Category Archives: Audiobook
Audio Review: Accidentally Forever by Carrie Ann Ryan
Accidentally Forever
Carrie Ann Ryan
Montgomery Ink Legacy Series, Book 8
Narrators: Oscar Reyes and Lucy Rivers
406 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2025
In the world of romance, Aria Montgomery knows two things for sure:
She’s not in love with the man everyone thinks she is.
And she refuses to let herself love Crew McTavish.
Her former best friend is spiraling, and her photography career seems to be standing in her father’s shadow. Aria knows she needs to find her way out of the darkness. Yet she’s afraid if she allows Crew inside, he’ll not only take over—but he’ll get hurt in the process.
Crew McTavish enjoys being the mysterious friend of the Montgomerys. They may joke that he’s dating his way into their family one-by-one, but in the end, it’s only one Montgomery he wants: Aria.
Their pull to one another is inevitable and once a line is crossed, the heat between them ignites.
Only his family’s dark secrets threaten to pull him down and when Aria is threatened, Crew will stop at nothing to protect her.
Even if it means watching the world he’s built burn.
**Accidentally Forever is a next generation, protector, enemies to lovers, best friend’s ex romance in the Montgomery Ink Legacy series featuring Aria and Crew. Each book can be read as a complete standalone. An HEA is guaranteed!**
Aria Montgomery is Alex and Tabby’s daughter from Ink Exposed.
4 Stars
Carrie Ann Ryan never fails to deliver an emotional story. Accidentally Forever was emotionally intense in all the ways I didn’t realize I needed. Crew and Aria overcome many challenges to get to their happily ever after.
Crew McTavish i’ve been a friend of Montgomery for years. One of his very dear friends is Montgomery and there’s a random joke among them he is trying to marry his way into the family. Crew personnel story is not an easy one, but the Montgomery’s accepted him when he needed a place and a family. Most of the Montgomery clan believe that Crew and Aira couldn’t stand one another, forever what he feels is very, very much the opposite of disliking someone.
Aria Montgomery is a brilliant photographer. She is so strong and has the biggest heart. She cares on a level that is soul deep. She has a best friend that is in a very rough spot in our lives yet she just won’t turn them away. She won’t help enable, but friendship means a lot to her. When that person hurt her physically, Crew was in the right place at the right time. It started a team reaction that maybe two finally can hunt their feelings and not just stolen nights of promises that it was never gonna happen again.
I have been reading Carrie Ann Ryan for well over a decade now. I can vividly remember when she announced the Montgomery Ink series. Ten years later the Montgomery family is still growing and I am falling in love with the next generation. Accidentally Forever gives us the emotional, enemies to lovers story of Crew and Aira. These two have been dancing around one another for far too long. A few stolen moments here and there left them running more even though they said they didn’t. Carrie Ann Ryan very eloquently talks about sensitive topics that need to be talked about. Aria and Crew will take you on an emotional journey, but a little bit of going down the path because you definitely worth it.
Review: Wildest Dreams by Kristen Proby
Wildest Dreams
Kristen Proby
Wilds of Montana Series, Book 3
Kindle Edition
July 18, 2024 by Ampersand Publishing, Inc
Ryan Wild thought he had everything he could ever want. A billionaire before thirty, he’s finally
moved back home to Bitterroot Valley, built a beautiful house on his ranch, and has
recently adopted a teenage boy that has brought nothing but joy into his life. The only thing that’s been missing is the feeling of Polly in his arms since their incredible night together months ago. Memories of her touch aren’t nearly enough to satisfy him, and Ryan will do anything he can to make her his.
Polly can’t forget the one night she spent with Ryan all of those months ago, but she understood that it was a one-time deal. Yes, she still thinks about the sexy billionaire cowboy and his strong arms wrapped around her, but she’s a busy woman, with a thriving clothing shop and a group of friends that keep her on her toes. When you add in a house that always needs repairs, Polly’s days and nights are completely full. But when Ryan starts coming around, tempting her with that killer smile, heated bedroom eyes, and generous gifts, how is she supposed to stay away from him?
