Veiled Innocence by Ella Frank

Narrated by Chelsea Hatfield and J.F. Harding

Veiled Innocence is a classic forbidden love story, featuring a high school student and her teacher, with a suspense-filled twist. But that’s where the stereotypical comparisons end. There is a lot more than what first meets the eye, and what you would generally expect from a similar themed story.  In fact, by the end, all of my initial impressions were proven wrong. Yes, of course you get a good dose of the guilty pleasure of listening to a clandestine affair that most consider taboo. It’s the underlying suspense, however, that turns this romance into an intriguing puzzle, that you will need to put together one piece at a time, making it a true gem. So kudos to Ms. Frank for crafting a truly clever and intricate plot to accompany her salacious love story.

Addison is a student starting her high school senior year, who on the outside looking in, appears to have everything anyone could want. She’s incredibly popular, good-looking, and dating one of the most popular guys at school. Her self-confidence is off the charts, and it’s clear she’s a girl who is used to getting what she wants.

Then Addison meets Mr. McKendrick, her history teacher and the high school’s newest teacher. She makes her attraction known to him from the very start, but he has absolutely zero interest in going there. Never having heard no before, Mr. McKendrick’s disdain only fuels her desire. Soon Addison is in full fledged obsession mode and will stop at nothing to have Mr. McKendrick.

Grayson McKendrick has his own problems. He’s returned home after a long absence to take care of his dying father. He has a fellow teacher who keeps dropping hints that she would love to be more than his co-worker, and, as if that wasn’t bad enough, try though he might, he can’t seem to stem Addison’s unhealthy interest in him. Knowing it could cost him his job and hard earned reputation, he is prepared to do whatever it takes to demonstrate to Addison that he is immune to her charms. The more he tries to push her away, however, the more audacious and dangerous her attempts at gaining his attentions become. After multiple failed attempts (and as he begins to uncover the true Addison), he finds himself inexplicably being drawn to her. Will Grayson be able to resist temptation, or will he get snared in Addison’s web?  Moreover, can there possibly be any future for any sort of relationship that may evolve from such an auspicious start?

The narration is split between Chelsea Hatfield, who narrates the chapters from Addison’s point of view, and J.F. Harding, who narrates the chapters from Grayson’s perspective. This style provides a clear division among the view points being told, and, in that regard, aids the listener in understanding the story being told.

Chelsea Hatfield does a great job of bringing Addison to life. Her performance in the beginning is the epitome of the narcissistic, popular, spoiled teenager she appears to be. Also, as her character is unraveled, Ms. Hatfield likewise evolves her delivery to expose Addison’s true feelings. I did have a bit of trouble with her portrayal of Grayson in one area though. It just didn’t match my mental image, particularly as compared to Mr. Harding’s rendition which did sound on point. In that regard, Ms. Hatfield’s youthful voice made Grayson sound like a teenager, which clearly conflicts with the fact that he is supposed to be a thirty-something year-old teacher.

J.F. Harding, in turn, is marvelous in his portrayal of Grayson. When you hear his portions of the narration, you can completely envision this teacher, who is at a turning point in his life and, at the same time, is being tormented between what he believes is right and what he can’t help but want. While he also creates an easily distinguishable Addison, she unfortunately just doesn’t sound like a youthful female.

So all in all, I think the narration was decent, but could have been an A listen had the parts been allotted based on gender as opposed to the chapter POV division that was utilized.

Veiled Innocence was an enjoyable audiobook. My absolute favorite part was the writing style. Hearing the story told in alternating time periods with multiple flashbacks interspersed throughout the book while getting to hear both Addison’s and Grayson’s perspectives, was perfectly suited to heighten the suspense of this romance. Additionally, the narration, for the most part, was well suited to bringing this forbidden love story with plentiful secrets to life.

BJ

Narration:  B- (for both narrators)

Book Content:  B+

Steam Factor:  For your burning ears only

Violence:  Minimal

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Audible Inc.

Veiled Innocence was provided to AudioGals by Audible Inc. for review.