Sophia Rose Reviews - Badasstronauts (Dramatized Adaption) by Grady Hendrix, narration by full cast

 

Badasstronauts (Dramatized Adaption) by Grady Hendrix, narration by full cast

Sci-Fi

Publisher:  Graphic Audio

Published:  8.5.26

Time:  3 hours 23 minutes

Rating: 4 stars

Format: audio

Source:  Recorded Books

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author of My Best Friend's Exorcism, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and The Final Girl Support Group, Grady Hendrix takes a break from horror and goes all-in on sci-fi in this novella about backyard rocket jockeys trying to get into low earth orbit.

Melville, South Carolina was out of money, it was out of jobs, it was out of hope, and today it was out of astronauts. There were only two to begin with, and now one is stuck on the abandoned International Space Station after his mission went south. With NASA’s budget cut to the bone, there’s no one to bring him back home, so everyone is only too happy to ignore this embarrassing sign of American Failure and just let him die. But his cousin, Walter Reddie, isn’t going to let that happen.

Tanked on vodka, living on a “farm” whose only crop is cars on cinderblocks, Walter's a wash-out from the Shuttle Program and he’ll be damned if he’s going to let his cousin die in the sky like a dog. And so he begins to build a rocket. If America won’t rescue its astronauts, he’ll do it himself.

Violating numerous laws, good taste, common sense, logic, and reason, Walter becomes a lightning rod for people who aren’t ready to give up. His farm is transformed into the promised land for misfits, drifters, rocket junkies, pyromaniacs, dreamers, science nerds, and astro-hippies who believe that space shouldn’t just be for billionaires. But it won’t be easy. Chances are good they’ll blow themselves up, get arrested, or kill each other before they ever get into orbit.

Adapted from the novella and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Narrated by Richard Rohan. Featuring Terence Aselford as Walter, Ozzie Jacobs as Tiara, Dylan Lynch as Gaudy, Wyn Delano as Huggins, Jonathan Lee Taylor as Paul, Matthew Pauli as Richter, Megan Dominy as Lynn, Chris Davenport as Jimmy Royal, Matthew Bassett as Bobby, Laura C. Harris as Dr. Huger, Matthew Aldwin McGee as Volor, Michael John Casey as Norbert, Andy Brownstein as Bennett, Scott McCormick as Uncle AJ, Steve Wannall as Jay and the Rat-Faced FBI agent, and Nora Achrati as Big Patty. With additional performances by Bradley Foster Smith, Rayner Gabriel, Eric Messner, Ken Jackson, Christopher Williams, Donald Guzzi, Yasmin Tuazon, Karen Novack, Jameson Hunt and Colleen Delany.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose

 

The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose

#34 Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:  8.11.26

Pages:  528

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: Hardback

Source:  Berkley

Sellers:  Amazon

A bounty hunter must outrun her past before it catches up to her in this pulse-pounding new standalone thriller

Bounty hunter Elle Randolph takes on every case she can, in an effort to outrun herself. Three years ago, she was the only one who walked away from a car crash that killed her husband and two others. Although she was cleared of any wrongdoing, she is fueled by guilt and dedicated to solving other people’s problems. But her running is over when she’s identified as a person of interest in a murder investigation.

Detective Ronan Clarke, a single dad for fifteen years, has been laser-focused on raising his daughter and serving the people of Mendocino County, California. He’s got everything under control—until a bounty hunter enters his jurisdiction, keeping secrets and bringing murder to his quiet town. The hunter is definitely involved in his current case, but exactly how is his question. Could she be his killer? As he unravels her secrets, he becomes increasingly troubled by what he finds. While Elle is forced to reexamine every painful memory of the life she left behind, Ronan grows more and more sure of her innocence. But can he trust himself to uncover the truth amid their growing attraction?

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas

 

The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas

#9 Lady Sherlock

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:  9.29.26

Pages: 368

Rating: 5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Charlotte Holmes—aka Sherlock Holmes—becomes entangled in a puzzling missing person case that hits close to home for her beloved Mrs. Watson in this Victorian-set mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of A Ruse of Shadows.

It’s been three years since Charlotte Holmes struck a decisive blow against Moriarty's operations in Britain, three years of relative calm and benign developments. In a buoyant mood, everyone gathers at Lord Ingram's seaside cottage in North Devon for what promises to be a perfect summer holiday. Until Mrs. Watson receives an invitation from Mrs. Carstairs, her long-estranged sister, to attend a house party nearby.