Polly knows how important the bond between father and son is and feels guilty for taking
some of Ryan’s attention away from Jake, especially when Ryan whisks her away to Paris for
the romantic vacation of her dreams. And just when the three of them start to settle in together, where Polly, Jake and Ryan start to feel like a family, she starts getting warnings and prank phone calls. Someone wants to come between them and their growing relationship.
The love they share is beyond their wildest dreams, but when danger lurks, will they be torn apart forever?
4.5 Stars
Ryan may be a billionaire of the wild family, but he’s still a cowboy at heart. Recently returning to Bitterroot Valley, Ryan has made a lot of wonderful changes to his life. Yes, the man is obsessed with work, but he also understands what home and family mean. After a little bit of life learning of course. Ryan has built a beautiful house on his ranch and does the biggest thing in the world that makes my heart go pitter pat, adopting a teenage boy after losing his family. The man is almost too good to be true.
Polly is one of the sweetest people you could ever want to meet. She has a huge heart and a keen sense for fashion. She owns Polly’s posies, which is an adorable little boutique. Polly and Ryan have known each other practically their entire lives. And him returning home has her just a little more than a bit distracted. They spent one incredible night together. With Ryan now back in town and seeing him more definitely has her thinking and wondering.
Wildest Dreams is a fantastic read. I could not put this book down. Honestly, from the very first page I was sucked in and obsessed. Ryan is the most humble billionaire I think we will ever read about. He really is a dream come true. Every time the two are on the page together you could feel the heat and the chemistry. I love the moment of realization that things were misunderstood. Kristin Proby’s has me obsessed with his charming small town and the people that call at home. I love the relationship between Ryan and Jake. I love how we see that bond form and how I get stronger. I also love that poly understood the importance of Jake in the relationship. I love that the two of them had their own special bond as well, and how the three of them came together as a unit.
Audio Review: Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew
Murder by the Seashore
Samara Yew
California Bookshop Mystery Series, Book 1
October 17, 2023 by Crooked Lane
256 pages, Hardcover
Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Ellery Adams, Scarlett Gardner’s dream was to open a bookshop in Southern California, but it soon becomes a nightmare when she finds the dead body of a customer—and becomes the prime suspect.
Southern California is where dreams come true—or so Scarlett Gardner thought. When she came out and opened the Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop, she thought her boyfriend and business partner would be part of the story. When he leaves her for a better job, Scarlett finds herself struggling to keep her new business afloat. That’s not the only thing she has to worry about—she discovers something underneath the pier by her bookstore that she didn’t outline for her life’s story: the dead body of a book-buying customer.
After Scarlett gives a statement to the police, she thinks her life can go back to business as usual. But when a lawyer, representing someone named Lorelai Knight, tells her that Scarlett now stands to inherit a small fortune, Scarlett is left with more questions than answers. Before she can think about any of it, the police bring her in for questioning; the body she found was Lorelai Knight. And the evidence they have against Scarlett doesn’t look good—not only does she have a motive because of her inheritance, but a bottle of the same poison found in Lorelai’s system was discovered near the bookshop. Business is booming as Scarlett returns to the bookshop, but for all the wrong reasons – they want to question the last known suspect of the murder.
Who could really be behind all of this? And why frame Scarlett? To clear her name, she’s going to have get creative—and hope she can remain one page ahead of the killer.
4 Stars
Scarlett Gardner is trying to make her dreams come true. Opening her beach book shop Palm Trees and Page Turner is the beginning of a good thing. Until her boyfriend/business partner decides to leave for a better job. Then to top things off, Scarlet finds a dead body under the pier not far from her Bookshop, making her a suspect in the murder. Then to mix things up just a little bit, a lawyer shows up wanting to speak to Scarlet about an inheritance from a person she has never heard of. Scarlet is filled with lots of questions and not finding too many answers. Deciding to do a little investigating of her own, Scarlet has to clear her name, and that of the book shop.
Murder by the seashore, is a fantastic opening book for this new series. Scarlett Gardner is an interesting main character. She has some complexities to her, has dreams and desires. She wants to fulfill and has a very good heart. She has a solid character any Author has written her in a way that she will be able to grow through future installments. I thought we were going to see the beginning of a love interest in the first book but I guess we’re not quite there yet. As for the mystery, I found it very enjoyable. Author Samara Yew does a wonderful job at keeping the reader guessing as to whether they have actually figured it out or not. From the setting to the characters to the storyline, I found this a very enjoyable, cozy mystery.
