Straker is eaten up with guilt; Imogen is afire with anger. He lives reclusively in a dilapidated lighthouse near Dorset; she has inherited a ramshackle cottage nearby. Both are isolated captives of their pasts. They find each other, and then an old biplane—and thereby hangs a tale, gently told with charm, humor, and empathy. These unpromising misfits are surprisingly compelling, especially as limned by Patience Tomlinson. Her gossipy tone tickles one’s ears and nicely avoids the potential for pathos. Meanwhile, her characterizations are convincing and likable. She chats rather than reads, as if, over tea and crumpets, she’s telling friends of people she knows and events she’s witnessed.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2006
Duration: 13 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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: N/A
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: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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