Sinful Confessions

Cynfell Brothers Book 1

By: Samantha Holt

Narrated by: Wendy Anne Darling

Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Locked behind the walls of Lockwood Manor, Julian Cynfell, the Marquess of Lockwood, whiles away his days writing angry letters, drinking and sleeping. He never expects his solitude to be interrupted by a brazen American heiress.

An American heiress who is expecting a wedding.

Viola Thompson can't believe her luck when the English lord she has been corresponding with for the better part of a year asks her to visit him. This has to mean an offer of marriage, surely? Finally, Viola will prove to her family and friends that she is more than a ruined woman with no prospects. Not to mention she knows they will be a love match. No one could write such beautiful letters without being the perfect man.

But when she arrives in cold, dreary England to be faced by a foul-tempered, grizzled - albeit in a handsome way - marquess, her dreams of marriage are quickly dashed. Can she draw the lord out of his melancholy ways? And does she even want to remain in England while rumors of three dead wives circulate around Lockwood?

©2015 Samantha Holt (P)2015 Samantha Holt

Quick read

I really liked the story line. I wish it had been a bit longer…perhaps an introduction of Julian’s brothers. I didn’t like the narrator’s voice for Viola, it left a lot to be desired. The voice used for Viola made her sound like an older, country bumpkin of a woman. There was no femininity in it at all. If the narrator was trying for an American accent, she failed miserably. I enjoyed the story less because of it.

Abrupt ending

The narrator was not the worst but she was not the greatest. Her style was very singsong. The dialogue was not spoken a natural, conversational style. I expected the story to have more to it. I was actually surprised when it ended. There was no mystery to the wives dying, no resolution of the mother-in-law relationship, no real depth to the plot.

Not bad....

This was my 1st experience with a Samantha Holt book. I appreciated the plot and found the Hero and Heroine to be quite likeable. But there was So much that could have been developed. I felt like the length of it was a copout as there was so much to be built on that would have upped the drama, the tension, the emotional strife and eventual growth. The potential for a truly good story went unrealized. What there was was good enough but far from what it could have been. I cannot imagine bothering with another book in this series except perhaps out of curiosity to see if Ms. Holt has learned to bring the possibilities she creates to life. To have all the ingredients in the bowl but forget to stir is sad.

NARRATOR : Wendy Anne Darling is not the most talented of performers. Her grasp of accents is extremely lacking . The delivery is somewhat flat and is too slow,When I sped the playback up to 1.25 speed it improved but 1.50 was too fast. I would say that she too has potential however. Her voice is Comfortable in its timbre and the overall quality of her narration lacks all the mouthy breathy sounds that make me turn off the book and make a note to avoid in future.

CREDITWORTY? #1 this books cost was less than that of a credit. so NO , not creditworthy.

HEAT FACTOR: for the first time I am stumped to Say .... There was sex and it was more slightly racy than steamy. But it may have been my overall boredom with the lack of potential achieved that led me to feel the same way about the lovemaking which came late in the story.