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The Reluctant Suitor  By  cover art

The Reluctant Suitor

By: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Narrated by: Lynn Redgrave
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Publisher's summary

For as long as she can remember, Lady Adriana Sutton has adored Colton Wyndham, to whom she has been betrothed since childhood. But Colton was too proud to submit to a future not of his own choosing, and he fled his ancestral home for a life of adventure as a British army officer.

Years later, the girl Colton spurned has blossomed into an uncommon beauty desired by every eligible bachelor in the land, except the man she desires, the decorated hero who has finally returned home. As arrogant and seductive as ever, Colton agrees to court Lady Adriana for ninety days to prove that love cannot be forced, after which time he will be free. But this stunning, spirited woman is far different from the young chit he left behind. And a heroic heart, once tightly closed, is now susceptible to Adriana's charm and sensuality, even as dark secrets and a rival's treachery threaten to steal her from Colton's arms forever.

©2003 Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (P)2003 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"...the racy escapades are as entertaining as ever." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Reluctant Suitor

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Never buy an abridged book!

I read this book in paper years ago and thought it might be fun to hear it read. The abridged version left out so much that it made the story silly and characters became one dimensional and boring.

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27 people found this helpful

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

IF YOU'VE READ THE BOOK, DON'T BUY AUDIO VERSION!

Bottom line is this is my ALL TIME favorite HR book period. I read it yearly in print, but this abridged version is terrible. They have cut all the great parts and back story out to the point your like hey, how did we get here and why are we here. You lose time and place during the story. Buy the book it is AWESOME!

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26 people found this helpful

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

I really do not like the "Abridged" Version

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I love this book, but I cannot stand that it left out key parts to the story.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

For a start I would get someone who is much younger and not a smoker. She is interesting, but it was weird to hear a story like this through this voice.

What three words best describe Lynn Redgrave’s performance?

I don't know

Did The Reluctant Suitor inspire you to do anything?

NO

Any additional comments?

Please get the unabridged version! I love this story but you are missing key elements. Also, please get a younger person to read the story.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Sexy, but poorly written

The story was very formulaic and the language was painful to read at times. The use of the word "orbs" to refer to eyes over and over again made me wince each time I heard it...

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8 people found this helpful

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

Mixed up storyline

I have liked other books by this author, so I was really hoping that this would be a good audio. The fourth chapter has major issues -it starts at the end and ends at the beginning and is very disjointed. I think whoever abridged this book also did it very poorly as there are gaps in the storyline. I am very unhappy that I used a credit

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The Reluctant Suitor

This book was a historical romance and I enjoyed it immensely. The story line was good and it had romance and suspense. I highly recommend.

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4 people found this helpful

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

NEVER BUY WOODIWISS ABRIDGED!

Kathleen Woodiwiss was one of the most amazing writers ever. My heart is broken to know there will be no more . RIP. That being said you can not edit out any part of her book or you loose the entire story. Her tales are so intricately woven and detailed that they immerse you into another world. They completely draw you in. Any abridged version you never get there because your missing the details, the hold that keeps you there. You get lost just wondering what the hell happened and that doesn't make since and your only left disappointed. Especially if you've read her before as you know how she writes and this isn't it. The narrator at that point doesn't matter.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Not her best

I have read most of Kathleen Woodiwiss novels, however this is far from her best. I did not finish it. Not near as entertaining as The Flame and the Flower

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Much ado about idiots

This is a truly dreadful book in all respects. The heroine is supposedly 'headstrong' but comes off childish and irritating while the hero rigidly lacks charm. Their romantic obstacle (misplaced pride again - and it has never seemed more outlandishly self-involved) is too foolish to care about one way or another. I'm sad to say that the worst of all is the narration. Lynn Redgrave's virtuoso performance just shines lights on the book's every flaw. Reading this silly story as if it were Shakespeare just makes it seem more ridiculous that it is. And that is very ridiculous indeed.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

great story

I truly fell for the characters in the story and loved every word I heard.

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2 people found this helpful