Audiobooks discussion

I won't be around here much myself, but could swear I've seen a request for it as a category.

Not my genre :-)

I would have sad in the past this isn't my genre, but there are a slew of paranormal romances out there that I do enjoy... some may get discussed under other genre topics, though.
A good example of my favorite romance that isn't straight Romance genre is the In Death series by J. D. Robb--set in the future with a female cop solving murders, but definitely a Romance series.

Paranormal "romances" I consider "cozy" although you may mean something other than what I do here?

John wrote: "Paranormal "romances" I consider "cozy" although you may mean something other than what I do here?"

I've noticed even Audible has trouble knowing where to list some of them. The Black Dagger Brotherhood books are paranormal but not in the least cozy and are definitely Romance--although they rarely get listed there. Not only that, many think it has evolved into Urban Fantasy rather than Paranormal Romance... I don't think it matters, we can mention it here and the discussion may clarify it for us.

I am not into romances but I do highly recommend anything by Sarah Addison Allen or Kristan Higgins

At one time romance books were the only ones that I read. I guess I can attribute that to watching my Mom read her old harlequins when I was a kid lol. Now I read all sorts of books, but one of my favorite romance authors is Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She has a slew of books, and they're all great.

That's all I read, so I would be happy to contribute.
I just finished and started .

On my July Audio list is:

Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "That's all I read, so I would be happy to contribute.
I just finished and started .

On my July Audio list is:
[bookcover:Sweet Re..."

That's a lot of books for July. Go, you!
One thing though - I view Goodreads from my mobile and I can't see the covers you linked to. When you link to a book, can you "add link" so everyone, even we mobile users, can see? I'd like to know what you are recommending.
Thanks.

Thanks, A.

How about a Genre topic on Hostorical Romance? I don't see that in this group. Would love to see that. Unless I am missing it. Thanks.

binter wrote: "Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "That's all I read, so I would be happy to contribute.
I just finished and started .

On m..."

Ok on the links. Yea, I get about 15 audiobooks in a month:D

so far for October 2014:
1. The Beautiful Ashes (Done 10/3) ★★★
2. Sinner, Savior (Done 10/4) ★★★★½
3. Bound (Done 10/5) ★★★½
4. Shadow of Night (Done 10/7) ★★★★
5. Hell & High Water (Done 10/7) ★★★★
6. A Sinner Born--listening to now

Tracy wrote: "How about a Genre topic on Hostorical Romance? I don't see that in this group. Would love to see that. Unless I am missing it. Thanks."

i think they are just keeping big umbrella topics - rather than breaking down into sub-geners

Oh ok. That's too bad. Thanks for the response.

otherwise you could have threads for historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, lgbt romance...there are so many sub-genres

IMHO, these genre threads aren't popular enough to warren separate sub-genre ones, but the mods may disagree

Maybe it's a good poll to post to find out if people would like the sub genre expanded. Just a thought.

Tracy, if you are interested in discussing all types of romance audiobooks, you could join the GR Romance Audiobooks group. I'm a member there. Here's a link.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

what Angie said - but case in point - this thread has been open over 4 months and only 17 posts in it

Tracy wrote: "How about a Genre topic on Hostorical Romance? I don't see that in this group. Would love to see that. Unless I am missing it. Thanks."

I think it's appropriate to post that here... paranormal romance, too.

Thanks Angie, I will check it out.

Since some Genre Discussions are being resurrected:
I'd read the book but this is my first time listening. I'm enjoying The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer with narration by Sarah Woodward. I'm happy I found unabridged audios of Heyer's books. All I'd seen years ago were abridged.

Seal Camp(Tall, Dark & Dangerous #12) by Suzanne Brockmann with her usual narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank. Helpful information at beginning explains timeline. Time is present day but shortly after the previous book in the series. Easy to mentally drag the rest of the series toward today.
Some reviewers complained about sociopolitical issues being included in the book. Brockmann books include sociopolitical issues. They have done so for decades. Harvard's Education (Tall, Dark & Dangerous #5) came out 20 years ago but the story of how Harvard with his academic background came to join the military could be from today's headlines.
Brockmann is not someone you read if you want a complete escape from the issues of the day.

Hitman Wedding Bad Boy, Inc. #4 by Eve Langlais was not my cup of tea. I stopped listening and re-read first three. I enjoyed those again.
spoilers -- sort of -- or maybe warnings in case you go in with expectations
(view spoiler)[The wedding described in the book blurb takes place five and half hours into the seven hour book and is not the wedding I was expecting from the previous book. (hide spoiler)] Things like lack of security at the wedding didn't make sense given info in other books. The "all is revealed" was not satisfying. I hope it was me and not the book because if one is reading the series this is a book one needs to read for the series story arc.

