Audiobook Review: My Last Continent by Midge Raymond

My Last Continent by Midge Raymond

Unabridged, 8 hr. 55 min.

Simon & Schuster Audio

Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

June 21, 2016

★★★★★

 

Genre: General Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Source: Received download code for review from publisher

It is only at the end of the world—among the glacial mountains, cleaving icebergs, and frigid waters of Antarctica—where Deb Gardner and Keller Sullivan feel at home. For the few blissful weeks they spend each year studying the habits of emperor and Adélie penguins, Deb and Keller can escape the frustrations and sorrows of their separate lives and find solace in their work and in each other. But Antarctica, like their fleeting romance, is tenuous, imperiled by the world to the north. 

A new travel and research season has just begun, and Deb and Keller are ready to play tour guide to the passengers on the small expedition ship that ferries them to their research destination. But this year, Keller fails to appear on board. Then, shortly into the journey, Deb’s ship receives an emergency signal from the Australis, a cruise liner that has hit desperate trouble in the ice-choked waters of the Southern Ocean. Soon Deb’s role will change from researcher to rescuer; among the crew of that sinking ship, Deb learns, is Keller.

As Deb and Keller’s troubled histories collide with this catastrophic present, Midge Raymond’s phenomenal novel takes us on a voyage deep into the wonders of the Antarctic and the mysteries of the human heart. My Last Continent is packed with emotional intelligence and high stakes—a harrowing, searching novel of love and loss in one of the most remote places on earth, a land of harsh beauty where even the smallest missteps have tragic consequences.

I know this isn’t my usual reviewing genre, but I just loved this book SO much that I just had to try to put it into words and share with you all so you can enjoy it yourself. This is a contemporary set story with romantic elements, and while the greater story arc does revolve around the relationship between two characters, it didn’t read like your typical romance – you know where you know there will be a happily ever after no matter what and the wooing and pursuit of the other person. I didn’t even realize it was categorized as a romance when I selected this title, I was simply excited about the vastly different setting of Antarctica and was drawn in by the prospect of the looming disaster of a ship sinking.

One of the things you will notice right from the start is that it is not told in a linear nature, but rather each chapter is a point in time relative to the sinking of the Australis (ie. 5 months before the sinking, 3 days before the sinking). You may jump for a point in Deb’s life 10 years before the sinking to 5 hours before the sinking in the next chapter and then back to 2 years before. While I can sometimes find this style of jumping all over the timeline to be confusing, especially if they just title the chapters with dates, this worked here. I was easily able to follow where Deb was in her life and how it built upon what she would be experiencing the closer be get to the crash or why she made certain choices that she did.

For a place that I have certainly never been anywhere near (and not experienced on the page either), Raymond brought the continent of Antarctica to vivid life. It is not a friendly place to be at all; the weather changes in an instant and you are taking your life in your hands simply traveling there. The descriptions of glacial ice, snow storms, and the frigid nature of just daily life were palpable and I was transported there within just a few pages. If the author has never travelled there I would tell you that I didn’t believe it. I think part of the intrigue for this story was simply just how exotic the setting was for me.

As to what this book is about, it’s about so many different things that it is hard to describe. The overarching story arc is the relationship between Deb and Keller and how that’s affected by their work in Antarctica and when they are apart, and don’t have that place to connect them, how their relationship changes. Scaled down a bit is the story of the changing environment of Antarctica seen through the perspective of the wildlife that lives there. Deb and Keller are researchers and are studying penguin colonies that call this frigid land home. You get a lot of information about the wildlife, but it never felt like an infodump or being too preachy about protecting the environment (even though that is there too). There are also some smaller storylines involving some of the passengers and crewmembers on the ship that Deb works from, which become important at times.

I’m going to warn you that this story will pull at your heartstrings and probably require a tissue or two. It’s one of the best books I have read recently and I would recommend it far and wide.

★★★★★

Cassandra Campbell is a top rated narrator and loved by many audiobook listeners. This is the first title I have read from her, although I have picked up several more titles she has narrated since reading this. Not only is the narrative excellent, but the way Campbell reads the story amps up everything: the passion, the fear, and the adrenaline pumping action moments. I believed her as the voice of Deb. She pulled me through this novel and made me never want to put it down.

