Audible Book Review: The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor

I totally enjoyed this story of a young woman finding her inner strength.

The Nothing Girl
The Frogmorton Farm Series, Book 1
By: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis

Series: The Frogmorton Farm Series, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
Release date: 03-03-15
Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Genre: Coming of Age, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
Getting a life isn't always easy. And hanging on to it is even harder....
Jodi Taylor brings all her comic writing skills to this heartwarming tale of self-discovery.
Known as The Nothing Girl because of her severe stutter and chronically low self-confidence, Jenny Dove is only just prevented from ending it all by the sudden appearance of Thomas, a mystical golden horse only she can see. Under his guidance Jenny unexpectedly acquires a husband - the charming and chaotic Russell Checkland - and for her nothing will ever be the same again.With overprotective relatives on one hand and the world's most erratic spouse on the other, Jenny needs to become someone. And fast!
Fans of Jodi Taylor's best-selling Chronicles of St. Mary's series will adore the quirky humour in this new, contemporary novel. Jodi Taylor, International Woman of Mystery, spent some time working undercover for North Yorkshire County Library Service. Heavily disguised as the world's most incompetent facilities manager, she shifted dead dogs, fell out of mobile libraries, and spent far too much time in the gents' toilets. The idea to rewrite history first came to her while studying history A level at an evening class.
Just One Damned Thing After Another is her first novel and was originally self-published as an ebook; it was downloaded by more than 60,000 readers on Amazon.
©2014 Jodi Taylor (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Review:
Jenny Dove lost her parents and has been raised by the ‘benevolence” of her aunt and uncle. As a young teen with a bad stutter and low self-confidence, Jenny felt like a ‘nothing’. She was ready to end her existence until Thomas, a golden horse appeared to her to intervene. Jenny struggled forward with the help of Thomas and, to everyone’s surprise, including her own, Jenny gets a proposal of marriage from the charming, if chaotic Russell.

Russell is a kind heart, often rescuing strays. After being spurned by Jenny’s beautiful, outgoing and vivacious cousin, Russell lost his art muse and tried to bury himself in a bottle … or four. Russell realizing that he can’t get back the woman he thought he loved, also knows that he needs to gain financial support for his deteriorating estate. Russell sees Jenny and the oppression that she live in under the over-protective control of her aunt. He decides that he can rescue Jenny and perhaps help his own situation.

The pair gets off to a very rocky start when Russell is late and drunk to the wedding. Slowly, with the continued guidance of Thomas, and the quiet encouragement of Russell, Jenny finds her own voice and the Nothing Girl steps out to become someone.

I do like Jodi Taylor’s distinct combination of real-life personalities shared in clear characters with quirky humor. I already liked Jenny and Thomas as I had listened to the novella, Little Donkey. Russell is a harder character to like, but his rescue of Jenny, even if careless and self-motivated, sets him on a path of better growth. I listened to this at a time when I needed a lighter, engaging listen. I recommend this to fans of an imaginative, character-driven story with humor.

Audio Notes: Lucy Price-Lewis does a wonderful job with the narration. Her British accent fits the characters for who she provided distinct voices. She also captures the emotional tone and humor of the story. Her presentation enhanced my enjoyment of the work.

Source: 7/30/2021 Sale $5.00 each at Audible. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Little Donkey by Jodi Taylor

I liked this brief look at the characters in this series. I have to go back to read book 1.

Little Donkey
A Short Story
By: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
Release date: 03-24-15
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Humorous Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
It’s Christmas, and Jenny Checkland is beset with problems. The vicar, who really should know better, has asked to borrow Marilyn the donkey for the nativity play, thereby unleashing chaos on the already chaos-laden Frogmorton Farm.
Will Marilyn survive her bath? Will anyone survive Marilyn’s bath?
Robbed of her role as the Virgin Mary, what revenge is the angel Gabriel plotting? Why is that sheep so fat?
Will Charlie ever get to say his one line? Can Marilyn be prevented from eating the baby Jesus? Where is Thomas, who promised he would be there? And worst of all - will Russell, lost on the moor in a blizzard, make it back in time for the birth of his first child? Or even at all?
Another chance to meet the characters from the best-selling novel The Nothing Girl as they navigate the complexities of the local nativity play in their own unique fashion.
©2014 Jodi Taylor (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Review:
Jenny Checkland of Frogmorton Farm has a host of interesting creature/character friends, not the least of which is Marilyn. Marilyn is a small donkey who has a mind of her own. Trying to make Marilyn do anything she doesn’t want to results in chaos. Bribery with food might work but there is no guarantee.

