Narrated by Marguerite Gavin and Sean Pratt
Being a lover of motorcycle club romance books (MC Romance), I took note of the buzz when Nowhere but Here was first released in e-book format earlier this year. Fortunately, for us audiobook lovers, Blackstone has now released the audio version too!
What makes Nowhere but Here a little different from the more traditional MC Romances is that it is also geared towards the young adult/teenage (YA) audience. Now, I’m sure you’re saying, why would an adult want to read a YA book? Well, as it turns out, just because the story involves teenagers, and is written in a way to attract teenage readers/listeners, does not necessarily mean it would not also appeal to adults. In fact, some of the most popular and best known paranormal and dystopian romances of our time, including some of my personal favorites, are actually classified as YA. That list includes: Twilight, The Hunger Games and the Divergent series. But an MC Romance – which is typically characterized by dark romance themes – that is geared towards teenagers, now that I had to experience for myself to see if it could actually work.
Well, I’m glad I did listen to Nowhere but Here, as it presents an interesting, generally lighter, in terms of erotic and violent content, but nonetheless enjoyable spin to the typical MC Romance. Additionally, Ms. McGarry keeps the listener engaged with the complex, character development and self-identity defining YA appropriate spin to her MC Romance. Add in a good amount of suspense, concerning a tragic, family secret, plus a good narration by the Marguerite Gavin and Sean Pratt narrator team, and you have the recipe for a generally fulfilling, entertaining and romantic listen. The one area, where I will note that I had hoped for a little more is in the resolution of the conflict. It seemed like at the end, everything was resolved just a little too neatly and perfectly for a convincing result. Nonetheless, the journey to that result is worth a listen.
A yearly visit and an occasional call is all seventeen year-old Emily has ever experienced with her biological father, but she is perfectly fine not learning more. She has a wonderful stepfather, who dotes on her, lives in an affluent neighborhood and attends the best schools. The fact that her father chose his membership in the Reign of Terror Motorcycle Club over her and her mother, leaving her mother with no choice but to leave her hometown, pregnant with her and completely alone, is all she needs to know to confirm that her decision to stay away from her father is for the best.
When news of a death, however, leads Emily to visit her mother’s hometown, where her father lives, she slowly discovers two things: the life her father leads is certainly a dangerous one, and everything she had been led to believe to be true about her father’s past is not quite what it seems. She also never thought she would feel at home in the small town that is primarily inhabited and ruled by The Reign of Terror, much less meet a teen-aged boy named Oz, who is destined to become a Reign of Terror member, and who also makes her feel things she has never felt before.
As the news begins to spread of Emily’s presence in the small town, so does the danger to Emily’s safety. As a result, her father asks Oz to personally keep Emily safe, an assignment which could earn him the respect necessary to become the MC’s newest prospect. Although they come from two completely different walks of life, and it’s clear that they have very different life goals, Emily and Oz begin to bond over their extended periods of time together. Soon the chemistry becomes impossible to resist. Yet Oz knows that if he’s caught doing anything but protecting Emily, his dream of becoming a Reign of Terror member would no doubt die a premature death. Emily, in turn, knows that soon she must return to her own home which is a plane ride away, as well as leave for college. Could there possibly ever be a HEA for her and Oz given their completely diametrically opposed predestined paths?
Marguerite Gavin and Sean Pratt take turns narrating Nowhere but Here, with Ms. Gavin reading the chapters told from Emily’s perspective and Mr. Pratt doing those told from Oz’s. This approach generally works well with this story as it provides a clear demarcation between whose POV is being told.
Both Ms. Gavin and Mr. Pratt produce unique voices for Emily and Oz, so that each was easily distinguishable from the other. Generally, I found that Ms. Gavin has a slightly wider range in the intonations she was able to produce, thereby lending more variety to the cast. Additionally, Ms. Gavin was particularly adept at recreating the “teenage tone” that matched Emily’s character, especially at the beginning of the story, when Emily behaved more like a pampered princess.
Mr. Pratt, in turn, did render a convincing Southern accent, which was an essential trait for the Reign of Terror members of the cast that gave them a sense of authenticity. I was not, however, as convinced as to the youth of the characters he was portraying which is a critical component of a YA narration. Additionally, particularly as it relates to the female roles, discerning which female was speaking from Mr. Pratt’s dialogue, without relying on dialogue tags, was a little more difficult. However, as most of Mr. Pratt’s parts did not involve multiple females this really didn’t present much of an issue.
All in all, Nowhere but Here is an enjoyable listen that is likely to appeal to a wide audience. Perfect for both YA and adult romance audiences, as well as, a listener who may be looking for a lighter introduction to MC Romance.
BJ
Narration: Marguerite Gavin B/Sean Pratt B-
Book Content: B-
Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in (but extremely tame–in fact, the characters never even do the deed!)
Violence: Fighting/Domestic Violence (but very non-descriptive)
Genre: Young Adult/MC Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Nowhere but Here was provided to AudioGals for a review.
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