L J wrote: "Seal Camp(Tall, Dark & Dangerous #12) by Suzanne Brockmann with her usual narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank. Helpful informati..."

wow - its been years since I've thought about this series....I remember the horrible covers of the Prince Joe and Get Lucky

Dee wrote: "L J wrote: "Seal Camp(Tall, Dark & Dangerous #12) by Suzanne Brockmann with her usual narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank...."
"wow - its been years since I've thought about this series....I remember the horrible covers of the Prince Joe and Get Lucky"

I really liked the series but the covers...some were less bad than others. There were more appropriate models and better scenes that could have been chosen.
The reprint covers aren't an improvement being of the stock photo beefcake variety. Didn't seem to be any attempt to match the description of the hero. For instance this does not match my image of Harvard and those look like Saguaro cactus in the background. I know picky, picky but Harvard's Education was my pick for Romance of the Year when it came out. It did such a thorough job of breaking the hero and heroine stereotypes of the time.

After Hitman Wedding I needed something fun.
I already read some in the Halle Pumas series but hadn't read the short introduction The Wallflower. Dana Marie Bell and narrator Samantha Cook delivered a fun short listen I thoroughly enjoyed. Emma is one of my favorite characters in paranormal fiction. It's good to finally know the details of how she became one of the Halle Pumas.

Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb. I liked this one more than some though, because the crimes are horrific, I am not sure how others will feel about it. The characters and their relationships are what keep me reading book after book. Eve's reaction to the upcoming Oscar events were as expected but Peabody was the most entertaining. I consider these SF romance police procedurals though as more and more of the devices become part of our everyday world they feel less futuristic.

L J wrote: "Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb. I liked this one more than some though, because the crimes are horrific, I am not sure how others will feel about it. The characters a..."

I liked this most recent In Death book better than more recent ones... and much better than some of the ones with more gruesome crimes or depraved criminals. This one had heartbreaking crimes, but even the kind of torture described wasn't as unspeakably violent as some previous stories.

I agree that our own technology keeps getting closer to what is depicted in the In Death future. About the only things we don't now have approximate technologies for are the holoroom and the auto chef--I really want me one of those! Maybe it only makes sense since we are now only 40 years from the future described so some of those elements should be in development already. ;) Oh, and have you heard that we are already able to make edible food using a 3D printer? So far, only chocolate cake, but that's a start!

It may be that the author caught enough grief for improbable science for some of her concepts that she has avoided too much new sci-fi in her stories. Her concept of the holoroom, while cool, is just too improbable. fantasy In Death is my least favorite of the books because it seemed the answer to how the murder was done was right there in the opening scene but Dallas didn't even go there until three fourths through the story... and only then are we told that such a murder method is "impossible" according to the science... not believable. If a person can physically "ride" a horse within the game, why aren't we supposed to believe a sword can do anything physical?

The main reason I read these books is 1) the mystery and 2) the characters and their lives. Withoutt Peabody there would be little heart. And Roark is the reason these should be classified as fantasy! ;P

Jeanie wrote: "L J wrote: "Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb. I liked this one more than some though, because the crimes are horrific, I am not sure how others will feel about it. The ..."

Peabody adds heart, Peabody and McNab add fun, and Roarke is definitely fantasy.

Listened to several Georgette Heyer books. Not sure what it says about me that I still favor the same ones I did decades ago. After The Grand Sophy I went on to
Arabella drawing room comedies are sweet but not my favorites
The Corinthian this is more my style with the heroine dressing as a boy to escape unwanted marriage
Faro's Daughter in which the main characters thoroughly enjoy trying to best each other
Sylvester: Or, The Wicked Uncle heroine writes book staring the hero as the villain because of his looks then finds she likes then loves him
Venetia one of my all time favorite books and heroines - she has brains, commonsense and determination and for years I've quoted her line about drunks and their holding on to an idea

Out of Body by Suzanne Brockmann entertainingly narrated by Jason T. Gaffney and Kevin Held. M/M romantic comedy book. Not a dramatization or reading of the movie script but a light paranormal romance book. While there are sex scenes they are not very detailed. Two good guys have been attracted to each other for years without either knowing the attraction is mutual have to cope with the paranormal event that threatens to keep them apart.

L J wrote: "Listened to several Georgette Heyer books. Not sure what it says about me that I still favor the same ones I did decades ago. After The Grand Sophy I went on to
[book..."

