Narrated by Laurel Merlington
Jayne Ann Krentz is one of those authors I love so much she occupies a place on my keeper shelf. Each year, I count down the days until a new book of hers comes out. So imagine my joy when I discovered that The Family Way, one of my favorite titles in her backlist, was being released in unabridged audio format for the first time this year.
Pru Kenyon is in love with Case McCord. She knows McCord enjoys her company but isn’t sure he reciprocates her feelings. After three months of living together, she thinks it’s time for McCord to step up and make their relationship more permanent. So she gives him a choice – they get married or they’re done. McCord, however, is not one for ultimatums. He’s been burned before by people attempting to force him to their will and by a relationship. He didn’t give in then and he’s in no mood to cater to force now. So he calls Pru’s bluff, fully expecting she will give in and return to the status quo.
But Pru wasn’t bluffing. She just discovered she is pregnant and wants McCord to see the value she adds to his life before she springs the news of the baby on him. However, when he rejects her, she figures that since McCord isn’t interested in making a commitment to her then he won’t be interested in fatherhood either. She leaves him, resigned to raising her baby alone – like her mother before her – and heads to her sister’s house to make plans for a future without him.
McCord fumes, refusing to go after her. He knows she loves him and she isn’t the type to just abandon those she cares about. She will come crawling back to him and he will eventually forgive her for abandoning him. Then a notice arrives, shattering McCord’s belief in Pru’s reappearance.
The Family Way book remains one of my favorite classic JAK titles. It had all the elements of a romance that I love to see – witty banter, a believable relationship, a slightly predictable plot. I enjoy listening to stories like this because there are no surprises, only a relaxing book. Admittedly, there were elements of the book that were a tad dated such as the stubbornness and slight condescension the hero exhibited towards the heroine, but the overall story was pleasant enough to ignore these parts. Again, it was published in the late 80s so some machismo is expected. I didn’t care though. JAK writes heroines who are more than a match for the men who love them.
When Merlington first started speaking, I was afraid I wasn’t going to enjoy her performance. She sounded much older than I knew the characters to be. However, when she started enacting each, it didn’t turn out so bad. She gave Pru a lighter, higher pitched tone that made her sound younger and close enough to mid-twenties not to bother me. Merlington’s other female portrayals were good as well although some sounded similar enough I had trouble differentiating one from another in same sex conversations.
As for Merlington’s male voices, they were decently performed as well but with some of the same issues as the women. With the exception of exceptionally distinctive personalities, like JP, they were hard to distinguish in group conversations. But Merlington’s choice for McCord’s character was the worst of the bunch. To me, he sounded like Gozer from the first Ghostbusters movie. It was deep but with a synthesized tone that made it very difficult to take him seriously. For the first couple of scenes, I laughed out loud it was so hilarious. I did eventually get over it but the connection between the two figures remained.
In the future, I may try a Merlington performance again but only under certain circumstances – no stories with younger characters or ones with several male points of view. I wondered, after I’d finished, if this book might have done better told rather than performed. Her voice wasn’t terrible to listen to; it just didn’t have the right range for a cast of characters.
Diana
Narration: C+
Book Content: B
Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in
Violence: Minimal
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
The Family Way was provided to AudioGals by Dreamscape Media for review.
