Shanna

By: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Narrated by: Robin Miles

Length: 29 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times bestselling author Kathleen E. Woodiwiss comes one of her most iconic and beloved romances of all time....

A pact is sealed in secret behind the foreboding walls of Newgate Prison. In return for one night of unparalleled pleasure, a dashing condemned criminal consents to wed a beautiful heiress, thereby rescuing her from an impending and abhorred arranged union.

But in the fading echoes of hollow wedding vows, a solemn promise is broken, as a sensuous free spirit takes flight to a lush Caribbean paradise, abandoning the stranger she married to face the gallows unfulfilled.

Ruark Beauchamp’s destiny is now eternally intertwined with that of the tempestuous, intoxicating Shanna. He will be free...and he will find her. For no iron ever forged can imprison his resolute passion. And no hangman’s noose will keep Ruark from the bride—and ecstasy—that he craves.

©2009 Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Beauchamp is pronounced wrong

I have waited for this book to come out for a year.
very disappointed that the name Ruark Beauchamp is pronounced in the English style. Kinda ruins it for me.
the book itself is wonderful.
I think the narrator is passable, but I cannot stand the way she says that name. It is French, not English, at least in my head. the narrator is waaaay too old for this book,her voice is not suitable for Shanna, her accents are muddled. from reading the other reviews, I would say that most people concur. please redo this book with a good narrator. it is a much-beloved classic romance.

All KEW samples are the same

Every sample of the new KEW audible releases have the same narrator with same exact forward. Would be helpful if we could hear the voice of each specific book’s narrator. Part of the story with more than one voice so we know what to expect.

Ruuu-ark the dullard.

This was my favorite book until the narrator ruined it. I won’t buy another Woodiwiss book until I can sample the book and not your political views of the time and author’s misconceptions ( your opinion). Let the book speak for itself.

The Positives… and The Negative

On a positive note: this book is one of KEW’s very best creative works. We get a headstrong, spoiled heroine requiring a huge character arc to find redemption…and a Hero who helps her achieve it. It’s an epic love story, beautifully told, full of adventure that never lets up. No matter how his name is pronounced, Ruark Beauchamp is one of the best romantic heroes and should not be missed! My conclusion is that “Shanna’s” ambitious storyline trumps all the questionable age and pronunciation issues (with the narrator) that left some readers dissatisfied with this performance. I’m glad to finally have it in my library.

Waited years for this!

I have waited years for this book to be released on audiobook only to be disappointed by its rendition. While I appreciate the skill it takes to bring different characters to life, in this case, I would have preferred just a simple reading of the work. The narration of a book I enjoyed more than 30 years ago made me sad. Excellent book, poor rendition and I am sorry for it. Even so, I will listen to it again. Maybe it will grow on me. Costs too much not to. Kathleen Woodiwiss! One of the greatest romance writers of all times!

Classic Romance !!

So glad to finally have Kathleen’s books on audible! Her books are the reason I’m an avid reader today! Love how vivid they are! They can transport you to a different place. I just start listening while I start a new project or am in the car driving. Simply wonderful!!

First Romance Author I Read-Disappointment

Since my 20s, I’ve loved a few of Kathleen Woodiwiss books. The storyline of the book was always one of my favorites. I was so looking forward to hearing this book in an audio format. I was very disappointed with the performance of the person doing the reading.
Her performance of the characters seemed to be so off. Her voice sounded too old. She made the characters sound so out of place it was distracting.
I was extremely disappointed. With a huge Audible library, this was my first poor review.

I love this book!

This is one of my all time favorite books that I have read several times. The narrator for this book was terrible! Very disappointing as I awaited this with great anticipation.

One of the very few i have ever returned

Narrator is not suited to this much loved story. I had no problem with the pronunciations. I did have a huge problem with ridiculously over exaggerated sylables. "TRA...hern" "ROO...ARK" made my teeth ache. Lady, relax and slur your words like a normal human being. All the males sound mean and angry. Shanna (sometimes Shaunna) sounds way too old. She is supposed to be a spoiled little princess, not an ancient, world weary crone. I got to chapter 4, tried again a week later, and just could not enjoy the story. When he snarls at Shanna, he is supposed to also be trying to charm her. No charisma in the narrator's tone ... at all ... just ugly anger. Such a terrible shame ...

Narration.

The actual story narration was passable and the supporting characters were okay but the main character’s voices were not only bad but inconsistent to the point of distraction.