Wait for Me by Elisabeth Naughton

Narrated by Erin Bennett

Imagine finding out that everything you believe to be true in your life is false. Even worse, your longest term memory is just eighteen short months old due to a rare form of amnesia. In Wait for Me, these are the horrific circumstances that Kate Alexander finds herself in when, shortly after her husband dies in an airplane crash, she uncovers all sorts of secrets and conflicting information in his files. Desperate to discover who she really is, and who the mysterious girl in the photograph is who shares Kate’s unique green eyes, Kate goes on a mission that changes the course of her life forever.

It is no surprise that this book was a Goodreads’ Romantic Suspense Finalist in 2012 after it was first released in print. The story was fantastic with lots of plot twists and mystery elements to constantly keep you guessing and on your toes. The underlying romance and personal drama of the families who have borne the upheaval of the underlying events that form the basis for these unique circumstances, will also tear your heart apart as you watch their struggles to come to terms with the truth that their cruel fate has dealt them.

Just as shocking as Kate’s experience is, Ryan Harrison’s is perhaps even more traumatic. After believing that he lost his cherished wife in a plane crash five years ago, and spending the time since burying himself in his work and raising their young daughter, he is equally shocked when a woman who remembers nothing about him or his family, shows up claiming she might be his long lost wife. As a rich successful CEO, he is a prime target for an impostor. Moreover, his heart, which he thought would never feel again, is still reeling from the utter devastation of her loss.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, imagine the frustration that would accompany being reunited with your long lost love, only to discover that she doesn’t remember you? Feelings are at an all time high in this incredible story. Adding further depth are some dynamic, secondary characters who add their own spin to this already complex story, including the daughter who now is old enough to have her own feelings and take on the situation, Kate’s brother Mitch who also happens to be Ryan’s best friend, and Kate’s friend Simone who is the lawyer who is helping her piece it all together.

But Kate was never meant to discover the truth, and there are forces still in play that mean to ensure that she is dealt with once and for all. Can there possibly be a second chance at love when danger lurks ever near? Additionally, what happens when one half of the couple doesn’t remember? Is it a given that a person only has one true love?

As much as I loved this story, and while I was able to from time to time allow the narration to blend into the background, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out some rather significant flaws in the audio version.

One of the first traits that I look for in a good audiobook, is believable, genuine female and male characterizations. Unfortunately, while Erin Bennett did a relatively good job with the female roles, I had difficulty telling apart the men from the women. In that regard, while she did produce a slightly different and deeper intonation for the males, it was still significantly high enough to bear a feminine tone, thereby from time to time, leading to my confusion as to who was speaking in the dialogue.

Additionally, I had trouble distinguishing Kate from her friend Simone and Ryan from Kate’s Brother, Mitch. Try though I might, I just never was able to settle in and grasp on to any significant differences when comparing these characters. As each held a relatively significant role in the book, it made it difficult for me to follow at times.

Last, but definitely not least, the narration sounded rather breathy at times. As I’ve noted in prior reviews, this is one of my huge pet peeves. In Ms. Bennett’s case, while this was not a consistent issue, there were definitely parts throughout where I could audibly hear her gasp for breaths in between long passages. Unfortunately, this is an effect that pulls me out of the story nearly every time when I hear it.

All in all, I highly enjoyed the romance and twisty suspense-filled plot of Wait for Me. With a style somewhat reminiscent of Sandra Brown, I highly enjoyed Ms. Naughton’s writing. In that regard, while this was my first book by Ms. Naughton, I definitely plan to seek out more of her works in the future. The narration, on the other hand, was not what I was expecting. While I generally enjoyed Ms. Bennett’s voice, and think she would make a good narrator for a non-fiction piece or a reporter style read, I just didn’t feel that her rendition allowed me to sit back and enjoy an enactment of the scenes playing out in the audiobook.

BJ

Narration:  D

Book Content:  A-

Steam Factor:  For your burning ears only (but very tame)

Violence:  Domestic Violence

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Audible, Inc.

Wait for Me was provided to AudioGals by Audible, Inc. for review.