Alaina Claiborne

British Agent Novel, Book 1

By: MK McClintock

Narrated by: Nicky Baker

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

Claiborne Manor, England - 1889

In 19th-century England, Alaina Claiborne had a loving family, a cherished friend, and idyllic life. Then tragedy strikes and her world is forever changed. Searching for those responsible is her only focus, until she meets Tristan.

Tristan Sheffield, a man of many talents, seeks out those who don't want to be found. His past is filled with secrets and deeds he would rather leave deeply buried. However, when his life unexpectedly entwines with Alaina's, he soon discovers they share more than a mutual desire to catch a murderer.

On their hunt for a man driven by greed, Tristan and Alaina find that love is the greatest weapon against evil, and they'll stop at nothing to survive.

©2013 MK McClintock (P)2016 MK McClintock

Clean Romance with Mystery 😉

This is a well rounded book with plenty of action and mystery. The romance is believable for the time period and the author leaves the "bedroom scenes" to your imagination. What a concept! lol

This well written mystery romance features a feisty heroine and a strong determined hero who unfold a mystery that's filled with deception, loyalty, murder, family, friendships, romance and love. And bravo to the narrator. She read beautifully. I would recommend this book to ages 13 and up.

I would like to thank the author, narrator and/or publisher for giving me this audiobook at no cost through Audiobook Boom in exchange for my unbiased review. 😉

Beautiful Story

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

Yes. It's a nice historical romance with a touch of mystery. A nice escape.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I like Alaina and Tristan both. They're strong-willed and likeable.

Have you listened to any of Nicky Baker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first. I liked her performance and thought it could have been a little smoother at times but she has a nice soothing voice that pulled me into the story.

Any additional comments?

I hope the other British Agent books are made into audiobooks.

A captivating audio!

What made the experience of listening to Alaina Claiborne the most enjoyable?

Listening to MK's story as an audio, was pleasant to listen to!

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorites characters were of course Alaina and Tristan, who embarked on a dangerous mission filled with romance, mystery and secrets!

Have you listened to any of Nicky Baker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first time that I listen to an audio narrated by Nicky Baker. At first, I didn't know what to expected, I was surprised to really enjoy her tone of voice, the narration was perfect for MK's story!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I hope her other books are offered as audio, because it's a fascinating series to read or listen to!

Better than I expected!

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

Yes. The story was different from what I normally read. I was surprised at how much I liked it. There's a nice blend of action and romance in a historical setting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tristan. He's someone I could like if he was a real person. I also liked the other two agents and the brotherly bond they all had.

Have you listened to any of Nicky Baker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first narration I've listened to of Nicky Baker's.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened while ironing and kept looking for more things to iron. It kept me entertained.

Any additional comments?

A good solid story with a good narrator.

An Entertaining Listen

I loved listening to Alaina Claiborne. The story had me hooked from the very beginning. The author did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life for me. Hopefully Book 2, BLACKWOOD CROSSING and Book 3, CLAYTON'S HONOR will be on audible soon. I would love to listen to the rest of the series.

Enjoyable

Any additional comments?

Overall an enjoyable and entertaining story.

A historical romance with British Agents, mystery, suspense, murder and family secrets.

Alaina and Tristan were both great characters. Really liked Tristan's friends and fellow agents Devon, Charles and Derek. Sometimes predictable, but there are plenty of twists and turns in the story to keep it interesting and entertaining.

While I enjoyed the book on the whole, it is quite irritating to have the "mastermind" villain in the story be someone who was not previously introduced into the story.

This is the first time I have heard Nicky Baker narrate a book. She did a good job. Slight accent, soft voice and her narration flowed smoothly. Although there is not much difference between her male and female voices. She has the perfect voice for this type of story.


This audiobook was provided by the narrator, author or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom

Romantic Mystery

What about Nicky Baker’s performance did you like?

