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Before I Knew
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September 1941. Mary arrives in war-torn London nursing a broken heart and a painful secret. When she is offered her dream post as an assistant in the fabric department at Liberty store, she knows this is the fresh start she needs. Amid the store’s vibrant prints and sumptuous interiors, Mary finds a new family who can help her to heal. But not everyone will give Mary such a warm welcome, and the trauma of her past will soon catch up with her. As Mary and the Liberty Girls endure the heartache and uncertainty of war, it will take a steady heart to keep the magic of Christmas alive.
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easy listening
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3 out of 5 stars
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The Quality Street Girls
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 10
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Story4 out of 5 stars 12
Inspired by the true story of the Quality Street factory and its loyal workers, this is a nostalgic and compelling novel and the perfect Christmas treat. At 16 years old, Irene ‘Reenie’ Calder is leaving school with little in the way of qualifications. She is delighted to land a seasonal job at Mackintosh’s Quality Street factory. Reenie feels like a kid let loose in a sweet shop, but trouble seems to follow her around, and it isn’t long before she falls foul of the strict rules.
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After a brutal assault leaves Steffi with puzzling memory lapses, she returns to her coastal Connecticut hometown to rebuild her life the best way she knows how: with her hands. But starting a remodeling business with one longtime friend puts her in the middle of a rift with another. Worse, being hired by her ex-boyfriend’s mother forces her to confront old regrets. Public defender Ryan Quinn wasn’t shocked when his wife left him, but he was floored when she abandoned their daughter. With his finances up in the air, the single dad returns to his childhood home in Sanctuary Sound.
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Christmas at Liberty's
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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September 1941. Mary arrives in war-torn London nursing a broken heart and a painful secret. When she is offered her dream post as an assistant in the fabric department at Liberty store, she knows this is the fresh start she needs. Amid the store’s vibrant prints and sumptuous interiors, Mary finds a new family who can help her to heal. But not everyone will give Mary such a warm welcome, and the trauma of her past will soon catch up with her. As Mary and the Liberty Girls endure the heartache and uncertainty of war, it will take a steady heart to keep the magic of Christmas alive.
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5 out of 5 stars
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- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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When Rachel Croft wakes up on her family’s boat in Bermuda, it’s to sunshine and yet another perfect day…until she goes to wake her seven-year-old son, Oscar. Because the worst thing imaginable has happened. He isn’t there. In the dark and desperate days that follow, Rachel struggles to navigate her grief. And while her husband, James, wants them to face the tragedy together, Rachel feels that the life they once shared is over.
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3 out of 5 stars
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enjoyable easy listening holiday read .
- By Janet leslie on 01-02-19
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The Quality Street Girls
- Quality Street, Book 1
- By: Penny Thorpe
- Narrated by: Sherry Baines
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 10
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Story4 out of 5 stars 12
Inspired by the true story of the Quality Street factory and its loyal workers, this is a nostalgic and compelling novel and the perfect Christmas treat. At 16 years old, Irene ‘Reenie’ Calder is leaving school with little in the way of qualifications. She is delighted to land a seasonal job at Mackintosh’s Quality Street factory. Reenie feels like a kid let loose in a sweet shop, but trouble seems to follow her around, and it isn’t long before she falls foul of the strict rules.
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5 out of 5 stars
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SUPERB
- By Marina. on 17-11-18
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Accidentally Hers
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- By: Jamie Beck
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
When ruggedly sexy backcountry guide Grey Lowell moves to Sterling Canyon, Colorado, after buying the ski-expedition company Backtrax, his plans don't include romance. Still, it's fun to look - especially across a crowded restaurant at a beauty he dubs "Bambi". But all his plans change later that night when he's injured by a drunk driver.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Sweet
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Christmas at the Vicarage
- By: Rebecca Boxall
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- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 4
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Story4 out of 5 stars 4
It’s been fifteen years since Rosamunde last lived at the vicarage in Potter’s Cove, the pretty coastal village where she grew up, experienced her first true love - and a heartbreak that changed her life forever. But now Potter’s Cove is calling her back: it’s time to make peace with the past and go home. Rosamunde’s return to the vicarage in the days before Christmas is a whirlwind of festive cheer and heartwarming reunions with friends, family and her loving father, the vicar.