Audio Review: Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinlay
Sugar Plum Poisoned
Jenn McKinlay
Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series, Book 15
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Expected publication October 10, 2023 by Berkley
Narrated by Susan Boyce
It’s Christmastime, and this holiday season, things are heating up for the bakers at Fairy Tale Cupcakes, in the newest Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.
When up-and-coming singing sensation Shelby Vaughn arrives in town for two weeks of concert dates, she hires her old friend Angie and the rest of the bakery crew to supply cupcakes for the VIP guest lounge every night.
After overhearing Shelby in a heated argument with her manager, Mel is concerned, but she and the crew decide to make the best of their time working with the star. Just as the bakers fall into the rhythm of the job, Shelby’s manager is found dead, clutching a bit of fabric from a Santa suit and a cupcake. With the bakery crew and Shelby’s backup dancers all dressed in similar Santa costumes, it’s impossible to say who is the killer. When all suspicions lead back to Shelby, Mel and Angie stand up for their friend, determined to prove her innocence before she’s frosted for a crime she didn’t commit.
4 Stars
It’s Christmas time! Fairy Tale cupcakes is on deck to provide the delectable treats for the VIP guests of up-and-coming, singer and friend of Angie, Shelby Vaughn’s two week Christmas showcase in Scottsdale. It’s the busiest time of the year and spirits are bright. Well, until Shelby‘s manager is found dead with a fairytale cupcake in his hand. Mel and Angie have their hands full with the ongoing catering of Shelby shows, Mel hosting Christmas dinner for a small army, and now they are tangled up in a murder once again. Mel and Angie, not only want to clear the bakeries name because they know there was nothing wrong with their cupcakes. They’re out to clear Shelby’s name from this murder as well.
Sugar Plum Poisoned was a fun and entertaining weed. I love the combination of Mel and Angie. Their friendship is solid, extremely strong, and it’s to the point that they are basically family. And have been for a very long time. Angie is that person that will go to bed for the people she cares about. Mel is a little more stand back and think it through. They are truly a perfect team. Sugar Plum Poisoned shows us that Angie has definitely rubbed off on Mel after all these years. Although I figured out who the culprit of this caper was fairly early on, I very much enjoyed the story. Marty and Oz are always a trip whenever they are on the page. Seeing the brothers up to their antics is always a good laugh. They also help solve a murder and give a good friend a Christmas that she truly needed.
Narrator Susan boys did an amazing job with this book. She beautifully distinguish each character and truly brought the story to life.
Audio Review: Start Us Up by Lexi Blake
Start Us Up
Lexi Blake
Park Avenue Promise Book 1
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published: August 8, 2023 by Blue Box Press
Three young women make a pact in high school—
to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan.
She’s a high-tech boss who lost it all…
Ivy Jensen was the darling of the tech world, right up until her company fell apart completely after she trusted the wrong person. Her reputation in tatters, she finds herself back in the tiny apartment she grew up in, living with her mom. When a group of angel investors offer her a meeting, she knows she has to come up with the new big idea or her career is over.
He’s an up and coming coder…
Heath Marino has always been fascinated with writing code. He’s worked on a dozen games and apps and is considered one of the industry’s more eccentric talents. But now he’s back in New York to spend time with his grandmother. She was known as one of the city’s greatest matchmakers, and he wants to know why. Surely there’s some kind of code in his grandmother’s methods, and he’s going to find them.
When Ivy meets Heath it’s instant attraction, but she’s got a career to get back to and he just might be her on-ramp. It could be a perfect partnership or absolute heartbreak.
4.5 Stars
This is one of those books that I picked up because I love who wrote it. I’m not big on the New York Life nor do I know anything about the tech world. But I know that Lexi Blake knows how to write a story that I don’t want to put down. With that being said Start Us Up was truly a one stop couldn’t put it down, all in one read for me.
