When Passion Rules

by Johanna Lindsey
Hennepin Library audiobook, 9 discs
read by: Rosalyn Landor
genre: historical romance

Why, why, why do I even try romance books? And why do I insist on completing the entire work? Sigh. Alana has been raised in England and is facing the choices of a girl on the brink of becoming a woman - to marry, to teach, . . . but then her "uncle" drops a bomb on her. She is actually the princess of Lubinia. He was hired to kill her in her infancy, but he couldn't do it and took her away to raise her instead. Now he needs to take her back to avoid war in her home country.

It's the incredibly gorgeous, well-built captain of the guard (but also a nobleman) Christoph Becker who becomes her nemesis, protector, lover, and . . . yeah. Predictable beyond belief. I wish I could find an author like LaVeryle Spencer who actually wrote interesting stories with good plots that also included a romance angle. Oh well. Knowing that they are usually junk, I should just avoid them like the plague. This one was slightly less irritating than the other book of hers I've read.

Let Love Find You

by Johanna Lindsey
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 8 discs
read by Anne Flosnik
genre: historical romance

I might have enjoyed this story more, but the reader's voice was irritating and over-the-top on the romantic scenes. It ended up being more silly than romantic. I don't really know why I grab romance novels . . . with the exception of Lavyrle Spencer, I usually find the stories hopelessly lacking in good storytelling.

Amanda Locke is on her third season (almost an old maid at age 20!) and Devin Baldwin is the gorgeous, blunt bastard who makes her angry. Yeah, they end up together. No surprises in this genre. I wonder / think . . . would have I enjoyed it more if I had read the text instead of listening to Ms. Flosnik? Yes, but not much.