Narrated by Eric G. Dove
Family loyalty is a powerful thing. In Pure and Simple, Patricia Ryan explores just how far one woman will go to protect those she loves, even if it means ruining her own chance at happiness.
Ally Turner lives a solitary life as a medical illustrator in New York City. Her family lives upstate, but she doesn’t see them often. For Ally, it’s easier to stay away from her childhood home, for it harbors many secrets.
Things change when Ally learns that Willow Scott, who was once her best friend, has died. Willow left New York fourteen years ago and went on to become a Hollywood starlet with a wild reputation. Ally returns home for Willow’s funeral and is forced to face things she has tried to keep hidden since she was a teenager.
Tom Proctor, a true crime writer, is not shocked to hear of Willow’s death. He has been meeting with the ailing movie star for the past several months and he knew the end was near. Tom is writing Willow’s biography, a book Willow hoped would tell the unadulterated truth about her life, a book that would give people a look at who Willow Scott really was. Despite her wish for the truth to be told, Willow disclosed very little about her early years. Now that she’s gone, there’s only one place Tom can go to find out the truth. So, he travels upstate, where he meets Ally, where tempers flare and sparks begin to fly.
Pure and Simple is a marvelous piece of romantic suspense. Ryan captures small-town life perfectly and the book is full of colorful, unforgettable characters. The romance that blossoms between Ally and Tom is totally believable, and I found myself cheering both of them on, even when they were at cross-purposes.
Narrator Eric G. Dove is a fabulous choice for this Patricia Ryan book. Tom is a Texan and Dove’s Texas drawl is as close to perfect as it can get. The other characters aren’t given accents, but each has a distinct voice of his or her own. Ryan’s characters are brought to life in an admirable way. Women aren’t made to sound simpering and men don’t sound too macho. The voices he chooses fit the personalities Ryan has written. Rarely have I found a book and a narrator so perfectly matched.
I’ve listened to a few other books Dove has narrated and I’ve always thought he was good. Pure and Simple is by far my favorite narration though. In fact, after listening to this book, I plan to look for more of Mr. Dove’s narrations.
If you aren’t a fan of the alpha male thing, you might have trouble with Tom’s character. He knows what he wants, and has no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to get it. Sometimes, I found him to be a bit of a bully but, overall, I found him charming and a good fit for the all-too-serious Ally.
Shannon
Narration: A
Book Content: A
Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in
Violence: Fighting
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Patricia Ryan
Pure and Simple was provided to AudioGals for review by Patricia Ryan.
