My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Author: K.J. Larsen

Narrator: Vanessa Hart

Length: 7 hrs., 18 mins.

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary: Sticks and stones may break my bones – or they might actually kill me.

What does a woman do when she discovers her husband is an incurable cheater? If she’s Cat DeLuca, she launches the Pants on Fire Detective Agency. Now Cat does what two years of unholy matrimony taught her to do: she catches cheaters. When a client, Cleo Jones, shoots her cheating husband’s bum full of buckshot, he disappears, taking her money, dog, and sister with him. Private Investigator Cat DeLuca promises to retrieve the dog and money if her client stops shooting at Walter. Cleo agrees. The detective finds the dog and a mysterious bag full of cash. And then she finds Walter. His very dead body is still warm.

The case is a slam dunk for the cops who arrest Cleo for the killing. She had motive and opportunity, and a dozen witnesses heard her scream bloody murder. One even made a video.

Cat DeLuca is determined to prove her client’s innocence, and it’s not an easy job. Walter was an unsavory character. Over the years he had acquired numerous enemies. Now, Cat will have to sift through all the ones who didn’t pull the trigger. Her investigation leads to four players with secrets: a childhood friend, a gambler, a construction tycoon, and a legendary Chicago designer.

When forensic evidence suggests the detective knows more about the murder than she’s telling, Cat faces the certain loss of her agency.

Cat DeLuca is smart and charming, but she’s an unlikely heroine, and her partner, a beagle named Inga, is quite likely to eat the evidence. Sticks and Stones delivers steamy romance, intrigue, and laugh-out-loud humor for a wickedly delicious read.

©2011 K. J. Larsen (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

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Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed above are mine and mine alone.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author: Darynda Jones

Narrator: Lorelei King

Length: 9 hrs., 51 mins.

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Publisher’s Summary: Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she’s drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the parthuman, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hellbent on murder when the devil’s son just won’t give up?

My Review: Third Grave Dead Ahead is the third installment of the Charley Davidson series from Darynda Jones. If you haven’t started this series, get over to Audible and get rolling!

I love the way Darynda writes and this audiobook is the best in the series thus far. Charley’s character continues to grow and we develop more in depth relationships with our favorites characters, Reyes, Cookie and Uncle Bob.

Charley is a private investigator by trade but she’s also the grim reaper. She always manages to help her clients with any unfinished business before crossing to “the other side”. She’s a shining light, like a beacon to her ghostly friends.

This audiobook starts with Charley fighting to keep herself awake. Since binding Reyes to his corporeal body, he’s been visiting her in her sleep and “disrupting” her attempts to get a good night’s rest. He’s strong and sexy as usual and he’s not going to let Charley forget it.

After being up for more than a week, Charley’s BFF Cookie and friend Garrett repeatedly try to get her butt to bed with no luck. Charley knows what will happen the second she drifts off to sleep. Reyes appears and rocks her world.

There’s so many things going on in this audiobook that you’re constantly on the thrill ride that Darynda Jones has created. Charley harbors a fugitive, takes on a missing person’s case, hides from dogs and still manages to stay alive.

Don’t worry about being confused by all of the action, Darynda weaves this together perfectly. To me, her writing is very similar to Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum lovers will love Darynda’s audiobooks.

I’m already chomping at the bit for book four in this series! Hopefully they won’t make us wait too long to see what happens next. I wouldn’t say Third Grave Dead Ahead left us at a huge cliffhanger, but it definitely left me begging for more! Add this audiobook to your to-do list, you won’t be sorry.

Narrator Review: I’m so accustomed to listening to Lorelei King’s voice that it’s like listening to an old friend. She’s narrated a few of my favorite authors and I always smile when I get to listen to Lorelei’s work. She flows seamlessly between characters and makes my favorite character, Charley of course, shine throughout the performance. Lorelei can easily jump from male to female voices and you’d think there were two narrators working together. I can’t say enough wonderful things, Lorelei is a great narrator!

Download Third Grave Dead Ahead now!

Disclosure: I downloaded this audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed above are mine and mine alone.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Author: Janet Evanovich

Narrator: C.J. Critt

Length: 9 hrs., 1 min.

Publisher: Harper Audio

Publisher’s Summary: Buckle your seat belts. New York Times best-selling author Janet Evanovich is moving into the fast lane with Metro Girl, a thrilling, high-octane misadventure with high stakes, hot nights, cold-blooded murder, sunken treasure, a woman with a chassis built for speed, and one very good, very sexy NASCAR driver who’s along for the ride.