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Shadows in Heaven
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
In postwar Tarabeg, two women are waiting for ambitious Michael Malone to return home. Rosie is the local schoolteacher, and most people think she is promised to him. Just a few have guessed that he has secretly begun to woo Sarah, whose brutal fisherman father would kill her if he knew. Both Rosie and Sarah love Michael, both hope to become his wife and their lives will interweave in a tale of tangled secrets, old promises and new feuds. Michael Malone's choice will have fateful consequences for everyone - especially, in due course, for his young daughter....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic read
- By madmam on 26-01-19
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A Christmas Gift
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- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story4 out of 5 stars 15
A sumptuous, festive listen from the number one best seller Sue Moorcroft.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A riveting read
- By RJK on 08-11-18
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Sunshine at the Comfort Food Café
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- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4 out of 5 stars 30
For Willow, the ramshackle café overlooking the beach, together with its warmhearted community, offers friendship as a daily special and always has a hearty welcome on the menu. But when a handsome stranger blows in on a warm spring breeze, Willow soon realises that her quiet country life will be changed forever.
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3 out of 5 stars
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eek - disappointing.
- By MISS on 01-06-18
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Fool Me Once
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- By: Catherine Bybee
- Narrated by: Emma Wilder
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Cynical divorce attorney Lori Cumberland lives by one motto: Love is grand, but divorce is a hundred grand. With one failed marriage under her own personal belt, Lori had fallen hard and early - and it isn't something she plans on repeating. She's content focusing on the temporary marriages of her rich and famous clients. When she joins some of her recent divorcées on a celebratory cruise, her only vow is fun, sun, and new friends. But Lori finds herself tempted by a jury of one.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!
- By Suzy GM on 19-11-18
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Say You're Sorry
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- By: Melinda Leigh
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- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 144
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 120
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 119
After the devastating loss of her husband in Iraq, Morgan Dane returns to Scarlet Falls, seeking the comfort of her hometown. Now, surrounded by family, she's finally found peace and a promising career opportunity - until her babysitter is killed and her neighbor asks her to defend his son, Nick, who stands accused of the murder.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A bit sickly sweet
- By mollyeyre on 29-01-19
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The Girl in the Corner
- By: Amanda Prowse
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- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 45
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Story4 out of 5 stars 42
Rae-Valentine and Howard were childhood sweethearts. They’ve shared twenty-five peaceful years since they were brought together by Dolly, Howard’s larger-than-life sister. But now, on the night of their wedding anniversary, Howard reveals a shocking betrayal that leaves Rae reeling. Heartbroken, she takes Dolly on her would-be anniversary trip to Antigua and the two women drink and dance and talk like they haven’t in years.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I LOVED IT
- By Fiction Squirrel on 16-02-19
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The Body in the Dales
- A Yorkshire Murder Mystery
- By: J. R. Ellis
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 149
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 119
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Story4 out of 5 stars 120
A body is discovered deep in a cave beneath the Yorkshire Dales. Leading the investigation into the mysterious death are experienced DCI Jim Oldroyd and his partner DS Carter, a newcomer from London. The deceased is Dave Atkins, well known throughout the village but not well liked. While there is no shortage of suspects, the details of the crime leave Oldroyd and Carter stumped. How did Atkins’s body end up in such a remote section of the cave? When someone with vital information turns up dead, it becomes clear that whoever is behind the murders will stop at nothing to conceal their tracks.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Listen to sample before buying
- By mary morrissey on 13-08-18
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Silent Scream
- Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller, Book 1
- By: Angela Marsons
- Narrated by: Jan Cramer
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 851
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 755
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 758
Five figures gather 'round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken, but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood. Years later a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders that shock the Black Country.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good story, dreadful narrator.
