I Tried a Book Out of My Comfort Zone

Sometimes, reading out of my comfort zone is ... well, uncomfortable.

The blurb of the book sounded rather interesting.

The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb (Author), Kirsten Potter (Narrator), Blackstone Audio, Inc. (Publisher) It was an Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Grace Alban has spent 20 years away from her childhood home, the stately Alban House on the shores of Lake Superior - for reasons she would rather forget. But when her mother’s unexpected death brings Grace and her teenage daughter home, she finds more than just her own personal demons haunting the halls and passageways of Alban House. Long-buried family secrets, a packet of old love letters, and a lost manuscript plunge Grace into a decades-old mystery about a scandalous party at Alban House during which a world-famous author took his own life and Grace’s aunt disappeared without a trace. That night has been shrouded in secrecy by the powerful Alban family for all of these years, and Grace realizes her family secrets tangle and twist as darkly as the hidden passages of Alban House. Her mother was intending to tell the truth about that night to a reporter on the very day she died. Could it have been murder, or was she a victim of the supposed Alban curse? With the help of the disarmingly kind - and attractive - Reverend Matthew Parker, Grace must uncover the truth about her home and its curse before she and her daughter become the next victims.

One thing I can say - the writing was good. The atmosphere was at times, spooky, exciting, interesting and surprising.

I started to like the story until, I didn't.

I'm not a fan of witchcraft because it's inherently full of pitfalls, like pit, evil, negative, scary and rather depressing.

I looked at some reviews and I agreed with one of them. The mystery was solid, the clues were riviting and it's rather Gothic in nature. But, it really didn't need to be warped by the supernatural angle. The mystery could have stood on its own. I agree with that statement.

I enjoyed discovering that the old house didn't just have a couple of secret passageways, it was riddled with them. It was fascinating. Until I later discovered how effective they were for someone with ill intent.

Eventually, all the secrets are revealed, the villian is dead, and a family can finally look towards the future.

The Fate of Mercy Alban was 42 chapters of revelations, horrors, surprises, shocks and a rather tame romantic theme.

What left a very sour taste and left an unpleasant sensation in my brain, was the epilogue.

This is a spoiler so don't read any more if you intend to read the story.

*******

The evil pouring out of the book to seduce, warp and corrupt two innocent young girls, girls that up until that point were well-loved by their families, were kind of sweet, and shown to have genuine caring and sympathetic personalities, was a vile and sick way to end this book. I was not happy. I was actually disgusted. If that was supposed to hint at a sequel, I won't read it.

Especially after what I went through learning all about the actual fate of Mercy Alban.

If I had to pick anything from this story that was truly horrific and earned the moniker of a supernatural horror story, the epilogue condensed it in a nutshell. Right before the end of the last chapter, the heroine of the novel, Grace Alban, makes a remark that forshadows the epilogue.

Do you know what this kind of ending feels like?

The ending of the 1977's Empire of the Ants. Just when they thought they made it. After going through the guantlet, after fighting to survive against incredible, stacked-against-you odds, they failed. All of it was WORTHLESS! The evil ants WIN. A giant WASTE of my time!!! Why did I bother watching this???

You know, except for Star Wars, 1977 was a sucky year.

Why do I say that? 1977 also brought The Kingdom of the Spiders with William Shatner.

Guess what? EVERYONE DIES even after valiant attempts to survive. The spiders WIN! WHY do people call the end of civilization by creepy crawly means, entertainment?

Another giant WASTE of my time. Why did I bother watching this??? Oh, yeah. That's right. William Shatner. Ha.

Seriously though, The Fate of Mercy Alban gave me the same sensation once I finished the book.

I'm a reviewer. I'm supposed to not give spoilers. If I'm too negative or snarky, they can't use my review. But how can I express what drove me nuts without saying WHAT got my goat?

That means I write about the story on my blog. I don't get too many readers here anymore because I'm sporadic at best about posting blog posts. But this book upset me so much, it drove me to write this post. I had to put it here because no way could I do this in my 'official' capacity. It's a bit too opinionated, and it leaves a visitor with the impression that I ended up not liking this book.

They'd be right.

Realizing Mortality

 I'm getting old. Old enough to look a bit more on the past because there's more of it than a guaranteed future. 

Yes, many people, friends and relatives, have passed on. It's only natural. It might be 'natural, but that doesn't mean it comes without pain. 

