Narrated by Shiloh Grey
Her Kind of Trouble is a Harlequin Super Romance – a brand that doesn’t always get the respect it deserves in the Romance community! The books are a little longer than standard category romance, and with authors like Sarah Mayberry writing them, definitely worth checking out.
Vivian Walker has always been the flighty sister – her mother likes to let everyone know how many times Vivian has had to move back home when she couldn’t make it on her own. Likewise, Seth Anderson isn’t exactly settling-down material. So when the two meet for first time at the dress rehearsal for his brother and her sister’s wedding, although there’s chemistry galore, it’s clear it’s just a hot one-night stand. Right?
A decade later, Viv moves back to Australia after a career in design in Los Angeles so that she can be closer to her sister and her nephews. Of course this also means being thrown into the mix with Seth once again – only now, Seth might be facing single fatherhood when his former girlfriend/current baby mama is in an accident. It’s a huge wakeup call to the confirmed bachelor, and Vivian can’t help but find she is not only attracted to him but that she also respects him more and more as he steps up. And he sees that she too has matured – she’s not just the party girl he remembers, but a talented business woman. But are either of them ready for Happy Ever After?
Yeah, it’s formula romance – but when told by the gifted author Sarah Mayberry, it’s an entertaining and emotional read that is totally worth a credit! I’m not at all familiar with this narrator, however. When I looked her up on Audible, I found 3 titles, total, two Audible imprints plus one Harlequin, which somehow makes me wonder if this is a pseudonym, because she was good. Cynical me can’t believe a good narrator would only have 3 books in her CV!
When I first heard her speak, I assumed she was a native British English speaker but soon discovered her accent is Australian in the narration (which I confirmed with native Australian speaker and AG reviewer Kaetrin!). I’m not that familiar with regional Australian accents, but the story takes place in Melbourne; maybe the “expected” accent that we Yanks hear is from Sydney! Some of the characters were British – baby-mama Lola and her parents – and were given distinct accents to differentiate. So, on the accent side, I would say she did a great job, wherever she is from, even though I was confused at the beginning. On the gender-differentiation, she was not as good – she made slight pitch changes between Seth and Vivian, but none for Lola’s father, and there were several places where I only had the dialogue tags to tell me who was talking. But her pacing was very good, very experienced I would say.
I recommend this as a good contemporary romance, especially if you are interested in stories based in Melbourne, Australia – but not if you actually LIVE in Melbourne, because this audiobook is geo-restricted! How’s that for crazy! I’m sure someone somewhere has what they think is a logical explanation for geo-restrictions, but there needs to be some changes in the way digital media are distributed globally. When an Australian author’s work cannot be sold in her own country, there’s really something askew. Oh, sorry for pseudo-political rant – I enjoyed the book.
Melinda
Narration: B+
Book Content: B+
Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in
Violence Rating: None
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd.
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