My Monthly Audio Reviews: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

So in September, I only managed to complete one audio book. I listened to The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay and if you've read the book, you know it's a little on the long side. I absolutely LOVED the book and could not put it down so when I saw that Amazon and Audible had it on Whispersync, I had to pick it up. While I enjoyed the audio, I definitely think it is a book better read than listened to.

~Synopsis~
Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

Released June 4, 2013 by Simon & Schuster Audio

Narrated by Kirby Heyborne & Candace Thaxton

~My Thoughts~

I really enjoyed the narrators in this audio. They were excellent at portraying the characters and they used the right tones that really helped me connect with Nastya and Josh. Nastya has this "I don't give a shit" attitude and the narrator really conveyed that well. She also did a great job with the voice changes for the other characters with dialogue from other characters. There is a huge portion of the book where we are in Nastya's head when it's in her POV so it was important that the narrator got her voice just right. Josh is very matter of fact and morose and the narrator really nailed his voice. He knew when to change his inflection and when to keep it stoic. He also did a great job with side character voice overs.

The Sea of Tranquility is a fabulous story and the audio version doesn't take anything away from it. However, this book has a very slow build so listening to it is a bit harder because you can't set your own pace. I didn't realize how long it took Josh and Nastya to build their relationship and trust in one another. While I think the pace of the audio is more difficult to adjust to, the excellent narration allows for an even deeper connection with the characters and I really felt the emotions from Josh and Nastya.

My Monthly Audio Reviews: One Tiny Lie & Pushing the Limits

Recently I discovered the amazingness of Amazon's Whispersync. They have partnered with Audible and if you own the eBook, you can get the audio version for an incredible discount. If you listen to the book and then want to read it, they will sync together to your last read/listened spot. I love it because I discovered that I sometimes don't have the patience to wait until I'm in the car the next time to see what's going to happen in a book and I have to jump in and continue at home by reading. Because of my lack of patience, I have started buying the audio version of books I have already read so I would actually be able to finish one. I need this since I have a 30-45 minute commute and the audiobooks seem to placate my commute rage.

Anyways, enough of my ramblings. I decided to do a short review of my audios each month to give some insight into the audio version of the book. This month, I listened to One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker and Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. To see my book review of each book, you can click on the book review link after the review.

One Tiny Lie

Author: K.A. Tucker

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Published: June 11, 2013

Narrator: Elizabeth Louise

I love this series by K.A. Tucker and I adored One Tiny Lie, sitting down and reading it in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. I equally enjoyed the audio version. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I anticipated every moment of this audio and still struggled to stop when I reached my destination. The narrator was fabulous and I really felt Livie in her voice. She also did incredible voice overs for the other characters and even added an impeccable Irish lilt to her Connor voice. I definitely felt like all the emotions that are pulled from reading the book were equally felt listening to someone else narrating it and the choice in narrator was perfect.

Click this link to read my book review of One Tiny Lie: One Tiny Lie: June 22, 2013

Pushing the Limits

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises

Publication Date: August 1, 2012

Narrators: MacLeod Andrews, Tara Sands

Pushing the Limits is a fantastic book and one of my favorite YA Contemporaries. Listening to it was equally enjoyable as reading it. I loved the narrators, especially for Noah and I felt like his voice was really representative of the character. I could picture Noah and feel the emotions almost as much from the audio as the book. I also felt that the narrator for Echo did a great job though some of her voice overs were a little over done for me. However, I could really picture Echo in her voice and I liked that. Overall, I was just as enthralled in the audio as the book and it was definitely worth a listen.

Click this link to read my book review of Pushing the Limits: Pushing the Limits: April l1, 2013

Book/Audio Review:One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy

One Week Girlfriend

Drew & Fable #1

Author: Monica Murphy

Publication Date: January 10, 2013

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance

~Synopsis~
Temporary. That one single word best describes my life these last few years. I’m working at a temporary job until I can finally break free. I’m my little brother’s temporary mother since our mom doesn’t give a crap about either of us. And I’m that temporary girl all the guys want to get with because I give it up so easily. According to the rumors, at least.

But now I’m the temporary girlfriend of Drew Callahan, college football legend and all around golden guy. He’s beautiful, sweet—and he’s hiding way more secrets than I am. He’s brought me into this fake life where everyone seems to hate me. And everyone seems to want something from him. The only thing he seems to want though is…

Me.

I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is, I think Drew needs me. And I want to be there for him.

**Mature situations and sexual content – recommended for ages 17+**

~Prelude~

I picked up One Week Girlfriend for my kindle a while ago because I loved the synopsis. However, I hadn’t had a chance to read it so when I saw the audio version was now available through Amazon Whispersync, I jumped on it and decided I would listen to it instead. Well, you know I have no patience what so ever so I ended up listening to the first half and reading the rest. I couldn’t wait until I was in the car to finish.

~Review~

One Week Girlfriend is a fantastic new adult romance novel and I absolutely loved the uniqueness of the plot and the depth of the characters. You can’t help but really feel for Drew and Fable and root for them to overcome all of the obstacles that come their way. Believe me, they both have a lot of baggage and come from two different worlds but they make each other feel something that no one else can.

Before I get into the nitty gritty of the book itself, I want to talk about the audio version first. I liked it a lot and found it easy to listen to and follow. The narrators conveyed the emotions of the characters well and I liked the voice changes the female narrator made for the different characters. However, I had a really hard time with the male narrator because I didn’t feel like his voice matched my image of Drew. First off, he sounded way too old. Drew is 21 and the narrator made him sound more like 40. I also struggled with his voice changes for the other characters, especially Drew’s dad. His voice for Drew’s dad sounded like an 80 year old man and it drove me insane. Despite the mismatch on voice selection, the audio was still really great to listen to.

There were 2 major things that knocked this book out of the park for me; the characters and the new adult theme. New adult books tend to revolve around characters with a sordid past that causes the character involved to be broken. What I loved about this book was that Drew was the one with the sordid secret past and that is a change because normally it is the girl. Fable’s life is far from perfect and she has it tough but Drew is seriously scarred. Drew and Fable are so easy to connect with and I freaking loved them both.

Fable is strong and smart and really kick ass. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and I loved her feisty attitude. She has a tough life and she has had to grow up really fast. Her mother is a dead beat and she has a 14 year old brother that she has to take care of. She works her tail off to pay the rent and buy the groceries and make sure that Owen is taken care of. She’s earned a bit of a reputation as she uses being with men as a way to forget her sorrows and try to feel again. However, it never really works. This reputation is what makes her the perfect ruse for Drew and her desperate need to take care of her family and her brother is what gets her to accept. Drew is gorgeous and popular but he is quiet and reserved. He is clearly hiding a big secret involving his family and when he is forced to go home for Thanksgiving, he desperately needs to bring someone with him as a distraction. I was immediately drawn to Drew and could tell that he had some real demons. Quite honestly, it was easy to predict what his family issues were but it was still shrouded enough in mystery that I was desperate to know the whole story.

The connection between Drew and Fable is obvious from the beginning. I mean, Drew clearly has intimacy issues that stem from his homelife but there is something about Fable that gets to him deep inside. She makes him feel things that no other woman has before. Fable just uses guys to forget for a little while because her life is so depressing but Drew is different. I absolutely loved watching Drew fight his feelings for Fable and watching her fight to break down Drew’s walls. It is clear to her how screwed up his family is the minute she meets them and it helps her understand Drew better and the reason he is so closed off. His family is very wealthy and would seem perfect from the outside but on the inside they are obviously far from it. A lot of shit goes down that week and by the end, Drew and Fable have really started to build something real. However, it’s not quite happily ever after for them yet as things come crashing down and a major revelation pushes all of Drew’s walls back up. The ending scene with Drew and Fable was beautiful but heartbreaking.

Overall, I really loved this book. I loved it so much; I had to start Second Chance Boyfriend right away because I needed to know what was going to happen with Drew and Fable. One Week Girlfriend didn’t leave on a cliffhanger but it still left much to be desired. The writing is really well done and the plot gripped me from the very beginning. I mean, I love the idea of a fake relationship turning into something more. Two people who can hardly stand each other but end up really connecting is so refreshing from the insta-love that is overtaking this genre. I absolutely adored it!

~IPOD Picks~

“Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon

“Only Hope” by Switchfoot

“Love the Way You Lie” by Skylar Grey

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Book & Audio Review: Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day

Bared to You
Relfected in You
Entwined with You

Crossfire Series

Author: Sylvia Day

Publisher: Penguin Publishing

Genre: Adult Romance

~Synopsis~

Bared to You: Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness? He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I?d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily? Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds?and desires. The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart... 

Reflected in You: Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn't stay away. I didn't want to. He was my addiction?my every desire?mine. My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We?d never work. It was too hard, too painful?except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity. We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession? 

