A historical romance collection featuring three novellas that are fun, quick to read (or listen to) and clean. The audiobook version is very entertaining and I highly recommend it!

Narrated by Kim Bretton

Length: 7 hours 31 minutes


Book Description:
Spring at Tribbley Hall by Sian Ann Bessey
Spring at Tribbley Hall by Sian Ann Bessey features Charlotte, a spunky heroine who escapes with her grandmother to the country and has a heart-pounding adventure when a sheep thief goes a little too far. Love of My Heart by Sarah M. Eden features Cordelia, forced to relocate with her family to the country where she discovers lovely vistas that inspire her artistic soul and draw her to a kind gentleman farmer. And finally, Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire by Rebecca Connolly features a young woman who wishes to marry for love, and so is temporarily banished by her mother to the country to visit her aunt. Martha is charmed by the country life and a certain gentleman, and the reader is regaled with humorous scenes between the two. 

Written by: Kamery Solomon
Narrated by: Rhiannon Angell
Series: Swept Away Saga, Book 1
Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 2018-06-18
Publisher: Kamery Solomon

Book Details:

Book Title: A Child Lost (The Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series #5) by Michelle Cox
Narrated by: Jayne A Entwistle
Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
Category: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Mystery
Content Rating: Rated R for 2 sex scenes that are somewhat explicit but which are tastefully done. There is periodic swearing (not excessive), religious profanity but no violence.


Book Description:

A spiritualist, an insane asylum, a lost little girl...

When Clive, anxious to distract a depressed Henrietta, begs Sergeant Frank Davis for a case, he is assigned to investigating a seemingly boring affair: a spiritualist woman operating in an abandoned schoolhouse on the edge of town who is suspected of robbing people of their valuables.

What begins as an open-and-shut case becomes more complicated, however, when Henrietta, much to Clive’s dismay, begins to believe the spiritualist's strange ramblings.

Meanwhile, Elsie implores Clive and Henrietta to help her and the object of her budding love Gunther locate the whereabouts of one Liesel Klinkhammer, the German woman Gunther has traveled to America to find and the mother of the little girl Anna, whom he has brought along with him.

The search leads them to Dunning Asylum, where they discover some terrible truths about Liesel. When the child Anna is herself mistakenly admitted to the asylum after an epileptic fit, Clive and Henrietta return to Dunning to retrieve her. This time, however, Henrietta begins to suspect that something darker may be happening. When Clive doesn’t believe her, she decides to take matters into her own hands...with horrifying results.


In May, I read the ebook copy of this book, the fifth one in a series that I have been enjoying very much! So, of course, I was thrilled when the opportunity came up to listen to the audiobook too. I already listened to the audiobooks of the first book A Girl Like You, the second book A Ring of Truth, the third A Promise Given, and the fourth A Veil Removed, all of which I enjoyed as much as when I read them in print format. So far this one is my favorite!
It has all the characters I have come to know well, an excellent mystery with a great twist and, of course, the 1930s Chicago setting. But what I loved the most is how the author has fleshed out, even more, the characters of our dynamic sleuthing duo, Henrietta and Clive. We get to see more of their vulnerable sides within the context of the realities of married life.

In this aptly titled Book 5 of the series, Henrietta and Clive have informally begun to solve cases together. There is a spirit medium who has settled in an abandoned schoolhouse and she may be defrauding her clients. Henrietta's sister Elsie seeks their help in locating the mother of Anna, a 4-year old child who was left in the care of Gunther, the custodian Elsie is falling for. Their search leads them to the infamous Dunning insane asylum.

I've always had an interest in mental health, especially when it's a topic in historical fiction because so little was understood in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the author's notes, Cox mentions that Dunning Asylum actually existed, and she did a good job of including the depravity that went on there without turning the novel into a horror story. I blazed through the last hundred pages as the suspense built, much like it did in the first book of the series.

There is not a dull moment in this book. Cox's characters are so well portrayed in their physical traits, their manner of speech, their actions, their personalities as well as through their dilemmas and moments of joy. Cox sure knows how to create characters that are memorable and distinct. And they stay true to character throughout the story or series.

Buy the Book:

Audible ~ Amazon.com

Chirp ~ Apple ~ Kobo

Michelle Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series as well as "Novel Notes of Local Lore," a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago's forgotten residents. She suspects she may have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time machine lying around, has resorted to writing about the era as a way of getting herself back there. Coincidentally, her books have been praised by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and many others, so she might be on to something. Unbeknownst to most, Michelle hoards board games she doesn't have time to play and is, not surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also marmalade.

Connect with the Author: website ~ facebook ~twitter ~ instagram ~ goodreadsJayne Entwistle is an award-winning audiobook narrator known most notably for her narration of the Flavia De Luce series by Alan Bradley. She received the prestigious Odyssey Award for The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and the Odyssey Honor Award for The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry. In addition to several Earphones Awards, AudioFile magazine has included her narration on their list of Best Audiobooks of the Year. When not immersed in fabulous books, Jayne can be found on-screen in television shows such as The Good Place, Feud: Bette and Joan, You're the Worst, and Maron. Originally from the North of England, Jayne currently lives in Los Angeles.

