul but he also gets loving arms to pull him through. True love ❤️
Take peek into post-War Australia, specifically Darwin, which is a kind of the Wild Wild West or as one character puts it, a “poofter's paradise”. James “Jimmy” Bacon has come from Sydney to find out what really happened to his childhood friend and to exorcise his own war demons. Let's just say he finds what he's looking for and lots more he never dared dream about. I loved this brief novella by [a:Garrick Jones 733039 Garrick Jones https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. It captures a sense of time and place and gay men being gay men in 1940's. It should in no way be confused for romance or read with XXIst Century's mores in mind. Despite these caveats I will say that there is satisfaction to be had and a HEA that reads true.There's quite a bit of Australian slang (some perhaps only from the period) but I had no difficulty in figuring out what was meant and actually had fun with it. 10/10 Recommend
2.5 rounded up to 3.00 because others will surely like it way more than I did
I enjoyed the previous book in this series but this just dragged on forever. I feel like this could've been trimmed by about 100 pg. We could've avoided passages like this: “What did she say?” I asked, curious in spite of a brief spike of jealousy. I unlocked the SUV and opened my door. He did the same on his side and hopped in. I climbed inside and had my seat belt buckled before he answered. Nothing was added to the story with this step by step description of the MC getting into a car save added length to the book and yawn inducing, skimming for me.
My other problem is that, though I read and have a slew of books with this type of MC relationship, D/s (in this case Daddy/boy) results are not always guaranteed. The main reason is that I can't quite comprehend this type of dynamic, maybe that's why I read them, I'm curious. As sex play? Sure. But why would one person need/want/have to control every aspect of their partner's life? It's exhausting just to lead one's own. It also presupposes that the ‘boy' half of the equation is incapable of handling his affairs, almost infantile. Unappealing. Adding to my woes JP, the Daddy/Dom, also has a sadistic streak which isn't something that doesn't work well for me and I find it jarring & contradictory for a Daddy who IMO is meant to be all about caring.
As for the rest of the story ... the villains are the standard two dimensional horrible parents, Max's issues are directly & indirectly solved by magic D, and he conveniently fits the innocent virgin role who's eager and open to EVERYTHING right away. As for JP & Max's work world, City Hall? Fantastical.
In any case I still like the narrative voice, it's on KU, and as usual YMMV.
3.5This is way off from my usual playground but I'm happy I listened to it.a) The narration by [a:Garrett Kiesel 21076557 Garrett Kiesel https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is pretty excellent.b) The story, about what has tragically become a common headline in America, is treated sensitively but not tritely. c) There are some pleasant narrative turns that were unexpected but very welcome.Enjoy
one whole star is for the fantastic narration
Well this was disappointing. I quite enjoyed the first two books in this series. Interesting historical era/setting, well researched, and fantastic audio. These qualities remain in place but there doesn't seem to be much of an actual plot.
Oh, there's tons and tons of characters, they talk. a lot but it doesn't in any further what there is of the story (someone has been poisoning members of the Reform Club in London). The author certainly demonstrates her research but unless you're reading this for information about the British political climate in the 1840s or menus from the era or detailed ingredients & preparation methods for said dishes you're out of luck.
Like the previous books this one is told from Avery's P.O.V. but that doesn't mean we know that much about him. He remains the eye through which we, the readers, encounter information, he's also still very much a naive babe in the woods, which I don't have a problem with, but still ....
Blake remains an inscrutable cypher not only to the reader but to Avery himself which begs the question as to why/how Avery remains in Blake's thrall. We've gotten glimpses of Blake but IMO not enough to sustain him as a character to love.
To add insult to injury the resolution of the mystery is beyond unsatisfying.
This takes place three years after Avery & Blake met and went adventuring in India. They're both back in England and, much to Avery's disappointment, they're back on a case. Disappointment because Avery would have wished that Blake had called for him but an an external forces was the one who effectuated the reunion. Generally I liked this, particularly because [a:Alex Wyndham 7238104 Alex Wyndham https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] delivers another fantastic audio, however I had some disappointment. REASONSA): There is a murder(s)/mystery but a giant bulk of the story reads more like literary fiction, dedicated to apprise the reader about early Victorian England and all it's complicated, Dickensian, serpentine history. All very interesting, truly, but unimportant to purported mystery.B): Blake remains an omniscient & inscrutable cypher. We know nothing about him. His thoughts are only occasionally made explicit, the why's we can only intuit. How he feels about Avery we can only extrapolate. Despite the passage of time and his experiences in India & Afghanistan Avery remains a bit of a naif, aimless & lost, and he moons over Blake like a mesmerized calf. I do appreciate that though a good man Avery is very much a man of his times and station. Maybe I read too much romance but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping something develops between Avery & Blake in the next book. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that that's a strong incentive to go on, that and I already own Bk.3, which seems to be the last, but I'm prepared to disappointed.
Tagging this story as age-gap & fake bodyguard is really a disservice to a really lovely romance between two adults. Sebastian is 48 and Trent is 37. They're both modern Hollywood creatures, a producer and an actor respectively. To my mind ten years is all but irrelevant in these times and particularly in this milieu. It's also clear to me that the usual romance problems of modern day twenty somethings, or those that behave like them, bore me silly (when they don't outright annoy me) whereas I loved this. I liked that Sebastian is unapologetically who he is, a Hollywood producer with all that implies. Trent is an actor who hasn't ‘made it' in ten years living on the West Coast, but he's still adorably naive or rather his soul is still whole. These two come together at a propitious time in both of their lives.Sebastian's professional life is going swimmingly, but his personal life? Not so much. He hasn't had a meaningful relationship in years and now his beloved ex, Gray from [b:Starting from Zero 44179170 Starting from Zero (Starting From #1) Lane Hayes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1551710698l/44179170.SY75.jpg 68722278], is getting married. While Seb is happy for Gray it's undeniable that an era has ended, Gray has moved on but Seb is kind of stuck in stasis.Trent is dabbling in stunt work as acting roles have been more than elusive. To supplement his income he works as waiter, in other words the usual. They come together in an amusing but believable way and the rest of the relationship develops pretty organically. It's actually a stroke of genius that Trent is in the business and so doesn't throw tantrums when Sebastian has to make certain moves or arrangements. It's nice to see Trent integrate rather smoothly into Sebastian's family circle even when they're still deluding themselves that their relationship is of the short shelf-life variety. If you're here for the smexy times [a:Lane Hayes 7125719 Lane Hayes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1601401159p2/7125719.jpg] has got you covered with romance & tenderness to boot. Lovely ❤️❤️❤️The icing on this goodness cake is [a:Michael Ferraiuolo 13467952 Michael Ferraiuolo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1498214961p2/13467952.jpg]'s wonderful narration.
