The author's experience as a competitive swimmer lends authenticity to this heartrending story, and narrator Julia Whelan delivers it with similar authority. Avery and Colin, teammates on their college swim team, along with three little boys, are the only survivors of a plane crash in the Colorado Rockies. The story is poetic and intense as Avery tells of the struggle to stay alive that follows. Whelan moves smoothly between the days on the mountain, focused on staying alive while awaiting rescue, and the weeks afterwards, focused on recovering from trauma. The voices Whelan gives to the secondary characters--Tim has a lisp, and Colin an accent--are in stark contrast to the emotionless tone she uses for Avery. Whelan's delivery makes the story all the more powerful as the characters encounter the lingering repercussions of their miraculous survival.
Pub Date: 2015
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780698189676
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A model and a mogul get married in Vegas on a bet, and Diana Luke narrates their story with élan. While it would be easy to portray Leila Darling as a scheming caricature or Carter Bain as a ruthless businessman, Luke never crosses that line. Her portrayal of Leila is generous and encompasses the full range of her character--from the formidable professional at the top of her game to the vulnerable woman who is unsure if she can trust a man with her heart. Likewise, Luke's portrayal of Carter showcases both his business acumen and his emotional vulnerability as he opens himself up to Leila. While loosely connected to the previous Unconventional Brides volumes, this can easily stand alone.
Pub Date:
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501968471
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
After her divorce, Roberta Jewett, with her three daughters, returns to Camden, Maine, to start a new life. Such an independent move in 1916 brings difficulties with her mother, her in-laws and the townspeople. Dukes's performance, while skillful, sometimes suffer in scenes of emotional content. His pace slows, and his reading acquires the peculiar emphasis of someone trying to get instructions across to a non-English-speaking person. The effect is disturbingly laughable. When he resumes his normal pace, the story revives and personalities emerge again, but the awkwardness remains as an odd interruption to Spencer's drama of pain and love, dispelling Dukes's carefully constructed characterizations.
Pub Date:
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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