Just the Way You Are by Beverly Barton

Narrated by Karen White

In Just the Way You Are, Parr West has returned to the Alabama town he grew up in and he’s not happy about it. It’s not just because he has bad memories of his past but because he’s not looking forward to seeing his brother. His relationship with Bobby Joe hasn’t always been the best since the day his father died but Parr did his duty and became the man of the house, which Bobby Joe has always resented. Parr knows his duty, however. His mother wants him home to meet his brother’s fiancee, so home he shall go.

On the way to the hotel where the reception is being held, he sees a young woman crying in the corner. Something about her captivates him. Normally reserved, he steps out of the hotel and approaches her, offering her what comfort he can. As they talk, Parr discovers that she caught her fiancee cheating on her on the night of their engagement party. Parr is sympathetic but only because this woman didn’t deserve such treatment. The more she talks, the more Parr begins to feel something shifting inside of himself; he wants this woman – permanently. He may have just discovered what it means to be fall instantly in love.

They talk for a while, then make their way back to the hotel, Parr definitely feeling something like love and the woman equally as attracted. As they enter the halls leading into the ballroom area, a man approaches the woman (whom he now calls “Strawberry” because she won’t give him her name), and as they speak together, Parr begins to get a bad feeling. And when his mother approaches, with his brother in tow, and the woman starts crying at the sight of them, Parr’s bad feeling gets worse. The woman he’s been talking to, and whom he may have just fallen in love with, is his brother’s fiancee.

AARRGGHHHH! You know Hades from the Disney movie Hercules? I thought of him several times as I did a total rage flameout listening to this book. The writing tended to the flowery and overly dramatic and the plot wasn’t that great but my major issues had to do with the characters.

Usually interesting characters will make up for a deficiency in the writing but the characters here offered no redemption. None were likable but the hero and heroine were the worst. Mary Beth was weak and indecisive, changing her mind on every decision she made. She vowed a la Scarlett O’Hara style, that she wouldn’t go back to Bobby Joe after what he did because she deserved better. The next day, what did she do? Went right back to him. And the entire time she was engaged, she kept telling herself how much she didn’t want to be with Bobby Joe but never worked up the nerve to tell him and make it stick.

Parr was no better a character. He was just as indecisive but he didn’t suffer from that weakness as Mary Beth did. He made decisions for everyone else but himself. He wanted Mary Beth but didn’t go after because she was Bobby Joe’s girl. His mother told him to help Mary Beth reconcile with Bobby Joe because Bobby Joe needed her, so Parr frightens her back to her fiancee. Did he ask Mary Beth what she wanted? No. Did he stop and think it was none of his business to mess in his brother’s love life? No. He was the only one who knew the best way to handle a situation, so handle it he did.

As for the narration…

Ah, the wonderful, soothing tones of Karen White. If only I could sing odes to how wonderful a job she does, even with the worst thrown at her. She was the ONLY reason I finished it (aside from the fact I had agreed to review it). Oh, I truly felt sorry for her having to read Just the Way You Are. And I mean this; as the story progressed, I felt pity that Ms. White’s considerable talent was wasted on frustrating characters. White was able to pull quite a bit of emotion from the characters (much more so than was attributed to the characters), giving the book an added element of life. Mary Beth’s character had a soft and gentle voice that was right on with her character; I could hear her indecisiveness loud and clear. Her choice for Parr was well done as well; he didn’t have a exaggerated drawl but something deep enough to reflect his Alabama roots combined with his recent years in Tennessee. Considering the number of characters White had to portray, she excellently distinguished each.

Diana

Narration:  A

Book Content:  D

Steam Factor:  Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence:  None

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Tantor Audio

Just the Way You Are was provided to AudioGals by Tantor Audio for review.