The local community vicar has asked to have Marilyn serve as the donkey in the seasonal nativity play. This should be interesting. In addition to Marilyn there is a live sheep which is rather large in the belly. The young lady playing angel Gabriel is a bit upset that she didn’t get the role of Virgin Mary and interruptions threaten to keep sweet Charlie from saying his line in the play. Sounds like more chaos and that’s not all. Russell is out on the moors in a blizzard while Jenny prepares to give birth to their first child. And where is Thomas, the mystical golden horse who helped Jenny snag the charming and chaotic Russell as her husband?

I feel like I have to take a breath after that brief summary and that is consistent with the feel of the story. I find Ms. Taylor’s writing to be full of humor and an underlying sense of joy. I am glad to have listened to this novella even though out of order. I am sure it will not harm my enjoyment of book 1 which is near the top of my list for TBR reading in 2021. I recommend this author and the series to readers who enjoy fun, light romantic fantasy.

Audio Notes: Lucy Price-Lewis does a lovely job with the narration. Her British accent clearly fits and enhances the story. Price-Lewis captures the light, yet chaotic tone of the story. She provides distinct voices and strong emotional connection. I enjoyed the audio experience and am looking forward to listening to The Nothing Girl.

Source: 2/16/2019 Free at Audible. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings (The Chronicles of St Mary's #6.5) by Jodi Taylor

This is such a fun series and I enjoy the mishaps and Max’s recovery efforts.

Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings (The Chronicles of St Mary's #6.5)
by Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Zara Ramm

Length: 1 hr and 25 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 11-13-15
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

It’s Christmas again at St Mary's and time for Max’s obligatory illegal jump. On this occasion, however, they’re right up against it.
A loaded gun has been left behind in Ancient Egypt and it’s up to them to retrieve it before anyone accidentally blows their own head off, thus affecting the timeline for centuries to come.
And as if that’s not enough, someone (Max) has inadvertently poisoned Mr Markham.
It’s hot, they’re running out of supplies, they can’t find the gun, and it’s all going horribly wrong. Again.

Review:
The staff at St. Mary’s don’t call themselves time travelers. They are historians who “investigate major historical events in contemporary time”. They have strict instructions to watch and record; never to get involved, take anything or leave anything behind. Dr. Maxwell (Max) is the chief training officer of the team and has learned that one of the crews left something behind in Ancient Egypt.

Max always likes to clear up messes before the big boss finds out. She and her usual cohorts in mischief, Mr. Markham and Tim Peterson, are prepared to sneak back in time to fix the problem. This seems like it would work easily enough but somehow this trio always runs into trouble.

I love the humor in this series. And the history is interesting too – this time including shipbuilding, insect stings, and a wedding ring. The characters interact with banter and comradery. Even Max’s new husband, Leon, a Chief Technical Officer, helps in the final rescue.

I recommend this series to those who enjoy history, time travel, and humor. Listening to this spurred me into getting the second book so I could continue with the main stories.

Audio Notes: Zara Ramm does such a great job with the characters, the energy, and the fun. This series is great fun on audio.

Source: November 2015 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2019TBR, 2019Audiobook goal, #HoHoHoRAT and #SciFiMonth 2019.

My other reviews so far in this series:
Audible Review: Just One Da*ned Thing After Another: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 1 by Jodi Taylor; Rating 4.25
Audible Book Review: The Very First D*ned Thing: An Author-Read Audio Exclusive by Jodi Taylor; Rating 4.5
Goodreads Review: Christmas Present, The Chronicles of St. Mary's #4.5 by Jodi Taylor; Rating 4.0
Audible Review: When a Child Is Born, A Chronicles of St. Mary's Short Story. by Jodi Taylor; Rating 4.25.

