Love the Highlands' Lairds

This book was romantic, funny, adventurous, and unpredictable. It was a joy to listen to. I liked the first book "The Secret" but thought this second book was even better.

Gillian and Brodrick are definitely two opposites that attract. They are two strong willed people that have some very funny conversations. I absolutely loved one of the conversations after the marriage. I don't want to give anything away but after they marry and she gets mad and says "I was married on a horse" I couldn't breathe - I was laughing too hard!

The narrator did an excellent job. As with the first book there are some people who didn't like the narration but I thought it was great. She did each character with a different voice and that's not easy. Some people complained she whispered a lot. As far as I heard she only whispered when the book said "he/she whispered"

I'm glad I listened to this one.....I loved it!!

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34 people found this helpful

The ultimate page turner

Any additional comments?

Skillfully paced, multifaceted characters, gripping adventure, breathtaking setting, and stunning romance. Susan Duerden does a fantastic job narrating. As a British woman, she seems to have an innate knack for imitating the Scottish brogue.

I continually noticed Garwood’s skill in pacing. Never was there a dull moment. When one exciting thing ended, another was starting. After the 2.5 hour mark, I was having trouble pausing the audiobook - I was totally hooked. The descriptive writing made me feel like I was dropped into medieval Scotland, and the day after I finished the audiobook, I found myself wishing I could go back.

The characters were another strong point for me. The two leads, I’ve decided, are one of my favorite romance couples of all time. Gillian was a brave young woman with strong convictions. She never forgot the horrors she experienced as a young girl, and instead of becoming timid and weak (like her sister), she grew to be bold, fighting to rectify what was done to her and her family. Brodick is your typical alpha male - arrogant, rough-edged, possessive - but with a righteous nature. His character is well-suited to Gillian (she doesn’t need to be coddled, but at the same time she appreciates his protectiveness).

I thought it would be useful to discuss why I preferred Ransom to its predecessor (The Secret). Not to say I didn’t love The Secret and that it isn't worth buying, but The Secret was more strictly a love story, and much more light hearted. Ransom was a love story filled with adventure, danger, injustice, and harrowing journeys. There were kidnappings, deadly battles, family tragedy, cruel villains, assassination attempts, a brush with English royalty, and even a mysterious treasure. The historical detail (about both England and Scotland) was a fascinating touch. When comparing the two books, because The Secret was less of an emotional roller coaster. The love story between Brodick and Gillian was a tumultuous journey. The passion between them was edgier, rougher, and more demanding - which is a plus for me. Because of Gillian’s past and therefore her tough attitude, she seemed, to me, a bolder, more passionate lover than Judith from The Secret. Not to say Gillian is prickly and cold - she and Judith both exhibited emotional warmth and a need to nurture that was wonderfully feminine. Even though the content in Ransom was often dark, Garwood's trademark humor managed to seep in, too. So it really depends on what kind of love story you are drawn to, but if you like more of an action/adventure/suspense, then I think you’ll prefer Ransom’s tempestuous plot. Listen to them both though - Garwood is fantastic! One of my new favorite writers.

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15 people found this helpful

The Narrator RUINED a good book

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No, It was not time well spent I could barely listen to it because of the narrator's make over voices. The men sounded sick and like grumpy old men and the ladies sounded like little girls and what's the whispering all about.Poorly done..Miss Garwood should only use Rosalyn Landor or perhaps Anne Flosnik or other narrators of their caliber to read her wonderful books. Whoever is reading this review please compare two other books by JG "The Bride" and "Shadow Music" and you will see what I mean.

What other book might you compare Ransom to and why?

The only other book I listened to by Susan Duerden was The Lions Lady and that also was a good story but POORLY betrayed by the narrator. Two I highly recommend are:"The Bride" and "Shadow Music". Two of JG's best and extremely well read by Rosalyn Landor.

Would you be willing to try another one of Susan Duerden’s performances?

NEVER, I listened to two read by her and both were horrible.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

The story was great but the narrator did not do the characters justice.

Any additional comments?

Please Miss JG pay close attention to Whom you get to read your books..

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14 people found this helpful

Couldn't Put it Down

I would give this six stars if it were possible. After finishing The Secret, I had to get this book and then spent an entire day listening to it.

It is fantastic. Funny, entertaining, and well written, it was just plain enjoyable.

How could you not love a character who when told that his wife is so angry with him that she may never want to see him again answers 'Then she'll just have to keep her eyes closed because I'm taking her home with me'?

Garwood's characters in this series are that kind of characters, and the stories are well told without the excess sex that seems to prevalent in most historical romances.

This is a must read!

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13 people found this helpful

A HIGHLAND FLING WITH A STING, A KING & A WOOING

Well, if you want to be mentally transported by a gifted author to Medieval Scotland where you'll find some drool-worthy brooding hunky handsome Highlanders who are demanding yes but they're also brave, loyal and true when it comes to helping a damsel in distress - then look no further because this is your book.

This epic adventure captures your imagination from the very start and continues to do so as you picture all the amazing characters and then the plot throws in greed, kidnapping, deception, defiance, danger and couples it with romance, passion, tenderness, compassion and sacrifice. Add some very humorous dialogue and finally finish it all off with the talented narration of SD and you get this exciting romantic tale which will share with you the amusing romantic downfall of two Scottish Lairds as their hearts are forever captured.

Worth a credit? Well, for any historical romance lover it's a definite YES, YES and YES - yes to the credit, yes to the 16 hours of creative listening pleasure and yes to the overflowing storyline of yet another brilliant book by Ms Garwood.

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12 people found this helpful

Excellent Writing and Narration

I absolutely love Julie Garwood's characters and story telling. The women in this historical romance genre are always demure but strong. This book is similar and not as good as The Secret but still an amazing listen. Again I will comment on how much I love Susan Duerden's narration. Although it's a matter of personal taste as one reviewer didn't like her voices, I think they are absolutely amazing. She bring's Julie Garwood's words to life!

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8 people found this helpful

Love Those Lairds

Would you consider the audio edition of Ransom to be better than the print version?

Both are brilliant, if you can't sit down to read it, you can enjoy listening to it.

What other book might you compare Ransom to and why?

In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks

What does Susan Duerden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voices, I love her narration, some people don't, but I think she is fantastic.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I actually read the book in one sitting over a weekend. I really couldn't put it down.

Any additional comments?

I love this Highland Laird Series. It's quirky. The characters are fun & charming.
The dialogue between the Lairds, and there wives is brilliant.
The secondary characters are also lively and charming.
I love all of Julie Garwood's historicals, they are so worth the credits.

Enjoy!

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8 people found this helpful

Another Great Book in a Great Series by Ms Garwood

Any additional comments?

This book was a pleasure to read. It had all the characteristics I love in a book: romance, adventures into a new beginning, discovering a whole new life with new people and new everything! I love the author’s ability to take you to another time and place. It definitely keeps me occupied during my two hour commute (each way) to and from work.The narration was… well, you just have to get used to it. The story was too enjoyable to get stuck on the narration. Though Susan Duerden was alright with the female voices, the male voices were grating to my ears. All the men sound the same and the women almost child-like. Despite that, you’ll hardly notice it once you are well into the book and have gotten used to it.I read this book years ago and wanted to relive the story with the audiobook and I’m glad I bought it. I would recommend it to a friend or family. It is definitely worth a credit!

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7 people found this helpful

PART 2 =LOVE!!

Loved, loved, loved it! While the romance portion of the story is slow to start, the background information and plot development is well worth the wait.

I will say that I agree the phrase "you know what" spoken by the small child becomes grating, however, if you have children...this is true to life and I believe intentional on the authors part. The secondary romance between Ramsey and Brigid could have gone into a bit more detail for me. I feel that they had great potential as a side story. I loved Brodick in the first novel, and Ms. Garwood stays true to his character in Ransom.

Again in this novel, Susan Duerden's voice is an adjustment for some of the characters. It is not bad, just different. If you were able to enjoy the first novel, I feel her performance is better in this one. Again, if you can't get through the sample...don't BUY the book and then complain about the narration!

Worth a credit if you are a Garwood fan!

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7 people found this helpful

Horrid narration

The absolute worst narration I've ever tried to listen to. Read in breathy, overly dramatic, hammy monotone. What a terrible disservice to Garwood fans.

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6 people found this helpful