Captain of My Heart Heroes of the Sea, Book 2 By Danelle Harmon Narrated By Wayne Farrell

Captain of My Heart
Heroes of the Sea, Book 2
By Danelle Harmon
Narrated By Wayne Farrell
Series: Heroes of the Sea, Book 2
Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins

Wayne Farrell Narrator

An excellent narration is not a promise but a guarantee when the narrator is the talented Wayne Farrell. Once again he presents a stunning and multifaceted reading of Captain of My Heart. We've heard the excitement, fear and terror he's expressed in other books and we have a treat this time with his romantic voice. Yes, indeed a very melodious and romantic tone sets the scenes to perfection. Let Mr. Farrell whisk you away to 1775 and into the world of ships, seas, and romance. I appreciate the fact that Mr.Farrell, although of Irish descent is able to pronounce words properly. I listened to a book last week where the narrator could not manage the th sound in a single word. It was terrible to listen to.

Danelle Harmon Author

Captain of My Heart starts off with a flourish that  continues throughout the book. Captain Brendan Merrick was highly thought of by his old crew and was moving up the ranks in
His Majesties Navy. Now a Flag Captain he makes an unexpected visit to his old ship and crew to investigate reports of unusually cruel punishments. Brendan finds out just how cruel and unjust the new captain Crichton is. A violent confrontation between them sends Brendan overboard and his artistically talented sister wounded.

Brendan is rescued and becomes a privateer in the American Colonies and dreams of building a ship unlike any other and the only shipbuilder of any worth is Ashton. Once Brendan meets Ashtons' daughter Mira he is both intrigued and repelled by her. Mira has her heart set on no one but Brendan.

Once Mira has nearly killed him with her wild horseback riding, he quickly decides he wants nothing to do with her and her hoydenish ways and sets out to locate the next best shipbuilder. Mira is not going to let him leave so easily and goes late at night to his ship to apologize to him. Now no decent woman goes to a mans quarters and that late at night and Brendan points this out to her. Undaunted by conventions she remains and present her case.

2014 has been a first for running into books with thoroughly unlikable protagonist and Mira is at first place as a detestable and unbelievable main character. She's rude, unruly, tries to pass herself off as young man or boy, just very obnoxious. Her father and brothers are not much better. Her only redeeming character is she rescues cats and takes very good care of them.

What comes to mind is Mira is the female equivalent of the 'bad boy' that so many young women are attracted to. It just seemed so unlikely that a gentleman of good breeding would find anything about her intriguing. She is not just a spitfire like in so many romance books but an uncultured, self centered hoyden.

The book is excellent for scene setting with in depth descriptions that bring the story to vivid life. It is well written and heavy on action and adventure. Wayne Farrell with his distinctive voice and ability to create a mood makes it a very enjoyable book even if some of the characters were flavorless.

Other books narrated by Wayne Farrell:

The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan Narrated by Wayne Farrell

Two Tocks Before Midnight by C. J. Martin Narrated by Wayne Farrell

Dixie Diva Blues by Virginia Brown Narrator Karen ComminsAuthor

Dixie Diva Blues
Dixie Diva Mysteries, Book 3
Written by: Virginia Brown
Narrated by: Karen Commins
Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
Bell Bridge Books

Author Virginia Brown

Narrator Karen Commins

Karen Commins transitions from Drop Dead Divas to Dixie Diva Blues characters

very smoothly. You will easily know when it's Bitty and when it's Trinket speaking. The other Southern speakers also have nice individual voices. Karen Commins does a believable and lively reading. I like the way she is able to dramatize everything so expertly. Bitty is so arrogant and defiant and Ms.Commins captures precisely the tone of Trinkets caustic remarks you can just see Trinket rolling her eyes in askance with Bittys' boldness and hair brained schemes. Self absorbed Bitty seldom notices the chaffing and tongue in cheek comments from Trinket.  

The Dixie Divas certainly outdo themselves in Dixie Diva Blues, when they rally around Rayna to help get her husband Rob Rainey out of jail and prove he is not a murderer. Off they go to a near by town, Clarksdale, to post bail for Rob. Something that should go smoothly, very nearly doesn't when Bitty refuses to leave Chen Ling her very spoiled pug in the car. Bitty as always wins the argument but not until she's turned things into a three ring circus. Once Rob is bailed out he pleads with the divas to not get involved in trying to find the real killer of Larry Whittier. Bitty over-rides everyone with her skewed logic that the diva's have found other murders in the past and vows they will find Larry's killer.

Rob is a bondsman and insurance investigator and had tracked down Larry Whittier to a rental cabin in the Clarksdale area. When he went there to arrange a bail bond and make sure he showed up at court, something Rob did on a regular basis but when he knocked on the door Larry told him to go away, but the door was unlocked and he went in anyway, only to be hit on the head from behind. When he came too Larry was dead and the cops showed up and arrested him for murdering Larry. Ballistics results showed Rob's gun was the one used to kill Larry.

Trinket, Bitty and Gaynelle rent the cabin that Larry was killed in to see if they can find any clues and to talk to employees and anyone else that was there the day of the murder. Of course they are not the only ones interested in looking for clues there and the three of them attack and are attacked by a ninja clad intruder that woke them in the middle of the night with his opening and closing of drawers and cabinet doors. Armed with nothing the Divas prevail, after all what's one ninja against three Divas. Knowing now that someone else is searching for something, they intensify their own fishing expedition.

