Kindle Audiobook: The Ex, Shalini Boland

 

I enjoy her writing. Lovely twists.

This novel moves between two POVs. Jasmine, trapped in a marriage to Adam, who is an objectively awful human and emotionally abusive. Then Willow, who meets Gabe in a coffee shop and, against her better judgement, starts falling for him despite firmly not wanting a relationship.

A few too many repetitions.

3.8/5

*SPOILER BELOW*

Spoiler for myself to remind me: Jasmine is Willow. Gabe is obsessed with Priya, Willow's neighbour but dates Willow to get closer to Priya.

Kindle Audiobook: Dead in the Water, John Marrs

 

Yippee, John Marrs' latest book is out!

Such a fan of his work. Loads of twists and turns. Some I spotted, but I think the reader is meant to.

In this book we meet Damon who has a near death experience after which he hallucinates a dead boy. He then has four more death experiences and sees an additional dead person every time he comes back to life.

A link up with Laura who we met in The Good Samaritan.

4/5

Libby Audiobook: Vera Wong's

 

It's a sweet series.

Does get confusing with all the names.

Written in present tense.

Kindle Audiobook: Welcome to Cooper, Tariq Ashkanani

 

Did not enjoy this book. Narration was confusing and quite graphic in places re: eyes. Twist at the end, but I will not read the follow up.

2/5

Libby Audiobook: The Women, Kristin Hannah

 

Everyone seems to rave about The Women, and I really wanted to love it. Unpopular opinion, I did not.

I appreciated learning more about the Vietnam War, particularly the fact that the women, especially nurses, who served there were largely unrecognised on their return. That aspect felt important and overdue.

That said, while the novel is fiction rooted in real events, it never quite landed for me emotionally. I admired what it was trying to do more than I actually felt it. 

It is a good book, just not a great one for me.

At a push, 3.5 out of 5.

Libby Audiobook: Wishin' and Hopin', Wally Lamb

 

Sweet. Story about Grade 5 Felix's experience of life.

3/5

Libby Audiobook: The Things We Cannot Say, Kelly Rimmer

 

I enjoyed this audiobook of The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer.

Set between World War II and the present day, the story moves between two timelines. We meet Alina in wartime Poland and Alice in the present. Alina’s narration was particularly strong, measured, emotional, and convincing. Alice, by contrast, I found slightly grating at times, although she does serve her narrative purpose.

Alina, betrothed to Thomas, is forced to find a way out of Poland as the war tightens its grip. Years later, on her deathbed, she sends Alice (her granddaughter) on a mission to uncover what truly happened during that perilous trek. The dual timeline works well, and the historical strand is by far the stronger of the two.

The novel is written in the present tense.

Overall, a moving story.

3.8/5