You can listen to a sample of this awesome narration below:


Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Book Chatter
• This Literary Life

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia


Also by Midge Raymond:

Forgetting English (short story collection)


 
Find Midge Raymond: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Find Cassandra Campbell: Twitter | Goodreads

 
 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo
Book 2 in the Adventures with Jane Austen and Her Legacy series

Paperback, 272 pages

Guideposts Books

February 1, 2010

★★★½☆☆

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Source: Received for review from publicist

“Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister’s behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn’t looking for Mr. Anyone. She's been dating Neil, a nice, if a bit negligent, sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy, leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated authors own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennett. Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's journey to finding her own romantic lead. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the story of a woman who finds that love isn’t logical and that a true hero can appear in the most unexpected of places” .

Honestly, I have to admit up front, I am not a huge Jane Austen fan. I haven’t read any of her books and haven’t really felt a desire to. After I accepted this book, I wasn’t really sure I would enjoy it – my only exposure to Austen’s work was the Kiera Knightly Pride & Prejudice film. I am happy to admit that I really enjoyed this book and found myself interested in reading the actual Pride & Prejudice book.

One of the interesting aspects of this story was the premise that Claire finds a first draft of P & P that was nothing like what the published version was. Now of course I don’t know what the real writing was like, but I felt like Pattillo did a great job of creating her own version of what the first draft might have been like. The story was definitely different than the final version.

My only problem with the story was that I didn’t feel anything for the 2 men that Claire is forced to choose between. I really liked Claire and her felt for her, but the author didn’t seem to develop the male characters enough for me to really feel the struggle.

Interestingly I found some connections between this book and another book I read last year, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. The story was set in an academic setting with the main character searching for a book that had been passed down and hidden from someone who wants it. But I think Physick Book carried it off better.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the original work so that I could compare the “first draft” to the real book, but still very enjoyable. I am thinking of picking up Jane Austen Ruined My Life by the same author.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Austenprose
• Dear Author

Buy the Book:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Beth Pattillo:

Jane Austen Ruined My Life (Book 1)

The Dashwood Sisters Tell All (Book 3)

Find Beth Pattillo: Website | Twitter | Facebook 

 

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

Book 1 in the Accidental Demon Slayer series

Mass Market Paperback, 292 pages

Lovespell

July 29, 2008
★★★★☆

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: Personal Collection

"Newly anointed with demon-fighting powers and suddenly able to hear the thoughts of her hilarious Jack Russell terrier, a preschool teacher finds a whole new world of dark and dangerous, including a sexy shape-shifting griffin she's not entirely sure she can trust."

The Accidental Demon Slayer is the first book in a 5 book series about Lizzie, a preschool teacher, who’s motorcycle riding grandmother shows up at her house and a demon appears on her toilet soon after. Lizzie is suddenly thrust into this world of witches, spells, demons, her dog talks and most importantly demon slayers. Her grandmother is suddenly taken hostage by a powerful demon and Lizzie must quickly learn how she can save her. Oh, and did I mention, Lizzie has the hots for a very good looking shape shifter named Dimetri?

This is the second book that I have read by Angie Fox – I read the second book, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers first. You can read my review of that book here. Both of these books are so much fun. Lizzie has no idea what is happening in her new world and it is hilarious watching her try. Her grandmother and her group of biker witches are a hoot. The sexual tension between Lizzie and Dimetri is sizzling – exactly what I am looking for in a romance. Fox writes with a witty humor and has a solid understanding of the paranormal world. A delicious break from historical fiction.

The third book in this series, A Tale of Two Demon Slayers, will be released January 26, 2010. I will have an interview with Angie and a giveaway around that time, so stay tuned! Angie is such a sweet person.

