Once a Soldier

As heir to a title and great wealth, Will Masterson should have stayed home and tended his responsibilities. Instead he went to war. Now, after perilous years fighting the French, he intends his current mission to be his last. But all his plans are forgotten when he arrives in the small mountain stronghold of San Gabriel and meets her.

Knowing herself to be too tall, strong, and unconventional to appeal to a man, Athena Markham has always gloried in her independence. But for the first time in her life, she finds a man who might be her match. Two of a kind, too brave for their own good, Athena and Will vow to do whatever it takes to vanquish San Gabriel's enemies. For neither will back down from death, and only together can they find happiness and a love deeper than any they'd dared imagine.

©2016 Mary Jo Putney, Inc. (P)2016 Recorded Books

Great story, Great Narrator!

I loved this narrator! I am definitely going to look for more stories she has narrated. This book is one of the best titles I’ve listened to that are included with the membership.

Sigh

Such a good story. War, love, battles, bravery, laughter, joy…. Everything that makes a story good. Stories that make me smile at the end - I give five stars. 😊

A little slow...

The storyline sounded good, but it just seemed to drag. The characters were either really good or really bad. No nuances.

Love in the Midst of War

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

I highly recommend this book. One of the characteristics I most admire about Mary Jo Putney is her social conscience and how she works compassionate and humanitarian views into all her books without lecturing. In this book, she examines the destructive after-effects of war and social stigma on both society and individuals and the role of hope, friendship and love in overcoming these evils. Beverley A. Crick's interpretation and performance of the story was excellent. I particularly loved her range of tone and accent to define the different characters.

Very Good

I’ve been on a Regency Romance kick for a while now because I’ve wanted a true romance w/out all the sex scenes of other romance novels as well as one that didn’t delve into god & faith overly much. So I was pleased to find this book that was set in the same time period but well outside the typical drawing rooms & balls of most regency novels. The setting is a Catholic country so there is some mention of religion but it is more cultural than personal & I find that acceptable reading material.

The narrator was good except for 1 word that she mispronounced horribly, lol. 1 character’s name was Joaquin & she repeatedly said, Joe-a-qwin instead of Wah-keen! Her Spanish accent was fine but she really messed up this guys name, lol. 🤣🤣🤣