Do what godmother says was an eerie and fun read.
I LOVED the narrators Aure Nash and York Whitaker, they made a wonderful job making this read even more intriguing.

The story itself was interesting, mysterious and from time to time a little bit confusing since the story switched between Essie and Shanice.

I found the twists and turns quite disappointing since it was obvious who’d done what, but I definitely recommend reading/ or listening to it.
It’s a perfect fast paced summer read.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and L.S. Stratton for giving me the opportunity to listen to Do What Godmother Says.
And a special thanks to Aure Nash and York Whitaker for making this experience fantastic!

I really enjoyed this creepy audiobook! The narration brought the characters and eerie atmosphere to life, especially the way it built tension. However, there were some background noises and narrator mouth sounds in Chapter 33 that were distracting and took me out of the story for a bit. Overall, it was a great listen, but be prepared for chills and maybe some minor audio hiccups.

This book definitely stood out with its unique blend of historical fiction, suspense and psychological intrigue, some of my favorite genres. L.S. Stratton excelled at crafting an intricate tale with surprising and satisfying twists and turns, and I'm excited to delve into more of her work.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the overall storyline and jumps through time, there were moments where the the naivete of the main character was extremely irritating, but by the end I saw that it was needed to pull the story together and it didn't take away much from my overall enjoyment of the book or my investment in the main character’s journey.

4.25/5 stars for a captivating and memorable read! Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC.

Thanks for the advanced copy. I enjoyed reading this story. The dual time periods were a little confusing but I was really interested in the historical parts. The book pulls you into the story very early . I wouldn’t say it was a thriller but more of a mystery with some dark gothic elements.

The story revolves around a writer with some mental heath issues who is dealing with losing her job and her boyfriend of 5 years on the same day. This causes her to spiral and she struggles to keep it together . At the same time, her grandmother needs help with cleaning out her house to prepare it to be sold. She gives her a gift of a painting that’s been in the family for generations. The writer is curious about the painter and how it ended up in her family. She begins to research the history of the painter and as a result she inadvertently brings danger her way.

I love the author’s books so I was excited to get this latest book. It definitely didn’t disappoint me and I would recommend it.

Do What Godmother Says is the rich historical thriller I needed in my life. If you could read midnight blue velvet, this book would be that. It was like sitting around a campfire and listening to someone with a James Earl Jones-like voice tell you a ghost story. I loved the alternating timelines, the realness of our main characters, Essie and Shanice. I related to Shanice especially, because I have an Anxiety Beast of my own. It makes you wary of everyone around you, and usually for good reason, as we soon come to find out. This was my first from the author, and it definitely won’t be my last, because it was quite a wonderful experience.

I would recommend this audibook for the narration alone! This thrilling horror / historical fiction had me so captivated. I love a plot twist and L.S. Stratton knows how to deliver. That being said, I did have a tough time rooting for some of the characters. While the narrator's performance was stellar, it was still hard to root for the main characters.

Soooo glad I got an audio ARC for this! Really made the story come alive. I feel like this one is going to be a banger. It is stuffed full...I read an early draft and forgot half the the things that happened in this novel. Stratton is one of my faves and this one will not disappoint.

The plot felt rushed. I think more time should have been spent on world building and character details. It was predictable and not all that enjoyable to read.

This was so messy and unorganized. The plot points were too convenient and the events (ex. murders) were again too convenient and predictable.

Very disappointing :( but I am definitely willing to give the author another chance!

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio ARC. I really did like the narrators for this book, it was such a good match for both timelines. There’s a creepy atmosphere throughout the whole book. There’s past and present timelines. We follow Estelle in the past in third person and Shanice in the present and first person who is into the superstitions. Personally I like the present timeline better but I loved the narrator for the past. Shanice keeps an heirloom painting from her grandmother that’s really creepy and uncovers the story of the artist that is Estelle that we follow from the past timeline and when Shanice digs deeper she gets more paranoid with death happening around her. This is so fun and creepy and engaging I loved hearing both timelines. I feel like this is a character driven story and I didn’t really care much for Shanice’s love life I just feel like it didn’t add anything to the story. also, it isn’t really a thriller but more on the paranormal mystery side and it did drag on in some parts and it was 13 hours but I still recommend even if this wasn’t my favourite.

