4.75⭐
• I‘m fairly certain that I loved this series more the second time around, I think maybe it's because I didn‘t stress about the time-traveling making sense and just went with it. You have to be able to go with it. Also, I love these characters.
• Mason Lloyd & Courtney Patterson both gave amazing performances, especially with the French language.

2.75⭐• Every time I thought I was close to finishing the book, the author would throw a new twist, and it kept getting crazier with each new reveal. Also, all the covid bullshit dragged this down for me but I‘m not sure that the author could‘ve sold this scenario without a lockdown. Overall it was outlandlishly entertaining in a popcorn-y thriller kind of way.
• The narration by Brittany Pressley is the only thing that made this story worthwhile.

3.5⭐ --Light Pick
• Again, this was even more difficult to follow than the first two. The female characters all sound the same to me, so I almost never really know who is talking. I‘m sure the English accents aren‘t helping me differentiate either, but it‘s definitely not just that. There‘s a really good story here that I‘m struggling to comprehend, and I really wish I wasn‘t.

4⭐
•••A winter storm is the perfect scenario for a locked-room mystery and this one didn‘t disappoint. Some characters were off-beat but maybe that was a part of their appeal.
•••Hillary Huber is a favorite of mine…but it would‘ve been better with additional narrators.

3.5⭐
• I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this sequel didn‘t quite work for me. I‘m more than willing to say that this might have more to do with me than the book itself, since the first book was so good and because everyone else seems to love it.
• They switched narrators and I don‘t think I liked her as much as Stacey Glemboski.

4.25⭐
• This was an emotional read but lacked the punch to make it a true gut punch. It was good but lacked something that could‘ve made it great; so I liked it a lot but didn't quite love it. Ask For Andrea is still my fav, although this one is probably my second favorite by this author.
• Will Damron & Megan Tusing both give good performances.

3.75⭐• This book relies on a certain element (I‘m trying not to spoil it) that often does not work for me, but in this, I wasn‘t hating it. While it did feel a little campy at times, it was an entertaining and quick listen.
• The narrators gave decent performances but the best part was that each POV had its own narrator.

3.5⭐ • The sound effects were too much for me because I couldn‘t always hear what was being said. Also, it was difficult to follow who was talking because many voices were similar. Other than that this was quick and interesting for the most part. Very Invasion of Body Snatchers-esque.

5⭐
•I could not stop listening, as each detail was revealed I was shook. I remember how scared I was when I heard about the DC sniper attacks and I didn't live anywhere near the DC area, but this book brought back the chilling details of that crime. It's a gripping account that I won't soon forget.
•The narration by Maureen O‘Connell was perfect and the full-cast for the interview style format was absolutely fantastic.

2.75⭐
I usually like Margot Hunt's books, but “The Guests“ had some issues that left me feeling underwhelmed. The characters, the plot, and the many twists and turns all failed to inspire me. Only two elements stood out and they were the full-cast narration and the setting of a category 5 hurricane.

4.5⭐
⬗ I had sworn off Megan Miranda after a string of disappointing books. So, I guess the FOMO was bad because I decided to give this one a try, and hey, I actually liked it. I think it‘s even her best yet. It has loads of tension, family secrets, and an ending that took me by surprise.
⬗ The narration by Inés del Castillo was performed quite well.

4.75⭐
⬗ There is a way to make a love triangle work and this one hit it on the head. I seem to be really into time-travel romance, lately. I like that the science elements are done in a way that you don‘t have to think too deeply about them. Just go with the flow.
⬗ The narration by Samantha Brentmoore and Jason Clarke was decently performed.

NOVEMBER #bookspinbingo board. I'm looking forward to these books.

@TheAromaofBooks

3.75⭐
⬗ What a peculiar little tale that kept me entranced for all of its 162 minutes. Although, this is yet another horror book with an ambiguous ending🤔🤔🤔
⬗ The narration and translation by Mary Robinette Kowal were fantastic.

Here's my list for NOVEMBER #bookspinbingo.

@TheAromaofBooks

My October #bookspinbingo board has been filled and then some.

3 of the books on the board were DNFs, although I had 6 total. I also finished 4 more books that aren't pictured.

It was an impressive month. Looking at some of these books, it feels like I finished the earlier ones way before October. One thing about going through books this quickly: I'm so behind on my reviews (if you call them that).

@TheAromaofBooks

4.5⭐
⬗ A wholly unique Vampire story where it‘s less about “paranormal-type” vampires and more like an epidemic/plague called Saratov Syndrome. Sort of like Covid but you turn into a blood-sucker. This book seriously vibes with the song “Down With The Sickness” by Disturbed.
⬗ The narration by Chase Sui Wonders was performed fairly well.