Ivy Jensen climbed to the top of the tech world very quickly. She was motivated and wanted more than what she grew up with. Just when she thought she had it made, her company fell apart after trusting the wrong people. She’s got a second chance and now she knows she needs a big idea to make a new step to save her career.
Heath Marino has always been fascinated with code. He’s used his talents to make games and applications that have caused him to be a big talent. He’s back in New York to spend time with his grandmother. A well-known matchmaker, and he’s trying to figure out the science of his grandmothers’ methods.
What was supposed to be a secret set up became a business partnership into something much greater. Ivy and Heath worked so well together. He is calm and mellow with a very nurturing nature. Where Ivy is the go get them, she’s going to find a way to make it happen type of person. The two of them together was just amazing. They have a traction in chemistry, but there’s always something that makes it hard to say yes to love. As they build this company, they realize there is more feelings than just business between the two of them. As the layers start to peel away, we learn just why these two are perfect for each other. But yet this would not be a LexiBlake book, if we did not have a little bit of suspense, and a good dash of humor thrown in.
This was a fantastic start to the series, and I can’t wait to see what Miss Blake has in store for her Park Avenue Promise series.
Audio Review: Take A Chance With Me by Kristen Proby
Take A Chance With Me
Kristen Proby
The O’Callaghans Series, Book 5
Cameron Cox has mastered the art of keeping secrets. His talent for computer hacking means he’s been recruited for highly classified jobs since leaving the military. He travels the world, risking his life. But his biggest secret isn’t from a government job or a foreign spy.
It’s Maggie O’Callaghan.
He’s loved her from afar, always standing by as the friend. He’s been her rock through the hardest days of her life. But after his dangerous past comes crashing into his life and threatens the only woman he’s ever loved, he has a choice to make.
Give up the secrets and win her heart.
Or watch Maggie walk away with his.
Friend to lovers and a brother’s best friend, Two amazing tropes weaved into one story that is heartwarming and sexy. John Hartley and Kirsten Leigh perform this emotional and beautiful tale by Kristen Proby in a way that makes sure it hits the heart. Take a Chance With Me gives us the one we have been waiting for. Well I have been! Good things are worth waiting for.
Maggie took a chance years ago and put herself out there. Wanting Cameron is nothing new for her but she knows when the job calls he goes. After a bad marriage Maggie knows exactly what she doesn’t want or need. Her want for Cameron has never changed but her self happiness it’s something that does come first in her life.
Cameron lives a life of secrets. Because of his job everything is hush-hush. Cameron knows more than he is allowed to tell, information he knows that could help someone he cares about. Cameron has begun to put the at the drop of a call, I am gone for the job aside to start living the life he wants, with whom he wants. Caneron knows that there are obstacles ahead. But for her he will take on every one of them.
Take a Chance With Me is a wonderful romance filled with some mystery and deep roots in the family. It’s hard not to love the O’Callaghans. Cameron and Maggie are definitely two people that belong together. It just took them a very long time to find their way. They’re so sweet together. Their story is a long one with many hurtles and a bit of mystery but in the end, they get their happily ever after
Audio Review: Flirt With Me by Kristen Proby
Flirt With Me
Kristen Proby
The O’Callaghan Series, Book 4,
With ME in Seattle Series, Book 17
From New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes an all new novel in her beloved With Me In Seattle Series!
There are two things Maeve O’Callaghan values more than anything else: her family and her career. Being the eldest daughter in a large, close-knit and somewhat chaotic Irish family means spending most of her nights in the family-owned pub, serving drinks and food, always accompanied by a smile. During the day, she’s a superstar real estate agent, selling homes on her beloved island just across Puget Sound from Seattle. She doesn’t have time for much else, and she’s perfectly okay with that.
Enter Hunter Meyers. He’s looking for a new place to call home, somewhere out of the city, and believes life on the island could be just the thing for him and his troubled teenage daughter. While in search of finding the perfect house, his sexy realtor catches his eye, making him feel things he hasn’t in years. But with the added baggage of a surly teen and a past that will never be forgotten, how can he make something permanent with the gorgeous Irishwoman who tempts him like no other?
