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One-Star Review: Bonus Edition

By: R.E. Sargent
Narrated by: Stephanie Pilavin
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Summary

Would they do anything to be successful?

Lana Brooks is a prolific and best-selling author who seemingly has it all: money, fame, and a dream apartment overlooking the Manhattan skyline. What could possibly be wrong in her life?

Confident in her writing abilities, Lana is shocked when a reader shreds her reputation while reviewing her latest release. Distracted by the review to the point where it affects her writing, Lana takes matters into her own hands, not realizing she is going to get way more than she bargained for.

Check out the bonus story, "Becoming Karen Carter", included!

Jessica Nichols wanted the one thing that eluded her - the distinction of becoming a best-selling author. The only thing standing in her way was a stack of rejection letters. Unable to get her foot in the door, she finds herself destined to spend her life working dead-end jobs.

Desperate to make it, and rapidly running out of options, Jessica crosses a line she can never come back from.

©2018 R. E. Sargent (P)2019 R. E. Sargent
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What listeners say about One-Star Review: Bonus Edition

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

She was rich, she was famous, she was Karen Carter

Two short stories which coincide, by author R.E.Sargent. Karen is the pen name of a successful fiction author, A workaholic, basking in the adoration of her reviewers, but without close friends. When she receives a one star review on Amazon which attacks not only her book but her, personally, her mind turns murderous. Jessica is also a writer, but unpublished, though she's tried really hard to find an agent to take her and her completed novels on board. She loves Karen's books, has been told that she even writes a little like her. But she doesn't have the game and riches that Karen has achieved.

Both stories are complementary. Both are dark, psychological thrillers and short in length but packed with interest. The writing style is somewhat unsophisticated, but conveys all that is needed, and characterisation is only superficial but, again, quite sufficient (Like co!lurch cartoons) to convey the emotions of anger and envy and a right to be treated with respect. Narration is by Stephanie Pilavin, whose naive sounding voice perfectly conveys the story, complete with emotional state, of both of the main protagonists. Her reading is clear and easy to hear.

My thanks to the rights holder of One Star Review, who, at my request via Audiobook Boom, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy. This was a really fun book, with a surprise ending for the first of the stories. It did make me pause to consider the level of personal violence which seemed endemic in the lives of these people - do some really love with this level of aggression in their daily dealings? -but, returning to the cartoon concept for the characters, this was fine. Not really an horror story but still dark and thrilling: recommended to all who enjoy quick, quirky plots with unexpected endings.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

good book

Lana Brooks is a prolific and best-selling author who seemingly has it all: money, fame, and a dream apartment overlooking the Manhattan skyline. What could possibly be wrong in her life?
good book

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

I daren't leave a one star review for this

I don't dare leave a poor review for this book and I'm beginning to worry about some of the very few one star reviews I have left over the years. Thankfully I've rated far more highly on most books.

This was certainly an eye-opener and made me wonder about how low ratings could affect an author but as this was quite well written and entertaining I can be honest without panicking. Having the two stories together adds to the enjoyment. Nicely done and well worth a read or a listen.

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Original & Twisted

One-Star Review
This book really makes you think of what goes on in some author’s minds. I’ve always been the type of person to give honest reviews, and I always leave some positives with the bad, but sometimes it’s scary to leave a low rating and review for reasons/ bizare scenarios like this.
Lana writes under her pen name Karen Carter and has worked her ass off to become a best selling author. How does she take care of reviews that attack her and her career? She murders the reviewer, moves on, and repeats religiously. This was an interesting outlook on how far someone will go to protect their reputation and income. I thought it was awesome that she helped someone back on their feet and gave them a second chance at life even though it was for a darker ulterior motive. The ending left me thinking one thing happened even though I was confused, but it seemed normal for the character in all honesty. I was wrong.

Becoming Karen
Jessica has had a tough few years after being raped by a former employer and then assaulted at her current job (even if she provoked her coworker). She’s been trying to make it as a writer, but no publisher or agent will take her on. Karen Carter is her writer inspiration and idol, but when she discovers who she truly is everything changes. She doesn’t believe Lana deserves her fortune, her publisher, or her fans. She decides to change that one night and ends up fighting for her life... and becomes Karen Carter/ Lana. I thought it was super shady that a reputable company would sell a virus so they could spy on someone else through their laptop. This really makes me double think opening images and files through email or messaging (not that I go around doing what Lana does).

Overall
I thought these two stories were unique and I don’t think I’ve ever read anything with this plot before. It was a refreshing original duo that was a quick read and kept me entertained until the end (of both).
Stephanie did a really good job with this narration! She used different voices for each character and brought each MC’s emotions to life. Her performance was very realistic, sometimes a little over-emphasized for dramatic flair, and I really enjoyed the flow of her voice.
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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fast paced story

This story was sold to me as a horror, and I definitely think it has been mislabeled, it is more of a thriller than a horror!

Overall, a fairly quick read that amused me; I was incredibly skeptical about it due to the title and content matter of this book. Does it feel like a dig to reviewers that honestly reflect their opinions of books? Kind of, but more so if you're getting personal, which I guess is fair. I did LOL at the One Star review that was written in here though.

My advise to Lana would have been, "reviews are for readers, not for authors".

I listened to this at speed 1.6x

I was given this free copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

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