Audiobook Review: The Reluctant Bride by Maxine Douglas

About the Book

Rose Duncan hadn't expected the handsome man waiting for her to be a bartender with a six shooter on his hip and a badge on his chest.

Logan Granter hadn't expected his soon-to-be wife to be young, beautiful and a runaway murder witness.

My Thoughts

I find the concept of mail order brides interesting, especially as a means to outrun trouble. The ease with which people could assume a new identity makes me wonder how you could trust anyone. These brides were travelling to an unknown future but you’ve also got to feel for children, like Logan’s daughter Abby, who were handed over and expected to accept a new mother without question.

With the audio version running at just over 3.5 hours, this book is quite short. Taking that into consideration there’s a good balance in terms of both story and character development. We get to understand both Rose and Logan’s motivations for seeking a spouse, and being privy to their internal thoughts/monologues helps with the plot progression. The part that felt most rushed to me was Abby’s acceptance of Rose.

What lets this audiobook down is the poor quality production. Often the sound echoes and in the latter stages there is even an intermittent buzzing that while very low, I found distracting. Further the editing makes some of the speech sound robotic and stilted at times. Evelyn Grace, who narrates the book has a pleasant voice to listen to but it’s let down by the overall production quality.

This book ticks the boxes if you’re after a concise, sweet historical romance. I think reading the book will offer a better experience when compared to the audio version.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of the author.

About the Author

 An avid horse lover and reader, Maxine Douglas loves spending time in the saddle, curled up with a good book, catching up with her oldest grand-daughter, or chasing her youngest grand-daughter around the house. Wisconsin natives and high school friends, Maxine and her husband now reside in Oklahoma, where she has rekindled her love for western heroes.

http://maxinedouglasauthor.blogspot.com.au/