4.25⭐
⬗ I usually complain when a book is too long, but this one could've been longer. I wanted a little more character development and backstory. Everything felt too rushed, but other than that, I really liked it.
⬗ The narration by Alex Picard, Erin deWard, & Joe Hempel would‘ve been slammin‘ if it had been a true full-cast.

3.5⭐
While it wasn‘t as good as Hidden Pictures, it was still an interesting tale, although it was a bit peculiar.
The narration by John Pirhalla was excellent.

2.5⭐
I was going to give up on Stephanie Wrobel after how much I hated “This Might Hurt” but that damn cover wouldn‘t let me. Why can‘t books live up to their covers? The biggest reason this book didn‘t click with me is that I‘m not a big Hitchcock fan, and this book references his work a lot. But, if you are a fan of Hitchcock, you might enjoy this book more than I did. The narration by Michael Crouch, Gail Shalen, & Helen Lloyd was good.

4⭐
⬗ While I didn‘t buy into that twist of an ending, I was fully engaged with everything that led up to it.
⬗ The narration was interestingly produced in that January LaVoy did all the characters except two key voices. I‘m not sure why they did it that way. If you‘ve listened to the audio of this book, then you‘ll know what I mean—IFYKYK.

5⭐
What a surprise this was, I think it‘s my favorite Cinderella retelling ever. It was wildly imaginative.
The narration by EJ Lavery was quite good.

4.25⭐
I‘m glad they finally took a stand and said enough is enough. While I‘m happy it happened, I wasn‘t necessarily a fan of how it all went down.
I would love for this to be a full-cast production but Stacey Glemboski does a decent job with it.

3⭐
So 50 Cent wrote a book—and it wasn‘t too bad. It wasn‘t necessarily my kind of crime fiction but it didn‘t suck.
The narration by January LaVoy and Dion Graham was fantastic, especially January LaVoy.

2.25⭐
⬗ I failed to connect with this because of the multiple characters to keep track of along with dual (or maybe more) timelines which left me continuously perplexed about what was happening. Also, it was way too long.
⬗ The narration by Brie Carter and Chandler Gregoire was good.

4⭐
I was engaged once I sorted out the different characters and their voices. However, some of the characters' motivations were questionable. But the twist at the end was something else! I will say that this won't work for everyone.
The narration by Bailey Carr, Stephanie Németh-Parker, Susannah Jones, Jane Oppenheimer, & Carly Robins was fantastic.

3.5⭐
⬗ I‘m beginning to see that maybe gothic-type horror stories don‘t really work for me. Unfortunately, despite this probably being a decent story with loads of atmosphere, I found myself rather bored. Although, I'm willing to concede that this is probably due to my personal preferences rather than any shortcomings of the book.
⬗ The narration by Johanna Parker was befitting the atmosphere of the book.

3.75⭐
⬗ This wasn‘t weighed down with too much zombie gore, which was favorable since I can‘t handle the constant anxiety of dodging zombies— it stresses me out and ruins my experience. I didn't love this book, but I did like it for the most part. The political issues were a bit too much for my taste, but at least they were completely unrelated to what we have today.
⬗ The narration by Paula Christensen & Jesse Bernstein was quite good.

4⭐
⬗ While nothing about this book had me super psyched, it was still a decent coming-of-age story set in the 70s. I thought Mr. King did a good job capturing that time period.
⬗ The narration by Michael Kelly was sufficient but unfortunately, his voice was so pleasant that I found it easy to tune him out.

3.75⭐
⬗ I didn't think this book was as hard-hitting as it was advertised to be. It was compelling enough, and I did feel for Ruby, despite her unfriendly attitude. However, the way things played out in the end didn't work for me.
⬗ The narration by January LaVoy was fantastic as always.

3.75⭐
⬗ The time travel in this low-key reminds me of the OG Quantum Leap. I used to love that show. What kept me from liking this more was the lack of actual time travel and the MC's tendency towards whining. Although, his faithful sidekick Vinny didn‘t disappoint.
⬗ The narration by Ray Porter was amazing. He is quite good.

4.75⭐
⬗ I could not stop listening…so good. This wasn‘t my first book by this author, but it is now my favorite, and it was her debut. As far as believability, it was believable while you were in it, experiencing it. Upon reflection, maybe everything didn‘t quite hold up, but it didn't matter because I was still captivated. Also, I think the author should explore the possibility of a continuation.
⬗ The narration by Mia Barron was decent.

3.25⭐
⬗ 10 years ago, I would‘ve devoured this. Today…not so much. Another book that was just okay for me.
⬗ The narration by Lauren Sweet was okay…but Jacob Morgan was perfect.

3⭐
⬗ I hope to find another Rachel Harrison book that I love as much as “Such Sharp Teeth,“ but “Cackle“ wasn't it. It was okay, but it didn't have the pull of SST.
⬗ The narration by Dylan Moore fits the story quite well.