 

You can read the first chapter of The Accidental Demon Slayer here.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• All About Romance
• Armchair Interviews

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Angie Fox

There are several other books is this fun little series, including those below:

The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers (Book 2)
[My Review]

A Tale of Two Demon Slayers (Book 3)

Last of the Demon Slayers (Book 4)

I Brake for Biker Witches (Book 4.5)

My Big Fat Demon Slayer Wedding (Book 5)

The Tenth Dark Lord A'Leaping (Book 5.5)

Beverly Hills Demon Slayer (Book 6)

Night of the Living Demon Slayer (Book 7)

Date with a Demon Slayer (Book 7.5)

 

Find Angie Fox: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

 

Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: Smitten by Janet Evanovich

Smitten by Janet Evanovich

Book 2 in the Elsie Hawkins series
Unabridged, 4 hr. 56 mins.

Harper Audio

C. J. Critt (narrator)

July 19, 2006

★★★★☆

Heat Level:

Genre: Romance, Audiobook

Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Library

“Single mom Lizabeth Kane isn't exactly carpenter material -- she's never picked up a hammer in her life. But she desperately needs the construction job that builder Matt Hallahan is offering. And even though he knows trouble is ahead, Matt can't refuse Lizbeth's irresistible smile.

Matt Hallahan isn't exactly relationship material -- he has always been too busy working on other people's houses to make a home of his own. And even though she knows better, Lizabeth can't stop thinking about the rugged carpenter.

Is the relationship Matt and Lizabeth are building solid -- or more like a house of cards?”

Now this was what I was looking for in a romance and I found it in a very unexpected place (a random pull off of the library shelf)!

Lizbeth is a newly single mother of two young boys who needs to find a way to make a living. She tries looking everywhere – but she is either over or under qualified. She makes a last ditch, rash, effort and applies for a job as…a carpenter? Now who saw that coming?

Lizbeth does not make a great carpenter – but not for wont of trying. But…her boss is the gorgeous Matt Hallahan, whom she soon starts to fall for. The budding romance story is set amongst two energetic kids, a crazy Aunt Elsie who comes to stay for the summer, a flasher who is a repeat offender, a construction scene, and an ex husband who is looking for a power struggle. How will romance survive all of this?

I very much enjoyed this story. There were many comedic scenes that occur on the construction site. Aunt Elsie is the craziest character that I have seen in awhile. One of the things that made this book so enjoyable was that the emotions of the characters and the life that they were living through were so real! This was a very short book and it left me wanting more…to know what would happen next.

I also found what was lacking in the other romance novels that I read…ROMANCE! There were tasteful sex scenes and sweet, tender moments shared between the characters that kept it rooted in reality.

I would definitely read another one of Evanovich’s romances.

★★★★★

C. J. Critt, the narrator, has a voice that at first can sort of grate on you nerves - at least that was what I thought - but as you go along you get used to it. She is also very talented at giving each character their own distinct voice and she really makes an already fun story more enjoyable.

You can preview a short sample of the audiobook (links to Audible)

If you are interested in this novel, why not read this excerpt?

Buy the Book: Amazon | B&N | RJ Julia

Also by Janet Evanovich:

Janet Evanovich has penned many, many novels, and among the romance novels are the following in the Elsie Hawkins sub-series:

Back to the Bedroom (book 1)


Wife for Hire (book 3)


The Rocky Road to Romance (book 4)

Find Janet Evanovich: Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter




Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Paperback, 615 pages

Vintage UK

May 29, 2004

★★★★★

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Time Slip

 

Source: Personal Collection

“When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. Henry and Clare's attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it's about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time.”

Henry DeTamble is just your thirtysomething average guy – he’s a librarian, is in a relationship, and likes to go out and have a few drinks – except he time travels at any given moment and leaves a pile of clothes behind, and when he comes back he is absolutely naked!
Clare Abshire is your average little girl – she has picnics in the meadow, goes to school, and lives in a huge house – except a naked older man shows up in the meadow one day and tells her he’s a time traveler!

The first time Clare meets Henry he is time traveling – 14 years later she meets him in his present time.  A romance grows between them and Henry and Clare attempt to work out a life together dealing with his time traveling.