Family members who were in their 80s and up, well, it's to be expected. If they were an intimate, integral part of your life, then there's deep feelings and emotional pain and loss. If not, feelings are muted. They're there, obviously, but not necessarily crippling. 

When you grow up, move away, get married, have kids, your family focus shifts closer. 

For those with distance between them, not having seen them for 20 or 30 years tends to minimize the loss, because you've basically been living without them affecting your daily life. There's sadness but the pain isn't as harsh because you've been distanced from them. There weren't fresh memories made; they haven't come by to give hugs or do anything tangible or physical to reinforce a closeness.  All you have are memories of what was. All you have is remote contact via Facetime, Facebook, letters, texts, Instagram or the old-fashioned phone call. It's not the same as a hug. It's not the same as when you experienced smells, sights, sounds, touch, music, laughter, hugs, tears and more hugs, person to person, face to face, together making new memories all the time. With COVID, being together is made almost impossible. Being together is an effort that is thwarted by local municipal and governmental overreach. It's made it easier to stay apart from each other, diminishing that sense of emotional connection. Isolation is a real thing. 

Recently, I realized a closer feeling of mortality when my friend of over 40 years died after a 5-year fight with tongue and throat cancer. It's an insidious disease and its toll is heartbreaking. Yet, due to modern medicine, she was able to stay on this earth to experience some wonderful times at her high school reunion and got to dance with someone she had the biggest crush on in high school.  She was able to spend more time with her kids and grandkids. Even though towards the end, she could no longer speak, the final good news of being presented proof that one more grandchild was on the way - something she worried would not happen while she lived - made her day. That big ultrasound picture caused a lot of jumping around, smiles and wild gesticulating that left no doubts as to how happy and joyous she felt at the news. 

I share the above paragraph because there's more and more of a push for doctor assisted suicide being made legal in the US. Some states have it already (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, to name a few)  and more on trying. Slippery slope folks. Or, if our  health care industry is socialized, we'll end up like England where they prevented a set of parents from taking their kids, Alfie Evans and the other, Charlie Gard, out of the country. The US and another country had the medical expertise and technology and the willingness to intervene in order to try to save their lives. Early intervention could have possibly given them a chance at a better quality of life once they were saved, if they could be saved. Certainly, they had a much better chance here than in their own country. England's courts deliberated and pondered and argued and decided that death was more beneficial, more humane for the children than life. Over there, parents no longer have the right to fight for the life of their children. The government and courts can take over decisions of life or death. I guarantee you more death than life will be the result if such a healthcare system is adopted here in the U.S. There are those that want to bring that authoritarian view of life and death over here to make us like everyone else. 

We were a country that valued life. We fought for life, its dignity and sovereignty because it is a gift from God, not man. 

Every time man plays god, he screws it up and the whole world suffers. However, when we pursued life, medical breakthroughs abounded, there were more inspiring stories of man helping their fellow man in times of crisis. Crisis will always be a part of the human condition, but instead of responding with a willingness to fight for life, doctor assisted suicide is the next step in the unwillingness to fight for life and instead, embrace practices that prefer the ease of death - it saves insurances money, it prevents a burden on our tax dollars ... money? It comes down to money?  Is that all there is between life and death of a human being, how much money is saved if a human is left to die, or hastened onto death?  When did THAT become more important than life? 

Are there times one wishes they could die? We're human, of course there is. Extreme pain, depression, sickness - my goodness, there are a ton of reasons why death seems preferable. My belief in God, the light, the way and giver of life, is my strength to give Him the ultimate authority over me. Easy? Heck no. I'm human. There are passages in Scripture, in the Bible, that provide a different way of looking at life's pain and sufferings. Think of the pain Jesus went through as they tortured him all the way until he died on the cross. He endured that pain for us, for a purpose - he sacrificed himself for our sins to be forgiven, to open the gates of Heaven back up to us that were closed. Jesus suffered pain and humiliation. For us. In that he also showed us how to look at pain and suffering differently. Instead of focusing inwards, on how much it hurts, we are encouraged to look outwards - to use the pain as an offering as he did. Offering it up for the souls in Purgatory, for the benefit of someone other than ourselves. Not to be a martyr, modern medicine exists for a reason, but to find the courage, strength and endurance to accept the human condition and let God work through you until he calls you Home. 

