My Sweet Folly

By: Laura Kinsale

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

"My dear girl! I could never fall in love by letter. Though I have no doubt you are a notorious breaker of hearts, not to mention a princess in disguise, and if I were a few miles closer to Toot-above-the-Batch I would be in great danger. From the safe distance of another continent, I will admit to a modest desire to see how your pearl becomes you, even to know the color of your hair and eyes, but this is mere curiosity, I assure you."

-Your knight, Robert

Through their innocent correspondence, a lonely young wife grows to love an imaginary man thousands of miles away. But when he returns to England from India, her idea of reality is turned upside down. Drawn from a safe world of tea and parlor chat into madness and mystery, she cannot find her own cherished Robert in the frightening stranger who claims her love.

Laura Kinsale personally chose the exceptional talent of Nicholas Boulton to voice her favorite heroine, sweet, witty Folie with her ferret, Toot.

©1997 Hedgehog Inc (P)2013 Hedgehog Inc

Critic reviews

• Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award

"Flawless transitions and pacing convey the elements of suspense and sexuality in this romantic mystery." (AudioFile Magazine)

Beautiful writing and great narration

Would you consider the audio edition of My Sweet Folly to be better than the print version?

Yes!, Nicholas Bolton adds life and depth.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Robert. Laura kinsale is not afraid to write male characters that are tour tortured, brave, vulnerable and strong.

What does Nicholas Boulton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He seems to be breathing and feeling the words - never reading. His voices are all distinct and three-dimensional. They have depth and humor and passion.

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

Yes!! I was sitting in the parking lot at work.

Any additional comments?

I had the same experience with another of her books and Nicholas' acting. What does this man do in his spare time?

Different

This is a historic romance novel with believable characters and plot. Its Jane Austin meets Sherlock Holmes story. The first few chapters are the best for the main characters have a wonderful banner with each other. In a great many of these type books the relationship is a physical one. This relationship started off sight unseen. This pair also had a common interest which was rare for these couples. There is no other words to describe what some would call the romance in this book as anything else but awkward and cannot imagine what the author was thinking there.

Not whisper sync enabled

What did you love best about My Sweet Folly?

The heroine was very consistent. Probably my favorite of Ms Kinsale's heroines.

What was most disappointing about Laura Kinsale’s story?

The romance never really developed. The "hero" continued to punish the heroine all the way to the end, when he had always been the untrustworthy of the pair.

What does Nicholas Boulton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Nicholas Boulton is fast becoming one of my favorite narrators. One really feels the emotions when listening to him

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No to both. But it did anger me toward the hero all the way to the last.

Any additional comments?

This is not whisper sync enabled. So, I had to send quite a bit of time trying to find my place when going between the ebook and the audio. So much so, that it became intolerable

Tops in English Narrators

Any additional comments?

This fellow is just the best there is to bring the printed word to the heard word. Get the audible version even if you have the printed text. Audible listening like it should be with the choice of narrator really enhancing your fun.

More like My Fiesty Folly! Great Heroine!

What does Nicholas Boulton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He doesn't read the book to you -- he acts out the book to you. There are no words to describe how brilliant his acting is. Every character has a distinct personality and I'm positive the personality is exactly as Laura Kinsale intended.

Any additional comments?

I wondered how Laura Kinsale would get 10+ hours out of such a sweet beginning. I should have known there would be a few "what!" moments. It's Laura Kinsale afterall. And I must say that I really liked our heroine, Folly. She was a real person (witty and appropriately sarcastic!) Robert on the other hand was hard to like but again a very real person - I've definitely known men like him in my lifetime. Worth the credit and your time!

Disappointing

This was a really, really bad novel, but the performance was so good I read the whole thing, resisting the urge to abandon it half way through. The beginning was promising, but it seemed as if the author just didn’t know where to go with it. Things got more ridiculous with every chapter. Listening to Nicolas Boulton, however, is always a pleasure.

Not my favorite Kinsale

Struggled to keep my interest. Not the best story. And, frankly, the main character was an ass.

Another Wonderful Adventure!

Laura Kinsale and Nicholas Boulton are a magical duo--blending romance and intrigue seamlessly. I hope he performs all of her books for the benefit of audible listeners. I encourage you to read the ones currently available to see if you don't join me in my plea for more.

Another winner!

Where does My Sweet Folly rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the top 10 along with the rest of Laura Kinsale's books.

Have you listened to any of Nicholas Boulton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Nicholas Boulton is my all-time favorite narrator. It's hard to listen to others once you've listened to the best.

Any additional comments?

The characters were unique with depth, darkness and humor. There was even some hints of magic that added to the fun. I enjoyed this immensely.

Not what I expected

I’m so sorry to say I didn’t enjoy this book even half as much as I expected to.

The good :
The beginning (first chapter, the exchanging of letters) was brilliant, I loved it!
The narration is excellent, a real treat.
It’s well written and full of mystery. I loved the characters (and Toot the ferret of course!)

The bad :
I expected to enjoy the romance, but alas it totally missed the mark for me.
There is so much drama, the romance got completely drowned in it.
I especially didn’t like the victim of mental abuse becoming the abuser (if this part was kept out of the book I would have enjoyed it a lot more)
I wouldn’t recommend this book if you’re dealing with depression and/or mental issues.

Alas for me this was far from the entertaining, romantic, enjoyable, swoon worthy escape I expected it to be.
Not for me, but not a bad book either.