Audible Book Review: Roman Holiday, The Chronicles of St. Mary's. Book 3.5 by Jodi Taylor

This series and these short novellas are always fun listening.
Roman Holiday
The Chronicles of St. Mary's
By: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Zara Ramm

Series: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 3.5
Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 04-07-15
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Adventure, Humor, Fantasy, Time Travel
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
Another rollicking short story from the Chronicles of St Mary’s author Jodi Taylor.
Question: What sort of idiot installs his mistress in his wife’s house? Especially when that mistress is Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, queen of Egypt and the most notorious woman of her time? Answer: Julius Caesar - poised to become king of Rome. Or as good as.
Question: At this potentially sensitive point in your political manoeuvrings, who are the last people you’d want crashing through the door, observing, recording, documenting...? I think we all know the answer to that one.
Roman Holiday - an epic, standalone tale set in Ancient Rome, 44 BC, featuring, in no particular order: an attempted murder; stampeding bullocks; Cleopatra, queen of the Nile; a bowl of poisonous snakes; a smallish riot; Julius Caesar; and Mr Markham’s wayward bosoms.
Jodi Taylor is and always has been a history nut. Her disinclination to get out of bed for anything after 1485 can only be overcome by massive amounts of chocolate and sometimes, if it's raining, not even then. She wanted to write a book about time travel that was a little different and, not having a clue how difficult this would make her book to classify, went ahead and slung in elements of history, adventure, comedy, romance, tragedy, and anything else she could think of. Her advice to booksellers is to buy huge numbers of her books and just put one on every shelf.
©2014 Jodi Taylor (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Review:
Max (Madeleine Maxwell) and four of her historian comrades (Peterson, Van Owen, Guthrie and Markham) visit Caesar and Cleopatra. They were there, as always, to observe, NOT to go in the house or get involved. But, as usual, they stumble into trouble and hope that their actions don’t change history! As noted in the blurb: this quick adventure includes “in no particular order: an attempted murder; stampeding bullocks; Cleopatra, queen of the Nile; a bowl of poisonous snakes; a smallish riot; Julius Caesar; and Mr Markham’s wayward bosoms.”

This series has wonderful humor, interesting technology (time traveling pods) and always include fascinating tidbits of history. The characters always stumble into trouble and have to use their knowledge of history and quick witted insight of human nature to escape capture --- or sometimes they just have to run fast. These novellas can be read out of order but it is best to at least read the first novella, The Very First Da**ed Thing or the first full book, Just One Da**ed Thing After Another, so you get to know the primary characters. I recommend this for readers who like history, adventure, time travel and zany fun.

Audio Notes: Zara Ramm does a great job narrating this series. She captures the voices and personalities and delivers the story with on point pacing and energy. I will continue to listen to more in this series.

Source: November 2015 Audible Free title. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: A Bachelor Establishment by Jodi Taylor

This is a charming Regency Romance.
A Bachelor Establishment
By: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Anna Bentinck

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 09-15-15
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Humor, Historical Romance, Regency Romance
My Rating: 5.0 Overall; story and narration!

Publisher's Summary
High adventure and dark mystery combine in a sparkling historical romance, by Jodi Taylor writing as Isabella Barclay from The Chronicles of St. Mary's.
Bascombe, widowed and tied to an impoverished estate, has learned to ask little of life. With no hope of leaving, the years have passed her by. Lord Ryde, exiled abroad after a scandal, has returned to strip his estate and make a new start in America. A chance encounter changes their plans, plunging Elinor and Lord Ryde into adventure and not a little peril until, finally, they are forced to confront the mystery of what happened on that night, all those years ago.
Are they both so entangled in the riddles of the past that they are about to miss this one last opportunity for future happiness?
©2015 Jodi Taylor (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Review:
Elinor Bascombe is a widow trying to maintain the impoverished estate of her missing brother-in-law. The brother-in-law, a younger son, had championed Elinor against her abusive husband but he disappeared under suspicious circumstances and has not been heard of for 14 years.

Elinor has an unexpected encounter with her neighbor Lord Ryde. He has been abroad for years after being punished by his father over young man scandal. Lord Ryde has returned to strip the home estate he detests and move to America for a fresh start. Elinor and Lord Ryde hit if off on a strident tone. Their unplanned second meeting thrusts them into danger when shots are fired in their midst.

Lord Ryde steps in to protect Elinor and their close encounter places them into a close situation where a grating friendship blooms even as they have to face their different, passioned views on what happened the night years ago when Lord Ryde’s father died.

I do enjoy historical romance with a mystery and this story is wonderful. I loved the characters and the humorous tone of this story from beginning to end. The tension existed between the characters throughout and it was fun to see their romance grow beyond their differences. The jousting repartee does eventually turn into some very nice prose. The danger of an unknown assailant, and confusion as to the actual target, adds to the conflict and adventure of the plot.