For some, the above paragraph will make absolutely no sense. I'm not writing this to change a mind, more to remind myself that I shouldn't be afraid of my mortality no matter how it ends. There is an end goal, and that's Heaven.  I'm reminded of that when I talk to my mom. I still have her on this earth but I can see time is taking its toll on her health. I still have my dad, but if doctor assisted suicide were already the law of the land, the focus on saving money over saving a life, the decision to fight for my dad's life when he had heart failure wouldn't have happened.  At one point, he was close to death. In another country, he would have been left to die. In THIS country, they fought for him to live and we've had the blessing of his being with us 3 more years and counting. There have been many celebrations, and laughter and yes, even lots of tears during that time, but I still have my dad. 

I prefer my mortality to be decided by God, not from man's governments, courts or companies and their propensity to look through the lens of monetary loss or gain. I'm more than that. I'm a child of God. Let my time be His decision, not a human’s.

 

 

 

 

Book Discovery: A Winter Wedding

This is a novel that was published in 2014 but I only recently discovered it. I guess it's a good thing because my reading it now is during a period of time when I'm less anomored of the books I've recenly tried to read and I was hoping for something to lift my spirits.

It's my observation that there is a lot more sex in stories than there needs to be. Perhaps that is why I liked this story by Amanda Forester so much - there was only enough to prove the burning passion between them. There is the temptation, a scene filled with a taste of the forbidden, then the final capitulation resulting in expressions of love and sealing their marriage commitment. The element that the author included, and for which made a favorable impression, was the heroine's turning to her faith during times of insecurity, confusion and seeking guidance. It's not heavy-handed at all. It reads as natural as a person thinking about anything else when being in a situation of unusual uncertainty and stress.

This is the blurb: This adventurous duke...has met his match The Duke of Marchford requires a suitable bride, but catching spies for the Foreign Office takes up most of his time. Not wanting to face another London season as an eligible man, he employs the notorious Madame X to find him a match.

Miss Penelope Rose knows the rules of marriage among members of the ton better than most. Her own unsuccessful attempts at matrimony did not stop her from becoming London's most exclusive matchmaker. Marchford proves to be a difficult client, but as he draws on her social expertise to help him flush out a dangerous traitor, they find that falling in love may be the riskiest adventure of all.

The weird part is that I didn't read the blurb. I just picked up the book and started reading. It wasn't the cover, the author or anything else that prompted me to try it out. The book was passed down from a friend, and since I trust her judgement and have always liked her reading choices in the past, I figured that there was a good shot I'd like it. I, in fact, adored it!

I enjoyed the strong female character, the stubborn hero, the hero's opinionated grandmother and a few other unnamed secondary characters that will remain anonymous because of their roles in the plot. A plot, I may add, that is solid, well-thought out and thoroughly entertaining and thrilling.

If readers of this blog post are romance readers, like a bit of romantic suspense, a story light on sex and heavy on seduction, titillating scenes, near misses and a satisfactory moment of completion, with some explosions, spies, daring-do and close call rescues, then this book should hit all the right buttons.

This might be a novel from 2014, but it's a great read for 2021 too!!

Enough With the Talking Toe Nails!!!

 

Warning - this is a gripe session - about television commercials.

First, I'm going to date myself by remembering fondly the commercials of my youth.   There were songs - Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Myer Weiner ...  Or Bologna   or Ho Ho Ho Green Giant

or, Libby, Libby Libby on the table, table, table, 

There were exclamations - Anthony!  Anthony! for Prince Spaghetti.

There was hunkalicous!  And romantic! (okay, yeah, I like Tom Selleck, but he gave good commercial!)

Nowadays, I DESPISE most of what I see.  

I am seriously squicked-out by talking open wounds or toe nails, or walking, talking boxes for mail-in poop samples, haunting, stalking digital stomachs, or any talking face dubbed onto a body part like a hand or finger. It doesn't amuse me - it annoys me. 

Don't even get me started on that stupid Bath Fitter commercial where the mom is taking a bubble bath behind the 'daughter spokesperson' and demands 'FRESH towels' while there is a stand of perfectly and artistically rolled towels next to the tub. ::rolls eyes::  (and no matter how hard I tried, I never could get bubbles that Tall and Thick! ) 

Then there are commercials with actors playing annoying problems like dandruff - I guess people think it's funny but I don't. 

But - give credit where credit is due - not all old commercials were palatable - take Slim Jim for example. That was simply freakish and scary.

This one about IT issues  is a toss up between insulting, annoying and WTH? 