Before I get into my review, I want to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me an advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review. The Narrator did a great job of relaying the main character's paranoia and trauma which ebbs and flows throughout the book.

Shanice Pierce suffered tragedy and loss early in life and when the book opens, we also see her relationship crumbling and her internship going up in smoke. Shanice is at an incredibly vulnerable place in life but we, the reader, have the foresight to see some of the issues are of her own making from being so tunnel-visioned.

There are multiple time -lines in this book but they work well together as we follow Essie, the artist, in the past and Shanice in the present who has a painting passed down through her maternal line. Shanice is also a bit superstitious and sees dark omens and signs in things like black cats, crows, and purses on the floor, the way her grandmother does. She feels her life is already a tragic story and she wants to avoid even more negative energy when at all possible.

The story is well written and highly engaging. There are unexpected twists and turns as well which always makes for an intriguing novel. I didn't know how the end was going to play out and I loved that. Someone said "the author did a great job of writing a story inspired by true events" which I didn't know but now I want to find out more about the story which inspired this work!

Title: Do What Godmother Says
Author: L.S. Stratton
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narrators: Aure Nash and York Whitaker
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Audiobook Release Date: June 11, 2024
My Rating: 3.3
Pages 384

As Shanice Pierce is cleaning out her grandmother’s house, she comes across a painting that is part of her inheritance from her grandmother. There is no doubt that she is drawn to the haunting portrait in a way she can't explain, As she digs deeper, she learns the artist was a young woman taken in by a wealthy art patron known as “Godmother”. Godmother vanished shortly after taking the artist in.

Shanice is convinced she’s being stalked, and the deaths happening all around her are somehow connected to the painting.

The truth is hiding in plain sight, and it is even more shocking, and deadly, than she ever imagined.
Shanice Pierce knows better than to heed bad omens. But it’s hard to ignore the signs when she finds herself newly single and out of a job on the same seemingly cursed day.

She soon uncovers the story of the artist, a Harlem Renaissance painter named Estelle Johnson. The young woman was taken under wing by the wealthy art patron Maude Bachmann—or “Godmother”—who vanished shortly after Bachmann’s brutal murder.

As Shanice digs deeper, the paranoia that’s haunted her for years returns. She becomes convinced she’s being stalked, and that the deaths happening around her are connected to the staggering offer she turned down for the painting.

I did get to the point in this story where I questioned why I wanted to read this story. It was okay but. . . Yes! The narrator was great at performing the characters however some of them came across unlikeable. I went back and checked a few reviews and was encouraged to hang in there.
I was pleased I did - as there indeed were some surprised.

Personal Opinion: My negative with this story is the over use of profanity –however must admit it wasn’t a surprise.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early Audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 11, 2024.

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. It was creepy to just the right level and very bingeable. Recommend to anyone looking for a spooky quick read!

OMG OMG OMG this was so good. I expected it to be good but this was above and beyond everything I could have expected. It is so sad, weird, and beautiful. I love our protagonist and as someone with anxiety disorder I completely felt everything with her. It was perfection. She is not strong or brave, but she is smart and sticks to her beliefs. I love the parts where she gets to visit with her mom and her grandma. I loved the grandmother too. I really loved her. I also love how the author sets a scene, like grandma's house, and her dad's place. It was so perfect. Everyone in this book is flawed and wonderful.
And all the narration. I loved both narrators. I loved the way the narrator for Essie's parts did the male voices and the rich white lady voices. She was spot on with those!
The narrator for Shanice's parts did the accents so well I was listening to the parts with Noah for hints of deception like it was actually him speaking and I could figure him out. That is some serious talent.

I’m still in shock… This book has spooky dark art history vibes, adventure, cults, paranoia, anticipation, and a dual POV from Shanice in present day and Estelle in 1928.