Mrs. Carstairs has married spectacularly well. She is the mistress of a great manor, a doyen of all domestic arts, and still an unforgettable beauty. Now she clamors for a reconciliation with her sister. Mrs. Watson does not trust Mrs. Carstairs's motives. Yet she cannot help but feel tremors of the old admiration for this once-beloved sister. 

Then Mrs. Carstairs disappears without a trace. The next day a woman is discovered floating on the waves, her build and coloring matching those of Mrs. Carstairs. But her husband insists that the corpse fished out of the Bristol Channel cannot be his wife. So where is the real Mrs. Carstairs? Would she have purposely dragged Mrs. Watson into a murder investigation? Or was it Sherlock Holmes's involvement that she needed from the very beginning?

Sophia Rose Reviews - Lost Talismans and a Tequila by Annette Marie

 

Lost Talismans and a Tequila by Annette Marie

#8 Guild Codex: Spellbound

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Dark Owl Fantasy

Published:  7.10.20

Pages:  346

Rating: 5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

You know that squirmy sensation in your gut when you have no idea what you're doing and you're about to screw everything up?

Yeah, that feeling.

I thought I was a good judge of character, but recent events proved me very wrong. Now, in a brilliant demonstration of my newfound caution, I'm putting all my faith in a demon--a demon who's tried to kill me before. The squirmy feeling is making sense, right?

Unfortunately, I don't have any other options. Ezra's time is almost up, which means I need answers and I need them fast. So it's time to toughen up, pack my gear, and find me one of the most illegal, reviled, and scarce mythics out a demon-mage summoner.

And all I have to do is follow a demon's instructions on where to look. How could that go wrong?

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot

 

Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot

#3 Noelle Marshall

Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Montlake

Published:  9.8.26

Pages:  328

Rating: 5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Detective Noelle Marshall and FBI Agent Max Rhodes unearth bodies and secrets as they become targets of a serial killer in a chilling novel of suspense by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

When a search dog locates a mass burial ground in the Oregon forest, Detective Noelle Marshall is plunged into a hunt for a killer who’s hiding in plain sight. The key to her case lies in a decades-old a lone survivor who escaped and is still out there, living in fear. The murderer is a phantom who left behind a collection of victims with nothing in common but their final resting place.

As pressure mounts to identify the bodies and find the killer, the investigation draws in FBI Agent Max Rhodes—Noelle’s partner in work and in life. They’ve hunted monsters before, but this one has spent years preparing for this moment, and he craves revenge. As the search narrows and the clock tightens, Noelle and Max must confront a predator who knows the terrain—and their weaknesses—better than they do.

 

Sophia Rose reviews - The Tale of Princess Kaguya: Japan’s Oldest Fairytale translated by Matthew Stavros

 

The Tale of Princess Kaguya: Japan’s Oldest Fairytale translated by Matthew Stavros

Classic, Fantasy

Publisher:  Tuttle Publishing

Published:  9.22.26

Pages:  208

Rating: 5 stars

Format: Hardback

Source:  Tuttle

Sellers:  Amazon

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Amazon Synopsis:

One of the great works of early literature—a fantastical tale of beauty, intrigue, lust and salvation.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya is Japan's oldest surviving prose narrative and one of its most famous literary works. Familiar to every Japanese child, the story, also called The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, tells of a tiny otherworldly girl found inside a bamboo stalk, whose beauty captivates emperors and commoners alike.

Blending folklore, romance and mythology, the tale explores timeless themes of greed, lust and loss. Beneath its surface lies a strikingly modern current of female empowerment, as its heroine quietly resists the desires and demands of a world that seeks to possess her.

This definitive edition presents the original text alongside an engaging English translation by Matthew Stavros that highlights the poetry and biting wit of the tale. Insightful commentary, illustrations and superb scholarship make this a book that will appeal to every lover of Japanese language, culture and literature.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman

 

The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Kensington

Published:  7.29.25

Pages:  416

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Trade Paperback

Source:  Kensington

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

In rural 1930s Virginia, a young immigrant mother fights for her dignity and those she loves against America’s rising eugenics movement – when widespread support for policies of prejudice drove imprisonment and forced sterilizations based on class, race, disability, education, and country of origin – in this tragic and uplifting novel of social injustice, survival, and hope for readers of Susan Meissner, Kristin Hannah, and Christina Baker Kline.

