Oz was my first introduction to author Lily Morton. She has quickly moved into my auto-buy list. Her characters have a depth to them that brings them alive. Her writing, sometimes lyrical in it’s description of her character’s worlds, and sometimes stark in in its simplicity, always evokes emotion.
Oz and Silas are perfect foils. Silas has a stability and earnestness that Oz doesn’t know he needs. And Oz has a deep loyalty and stalwart love that Silas craves. As the story unfolds, the two of them are drawn to each other like a moth to flame. Their first kiss is incendiary and sends them crashing, literally. Their story unfolds with laugh out loud and sweet awkward moments, and sometimes a little of both. This story has all my favorite tropes; rich boy, poor boy, country mouse, city mouse, opposites attract, combined with a cast of characters and scenery that make me want to visit Cornwall and find my own manor house.
Narrator Joel Leslie brings them to life with the lovely cadence of his voice. His accents are impeccable, and along with his tone, he is able to make each character sound different and distinct leaving no doubt as to who is speaking. His narration of the prose is clean and clear, and his dialogue carries near perfect inflection. There is no over the top emoting that often throws me out of the story with other narrators. And the way he brings the steamy scenes to life ought to be illegal. *fans self*
I don’t often review, and I don’t often give all 5 stars, it just seems over the top and insincere, but I can honestly say that I found no flaws in the story or narration. A truly enjoyable read. I expect I’ll be acquiring more books narrated by Joel Leslie. I already have everything published by Lily Morton. I wish she would write faster.