I like most books by Heyer, but the ones I remember best are the unusual ones, such as [book:Cotillion|311165], where it's not clear through most of the book who is the actual hero that the heroine will end up with. And The Foundling, where the hero is the opposite of tall, dark, and handsome, being somewhat small, ordinary-looking, and not at all an alpha male. The only Heyer books I don't like are the Gothic ones, like Cousin Kate. I'm not sure about the more historical ones either. This thread made me realize there are still books by her that I haven't read, so I should do so. They generally work well on audio because there is a lot of conversation.

love Heyer, she is one of my all time favourites. Most of the narrators i really like, but one in particular - These Old Shades - i find so dire that i cannot listen to it :( Yet he does another of the books really well!

Nalini Singh's Archangel's Heart again before starting Archangel's Prophecy and as non audio checking on Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews. Sweep is not quite finished yet and copy is still posted free online because Andrews family have all been ill with respiratory infection. Per Ilona "...losing these two weeks just torpedoes the schedule...." Think everyone can understand getting so far behind catching up seems impossible.

Another holiday listen, Christmas with a Prince by Noelle Adams. Well written and narrated but not what I expected. Though characters are older than those in most NA it felt like NA redemption book. I'm not a big fan of NA. From cover I was expecting romantic comedy. From description and title I was expecting Christmas, possibly with others in family and community. Too much dwelling on April's problems, too little Christmas, too little Henry. It wasn't what I expected but I stayed with it because of quality writing and narration.

I would describe the stories in Predatory as paranormal romantic suspense except for High Stakes by Hannah Jayne which has secondary character from Underworld Detection Agency series as engaging and annoying main character narrator. It might be described as weird near cozy paranormal who-done-it. I'm going to try the series because negative reviews say it is not the typical urban fantasy the readers were expecting. Other series added to my list: Dianne Duvall, Immortal Guardians and Alexandra Ivy, The Sentinels. All Nina Bangs books already on my list.

L J wrote: "I would describe the stories in Predatory as paranormal romantic suspense except for High Stakes by Hannah Jayne which has secondary c..."

I'll have to keep the weird cozy paranormal in mind... I've read a slew of first-in-series that fit into the paranormal cozy mystery sub genre and liked them. I must admit it doesn't pay to read seven of them in less than a week... they jumble together and suffer from comparison and similarities.

Jeanie wrote: "I'll have to keep the weird cozy paranormal in mind... I've read a slew of first-in-series that fit into the paranormal cozy mystery sub genre and liked them. I must admit it doesn't pay to read seven of them in less than a week... they jumble together and suffer from comparison and similarities."

I also find the very similar characters can be confusing. Ancient Scottish security chiefs/enforcers/soldiers were so prevalent in paranormal at one time that I found it hard to remember who was in which series.

On the Hunt anthology includes Stake Out by Hannah Jayne which, like High Stakes, is a mystery with vampire fashion designer Nina LaShay as main character. I'm not even sure why I found her such an interesting character. She dislikes birds while I'm a bird watcher. I'm jeans and T-shirts not high fashion and designer labels. Still, I found her curiously engaging and look forward to reading more stories.

The Bear On The Train by Maria Amor. More what I expect from romantic suspense than paranormal romance. No instant recognition of fated mate and though Jake being a werebear is important it is not as important as both of them being competent agents. Narrator Frankie Daniels voices the characters so well I went back and double checked to see if there were two narrators.

Time for me to quit Real Men Shift series despite Kendall Taylor's excellent narration. If I had been doing print instead of listening I suspect I wouldn't have lasted this long. If there were just one more book I'd finish but there are at least 3 or 4 more.
#1 Real Men Howl had hero I didn't care about and universe elements that made no sense to me including a wolf pack unable to keep territory secure and national leaders that seemed incompetent.
#2 Real Men Snarl I liked the characters and it had me smiling and occasionally chuckling but I still had problems with the universe.
In Real Men Shift #3 Real Men Growl the same universe problems persist and more are added. Kittens of GhostKitty, the mother cat from book #1 and #2, are ready to be re-homed but no one can tell what sex they are, including the veterinarian/pack healer. This is weird because in spite of mom's name these are regular felines. The kitten names are cute feline versions of HP names and that may have been the most entertaining thing in the book. I like it better than #1 but not as much as #2.
I liked the characters, especially the heroes, in #2 and #3 but the universe and story details don't make sense to me. Strange enemy wolves continue to come undetected into pack territory. Question about villains "Why hasn't someone dealt with this already?" remains unanswered. Maybe this is series story arc but whatever... I find it annoying not intriguing. Plot lines introduced in each book with little follow up do not help.

L J wrote: "Time for me to quit Real Men Shift series despite Kendall Taylor's excellent narration. If I had been doing print instead of listening I suspect I wouldn't have lasted this long. If there were just..."

I've experienced similar problems with various series... suspension of disbelief can only take you so far, even in paranormal stories if the concepts aren't credible within its own world.