When Lena Conti—a young, unwed mother—sees immigrant families being forcibly separated on Ellis Island, she vows not to let the officers take her two-year old daughter. But the inspection process is more rigorous than she imagined, and she is separated from her mother and teenage brother, who are labeled burdens to society, denied entry, and deported back to Germany. Now, alone but determined to give her daughter a better life after years of living in poverty and near starvation, she finds herself facing a future unlike anything she had envisioned.

Silas Wolfe, a widowed family relative, reluctantly brings Lena and her daughter to his weathered cabin in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to care for his home and children. Though the hills around Wolfe Hollow remind Lena of her homeland, she struggles to adjust. Worse, she is stunned to learn the children in her care have been taught to hide when the sheriff comes around. As Lena meets their neighbors, she realizes the community is vibrant and tight knit, but also senses growing unease. The State of Virginia is scheming to paint them as ignorant, immoral, and backwards so they can evict them from their land, seize children from parents, and deal with those possessing “inferior genes.”

After a social worker from the Eugenics Office accuses Lena of promiscuity and feeblemindedness, her own worst fears come true. Sent to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics, Lena face impossible choices in hopes of reuniting with her daughter—and protecting the people, and the land, she has grown to love.

Sophia Rose Reviews - Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose

 

Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose

#10 Wrexford and Sloane

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Kensington Books

Published:  9.29.26

Pages:  368

Rating: 5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis: 

Not all that glitters in Regency London is quite what it seems, as Charlotte and Lord Wrexford discover when a counterfeiting scheme draws them into a deadly web of murder and manipulation in USA Today bestselling author Andrea Penrose’s masterfully plotted mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, C.S. Harris, and Deanna Raybourn.

Lord Wrexford and Charlotte’s growing family ensures that life is a source of constant adventure. The addition of Wrexford’s half-sister to their household is proving an unexpected delight. But some surprises are less welcome—and trouble strikes when Hawk, one of the young boys in their care, arrives home distraught after learning that his new drawing teacher has been found murdered on Threadneedle Street.

Fletcher Campbell’s death could be dismissed as a random robbery turned violent. But as an artist herself, Charlotte suspects there’s more to the case than meets the eye. Closer examination reveals that a distinctive ring was taken from the victim’s finger. With Hawk pleading for the family to help solve the crime, Charlotte and Wrexford suddenly find themselves entangled in a fiendish mystery that harkens back to a decade-old scandal that nearly brought down the government.

It seems Campbell’s brother was the infamous leader of a counterfeiting gang that swindled the Bank of England. Most were apprehended, but forged banknotes remain a problem. Now, the Bank of England has offered £20,000 to anyone who can use the newly-invented engineering technologies to create the Inimitable Banknote—a complex design that cannot be counterfeited.

It’s a prize that could tempt anyone, and Wrexford and Sloane’s investigation turns even more fraught when one of their closest friends falls under suspicion. The deeper they probe, the more treachery comes to light. For when a lie so easily masquerades as truth, danger may be much closer than they think . . .

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped by Annette Marie

 

Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped by Annette Marie

#3 Guild Codex: Demonized

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Dark Owl Fantasy

Published:  4.3.20

Pages:  336

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

I thought I understood power.

My parents taught me that magic attracts equal danger, and everything I've seen since becoming a demon contractor confirms it. I've witnessed how power twists and corrupts--and I've tasted power no human should wield.

I thought I knew greed.

Ambition and avarice drove my family into hiding. My parents died for someone else's greed. I've never hunted anything in my life, but now I'm hunting their killer--with my demon's help.

I thought I'd seen evil.

But with each step closer to my parents' murderer, I'm uncovering a different sort of evil, piece by hidden piece. I've stumbled into an insidious web that silently, secretly ensnares everything it touches. My demon and I came as the hunters...

...but I think we might be the prey.