I have enjoyed several of the St. Mary Chronicles series by Jodi Taylor and yet missed the pen name Isabella Barclay. It is perfectly fitting with the wonderful humor of this author. I liked that the romance was not graphically overdone. I want to read/listen to more in this nature. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a good Regency with mystery.

Audio Notes: Anna Bentinck does a spot-on job with the narration. I enjoyed the voices for female and male characters. I will take a look at other books narrated by Bentinck. I am glad to have listened to this.

Source: January 2018 Audible Daily Deal $2.95. This qualifies for 2019TBR, 2019Audiobook and 2019Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: When a Child Is Born A Chronicles of St. Mary's Short Story by Jodi Taylor

I like this series for quick, fun listening.
When a Child Is Born
A Chronicles of St. Mary's Short Story
By: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Zara Ramm

Series: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 2.5
Length: 32 mins
Unabridged
Release date: 04-07-15
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
The time-travel series that everyone's talking about.... Jodi Taylor's The Chronicles of St. Mary's is back with a short story.
It's Christmas Day 1066, and a team from St Mary's is going to witness the coronation of William the Conqueror. Or so they think.... However, history seems to have different plans for them, and when Max finds herself delivering a child in a peasant's hut, she can't help wondering what history is up to.
Jodi Taylor is and always has been a history nut. Her disinclination to get out of bed for anything after 1485 can only be overcome by massive amounts of chocolate and sometimes, if it's raining, not even then. She wanted to write a book about time travel that was a little different and, not having a clue how difficult this would make her book to classify, went ahead and slung in elements of history, adventure, comedy, romance, tragedy, and anything else she could think of. Her advice to booksellers is to buy huge numbers of her books and just put one on every shelf.
©2013 Jodi Taylor (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Review:
Max and a team were sent back to 1066 to witness the coronation of William the Conqueror and determine why a riot disrupted the ceremonies. The team figures it will be a straightforward assignment but of course things start off on the wrong foot when they arrive in not quite the destined spot. Before they can make their way in the cold and snow to the proper destination they come across an injured man lying bloodied in the snow. They hear a woman crying a short distance away….

What to do? Help the man and check on the woman? Or leave them there while they move on to their mission?

Well, Max rarely stays out of trouble. As she says in the first lines of the story: “I was in trouble again. No surprise there. It’s my default state.”

I truly enjoy the glimpses of history shared in these imaginative and fun stories. Yes, Max tends to steer a bit off course. And delivering a child on Christmas Eve was not the assignment. But then again, history has its own way of asserting itself even if Max doesn’t know it at the time.

I do recommend reading at least the prequel and first book in this series so you know the characters and understand their goals. That will make reading the quick short stories so much more fun. This series is fun reading for history and time travel buffs.

Audio Notes: Zara Ramm does a great job with these characters. She captures the sass and personality fitting Max and her cohorts. I enjoy listening to the series.

This was a TBR Audible from 2015. It finished off 2017 and my Audiobook Challenge and TBR Challenge.

My other reviews so far in this series:
Audible Review: Just One Da*ned Thing After Another: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 1 by Jodi Taylor; Rating 4.25
Audible Book Review: The Very First D*ned Thing: An Author-Read Audio Exclusive by Jodi Taylor; Rating 4.5
Goodreads Review: Christmas Present, The Chronicles of St. Mary's #4.5 by Jodi Taylor; Rating 4.0

Audible Book Review: The Very First D**ned Thing: An Author-Read Audio Exclusive by Jodi Taylor

This was a quick fun listen that introduces the sometimes zany series.
The Very First D**ned Thing: An Author-Read Audio Exclusive
Written by: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Jodi Taylor

Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins
Series: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 0.5
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:10-19-15
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Fantasy, Time Travel
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Audible is delighted to bring you an exclusive, author-read production of The Very First Damned Thing. Hear it here first, months ahead of the EBook publication.
Jodi Taylor reads the long-awaited prequel in her Chronicles of St Mary’s series, as Dr Bairstow struggles to set up St Mary’s as we know it in a world still scarred by the ravages of civil war.
Ever wondered how it all began? It’s two years since the final victory at the Battersea Barricades. The fighting might be finished, but for Dr Bairstow, just now setting up St Mary's, the struggle is only beginning.
How will he assemble his team? From where will his funding come? How can he overcome the massed ranks of the Society for the Protection of Historical Buildings? How do stolen furniture, a practical demonstration at the Stirrup Charge at Waterloo, students’ alcohol-ridden urine, a widowed urban guerrilla, a young man wearing exciting knitwear and four naked security guards all combine to become the St Mary’s of the future?
©2015 Jodi Taylor (P)2015 Audible Ltd.