I liked Ms. Baker's various accents and voices for the multitude of characters. At first, I was put off by the narration cadence and sound resembling Robin Leach and the 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'. But as I continued to listen to the story, Ms. Baker's cadence eased off on the Robin Leach style and relaxed in the narration.

Longer pauses between scenes would have been nice.

Any additional comments?

This is not my first audiobook by Ms. McClintock. I enjoy her books. She writes a wonderful story and spins a well contrived mystery. I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Alaina Claiborne

After being offered an opportunity to listen to Alaina Claiborne on Audible, I jumped at the chance. MK McClintock has been on my radar ever since discovering her British Agent series on Goodreads. I recently won a copy of another McClintock title, CLAYTON'S HONOR, but have not read it yet. I was happy to start here. The synopsis to all of her books sound so appealing and my love for historical fiction drew me in. So now that I've finished my listen, what did I think? Wow! The beginning is immediately powerful and starts with a bang. Alaina is a young girl enjoying her youth, beloved by her wonderful parents and all is well with the world. In an instant, that secure world will vanish right before the young girl's horrified eyes. I was a rapt listener, my attention completely focused. Nicky Baker has a beautiful voice and does a fine narrative. Each character that she portrayed was easily distinguished. Lovely narration. Alaina's story is a blend of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. While a bit predictable, it's a pleasant listen. I would've liked a bit more depth to the mystery and it often times felt rather rushed. I was a tiny bit irritated that Alaina was kidnapped one too many times, right under the nose of those protecting her, and McClintock never chose to explain certain how's and why's. I would've liked to know more about some of the characters. For instance, the beginning introduces the reader to a big meanie villain. He's downright detestable and then, afterwards, he makes a few appearances and very little is mentioned of him again. Perhaps McClintock plans to restore this baddie in future books. Whatever. He's a great villain and someone I'll love to hate. Every story needs one, right? Overall, a decent listen with likeable characters.

Great narration!!

Any additional comments?

I wanted to love this book. The narration was excellent and when there were some niggling things about the story, the narrator kept me listening and engaged. Then the ending came and I lost it.

Prior to the ending, Alaina had been kidnapped twice. They figured out by who and were working on the why. All good. Then Alaina, in a strange country, walks out of her hotel room, in her nightgown, and leaves the hotel to follow people into the night of an unknown city. If this were a physical book, I would have thrown it across the floor. Guess what happened? Yup, three times kidnapped.

While my mind was still reeling from that, a character was introduced, who I did not even know existed, but was such a pivotal point in the plot that I screamed. I wanted to go back to the beginning of the book to see if I just missed his existence but I was done.

This was a good listen and the things that bothered me will probably not bother you. With the excellent narration, it's certainly worth your time.

This wasn't the book for me

I liked the premise of the book: how love eradicates the thirst for vengeance (kind of.) Equally, I liked the storyline, that of a young woman, Alaina, facing huge losses in her life which compel her to take action against the murderers involved in the deaths. It wouldn't be difficult for her to find them had she not been afraid to recount the terrible event. It is only until she meets, a secret agent, Tristan, that she begins to speak of her memories and her vengeful motives. During their journey, they discover great conspiracies and we are left questioning: who can be trusted?

It was an excellently intelligent book but, I felt that it didn't fulfil its full potential: the romance was unjustified, it moved too fast even though it had begun as a platonic friendship. I feel that their friendship never had the opportunity to develop: they were united by the losses they faced as young children but I kept thinking that once they received their 'closure', there would be nothing to their relationship. It was so serious, what is a friendship if not built on laughs? I longed for jovial, comedic characters, was that too much to ask? I wanted wit and sarcasm in the dialogue, instead l received hysterical conversations, empty threats, and upsetting moments, and constant kidnappings.

I truly did like the beginning, it held such promise and the sombre narration was wonderful with it. Actually, on second thought, the narrator was really pleasant throughout, apart from when the characters became upset- then, her voice adapted a somewhat croaky voice. All in all, the book wasn't that bad, it just wasn't for me.

I received this book through Audiobook Boom.