Maeve isn’t just attracted to Hunter with his killer grin and muscles for days. The teenager that tries so hard to push her away also pulls at her heartstrings. Maeve understands the importance of family, and can see herself making just that with Hunter and his daughter. But when his past comes back to haunt him, will their love be strong enough, or will they be ripped apart forever?
What a story, what a family and what a romance. I loved Maeve and Hunter.
Maeve is a one of a kind woman. She’s intelligent, has a career she loves and a family she loves even more. Her heart is so big and shines brighter than her personality. She has a very happy and productive life and there’s not much more she could possibly ask for, except for maybe that dream house that she’s had her eye on. That is until a handsome man walks into the family pub and makes her want something she didn’t even know she needed.
Hunter, my goodness I don’t think I have swooned over a man, real or fictional, like I did with him in a very long time. Is a retired MMA fighter and single father with a rebellious teenage daughter. He’s strong, a bit hard headed, totally alpha and willing to do anything to keep his daughter safe. In an effort to pull his daughter from the questionable crowd she is running with, Hunter decides maybe it’s time for a move and the island is calling his name. Little did he know a night of fun flirting in an Irish pub would lead to the same woman who is showing him houses. This move might not only change his daughter’s life for the better but his as well.
Flirt With Me was a fantastic read. I absolutely loved Maeve and Hunter. From their flirtatious beginnings, to the way their chemistry bloomed and how it just fell together and felt so natural. They welcome each other and to their worlds and it fits together like pieces of a puzzle. The Callahan’s are a big Irish family with a lot of love to give. I love how they opened their arms willingly for Hunter and Rachel and how you could feel the love that they had for their daughter. Even with the trials and tribulations that Hunter and Maeve faced they learned together they are much better than they are apart.
Kristen Proby wrote a magically romantic story and narrators Stella Bloom and Connor Crais performance is spectacular. Together they truly make you feel like you’re right in the story.
Audio Review: Off the Record by Kristen Proby
Off the Record
Kristen Proby
With Me in Seattle: Mafia Series, Book 3
Rafe “Rocco” Martinelli was never one for the family business. Alas, being born into a crime syndicate means doing the family’s bidding and making sure you’re connected—and, yes, breaking a few kneecaps. Rafe would love nothing more than to hang up his enforcer apron and live a quiet life, but as more and more higher-ups in rival clans turn up dead, Rafe realizes he doesn’t have a choice. Especially not when the captivating and gorgeous bratva princess needs his help.
Dr. Annika Tarenkov learned early on that her life belongs to her family. She’s a pawn in the long game, a bargaining chip for power and prestige. She gave up the only person in her life she thought she could be happy with, all for the greater good of the family. Now, a newly made widow and desperately seeking answers, she’s forced to confront her past as it converges with her present. But all it does is make her wonder about her future and how she can make Rafe hers again. While being with him is like wrangling a toddler at times, he still makes her heart race and her breath catch. And she wouldn’t feel safer with anyone else.
With the chips seemingly stacked against them, they must work to uncover the perpetrators of the nefarious plot that’s been brewing for some time—before it’s too late.
Audio Review: Headhunter by Kristen Proby
Headhunter
Kristen Proby
With Me in Seattle: Mafia Series, Book 2
As the son of one of the States’ most prominent mob bosses, Shane Martinelli’s always been immersed in society’s shady underbelly. Learning to navigate it and keep to the edges was working just fine until an acquaintance turns up missing, and he fears the worst. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he hasn’t stopped thinking about her. Luckily, as an ex-special operative, he’s uniquely qualified to track her down and keep her safe. Unfortunately, nobody’s making that easy—not the people who took her nor the woman herself.
Ivie Jordan has led a pretty uneventful life, and that’s just how she likes it. Especially since she’ll be the first to admit that she doesn’t do so well in social situations. She’s a proud business owner, and while she doesn’t have family, she does have a network of people who look out for her. Little did she know that being accepted into that fold came with a laundry list of issues. When the worst happens, and she’s forced to rely on the ruggedly handsome alpha hero who comes to her rescue, she discovers her inner badass—and the sultry vixen on her other shoulder.
Too bad the two of them are literally running for their lives and trying to ensure the safety of those they love. There is way more at stake than meets the eye.
It’s time for the hunted to become the hunters.
