Well, looking at this week’s list of Currently Playing titles, one thing really stands out to me.
It’s not often you get to see books about Vicars and Porn Stars on the same list!! :P
BJ
Narrated by B.J. Harrison
Caz
Narrated by Cornell Collins
Em
Narrated by Nicole Poole
Kaetrin
Narrated by Zara Ramm
Melinda
Narrated by Brittany Pressley and Teddy Hamilton
Started last Friday with The Sexy One by Lauren Blakely, narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York. More a novella length, but it was a cute story. Not a lot happens. I like both these narrators, especially Andi Arndt. B overall.
Midsummer Moon by Laura Kinsale, narrated by Nicholas Boulton. A, or 5 stars! Wonderful story and superb narration. I had a couple of small quibbles, but I liked this somewhat less angsty read by Kinsale.
Spectered Isle by KJ Charles, narrated by Ruairi Carter. I enjoyed the story but the narration, while not bad, did lack something. B overall.
Gentleman Nine by Penelope Ward, and narrated by Sebastian York and Andi Arndt. I was enjoying this unassuming second chance, friends-to-lovers romance until the old boyfriend shows up and we find out the reason he left. It’s didn’t make sense and wasn’t believable,but it creates lots of feels and emotions. It dropped an entire star for me on Goodreads. Narration was, of course, excellent. B+ overall, mainly because of the first half and the narration.
After that I did a clear-the-palate relisten to Jennifer Cruise’s Anyone But You, narrated by Susan Ericksen. Ericksen can be hit-or-miss, but I like her in this (and I like her in the In Death series). She does a great job, especially with Fred the dog’s antics. Nina, the female lead, obsesses too much on her 40 year old body, but it’s a cute book. I wish there was more Fred in it!
Right now I’m finishing out the last two days of Audible Escape by listening to Proud Mary by Lucinda Brant, narrated by Alex Wyndham. I’ll have to read the last book in print, but it’s available on Kindle Unlimited, so that’s nice.
When Audible Studios produced KJC’s books they used Matthew Lloyd Davies/Cornell Collins, but when she sold some books to Tantor – including Think of England and Spectred Isle – they used different narrators, none of whom was as good. I LOVED both of those in print, but the narration didn’t do them justice. Same with Henchmen of Zenda – I’ve reviewed all of them here, but I would advise sticking to print. (The one they got right was Unfit to Print with Vikas Adam.) I have no way of knowing this for sure, but given Tantor has switched back to Cornell Collins for her most recent books, I’m guessing that maybe she had a word and expressed her displeasure … whatever the reason, I’m glad he’s back in the narrator’s chair.
I wasn’t wild about the storyline in Proud Mary – I felt the romance was really underdone.
I’m re-listening to the Lord and Lady Hetheridge series by Emma Jameson right now. I’m not much on mysteries generally speaking, but I love this series. Narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies, I think it was one of his very first narrations.