New narrator...again

Maybe this is unfair, due to the fact that I adore the incomparable Ms. Anna Fields and she is terribly missed, BUT I'm thinking that if a new narrator is set to read a book in a series (already on audio), maybe said narrator should do her homework. Something as simple as a last name mispronunciation should not irritate the listener. HOWEVER, when the last name is Calebow, and this is a major player within the entire series, it should not be pronounced "Cal-i-bow" (short i, short o). That's just ridiculous.
Silly, I know. But it distracted from the story every single time she said it.

30 people found this helpful

Good story - ok narration

With the inevitable comparison to Anna Field's narrations of SEP's books, Nicole Poole was always going to have a tough time measuring up. She did an ok job overall but her narration at times sounded robotic and uninterested. Her dialogue was passable but lacked the inherent sparkle of SEP's characters that Anna Fields was so effortlessly able to mirror.

It's interesting that for each new book after the loss of Anna Fields/Kate Fleming, the publisher has gone with a different narrator... For me, I can't help thinking (and have done for a while) that Amanda Ronconi would be a good fit for SEP...

As for the story, I enjoyed it. I will probably go back and read the print version at some point rather than re-listen to the audio. (I've re-listened to the audio versions of Anna Fields SEP narrations numerous times!)

40 people found this helpful

Disappointed

Any additional comments?

Even without the Anna Fields comparison, the narration was bland and uninspired. I would go out of my way to not purchase another book narrated by this narrator. I love SEP's books, particularly the Chicago Stars books, but this one fell short. There was no chemistry between Piper and Coop, it felt forced and robotic. There was token mentions of previous characters that added nothing to the story. I was particularly disappointed in the scene where Piper is remembering the marriages of other Stars and refers to Bobby Tom Denton's wife as a "Former headmistress of a British boarding school".... What???? That is not a Piper mistake, or a Phoebe mistake, that is an SEP mistake and frankly unforgivable. I usually listen to the Stars books several times a year, but this one is going on the shelf.

12 people found this helpful

Stars losing their luster

I used to really love these books for a quick, light, fun get-away. But, I think the formula is tired and lack-luster. The characters in this book were missing a back story and the plot was all over the map. Nicole Poole, though not Anna Fields, was good for the main male and female roles, but she could not pull off accents, especially S. Side Chicago.

7 people found this helpful

Lifelong fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

loved the story. I love anything she writes.
I miss Anna Fields as the narrator! She was perfect for Susan's books.

WHY didn't someone tell the narrator how to pronounce "Calebow"! Didn't any of the editors listen to "It Had To Be You"!??? ( The book that introduced us to Phoebe Somerville Calebow and her story).
Someone really dropped the ball on that.

11 people found this helpful

Buy the book, skip the audio

I loved every minute of this book, but I couldn't stand the narration for more than an hour. The pacing was all wrong, like it was spliced together awkwardly. There was no break between scenes, no clear idea of who was speaking and when.

Susan, this narrator didn't do your excellent writing justice. Not even a little. The story was one of your best. The audio book wasn't even meh.

17 people found this helpful

Different from other SEP books

Would you listen to First Star I See Tonight again? Why?
No, but I normally do like to listen to books more then once

Would you listen to another book narrated by Nicole Poole?
Not sure, for SEP books I am used to other narrators. Names are no pronounced in the same way etc

Any additional comments?
I was really bothered by the remark made by Phoebe about other quarterbacks wives. It is said that Bobby Denton married a British school mistress, but that is not correct. It is actually a mix-up of two books, Lady Be Good and Heaven, Texas.

17 people found this helpful

Very disappointed with this story.

What would have made First Star I See Tonight better?

If SEP was going to have cameo's of previous characters in the series, they need to have been tied in better and more complex, like in previous books, and not just mentioned in passing as they have been in this book.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The least interesting aspect of this story is that it's boring, i just about went to sleep listening to it.

What didn’t you like about Nicole Poole’s performance?

This narrator has obviously not listened to any previous books in the series as she can't even get the pronunciations correct. Nicole Poole's narration was not very good, but then it would be hard to match Anna Fields vocal performance of a SEP Book.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from First Star I See Tonight?

This book needs a stronger story line and the story needs to be fleshed out and made more complex. Like the previous stories in this series.

Any additional comments?

Whilst I'm A big SEP fan, have been waiting for this book to be published. Also a big fan of her Chicago Star's Books, I am very disappointed with this story, I found the story to be pretty ordinary, with no serious plot or story like previous books in the series, Sorry but I will be returning this book.

23 people found this helpful

Made me so mad.

Any additional comments?

The first 63% of this is pure enjoyment. If I were to base my rating on the first of this story it would be five stars.

If I were to base my rating on the narration by Nicole Poole it would be four stars. (She mispronounces some names later in the narration, which drove me nuts.)

Alas...because of the final third of the story I'm not basing my rating on either of those two factors, though I will admit the only reason this is getting any stars from me at all is because of those two things.

You see, this was going extremely well, it was well written, the characters full of snarky banter, and UST that's off the charts hot, and then...

It devolved. Piper suddenly became a wishy-washy character who ran away from her problems and stuck her head in the sand willing the world the go away. Which is NOT the character I loved from the start of this novel.

Add the miscommunication, unnecessary angst, and an epilogue which made me want to set something on fire...and I'm done. I'm infuriated.

Here's my problem, right? I despise miscommunication and unnecessary angst so much that it literally drains enjoyment from a story for me. So, probably 95% of people will read this and be all, "This is great! What angst is building here! These are fantastic plot twists!" and I'm all, "This is stupid and completely unnecessary."

So, I guess what I'm saying is you have to decide...are you part of the 95%...or the 5%?

16 people found this helpful

Disappointing

I have listen to all SEP books multiple times. Although they tend to follow the same formula, they are always funny and entertaining. I would highly recommend any other other books wholeheartedly. However this book was atrocious. The plot was inane, the characters one dimensional and the dialogue bland and humorless. Add a narrator who could not add a nuance to any of the dialogue. I finished the book out of habit but would not recommend it.

17 people found this helpful