--
Author's Note: The Guild Codex includes two series, Demonized and Spellbound, which can be read and enjoyed all on their own; however, this book contains spoilers for Demon Magic and a Martini (Spellbound #4). If you were thinking about giving Spellbound a try, I recommend reading it first.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Dragons on the Edge by Maria Grace

 

Dragons on the Edge by Maria Grace

#16 Jane Austen’s Dragons

Gaslamp Fantasy

Publisher:  RBF Books

Published:  5.30.26

Pages:  361

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source: purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Everyone expects Sir Fitzwilliam Darcy to fix their problems: estate management, endorse a courtship, hide from the Blue Order Council dragons. Some were more difficult that others, but still within the realm of a Pendragon Knight.
The mounting dangers to the Blue Order and all of Dragonkind, though, dealing those would require more effort. Perhaps after a strong cup of coffee—not tea, world-ending disasters required coffee.
Dragon Sage Elizabeth’s pregnancy had left her tired and cranky and as big as a dragon. But her father’s emergency visit … best just say, it did not foster pleasant tea time conversations.
Between his entitled demands and his socially-inappropriate dragon assistant, Bede, nothing is sacred. Not correspondence, not locked rooms, and especially not the secrets Bede is supposed to be keeping, rather than whispering into the ears of impressionable young firedrake, Pemberley.
Of course, Pemberley intends to do something with all the secrets she isn’t supposed to know. Things which could turn the Blue Order on its ear. Things which would soon make Elizabeth and Darcy’s world very, very complicated.
Swords, poisons, and a touch of dragon fire could be required to set things back to rights. But first maybe coffee.
A fresh new gaslamp fantasy adventure in the engrossingly intricate world of Jane Austen’s Dragons. Anne McCaffrey meets Jane Austen, a perfect mix for dragon lovers and regency-era fans alike.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Mr. Darcy Likes It Wild by Beth Massey, narrated by Benjamin Fife

 

Mr. Darcy Likes It Wild by Beth Massey, narrated by Benjamin Fife

Historical Romance

Publisher:  Beth Massey

Published:  4.29.26

Time:  11 hours 6 minutes

Speed: 1.2x

Rating:  4.5 stars

Format: audio

Source:  Author

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

What if Elizabeth Bennet's father insisted she marry Mr Collins? Would she be a dutiful daughter and submit to save her mother and sisters? Or would literature's favourite 'headstrong girl' do all in her power to find an alternative to a life of misery shackled to a ridiculous man?

'Mr Darcy Likes it Wild' blends elements of several classic road comedies to tell the tale of Lizzy's decision—the silliness of Billy Wilder's 'Some Like it Hot,' the classic gender reversal comedy of Shakespeare's 'As You Like It,' the hilarious dialogue of Georgette Heyer's 'The Corinthians' combined with Jane Austen's iconic story of mismatched lovers searching for understanding and joy in Regency England. Fitz and Eli's trip to happiness is filled with laughter, miscommunication, disguise of every sort, stolen passion and great adventure.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Catching Dragos by Gail Koger

 

Catching Dragos by Gail Koger

#2 The Dragos Clan

Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Gail Koger

Published:  2.22.18

Pages:  138

Rating: 3.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source: purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Everyone calls Mariah Smith the Judge. No, she doesn't wear a black robe or sit on a bench. She provides a unique service to those who have been wronged. She's an expert in paybacks both psychic and magical.

Mariah's next target is the famous supermodel Fabian. Smoking hot body, the face of an Italian sinner and dumb as a rock. His crime? Sticky fingers. The man whore makes millions of dollars a year, but can't resist seducing elderly women out of their jewelry? How does she resist all that tanned, male perfection and unmask Fabian as the gigolo he truly is?

Mariah soon discovers Mister Sticky fingers isn't quite as dim-witted as he acts. He's actually the Dragos clan's top demon hunter who is stealing back magical artifacts that open gateways to hell. Now that she's attracted Fabian's attention, he's determined to possess her and her magical abilities.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Disguise of Any Sort by MJ Stratton, narrated by Arthur Rowan

 

Disguise of Any Sort by MJ Stratton, narrated by Arthur Rowan

Historical Romance

Publisher:  MJ Stratton

Published:  6.25.26

Time:  12 hours 43 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: audio

Source:  Author

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Elizabeth Bennet never meant to disobey.

With her mother in the throes of delivering an unexpected sixth child, a fifteen-year-old Elizabeth and her sisters are ushered into the garden. Restless, Elizabeth wanders off and is stunned to witness a deadly carriage accident. She races to the rescue, but only a wee babe survives the devastating wreck, protected from harm in the arms of his mother.

Uncertain what to do, Elizabeth brings the child back to the house, only to learn that her mother and new younger brother have died. Faced with an uncertain future, a ruse is the orphaned child will become a Bennet. The burden of secrecy falls on Elizabeth's shoulders, and as the years pass, feels almost too heavy to bear.

