#awishforwinter #violashipman #nancypeterson #theinheritance #lostbridetrilogy1 #noraroberts #brittanypressley #widowlake #ritaherron #tanyaeby #theroadtowardshome #corinnedemas #daviddevries #erinbennett
The month of January holds a different meaning for each of us. For some, it’s “Dry” January. For others, it’s time to start that new diet, or that new work-out routine, or time to begin checking off those resolutions made back in December. For those of us at LLL, it’s just another excuse to curl up with a new book whether it be digital, hard cover, paper back, or audio. There’s nothing better to ward off the winter doldrums than a good romance, or a compelling mystery, or my favorite – a psychological thriller. I have to confess, I didn’t spend quite as much time listening as I might have wished, but I did manage to finish up my one and only holiday book, begin a new trilogy, experiment with an enticing series, and listen to a really sweet palette cleanser.
By Viola Shipman
Narrated by Nancy Peterson
A Wish for Winter is really a Christmas story because the storyline revolves around a woman whose parents and grandparents met while wearing Santa costumes. If that sounds cheesy, let me assure you that author Viola Shipman has written a heart-warming story with a lot of life lessons and very little cheese. Susan Norcross has just turned 40, and having come to one of life’s crossroads, she is examining every aspect of her life which includes good friends, a healthy lifestyle, and a satisfying career. Yes, there has been tragedy, and there is the obvious lack of a man in her life, but Susan is open to change, and what could be more of a change than to meet her own Santa? I think this is the perfect listen for the holiday season and narrator Nancy Peterson delivers a perfect performance of this book as well as the bonus story at the end. If your Christmas wish is for more happiness and joy, then your wishes will come true with this book.
The Inheritance: The Lost Bride Trilogy, Book 1
By Nora Roberts
Narrated by Brittany Pressley, Foreword by Nora Roberts
Although it is untimely and unexpected, Sonya MacTavish has reached a turning point in her life. Her faithless finance has not only been caught in bed with her cousin, but he has done everything within his power to make it impossible for her to continue working with him in the same company where they are both employed. She is an emotional wreck, and her financial future is uncertain. What better time to learn that she has inherited a family she never knew existed as well as a haunted house and a substantial fortune? Nora Roberts herself voices a foreword to the story which is the first installment in a trilogy. Inheritance has it all: a romance, a mystery, ghosts both malevolent and benign, and, best of all, there are adorable dogs. There are good-looking guys and faithful besties, but the real star is the house Sonya has inherited and which she loves, but will the past with its good and evil allow her to live her life there when others have not survived? There is a bit of a cliffhanger, but since we are prepared for this book to be the first of three installments, we aren’t left wanting to stick pins in our eyes after the last chapter. Brittany Pressley turns in an exceptional performance and the storyline is on par with what we’ve come to expect from author Nora Roberts.
Widow Lake: Ellie Reeves, Book 8
By Rita Herron
Narrated by Tanya Eby
As you may have noticed, Widow Lake is book 8 in a series. The good news is that you won’t have a problem with continuity if you haven’t listened to or read the first 7 books. The bad news is – and this is a spoiler alert, sort of – there is an irritating cliffhanger of an ending, and I really dislike cliffhangers!!!! No, I don’t insist on a tidy, tied-up ending or a HEA, but when I get to the edge of the cliff, I want to know whether the characters fell over the edge to their collective deaths or backed up and went another way for better or worse. There is a lot of murder and mayhem in this book, and there are psychos and serial killers galore. There are dead bodies all over the place, and the bodies are the guilty and the innocent. In the author’s defense, there is a sweetly satisfying conclusion for one of the characters, and overall, the story is well-written, held my attention, and kept me guessing. The narration by Tanya Eby was predictably good since she has a gift for voices. But, a word to author Rita Herron … it really isn’t necessary for you to lure me into reading your next book by leaving me teetering on the edge of a cliff. If your characters are well-developed and your stories are well-written, I will want to read your series.
By Corinne Demas
Narrated by David de Vries and Erin Bennett
My late father had a word for anything that he found particularly pleasing, and I’m going to use his word “delightful” to describe Corinne Demas’s novel which might be subtitled “Can a Crusty Curmudgeon Find Happiness With a Sassy Widow?” The Road Towards Home might also qualify as a second chance romance, except Noah Shilling and Casssandra Joyce were never actually romantically involved even though they were college acquaintances. Now fate has decreed that after they’ve travelled that long and winding road called life, they find themselves living in the same retirement facility, and even though Clarion Court is very high-end, neither of them is entirely satisfied with the living arrangements. When the proverbial “up-grade” is scheduled for the facility, Noah invites Cassandra to spend the time with him at his beach cottage, and their stay there becomes a learning experience for both of them. Will it be possible for them to lay the past to rest, to heal old family wounds, and move forward together, or are they doomed to live out their lives in a place where they are lonely but never alone? David de Vries and Erin Bennett are brilliant as they alternate voices between Noah’s and Cassandra’s perspectives. I think, like my daddy, you will also find this story “delightful.”
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