3.25⭐
I probably would‘ve DNF‘d this if I didn‘t need it for a Z title. The scenes involving the dogs were heartbreaking to contemplate. Although the writing kept me emotionally distanced from it all, which—to be honest—isn't exactly a compliment to the author's craft. I can only hope that such a scenario never happens in reality.
🎙️Jay Snyder‘s narration was sufficient, but it could‘ve possibly been better with a different narrator.

Rating for anthology - 2⭐There were a few picks and some that were okay and others that did nothing for me. Honestly, the stories were just too short to make a lasting impression on me.

Watchers by Allison Brennan was my favorite and I rated it 4.75⭐

--It‘s not surprising that my favorite of the bunch is by this author, since I like her. This story actually had some thrills and mystery to it. The narration was solid.

2⭐
• murder mystery • light suspense thriller • psychological • light reality TV vibes • addiction • narcissistic characters • personal demons • multiple POVs •

I found this difficult to engage with, and even when I managed to get engaged, it was hard to follow. The whole thing felt scattered and disjointed.

Saskia Maarleveld handles most of the narration, so if you enjoy her voice, this should work for you.

3.75⭐
While I didn't like this as much as her other work, I still have to give her props for always thinking outside the box and delivering something different from your average thriller. The writing was on par as usual, and I was engaged, but I had to rewind a few times because the twists were a little too convoluted for me. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

4⭐
This was really good for such a short story. My only issue: the second twist at the end was too much. It went too far and left me feeling confused—mostly confused as to why she didn't stop at the first twist.

4.5⭐

This is a shockingly good debut. I rarely get scared by horror books, but this one actually got to me. It opens with a bang and sustains that creepy momentum from start to finish. Even though I guessed the culprit early on, the misdirects were misdirecting and kept me fully invested.

The narration performed by Helen Laser & Will Collyer was fantastic.

4.25⭐
While there's a possibility this won't work for everyone—most likely due to the need to suspend disbelief over the prophetic dreams—it honestly worked for me. I was fairly engaged early on, trying to figure out where this madness was heading, but the last quarter flipped it on its head and completely hooked me in.

Valerie Rose Lohman, Alex McKenna, & Christine Lakin did a good job narrating the multiple POVs.

4⭐
While the story suffers from too many character switches that make it difficult to keep track of everyone, the mystery had me hooked. There's a lot to figure out—not just who did it, but who gets killed and why the author chose these particular POVs. It's an intriguing mix of perspectives. If you're concerned this might feel too YA because it centers on a 16-year-old's birthday party, that's not that much of an issue.⬇️⬇️⬇️

5⭐
Wow, this was fantastic. I‘m loving this new trend where some of my favorite contemporary romance authors are dabbling in the fantasy genre, and they‘re killing it. This was intriguing without being confusing, and I'm so looking forward to book #2.
Samantha Brentmoor does most of the narrating, and she does it very well. Jason Clarke has only a small part, but I‘m hoping he has a full dual perspective in future books which is possible.

4.25⭐

Well, this was fun, gruesome, and notably twisted. With no excessive filler in this 5-hour novella, this one had me hooked the entire time.

Elisabeth Ashby was just okay.

2.5⭐
• psychological thriller • mystery suspense • wanna be true crime • teeny, tiny splash of romance •
The first half reads like true crime non-fiction—more instructional than entertaining. It goes off on tangents about crime-solving techniques rather than solving the crime. Once it refocuses on the story, it improves, but only marginally. Although it wasn‘t for me, it might work for someone who is just dipping their toes into this genre.

4.25⭐

This began promisingly with a gruesome poisoning death and concluded satisfyingly, though the middle sections became somewhat muddled, which was only mildly annoying for me.

Emma Love is a new narrator to me that I would love to hear more from.

Here is my JULY #bookspinbingo board.

So I didn't finish my doublespin last month, and now it's my bookspin for this month. I feel like something is telling me to finish this book already...lol.

BS=Haven by Imogen Keeper
DS=Birds of Prey by an Anthology of Authors.

@TheAromaofBooks

I decided to change up my listening bracket and stagger my months to make things more interesting. Although, I'm sure the results will be the same either way...as of right now, Sunrise on the Reaping is #1 for the year with Atmosphere running second.

#bookbracket #bookbracket2025

3.75⭐
•I'll give this props for keeping me interested, and her writing style definitely still works for me. It was an ultra-compelling story right up until the end. Unfortunately, the ending ultimately left me perplexed as to how it could've all gone down like that.
•I don‘t usually like Leslie Howard‘s narration but she didn‘t suck in this. Aiden Snow only has a small part in this, but he nailed it as usual.

My JUNE #bookspinbingo board.

This is the first time I didn't complete both my BS and DS books. I did finish my #booksipn book (Bitter House), but I lost my Paperwhite and didn't feel like reading on my phone, and barely even started Haven (which is my #doublespin). I've since found it, and now I have no excuse not to finish it. So hopefully, I can manage to finish it this month.

