Home for Christmas

Willow Park, Book 5

De: Noelle Adams

Narrado por: Jane Cramer

After being married for just six months, Sophie's journalist husband, Mark, was captured by a Syrian rebel group and held for more than two years. Now that he has finally returned home, he's like a different person. She hardly knows him anymore, and he keeps pulling away from her.

She tries to be patient and support Mark in any way he needs, but it just gets harder and harder. With another Christmas in Willow Park fast approaching, Sophie and her husband need to get to know each other once more so they can both heal. And so they can fall in love again.

©2015 Noelle Adams (P)2025 Noelle Adams

Very enjoyable could not stop listening!

This was a fun Saturday afternoon listen! The characters were charming and plotting! Funny and fast pace.

fast "read"

it was an ok story and made for a fast enjoyable listen. the narrative was fine.

Sweet book

I absolutely enjoyed this book. It was just a sweet and romantic book. Highly recommend if you want an easy and romantic book with some steamy scenes thrown in there. And the narrator was awesome! Can’t wait to continue the series.

Too much angst but great narration..

A lot of readers don’t like this type of book, a story where the hero pays the heroine to marry him for a certain length time, for a certain amount of money, but I happen to be one of those who do like it. However, for only having 217 pages this was really, really angsty. Good grief, how many times did Deanna fall into bed with Mitchell then give him the cold shoulder because “it was a mistake.” And how many times did she let him hold her and kiss her then pull away again because she was afraid she might fall in love with him. It was a constant back-and-forth, to where it didn’t make a bit of sense to go on that long. Or one or the other would word something the wrong way and feelings would be hurt. If this had been a longer book I can promise you I would not have finished it. I mean, Deanna and Mitchell were together every day so the angst and hurt feelings were an everyday occurrence. It just became so annoying.

I did like Mitchell, Deanna, Grandmama, Kelly and Brie but this author likes to write angsty books so this is my one and only book I’ll read by this author. If you’re a reader that likes a lot of angst then this book is for you.

It was a good love story, if only Ms. Adams would have added something to it other than angst and misunderstandings.

There is lust and sex in this book, romantic sex not erotic, that was very well written. And there was a little swearing, NO F-bomb.

As to the narration: Love, love, love Angela Dawe. Her male and female voices are wonderful but what are even better are her awesome emotions. When Mitchell was trying to talk and trying to stop himself from sneezing at the same time it was just incredible. Laughing, crying, yelling, whispering, whatever was called for Ms. Dawe did. She’s one terrific narrator.

Great!

This one will keep you listening until the end. Two people needing something from the other, but finding what they really needed. Great narrator.

"Gesture of Grace"

What made the experience of listening to Hired Bride the most enjoyable?

This is a new author, and my 1st read of her due to Ms Dawe. I buy many of Ms Dawe's reads and have gotten a nice exposure to new author's. I am a core romance reader, going back to all of Judith McNaught's work, and the great Kathleen Widdowess The Wolf and the Dove.
This author is refreshing, simple, and creates a big smile inside. I purchased this entire series read by Ms Dawe without trying 1 out and I am so pleasantly please with this 1st one.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Both heroine and hero, were sweet in their own way. This is not your FSOG type read, but a simple story of two people getting to deeply know one another. It will drag you in and hold your heart.

What about Angela Dawe’s performance did you like?

I am a big fan of Ms Dawe, with over 100 of her reads. I have many yet to be heard, but I do get good exposure to many new authors, and she made this author jump right off the page.
Her male and childrens voices are great. She has really come into her stride. She made this simple read come to sweet life.
See her in Tiffany Snow series, Kade will melt your heart. Julie Garwood's Sweet Talk started my fan-ship.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When our couple go off to Charleston. This author writes a great short story which makes you feel good. It doesn't get better than that.

Any additional comments?

If you are a mystery fan, DO NOT MISS, author Marcia Clark Moral Defense which Ms Dawe reads. Even reviewer Wayne, who I follow, had to admit what a great pair the read was.

Hired Bride

Hired Bride. Was prepared not to like this story very much as one of the Romance package. However it was a nice little story not full of just copy and pasted sex scenes like most of the romance package are..

Good Story-Angela Dawe made it EXCELLENT

I enjoyed this story when I read it shortly after it's initial release; Noelle Adams writes simply eloquent & lovely stories. However Angela Dawe's performance truly made it come alive! I've been a fan of hers since discovering Jennifer Ashley's Mackenzie series. She has this rare ability to perform male and female voices and make them sound not just believable(which is a feat in itself) but emotional and deep. A stellar job in this performance!

Still such a great writer/narrator combination.

This such a sweet pairing.... a well written romance given a great performance combines to make such a great escape...

Hot and steamy and worth every moment.

Seriously is any heroine that obtuse?

Would you try another book from Noelle Adams and/or Angela Dawe?

Not sure I ever want to read another Noelle Adams book. I don't understand how listeners/readers tolerated, let alone highly praised this most annoying book. Storyline was one we've heard before, well to do guy needs a temporary wife, temporary wife is reluctant, feelings grow, are revealed and then the HOA. BUTTHIS STORY made it the most miserable EVER. My romance novel library consists of over 500 combination of hardback, paperback and audio. I've read excellent, good, marginal, and bad....this book is AWFUL. Awful for one primary reason DEANNA, the heroine, yes there are typos, yes there are some poor situational dialogues but the absolute number one reason for my rating was Deanna, simply hated her...... Deanna's reluctant attitude was understandable at first, given what she heard, but to maintain her reluctance and bad behavior towards Mitchell midway through Chapter 13 out of 15 Chapters is a bit much. Additionally to have Deanna's Grandmother threaten her with another suitor and her sisters discuss how great Mitchell is, before she Deanna discovered "oh I really love him", what a crock of poop. I don't understand how the author would reasonably expect readers/listeners to believe someone like Mitchell would tolerate the relational disruption, immaturity and elementary defiance Deanne exhibited and acted out well throughout the story. I want my money back!

Has Hired Bride turned you off from other books in this genre?

Thank goodness I've read more books in this genre otherwise this would have turned me off from every Romance novel.

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

Very good narration, too bad the storyline was so bad.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Narration was very good

Any additional comments?

Noelle, get some character balance and depth writing training. There needs to be consistency and continuity in a character throughout the story, but they should show growth and compromission. Deanna destroyed this book for you, because she had no depth, no growth ability, no ability or effort to learn her H how obtuse can someone be living in the same house.