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In May, I read the ebook copy of this book because I was enjoying the series and wanted to read all 5 books! So when it was released in audiobook format I wanted to revisit the story by listening to it. I already listened to the audiobooks of the first book A Girl Like You, the second book A Ring of Truth, and the third book A Promise Given, all of which I enjoyed as much as when I read them in print format. And I can say the same for this book too.

This fourth book in the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series takes on a different turn as it deals with the death of Clive's father upon the couple's return from their shortened honeymoon. It also delves more closely into Elsie's life, as she struggles to find her own way, now that her grandfather is determined to marry her off to any wealthy bachelor who will have her after her scandal with the Lieutenant.

Once again, I immensely enjoyed yet another book starring the dynamic duo of Clive and Henrietta. In this book, their roles as husband and wife solidify as they return to Highbury and settle into married life. Clive must now take over his father's company. As he begins to go through his father's things, his detective antenna signals foul play and murder. Henrietta wants very much to be involved in helping him, and they finally face-off with past enemies.

Surprising is how Elsie's story takes off in this book. Through her, the reader gets a taste of what was expected of young women from wealthy families with domineering men at the helm. Elsie gets a chance to study in a women's college and she finds her calling, but she must fight her own lack of self-confidence. I enjoyed her story very much (and it did take a big chunk of the book) so I was somewhat disappointed that her story ended on a cliffhanger.

Apart from this, the author's writing is excellent with superb storytelling and great character building. As in all her other books, the author includes references to past events and gives the backstory from the previous books so they were fresh in my mind and added to my enjoyment of the series. I'm totally invested in this series, in the world of Henrietta, Clive, and their respective families. I feel like these novels could be turned into a TV miniseries. I guess that's why I'm loving the audiobooks so much.

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle

Length: 14 hours 21 mins
Category: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Mystery
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (There are sexual scenes, not too explicit, some violence)

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle

Length: 12 hours 5 mins
Category: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Mystery
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (There are sexual scenes, not too explicit, some violence)

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In this second book of the series, Henrietta and Clive delightfully rewrite Pride and Prejudice―with a hint of mystery!

Newly engaged, Clive and Henrietta now begin the difficult task of meeting each other’s family. “Difficult” because Clive has neglected to tell Henrietta that he is, in fact, the heir to the Howard estate and fortune, and Henrietta has just discovered that her mother has been hiding secrets about her past as well. When Clive brings Henrietta to the family estate to meet his parents, they are less than enthused about his impoverished intended. Left alone in this extravagant new world when Clive returns to the city, Henrietta finds herself more at home with the servants than his family, much to the disapproval of Mrs. Howard―and soon gets caught up in the disappearance of an elderly servant’s ring, not realizing that in doing so she has become part of a bigger, darker plot.

As Clive and Henrietta attempt to discover the truth in the two very different worlds unraveling around them, they both begin to wonder: Are they meant for each other after all?

This is another winner by Beth O'Leary! 

AUDIOBOOK DETAILS:

Title: The Switch by Beth O'Leary (Unabridged)

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction, Rom-Com

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Released: August 18, 2020

Narrator:  Alison Steadman, Daisy Edgar-Jones

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Content rating: PG-13 for some f-words and religious profanities

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A grandmother and granddaughter swap lives in The Switch, a charming, romantic novel by Beth O’Leary, who has been hailed as "the new Jojo Moyes" (Cosmopolitan UK)

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some long-overdue rest.

Eileen is newly single and about to turn 80. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen.

So they decide to try a two-month swap.

Eileen will live in London and look for love. She’ll take Leena’s flat, and learn all about casual dating, swiping right, and city neighbors. Meanwhile, Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire: Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden, her idyllic, quiet village, and her little neighborhood projects.

But stepping into one another's shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves...and maybe even find true love? In Beth O'Leary's The Switch, it's never too late to change everything...or to find yourself.

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

This is another winner by Beth O'Leary! After listening to The Flatshare and loving it, I eagerly waited for the release of The Switch, another novel with an interesting premise. And it was just as good as I'd hoped it would be.

Twenty-nine year-old Leena from London decides to switch places with her 79-year-old grandma Eileen from a quaint village in Yorkshire. Leena is still mourning the death of her sister Carla and is overworked, and Eileen is ready for a bit of adventure in her life, although she does it more for her granddaughter and wonders what she is getting into.

Once again, O'Leary creates a wonderful cast of characters, both in London and in Yorkshire. I loved, loved the fact that this novel starred seniors (I work with seniors). As both Leena and Eileen share each other's lives, we get to see it through their different perspectives. Along with the characters, we get to appreciate the strength in the different age groups.

Oh, but I had some good laughs! This is British rom-com at its best. There was not one boring moment in the story as it alternated between Leena and Eileen's narration. Both Alison Steadman (who narrated Grandma Eilleen's part) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (who narrated Leena) were amazing! Their voices were spot on for their characters with good inflection and full of emotion, making this such a  great listen. Steadman was able to get the men's voices well too. I was so impressed with her narration.

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
Content rating: PG-13 + M for mature themes (psychological abuse), tasteful sex scenes and f-words

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare is a feel-good audiobook about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

Desperation makes her open-minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you've never met.