Fitzwilliam Darcy has searched for his missing cousin for five long years. Miss de Bourgh's disappearance shocked her mother, and though time plods on, Lady Catherine refuses to believe her only child will never return. How surprising, then, when Darcy encounters a young boy who is the very image of his Fitzwilliam cousins, while on visit to Hertfordshire. Questions abound, and one person seems as if she might hold the answers.

Torn between duty to her family and her growing love for the gentleman from Derbyshire, Elizabeth must decide if she can trust Darcy enough to reveal her secret. But specters from the past rise up, threatening the future for all, and disguise of any sort is abhorrent to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Disguise of Any Sort is a sweet, low-angst Pride and Prejudice Variation novel.

Sophia Rose Reviews - Druid Vices and a Vodka by Annette Marie

 

Druid Vices and a Vodka by Annette Marie

#7 Guild Codex: Spellbound

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Dark Owl Fantasy

Published:  1.3.20

Pages:  338

Rating: 5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

I've said it before, but sometimes I'm a bad person. I cheated on my twelfth grade math final, I've run countless yellow lights, and I gossip about how hot my kickass best friends are. (Good thing my job as a guild bartender doesn't require moral perfection.)

But there's bad, and then there's bad. And I'm not sure which applies to a certain dark druid/wanted criminal/reluctant friend of mine. His transgressions include black-magic dealings, kidnapping, and murder, and he's about to add "revenge-fueled killing spree" to his resume—if I don't stop him.

Should I stop him?

He and his nemesis are gearing up to tear each other apart, rogues and vultures are converging with their sights on the spoils, and the guilds that would normally stomp them into the ground are under attack. We're on the brink of an all-out criminal turf war, and my time to decide is almost up.

Who's the real bad guy ... and do I dare stand in his way?

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Before the Storm by Barry S Richman

 

Before the Storm by Barry S Richman

#1 Matlock Fitzwilliams

Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Barry S Richman

Published:  4.10.26

Pages:  347

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  Author via Inkslingers PR

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

He is a cavalry officer the kingdom relies upon—and dares not question.
Men like him are not born. They are forged.

Before reputation. Before legend.
Before the name Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam becomes synonymous with iron discipline and lethal resolve.

Before the Storm is the history of the second son of Matlock—the spare.
Fitzwilliam is marked early by a constitution that does not register pain as it should. What others feel, he notes only in passing. What is first regarded as peculiarity becomes a curiosity to physicians and, in darker hands, an invitation.

Sent across a Europe tightening towards war, Fitzwilliam moves through Paris, Berlin, and Vienna under constant appraisal by diplomats, soldiers, and men who recognise the hand of the state at work--and mean to harden it further. In him, they recognise something rare. What begins as appraisal becomes selection.

This is not the story of a hero’s rise.
It is the account of a man who submits to pressure and trial until the ordeal drives him beyond the last restraints of gentility.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Doubt Not Cousin A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Barry S Richman

 

Doubt Not Cousin A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Barry S Richman

#4 The Bennet Sisters Variations

Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Barry S Richman

Published:  2.10.26

Pages:  465

Rating: 5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

This authorised edition republishes Doubt Not, Cousin in its original form under the author’s rights. Only the formatting has been updated.

Darkness, in many forms, must be conquered
to emerge into the light and embrace one’s happily-ever-after.

Fitzwilliam Darcy. Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.
Two cousins, closer than brothers.
One finds love despite his inner demons; the other resists love because of them.

Elizabeth Bennet. Kitty Bennet.
Two sisters, strengthened by adversity.
One willingly yields to love; the other pridefully misinterprets it.

An epic saga steeped in intrigue and gift-wrapped in romance, Doubt Not, Cousin chronicles the trials and tribulations of three extraordinary families during England’s Regency era.

… But who is the girl with the violet eyes?

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Platform Decay by Martha Wells, narrator Kevin R Free

 

Platform Decay by Martha Wells, narrator Kevin R Free

#8 Murderbot Diaries

Sci-Fi

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  5.5.26

Time:  5 hours 45 minutes

Speed: 1.2x

Rating: 5 stars

Format: audio

Source:  Purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment in Martha Wells' bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series.

Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

Having volunteered to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realises that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for... eye contact!

(Emotion Oh, for f—)