With additional clues under their belts they later investigate the storage bin that Larry Whittier had been arrested for breaking into. With Bitsy in the lead as usual she dresses up Trinket to look like a man so they can persuade the office clerk to let them into the storage unit. This nearly gets the two of them arrested but the do manage by sheer luck to find what Larry was breaking into the unit to get.

The antics of these Divas are so hilarious you will laugh out loud. Only the Divas and more particularly Bitty can come up with the most hair brained schemes that often put them in danger of either being arrested or killed. Things manage to come out alright in the end mainly because of Bitty's incredible good luck and perseverance. The Diva Series are all fun and wildly crazy with antics that only these southern belles can come up with. A good cozy mystery to warm up to on a chilly winters night with a mint julep of course. Karen Commins does do a masterful presentation of these southern ladies.

Kitty Kitty Bang Bang By Sparkle Abbey, Narrated By Karen Commins

Kitty Kitty Bang Bang
Series: Pampered Pets, Book 3
By Sparkle Abbey

Narrated By Karen Commins
Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
Producer: Bell Books, Inc.

Narrator Karen Commins

Review of Narrator Karen Commins:

Karen Commins does an exceptionally nice job narrating Kitty Kitty Bang Bang. Her portrayal of April May was priceless. Ms. Commins certainly did make this annoying and helpless character a scene stealer from the protagonist Cora Lamont. It was an incredible and correct interpretation of a high pitched, twangy and heavily accented voice. Ms.Commins did a praise worthy job with Cora for all the emotional highs, lows and angst she experienced. It is noteworthy that Karen Commins did not transfer any of the voice characteristics from other novels she's narrated but gave each person their own unique personalities. A very enjoyable listening experience.

Sparkle Abbey Authors

Kitty Kitty Bang Bang is the third in the Pampered Pets Series Written by Sparkle Abbey. A frolicsome cozy mystery about Caro Lamont a successful animal psychiatrist living in Laguna Beach, California. She and her neighbor Kitty Bardot a much sought after public relations agent are at the Hotel Montage for a function featuring  animal artist, her clients, two Bengal cats, Tobey and Minou, who are popular painters and award winners are in the show.

Kitty asks Caro if she'd take the cats home for her as she has an urgent meeting and must leave right away. Of course Caro is happy to do this and she collects the cats and along with her love interest Sam Gallanos. On the way home they are stuck in traffic because of an accident. Caro recognizes the car as belonging to Kitty, shocked and dismayed Caro and Sam leave and take the cats home. Caro hopes that she won't have to take care of them for very long, but with such a bad accident Kitty could be in the hospital for awhile. Unaware that Kitty is going not to the hospital but the morgue.

Later when Caro learns that Kitty is dead from a snipers bullet she vows to not get involved in it. Even after April May introduces herself to Caro as the long lost sister of Kitty she still tries to hold to her vow not to get involved. This doesn't last long at all as April May is a elf of a woman that is very naive and needs constant help with everything from selecting a funeral outfit for Kitty to meeting with Kitty's attorney. Really April is very lost in this upscale area of the rich and famous. April can be more trouble than she seems worth, but does manages to get Caro involved in finding out who killed her sister.

Divas and Dead Rebels By Virginia Brown Narrated By Karen Commins

Divas and Dead Rebels

By Virginia Brown

Narrated By Karen Commins

Belle Books, Inc.   

13 hours 

Karen Commins Narrator

Karen Commins is a wonderful narrator, telling the story with her voice and she truly captures the personalities of each character. Her Southern voice is exceptional and Bitty Hollandale is so distinctive and individualistic that one could imagine her as a real person. I think Karen Commins has expanded and fleshed out Bitty and Trinket way beyond what even the author had in mind. To read the text of the Divas would only be a shallow and two-dimensional personification of Bitty and Trinket, whereas listening to Ms. Commins they explode into your mind and come to life. Each book in the series is very long with a great deal of detail, again, to read the text could pall and become dull and lengthy but Karen Commins is such an extraordinary reader with true storytelling talent that time flies and you're totally engrossed listening and visualizing.

Virginia Brown Author

Bitty Hollandale and Trinket Truevine, best friends and cousins don't let life just happen to them, they reach out and grab it whether it be fun or thorns. For these gals seem inclined to become involved in a murder. The gals have gone to the University of Mississippi to watch a game and Bitty has a conference with Professor Sturgis to discuss one of her twin boys failing grade in ancient history.

Touchy Bitty gets involved in a angry shouting match with Sturgis. To calm down and sooth her ruffled feathers she and Trinket do the sensible thing, they go shopping and have lunch. Very sensible indeed.

After lunch Bitty can't find her son and decides to check his dorm room. Surprise, he isn't there but a very dead Professor Sturgis is. Sensible Trinket wants to call 911, but, oh no, mother hen Bitty wants to move Sturgis. No one seems to be around so Bitty convinces Trinket to help her move Sturgis to another location.



They grab an empty laundry cart and dump Sturgis in, pile dirty clothes on him and wheel him across campus and dump him into an empty moving van. Bittys' reasoning was she didn't want Sturgis found in her sons room and implicating him in the murder. As always Bitty sounds somewhat reasonable and as always Trinket tries to dissuade her pointing out the possible consequences.