Tag: Sean Crisden (Page 1 of 2)

May Round Up

June 2, 2021 / Kaetrin

Monthly Mini Review

Sun of a Beach by Mia Sosa, narrated by Valentina Ortiz & Sean Crisden – C This only-on-audio novella was offered to me for review by Audible Studios. I’ve read and enjoyed Mia Sosa’s books before so I was pretty happy to give it a go. At just over 2 hours of listening time and using a rule of thumb of 30-ish pages to an hour of listening time, I expect a printed version would be maybe 70 or 80 pages at the most. It has an awful lot to do in a very short time and because of that, it did not entirely succeed.

Naomi Reyes works at M-Class magazine which mainly caters to white men. She’s interested in expanding their demographic to be more inclusive and has pitched her boss her ideas. The creative director of the magazine is Donovan Taylor and she don’t get along well but there’s always been a simmering sexual tension underlying their reaction to one another. When their boss teams them up for a “swimsuit edition” at a beautiful private beach resort in the Bahamas, the sparks fly.

Much of the story is setting up the dynamic between Naomi and Donovan. Neither (but most especially Donovan) shower themselves in glory with how they deal with one another. Donovan does something pretty stupid and career-limiting and Naomi tries to drag it out of the ditch as it’s her career on the line too. The turn from “enemies” to “lovers” was way too fast for me. But there wasn’t enough space in the story for anything like that. Continue reading

#RomBkLove Day 18: Speak to Me of Love

May 18, 2020 / Kaetrin

When I thought about how best I could contributed to #RomBkLove almost my first idea was romance audiobooks with a focus on narrators. For those of us who love romance audio, we know it’s all about the narrator. A fantastic narrator can lift an okay book and make a great book come to life in new ways. I’ve said before that audio is a transformative medium. The listener experiences the story through the lens of the characterisation, tone, pacing and pitch of the narrator. When they get it right, it’s magic.

There are many brilliant narrators. My list of favourites is long but I’ve chosen just 6 to highlight today, paired with some of my favourite audiobooks from their catalogues. Continue reading

Review at AudioGals

May 13, 2020 / Kaetrin

I’m over at AudioGals with a review of American Sweethearts by Adriana Herrera, narrated by Sean Crisden. Second chance romance to tie up the series.

Review at AudioGals

December 19, 2019 / Kaetrin

I’m over at AudioGals with a review of American Love Story by Adriana Herrera, narrated by Sean Crisden. Patrice and Easton finally get their HEA.

American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera, narrated by Sean Crisden

November 22, 2019 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: This is one from my TBL.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Fairy-tale endings don’t just happen; they have to be fought for.

New York City social worker Camilo Santiago Briggs grew up surrounded by survivors who taught him to never rely on anything you didn’t earn yourself. He’s always dreamed of his own happily-ever-after, but he lives in the real world. Men who seem too good to be true usually are. And Milo never ever mixes business with pleasure until the mysterious man he had an unforgettable hookup with turns out to be the wealthy donor behind his agency’s new, next-level funding.

Thomas Hughes built a billion-dollar business from nothing: he knows what he wants and isn’t shy about going after it. When the enthralling stranger who blew his mind at a black-tie gala reappears, Tom’s more than ready to be his Prince Charming. Showering Milo with the very best of everything is how Tom shows his affection.

Trouble is, Milo’s not interested in any of it. The only thing Milo wants is Tom.

Fairy-tale endings take work as well as love. For Milo, that means learning to let someone take care of him, for a change. And for Tom, it’s figuring out that real love is the one thing you can’t buy.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I haven’t yet listened to American Dreamer, the first book in the series (though I have it on my TBL now), however, American Fairytale, the second book in the series, stands alone well. Each book, features one of a group of four close friends, most of whom are gay/queer and living in New York. None are white.

There is a vibrancy to the writing, which illustrates the diversity in New York. There is a marked difference to American Fairytale as compared to the all-white (or almost-all-white) New York-set contemporary romance which is commonly available and it was both authentic and so much more interesting to me. It felt more like the real world and less like a construct and the characters showcased different experiences and points of view than my own white experience. I loved it. Continue reading