Audiobook Review: Carrots (Shelby Nichols #1) by Colleen Helme (Narrator: Wendy Tremont King)

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Carrots Book Cover Carrots
Shelby Nichols #1
Colleen Helme (Narrator: Wendy Tremont King)
Cozy Mystery - Paranormal
Colleen Helme
May 23, 2013
Audiobook
8 hours and 39 minutes
Audible

 

Shelby Nichols is an average woman who is married to the only guy she ever fell for. Her life is organized and predictable, revolving around her husband and two children. All that changes the day she stops at the grocery store for some carrots. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman is busy robbing the bank inside the store. When a customer grabs the robber's mask, he is shot and everyone runs for cover. Everyone except Shelby, who finds herself face to face with the killer.

The next thing she knows, she's lying on the floor with a bullet wound to her head. Luckily, the bullet only grazes her scalp, and she doesn't suspect any lasting affects until later, when she suddenly 'hears' what people are thinking. With this uncanny ability, her life takes on a whole new dimension. Her kids think she's bossy and too old to understand them, but that's nothing compared to her husband. He says he loves her, but what is it about the redhead at work that he doesn't want her to know?

As if that isn't enough, the gunman knows she can identify him, and he's out to silence her forever. In her fight to stay alive, she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone's thoughts can not only hurt her feelings, but get her killed.

 

The Shelby Nichols series is one that I’ve had my eye on since I featured one of the books on my blog. I was lucky enough to get the eBook Carrots, the first book in the series, for free when it was offered and then I was even more lucky to log onto my Audible app one day and be offered any free audiobook I wanted, so I grabbed Carrots for that offer.

There is a little bit of everything going on in the plot of Carrots, with the mafia, police investigations, and more. It’s humorous and silly, but also predictable. And, the covers for all ten books in the series are very appealing and attractive and the blurb for Carrots explains what happens in the story.

I found that the concept of our heroine getting a paranormal ability, of reading minds, to be cool and I liked that she had gumption and wanted to do something useful and legal with her gift, but then by the time I finished I was frustrated and not sure on how I felt about the story.

I had issues with Shelby: I thought I’d relate to her well, since she’s a stay at home mother and in her mid-thirty’s, but I ended up having a love / hate relationship with her. She seams smart, but she’s actually brainless, transpart, and couldn’t keep her mouth shut, which gets her in more trouble then she’s already in. I kept shacking my head at some of the things she did through out the story and was thinking; “really” and “keep your mouth shut”.

Then theirs her relationships: I couldn’t understand them. We have her family, which those where barely scratched on. Then theirs her husband, which it seams like she clearly loves him and he loves her, but we learn some things and this new ability puts strain on their relationship. I was also irritated by her anger at her husband over another women who is clearly trying to steal him even though he didn’t reciprocate those advances. While this was happening Shelby’s being all swoony over a police officer she calls “dimples” and Ramos “the hit man” who clearly will kill her if the head bad guy gives the orders.

Audio Narration: This is my first experience with narrator Wendy Tremont King. I have to say I enjoyed her narration. Liked her voices, though I will say some of the men weren’t different enough and I thought they sounded alike instead of individuals.

To sum things up I’m done with this series and won’t be trying anymore out. I wanted to be swept away on a cozy fun mystery, but ended up feeling perturbed and frustrated.

Rated: 2.5/3 Stars

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Challenge(s) (2018): Try Something New (Author/Series) | Audiobook  

 


 

Can anyone recommend some mommy mysteries with a paranormal or unique element that I might like to try?

 

I'm an outdoor sun loving reader living near San Fransisco. I’m a mother, wife, animal & book lover. I'm the owner, reviewer & mind behind Angel’s Guilty Pleasures. My favorite animals are horses & dogs. As for reading I love all things paranormal & urban fantasy & my favorite shifters are dragons.

4 comments on “Audiobook Review: Carrots (Shelby Nichols #1) by Colleen Helme (Narrator: Wendy Tremont King)

  1. I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for you. I agree that you can’t get mad at the guy if he isn’t reciprocating. He can’t stop the way others act.
    Melanie Simmons @mlsimmons recently posted…Review: Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells (@mlsimmons, @orbitbooks)My Profile

    • Yep. You can’t stop other peoples reactions or advances. You can only take care of yourself. I was really hope and looking for a fun mystery with some paranormal element, but ended up so frustrated and disjointed that this didn’t work out. Thank’s for visiting, Melanie.

  2. Great review angela! Shared on all my socials!!

    • Thank you!