Review:
This is the prequel to the Chronicles of St Mary’s series. It is a quick introduction to the primary characters and how the time traveling troupe of St Mary’s began. Dr. Bairstow, the founder and head of the Institute of Historical Research, first has to convince his benefactors to provide the funding… such as it is. Perhaps giving them a demonstration in time travel observation is the best method to win them over? Next Dr. Bairstow has to recruit his staff, from security to cook to crazy scientists.

Once he is awarded the old campus of St Mary’s to house the organization, he has to manage to work around the Society for the Protection of Historical Buildings so that he can remodel the buildings for labs and travel base with all the necessary security and precautions. Since funds are scarce, the staff find an interesting source for furniture to help make the place a home.

I enjoyed the humor especially as Bairstow found just the right team and brought them together one by one. If you have read (or listened) to any of the series, you will get to find out how the Institute came to exist and how the staff came to join St Mary’s. If you have not yet experienced the fun of meeting the characters then this is a quick, enjoyable way to do it. I also enjoyed the bit of history that comes along with the story.

I recommend this as a quick, fun way to get a feel for the series. It is lovely that this is a free audiobook.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the audio presentation by the author, Jodi Taylor. Her voice suited the tale and it was interesting to get her personal inflection on the characters as they were rounded together. Although I imagine the reading would be good too, I was glad to get to listen to this short beginning.

This was a free audiobook from my own library. It qualifies for my Audiobook Challenge and TBR Triple Dog Dare.

Audible Review: Just One Da**ed Thing After Another: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 1 by Jodi Taylor

This is a zany fun story and a good audio listen.
Just One Da**ed Thing After Another: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 1
Written by: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Zara Ramm

Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins

Series: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 1

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:04-01-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel

My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
"History is just one damned thing after another."
Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary's, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'. Maintaining the appearance of harmless eccentrics is not always within their power - especially given their propensity for causing loud explosions when things get too quiet.
Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document - to try and find the answers to many of History's unanswered questions...and not to die in the process. But one wrong move and History will fight back - to the death. And, as they soon discover - it's not just History they're fighting.
Follow the catastrophe curve from 11th-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. For wherever Historians go, chaos is sure to follow in their wake....
©2013 Jodi Taylor (P)2014 Audible Studios

Review:
St. Mary’s is an institute for historical research, pursuing their goal in an unusual fashion. They investigate historical events by observing and documenting through ‘contemporary’ time travel. They must be scrupulously careful not to interfere and not to leave anything behind or try to bring anything back. Really, that doesn’t even sound easy --- and it isn’t for this mad cap group of historians and scientists.

The St. Mary’s team consists of several divisions working closely together (it is hoped) to manage safe expeditions. There are the security team, the IT team, technical, medical, R&D, costuming, and of course administration and house staff. But the lynch pins are the historians who travel in the pods to far away, long gone destinations and face the inherent dangers in places like the Cretaceous Period or the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria.

Madeleine Maxwell, better known as Max, is a young woman who earned her doctorate at St. Mary’s ‘sister’ school, Thirsk. A wonderful teacher, Ms. DeWinter, who changed Max’ school life years before, changes it again when she recruits Max to interview for a historian position at St. Mary’s. The candidates go through rigorous training to prove themselves. They work in teams, but some are more compatible than others. Max would just as soon work alone but instead she is paired with an arrogant fellow no one else wants to work with.

Max is a great heroine in this story. She is hard working as well as naturally bright and determined. Many find her impressive and likable, but others are jealous and contemptuous, especially since trouble and death seem to follow her even in (mostly) successful adventures. Max finds a romance interest for the first time in her life but may lose that due to separation and secrets.

This book contains great characters, wonderful action with danger, and creative interaction in historical settings. There is a bit of language, although it is limited. The overall impact of the story is fun entertainment. I recommend this to readers looking for a fun read/listen and especially those who like history provided with a flair.

Audio Notes: Zara Ramm does a fine job of narrating this. She captures the voices and nuances of personalities of the characters. The pacing is good and the narration added to my enjoyment. I will be getting more of this series in Audible to entertain me.

This is from my Audible Library, purchased in November 2014, so it is from my TBR shelves and adds to my Audio Challenge.