For me, this was my first book that really involved time travel.  Henry couldn’t control his time traveling and never knowing when it was going to happen always made for interesting occasions.  Also, showing up somewhere naked can really put a cramp in trying to go unnoticed - it can also end up being quite dangerous.  One of the things that I enjoyed about this novel was that we get to see how time traveling effects those that Henry loves - the fear that comes with not knowing if he will come back ok.  I think this is the first time I ever thought of time travel as something where you could get hurt and not return in the same condition in which you left.  The time travel aspect was integrated into the folds of the story entirely - it never felt like it was just thrown in there for kicks. 

With all of this time traveling, occasionally it was difficult to keep track of where in time he was and what he should or should not know at this time.  As stated in the blurb above - Henry meets Clare when she is 6 and he is much older - so she has known him her whole life, but for Henry, time is not linear so he sometimes is very confused as to what he knows. 

I was dreading the end of this book as it approached.  I became so attached to Clare and Henry that I didn’t want it to end.  I must warn you, this book is a tear jerker – at several points throughout the book.  I absolutely loved this book.  The characters are so real, true events are used, and the basic rules of time travel are addressed as well.  The 600 pages just flew by!  The book is also written in a humorous way – just wait for the part about Henry’s dreams, I couldn’t stop laughing.

This novel does have many romance elements but it isn’t the main focus and I would recommend this to anyone – men and women alike – everyone will find something to enjoy. 

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Bookslut
• The Romance Reader

Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Audrey Niffenegger:

Her Fearful Symmetry [My Review]

Find Audrey Niffenegger: Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

I will hopefully have a review of the movie posted this weekend. I was waiting until I finished the book to go see it!

I also will be going to a book signing with Audrey Niffenegger at the beginning of October!

Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: Five Days in Paris by Danielle Steel

 

Five Days in Paris by Danielle Steel

Unabridged, 8 hr.

Random House Audio

Victor Garber (Narrator)

September 28, 2004

★★★½☆☆

Heat Level:

Genre: Romance

Source: Borrowed from the Library

‘”As president of a major pharmaceutical empire, Peter Haskell has everything: power, position, and a family that means everything to him. Compromise has been key in Peter Haskell’s life, and integrity is the base on which he lives. Olivia Thatcher is the wife of a famous senator. She has given to her husband’s ambition and career until her soul is bone-dry. She is trapped in a web of duty and obligation, married to a man she once loved and no longer even knows.

Accidentally, they meet in Paris. Their totally different lives converge for one magical moment in the Place Vendôme, as Olivia carefully, silently, steps out of her life and walks away. Peter follows her, and in a café in Montmartre, their hearts are laid bare. Peter, once so certain of his path, is suddenly faced with a professional future in jeopardy. Olivia is no longer sure of anything except that she can’t go on anymore.

Five days in Paris is all they have. They go back to their separate lives, but nothing is the same. Everything they believe is put on the line, until they each realize they must stand fast against compromise and face life’s challenges head-on.”

The course of life can be changed in just a few short days. This is exactly what happens in Five Days in Paris. Peter is a well to do businessman in the pharmaceutical world. While on a trip to Paris for testing of their new drug Peter meets a woman, Olivia, whom he finds very intriguing. Peter is married and has a great family (or so he thinks); his father-in-law owns the company that he works for. Olivia is the wife of a high-reaching politician. Both of them are vastly unhappy. In the five days that Peter is in Paris he comes to some shocking revelations about his life, with the help of Olivia. How will his life change…or remain the same…when he returns home?

This was another one of my audio book endeavors. The exposition of the book was very, very long. I felt like it dragged on describing Peter’s background and early life experiences. There really was no action that occurred. This description would end up being important to the main plot of the story but I almost turned it off because it was quite boring. Once the main part of the story was reached, I enjoyed the story of Peter and Olivia. It is not your typical romance, quite unconventional. I could see the ending coming a mile away but thought that it was very well played out.

I’m not sure that this author is my cup-of-tea but my first experience was ok.

★★★★★

 

I have to say, I absolutely love Victor Garber, so you can only imagine how excited I was to find out that he was narrating this book. He has an amazing voice to begin with and he made the listening experience enjoyable, even if I didn't love the story he was telling.  I could pretty much find the telephone book an enthralling read if Garber was reading it!