- By G. Willoughby on 04-10-15
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In the Heir
- Westerly Billionaire Series, Book 1
- By: Ruth Cardello
- Narrated by: Teri Clark Linden
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 20
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Story4 out of 5 stars 20
Brett Westerly is his father's golden child, but it's come at a cost. As head of the family corporation, he throws himself into his work - hiding in his office is easier than confronting the reality of his broken family. After a bitter divorce that split the family and divided loyalties, the wealthy Westerly matriarch offers an early inheritance to any grandchild who marries and invites the entire family to the wedding.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Go for it
- By Mrs. Casilda A. Slattery on 30-06-17
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Second Time Around
- By: Nancy Herkness
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Kyra Dixon, a blue-collar girl from the boondocks, is dedicated to her job at a community center that matches underprivileged kids with rescue dogs. When she runs into Will Chase - Connecticut blue blood, billionaire CEO, and her old college crush - she’s surprised that he asks a favor from her: to be his date for his uptight family’s dreaded annual garden party. If his parents don’t approve, all the better.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Problem getting it
- By tina owen on 06-08-18
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The Sapphire Widow
- By: Dinah Jefferies
- Narrated by: Gabrielle Glaister
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 69
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
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Story4 out of 5 stars 60
Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband, Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child. While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation overlooking the Indian ocean.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Started well but fell apart very quickly.
- By SHEILA on 17-06-18
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The Christmas Sisters
- By: Sarah Morgan
- Narrated by: Mandy Weston
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 45
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4 out of 5 stars 39
It’s not what’s under the Christmas tree but who’s around it that matters most. All Suzanne McBride wants for Christmas is her three daughters happy and at home. But when sisters Posy, Hannah and Beth return to their family home in the Scottish Highlands, old tensions and buried secrets start bubbling to the surface. Suzanne is determined to create the perfect family Christmas, but the McBrides must all face the past and address some home truths before they can celebrate together....
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3 out of 5 stars
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The voices were so annoying.
- By Amazon Customer on 31-12-18
Summary
Author Jamie Beck returns with an engrossing series about family, friendship, and starting over. In this first Cabot novel, a legacy of secrets tests old friends seeking a second chance at life and love.
On the second anniversary of her husband's suicide, Colby Cabot-Baxter is ready to let go of her grief and the mistakes made during her turbulent marriage. Her fresh start comes in the form of A CertainTea, the restaurant she's set to open along Lake Sandy, Oregon, with help from her family. But when her executive chef quits just weeks before the grand opening, Colby is pressured to hire old family friend Alec Morgan. His award-winning reputation could generate buzz, but their friendship has withered since her husband's reckless dare cost Alec's brother his life.
Distracted by guilty secrets concerning the tragedy that changed his and Colby's lives, Alec self-destructed and lost his famed restaurant. With his career in tatters, he's determined to use this opportunity to redeem his reputation and to help the woman he's loved from afar find happiness again.
But secrets have a way of coming out. When Alec's do, they might destroy the new life he and Colby have rebuilt together.
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What members say
Average customer ratings
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars7
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 11-10-17
Not as good as usual
First off, I hope Siiri Scott as a narrator is a one off thing because I found her character’s voices to be quite grating. She put too much whine into the voices whenever the characters were angry or upset and it made them sound like young teenagers. I also thought her male voices in general just didn’t work.
Plot wise, it started out good. She laid the scene well and the characters interacted in a believable way. But the middle/end dragged on and I struggled to stay invested in the characters. It’s a good thing this wasn’t my first book by Jamie Beck- otherwise I doubt I would have listened to any of her other stories.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fleetwoodboy
- 29-08-17
Cooking up a storm
A typical Jamie Beck romance . Good and slightly different story line that was always moving forward with no "filling in" from the side. Written with clever dialogue, which always puts her books on a higher level. For the true romantics this is a book not to be missed .
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MHelf
- 26-09-17
Good story/Bad narration
I love Jamie Beck books and the story was good. But the narrator was almost unbearable. Annoyingly dramatic narration.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 16-03-18
NO to Narrator-lisp
Would you try another book from Jamie Beck and/or Siiri Scott?
not if you want audio-book - couldn't get past lisp and "sss" when reading, thought it would get better as she went on, but couldn't make it through 1st chapter in book and not worth it, cancelled the whole book series.
