Soul of the Storm

Deerbourne Inn

By: Jean M. Grant

Narrated by: Rebecca McKernan

Length: 4 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Will love help her summit one last peak?

Charlotte MacGregor lost the thrill of conquering mountains five years ago when her sister disappeared on a hiking adventure without her. Still guilt-ridden, Charlotte heads for a vacation to rustic Vermont with a friend - where she's surrounded by reminders of her devastating loss and plagued with unanswered questions.

Matiu Christiansen is an outdoors buff. He works multiple jobs to save for his dream of owning an outfitter in New Zealand. He's never quite felt at home in the United States, and he yearns for his Maori roots, but his attraction to Charlotte puts a kink in his plans to move home later this year.

Thrown together by coincidence, Charlotte and Matiu form a kindred bond through their shared love of the outdoors. Can Charlotte surmount her demons to assist Matiu on a rescue when a late-season snowstorm hits? And can Matiu help Charlotte heal from the pain of the past?

©2019 Jean M. Grant (P)2019 Jean M. Grant

good story

Charlotte has been grieving for 5 years, because of her younger sister's dissapperance. Her friends invite her to come along with them to Dearborn Inn Vermont. They try to help get her out of her depression. There she met Matu? from New Zealand. He pushes her to extend herself past her own boundaries. Her resolve is tested when a crisis comes up. This is a story of trust, forgiving, rediscovering, friendship.and love.
The story is set in the US. The narrator had an accent. That confused me. But that being said Rebecca McKernan narration of this story was good.
🎧audiobookobsessionreveiwer🎧

Kiwi Maori Guy + Boston Gal = True Love?

Let me start by saying I enjoyed this book. I feel like I need to first explain the narration. Picking a narrator is tricky business and many decisions aren’t easy to make. In this book, the hero is a Maori from New Zealand. The heroine is from Massachusetts. Finding a narrator who can do both voices would have been a challenge. In the end, the author opted for a narrator with a New Zealand accent. The book is narrated that way with only American/Boston being used when American characters speak. This may be confusing for some listeners, but I promise once you settle into the book, you’ll be fine.

Okay, on to the book. Charlotte MacGregor has been mired in grief for almost five years. She lost a beloved younger sister and feels guilt as well as the grief. She’s thrown herself into her work in a school board, specifically focused on disaster prep and equipping others to handle emergencies. As someone who is trained in first aid and building evacuation procedures, I appreciated Charlotte’s zeal for safety. She couldn’t be there to save her sister, but she’s dedicated not to lose anyone on her watch.

Her best friend Veronica and her husband are headed to the Deerbourne Inn in Willow Springs, Vermont, for spring vacation. Ronnie insists Charlotte accompany them, believing she can pull Charlotte from her grief. In the end, Charlotte feels more like a third wheel and tries to find ways to occupy herself. She’s even brought work but when that’s finished, she decides to explore Willow Springs. Several times she meets Mathiu Christiansen. Mathiu is an avid hiker, skier, kayaker, and about a dozen other outdoor pursuits. He recognizes a kindred spirit in Charlotte and he tries to encourage her to step into the beautiful nature that is Willow Springs. He doesn’t understand why she doesn’t want to go hiking and he pushes hard. Charlotte pushes back. Eventually, though, a crisis provides Charlotte the opportunity to step up and put her skills to use. The question is whether she can push through her fears and help those who desperately need her help.

Like I said, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the interracial relationship and how it was done with a deft hand. It was no big deal. There was also the obvious problem on Mathiu planning to return to New Zealand while Charlotte is rooted in Boston. I was interested in knowing how that would be resolved, especially as they grew closer and shared more intimacy. Funny how a week’s vacation can turn into a life-altering trip. Ah, the magic of Willow Springs. This book is a great addition to the Deerbourne Inn series.

Rebecca McKernan did a good job with the narration. Once I got over the confusion and was able to figure out Charlotte was American and Mathiu was from New Zealand, the narration fell into place and I enjoyed the book. I’m looking forward to more books by Jean M. Grant as well as more books from the Deerbourne Inn series.

Well developed and relatable characters

I loved this story. It about a woman who goes to Vermont for spring break at the insistence of her friends. Charlotte has been in a depression for the past five years since her younger sister was lost while hiking and is presumed dead. She blames herself for her sister's death since she was supposed to go on the hike with her. Since then, she has pulled away from her friends and has avoided serious relationships. But in Vermont she meets Matiu who pushes Charlotte to forgive herself and reopen herself up to love and the love of hiking. I don't want to give anything away, but the story is very inspiring and likely relatable for so many women. Charlotte is not perfect and struggles with self-doubt like so many people. And there is so much to like in Matiu's character. It is a beautiful romance in a beautiful setting.

I listened to it on audio and I have to admit it took me awhile to get into it because of the narration. The first few chapters felt like the enunciation was being forced. However, the narrator's cadence became more natural after a few chapters. The other issue i had was the accent. I assume it was an Australian accent. This ended up working well for the chapters in Matiu's perspective as he was a Kiwi. But since the book started in Charlotte's perspective, I had a hard time believing the story was taking place in the US. But I suggest you stick with the narrator because it does get better and the story is amazing.

Soul of the Storm

A bit of a slow start for me. I think it was just trying to get used to the narrator. I decided to stick it out, and I’m glad I did. Charlotte and Matiu’s story really was well done. They were each able to give the other what they needed to move beyond the troubles in their past.

A story that was well worth the listen.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Wonderful story

I was given a copy of this audio book for an honest review. I really enjoyed listening to this book. It is well written by Jean Grant & narrated beautifully by Rebecca McKernan. This was such a deep and beautiful story! It’s a wonderful story full of healing & finding love.

Take me back to New Zealand

LOVE, LOVE LOVED IT‼️ The story drew me in right away. I could feel the emotions from grief to frustration to laughter as I listened to both Charlotte and Matthew’s story unfold. Having recently been to New Zealand hearing the accent, Maori words and customs mentioned took me back there. Loved the accent of the narrator. Old sorry.

Soul of the Storm

Charlotte and Matui met while she is on break from school. He helps her find some joy again after losing her sister 5 years before.

🎧 audio obsession