Romance Audiobooks discussion

Has anybody listened to Lauren Willig's books? I'm contemplating getting the Pink Carnation book but I can't remember what if anything was said about this series.

I seriously considered this for my Listening Challenge last year and received a couple of comments from LinnieGayl who really enjoyed it. It is still in my to-be-listened pile so I'm interested in hearing comments as well.
Here are LinnieGayl's comments:
1. Lea, The Secret of the Pink Carnation is most decidedly romance. There is a small chick lit component that doesn’t get resolved in this book (carries forward through the whole series to date), but the main focus of the book is a European Historical. There are spies, but it’s a romance. (I’m just re-listening to it right now).

2. Lea, the Pink Carnation series sort of defies categorization. I definitely wouldn’t classify the series as mysteries, though (I read lots of mysteries). There is a recurring chick lit theme throughout the series, set in modern-day London, as an American PhD student is researching the Pink Carnation, and gets to know, and eventually becomes involved with, a yummy Brit.
In addition, each book features a stand-alone European Historical romance. While there are spies, and a bit of a mystery in the historical portion, it would be no more appropriate to term them mysteries than to term any other European Historical romance with spies a mystery.

I have the first book in audio but I haven't listened to it yet. I started it and really enjoyed the part I got through (a contemporary chic lit section). I liked the voice, narrator and author. I stopped when the historical section began due to personal listening quirks. I haven't read the book and I can get lost easily when listening if I don't already know the story. Also, I was really liking the contemp section and wasn't ready for it to switch to historical. Historicals can be denser and I can get easily lost there, too. Like I said, personal quirks. :)

I decided to take LinnieGayl's recommendation to Lea and get it, since all of the others in the sale that might have interested me I already have heard or read the 1st one. But I almost didn't because the top several reviews are all bad! I figure for $4, it's worth a gamble! My TBL list is getting longer, and my 2 audible credits come tomorrow!!

Ok, I bought it. I'll be listening to it as soon as I finish Blackout and All Clear. :) I have found that I need to take bad reviews with a grain of salt. I've hesitated on different books in the past because of reviews but eventually bought and enjoyed them.

I got it too, not sure when I'll fit it into my listening rotation but I'm sure you guys will know when I do! ;) OK, figure - $5 is about what some people pay for a fast food meal or half what they pay to go out to lunch on a work day. Figured it was worth a gamble and had some rec's to get it!


Putting link so this topic will be linked with author/book. :) (Lauren Willig's The Secret History of the Pink Carnation read by Kate Reading)

I got it too, since it was cheap and we had a recommendation. Maybe it'll count as the first book in a series on the challenge.

O.M.G. I am a little over half-way through Pink Carnation, and I LOVE THIS BOOK! I mean, unless something major changes, this is definitely a keeper for me. I have laughed out loud over and over on my 8 hour round trip jog. The narration is superb, the writing wonderfully clever and so funny. Did I mention how fabulous the narration is??

I just went back to the Audible.com reviews - ya know, some people just need to lighten up. The so-called "inaccuracies" refered to in one, in my opinion, do not even exist - that reviewer twisted the story to suit their review. Maybe there are a ton of inaccuracies but not the ones listed. Plus - hello - it's so obviously written to be funny that it makes me wonder what some people are thinking when they listen. One of the reviews mentions that it's "obvious" the historical part is supposed to be the diary of one character, who wouldn't know all the details that are there - uh, no, not at all. The contemporary character reads the diaries, and while she does, we get the historical version of what happened, from every POV, not a reading in first person POV of the diary itself, which seems very obvious to me. Think of it as a movie, where we have know there's a diary, and then we see ALL the action.

OK, enough rant, gotta get back to finishing the book. It's clear several of the reviewers are not romance readers and expected something else entirely. I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I am! Oh, call me crazy and bird-brained, it's just so funny!

Thanks Melinda! You've got me wanting to start listening right now instead of finishing Blackout/All Clear.

I am within an hour of finishing it - and I guffawed in the car all the way home from work. Really, those people complaining about "historical inaccuracies" make me laugh even more - as if,... well, ok, no spoilers. Let's just say there are some very over-the-top funny type situations that, well, are probably not even possible to recreate, much less be historically accurate. It's not exactly a textbook, and it's not based on actual people (although some historical figures are part of the story).

And Kate Reading - La! what a narrator! She truly brings it to life in so many ways.

I hope I haven't raised the bar too high, and now you will all be disappointed. But my, I don't think I've laughed this much since LH's To Die For (in print). (It's not like To Die For except they're both funny to me)

Ok, I've got 5 hours left to the end of . I AM TOTALLY LOVING THIS BOOK!!! Kate Reading is doing a great job bringing the characters to life. She has not said or done anything to make me cringe either. :) I've also visited the authors website which is wonderful. I think it's safe to say that this series will fill the new series slot in my challenge. :)
Melinda - IMHO, you didn't raise the bar high enough.:)

Have any of you read/listened to the entire series? I have and I'm curious to know what you think of Mistletoe and Orchid. Any thoughts??

I'm almost finished with the series. Got a couple hours left to go on Orchid. I've enjoyed every book in this series, some more than others. Chances are real good that I will be listening to the entire series more than once.:) Mistletoe isn't my favorite but I thought it was fun. It was a nice lead in to Night Jasmine. Orchid is definitely keeping my interest. I wouldn't say it's as fun as some of the others but I am liking it. I'm going to have withdrawals when I finish tomorrow.:(

Mistletoe isn't my favorite but I thought it was fun. It was a nice lead in to Night Jasmine.

Mistletoe comes before Jasmine? I haven't gotten that far yet but thought Mistletoe came after Blood Lily.

I think publicationwise Mistletoe came after Jasmine but according to LWs website, Mistletoe comes before Jasmine timewise. She's got a section on her website that shows the timeline of each book and recommended reading order.
I finished Orchid today. :( Withdrawals setting in.

oooh I need to check out her website. Glad you posted this - thanks! I'm on Crimson Rose now.