Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Unlocked  By  cover art

Unlocked

By: Courtney Milan
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.95

Buy for $14.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

From New York Times best-selling author Courtney Milan....

A perpetual wallflower destined for spinsterhood, Lady Elaine Warren is resigned to her position in society. So when Evan Carlton, the powerful, popular Earl of Westfeld, singles her out upon his return to England, she knows what it means. Her former tormenter is up to his old tricks, and she's his intended victim. This time, though, the earl is going to discover that wallflowers can fight back.

Evan has come to regret his cruel, callow past. At first, he only wants to make up for past wrongs. But when Elaine throws his initial apology in his face, he finds himself wanting more. And this time, what torments him might be love....

©2011 Courtney Milan (P)2011 Courtney Milan

What listeners say about Unlocked

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    200
  • 4 Stars
    184
  • 3 Stars
    61
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    15
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    241
  • 4 Stars
    125
  • 3 Stars
    45
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    179
  • 4 Stars
    161
  • 3 Stars
    61
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    14

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • KB
  • 01-21-12

Great short story

Where does Unlocked rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

I wish this book were longer, I really enjoyed it. The flow was nice and the writing superb.

Have you listened to any of Simon Prebble???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love Simon Prebbles voice! I've listened to other books by him and have always enjoyed them. Even when he does female voices I believe it. The men's voices and inflection's are excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

ANOTHER SHORT BUT OH SO SWEET NOVELLA

If you're into Historical/Romance then you can't get much better than the partnership of Courtney Milan and Simon Prebble.

Another short novella that will have you empathising with both the leading male and female characters because from their first meeting in their teens the attraction was there but then it went badly from then on when Evan tormented and bullied Elaine to cover up his true feelings, but years later can he make amends and will she ever forgive him. What an emotional roller coaster of feelings and desires - it was yummy.

Worth a credit? It's on sale at the moment so I would suggest you buy it while it's cheap.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Terrible book and narration..


OK, this was one weak heroine. For ten years Elaine dwelt on how horribly Westfeld made fun of her and she was always trying to disappear into the crowds at balls and such. It was ridiculous. She never got a backbone so how this got so many 5 star reviews is beyond.

AND why did she get made fun of? Because the author felt the need to give her a loud laugh that sounded like a cross between a “horse and a pig.” Jeez, really? Authors feel the need to write something wrong with their heroines lately, while leaving the hero drop-dead gorgeous and wanting us to believe the hero will fall for the heroine. Yeah, NO!

I had never read a Courtney Milan book before so I thought I’d try this novella and I found I’m not interested in her. I’m sure she writes something wrong with every one of her heroines and I just can’t read that. Sorry.

There was no swearing in this story and there was one explicit sex scene.

As to the narration: I don’t know how old Simon Prebble is but I think he’s too old to be reading the voice of a 29 year old, and his female voices are terrible.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully touching

If you could sum up Unlocked in three words, what would they be?

Love, regret and redemption

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unlocked?

When the main character confesses his love to lady Elaine in public

Which character – as performed by Simon Prebble – was your favorite?

Lady Elaine

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I've listened to it many times

Any additional comments?

For being relatively short it's a wonderfully touching story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

In the minority but the narration wasn't my fave

*3.5 stars, rounded down for the narration*

I listened to this book in audio format, and though I actually thought that the narrator did a nice job acting out the story, his voice was a real stumbling block for me. I looked up the age of the narrator, Simon Prebble, and he is in his mid 70s. He sounds like he is in his mid-70s. While most other reviewers love his narration of this story, I thought he sounded much too old for the MC, and his female voices were just ancient sounding.

In terms of the story, I always love Courtney Milan, and I think she did a great job with this one. It's so hard to tell a complete story in novella format, and while I wish this was longer, I still enjoyed the story a great deal. I'm really obsessed with the Turner series, and I was so curious about Lady Elaine, so I felt deeply satisfied by reading about her HEA.

I liked this one, so the 3.5 stars is a solid rating from me. With a different narrator, I think this would have easily been 4 stars.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Narrator makes A Great Difference

What did you love best about Unlocked?

Depth of characters, storyline, narrator

What other book might you compare Unlocked to and why?

Can't think of any

What about Simon Prebble’s performance did you like?

You could really tell difference in character voices, depth of emotion through voice, correct accent

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Scene with her mother

Any additional comments?

Great book, narrator makes A Great Difference!!! I also bought A Governess Affair, loved the print book. Courtney Milan is great, but could not stand narration.. So returned that one. But Simon Prebble makes a difference.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Courage and forgiveness

How does one forgive 10 years of misery? How does one hope for forgiveness for youthful stupidity? These questions form the basis of this novella in the Turner series of the English "ton" in the mid-1800s making for engrossing listening. As the H/h slowly attempt to answer the above questions, author Milan presents compelling arguments and leads the H/h toward a HEA. Ms Milan had me, the listener, searching my own stand on forgiving and forgiveness. Nicely done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A gem of a book

Courtney Milan is a terrific writer. This short story is well done, and what a wonderful surprise to have Simon Prebble as the narrator. He is my favorite.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bullying by adults handled well.

Good to see the topic of bullying by adults. I agree with another reviewer that a 10 year gap.between the initial insult and the resolution would have left damage not so easily healed. I listened to the audio version, and although I admire Simon Prebble, I felt his reading of the sex scene was heavy handed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

A wonderful story of guilt and forgiveness. Both characters carried hurt but Evan was deeply guilty over his past behavior. A bully is hard to forgive and that type of cruelty is very scarring. Kudos to Ms. Milan for her unique stories and this one in particular. It is definitely a keeper!

I love Simon Prebble's narration, so it is a win win for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!