The Other Gloria

By: L.A. Villafane

Narrated by: Barbara Rich

On a dark January night in 2019, Gloria finds herself behind the wheel of a car, beaten and covered in blood. She has no idea where she’s coming from or where she might be headed. After pulling to the side of the road, she begins to fade out of consciousness.

The next thing she experiences is waking in bed next to a man who should be her beloved fiancé, Rick. However, she soon discovers it is her dangerous ex-husband, Charles, whom she thought she had escaped two years earlier, in 2017. She eventually finds that the year she was woken to is 2003, and she is living her life with this abusive man all over again.

Due to the abuse she endured, Gloria suffers from dissociative disorder, which has stolen the memories of her two young daughters growing up. There is another who holds these memories: the other Gloria. She thinks maybe God has given her a do-over, and she might be able to do better, stay present, and recover the lost memories of their childhood. She knows, to do this, she must escape Charles once again.

Gloria’s plan for escaping this time around includes finding Rick, who doesn’t know she exists in 2003, but she soon comes to the realization that meeting Rick will not be enough. She knows she must do the one thing she never wanted to do - meet the other Gloria and finally discover the unspeakable secrets she holds.

©2019 L. A. Villafane (P)2019 L. A. Villafane

Riveting Psychological Thriller!

Mesmerizing, engrossing, and scary close to what I am sure is the reality for many, “The Other Gloria” is a uniquely different psychological thriller! The writing is mesmerizing, the flow smooth, and the timeline clearly delineated. I had no trouble following along, or keeping up with the story! The characters are beautifully drawn and defined. They felt real, EVERYTHING about them felt real! Their dialogue rang true and felt authentic to their personality! Clear, consistent narration allowed me to become completely absorbed in this story and allowed me to feel and appreciate not only the dark ambiance but also the gripping emotional pull of this story! As I listened, I have to admit, I was at times horrified at what Gloria endured! No spoilers, as you listen I’m sure you’ll see exactly what I mean, and you’ll see exactly what makes “The Other Gloria” a five star listen across all categories!

Good story

This was a good listen. Gloria has hidden so much of herself from herself, all the pain and torture from her marriage is hidden inside of another part of herself. The part that she can’t remember are haunting her.
She has a new life now but but is sucked back to the past to live life over again.
Narration by Barbara Rich was good.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great story - wished for better narration!

This story’s subject matter hit a sore spot in my heart. The way the author depicts Glorias two daughters dealing with their parents broken marriage felt so raw and real, it really touched me. This thriller with a slightly supernatural twist really gripped me. I would hardly believe this was a debut novel. Bravo to L.A. Villafane for this compelling story!

In terms of the narration, that is the only place I ran into an issue. I truthfully only liked the narrators narration for Gloria. Her portrayal of the other characters didn’t convince me, especially those of Charles and Rick.

I give The Other Gloria a 5.5 out of 10 bubble baths. The authors depiction of the daughters being caught between two parents and Glorias dissociative disorder is to be commended. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to listen to your story!

Great Story Line

This book has a great story line and I ended up feeling for Gloria. She wakes up one morning and her life is not as it was the day before. She’s back in time and having to relive her life with her abusive ex-husband. I looked forward to hearing what happened next in Gloria’s life and which Gloria was showing up in the next chapter. Only complaint was the narrator, I didn’t like her and found it hard to follow the story. I may read the book just to visualize on my own.

The other Gloria

3.5/5

A psychological/drama thriller about an abusive husband with drinking problems and some mixed up memories. The story was written based on transitions between the past and the present, before and after, which were both interesting and confusing. Enjoyed listening to it. I only wished for less of the drama and more of the thriller.