You can listen to a sample from the audiobook at Audible.com.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

Other blogger reviews of this book:

• History and Other Thoughts

Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Danielle Steel:
Author Danielle Steel also has written many other books – you can find a complete list here. 

Find Danielle Steel: Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook | Blog
 

Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox

The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox
Book 2 in the Accidental Demon Slayer series

Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Love Spell

April 28, 2009

★★★★★

 

 

Heat Level:

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Series

Source: Passed on by Marie at Burton Book Review for Review

"Demon slaying powers should come with an instruction book ... 

Seriously. Why does a new hair dryer have a twelve-page how-to manual, but when it comes to ancient demon-fighting hocus-pocus, my biker witch granny gives me just half a dozen switch stars and a rah-rah speech? Oh, and a talking terrier, but that's another story. It's not like my job as a preschool teacher prepared me for this kind of thing. 

So I've decided to write my own manual, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, because no one tells me anything. Dimitri, my "protector," may be one stud of a shape-shifting griffin, but he always thinks he can handle everything by himself. Only he's no match for the soul-stealing succubi taking over Las Vegas. If I can't figure out how to save him - and Sin City - there'll be hell to pay."

First, I feel like I need to discuss why I read this book. I understand that this is very different from the things that I normally read/review. Marie from The Burton Review asked for a volunteer to read/review this book because she did not have enough time to read it. I volunteered and am really happy I did. This book was so much fun and I really enjoyed it! (Thanks Marie!)

Ok, now onto some details about this book. This is actually the second book in a series. The first book is called The Accidental Demon Slayer and that is the name of the series as well. I am pretty sure that there is going to be another one as well. I have not read the first book but that didn’t seem to be a problem while reading this one. There was just enough information to give a new reading background into what happened in the first book, but not so much that a series reader would feel like it was redundant. I definitely will be picking up the first book to find out more to the stories they touched on.

This type of book is not my typical style read, but I enjoyed it right from the beginning. Right off the bat it reminded me of the TV show Charmed, in the sense that she is new to the paranormal world and is fighting demons. The main character, Lizzie, is a pre-school teacher who just a month ago found out she is a demon slayer. She is a perfectionist who likes to plan EVERYTHING out (just like me) and is finding that hard to handle with her new “job”. She finds out that her uncle has been taken by succubi (female demons who are empowered by sex) who have some plan to destroy the world. Lizzie’s major problem is that she is still learning how to manage being a slayer and how she is going to save the world (at least she has some help from her boyfriend, a shape-shifting griffin, and her grandmother’s biker gang of witches). I think the funniest part was when she was taking the test for her slayer’s license (imagine the worst case scenario at a driver’s license test). This is the paranormal part.

I think the romance portion of the genre is stressed a little less. There are 2 sex scenes in the book but I felt that they were used tastefully and both served a purpose. They were an integral part at moving the plot along and actually were very important to the paranormal part.

I read this book in 3 days, which is SUPER FAST for me. I just couldn’t put it down and the end of the chapter always left me wanting more. For someone new to paranormal this book was very good at describing what these different types of creatures were and what they could do. It was easy to understand and follow. I really enjoyed reading this book because it was something different and I could totally escape into the fantasy of it. This book was also absolutely hilarious. The main character is sarcastic and the characters are written humorously.

Read an EXCERPT of the book.

Other blogger reviews of this book:

• Medieval Bookworm
• Opinions of a Wolf

Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Angie Fox:

The Accidental Demon Slayer (Book 1)

[My Review]

 

A Tale of Two Demon Slayers (Book 3)

 

Last of the Demon Slayers (Book 4)

 

I Break for Biker Witches (Book 4.5)

 

My Big Fat Demon Slayer Wedding (Book 5)

 

The Tenth Dark Lord A'Leaping (Book 5.5)

 

Beverly Hills Demon Slayer (Book 6)

 

Night of the Living Demon Slayer (Book 7)

To Be Released in May 2015

 

Find Angie Fox: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter





Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court