Sunday, November 21, 2010

Audiobook Review: Vision in White by Nora Roberts

The first book in the Bride Quartet—following the lives and loves of four friends who run Vows, a wedding-planning company. Wedding photographer Mackensie “Mac” Elliot is most at home behind the camera, but her focus is shattered moments before an important wedding rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be’s brother…an encounter that has them both seeing stars.

A stable, safe English teacher, Carter Maguire is definitely not Mac’s type. But a casual fling might be just what she needs to take her mind off bridezillas. Of course, casual flings can turn into something more when you least expect it. And Mac will have to turn to her three best friends—and business partners—to see her way to her own happy ending. (from noraroberts.com)

The book:

Weddings are not my thing. I mean, they're lovely and they always make me cry but when I got married, it was in a courthouse and I was happy with that. Thrilled, in fact, because planning anything on that scale gives me hives. For that reason, I had avoided this series.

Nora Roberts has written more than one trilogy where three friends end up working together to create a multi-faceted company, for example, the Key Trilogy. For what it's worth, Vision in White is a trademark Nora Roberts book filled with female solidarity among strong women and handsome men who are their perfect matches. There is humor along with a personal crisis for Mac that allows Carter to ride in on his white horse. The thing is, there's no adversity here, at least none that isn't in the form of bridezillas. In the trilogies, there is a goal, something that bonds everyone and brings them together. Even her annual standalone novel has a goal in it. True, these four women in the Bride Quartet are life-long friends who own a company together, but it didn't feel the same.

I liked this book, liked it enough to pick up book two, Bed of Roses, but maybe not enough to want to see the whole series through to the end. (She always saves the real ballbusters for the end and Parker seems to fit that to a T.) So far, it appears that each book will be similar enough to make me feel like I'm reading the same book four times over with different wallpaper in each.

The audiobook:

Emily Durante narrated Vision in White and even though I've not had much experience with audiobooks I felt that her performance was missing something though I can't put my finger on exactly what. Her voice was pleasant enough but I laughed out loud the first time I heard her voice for Carter. All the male voices, actually. The female voices, with the exception of Mac's mother, all sounded pretty much the same. It occurred to me several times while listening that I might have enjoyed Vision in White a bit better if I had actually read a hard copy. Listening to Vision in White was a pleasant enough distraction while driving or doing things around the house but I didn't really dig it.

2 comments:

Brahmin in Boston said...

Um, I am not that sure about audio books. They are sorta like movies - they break the illusions that you have created for a character.

I will stick to reading for a while lol!

But I COMPLETELY know what you mean about Nora's books. Have you read the Irish Trilogy? They are my fave. But if you read her series you will find them pretty much the same. Hence I take long... LONG breaks want to read another series of hers.

Jen said...

I felt the same way about audiobooks too and for some books it's true that the narrator's voice will clash with the impression you could have for a character you're already familiar with. But! I just finished listening to Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells on audiobook and was blown away! The same person is narrating Kindred in Death and Peabody and McNab sound so weird :)

I've read the first two in the Irish trilogy and liked them a lot. Maybe someday I'll get to the third one.