You can change a channel to escape a show you don't like, but those commercials follow you everywhere!!!!

Then there are the commercials that think they're being funny but they insult our intelligence.  I've noticed that they believe they can subliminally pass off a suggestion onto viewers thinking they won't catch the subtle nuance endorsing a dubious societal quirk as normal, when it most definitely should not be and isn't. 

Short of sitting in a chair, watching television with my laptop open in preparation for catching a specific commercial when it airs, I'm writing this as a generality and from memory because I don't want to sit and waste more braincells watching a television show JUST for the commercials. All I'm doing  is sharing my opinions about the drivel commercials are plugging into their dialogue or visuals that endorse stupidity of the masses. What they 'think' of as funny, is actually stupidity, the unfunny kind.  The original Three Stooges was smart stupid-funny - they used clever quips and word puns and there was actually a devious intelligence behind a lot of their skits - Paris-sites, Baron of Gray Matter - funny.  Today's commercials can only dream about being clever funny.  Instead they make us out to be idiots.  

The propensity for flooding the airwaves with drug commercials is the stuff of nightmares.  Not the medicines themselves, but all the listed side-effects.  Seriously, some of them, like 'thoughts of suicide', death, heart problems, seizures, etc,, are oftentimes worse that what they're treating. Thing is, are they inundating us with commercials with the purpose of utilizing the masses as further research subjects?  Talk about cheap options for continued drug trials - get the people to willingly submit themselves as unpaid test subjects. That's how watching those drug commercials makes me feel. 

The most egregious are the commercials for movies.  No longer do I see actual hooks to grab a person's curiosity. No longer am I able to get an idea of what the movie is about.  Hardly ever do I see anything rated G or innocently cute, adorable yet intellectual.  What do I see?  Violence. Extreme violence using explosions, guns, physical aggression, anger, vindictiveness, rage, and more gun violence. That's it. That's practically all they show. It's laughable how high-on-their-horses politicians are about gun violence when Hollywood glamorizes and showcases it in a positive light. Need to solve a problem? Use violence. Retribution equals shooting someone. If you're angry, feel slighted or were wronged? Shoot them after beating the snot out of them.  THAT kind of commercial is a constant barrage on television, every danged day. Violence SELLS - movies, newspapers, news programs and television shows. They think guns are the problem? Where the heck do they think the idea STARTS??? It's fed multiple times a day during commercials.

There's more I can say. Perhaps I'll edit this blog post when I see something while I actually have my PC open. I can then provide more specific examples.

Seriously, though. Enough with the stalkeri-sh behavior of inanimate objects and body parts come to life in order to sell us stuff. It doesn't work for me. It turns me off and makes me want to tune out.

I prefer to listen to audiobooks. No stupid commercials. 

And, there is another reason I wanted to do this post now versus later. I saw that Blogger is not going to offer the option of the widget that alerts people who actually do follow this blog, even as sporadic as it is, to something I've posted so it's at least seen, by someone. Once that widget is shut down, it's over, I'll be posting for myself, I guess.  But then again, when I started blogging, I basically was.  Some things seem to come full circle, don't they? 

 

The Art of Wonder

 

I credit the Curio Collection at Jacquie  Lawson for the discovery of an ancient art form I had never heard of. 

I am having SO much fun, and creating them after a long day of work and data entry is calming and kind of therapeutic.  So, below are a few examples.  Enjoy.

The Mackenzie Books vs. Audio

Even though I've recently been made aware of the controversy about Audible's ill treatment of authors, I already had a subscription.  I hadn't used it in a bit so I had 3 credits in the bank, so to speak.  Of course I snapped up the next three books in the Mackenzie family: Lord Mac, Cameron and Hart, the Duke of Kilmorgan.  After listening to them back to back, I figured out something. 

Of course, other fans may not agree with my opinion but I'm going to say this anyway. The rest of the books in audio format are tedious. Why would I say that especially after I waxed poetic over Ian's story? 

Perhaps it was the narrator, but I don't think that's entirely true. To expound on the vocals of the men, for Ian's story, all the brothers were present and the narrator had to give them specific voices to clearly differentiate them.  I continue to believe she did a bang-up job.  However, the voice for Cam (The Many Sins of  Lord Cameron) didn't sound the same as in Ian's book.  Hart's voice (The Duke's Perfect Wife) was more in line to his personality, and remained strong and deep during Lord Mac's story in Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage, and Cam's in The Many Sins of Lord Cameron. I was pleased and relieved to hear Ian's voice remained true for all of them.  Overall, I give Ms. Dawe her due. Her skill with male voices is more impressive and effective than some male narrators attempting female voices. If it's not the narrator, that leaves the writing. 

What all three have in common is the telling. I'd read the books in print and I enjoyed them. Maybe it's been awhile, maybe my tastes have changed or I'm more aware, but whatever the reason, I found myself disappointed and a bit let down. When reading a novel, whether it be in print on paper or on an eReader, I can skip parts that I realize I don't need. For example, the excerpts of past newspaper clippings that start each chapter in Lady Isabella and Mac's story; they annoyed me. I couldn't jump past them in audio format. The sex scenes were also harder to skip in audio than in print.  Skipping means the story moved at a faster pace.  I think I must have skipped parts of scenes at some point when I was reading the print books. Even saying that, I have fond memories of the print books from the past. Unfortunately, I won't be saying the same for the audio versions. I thought them slow and bogged down with telling. 

The more I think on it, the more I believe that the narrator did the best she could with the material. There's a ton of introspection, internal dialogue and description. With Hart and Eleanor's romance, annoyance is the predominate feeling, especially at the end when Hart finally opened up about his dark desires. All that buildup and it fizzles. The loud thought in my head at that point - "That's it?  That's all there is? That is considered the dark secret that he couldn't tell the heroine through the entire novel?"  There is more eroticism in the descriptions of Mac's paintings of Isabella than the climactic scene with Hart and Eleanor.  

There are highlights though. Like when the author wrote scenes with drama, suspense and action - they were well done and gripped my emotions. Those scenes woke me up, made me pay attention and ensured I was 100% engaged. I wanted more of that level of intensity and involvement but it wasn't there. Ms. Ashely has the talent to get the job done, but it didn't translate well to audio.  That was a revelation to me, you know.  It made me realize that not all books are strong enough to transition into audio format. There's a needed balance between narration and action, less introspection and more doing and dialogue to be successful in audio, and nothing made that more clear to me as when I listened to the three Mackenzie romances. 

I don't regret listening to them. I wanted all the brothers to have their HEAs, especially when it's finally revealed just how vile and mean their father truly was. How they came to be men of honor, protective and passionate, is all due to Hart's influence. There is still much to recommend in reading all the Mackenzie brother's romance stories, but if you can borrow them from your library's audio files, then that's the way to go instead of buying them outright. Take them for a spin and see if they're worth buying and keeping. 

What redeems them is Ian. Ms. Ashley created a character that is endearing, wonderful and engaging. I'm of the opinion that Ian is the glue that holds everything together.  It's not a wonder then, why, even though I don't find the other audiobooks to be on the same wow level, that I am still glad I bought and listened to the books. As I "watch" Beth and Ian continue their HEA as life goes on during the series, I continue to be grateful to the author for creating them in the first place. 

So, there you have it. Not all print books are strong enough to transition into audio format. Even a great narrator can't change that. 

Anecdotal - Vitamin D

 

I'm writing this post to add to the many anecdotes about Vitamin D. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)  is a real thing.  I had a horrible time with it a few years ago and when I was tested for Vitamin D deficiency, it was found to be extremely low. I was immediately given a prescription for 50,000 IU.  It seems living in the Northeast means I'm prone to SAD. 

Here's the anecdotal part of my story. 

I've known this co-worker for three years. In all that time, especially during tax time, he's been full of vigor and could work long hours without lagging. He has a brain for math, order and detail. 

This year something changed. We had a conversation once he dropped off his current project. "I don't know what is wrong with me. I have no energy. I can't focus. I'm going to bed at 7:30 PM because I just can't keep my eyes open.  This has never happened to me before!"

I could tell he was puzzled, frustrated and angry with himself. I asked him a few more questions then offered my experience with the effects of Vitamin D on my health. I told him I believed in it, that it's made a difference for me, especially in the winter months, and that I now take it weekly from November to March. I also said that Vitamin D is cheap enough and the worse that could happen is ... nothing. Your body needs that vitamin anyway and if it's not a Vitamin D deficiency, then there would be no change. I said, "It's a simple thing to try." He agreed.

Fast forward a week later. He came into my office and right away I noticed a different demeaner. His first words, "I want to thank you for your suggestion about Vitamin D. It's the only thing I changed and I can't believe the difference it's made. It's like night and day!"

