Audible Book Review: Eight Winter Nights by Liz Maverick

I enjoyed this quick, sweet romance.

Eight Winter Nights
By: Liz Maverick
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky , Jason Clarke

Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
Original Recording Audiobook
Release date: 11-24-20 Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Contemporary, Romance
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

About This Audible Original
Cozy up with this warm, festive rom com novella about being true to your heart, the friendships that define us, and the irresistible pull of holiday magic.
Last year, Rachel Bacharach met the man of her dreams at a Hanukkah party—and then her outgoing best friend Tamara swooped in and "called" Oz Caplan for herself. It’s a typical outcome for the dependable, bookish Rachel, who is never able to extinguish the spark she immediately felt for Oz. But being secretly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend all year hasn’t been easy.
As this year’s party approaches, Oz and Tamara break up. It’s a worst-case scenario when Oz asks Rachel to help him write Tamara love letters to win her back in time for their Hanukkah anniversary. Rachel’s been writing love letters to Oz in her journals for a year; she knows all the words he would need. But will Rachel be able to hide her true feelings from Oz any longer? And might this year’s party finally be Rachel’s chance to trust her heart and put everything on the line for love?
©2020 Liz Maverick (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Smart and attractive Rachel has always deferred to her stunning and vivacious best friend, Tamara. One year at the traditional Hanukkah party Rachel met Oz. There was immediate zing between them for a handful of minutes until Tamara appeared. Rachel stepped aside and Oz became Tamara’s new squeeze.

Rachel has continued her secret crush for a year and is shocked when Oz and Tamara break up. Tamara goes on a planned holiday vacation alone while directing Rachel to take care of Oz who is in a leg cast. Granted, Oz and Rachel are close friends too, but the request and situation are awkward. It gets worse when Oz declares that he wants to win Rachel back and he needs Rachel’s romantic assistance to accomplish the task. Can Rachel help Oz without revealing her true feelings while also staying loyal to Tamara who might want to get back with Oz?

This is a (mostly) cute, quick listen story. I say mostly because I did have trouble with Tamara’s self-centered character. But I liked the warm relationship between Rachel and Oz and how Rachel handled the dilemma. Her family (full of stereotypes) and friends are good additions. The story was well developed for a short read. It would be a great holiday read but I enjoyed it even though a month or so late. I recommend this to fans of light romance, especially good for the holiday season.

Audio Notes: Eva Kaminsky and Jason Clarke do a nice job with the alternate voices. They give fitting life to the characters and make this an easy listen. I appreciate having this as a free, plus audio.

Source: 2020 Audible Plus. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet goals.

Audio Book Review: Only Ever You by Rebecca Drake

This is a well written, chilling and emotional suspense!

Only Ever You
Written by: Rebecca Drake
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky

Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:03-22-16
Publisher: Recorded Books
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0
Audible Link

Description
Three-year-old Sophia Lassiter disappears at the playground only to return after 40 frantic minutes-- but her mother Jill's relief is short lived. Jill is convinced the tiny dots on her daughter's arm are puncture marks. When doctors find no trace of drugs in her system, Jill accepts she won't ever know what happened during her daughter's absence and is simply grateful to have her home safely. Except Sophia isn't safe. Three months later, she disappears again. This time from her bed at home, in the night. Working with the police and the community, Jill and her husband David are desperate to bring their little girl home. They remain hopeful---until information turns up suggesting their daughter was murdered, causing the police to turn their suspicions on the parents. Facing ugly family secrets and heart-rending evidence, Jill is still convinced her daughter is alive. But when the dragnet begins to close around them, Jill realizes the worst: if the police believe she has killed her daughter, that means they aren't out there looking for the real perpetrator. They aren't hunting for Sophie or the person who still has her.

Review:
Jill is a photographer used to taking family photos to commemorate occasions. She also gives her time to take photos of grieving parents as she can share their unique pain of loss. Jill’s husband, David, is an up and coming lawyer working to reach partnership in his firm. They adopted Sophia as a newborn and love her as they would a natural child. Sophia goes missing from a public park but is found at the edge of the woods after a frantic 40-minute search. It seems that Sophia may have chased after a dog but Jill is worried about the pin prick on her arm. The doctors find no evidence of foul play and suggest it might be a bug bite.

Jill becomes even more careful watching her child. One morning she awakens to an unusually quite house and soon discovers that Sophia is not in her bedroom or anywhere in the house. The police begin an investigation and the neighborhood turns out to help in the search. When no kidnapping demand is made and evidence is found that suggest murder the police begin to suspect the parents. Innocent statements expressing normal parental frustrations are turned into negative and ominous threats. Then secrets are disclosed that create further suspicion, even between Jill and David. Jill is still focused on finding Sophia but the police are now focusing on her.

As the tension at home builds, the author weaves in scenes showing the actions of the deranged kidnapper. Slowly a connection is revealed that ties in some unexpected players. The mystery suddenly leaps into a suspenseful evasion from police while racing to save Sophia from threats fueled by betrayal and secrets.

I enjoyed the alternating points of view showing Jill’s emotional upheaval and the kidnapper’s unhinged intent. The reaction and responsive behaviors of arrogant colleagues and friends, as well as strangers, is sadly horrifying. Ms. Drake creates real to life characters that the reader/listener can relate to. The pacing was good and the twists kept me glued. Although I suspected an important element early in the story, the author built in red herrings and twists that kept the suspense increasing until the end. I recommend this to readers who enjoy emotional and chilling suspense.

Audio Notes: Eva Kaminsky does a very good job with the narration. I was impressed how she brings the characters alive. The adept voicing and energy fit the suspense of the story. The narration helped make this a gripping experience.

I received this audio book from the publisher through Audiobook Jukebox. It qualifies for my Audio Challenge and O in Alphabet Challenge.