Narrated by Susan Duerden
When Beauty Tamed the Beast (WBTTB) was my first Eloisa James book – in print or audio – and although I think it would have received no higher than a B grade from me in print, Susan Duerden’s narration secured it as a strong A in audio format. It’s a charming and smartly written tale with one of the most unusual heroes of my experience and a heroine I really didn’t think I’d care for. In fact, I expected a rather mundane historical romance with the story spinning around a perfectly beautiful heroine.
Was I wrong. Granted – Linnet is a devastating beauty – one with a ruined reputation along with an incorrect assumption that she’s carrying the prince’s child. Her father and the Duke of Windebank agree to an arranged marriage between Linnet and the Duke’s reclusive son, Piers – a man who truly does not want to get married. Forget the overused hero type who says he’ll never get married. Piers really doesn’t have a desire to do so and his reasons are more understandable than all those other heroes lumped together in this category. A brilliant physician, he runs a hospital out of his castle in Wales and lives an interesting life to say the least.
Piers is rude and cantankerous. Add to that cynical, blunt, and … sexy, yes, a totally captivating fellow. The gorgeous Linnet doesn’t stand a chance with him until he discovers that she’s not afraid of him nor will she back down when they don’t see eye to eye. Of course, he can read her like a book. Duerden delivers his orneriness with such style that I often wanted to chuckle before hearing what I was sure would be a great rejoinder. Piers makes WBTTB the entertaining book it is and Duerden understands that fact well.
Not only can Susan Duerden perform male characters in a convincing lower range but she clearly distinguishes one from the other with accents, rhythm, stress, tone, and loudness. I was incredibly impressed with this aspect of her performance.
Equally, female roles are distinct. Linnet sounded a little high pitched at first but it worked – after all she is considered such a delicate beautiful flower. But my expectations for female narrators are high when it comes to female roles. I automatically expect for those roles to be clear one from the other and Duerden doesn’t disappoint in the slightest.
WBTTB was a 2012 Audie Award finalist for the romance category. In the past, I have been more critical than supportive of the Audie’s romance finalists. Non-romance books often take one of the romance finalist spots and a few of the same authors tend to be featured as finalists year after year. It almost appears to be a lazy way to do things. However, WBTTB’s status as a finalist made me sit up and take notice. Maybe the Audies are starting to treat romance seriously.
Lea Hensley
Narration: A
Book Content: A-
Steam Factor: For your burning ears only
Violence: Minimal
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Harper Audio
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I agree with the reviewers. The narrator makes all the difference!
Catherine – I have two more James/Duerden audios in my to-be-listened file. It’s been a while since my listen of WBTTB so I think it’s time to dive into another!