Friday, May 24, 2019

Audio Book Review: The Haunting of Hillwood Farm

The Haunting of Hillwood Farm

By:  Kathryn Knight

Publish Date:  January 4, 2019, Audiobook Release April 15, 2019

Format:  Audiobook - 5 hrs 18 mins
Narrated By:  Kristin James

Genre:  Paranormal

Series:  Stand-alone

Impression:  A sweet romance buds while investigating a haunting.

Synopsis:
After tragedy strikes, Callie Sinclair is left with a gift she never wanted—the ability to communicate with ghosts. But when a desperate widow begs for her help, she reluctantly agrees to investigate the strange occurrences at Hillwood Farm. She quickly realizes she’s dealing with a dangerous presence beyond anything she’s ever experienced, and something else becomes equally clear—the only other living person in the house, Mrs. Turner’s handsome grandson, thinks she’s a scam artist. While she’d prefer to just ignore him, her heart beats a little faster every time he’s nearby.

Luke Turner doesn’t believe in spirits. He’s moved back to restore the family farm, but living on the property serves a dual purpose—he can watch out for his grandmother. He’s not happy about the sudden appearance of a self-described psychic, or his inexplicable attraction to her. His initial suspicions crumble as evidence points to an actual haunting, but he’s still determined not to fall for Callie—the past has taught him it’s best to avoid relationships.

As Callie is drawn deeper into the mystery, she becomes the target of a vengeful spirit, and Luke can no longer fight his feelings for her. Unable to resist their desire, passion ignites…even as the paranormal activity escalates to a final deadly confrontation.

First Sentence:
The sugar bowl slid across the kitchen counter, its lid rattling with jerky bursts of motion.

Purchase At:
Amazon  

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I was given this free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I love listening to Kristin narrate. Her voice feels so relaxing, even when things are strained between characters or in the setting, and the strain is in the characters when they speak. She makes it easy for me to hear the difference between characters by giving them different tones and sounds to their voices. I love this! It helps me keep who's speaking separate as the story moves along. Her pacing is easy to follow as well, no rush to any of the words.

The story has me interested with events that are happening, directing us to what we are to think. I'm kept curious as to the haunting and why. I began to suspect who I thought the ghosts were, and I was thrilled to learn that I placed all the clues properly.

There is a brewing romance here too. It's a short time for the two characters to fall for each other, but I found I accepted the growth of their love. It fits and feels natural for them as the story goes. Lovely writing of their emotions.

Callie is an interesting character as after an accident she could hear the dead speak. This is a special case for Callie as now she's feeling, hearing, and seeing the ghosts! Callie doesn't know much about her ability to hear the dead, but she is willing to help Alice Turner with what she feels is a haunting at her farm. Callie's instincts are right.

I found I liked, very much liked, the style of writing Kathyrn has. Her descriptions tell much, rather than using a generic words. For instance she used "his words rang with quiet determination" instead of simply saying 'said.' I love this! No adverb, no generic word. She used something that described so much more than his words.

I was so pleased with all the elements in this story. Yes there is a haunting, but I didn't feel like it was scary or be a horror piece. I loved this take on the story. It also is a beautiful start to a lovely romance. Totally a winner for me and it makes me curious about more of Kathyrn's works.


****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!


About the Author:
Kathryn Knight spends a great deal of time in her fictional world, where mundane chores don’t exist and daily life involves steamy romance, dangerous secrets, and spooky suspense. Kathryn writes contemporary romance spiked with mysterious hauntings as well as YA paranormal romance filled with forbidden love. Her novels are award-winning #1 Amazon and Barnes & Noble Bestsellers and RomCon Reader-Rated picks. When she’s not reading or writing, Kathryn spends her time catching up on those mundane chores, driving kids around, and teaching fitness classes. She lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband, their two sons, and a number of rescued pets.

Find Kathryn:
Amazon  /  Goodreads  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Website

About the Narrator:
Kristin “KJ” James was born and raised in the Nashville, TN area. Acting has always been a passion of hers. Starting on the stage as early as preschool, KJ pursued her passion into college where she received a BA in Communication with a double emphasis in Theatre and Public Relations from Mississippi State University. After college she found herself more and more drawn to voice overs. Several classes, coaching sessions, seminars, research, and a closet-turned-studio later, and she now records and produces audiobooks on a regular basis. She has also done several radio commercials for clients such as Advance Financial, TriStar Health, and GAC. Her ultimate dream is to work in video games and animation, so hopefully in the not-too-distant future you'll hear her in an RPG or cartoon. When she’s not in her booth, you can find her crocheting, playing video games, or running agility with her dog, Phoenix.

Find KJ:
Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Website


GIVEAWAY:
The Haunting of Hillwood Farm Giveaway: $10 Amazon Gift Card

3 comments:

  1. So glad to hear you enjoyed Luke, Callie, and Alice's story! Thank you so much for listening and reviewing :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the books. It does sound good

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been enjoying horror books lately, but really this is more my speed. Haunting but not too scary.

    ReplyDelete

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