Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Some Enchanted Evening by Christina Dodd Narrator: Heather Wilds
Series: Lost Princesses #1
Published by Brilliance Audio on August 20, 2021
Genres: Historical Romance
Length: 9 hours, 46 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
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One of Scotland's most dangerous men, Robert MacKenzie is dazzled by the enchanting beauty who rides into the town he is sworn to defend. Though he is wary of the exquisite stranger, Clarice stirs emotions within him that Robert buried deeply years before. And now he must have her at any cost, vowing to gain her trust through the powers of his sensuous seduction.
Torn between her need to protect her secrets and her aching desire for the dark, tormented earl of Hepburn, Clarice is pulled into Robert's glamorous world . . . and into his perilous plan for justice and revenge. And with the winds of treachery swirling around them, a runaway princess must draw Robert's heart from the shadows and make him believe in happily-ever-after.
Some Enchanted Evening is the first book in The Lost Princesses series. A series in which three princesses from some far off land were scattered when their country was taken over by a rebellion and have been living in hiding for years. This was a bit of stretch and had some strange things happening in a historical romance.
Our first princess is Clarice and she has spent her life peddling cosmetics to survive. She is a bit of a grifter in that she promises much more than the creams can provide. Once she has worn out her welcome in town, she moves on to another. She did not expect a Scottish lord to see her and decide she will work well in his revenge.
Clarice has been a charlatan most of her life after being left on her own. She has taken care of one sister the best she can, while her eldest sister is someplace not known to her. The last thing she wanted was to be hooked into someone else’s schemes. Lord Robert MacKenzie is dashing, sometimes charming and the biggest catch all the ladies are after. He is only interested in one thing though, getting his revenge and he will get Claire to help him by force or coercion. Claire doesn’t want to be swayed by this man, she has a country to return to and claim but something about him calls to her.
I did like most of this story. Robert’s past, why he wanted revenge and what it would accomplish was teased out well and was actually my favorite part of the story. I also loved his eldest sister and how Clarice brought them closer together. It is a little strange with the cosmetics saleswoman side of it but Claire is hardworking and very likeable. I will warn you though with a story originally written in 2006 just come to audio, which means this was written before the me too movement and as such has one questionable beginning to a sex scene. Nothing too bad, it is clear Claire wants Robert but the man is not taking no for an answer. It is very minor and this is just an fyi.
Narration:
Heather Wilds does a great Scottish brogue and made the characters fun. She did well with the cast of characters and made them all come to life for me. This isn’t surprising she is a very seasoned narrator. I was able to listen to this at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Christina Dodd
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear. Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her fifty-nine New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels — paranormals, historicals, and suspense — have been translated into twenty-five languages, recorded on Books on Tape for the Blind, been called, “Books To Read If You Love Nora Roberts!”by Bookbub and the year’s best by Amazon and Library Journal.
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I like this author’s mysteries. It looks like this is a relicensing or re-record. There is another one out next month too.
I like her you could just tell it was a little dated. Still a good story.
I used to read this author all the time, and really loved this one back in the day. Good to know about this narrator. And 1.5 speed is the best speed for audiobooks.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one.
1.5 is totally my go to. You still get all the emotion of the story just at a better pace.