Closer to 2.5 stars.

I'm not entirely sure what the point of this book was. It seems obvious that the system is broken—something that's been clear for a long time. It feels somewhat naive that the author has only just now discovered this. The twist of hearing true crime story from the perspective of the accused, questioning how many innocent people are in prison and how many guilty ones are free, is interesting, but the theme itself isn't particularly new.

What I found compelling was the perspective that we all, especially lawyers, simply tell stories, and we take into consideration only what fits into our narratives. My favorite person was Dustin, who accepted the consequences of his recklessness and made the best of himself while in prison. I'm glad he was released.

The narrator has a fantastic voice and accent, reminding me of Emma D'Arcy, which is largely what kept me engaged until the end. The music was also great. I enjoyed learning about how DNA testing started and how, despite now taking it for granted, it's actually a relatively new concept. BTW, he sounds guilty.

This is one of those books where you keep waiting for an interesting twist or for the narrative to improve, but it never quite happens. The first half was actually engaging, but then things gradually went downhill. I understand the message the author intended to convey, and while the message itself is fine, the execution was overly on the nose. It feels as if the author couldn't detach herself from her work, resulting in the narrative reflecting her personal views rather than those of the characters.

Speaking of characters, there are too many of them, and they are poorly developed. The numerous red herrings fail to divert attention, leaving no real twists by the end. The bad guys and the portrayal of toxic masculinity are depicted in a way that comes off as comical and completely unconvincing. The characters' ages are also confusing; while their children are referred to as toddlers, they behave like elementary school kids. The adults, supposedly in their early thirties, act like high schoolers.

The narrators, however, were excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book with an Australian accent and appreciated the double POV.

The coziest story about survival. I find it so funny that I thought our pandemic would be this severe. This is the most optimistic and unrealistic story about the end of the world I've ever consumed! I felt like I'm there with characters (which we have A LOT of), and I didn't mind it was so long because I could listen to it while doing other stuff. Probably wouldn't read it in physical form. The narrator was great, even though his Latino accent was a little bit strange.

I believe this book objectively deserves a higher rating, but I just had a lot of trouble connecting with it. I liked the references to the real slasher movies, twists were interesting and unexpected. A lot of action and violence, great descriptions from the victim's perspective. I didn't like slightly preachy undertone that kept pulling me out of the story.

I don't usually get too much into romance stories I read, but this one got me INVESTED. It was so realistic, showing an excellent portrayal of how our traumas and unpleasant experiences shape and limit us, causing us to miss out on amazing opportunities out of fear. Initially, I struggled to understand how people in their thirties could be so unsure of what they want and fail to recognize love when it's right in front of them. However, when viewed through the lens of psychology, their choices made perfect sense.

I cried a few times throughout the book, and I'm glad the story has a happy ending—though not at the expense of the woman having to completely conform to the man's needs. I appreciated how the story portrayed a healthy approach to relationships, showing two complete individuals who are happier together but still whole on their own. It was heartwarming to see how they showed each other they were deserving of love.

I also liked that the author touched on the issue of masculinity and the feelings of inadequacy in men who are unable to have children, highlighting the profound biological impact on their sense of self-worth. It was refreshing to see that we don't have to be perfect examples of a man or woman to be worthy of love; it's enough to find someone who perfectly matches us just as we are.

This was an excellently written romance, where I could vividly feel the emotions of the MC as if the story were happening to me—a rarity for me with romantic novels. The narrator was absolutely brilliant, and I enjoyed her narration a lot, especially her amazing accent!

Interesting short story. The premise was intriguing, but the characters were so unlikeable it was kind of challenging to go through with it. It's funny what are man ready to do to feel acomplished, and even funnier how woman waiting for that to happen will get annoyed. I loved the ending.

It took me a while to warm up to this story, but by the second half, I was totally in. I enjoyed the blend of a hint of magical elements with a more traditional modern mystery. The journey the MC goes through is intriguing, and I often found myself wondering how I would react if I could rewind my own life. The background love story and the exploration of motherhood were also highlights for me. The twists were excellent, and I appreciated the feel-good ending.

However, I was disappointed that the MC never got an explanation for the dramatic situation she experienced. Additionally, her tendency to repeat words three times frequently was quite irritating. On the positive side, the narrator was great, and I particularly liked that the story was told with a British accent.

DNF

I've listened for more than 2 hours and realized I had no idea what's happening, especially in Russian part of the story. I like how Bryann combines romance with other genres, but this action packed spy story is just not my cup of tea. And a little too much swearing for my taste.

DNF

I spent 4 hours listening to this audiobook, and I truly can’t continue any longer. Admittedly, part of the problem lies with my expectations—I was hoping for a light, romantic comedy to unwind with, but instead, I got a preachy addressing of social justice issues.

While I agree that the topics discussed in the book are important, the execution is so slow and painful. I can’t recall the last time I read about such one-dimensional characters. The "bad guys" are almost cartoonish, and the MC is self-righteous, irritating, and full of opinions on how everyone else should live their lives, yet she can't even stand up to her own mother.

I wanted to DNF the book much sooner, but I said to myself to keep an open mind, hoping that the character development might improve and reveal some complexity. Unfortunately, that's still not happening, and I simply can’t devote 11 hours of my life to a book that frustrates me this much.

I don't even want to mention the love interest, who has as much personality as a lamp in the corner of a room—the MC could have just talked to a mirror and achieved the same effect. The narrator speaks too quickly, but this is easily fixed by slowing down the speed. Otherwise, her performance is excellent, which is perhaps the only redeeming quality of this experience. And it started so good!

Lovely dramatization, I really enjoyed myself. Loved the different perspective (Sherlock, you bad boy). It was nice to hear some familiar voices.