Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Melinda and the Wild West



Melinda and the Wild West: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho, Book 1


Written by: Linda Weaver Clarke
Narrated by: Joanna Riley
Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:07-15-16
Publisher: Red Mountain Shadows Publishing


Let’s start with the story it was really hard for me to get into this audio, I am so sorry but I have to say the narrator really takes away from the story. I will get into that a little later on. The author does give you an interesting story with a bank robber, an attack from a bear along with a very sweet young girl who will steal your heart. There is a love triangle that pulls you in with lots of misunderstandings. Gilbert is a very sweet man who doesn’t want love, marriage or anything to do with romance. His one marriage was enough to last a lifetime. His daughter doesn’t see it this way she has fallen in love with her new teacher and wants her father to fall right along with her.

With an audio there is not very often that I rate below a 3, there is usually something that really pulls me in. I am very sad to say this is not the case with this narrator. When reading the normal part of the story that is out of character she exaggerates a lot and her voice is just too happy and perky, you can hear the smile in her voice even when things are going bad. With that said she does give emotion to her character voice very nicely but it just blends in too much with the rest of the narration it really takes away from it. I am sure she doesn’t talk this way in normal life and has a very pleasant voice. I felt like I was listening to a much younger book maybe a child’s book. If you listen closely at times her normal voice comes through which is pleasant. My feelings are that she should use it when she is not in character. I have listen to other samples of her earlier work and they work for me, she doesn’t have the exaggeration as she does in this one. She gives a very emotional listen from every part of the story that it gets mixed up with the emotions of the characters. Yes it is a clean wholesome story but it is an adult story that should be read like an adult. I really hate to say this but I had a really hard time getting through this audio. Her male character voices are close to others, her female’s one are nice. There is no background noise at all nor are there any volume changes. If any breaks were taken I could not tell. It is a very clean and clear audio. Ms. Riley I am so sorry to have to give this review on your performance but it just didn’t work for me nor did it pull me in and want me to listen. I fell so bad and am so sorry.

The story it’s self is clean and wholesome with values that teach children how to act, what is important and the author does a well written part on bullying. Gilbert’s daughter’s story will break your heart. All she wants is to be treated like everyone else but an adult turned other children against her. Melinda Does her best to draw the little girl in and works on changing how others treat her. The romance between Gilbert and Melinda is wishy washy with lots of misunderstandings. Melinda is a very push woman. If my children had a teacher like her I think I would have to tell her where she could get off. She is a strong woman who stands up for what she believes in. The plot is very good but at times I thought Melinda was a little too much and should step back and be a teacher which she is very good at. She does some bullying of her own. Gilbert is a gentleman but does call her out a time or two when she oversteps herself. I do feel that too much detail was given and more time should have been spent on the romance between them. I thought some things were left out where there was too much of other things.
All in all this was a nice clean wholesome romance with meaning and values.

Buy Links
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Amazon

Summary
A Semi-finalist for “Reviewers Choice Award”
Melinda Gamble wants to make a difference in the world. Without hesitation, she accepts a job as a schoolteacher in the small town of Paris, Idaho. She has many challenges such as trying to help a rebellious student, coming face-to-face with a notorious bank robber, a vicious grizzly bear, and finding herself in a terrible blizzard that leaves her clinging to her life. But it’s a rugged rancher who challenges Melinda with the one thing for which she was least prepared—love.

A romance for young adult and adults.

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