I borrowed the audiobook and the kindle edition so I could switch between listening and reading.
The story was bogged down by minutiae of the period (late 17th century) by the author – who wrote it 1869. I usually like details, however they overwhelm the story and some of said details are really extraneous and betimes irritating. It was written from the hero’s point of view and is true to the way women were looked at as inferior, unstable beings who wouldn’t last a fortnight without a man’s strong hand. I had to constantly keep in mind this manuscript was written during the Victorian Era by a man. I gritted my teeth through the simpering dialogue between the hero and heroine, and the hero’s dialogue with the other female characters of the story.
The basic story in and of itself was good. The depiction of the drama was lacking, no suspense or true angst. I couldn’t connect with the characters most especially the hero telling the story and the trembling, lacklustre heroine.
The male narrator’s voice was not pleasant although he did do a good job switching between the different characters dialects.