The Unwanted Wife

Unwanted

By: Natasha Anders

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

No one had ever looked at her and seen perfection - until now.

Delicate, titian-haired Theresa Noble has met her father’s associates in the past, but the gorgeous, Italian-born Sandro De Lucci leaves her speechless. Eighteen months into their marriage, however, Sandro has turned to ice. Desperate to escape a relationship that has proven to be as stubbornly passionate as it is cold and hateful, Theresa summons up the courage to ask for a divorce. But before he’ll grant her request, Sandro demands something from Theresa: a son.

The stalemate sickens her. Never mind that Sandro has yet to introduce Theresa to the large family that means so much to him. Or that Theresa overhears her husband on the phone with a mystery woman. Most damning is that Theresa senses, in Sandro’s treatment of her, the behind-the-scenes machinations of Jackson Noble, her cruel father. From the depths of her anxiety, Theresa must seek an empowering truth about the husband who calls her, with such cold affection, his cara, his beloved.

©2012 Natasha Anders (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Great story

I loved the narrator she really brought the book to life. the storyline was great

worth the time

I really enjoyed the paper copy of this book. It reminded me of a Kristen Ashley or a Susan Elizabeth Phillips book. So when I saw the audio book version I decided to get that as well. At first, I thought I had made a mistake. The narrator ended every single sentence with a whisper or a rasp. It got really annoying after the first minute. And I hated her accents. But by the time I had hit the quarter Mark, the narrator had grown on me and I was able to enjoy the story. I listened to it all in just two days, and know I will listen to it again soon.

A lovely surprise

This book was a surprise. I bought it in the sale and didn't expect much, but I loved it from start to finish and listened to it in one day.

The narrator did a good job and has a pleasant voice with good intonation, the only thing that annoyed me was that all the characters had an Italian/french accent when only Alexandro and his family should have.....that's my only niggle and this didn't spoil the audio book for me

When romance gets it righ

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you like romance and are looking for an easy read with a little bit of more reality in it, this is it for you.

What did you like best about this story?

It is not often the conflict in a romance story is dealt with a touch of real life. If your marriage is a sham and your husband sees you as a means to an end, your reaction must be one of outrage as soon as you learn the truth of his motives for marrying you. You'd want out of the marriage.

I was more surprised and impressed with Theresa's reaction than anything else in the story. She had had enough of Alessandro's cruel behaviour; a man she loved from the moment she first saw him. Theresa's father and Alessandro had made a deal and aside from the land Alessandro needed, her father offered Theresa. Once she gave birth to a son, Alessandro would be free.

When Theresa asked for a divorce, her painful journey began. Of course asking and getting are two different things, because just as Theresa finally thought her troubled marriage was over, she finds out she is finally pregnant. Alessandro refused to give her the divorce and even threatened Theresa with calling back a loan he gave her cousin to start up her business.

But Theresa didn't give up on wanting her divorce. As much as she was sexually attracted to Alessandro, she refused to sleep with him. Something happened to Alessandro when Theresa decided to make a stand. Theresa wanted a boy so that she can finally be freed of Alessandro, and Alessandro wanted a girl because he realised he had fallen in love with his wife. I enjoyed immensely how hard Alessandro had to work to earn his wife's trust and love. So the fight for their happily ever after began. And this is what made me give this story five stars. Alessandro offered a truce as the awaited the birth of their child. He proposed fixed times to get to know each other. Theresa and Alessandro had to rebuild their relationship from the ground up. They learned to enjoy each other's company, share stories, compromise and finally, as far as Theresa was concerned, trust her husband again. That Theresa took to almost the end of the story to trust in her husband and admit to love him was the best part of the book.

As a reader and without having Alessandro's point of view, I could tell he was very sorry of the way he treated Theresa and how badly he wanted his wife back. It is a pleasure reading romance novels with more realistic human reactions. If Natasha Anders' books are all like this I most certainly will read more of them.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator had a thick English or Irish accent and at times it was difficult to understand. Men's voices were not great but not horrible either.

Great story, narration not so much

I love this story. The written form is well written. Characters are great. However, the narration ruins the overall affect of this story. Theresa is from South Africa, the accent is spot on. The transition to Sandro is harsh. It’s grating and not at all Italian. The narration on emotion is off, and it really is a shame, because it overshadows such a lovely story.

Nice story.. Confusing, annoying accents

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The narration really annoyed me and grew more irritating over time, so I'm not sure I can recommend this audiobook version.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The accents were distracting and confusing. It was hard to understand what Justine Eyre was aiming for. It didn't sound South African .. more like a bad French/Australian accent.

Excellent

One of my repeat reads, absolutely wonderful like all of Natasha's books really & Justine Eyre is also spectacular.

I'm Surprised at How Much I Liked This

It takes a very skilled author to write a story that makes you despise a character at the beginning of a book then makes you fall in love with the same character at the end of the book. The Unwanted Wife is just such a book. I seriously thought about returning it. Yet, I couldn't help continuing to listen. I got hooked, which surprised me. For anyone who's experienced emotional abuse, this is a hard read at first. I promise, by the end of the book, you'll be cheering and crying. It's that good.

I can't help but think it could have been better

The story was awesome. But When I listen to books I have a vision of the book playing as a mini movie in my head. The performance threw me off and I couldn't get a clear picture of Allesandro. It was like was watching a fuzzy screen. I feel if someone else read it the book would have been so much better. I'll have to read it for myself. The story was the best.

Grab your tissues

This was definitely a tear jerker! I loved & hated Sandro. After learning Theresa had nothing to do with her father's scheming plans, Sandro should have been on his knees apologizing for his disgusting behavior. But no, man doubled down! The narration was on point with this one. Justine Eyre gave a great performance. I listened to this entire book in one sitting. I was just so engrossed in the story.
If you love angst and HEAs then this is the book for you.