Incredible as it may seem, we’ve reached the last Currently Playing of 2020! Whilst this might have felt like the Year That Would Never End as we all desperately wished for it to be over so we could get on with our lives, time has continued apace and here we are, looking ahead to – hopefully – a much brighter 2021 in just a couple of weeks. Thanks for your company over these trying times – we hope we’ve helped you to find some good books to listen to and maybe introduced you to some new authors and performers over the past year, and we’ll be here with more reviews until the bitter end ;) Oh, and look out for our Best of 2020 post, coming soon!
BJ
Narrated by Shayna Small
Caz
Narrated by J.F. Harding
Em
Narrated by Kate Reading
Kaetrin
Narrated by Hamish McKinlay
Melinda
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Shannon
Narrated by Cynthia Holloway
This week I listened to Rule Breaker by Lily Morton and loved it! I also listened to Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Julia Quinn and loved that as well. It’s been a good week for audio.
Right now I’m listening to Duke in Shining Armor, also by Quinn. I kind of wish I’d waited on this one since the characters are sounding too much the same as Ten Things, but I’m still really enjoying it. Kate Reading is just so much fun tolisten to, and she’s perfect for Quinn’s writing style.
I’m going to listen or read the rest of the Bridgerton series I haven’t so far before going on to watch the show. Although I’m trying to think of the show as a different species than the books. No expectations or even the desire that they follow the actual stories, I’m only hoping they follow the spirit of her writing,with the witty banter and clever characters.
Obviously I meant Loretta Chase in the above post.
Rule Breaker is still my favourite Lily Morton book – her others are good listens, but that one has the edge. As you’ll probably have noticed the last few weeks, Melinda is doing a Bridgerton re-listen as well :)
I’m reading Deal Maker right now, and I’m enjoying it, but Rule Breaker was just what I needed, a blend of really emotional stuff with Dylan’s great big heart. Wonderful. Just like with A Duke in Shining Armor above, I think I shloud have waited a while before reading Deal Maker. Some of the story feels too similar to Rule Breaker (“I can’t do relationships because reasons”) and yet doesn’t have the emotional bite that Rule Breaker has. I’m going to take a break before reading any other Morton books. (Same with Chase.)
Yes, I do like LM’s books, but there’s a formula – one I enjoy – and I think you need a bit of distance between books. I listen to them as they come out, so there’s usually a gap between each one.
I gobbled down all available Lily Morton books in about February, I think, when it was becoming obvious that we were heading towards a long lockdown. I’ve since reread them a number of times and read the latest ones as they were released. This has been my number one escape ‘world’ during the pandemic. I agree with Caz that there is a bit of a formula – particularly in the sex scenes – but I enjoy it too. Like you Carrie, I enjoyed Deal Maker less than Rule Breaker – I think I enjoyed Jude more as Dylan’s best friend than as a MC initially – but, after reading all the books and, in particular, the short stories where their story continues, I like this couple more now. I love Lily Morton’s snarky, British humour and her cultural references that ring so true.
Anyway, this week I’ve been continuing to listen to Rachel Grant’s Catalyst, which I am enjoying. I can see why you rate Greg Tremblay so highly, Caz.
When I finish it I had planned to move on to Blue Billings, but I’m not sure now whether I’ll choose that or They Told Me I Was Everything! I’m such a slow listener at the moment though…………………..
It’s certainly nice to read a book that feels so familiar in its idiom and references – same with Alexis Hall.
Greg Tremblay (Boudreaux) is awesome. There aren’t many narrators I rate as highly as I do him – as well as being so good technically, he’s a fabulous vocal actor.
J.F Harding is killing it in TTMIWE – I knew he would ;)
I’d love to read the Morton’s short stories about these characters and the ones from Rule Breaker. Where are they available? I couldn’t find them on her website.
They were on her website… but actually she recently published them in Short Stack, so maybe she’s taken them down. It’s in KU.
Yes, she took the short stories for the first 2 trilogies down when she published Short Stack. There is a short story for Merry Measure available for Newsletter subscribers. She’s said today that a Giveaway Novella will be available in early January. MCs are 2 teachers on a school skiing trip. Snort – the only teacher I know who’s done that said it was a nightmare, as they had to spend the whole time keeping the kids out of each others’ beds!