Shanice is going through it when her long time boyfriend breaks up with her and moves out AND she quits her job the same day. She really has nothing else to do other than keep crying in her apartment alone, when her grandma asks her to help clean out her house with her. Her grandma has always had this spooky self portrait of a women, which has been passed down through generations. Shanice is reluctant to take this painting at first but eventually does. After some research on the Artist, Estelle Johnson, she becomes enthralled by Estelle and learning everything she can about this long lost friend of her great great grandma. Shanice has no idea what this painting is, what secrets it will reveal in her life, and who is out there trying to find it. Shanice is just a 29 year old girl trying her best to survive another day in corporate America. This painting will make her life anything but ordinary again.
If you love spooky dark academia and art history/ art world in general, you will love this book!! I finished it in one day. I couldn’t put it down.

I received the audio version of this book and the narrator is Aure Nash and York Whitaker. I really enjoyed listening to the book overall. However, sometimes their voices differ on audio volume in the same sentence. Parts sounded like they were recorded over or corrected in a different studio. The book as a whole didn’t sound cohesive, but I did enjoy both of their voices for the most part. I think the audio is a 2.5 ⭐️ but the book is a 4.5⭐️.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook of Do What Godmother Says!

"Do What Godmother Says" by L.S. Stratton offers a promising premise of mystery and interconnectedness between a modern-day writer and a Harlem Renaissance artist. However, despite its potential, the execution may leave readers wanting. The narrative feels predictable, and the characterization, particularly of the main character, lacks depth, making it challenging for readers to fully engage with her journey. Additionally, the use of "the beast" to depict anxiety might not resonate with all readers, and the plot can be confusing at times.

The novel's strengths lie in its atmospheric setting and the tantalizing mystery surrounding a cursed painting and its dark secrets. The historical backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance adds depth to the story, but it's not enough to overcome the shortcomings in character development and plot coherence.

Overall, "Do What Godmother Says" earns a modest rating of 3/5 stars. While it offers moments of intrigue and a compelling central mystery, it falls short in delivering a fully satisfying reading experience due to its predictability, characterization issues, and occasional confusion in plot execution.

I loved listening to this audiobook, it had the right amount of horror and as the audiobook went on I was really questioning who I trusted. For me this makes me more immersed as I felt desperate to learn the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

WOW! I truly loved LS Strattons' first novel, and this second one surely did not disappooint. I love the dual timelines. Also, I love that this was inspired by an actual person. This sent me on a researching deep dive. wow! What a great thriller read. I would recommend this to anyone! I love the historical aspect as well. Can't wait to see more from this author.

If that cover doesn’t convince you to read this maybe me shouting about it will. I ATE this up.

Dual timeline one in the Harlem Renaissance following an artist that starts to work for this old white lady when strange things start happening. And in present day Washington Shanice, a writer, just lost her job, got broken up with and is struggling with her anxiety disorder when her grandmother wants her to help her clean out her house and get a painting she wants to gift to her. But once the painting is in her possession bad omens are everywhere and someone is definitely following her.

I loved the writing and was so anxious to know where this was going to go. Some things were guessable and some things kept me on my toes. Just like I like a horror/thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for an advanced listening copy.

♡𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 &| 𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5 🌟
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𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•black thriller | horror
•duel timeline
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :
•generalized social anxiety
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Historical fiction with a mix of horror | thriller. This book will take you on a roll coaster of twists, turns, and ups, and down to the point you will NOT know who to believe! The beginning is very slow and was a little hard for me to get into the book, but once you hit maybe 20%, it started to pick up, and I didn't want to put this book down. The duel timeline can sometime be a hit or miss for me, but for this story it was done very well and made the story more interesting and gave very great details and information that was highly important to the main storyline.
The narrators Aure Nash and York Whitake did an amazing job bringing this story to life!
♡𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 June.11♡
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Thank you, Netgalley, Union Square for the (eArc)-eBook, and Dreamscape Media for the (ALC)-audiobook for my honest review.