Everlasting

By: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Narrated by: Xanthe Elbrick

Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Once, Abrielle's name was on the lips of every unwed nobleman in London as a proud, exceptional lady coveted for her bearing, her breeding, her wit, and her beauty.

But when her stepfather, respected for his courage and valor during the Crusades, is denied his rightful title and the wealth that accompanies it, Abrielle finds herself suddenly disgraced, no longer a suitable match for any proper gentleman. Only one would still have her, though he desires no more than physical pleasure: the oafish and grotesque Desmond de Marlé. His dark and scandalous reputation is legend, and Abrielle has heard rumors that his first two wives perished by his hand. Yet no one else can rescue her once-proud family's honor and keep her stepfather from debtor's prison, so she is left with no choice but to accept the cruel and hateful de Marlé's offer of marriage and sacrifice her virtue to a scoundrel she fears and detests...even as she yearns for another lover.

Dashing, handsome, tall, and kind, a black-haired Scotsman with vivid blue eyes, Raven Seabern is an emissary for his king, and quite unlike any man Abrielle has ever encountered. From the very first moment their eyes meet, he intrigues and mesmerizes her - and dancing in his arms at a royal banquet leaves her weak with the desire to surrender.

But their love can never be, for Abrielle is betrothed to a monster. And the well-being of everyone she cares for demands that she honor her promise. Still, the fire lit that night will not be doused. Raven knows he has found the true one and must never let her go, though secrets, deceptions, dishonor, and unimaginable peril will surely be their fate if they follow the dictates of their hearts.

©2007 Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Very Tepid

The storyline was very tepid and short. did not enjoy this one. The narrative was annoying in that she did an awful job with the men.

Swept away...

Xanthe Elbrick brought a book I read years ago to life! I'm going to have to look around for more books she has done

Kathleen Woodiwiss' books

I wish it was the entire story and Kathleen Woodiwiss' s other books, especially her first two.

Not Bad

I enjoyed the story but found the mens voices a little soft. But did enjoy

Disappointed!

Extremely disappointed on how much this story was abridged. The male voices were awful. It didn’t even feel like a Kathleen Woodiwiss book. I know it was published in 2007 and she passed away in July 2007 … my question would be did she write it?! I don’t believe so, I loved and read everything Ms. Woodiwiss wrote.

This is an Oops!

Oops! I should have gone with my gut and not purchased this abridged addition. I could just tell that I was missing a lot of the substance of this story and,after purchase, when I looked and saw it was only 5 chapters, I knew I made a big mistake but I had never read this book before and it is the only one I never read. I hope Audible will redo this book with the whole story with all the nuances KEW would have put in. I’ve been a fan of KEW’s for fifty years and this is the only one that I felt was incomplete. I didn’t mind the narrator. I’ve listened through worse performances by other actors and she wasn’t bad at all.

I love Kathleen E .Woodiwiss all of her books .I

Love all her works read them all have them all.It would be an honor to hear them all.

… abridged

I hadn’t realized when I bought this book that it was an abridged version. Rarely does even the most skilled abridgment honor the author’s intention. This was a good story and I think it could have been even better in its full form. I’m unwilling to judge the author’s ability given the constriction of the abridging process … something done to serve another’s purpose, not the author’s… elsewise the author would have written this version.

Something Missing

I love Katherine’s books but this one has something missing. I believe it was published after her death and you can tell that the characters and events were not as developed or as interesting. But with that being said I’m still a great fan of her work.

Interesting but confusing

Maybe it's just me! I felt the narrator did a good job of dialects and male voices but I couldn't keep track of characters. I am guilty of doing other things whilst listening.. but this made me stop and ask huh? who? the heroine was easy to spot but the hero and introduction of more and more characters to me was confusing.