What could Jamie Beck have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
different narrator...never got past 1st chapter,and no time to read it myself so cancelled whole series from kindle
What didn’t you like about Siiri Scott’s performance?
Might be a great person, but she has a lisp and any word with an "ss" and she doesn't sound good as a guys voice.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Beverly P.
- 17-03-18
Worst narration ever
The narration made this seem like a cheesy romance novel. It was just so bad. Everytime she spoke a male's line it was done in monotone. I had a hard time focusing on the story because I was so annoyed by the cheap narration.. The plot was very predictable.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Gregg
- 19-07-18
Narrator made listening difficult.
This storyline was just ok. Repeats a lot of the same emotional explains and drags on in places. Not sure I I will continue the series. More likely to if another narrator is used. This one had a bit of a lisp and was not easy listening. Distracted from the story.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- yourdebness
- 12-07-18
horrible narrator
Wish the book had been alec's story. found colby to be annoying and whiny, just like her mother
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nono#333
- 02-04-18
long
I feel the author drug out this story. Then their narration sounded like a boring professor. the story was interesting enough. however the self doubt that Colby has for everyone got a bit old I skipped from chapter 14 to 22 an seemed to not have missed anything. I am sorry but I dont think I would refer anyone to this book. I am not giving up on the author just yet. I want to give them another chance to win me over.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Angelee
- 19-04-18
Debating on just reading it myself
If you could sum up Before I Knew in three words, what would they be?
Complex Family Drama
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The narrator has me debating on finishing the book by just reading it myself. When she reads as the female characters (Most of them anyway) it's fine. It's when she is reading the male characters, she makes them sound so malicious, which i don't believe that is what the author is trying to convey. I listen to audiobooks all the time and often narrators develop/define each character's voice very clearly so it's easy to follow along. There were times when i wasn't sure whose voice she was in. Except for the moms, she was really good with differentiating the moms voices.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
There were points where i was close to crying, the various relationships are complex. Some made more dramatic than necessary.
Any additional comments?
Read the book before listening.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Christine M
- 19-02-18
A good start to this series
Would you listen to Before I Knew again? Why?
I might possibly...there are so many others I want to listen to.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Before I Knew?
Where Colby goes to Mark's grave
What does Siiri Scott bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Voices to all of the characters
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Not really
Any additional comments?
I really enjoyed this book, and I listened to most of it and read some of it. I did think there could have been more of a change in Alec and Colby's voice. At times, I wasn't sure who was speaking. Perhaps a male narrator would have been helpful since there were so many different characters to voice. I enjoyed the story and it was a good listen/read.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Rusty
- 04-11-17
Hopelessly Annoying
Contrary to the book's description, Colby was not ready to move on with her life. Rather than seek counseling to resolve the heart-breaking death of her mentally ill husband or her feelings of abandonment following her parent's divorce, Colby seemed to wallow in misery.
While Colby's dream of opening her own business was commendable, she did not try working in a restaurant or take any food service classes before taking the leap. As an intelligent 30+ year old woman who was smart enough to graduate from law school, Colby seemed hopelessly naïve and easily manipulated by her family.
Likewise, Alec (early 30s) was a stereotypical, temperamental chef who bullied and degraded his kitchen staff, believed that food had to be unpronounceable to be edible and who desperately needed his Neanderthal father's approval. Alec was arrogant and cruel one moment, pathetic and groveling the next - totally unappealing to anyone not in high school.
When Colby and Alec started having sex before sharing their feelings or thoughts, I totally lost interest. I find it difficult to become engaged with characters who don't like themselves or make no effort to get professional help when obviously needed, particularly when finances are not an issue.
I gave up listening about two thirds into Before I Knew - life is just too short to waste time - but I fervently hope that Colby and Alec eventually learned that the best way to heal from emotional pain is to help others in need.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicole Unverferth
- 07-09-17
Heartwarming
I loved this book; I wasn't sure at first, but as I listened the story unfolded and my heart was warm. Would suggest this book to many.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful