Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

Audiobook review

You First by Caroline Kepnes

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I am such a huge fan of this series and Caroline Kepnes. I have loved each and every book, as well as the television series. You First is a fascinating look into Joe’s past—a way for us to see how he gets started on his psychopathic path.

As a note, this review does not contain spoilers, but it really helps to have read the other books so you have an idea of what I’m going on about. We delve far back, all the way to when Joe is only seventeen. As is his pattern later on, he sees a girl and becomes unhinged in his obsession with her, and of course, he cares about her way more than she cares about him. As the story unfolds, we see how events eventually take him from obsession to something far worse. It’s the beginning of the way the rest of his life will go. 

I really enjoyed this look into Joe’s beginnings. It features the same never-ending internal monologue, and I love that. I would have liked a bit more about his years prior just to see how he grew up, but it was still a great read. There were also many references to Sex and the City, of which I’m a huge fan, so they didn’t bother me, but they might be distracting to some. 

I listened to the audiobook because, for me, that is the only way to experience this series. I feel narrator Santino Fontana brings Joe alive each and every time in a way I couldn’t get from a physical copy. He truly makes you feel like you’re right inside Joe’s messed-up mind with him. As always, a phenomenal job by Santino Fontana!

I highly recommend You First to anyone who has been as invested in this series as I have. But if you’ve never delved into the You series before—what are you waiting for??? It’s fantastic and an absolute favorite of mine!

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Go Gentle by Maria Semple (Audiobook)

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I love delving into a novel from Maria Semple. Where’d You Go, Bernadette was a favorite of mine and so many others.  She returns with Go Gentle which is not only one I enjoyed, but also one that was picked for Oprah’s Book Club. It’s such a great pick for book club discussions with themes like divorce, single mom and single life, romance, and mid-life issues. 

Adora Hazzard (love her name) is a Stoic philosopher, divorced, and a single mom.  She is living in New York where a group of older women are living on the same floor of an apartment building and have dubbed themselves a ‘coven.’  The goal is that these women will support each other into old age. I loved this idea of women supporting women instead of looking for the next romance. However when Adora meets a handsome man at the ballet she manages to get herself sucked into not only a steamy romance but also an art heist and all kinds of chaos ensues. 

I really liked Adora and really never knew what she might do next. I loved the part of forming the coven of like minded women and her job as a Stoic philosopher since I knew nothing about that. I did find the story somewhat disjointed with all that was going in but I still really enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook which is read by Saskia Maarleveld who is one of my favorite narrators. She brings so much emotion and feeling to her storytelling and adds that ‘something’ that makes a book so much better. 

All in all this was a good listen for me. There are a lot of themes in this novel that may be triggering for some so take care. Recommended for those who enjoy women’s fiction mixed with a thriller/mystery vibe. 

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (Audiobook)

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Such a great title for this book!  I was really excited to see a new Carley Fortune book and of course had to listen to it right away. Once again she doesn’t disappoint with Our Perfect Storm – a friends to lovers romance that had me devouring the pages. 

Frankie is getting married. It’s the weekend of her wedding and the only thing missing is her best friend George. They’ve been best friends since they were eight years old and Frankie would be heartbroken to get married without him there as her best man. Her dreams come true when George shows up and the evening is one of pure bliss. Frankie is floating on a cloud until the next morning when she wakes up to find that her fiancé has dumped her leaving only a note. She’s devastated. He won’t answer her calls or texts and finally she decides to return home to her parents. She finds out that her finance wanted her to go on the honeymoon to Tofino that they had planned and George thinks it would be a good idea for her to get away from it all so she agrees to go along with George. 

The setting of this book was amazing and so perfect for a romance to bloom. Being Canadian I also love books taking place in Canada and while I’ve never been to Tofino, I definitely want to go now. Frankie and George have loved each other since forever but both just couldn’t be straight with each other and say so.  They didn’t want to ruin their friendship which actually makes sense to me. As the story unfolds and the romance heats up, long buried feelings and secrets come to light. I absolutely love friends to lovers stories and seeing Frankie and George finally wake up to each other’s feelings was great. 

I listened to the audiobook which is read by AJ Bridel and Jack Copland. What a great job by these two. They had me walking the beaches and watching the whales with Frankie and George and feeling all the tingly emotions a good romance will leave you with. 

Our Perfect Storm was a great listen for me – I loved every minute. There are some explicit scenes and language so take care if that isn’t your thing. It is mine and I loved it. Be sure to pick up a copy. This is the perfect summer read!

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Five by Ilona Bannister (Audiobook)

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Five by Ilona Bannister hits with a bang before you even get started reading with – ‘Five lives. Four will live – one will die.’ That got my attention instantly. What follows is a unique story where you know one person will die but before they do we are invited to look into their personal lives. We become invested in their lives and then we are left to decide who we think is more deserving of the death that is to come.

The five people – one is an old woman who is none too friendly, another is a young woman with a young child that she can’t control. There is a young man struggling with life and finally a businessman. Who will die? I really had no clue as I kept bouncing back and forth with all of them. I finally had more of an idea towards the end but still I wouldn’t have been surprised had it been someone else.

This novel is brilliant in its execution. I listened to the audiobook which was excellent. The narrators – Clare Corbett, George Naylor, Juliet Stevenson, Kristin Atherton, Marlowe Chan Reeves, and Theo Solomon – do an amazing of not only bringing the characters to life, but also the train station itself. I loved that they had boarding or arrival announcements made to break up the stories. The audio production is so well done!

I loved this book. It is unique and different. It was an addictive listen for me and I finished it in a day. I think it would make an excellent bookclub pick as well with many themes to discuss such as grief, loss, motherhood, and addiction. Highly recommended!

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas (Audiobook)

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I haven’t read anything by Luke Dumas before but  I will be. Nothing Tastes as Good hooked me in from the first page and never let go. It was a creepy ride reminiscent of Stephen King’s Thinner, which is one of my favorite movies. 

Emmett weighs over three hundred pounds and has tried everything to lose weight – if there is a diet out there, Emmett has tried it and failed. His childhood was no picnic and he still carries the trauma of it around with him which very likely hasn’t helped with his weight problem. Emmett is tired of being ‘that guy’ that is overlooked by people simply because of how he looks especially in his career. He feels if he could only lose weight his life would change. 

At this point in his life he is really desperate and manages to get accepted into a weight loss trial for a drug called Obexity. Initially he questions his choice as the treatment he endures is far from pleasant but when the weight starts falling off of him he is ecstatic. All of a sudden every part of his life changes and for once people are actually looking at him, rather than past him. As time passes though Emmett notices some terrible side effects such as waking up not knowing where he’s been, or people he knows have gone missing – people who were not so nice to him in the past. What is happening to him – has he tuned into some monster?

I listened to the audiobook which is read by Graham Halstead, Ali Andre Ali, Raquel Beattie, Cassandra Campbell, and James Anderson Foster. All I can say is wow!  This was an amazing audio experience and I enjoyed every minute!

While this book is a horror story it is also a book that invites you to think about the diet industry and the need to look a certain way to be accepted as well as how much of yourself you’re willing to sacrifice to get there.  If you love a horror story a bit out of the ordinary like I do then pick up Nothing Tastes as Good. Highly recommended!

Personal copy.

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American Fantasy by Emma Straub (Audiobook)

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American Fantasy is one of those books that took me back in time. I’ve read other books by Emma Straub and she’s one of those authors who always delivers a story that will sweep you up for a while. 

Annie, newly divorced and an empty-nester, has found herself aboard a cruise ship by herself as her sister got hurt and couldn’t come. Annie didn’t want to be on this cruise ship with a bunch of screaming women who worship a famous boys band from the 1990’s. Annie liked them back then too but she’s older now and her tastes have changed from those teenage years. When the guys start performing though, she finds herself falling into it and feeling more free than she has in years. 

I really connected to Annie and I am the perfect demographic for this novel. Amidst the craziness around her she finds herself again – the part she thought was gone forever.  This novel had me remembering so much from my younger years and thinking how fun it would be to relive some of it. As Annie reflected on her youth, marriage, family, and career she was able to accept things she couldn’t before and found that she came away with a plan for her future. 

The audiobook is narrated by Marin Ireland who is always amazing. She was the perfect choice for this novel and really brought out Annie’s personality and feelings, not to mention the crazy vibe of the ship. I love listening to any book she narrates. 

American Fantasy was a winner for me. I think it will really appeal to middle age women who can relate to Annie but really to anybody in that it reminds us of our youth and the magic of it all but also that it’s never too late to start over and live your dreams. Highly recommended!


Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

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