“Wild” Bill Barnaby’s dropped off the face of the earth and big sister Alex heads for Miami, Bill’s last known sighting, on a harrowing hunt to save her brother…and maybe the world. Truth is, Alex has been bailing her brother out of trouble since they were kids. Not that Bill’s a bad sort. More that he acts first and thinks later. Unfortunately, this time around, Wild Bill will be Dead Bill if Alex doesn’t find him in time.

Alex blasts through the bars of South Beach and points her search to Key West and Cuba, laying waste to Miami hit men, dodging Palmetto bugs big enough to eat her alive, and putting the pedal to the metal with NASCAR driver Sam Hooker.

Engaged in a deadly race, Wild Bill has “borrowed” Hooker’s sixty-five foot Hatteras and sailed off into the sunset…just when Hooker has plans for the boat. Hooker figures he’ll attach himself to Alex and maybe run into Bill. Maybe Hooker can salvage what’s left of his vacation. And maybe Hooker’ll get lucky in love with Bill’s sweetie-pie sister. After all, Hooker is NASCAR Guy. And NASCAR Guy is good at revving a woman’s engine.

The race to the finish is hot and hard, taking Alex and Hooker into international waters, exposing a plot to grab Cuban gold and a sinister relic of the Cuban missile crises. Creative cussing and sexual innuendo included.

©2004 Janet Evanovich; (P)2004 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

My Review: Metro Girl was another fun listen by Janet Evanovich. This audiobook starts a new series featuring two new hilarious characters, Alex “Barney” Barnaby and Sam “NASCAR guy” Hooker.

To be honest, yes they are a lot like her previous characters Stephanie Plum, Joe Morelli and Ranger, but still a great audiobook. I’d listen to audiobooks with characters like these all day long!

The laughs roll as we follow Barney and Hooker as they track down her brother and his beloved boat, The Happy Hooker. Things get more and more interesting as they deal with deranged Cubans, an old high school friend Judey and a few cigar rolling ladies.

I promise not to delve any further into the story since the publisher’s summary gives so much away, instead I’ll assure you this was a fun listen. Janet Evanovich has a knack for making lovable, funny characters and she’s done that in this audiobook. This would be a great listen for a road trip!

Narrator Review: It was great to listen to C.J. Critt again having previously listened to her in an early Stephanie Plum novel. Her narration of Metro Girl was great and she does an excellent “redneck” voice for Hooker.

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My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Author: Victoria Laurie

Narrator: Elizabeth Michaels

Length: 11 hrs., 2 mins.

Publisher: Audible, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary: Word of Abby’s talents reading tarot cards has reached a mob boss who wants her help in some business matters and he doesn’t take no for an answer. When the police seek out her psychic intuition to shed light on a masked man who’s been attacking women, Abby finds herself working both sides of the law on her own, leading her to wonder, why didn’t I see this coming?

©2005 Victoria Laurie (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

My Review: Better Read Than Dead is the second audiobook in the Psychic Eye series by Victoria Laurie and was better than the first! I really enjoy Abby’s personality and willingness to help others, even though it bites her in the butt most of the time.

Abby has agreed to help out her pal and fellow psychic Kendal with a huge job, reading tarot cards for an entire wedding reception. Abby doesn’t “do” tarot cards, but Kendal promises to teach her in a quickie course. She agrees, but only because she feels obligated. Kendal took on her work load recently while she recovered from an attack (listen to the previous book for the deets!).

Thankfully, Abby picks up tarot card reading pretty easily with Kendal’s help and the first few reads are easy for her. Then she flips the death card on a masked man… then her “crew” of guides in her head disappear… and this man is a killer! Whew, I love the drama!

I can’t forget about good ‘ole Dutch. The blue-eyed stud is back in this audiobook and is still the apple of Abby’s eye. He’s finished his FBI training at Quantico and is on his first undercover assigment as an agent. When Abby meets his partner, things don’t click and Abby makes sure Dutch knows it.

I love the relationship between these characters. Dutch cares so deeply for Abby, but sometimes she has trouble seeing it. She may be a psychic, but she’s definitely not a relationship expert. The spats between the two are great.

I was hoping for a little more relationship growth between Abby and Dutch, but I think in time, that will come. We did learn lots more about Dutch’s former partner Milo! He seems to be an upstanding guy, and one hell of a detective.

I really loved this audiobook and it was much better than the first in my opinion. Better Read Than Dead has so much action, humor and mystery packed into one great package. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the third audiobook.

Have I mentioned I’m a sucker for a great series?!

Narrator Review: Elizabeth Michaels gives another great narration in Better Read Than Dead. When Abby raises her voice to argue with Dutch or hides her emotions while she’s talking to Milo, you can feel the emotion through Elizabeth’s voice. She’s a great narrator and I enjoyed listening.

Download Better Read Than Dead: Psychic Eye Mysteries, Book Two now!