Entwined with You: From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn't resist. I also saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside ? so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat. No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I?d been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become. Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession?

~Prelude~

Amazon has this amazing thing called Whispersync that allows you to buy discounted audio books from Audible.com if you already own the eBook. It isn't available for all titles but lucky for me, they had it on The Crossfire series. I usually listen to audiobooks in my car on the way to work but there were times when I just could not wait until the next morning to see what happens and I had to pick up my Kindle and read. Because of that, I ended up reading and listening to the series simultaneously. It was definitely an interesting experience. 

~Review~

This series.... I am at a loss for words right now as I process this review. I liked it, I mean I really liked it but I also had major issues with it. More specifically, I had major issues with Gideon and Eva. The writing was excellent and the plot was fascinating. Oh and the sex was steamy, insanely steamy. However, I have never encountered 2 characters with so many personal issues that getting involved with one another is utterly the worst idea imaginable. 

I could dig Eva. She was a sweet girl who wanted to build her own life and make her own decisions despite her crazy, controlling mother. Don't get me started on her, I'll rant about that later. Anyways, back to Eva. She has been through some very traumatic experiences that led to a rebellious stage. She is working really hard to get her life back on track and live normally. Then she meets Gideon Cross. She will never have a normal life again. When it comes to Gideon, I found Eva way too emotional and borderline annoying. With everything that happens between them by the end of EWY, you would think they'd been together for years instead of only 2 months. With everything Eva goes through, she needs stability and Gideon Cross is the opposite of that.

Gideon is the epitome of anti-commitment. The guy is rich, handsome and the ultimate alpah-male. However, he has some SERIOUS issues. He's only ever used women for sex but something about Eva draws him to her and he finds himself wanting more. He would do anything to be with her and protect her. Sometimes his actions showed that and other times they were the exact opposite. Let's take sex as an example. He uses sex to show Eva how much he loves her because he can't say the words but then he turns around and uses sex as punishment when he is angry at her. I like an alpha male, but Gideon Cross is too much for me.

Ok, Eva's mother. Let's start with how bat-shit crazy she is. I mean putting tracking devices on your 24 year old daughter? Oh, hell no! Also, she is shallow and selfish and downright irritating. The narrator even added to my annoyance of her with the voice she used to convey her. I did like her roommate and best friend, Carey. He is super supportive and always there for Eva. However, he had his issues too and I didn't always agree with his decisions. Let's just face it, EVERYONE in this book had issues. There are too many side characters to go into detail about but I'll list them and you can see how they may have added to the drama that filled these novels. We have Gideon's jealous younger brother, Christopher, his ex-fiance Corrine, who left her husband and came back to NYC for Gideon, and Eva's ex-boyfriend, Brett, who is now a rock star and wrote a love song about her. Imagine the trouble these people caused Gideon and Eva.

Gideon and Eva have the bumpiest relationship I have ever encountered. As I mentioned earlier, with all the crap that goes down between these 2, I had almost forgotten only 2 months have passed since they met. Every time things seem to be going well between them and they are happy, the ball drops; and it shatters. Gideon is constantly pushing Eva over the edge and away from him only to come groveling back and she falls for it. Every. Single. Time. They had incredible sex and I can't believe it is possible to have as much sex as they do. There's just no way. Great sex isn't enough though and Eva needs Gideon to open up to her emotionally, not just physically. That is hard for him to do because he doesn't like to be vulnerable. He wants everything from Eva but he isn't always willing to give that back to her from him. The more time he spends with Eva, the more he realizes he absolutely can't live with out her and he does open himself to her. While he can be over the top at times, I really did feel his love for her and towards the end he really did let his actions say the words he couldn't. While they are happy right now, this series is far from over and most likely more drama will ensue. I don't think it's possible to have anymore but considering everything else, I'm inclined to believe it is. We'll see what else can go wrong.

Overall, I enjoyed these books and it was really fun to read and listen at the same time. If you've read the books, you can understand some of the awkwardness that may come with listening to certain parts instead of reading them. While frustrating and over the top at times, the plot was still really interesting and it definitely kept me coming back for more craziness.

~IPOD Picks~

"I Need Your Love" by Ellie Goulding & Calvin Harris

"Clarity" by Zedd

"1000 Years" by Christini Perri

"Complicated" by Rhianna

"Just Give Me A Reason" by Pink & Fun

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE