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  • The Headmistress

  • Written by: Milena McKay
  • Narrated by: Abby Craden
  • Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (43 ratings)

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The Headmistress

Written by: Milena McKay
Narrated by: Abby Craden
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Publisher's Summary

Lambda Literary 2022 Lesbian Romance winner 

Golden Crown Literary Society 2022 winner in the following categories: 

  • Romantic Blend 
  • Ann Bannon Popular Choice 
  • Tee Corinne Cover Design (Em Schreiber, cover designer) 

A chance encounter. An unforgettable night.

And back home, trouble is brewing on the remote island of Three Dragons, where nothing feels like it used to. Alone and lonely, Sam Threadneedle wishes upon a star, hoping for change. But when said change comes, it's with a roar and not a whimper.

Torn between loyalty and lust, Sam is forced to reevaluate everything.

Can she and the Home of Dragons withstand the storm that is Magdalene Nox, or will any and all crumble?

Not everything is as it seems, and as she slowly unravels the mysteries behind the centuries-old walls, Sam realizes that home is much more than oak and stone.

Contains mature themes.

©2021 Milena McKay (P)2022 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ2S+

What listeners say about The Headmistress

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A must listen, wonderful performance and story

Performance: 4.99 ⭐️
Story: 4.5 ⭐️

I was shocked at first hearing Magdalene’s voice (I wasn’t a fan, waaaay too raspy) but I gave it another chance and fell in love! The narrator found her groove as the book went on. Her voice brings the story to life.

As for the story, there were a few moments that I cringed at but besides that, the novel is entertaining, thrilling, and beautifully written.

If you’re on the fence, definitely make the jump. Do not skip this audiobook!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Nice!

For a sapphic romance novel, this was great! The story held my attention, characters were well developed and relatable, and the narration was stellar, dare I say....hot.... Worth the time spent listening!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

This audiobook was phenomenal. Abby Craden, as always, is the queen of Sapphic narration with perfect voices, inflection, emotion, all of it! I always know when I’m picking an audiobook that it’s a winner if Abby read it (even if the book sucks, I’d pay just to listen to her voice for 8+ hours…Can I get an amen, ladies?? Has anyone else listened to her 6 minutes of the phonebook narration?!)

The story itself was fantastic! The characters were well-developed and all very likable. I loved the not-so-icy ice queen and the sweet, geeky math nerd! The romance was well-paced and steamy as hell (queue sizzling sound effects), with plenty of tension and plenty of gratification, but also very solid emotional development, and a satisfying conclusion.

I knew there was also a mystery genre tag on this book, but I didn’t honestly know what to expect going into it. I was pleasantly surprised by the mysterious side arc that kept me guessing and coincided neatly with the main romantic plot to heighten the tension and suspense throughout, and ultimately result in a twisty and unexpected ending!

The writing style was superb – elegant and unblemished. This is my first book by McKay and will certainly not be my last! It’s high praise from me that, despite being written from a single perspective, I didn’t feel that I missed the other MCs perspective as I often do; a feat achieved through beautiful descriptions of body language and facial expressions along with well-written dialogue and banter.

A solid 5 stars for me. 110% recommend the audio version - this is one of those instances where the story’s greatness is absolutely amplified by phenomenal narration!

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  • Mac
  • 2022-07-18

Milena does it again!

Milena McKay’s writing is superb. Combine that with Abby’s performance and you have a great book. I had already read the ebook but I enjoyed the audiobook just as much if not more.

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I'll be re-listening this one many times

Great storyline, relatable character, good mix of funny and serious. I'll have to check out other books by McKay now. The narration puts a bow on top of everything, Abby Craden can read the phonebook and make it sound interesting.

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great

most excellent, loved the story and Abby Craden brought it to life. Now have to go listen to Milena's other book 😍👍👍💥

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Enthralling

A sleepless night though I could not stop listening.
Holy Shit Abby Craden!
Holy Shit Milena McKay!
Finally Holy Fucking Hell Magdalene Fucking Nox!

I dragged my feet with the purchase of this audiobook, convinced that I was making a mistake.
Jesus was I wrong! The Headmistress was nothing that I expected yet absolutely everything I needed.

I am still processing what I could possibly say to give this book, author and narrator justice.
I just want to push past my exhaustion and listen to this audiobook immediately. To become lost again within their story and the of voice of Magdalene Fucking Nox!

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  • Jude
  • 2022-02-24

Perfection

That exhilarating feeling I felt last summer when I first read The Headmistress? It came back tenfold with the audiobook. First, there was the anticipation. When the author announced that Abby Craden would be narrating, the impatience went through the roof. Who better than Abby Craden to voice MFN? For the nerd that I can’t help being, the fact that it was released on 2.22.22 simply added to the perfection that I knew this would be.

I don’t have time to reread favourite books anymore, now that there are so many to choose from. Audiobooks are my excuse. Knowing what was going to happen in the story (interestingly, I hadn’t forgotten that much) allowed me to focus on the words, on the details, the little things that make McKay’s writing work so well for me, afforded me the luxury to delight in clues I’d missed the first time, appreciate the whole name thing too that she explained on her blog, revel in Lily’s sassiness, Sam’s earnestness and less in-your-face hotness, and, obviously, the overall wonder that is Magdalene Nox. While I was extremely impatient to hear Craden voice Magdalene – and damn, the level of sexiness… –, I love absolutely all her voices, Sam’s and Lily’s in particular.

The Headmistress was my favourite book in 2021. Abby Craden is, well, Abby Craden. And yet, even though I knew this combo would be magnificent, it exceeded my expectations. If, after listening, you’re not ready to let go of Sam and Magdalene and you haven’t read it yet, grab the follow-up short story The Proposal. And keep your eyes peeled on February 26th for a Willoughby-related surprise.

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15 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2022-04-13

captivating

I'll admit, the first time around, I did not like this book. Once I realized and got to know the character's struggles, I listened to it again, and I love it! Ice queen and all!

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9 people found this helpful

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  • Quiet Painter
  • 2022-02-24

WOW!!! Remarkable story.

Oh my, what a ride. A bit of everything put together to make a wonderful, well thought out and captivating story. The MC's chemistry was apparent through out the entire book. Ms.McKay, you my dear can weave a story. I won't even hint at the threads you spun, suffice it to say it became a coat of many colours. The hint of malice that lurked behind the scenes and the manner in which the MC's recognized and over come the obstacles and prejudices were so craftily done. Loved the sex scenes...fanning myself here.
Abby Craden. There, enough said. Did I mention narration by Abby Craden. The puurrrfect voice. Sexy, sultry, oozingly sensuous.
Will listen to this book again, like tomorrow.

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  • MissLynn
  • 2022-03-08

Absolutely terrific!

Oh, MeelEEna MkEYE.... (those of you that have listened to this have now learned how to properly pronounce her name!) I loved this book when I first read it and I absolutely loved it all over again on audio.
For those few books that haven't yet experienced this story yet, it needs to go at the very top of your to-read/to listen list. Go do that already and then come back.
If you love Abby Craden's voice and narration skills, you are in for such a treat!
I first experienced Milena's work with her debut, The Delicate Things We Make, and was so excited by her talent! The book was very well written, smart and had such a strong story that I had a feeling this new writer was going places. And then she released this one and skyrocketed herself into the must-read author category.
The Headmistress is amazing. It's an age gap, ice queen romance with a bit of a mystery in the mix. When I say ice queen, I'm talking about one that the great Lee Winter herself would be proud of. After a mind-blowingly hot sexual encounter with a woman at an education conference in the Big Apple, Sam Threadneedle returns home to finish out the school year at the remote island where she teaches at an all-girls private school. Just a few short months later, she is stunned when the school's board of trustees brings in a new headmistress to save the school from ruin and she is none other than the strikingly gorgeous woman she hasn't been able to get out of her head since.
Magdalene Nox blows in like a storm and Sam and everyone else at the school is terrified by the changes that lie ahead. Sam is trying to reconcile that this woman who is going to decimate her beloved school is the same one she shared such a passionate night with. And it's not easy. Nox has a reputation for "squeezing institutions dry" with the changes she institutes and nobody but nobody wants her there beyond the board who is responsible for leading the institution to the brink.
This is a premise ripe for drama and romance and it delivers in a big way. Magdalene and Sam are fabulous characters and watching this whole story play out is something of a dance. An exciting, mysterious, delicious one. There are also memorable and well fleshed out secondary characters and a cat that is impossible not to fall in love with. And the sex? Good lord, folks, it's hot.
I'll be honest and say when I first heard Abby's Magdalene voice I wasn't so sure about her choice. I loved the lower register, but it was so low that it seemed to impede her ability to emote. And we know Abby can do that like nobody's business. But as the story progressed, her tone changed. Yes, it was still in a lower register, but as Magdalene started to open herself up, the way she spoke changed. And then I realized that it was probably a conscious choice on Abby's (and maybe Milena's) part to do that. Genius, really. Sam's was terrific as were the secondary characters, including the teenagers that played a significant role.
There were moments that were so well done I actually screamed out loud! There was one particularly sexy scene where I had to stop afterwards and gather myself after nearly sliding under the dashboard of my car! I mean, good lord. But it wasn't just in that regard that Abby excelled. There were these incredibly emotional scenes where Abby used her acting skills to their full potential. I can count on one hand the number of voice actors that can pull those off the way she can.
I stretched this one out as long as I could and am genuinely sad it's over. This will certainly go on my "revisit this again and again" list!

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  • Amanda Franklin
  • 2022-05-13

WHAT A BOOK

The first thing that comes to mind when I listened to this book is Holy crap I LOVE Headmistress Knox's voice.
I could listen to her all day.
This book captured my attention right from the start. All through the book it kept you guessing on who was behind what was happening to Sam. I LOVED the twist and turns.
This book has everything from Sex, Friendship, Love, Intriguing characters, mystery, suspense and much more.
Abby Craden is Absolutely the best narrator that you could have for this book. The voice of Headmistress Knox is OMG makes you melt the deep husky tones suits her to a tee.

I recommend this book 100%
if you'd like to just sit back and go for an amazing ride with mystery and suspense this is the book for you.

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  • BFAV
  • 2022-03-19

Enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this novel. It was a bit of a different theme than most. The narration is great. I stuck right with the story and finished in 1 1/2 days.

The only thing I didn’t like was how ‘sappy’ the romance dialogue got in the end.

Definitely worth a credit.

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  • Jamie
  • 2022-02-24

It has Everything.

This beautiful story has romance, mystery, LGBTQIA representation and heart throughout. Milena McKay weaves a story that draws you in with such exquisite words and descriptions. It’s easy to visualize the scenes she creates so effortlessly and to be fully invested in the characters. She is an excellent story teller. The narration by Abbey Craden is flawless, sensual, and pure fire. These two make a perfect team. My only regret is that I finished the beautiful journey too soon! LOVE!

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  • Donna Coakley
  • 2022-11-02

I'm the exception. I hated it.

First book I couldn't finish. Narrator whispered the main character and loud on others. I was constantly turning the volume way up or down which was super annoying. I gave it 6 hours and I just couldn't care about a single character. The plot didn't grab me either. I'm not even done with this review and I don't remember enough to wonder about the ending.

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  • Constance
  • 2022-03-17

great story excellent narration

The Headmistress was one of my fave books in the last year...then I was compelled to listen to it when I heard Abby Crayden would narrate. Milena McKay has a bright future ahead..she is so talented! What a treat!

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  • Dani
  • 2022-03-17

Good book!

Definitely give it a listen! It was very good! Did not disappoint! One of my favorite narrators and she did great on this book also.

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