• Courting Catherine

  • The Calhoun Women, Book 1
  • By: Nora Roberts
  • Narrated by: Kate Rudd
  • Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (546 ratings)

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Courting Catherine  By  cover art

Courting Catherine

By: Nora Roberts
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
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Publisher's summary

A Lasting Legacy

Catherine "C.C." Calhoun is determined to keep her family's estate, known affectionately as the Towers, in the family. She admits the cost of keeping up the crumbling mansion might be quickly exceeding what C.C., her sisters and her aunt can afford, but the only way to save the house can't be to sell it. Especially not to arrogant and handsome hotel magnate Trenton St. James III.

Trent doesn't believe in mixing business with pleasure, especially with a woman who expects - and deserves - true love and marriage. Trent has little faith in either. And yet, C.C.'s passion and purpose begin to change his mind about the Towers... and about love. But can he have one without sacrificing the other?

©1991 Nora Roberts (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"[Nora] Roberts weaves a story like no one else, and if possible, she just gets better." ( Rocky Mountain News)

What listeners say about Courting Catherine

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    349
  • 4 Stars
    117
  • 3 Stars
    62
  • 2 Stars
    13
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    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
    107
  • 3 Stars
    51
  • 2 Stars
    21
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    11
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    318
  • 4 Stars
    104
  • 3 Stars
    49
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    4

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The narration is really annoying

I'll start by saying that I certainly can't do better, but I'm not a professional narrator. It's only the one voice that made me cringe: Trent. The upper class Boston businessman who shows up to buy the Calhoun's family home to remodel as a hotel. His accent sounds more like a bad version of New Jersey mob. I've re-read the dead tree version of the book countless times since it was published in 1991 (you may find some of the situations a little outdated but it hasn't bothered me in this book). As much as I dislike abridgments I've owned the first two books in the series in the abridged versions (only 2 hours, they had to cut more than half the story) since they became available in 1998. Those were narrated by Laural Merlington, who is just about always at the top of my list of narrators. So I looked forward to these coming out as unabridged audiobooks for a long time. Then I had a hard time finishing this one. I put it down and listened to half a dozen books before I came back to finish it this morning and I almost put it back down but there was only an hour to go.

To temper my overall negative review I have to say that I will take a chance on the 2nd book. Since Trent is the only voice that bothers me and he doesn't show up as much in the succeeding books I hope that this is a one off complaint rather than a slam on the series. You don't get to hear Trent speak during the sample so I can't suggest that listening to that will help you decide whether it's a voice that won't bother you the way it did me. It's a good enough story though of the five in the series it's my least favorite. Its importance is in the fact that it lays the foundation for the series. You could always read this one and go on to listen to others but if you're like me there isn't a lot of time to sit and read these days so I turn to audio books. I relisten to audio books since I'm fortunate enough to have a poor memory and can enjoy them repeatedly, Still, with some series I skip a book if I know the story well enough and I expect that I'll skip this one most of the time, I might listen to it every couple of years to re-lay the series foundation but I may just take time to read it instead.

If you like old Nora Roberts books I can recommend the narrations of the Stars of Mithra series and the Mackade Brothers series. I had a few problems with the narration of the Mackades but I've listened through a couple of times since they came out so it certainly didn't bother me the way this did. The second and third books of the Stars just came out so I've only listened to them once but they were very enjoyable.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

GREAT SHORT LISTEN!

I enjoyed this book the entire time! I didn't want it to end. I hope there is a sequel. Still too much to answer or tell a story about!!!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Cute story, bad narration

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the overall story here, and I love the way Nora Roberts handles a series so I'll be reading the rest. But this is an example of how a narrator can ruin a book. Trenton St. James III is described as Bostonian and it's inferred that his wealth is inherited, but he sounds more like a thug than Boston Brahmin. Think more Rocky Balboa than Kennedy. She did a great job of the varying female voices and personalities, but lost me on Trent.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Painful to listen to

If you can’t do the correct accent, then just don’t do an accent at all.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love Love Love...

my mom started me on Nora Roberts years ago and her novels and series are a comfort to me as I lost her 4 years ago. this our heart connection. thank you very much.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

More of the same 'no brainer' reading

I have come to the conclusion that all of Nora Robert's books are the same, just change the names, change the surroundings, and tweak the romantic parts a bit. Her books are good to read between all the 'heavier' mysteries, political thrillers, apocalyptic literature I consume, so I consider Nora Robert's books relief and pleasant reading, though boring and repetitive.

I would say "don't bother buying these books" but if you need a book you can fall asleep to or don't have to think about, this is a decent series. Otherwise, eh...........

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

narrator just about killed it for me!

The male lead was supposed to be a Boston old wealth and he sounded like a New Jersey thug! Very weird. Not one of Nora Roberts best but OK to get me through a long drive.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Staring Rocky Balboa!

The narration was good with one exception. Trent sounded like he was about to step in to a boxing ring with Apollo Creed. He was supposed to be upper crust and snooty with it. It was very jarring to hear Sylvester Stallone instead.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Narrator

I am upset by the horrific comments about Kate Rudd. I love this book and the narrator does a great job. No matter how good the books are but narrator can ruin it. Kate Rudd does such an awesome job with all the characters. Nora Robert is such a great author. Enjoyed this book and the narration.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Parallel storylines unresolved

There's the story of the past which is never fleshed out and the attraction between the modern 'lovers' is either lust or magic or reincarnation and it left me very disappointed,

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