I got this because I only occasionally need to get an audio book. I didn't want a subscription model. I just downloaded a book at home before leaving for a trip through eastern Oregon and Nevada, where there is scant cell coverage, so no Internet. If I stopped the app for any reason, I needed to have Internet access to get to the library where the info for the book was stored. As a result, I went without my downloaded book for periods of time. The book itself played fine once the library was accessed...no need for Internet. Not particularly useful in a world where Internet coverage isn't universal.Update: see developer response below. The app is fine... will try it again on another trip. If it works without Internet, it's exactly what I wanted!

It almost seems as if this app is still in beta, because it really does not perform the way you would expect. To be specific, I have had problems that I've never had with any other app that I use to play audiobooks. The worst problem here is that if I pause the recording and put my phone to sleep, I pick up the phone later only to find that it has continued to play. At this point, I have to figure out where I was before and go back and start there. Not only is this a nuisance, but it wastes battery power, and we know that phone batteries don't last as long as they used to. Another problem I have is that, when I'm listening to the book in the car, the volume does not go up nearly as much as it does when I use other platforms. Finally, the format is not at all user friendly. It barely recognizes a best-selling book that should be displayed on the screen in my car. I can't imagine in what world it would be more useful to know what track I am on, rather than what chapter, but tracks are what you get. Also the format does not let you know how much time you have left in the book. I'll give them this - it lets you play an audiobook. But that's about it.

I have three audiobook apps on my phone. I try to consume at least 35 books a year. One would think that the easiest route for me to do this with is a subscription-based app. However, I have found that I keep coming back to Audiobooks Now, due to the ability to search any title, and grab any book one off and then own it forever. Their library is amazing, and there ability to offer non-subscription listening is the reason I keep coming back. I will note that the app can be a little bit finicky with my iPhone every once in a while. It’s not quite as smooth as audible or audiobooks from Apple. however, it is well worth having to hit play three or four times when interrupted by text messages and phone calls, etc. interface a simple and easy to use. And I have downloaded a couple of books while in flights before which is an extremely handy feature. I would recommend to anybody.

So I'm listening to a book and there are SO many issues with the playback... first of all it's not that great of a design, not super intuitive but that's not my complaint. My complaint is that while listening to the book it has so many issues playing. Very often it will pause randomly for no reason. Half the time it does not automatically go onto the next track and I have to do it manually. It even SKIPS AROUND and I have to go back so I don't miss parts of the book and I've resorted to watching the bar as I listen to it which defeats the point of having an app for it. The controls are also very delayed and don't work well with iOS because half the time it doesn't respond to control center buttons or is super delayed. At one point it even started playing the book at 3 different points at once! I had to pause it in the app, pause it in control center and one voice was still going so I had to restart the whole app... unbelievably difficult! I suggest using scribd because they are cheaper and have a better app. (Not that this app is setting that high of a bar anyway)