Marie > Recent Status Updates

This one's a little bit spicier than I'm used to!

This one's a little bit spicier than I'm used to!

Does anyone actually have carnations as their favorite flowers…?

“There are no bears in NH” Girl. Lucy! Who fed you this pack of lies! They are every where! Wait until she hears about the town of libertarians that nearly turned their town into a resort for bears.

Oh jackie and that "hinky" feeling

The narrators are great except for the narration of the FMC - just comes across as to squeaky? I can’t quite explain it but the woman narrators voice is so good on the reading bits and the side characters yet somehow not on the main character.

Also why is she apologizing for attempting to defend Maeve’s house in the opening scene? You’d think Vess? Ness? Would be grateful once he found out why she was there.

Also - the society page columnist lives in a high rise apartment by herself? Clearly not since 2016.

And a final aside - this book is firmly set around Thanksgiving with references to Christmas in the near future yet its marketed on the cover as a Christmasy novella.

If this wasn't a novella I'd have called it quits when the MMC is a woodsy-alpha-holey type. So many reminders from the FMC about how the MMC is real 'mans man'. Also the vague reference to their opposing political views... not in this day and age. Sorry.

It is completely reasonable for Greg to be pissed that the person who he’s doing a favor for is late, ungrateful for him waiting, and the delay results in him having to drive thru a snow storm. Or that he’d want to pick what he was listening to in his own car, particularly after being inconvenienced. Good grief Tasha!

I think Nora and her author forgot in at least 2 occasions that Owen is Sonya’s cousin (2nd, 3rd or something…) based on Owen’s weird comments about Sonya

Every now and then I realize Nora is human and capable of doing dumb things like giving the MMC and his grandfather and father nicknames like Ace, Deuce, and Tre(y) because they are a Sr, Jr, III. (insert facepalm)

Neither narrator feels right for this book. Both sound older than their characters. The woman narrator has a nasally accent, a bit NY-ish? And she makes the secondary woman characters sound annoying. The man narrators voice sounds deeper than I’d imagine. It’s giving late 40 something motorcycle bad boy than handsome but uptight 20something. He also makes his voice too low at times to hear what he’s saying

I almost never cry when reading but Christ on a crutch this sick bed scene is killing me. Like if I didn't know this was a romance and a safely reliable romance writer, I'd be pretty sure that the FMC is about to actually die.

The only part im truly struggling with is Mr. Brandon (ie Capt. Brandon?) basically falling in love with Marianne upon a single meeting where they barely talked and she was rather abrasive.

1. Narrator's voice feels a bit old for the FMC

2. Narrator is NOT doing 3 pack a day growly MMC voice so that is a win

3. "you going somewhere w/out me Parish?" (referring to her daydreaming w/out him)

A conversation about only one room at the inn, and what sort of books is she reading?!

Note 2:

Dual narration; the FMC narrator sounds older than a 24 year old (or 25?) and she is doing the 3 pack a day smoker voice for the men which drives me nuts; the MMC narrator does a nice mans voice but makes the women sound like cartoon characters.

Trying to do better on updating reviews because its hard to track my thoughts on audio like I can with highlights in written book form.

1. Finding it hard to believe Maine is as warm Memorial Day weekend as the author has written it - swimming Memorial day weekend in a lake? (SB, the author, is from northern new england, so I know she knows)

I understand the book is written in 2003? but referring to misunderstood vampire behavior for same sex behavior by the MMC still surprised me in a not good way when the FMC referred to the MMC as a 'pervert' on initial instinct.

Also, a side note that the narrator has a nice voice, and doesn't make the men sound to gravelly like a 2 pack a day smoker, but her tone is rather flat with little inflection.

I'm worried the MMC has a drinking problem.

I'm irrationally angry at a fictional character for not taking a hurricane seriously, let alone a Cat 5. 25 year old law school drop out should be smart enough to analyze the situation and plan accordingly. Literally yelling at a fictional person in my car on the way home about her poor choices. NO, your mother is not overreacting.

A cute side trip to PEI is a nice touch/reference but a book written in 2021 should have an accurate representation of the border and that a DL is not sufficient to cross the border.

Further thoughts: narrator is actually a bit too nasally at times like when voicing Ellonwy (sp?).

I also kind of wanted to throttle Emerson when she does the typical unexpected paranormal heroine thing of running off without protection despite everyone telling her it’s unsafe and even more so when she keeps convincing herself it’s ok with some self congratulatory girl-bossy nonsense.

Narrator isn’t bad but does sound more mature than the age of the FMC, given that it’s first person.

1/2 half - I love this! So sweet - hands down the best Bridgerton yet.
Beginning the 2nd half: What sort of 'You' shaped manipulative-stalkerish bull sh*t is this?!?

4.5 rounded up; review to follow