So how did you come across this series? Was it a rec from someone you know, an Audible rec, or just something you found while browsing?

Jeanie wrote: "I've experienced similar problems with various series... suspension of disbelief can only take you so far, even in paranormal stories if the concepts aren't credible within its own world.

So how did you come across this series? Was it a rec from someone you know, an Audible rec, or just something you found while browsing?"

The first book is a free kindle book. One of my libraries and both my hoopla accounts have the audios. Recs from Amazon, library and hoopla based on my reading habits.
I've listened to books by Celia Kyle narrated by Kendall Taylor that were paranormal with some suspense and humor. That is what I was expecting and I suppose that describes these but I couldn't get into universe. Book #2 best suited my sense of humor.
Starting with book #1 I wanted to yell at the wolves! I wanted to tell them if they didn't know when someone was on the property, near the pack house even, get some guard dogs! One brother has home alarm system so they have access to electronics. They have sentinels, members of the pack go to town and wander the property but no one scents strange wolf? Villains on the run only have to get to river to lose pursuers. In these cases it seems they are only capable of ground tracking. At other times they can air scent.
National pack alpha, beta, and enforcer are either incredibly inept or they are corrupt. Some of the villainy has been going on for ten years victimizing wolf shifters from multiple packs and humans. Why hasn't something been done about this already? When has imprisoning leader made gang members all nice and sweet? If this is a series story arc, it is not evident from descriptions of the rest of the books.

Started audiobook Joran by Susan Hayes. I like it. Switched to ebook due audio problems.
Chapter 1 Heroine and her two friends sign up with a dating agency. Next scene, meet the alien prince looking for a mate using dating agency they set up on earth because their DNA is found in current inhabitants.
audio skipped Chapters 2 & 3
Narrator says "four" Chapter 4 They kiss. They are on his ship. They go to his cabin and have sex.
Narrator says "three" and it is chapter 3 in the book.
Reported to Hoopla as this seems to be a problem with their audio file rather than being abridged as I first thought.
edited to update

L J wrote: "Started audiobook which turned out to be abridged even though everything I looked at said unabridged.
Chapter 1 Heroine and her two friends sign up with a dating agency. Next scene, meet the alien ..."

What you're describing sounds like a technical issue and not the result of abridged narration. Have you contacted the place you got the book from to investigate?

Em__Jay wrote: "L J wrote: "Started audiobook which turned out to be abridged even though everything I looked at said unabridged.
Chapter 1 Heroine and her two friends sign up with a dating agency. Next scene, mee..."

Yes, as soon as I realized what was happening. When I first posted about this I hadn't yet come to chapter 3.
edited post to show this is tech issue not abridgement

I'm impressed.
In the Star-Crossed Alien Mail Order Brides series Susan Hayes has come up with believable reasons for a number of things including why the aliens have too few females, why earth women are compatible and why the highborn and rich are the ones coming to earth.
#1Joran #2Vadir #3Kash
#4Tarjen #5Torel #6Radek
Radek is a Romaki ice dragon while all the other title characters are from Pyros and aren't shifters but do have other abilities.
edit: I notified Hoopla of the problem with book #1 so hopefully that will soon be fixed.

L J wrote: "I'm impressed.
In the Star-Crossed Alien Mail Order Brides series Susan Hayes has come up with believable reasons for a number of things including why the aliens to have too few fe..."

i'll have to add these to the pile

Wolf Mates series by Dakota Cassidy narrated by Hollie Jackson.
#1An American Werewolf in Hoboken was a bit weird and kind of predictable but it was also fun and Hollie Jackson is a good narrator so I picked this as my next series to finish. On the surface they are short fun reads but one after another the dark, sad subplots came through and stuck in my head. I had her other series next in queue but changed my mind about halfway through Wolf Mates series.
#2What's New, Pussycat? #3Gotta Have Faith
#4Moves Like Jagger #5Bad Case of Loving You.

The Trouble With Vampires by Lynsay Sands. I enjoy seeing these nano created immortals find their oft times unexpected mates. There were a couple of odd plot points but overall I enjoyed the story. Started it as audio but to me the Brian Pallino narration was not a good match for the material.
Sevan by Mandy M. Roth is a re-write of Paranormal Payload (Project Exorcism Series) previously released under Reagan Hawk pen name. I like the paranormals in space theme but this version was not my cup of tea. It was the narration by Darcy Stark that got me through the book. Interesting universe but things like having to drop everything to breed bothered me. The sex scenes and language reminded me of 1970's SF porn which I did not find romantic. I would have liked it more if there had been more story, both SF and romance, as well as more world and character building in place of some of the sex, sex talk and sex thought. May try the second book in series but at the moment I'm leaning against it.