@TheAromaofBooks

4.5⭐
•This was an engaging apocalyptic romance that takes you from just before (with some backstory on the characters) the solar flare happens to everything after, all in one standalone book. It shows both the good and the bad as a society breaks down, but also showcases how “love finds a way” even in the most dire of times.
•Annalee Scott and Andre Santana‘s narration was fantastic.

4⭐
•My second book by this author, and another winner. While this one was a tad slow-ish at times, it was still super engaging, with a satisfying ending that‘s not too twisty to be believable.
•Will Damron was fantastic, but I really would‘ve loved a full cast for this.

4⭐
•This was a little more grounded than her previous books, and honestly, I liked that since her style of supernatural/magical realism gets a little difficult to wrap my head around.
•Valerie Rose Lohman killed it with the narration.

My list for JULY #bookspinbingo

@TheAromaofBooks

3.5⭐(Light Pick)
While I didn‘t get pulled in as much as I would have liked, the pacing felt jumbled, and the laughs didn‘t quite hit the mark, this wasn‘t a bad addition to the series. I also couldn‘t remember what happened in the first book, so it‘s possible this contributed to my feelings. I wanted less humor and more depth—also, the serial killer wasn‘t giving me serial killer-y vibes.

3.75⭐
•As evidenced by the many glowing reviews, this book has it all. I enjoyed it to be sure, but the atmosphere—which was supposedly its shining glory—was, for me, stilted. Unfortunately, this is a recurring theme with my books lately, so it's most likely a “me“ thing.
•Gail Shalan has been stepping up her narration game.

3.75⭐
•I wanted to love this like I have previous works by this author, but unfortunately, I didn‘t. It had a hella slow-burn going on, and I found it difficult to stay in the story. In the end, I feel like I was missing something because of this. The writing was there, but the plot was definitely lacking something.
•The narration was good.

3.75⭐
Honestly, this wasn‘t a bad story by any means; it just didn‘t have a whole lot going on. Things do pick up towards the end, but maybe it was too little, too late for it to have an impact on me. The romance/feels were well written, although I could‘ve done without the explicit sex between 18-year-olds. Which goes to say, I‘m probably not the intended audience for this book. Overall, it has the potential, but for me, it was just okay.

4.25⭐
I rated this one lower than the previous books; I think adding all these new people to the mix of characters is distracting me from the characters I‘m invested in, which are Yorke, Frankie, Auden, & Beast. I‘m not always a fan of the interactions they have with the new characters. But hopefully I‘ll warm up to them soon. Also I‘ve noticed the writing is slipping and throwing me out of the story a touch too often. Otherwise, I‘m still a fan.

2.5⭐
• a novel told in reverse • murder mystery • domestic thriller • dual POV (I think) •

This is one book where reading the synopsis/reviews beforehand will end up working in your favor. I spent way too much of this book not realizing that it was being told in reverse. But honestly, telling a story in reverse is just weird. Then there are the characters, talk about unlikable, jeez. Also, this couple has the worst marriage ever.

3.25⭐
Why would anyone spend their life savings on getting all those people on a train to confront them about the wrongs they committed when she already gave the evidence to the authorities to have them locked up? It would‘ve been more believable if she had wanted to kill them. When the overarching premise doesn‘t sit well with you, it isn‘t easy to get on board with any of the story. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

2.75⭐
•This plotline feels overdone, and overall, it brought nothing new to it. It was a quick listen, though, so I don‘t feel too upset about it.
•Lauren Ezzo‘s voice tone doesn‘t work for me, and she does most of the book. Melanie Carey did fine.

5⭐
•I don‘t even have to know what a TJR book is about, because I know she‘s going to make it wholly worthwhile, regardless, and this book was no exception. She pulls emotion out of you like no other writer. My only nitpick: she spent an overabundance of time on the romance aspect, and I just wanted to get back to the tragedy on the spaceship.
•The narration by Kristen DiMercurio & Julia Whelan was fantastically performed.

3.75⭐
•If neighborhood drama is your thing, then this should hit just right. Seriously, with friends like these, who needs enemies? My principal issue with this was how difficult it was to follow whose head I was in. While Alex Picard‘s narration style was terrific, maybe multiple narrators would‘ve made this a non-issue.

4⭐
•I loved the Five Year Lie, which was Sarina Bowen‘s first thriller, and this one didn‘t disappoint, either. Well, except for the title failing to tie into the story at all. Otherwise, the romance blended perfectly with the mystery and thrills, and didn‘t feel forced, unlike many romantic suspense novels I‘ve tried, which I‘m always on the lookout for.
•Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly, & Sarah Mollo-Christensen performed the narration nicely.

4⭐
•A bit of slow-burn, but once it gets going, it will surprise you with how complex it is. It isn‘t a deep dive into a cult, but it swims in those waters. It was engaging, but I think I wanted more of a cult story than I got.
•Carlotta Brentan‘s narration was great as always.

4⭐
•Jewel E. Ann can write the best male leads; they are difficult not to love. This had decent feels with an angsty love story, a few twists, and while it didn‘t hit quite like For Lucy (my fav by this author) did, and I was really hoping it would, it still is worthy of all the love it‘s getting.
•Willa Jaymes & Gregory Salinas were good but not super good.