I was so pleased I was able to make a difference, that I could help. 

"I even told my wife about how good I was feeling and now she's taking it too.  So, I just wanted to thank you for the advice. I still can't believe the change. It's amazing!"

So, there you go. More proof that it works; taking Vitamin D can make a difference in your mood, concentration and energy levels.  

Just like anything a person takes, more isn't always better. Too much Vitamin D can be harmful. But if you take an extra 1,000 IUs and you notice a change for the better, then you know you're on the right track.  Seeing your doctor is a prudent thing to do, just like I did. Sometimes, the level is SO low, you need a prescribed super boost to get you where you should be. 

If you experience low levels of energy and concentration, it's worth checking out your Vitamin D levels. You might be surprised at what you find out.

Ian Mackenzie Ear Swoon Report

I am still aglow.
I am sad that it's over.
I continue with the adoration of the novel, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (you know, the one written by Jennifer Ashley).
My ears have now joined my eyes and brain as fans of Ian and if ears could swoon, mine would have.

It's all thanks to the incredible talents of narrator, Angela Dawe

I finally listened to the audiobook of Ian's story and through the stellar talent of Ms. Dawe, she brought  Ms. Ashley's Lord Ian Mackenzie to vivid life. That means I fell in 'love' with Ian all over again.

The strong point of Ms. Dawe's narration is her incredible talent with voices. She may have a melodious and sweet voice for her female characters, in this case Beth, the heroine, but her staggering ability with vocal ranges for male characters is truly a gift. That dark, strong and forceful voice she used for Ian's brother, Hart, caused trepidation and shivers - Ms. Dawe made him sound commanding and definitely 'Duke-ish'.

The Scottish accents, and I think Beth's maid might have been Irish, and of course the English accents, were integral in character differentiation. Every single character's voice was unique, which translated to bringing out their personalities if full flavor. The narrator provided a rich listening experience that is top-notch. I always thought Ms. Ashley's writing was awesome and Ian's story must be a shining jewel in her long career. It's well earned. Ms. Dawe had superb material to work with and her talent raised it that much higher in my esteem.

Do you realize that I started listening to it just this past Friday? I finished it at 2 a.m. Sunday morning! I listened to the novel in my car, at work, practically any moment where I had 30-45 minutes of straight listening time. When everyone went to bed, I shut of that blasted television and closed my eyes to sink into the romance story between Ian and Beth. It was sublime.

Here's one thing I DID forget - how sensual, titillating and passionate those 'open bedroom door' scenes were. I don't remember there being so many but I could not stop listening, or skip past those scenes. Why? Because Ms. Ashley is a clever writer. She incorporated critical increments of forward momentum of Beth and Ian's romance. The words, internal dialogue and emotional expressions were woven in so tightly, I had no choice but to listen and blush. Beth's calling herself a 'wicked, wicked woman' and Ian's focus to detail on what he wants to do with and to her, plus the descriptions used to paint a picture for a reader of Ian's pleasure with her body, caused me no end of heated cheeks. Listening to those words directly into my ears left me in no doubt about Ian's passion for Beth or hers for him. Ms. Dawe's narration wouldn't allow doubts.

Here's another thing that the narrator did - she captured the moment when Ian looked directly at Beth. Readers and fans of the novel know exactly why those moments were so powerful and emotional. Ian didn't make eye contact, hardly ever. When he did, it had meaning; a depth of meaning that is profound. Ms. Dawe captured that moment even through the audio venue. I was quite pleased.

I don't yet know if Ms. Dawe has narrated other romance stories of the Mackenzie family, and if not I hesitate to listen to them. Mostly because the quality of the narration by Ms. Dawe set a very high bar of expectation and I don't want to experience a let-down. My ears have, for lack of a better term, an audio glow; a pleasant listening memory I prefer not to diminish in any way.

Yes, indeed, if ears could swoon, mine would have. If anyone were to ask me if buying this audio version of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie would be worth it, I wouldn't hesitate to say YES! Yes, yes yes. I was happy reading the book 10 years ago and I'm even more thrilled from listening to it today.

A huge THANK YOU to Jennifer Ashley for writing a romance that has held solid all these years, and to Ms. Dawe for creating audio magic and bringing Ian and Beth's romance to vivid life. Their happily ever after is all the sweeter for it.