Reviews

44 Hours by Donna Jay

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5/14/21
Just finished the audiobook version of this story and thoroughly enjoyed it.

2/14/21
This story has a great set-up for some intense bonding time that directs the course of the story and allows for the main characters to accomplish a lot emotionally in a short amount of time.

The characters are relatable and down to earth people who's storylines I soon found myself invested in. There are good guys and bad guys and a realistic amount of character growth where you want it most. The chemistry between the main characters is hot and the sexy times satisfying.

I will reread this book in the future.

lezreadalot's review

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2.0

Unfortunately, this one didn't resonate with me at all. I got it first and foremost because I was really in the mood for a survival/adventure kind of romance, because the kinds of bonds that can be formed while lost or stranded together can be sooooo good, and I was just craving it. Alas, the 44 hours are over and done with in the first 20% of the book, and the rest of the book deals with the aftermath? Or not even the aftermath, because it didn't really concentrate on them getting over their ordeal. It read pretty much just like a regular getting together story. For an enemies to lovers trope, the relationship moved super quick. And probably most importantly, I couldn't connect with the writing at all. I found it super bland and jarring by turns, and none of the dialogue was compelling to me. TBH I started reading very quickly after the 50% mark, because I just wasn't interested in these women or their relationship. (Though Ellaine had a lot of potential.)

Not bad; just not for me, especially since I went into it expecting and wanting something different. And that's not the book's fault; that's on me.

Content warnings:

Spoiler

homophobia, parental rejection.

Spoiler

bookish_smorgasbord's review

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4.0

While I expected the part about being lost in New Zealand wilderness to make up the backdrop for their enemies-to-lovers romance, it only takes up the first 20 percent of the audiobook. Despite the book's description not being entirely on track, it was a pretty good story overall. Narrator Emma Wilder delivers a solid performance as coworkers Ellaine and Jennifer push past misunderstandings and journey towards HEA. Wilder is especially great as Jennifer's erstwhile best friend and all of the supporting cast of family, friends, and colleagues. If you're looking for Sapphic romance set outside of the USA, give this one a listen.

jennabeebs79's review against another edition

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5.0

Donna Jay is an excellent story teller. Two people who hate each other forced into a car in order to travel to a team building seminar. A simple immature move by Jennifer caused them to get turned around and end up lost in the woods. Quite a scary concept how easy it was to get lost. Over the course of 44 hours, our two main characters learn a lot about one another, the biggest being that Ellaine didn't break Jennifer's best friend's heart. After being rescued, Jennifer was finally able to admit to herself and her family who she really was. Unfortunately, her mom couldn't accept her daughter. Fortunately, Jennifer had a supportive sister and father. Jennifer and Ellaine's relationship progressed naturally. There were steamy parts and a lot of witty dialogue between the two. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it!

joann3's review against another edition

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3.75

I wasn’t sure on how I’d like this at first but I ended up really enjoying it

jazi62's review

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4.0

I loved it. Loved that it was easy to read and mostly external issues. The romance it self between Jennifer and Ellaine was sweet

tricia_r's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

josb's review

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4.0

Rounding up since I had a lot more fun with this than I expected. While the story did not bring anything new to the table, or delve too deeply into complicated issues, enjoyable nevertheless.

I noticed the transitions at the beginning to be a bit awkward but after about the 10 to 15% mark, the transitions became less jarring. One thing that is important to note is that the story is written from the perspective of both leads but the second lead's voice does not show up until about 30% of the way through. It was a little surprising for me since I do not always pay attention to the table of contents but certainly was necessary as we started to witness the mutual attraction.

While the time out in the wild is important, it is not the sole setting of the story. If you are looking for more of a survival romance this might not be for you. Otherwise, it is a decent lesfic that I think most people who enjoy the genre can easily fall into.