2.75⭐

• ya mystery thriller • lgbtq • small-town secrets • not for me, but could be for you •

• I‘m really struggling with connecting with YA books lately, and yet, sometimes one comes along that blows me away; this one wasn‘t one of those books.
•The narration was sufficient despite my issues with the story.

4⭐
•I think your enjoyment of this novella will really come down to whether or not you can tolerate the baby talk. I‘m thinking it‘s easier to bear on Audio since the narration is excellently performed. Overall, it was rather spare on details but generous with heart and grit.

My JUNE #bookspinbingo board is all set. And I already finished Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen just minutes ago.

Hopefully, this month I will manage to get my mojo back.🤩

@TheAromaofBooks

My May #bookspin board. I completed both my #bookspin and #doublespin.

I'd originally split both My Friends and Dissolution into two squares, but since I DNF'd those books, I changed them to one square and made the other ones free spaces.

Yes, I DNF'd My Friends--but seriously, I just couldn't get into it, no matter how many times I tried.

@TheAromaofBooks

My JUNE #bookspinbingo list. Hopefully, I can get my mojo back and finish most of these🙏🏻

@TheAromaofBooks

4.75⭐
•I‘m loving this series so far. I love the romance, the found family, and the overall depth of the characters. If I had to nitpick something, it would be that sometimes the action scenes feel incomplete, and therefore, they can be difficult to follow.

3.25⭐(Almost A Pick)
•This didn‘t hit like the first two books in this series did. We have a new couple and a new time period…it did pick up towards the end, so hopefully, especially since I already own it, the next book is less boring.
•I love duet narration, but something was off with the audio quality of this book, and it definitely took away from my enjoyment.

My fourth completed letter in my #atozultimatechallenge is Q!

Q~ Title = Quicksilver
Q~ Author = Jesse Q. Sutanto for I'm Not Done With You Yet
Q~ Character = When We Bright and Beautiful
Q~ Item = Where are you, Echo Blue?
Q~QUICKIE = (A Novella between 75 and 125 pages long) In The Tall Trees

link to challenge on Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/f958009c-40f5-456a-aef4-4156b6a...

4.25⭐
•A couple takes on a roommate—what could go wrong? It turns out, plenty could go wrong, especially when Freida is in charge of the storytelling. This turned out to be quite fun, even though it wasn‘t always believable…like could all of “that” really be pulled off?
•Will Damron & Christine Lakin were wonderful, especially considering I don‘t usually like the narrators that she has for her books.

2⭐
•I really struggled with this one. There were way too many characters for me to keep track of, and I failed to connect with any of them or their plight. It‘s a bummer since I really like this author.
•I love Brittany Pressley; maybe additional narrators would‘ve helped, but maybe not.

4.75⭐
• I loved this one…the found family vibes don‘t get much better than this. I‘m also totally there for the tension that‘s building between Frankie and Yorke.

4.5⭐
•I never know what I will get when I try a book on KU, it‘s definitely a crapshoot. But this book, and it‘s a short one at 140 pages, completely shook me. I‘m so invested in these characters…especially Auden, when he comes into the story, I was so emotional. Something about this kid reminds me of my grandson. I really like Frankie and Yorke, too, and I‘m looking forward to the rest of their story.

4.25⭐
•Honestly, this has everything a good missing person mystery thriller needs, and I might‘ve rated it even higher if I weren‘t in such a funk lately. Also, I‘m feeling fairly burned out on Saskia Maarleveld‘s narration lately; it feels like she‘s narrating everything.

2.25⭐• Ursula‘s back story • with mentions of many other Disney characters •
•The only reason I picked this up was for the U character name to go in my A-Z book challenge, and there could‘ve been a decent story here for all I know. Unfortunately, the narration killed it for me. I disliked the accent, which, to be fair, is most definitely a me thing, but her voice tone was also horrendous. Her character voices were just a high-pitched mess.

3.5⭐(Light Pick)
•I believe this book is scary, and if I had watched it on TV, I‘m sure it would‘ve had me terrified. But in this medium, my connection to the story and the characters was really only surface-level. I wonder if I didn‘t let myself get too immersed because I didn‘t want to be freaked out when I go camping in these particular mountains in a few weeks.
•Leanne Woodward was fine, but I would‘ve liked additional narrators.

4.5⭐
•This isn‘t the first book I‘ve read about the Chowchilla bus kidnapping, but it is, by far, the better of the two. The other one is 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 3𝘉. Both are only loosely based on that incident, and each went in fairly different directions. You can read both and get a distinct story.
•All four narrators did a phenomenal job with the narration. The full cast of narrators put this version over the top for me.

2.25⭐
•What started decently quickly descended deep into the murky darkness. Just like these girls and their deep dives. The characters failed to draw me in, especially after she broke up with her long-time boyfriend, East. It felt all wrong, and I didn‘t buy the relationship between her and Rio; it felt forced/contrived. Unlike many readers who quickly guessed the killer, I wasn‘t even motivated to try.
•Sophie Amoss gave a decent performance.