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Author: Mindy Kaling

Narrator: Mindy Kaling, Michael Schur

Length: 4 hrs., 37 mins.

Publisher: Random House Audio

Publisher’s Summary: Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”

Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!

In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

©2011 Mindy Kaling (P)2011 Random House

My Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) was a quick and fun listen. It’s just over four and half hours long but seemed so much shorter, probably because I was laughing so much. Author and actress Mindy Kaling is hilarious and tells it like it is in the world of show biz.

You’ll recognize Mindy on the cover of this audiobook as one of the funny girls from NBC’s The Office where she plays Kelly Kapoor. There she works along side of a few greats, Steve Carrell, Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski. Her comedy genius seems to come to her naturally, but it took her awhile to make it big in the wide world of Hollywood.

Mindy is hilarious as she tells stories of her life from childhood to the present. She doesn’t hold back on those embarrassing moments and fesses up to her strange encounters along the way.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is hilarious and made me want to go watch The Office to get more Mindy!

Narrator Review: As usual, I’m so happy that Mindy narrated her own audiobook. Her voice added to the humor of her stories. Mindy is a great narrator and was clear and well spoken throughout the audiobook.

Download Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? now!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author: John Green

Narrator: Kate Rudd

Length: 7 hours and 14 minutes

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Publishers Summary: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

©2012 John Green (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

My Review:

When you read the above publisher’s summary and decide to proceed with this book you pretty much know that you are about to go on an emotional roller coaster. However if you have read any of John Green’s previous work then you know that whatever darkness might be lurking in this book it will be upstaged by the humor, humanity, strength and the love for life of the main characters.

The Fault In Our Stars is 336 pages in print or 7 hours and 14 minutes in audio. However, it feels like a much bigger book. Not that I felt like it took a long time to finish because the complete opposite is true. It feels “bigger” because it feels important. TFIOS is the type of book that you read expecting just to be entertained only to finish it and look back realizing that this book is more than what it seamed.

You get the sense that TFIOS could help break down a lot of barriers. Barriers that are sometimes instinctively built between the healthy and the terminally ill. John Green’s experiences working as a chaplain in a children’s hospital seem to be distilled down into the pages of this book. TFIOS reminded me that sick kids are like any other kids. They most likely don’t want to be treated differently.. they probably just want to live what life they are blessed with to the fullest.

After listening to this book I loaded it onto my wife’s iPod. It was interesting to see the range of emotions she was experiencing as she listened to this book. One minute she would be near tears only to start laughing seconds later. At one of the more emotional times in the book she even told me that she almost wishes that I had never given her the book yet she couldn’t wait to finish it.

I think this is what the best books do to us. They make us feel. Then if we are lucky they provide an example of strength, character and an enduring love of life that we can only hope to emulate if we are placed in a similar situation.

Audio Production: I was an instant fan of Kate Rudd’s narration. She put forth an excellent performance in TFIOS. She managed to perfectly capture the spirit of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters. This is the first book that I have listened to that she has narrated. I will certainly be looking forward to more of her work in the future.

Overall:  John Green has a way of developing characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters are no exception. They will live with you long after you finish this book.

Personally, I believe this is John Green’s best book yet.  TFIOS is bound to exceed expectations of nerdfighters around the world. I know this nerd was blown away!

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this audiobook from the publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Author: Gayle Forman

Narrator: Kirsten Potter

Length: 5 hrs., 2 mins.

Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks

Publisher’s Summary: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck.

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make – and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

©2009 Dutton Juvenile; (P)2009 Penguin

My Review: If I Stay was riveting from the first few moments. This audiobook focuses on Mia and the tragedy that has become her life. She lives a great life with loving parents and her brother, Teddy. Her boyfriend Adam and best friend Kim only add to her happiness. Mia’s an aspiring chellist and has already auditioned for Juilliard. Life is great until one snowy morning.

I won’t go into too much detail, because a tidbit would give away too much. If I Stay is full of raw emotions and got me teary more than once. For a 17-year-old girl to be forced to make choices that are way beyond her years is saddening.

This was a great listen and I look forward to listening to the second book in this series, Where She Went. If I Stay may be tagged as young adult, but it’s definitely for YA and up! I enjoyed author Gayle Forman’s writing style and the personality she gave to Mia.

Narrator Review: Narrator Kirsten Potter has the perfect voice for Mia. She seemed to voice all of the characters with ease and wove the story together well. She added so much emotion to Mia’s voice, especially at the end of the audiobook. Great listen!

Download If I Stay now!

My Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Author: Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker

Narrator: Kevin King

Length: 9 hrs., 38 mins.

