Iris Is More Than Okay by Natalie Cooper | Audible Original Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an audiobook copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Author & Title: Iris Is More Than Okay by Natalie Cooper 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Audible Originals

Publication date:  16th May 2024

Blurb:

Iris Nightingale is more than okay. She has her life planned out to a perfect schedule. Work, run, sleep, repeat. She spends her quiet Friday nights sitting alone on a bench in the park, trying to push back the memories that no amount of running can help her escape.

But one evening, there’s someone else on her bench - Hunter. Tall, wry and infuriating: everything about him gets under Iris’s skin. Little does she know that he's about to upset more than just her routines...

Hired as a consultant at the firm where Iris works as engineering manager, Hunter has a knack for knowing just what to say to irritate her, and Iris can’t help rising to the spark in his eyes each time.

Sent away on a work trip together, Iris is taken out of her comfort zone. As their connection deepens, will Iris finally be able to face the memories that have been haunting her for years? Can her blossoming relationship with Hunter survive some brutal truths?

Only one thing is certain: The spark between them is beyond Iris’s expertise, and there's no running away from it.

Review:

I love Jenna Coleman so when I heard that she was narrating Iris Is More Than Okay, I knew I'd love it. I love audiobooks but sometimes the narrator makes all the difference.

Iris is an engineer for a perfume company and she has her own routines. She runs on specific days and has a certain bench at her local park that she likes to sit at. When a stranger places himself next to her on the bench one day, she is not happy. She is less than enthused to bump into him at work the following day.

Hunter has been hired by her firm to analyse and see what they could do better. He is divorced and we learn that Iris was married also but no longer is.

As these two develop feelings for each other, it isn't easy. Secrets come out, coincidentally linking them together without them knowing it.

This is a beautiful story about loss, heartbreak, finding love and allowing yourself to move on. I loved the characters of Iris and Hunter together and separately. The exploration of their relationship was wonderfully paced and you really felt Iris's hurt. A beautiful story that I found absolutely no faults with.

Trigger warnings: suicide, gambling addiction.

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A massive thank you to Midas PR for having me on the blog tour. You can find more information about the other bloggers taking part in the tour in the graphic below.

We Play Games by Sarah A. Denzil | Blog Tour Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an audio copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: We Play Games by Sarah A. Denzil

Genre: Psychological thriller 

Publication date: 11th January 2024

Publisher: Audible Originals 

My rating: 4/5

Blurb:

When the rules turn deadly, winning is everything.

The perfect couple. The perfect marriage. The perfect game.

Effie and Ben May have everything. Success. Beauty. Glamour. But beneath the charming smiles and expensive clothes, a twisted game is in progress.

A game for which only they know the rules.

Leaving their fast-paced London life behind them, the Mays move to the exclusive gated community of Ivy Oaks. Here they can settle down and start a family in this quiet, safe little neighbourhood. At least, that’s what they tell their new neighbours.

But the truth has deadly consequences.

While Effie and Ben scheme and manipulate those around them, they fail to notice their carefully cultivated façade crumbling away. The perfect couple soon turn the game on each other, breaking all the rules. But when the stakes are life and death, losing isn’t an option.

As the final cards are dealt, who will play the winning hand and who will pay the ultimate price?

Review:

I love a good audiobook and this one is up there for me in terms of entertainment.

Narrated by a full cast with music, mixed media such as news reports and online chat comments, I was enthralled from the beginning.

Effie and Ben May have just moved to the gated community of Ivy Oaks. The two are married but also have their own little games they like to play. They seduce married couples in order to scam them, usually out of money, then move on to find their next mark.

They have one rule "No lies, no ties" but when they beginning to lose focus and start turning on each other, what will happen in this cat and mouse game?

This was a bit of a slow starter for me but when the scene was set, I found it hard to stop listening. Ben was a character I loved to hate and Dan Stevens voice was perfect to bring him to life. Billie Piper's Effie was just as good. The whole cast were fantastic.

The twists and turns throughout kept my interest and I thought the ending and epilogue tied it together perfectly. Highly recommend!

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A massive thank you to Midas PR for having me on the blog tour. You can find information on the other bloggers taking part in the tour in the graphic below.