3.25⭐
⬗ The narrative felt all over the place and also got rather repetitive. Overall, it wasn‘t great, but it wasn‘t horrible either. I mean, I wasn‘t disappointed when these characters were axed.
⬗ The narration by EJ Lavery was fine.

4.75⭐
I was hooked on this and blew right through this edition of the series. Hannah, Liam, and Quinn are, by far, my favorite characters, so I loved having them together. I've become invested in these characters. Without giving anything away, there is a pivotal incident in this book that I‘ve been waiting for, and it couldn‘t have gone down better.
I would love for this to be a full-cast production but Stacey Glemboski does a decent job with it.

2⭐
-This was going to get less of a rating from me, but I bumped it up because it could be “lost in translation” and the past timeline was slightly intriguing.
-This was a cool concept that was executed very poorly
-Did the documentary crew ever really document anything?
-You could call the characters flawed but in my opinion, they were just annoying.
-I‘m not sure what that ending was about and I don‘t care.

4.25⭐
⬗ This story slowly pulls you in and builds dread rather well. It was intriguing and creepy AF, but the ending was somewhat frustrating.
⬗ The narration by Hillary Huber with Kitty Hendrix having a small part was fantastically performed.

Here's my #bookspinbingo list for October....I got some more spooky books for this month.

@TheAromaofBooks

Only 3 books that I didn't complete but I probably finished that many books that I couldn't put on my list because I ran out of free spots. Should've designated a few more books for My Halloween Bingo challenge, I guess.

I did finish both my #bookspin and my #doublespin.

@TheAromaofBooks

3.75⭐
⬗ One minute you‘re living the gal-pal dream, the next you‘re not. What happens when forever feels like too long? I think the vampire theme helped the story but overall it still kind of dragged for me. I don‘t think I liked being inside these women‘s heads all that much. The ending wasn't bad, though.
⬗ The narration by Suzanne Elise Freeman & Katharine Lee McEwan was good.

Probably more like a Pan...but I love A.Torre, so I'm bumping it up.
2.25⭐
-contemporary romance
-love triangle
-forced marriage
⬗ I love this author, and I enjoy her books. However, this book is a prime example of how not to do a love triangle. There is a right way to do it, and her book Undertow, which I read recently, is one way to make that trope work. But not this one.
⬗ The narration by Will M. Matt & Aria Collins was fine.

3.5⭐Light Pick
⬗ While it was an interesting enough take on vampires; it was also forgettable. I keep thinking that I‘ll like this authors books because I loved Such Sharp Teeth but unfortunately all the others haven‘t really impressed me much.
⬗ At least it was narrated by my fav narrator, Brittany Pressley

Light Pick. 3.5⭐
⬗ A semi-intriguing mystery mixed with an awkward romance that ended unenthusiastically. But then the epilogue happened, and I thought, “Okay, maybe it wasn't too bad after all.”
⬗ The narration by Cassandra Campbell, Caitlin Davies, and Jeremy Carlisle Parker was good.

Light Pick. 3.5⭐
⬗ This is a story of a very uninteresting (so yeah, it was a touch dull) vampire who works as an accountant and his rather cozy (if you like cozies, this might be for you) adventurous tales of how he finds his own sort of family despite being a vampire.
⬗ Graphic Audio did an amazing job with this. If I had listened to the regular audio of this.

3⭐
⬗ Also, I hope the scenario depicted in this book is not something we could potentially have to deal with one day in real life.
⬗ My first ever audiobook by Scott Brick (who so many people love), he‘s not about to be a favorite but he was decent.

3.75⭐
⬗ This book didn't immediately hook me, but by the end I was at least partially invested. Since it might appeal more to a younger audience, I didn't dock the rating too much. And also because I love that title so much.
⬗ This wasn‘t my favorite performance by Justis Bolding but I still like her as a narrator.

3⭐
⬗Another one of those short stories that confuses/leaves space for interpretation but I‘m mostly willing to go with it because it‘s trying to impart a profound message and maybe sometimes the confusion is a part of its charm.
⬗The narration by the full cast was great and made this an effortless listen.

4⭐
-historical fantasy romance
-a dark retelling loosely based on The Little Mermaid
-heat: hot&spicy🥵
-pirates/the code of the brethren
-with plenty of sea monsters
-Karina Halle has great ideas as a writer, although, I‘m not always a fan of her execution. But she is improving because I liked how she flipped “The Little Mermaid” into an adult romance tale. While not without its issues, it was both inventive and scandalous.

4.5⭐
-horror of the haunting/possession variety
-Michigan setting
-family secrets
-The fact that the narrator is an eight-year-old girl adds an element of innocence. The repetition of the entity's question, “Can I go inside your heart?” builds tension as the girl grapples with how to protect herself and her family.
-I‘m still processing how I feel about the ending, it seems that some love it, but I‘m leaning the other way, I think🤔