Audiobook Review: The Wager by Rachel Van Dyken, Narrated by Tanya Eby

I’ve heard so many great things about Rachel Van Dyken that I jumped at the chance to review “ The Wager the second book in “The Bet” series. This was my first experience by Van Dyken.

The story immediately caught my attention. It begins with Char Lynn meeting up with her crush Jake Titus on an airplane. Char has been in love with Jake for many years and even though they shared one night together, nothing became of it. Char and Jake use to be best friends in eighth grade until hormones and miscommunication interfered. Now years later Jake’s brother is getting married and him and Char are the best man and woman.

Char and Jake were both excellent characters and they really evolved from the beginning of the story until the end. Jake was really a very immature and shallow jerk. He has had a pretty easy and golden life and hasn’t had to really worry about anyone except himself. Char’s childhood was less than ideal and has always felt second to her sister.

Char and Jake spend a lot of time bickering and it’s only through the successful interference of his hysterical grandma that Jake and Char are forced to spend some time together and work past all their differences.

I found this audiobook to be so hysterical. It was part narrator and part story that made it so successful. I found myself laughing-out-loud and really enjoying all the obstacles that Char and Jake had to overcome to finally find their way together and as individuals. I have to confess that my only hang up was that I felt that there were parts where the story dragged and I found my attention wondering. But other than that, this book is filled with fun antics by a feisty grandma, some very sweet and tender moments, all successfully brought to life by Tanya Eby. Eby was a fantastic narrator, she really understood the individual personalities of all the characters and made this story that much more enjoyable.

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: Jagged by Kristen Ashley, Narrated by Emma Taylor

So before I start. I know that Kristen Ashley has a huge fan base. One of the reasons that I started this audiobook was because she has such great reviews about her books. This was my first experience with her work. There were some things I liked and some I didn’t so I made peace by giving it a three star rating.

“Jagged” is the fifth book in the Colorado Mountain series. I have not read or heard any of the previous books. When the story begins our heroine Zara Cinders is planning to break up with her friends –with- benefits Graham, or Ham as she calls him. This part really got to me and I didn’t understand if I missed something in their story. So Zara is younger then Ham and is looking for a serious relationship. Ham is not. He is not a settled guy and he basically wanders around Colorado and when he is in town he hooks up with Zara. Zara realizes that this is no longer working for her and she breaks up with him and explains she has met someone. Zara then ends up marrying this guy she met only to divorce him in two or three years. Ham makes Zara promise him that they will always have a way to be in touch because he always wants to make sure that she is ok. When we see Zara again she is definitely not ok. She has lost her successful business, her home and finally her marriage. My question was, did Zara ever say to Ham that she wanted a serious relationship? Did they ever have that “where is this relationship going?” conversation. So fast forward, Zara is divorced and penniless. She sees on the TV that Ham was attacked by a murder and she calls him. He makes his way to her and they have the stupidest fight I have ever heard. I had to replay it because I just didn’t understand what they were fighting about. Ok. Zara and Ham meet up again and he makes her move in with him and he gives her a job working as a waitress at a bar he bought for her so she could have a job… As can be expected their living arrangement bring up old feelings.

So at first the hero and the heroine were so confusing to me but they did grow on me and they did have great chemistry. My other issue with the story. Zara’s posse, and yes I mean posse, gang up on Ham and make it clear to him that Zara is a delicate flower? I just don’t understand what their purpose was? Is Zara a dimwit? Can’t she stand up for herself? Apparently her friends don’t think so because they take her life into their hands. Another huge issue I had was the level of crazy that the grownups in this book displayed. So Zara had a tough upbringing and her parents were neglectful and Zara receives some disturbing news about her family. First, her aunt was borderline deranged. But that is not the worse part. Ham and Zara are at a restaurant and everyone becomes involved to protect Zara when her aunt has less than nice words to say to her. Seriously, I spent so much time shaking my head with this storyline, who behaves this way? Many scenes in this book felt like “Dynasty” meets “Days of Our Lives.” Emma Taylor was a good narrator. I thought she was true to the characters personalities.

As I mentioned before I had many issues with these characters and the story. I get Ham is an alpha male but most of the times he was an overbearing jerk. Aside from these little issues, I liked Ham and Zara together. I was really glad to see her grow stronger and put her life back together. Although I plan to read and/or hear more of Ashley’s stories I can’t say that they will be on the top of my list. Any one that really enjoys romance with a touch of suspense will like this story and I expect that her fans will really enjoy it as well.

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

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