Publisher: Oasis Audio

Publisher’s Summary: From the minds of multi-million selling suspense authors (Peretti & Dekker) comes House - an epic supernatural thriller that gives a new meaning to the phrase “haunted house.” Two couples vacationing in Alabama are pursued by a maniac killer who lures them to a vacant house which won’t let them leave. The “house” mirrors their own heart and souls and they must defeat the evil within.

©2007 Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti; (P)2009 Oasis Audio

My Review: House is a collabration of the great minds of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, both Christian and New York Time’s Best Selling authors. In the past, both of these authors have produced great novels that fall into the genres of mystery, thriller and paranormal.

I hate to say it, but House was a miss for me. The audiobook started off great as we met estranged couple, Jack and Stephanie traveling along a deserted highway to Montgomery, Alabama. After a few spats between the two and a run in with the police, all four tires are blown on their car after they run over something in the road. Thankfully, they’re not hurt by the accident and walk to the closest sign of civilization, The Wayside Inn.

The Wayside Inn looks beautiful and surrounded by nature in the dark of night when Jack and Steph approach the main entrance. They enter the inn and are greeted by silence until Randy and Leslie make their way down the stairs. Common knowledge leads Jack to believe they’re the owners, but sure enough, they’re not. They’re in the same position as Jack and Steph are; their car had all four tires blown and they walked to the nearest place where they could hopefully use a phone.

Figures, no phone in the inn. Really? The entire inn has no phone? Then the power goes off. Then creepy owners show up. Come on. Really? Get the hell out… NOW. Haven’t you people watched a scary movie before? Duh! I was intrigued with this audiobook until this point and then it slipped into one big blur. Things got weird.

The authors bounce between characters and points of view that don’t blend worth a hoot. One second we’re Jack.. Oh! Now we’re Steph. Oh, let’s jump to another female, Leslie. Weird. Really weird.

I can’t forget to mention the so-called change of heart in the characters. We started the audiobook with two couples, right? Jack and Stephanie and Randy and Leslie. Well forget that! They pull the old switcher-roo and Leslie decides she’s in love with Jack. Yup.. she LOVES him after just a few hours. Maybe she’s 12 and Jack is a Justin Beiber lookalike.

Point blank, I didn’t like this audiobook. I had such high hopes for this one after the first hour but things went downhill fast. Confusing… very confusing. And weird. Did I say weird already? In my opinion, this isn’t Christian fiction. And it isn’t a thriller. Mystery? Maybe, mostly since I was so dang confused.

Narrator Review: The narration of House was the one and only high point for me. Kevin King was flawless as he narrated this bunch of crazies. The best character? By far, Betty. His narration made me picture Momma (aka Ann Ramsey) from Throw Momma From the Train and she fit Betty to a T. Great, great narration by King.

Download House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker now!

To read my full review of Life in the Slow Lane, go here! This audiobook is published by Coolbeat Audiobook Publishing.

Publisher’s Summary: A satirical telling of the author’s experiences as a Drivers Ed instructor. Being an instructor for a private Drivers Education company sounded like the launch of a career that would last a lifetime…. Not! Thomas’s “carma”, was a short, but colorful, stint in the instructor’s seat. The author learned more than he wanted about driving cars better suited for the junk yard, nice kids with angry parents, suburban angst, and being a buckled-in therapist. It’s an irreverent account of one man’s descent from hope to a struggle to escape the chaos of subprime suburbia. Life in the Slow Lane celebrates the humor, resolve, and intelligence teenagers use to survive the dysfunctional world their elders have created. Let’s just say they were lucky to have Thomas controlling the brakes.

©2011 CoolBeat Audiobooks (P)2011 CoolBeat Audiobooks

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My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Author: Betty White

Narrator: Betty White

Length: 2 hrs., 17 mins.

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Publisher’s Summary: It-girl Betty White delivers a hilarious, slyly profound take on love, life, celebrity, and everything in between.

Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White’s wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. If You Ask Me mixes her thoughtful observations with humorous stories from a seven- decade career in Hollywood. Longtime fans and new fans alike will relish Betty’s candid take on everything from her rumored crush on Robert Redford (true) to her beauty regimen (“I have no idea what color my hair is and I never intend to find out”) to the Facebook campaign that helped persuade her to host Saturday Night Live despite her having declined the hosting job three times already.

Featuring all-new material, with a focus on the past 15 years of her life, If You Ask Me is funny, sweet, and to the point – just like Betty White.

©2011 Betty White (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Narrator Review: I can’t imagine anyone else narrating this book! Betty White’s distinct narration took this audiobook above and behind my expectations. Listening to Betty read her book to me added so much more than if I had read the book myself. That’s one of the reasons why I love audiobooks! Narrators bring things to life. They make the movie in your head more vivid and alive. Great job to Betty, she’s a wonderful actress.

Download If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) now!