Ransom

Highlands' Lairds, Book 2

By: Julie Garwood

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Overflowing with all of the majesty and intrigue of medieval glory days, this magnificent New York Times best seller is a captivating story of passion and loyalty, justice and honor. Beloved storyteller Julie Garwood steps back to the silver-shrouded Highlands of her classic tale The Secret - and hails the return of two unforgettable warriors: Ramsey Sinclair and Brodick Buchanan.

In the dark days after the death of Richard the Lionhearted, lives and lands would fall into upheaval at the hands of a power-hungry British ruler and his violent minions. One victim of the scourge is innocent Gillian, who is a mere child when the cruel and ambitious Baron Alford slaughters her father and tears her family apart. Alford, determined to recover a jeweled box for the despotic King John, is furious when the precious treasure slips through his fingers - only to be lost for more than a decade.

Now a beautiful young woman, Gillian finds the key to resolving her past in handsome Scottish chieftains Ramsey Sinclair and Brodick Buchanan. With the cunning and courage of the daring Scotsmen, and with the friendship of a new ally, Bridgid KirkConnell, Gillian at last fights the unscrupulous Baron Alford, laying claim to her home, her family, and her father's reputation. But in the presence of the mighty warriors, Gillian and Bridgid discover that desire can be a weapon of conquest...betrayal can slay trust in a heartbeat...and the greatest risk of all is surrender - to the deep emotions of unexpected love.

©2010 Julie Garwood (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Performance

This performer did an outstanding job on the characters, but the narration was a bit monotone - to the point of distraction.

great book, terrible reader

I've Loved this book for years. the voice actor is terrible, but the book is still great.

Awesome

Love it now fans need the crime novels that depicts the Maitlands and the Sinclairs. We know about the Buchanan family in the crime novels but we need more follow up characters.

Sigh........

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

one of my favorites

Any additional comments?

Continuing my historical romance favorites re-read.......nothing like a good old Garwood. I'd give my kingdom for a new Garwood historical. If I had one......

Susan Duerden does a great Scottish male and female accent.

Wonderful read

I read it numerous times and fall in love with it every time I read it.

Good story and the narrator did a good job with it

I enjoyed the story and felt the narrator did a good job with it. A reviewer below wishes Rosalyn Landor or Anne Flosnik had narrated. I'm the owner of over 500 Audible Historical Romances, and to date have listened to several thousand so I am familiar with those reader/actors and like them also, but I enjoyed this narrator as well. I found this book well worth the credit I paid for it.

good read

I enjoyed the story and characters involvement in each other’s lives it made me want to read more

Great book couldn’t stop listening

Good books. intriguing and funny. The start was slow for me but once I got into it I love the book.

Love this book!

This is my all time favorite book. I have listened to it at least 40 times over the years !

The ultimate page turner

Any additional comments?

Skillfully paced, multifaceted characters, gripping adventure, breathtaking setting, and stunning romance. Susan Duerden does a fantastic job narrating. As a British woman, she seems to have an innate knack for imitating the Scottish brogue.

I continually noticed Garwood’s skill in pacing. Never was there a dull moment. When one exciting thing ended, another was starting. After the 2.5 hour mark, I was having trouble pausing the audiobook - I was totally hooked. The descriptive writing made me feel like I was dropped into medieval Scotland, and the day after I finished the audiobook, I found myself wishing I could go back.

The characters were another strong point for me. The two leads, I’ve decided, are one of my favorite romance couples of all time. Gillian was a brave young woman with strong convictions. She never forgot the horrors she experienced as a young girl, and instead of becoming timid and weak (like her sister), she grew to be bold, fighting to rectify what was done to her and her family. Brodick is your typical alpha male - arrogant, rough-edged, possessive - but with a righteous nature. His character is well-suited to Gillian (she doesn’t need to be coddled, but at the same time she appreciates his protectiveness).

I thought it would be useful to discuss why I preferred Ransom to its predecessor (The Secret). Not to say I didn’t love The Secret and that it isn't worth buying, but The Secret was more strictly a love story, and much more light hearted. Ransom was a love story filled with adventure, danger, injustice, and harrowing journeys. There were kidnappings, deadly battles, family tragedy, cruel villains, assassination attempts, a brush with English royalty, and even a mysterious treasure. The historical detail (about both England and Scotland) was a fascinating touch. When comparing the two books, because The Secret was less of an emotional roller coaster. The love story between Brodick and Gillian was a tumultuous journey. The passion between them was edgier, rougher, and more demanding - which is a plus for me. Because of Gillian’s past and therefore her tough attitude, she seemed, to me, a bolder, more passionate lover than Judith from The Secret. Not to say Gillian is prickly and cold - she and Judith both exhibited emotional warmth and a need to nurture that was wonderfully feminine. Even though the content in Ransom was often dark, Garwood's trademark humor managed to seep in, too. So it really depends on what kind of love story you are drawn to, but if you like more of an action/adventure/suspense, then I think you’ll prefer Ransom’s tempestuous plot. Listen to them both though - Garwood is fantastic! One of my new favorite writers.