This is my review of the audio version as posted on Audible:
I first listened to the stories in the box set separately - here's what I wrote about them (my full reviews for each book can be found on their individual sites)
OCTOBER - 'The Year of Discovery' series takes a little turn into the genre of crime/mystery this time - not really surprising as Ms Hamilton is a master in that genre, too:) Up till now doctor Moira Sykes and her clinic have only been mentioned as a background to the other women's tales, so it's finally time for her story:) (...) Moira's story is again a tale of a strong woman who needs to let go to find her true self, though it differs from the previous books in that the focus is more on the mystery/crime to be solved... But it's similar in that again it talks about an important issue societies try to avoid discussing or bringing into light - home violence and its consequences, not only for the abused women but also those who try to help them, people like Dr Sykes... It's a good tale; the plot is fast, the threat to Moira's life grows with every page and the solution is a bit surprising. The relationship between Moira and Nate may seem a bit rushed, but on the other hand it's not improbable and feels real. Generally it's another good addition to the series.
NOVEMBER - The 11th book in the series tells the story of Dr Mariko Saito, the psychiatrist who has been helping all the other women we've met since 'January' - but who will help her? (...) It's a heartbreaking tale; it shows the depth of motherly love and the impossibility of choosing between her child and the rest of her family... It also shows the destructive power of drugs both on the users and on their families. As in all the other books in the series, there is not an easy answer to the problem at hand. Ms Hamilton doesn't give you a solution, doesn't tell you what the right choice in a given situation is... But she does make you understand a bit more how difficult it is to love a person obviously beyond redemption and how helpless it makes you feel... It's one of the best books in the series.
DECEMBER - It's the last, closing book in the series and we finally get Mika's story... (...) It's another great tale in the series. We finally get to know the real Mika, not the one everyone else sees; we get to know her feelings, her anxieties, her fears through her own eyes. And we accompany her when she finally admits she needs help...
Again, the book touches on an issue that is so important and so often ignored or misunderstood by societies in general: alcoholism... It's so easy to judge an alcoholic or discard them as trash... What Ms Hamilton does is remind us that behind each alcohol abuser there is a story - a tale of despair, a tale of grief, a tale of depression, a tale of helplessness, a tale of hopelessness... But she also reminds us there is hope for everyone if we only allow it to enter our lives...
It's a wonderful closure to the wonderful series of tales of women who face so many different problems, but come out of their turmoils stronger, wiser, more powerful in mind... Thank you for the journey, Ms Hamilton, it was a real pleasure to meet all of them:)
Narration by Ms Hazen was wonderful throughout the whole series; so many women got their feelings, anxieties, fears, but also joys and triumphs voiced out thanks to her:) Her interpretations of all the stories were very well done, making the women seem real to us.
And there's a real treat at the end of this final book in the series: Ms Hazen tells us what the journey with 'The Year of Discovery' series meant for her personally, how it influenced her as an actor, as a narrator and as a person. Thank you for that, too, Ms Hazen:)
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.