Kristen Proby has a thing with Mafia Romance!
Hang on tight, because Headhunter will keep you on the edge from beginning to end! Also if you read Underboss you know this one is set up for intensity.
I am not sure who was carrying more secrets. The wickedly sexy Shane Martinelli or beautifully sweet Ivie Johnson. One ran away from a past that is now catching up with her and the other holds so many secrets that the average man would break. Shane and Ivie have mastered the dance of flirting with one another. Now at that life or death situation Shane steps in to protect Ivie. As the danger brews so does the attraction. The passion becomes as intense as the danger.
Headhunter is a fast paced, intense yet intimate story of danger and romance. There’s something Maria stories that intrigue me. To find out there is a sub genre in romance, excitement is an understatement. Kristen Proby hits it out of the park on so many levels. The danger is on point. The family ties and rivalries are intense and intriguing. The romance is as dangerous as the danger. The narration of this story gave me chills in all the right way. Ms. Probly’s story very much walked off the pages with narrators Lee Samuels and Kristen Leigh.
Audio Review: Underboss by Kristen Proby
Underboss
Kristen Proby
With Me in Seattle Series, Book 1
Audiobook
March 9, 2021
Narrated by Tor Thom and Kelsey Navarro
From New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes an all new family in her With Me In Seattle world! Hold on to your seat as we introduce you to Kristen’s new MAFIA FAMILY!
As the eldest son of Seattle’s current mob boss, Carmine Martinelli’s life has never really been his own. But he doesn’t mind because his family means more to him than his life. Which is why he’s determined to make those responsible for the death of his aunt and uncle pay—in inventive and gruesome ways. And what better way to do that than to infiltrate the Russian mafia from the inside? It’s a good thing the bratva’s princess is stunning and seemingly willing to do whatever he asks. This vengeance could be the perfect mix of business and pleasure.
Nadia Tarenkov has several things stacked against her: she’s a woman, and she’s not the eldest child in her family. But it doesn’t matter. She has her sights set on ruling the syndicate, and she always gets what she wants. When the heir to one of the States’ most powerful crime families comes knocking, Nadia sees it for the gift it is. He thinks he has her fooled, but she’s smarter, more cunning, and always two steps ahead. She’ll beat the gorgeous mobster at his own game, and secure her place in the fold.
What neither of them takes into consideration, however, is that they aren’t the only ones with deadly plans in motion. To survive, they’ll have to come clean and work together—and acknowledge that the growing love they’ve been pretending isn’t there, is very real.
4.5 Stars
Dark, dangerous and wickedly sinful. I love a good Mafia story and Kristen Proby has my attention!
Carmine Martinelli is sexy and smooth. Eldest son to Seattle’s boss, he’s got power and knows how to use it. As loyal as they get, Carmine takes his family obligations and responsibilities with everything he’s got. Wanting justice for a family death Carmine’s plan to infiltrate the enemy just may put him into a battle he might not be sure he can win.
Nadia Tarenkov is known as the Ice Princess. Daughter to the head of the Bratva, this girl packs a punch. She has goals that her position in the family doesn’t automatically give her but she’s more than willing to prove herself able. She’s willing to plan in the lion’s den but she just might end up caught in an unexpected trap of her own making.
Underboss is a fantastic start to the With Me in Seattle Mafia Series. Carmine and Nadia are amazing together. From that first exploratory kiss many many years before you could see the chemistry in the making. Individually they are both powerful and together they are near unstoppable. Their attraction to each other is undeniable and their chemistry is beyond explosive. Watching them tease each other or try to avoid her feelings was almost comical in a way. Yet when you see them working together taking down people on their tail you see an amazing team. Underboss is dangerous and dark with some intensely romantic moments and combustible passion. Kristen Proby rocks this Mafia romance.
Underboss was narrated by the wonderfully talented Tor Thom and Kelsey Navarro. Together they brought another level of intensity to this story. Tor Thom’s Voice is dark and sultry. It’s like a siren, keeping you listening, enticing you to listen to the entire story in one sitting. Both of these narrators are new listens for me and I was completely impressed. They very much do justice to Underboss.
Coffee Books Life 