Then Came You: A Bradford Sisters Novella

By: Becky Wade

Narrated by: Ryan Hudson, Heather Masters

Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's Summary

A leather-bound journal. A single father. A woman in pursuit of freedom.

Garner Bradford, heir to the troubled Bradford Shipping empire, doesn't know much about babies. But he's going to have to learn fast, because he's just become a single father to his newborn daughter. As he confesses through his journal entries, he's not entirely sure how to keep a newborn alive, whether or not he'll ever patch together his shattered heart, or how to forgive himself for his mistakes.

Career girl Kathleen Burke is wholly uninterested in settling down. She has big dreams, and none of them include Garner and his small hometown in Washington State. Yet she can't seem to get her handsome boss out of her head or her heart. There's something extraordinarily tempting about his beautifully sad green eyes....

Told through journal entries, phone conversations, and letters, Then Came You is a unique, heart-stirring romance novella by acclaimed author Becky Wade.

©2016 Rebecca Wade (P)2018 Rebecca Wade

a story told through journals and letters

this is a quick novella that is different...the story is told through journals and letters. Kathleen is a career girl who wants nothing to do with relationships and family. She has her heart set on joining the marketing team of Estee Lauder, a childhood dream, and everything before that is considered temporary. She begins working for Bradford Shipping but still hopes for that dream job...until she sees Garner Bradford. Garner Bradford is a hottie who has made some poor chocies in life, and became a single dad in his early 20s, but he pines for his baby momma, irresponsible though she be. After a couple of years, Garner recognizes that his dream of a family with his daughter's mother is a pipe dream and he moves on. His new wife is soon pregnant, and another daughter is born into the Bradford family. It is at this point that Kathleen sees Garner. By a cruel twist of fate, Garner's wife is killed and he is, once again, left as a single dad. He also loses his dad and is forced to take on the CEO position at Bradford Shipping. This is when Garner and Kathleen lives intersect and end up dating. Really sweet HEA and beautiful epilogue.

A wonderful audio version of this favorite.

After reading the physical book and the book that follows, I was curious how I would like the audio version. It was fun to listen to, even though this story is so bittersweet. I liked hearing the journal entries in a man's voice as well as the other parts in audio. A must-read for fans of inspirational contemporary romance, of the author, and of the Bradford Sisters series.

Nice Beginning to a Wonderful series.

I liked the journal entries by Garner Bradford. They really showed his inner thoughts. This story is a great beginning to a wonderful series.

Then came you

Very good. I really enjoyed the male/female narration. It made the story come alive. I love Becky Wade',s books

Emotionally Absorbing Listen!

Where does Then Came You: A Bradford Sisters Novella rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Pretty high up there.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Garner for some reason. He seems so real - flaws and all. Though Kathleen has that naiveté that we may all have (even if we don't like to admit it)

Which character – as performed by Ryan Hudson and Heather Masters – was your favorite?

Garner by Ryan Hudson

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

A bit emotional there for a bit!

Any additional comments?

Then Came You by Becky Wade hit my radar very early on, especially with that yummy cover! It was also the start of a new series, the Bradford Sisters Romance series. A little back story first; Then Came You is the introduction the Bradford family headed by the patriot, Garner Bradford in the full novel series, beginning with True to You, released last year.

I didn't know what to expect, but I knew it would be good. I've read True to You and the authors' previous novels. Expectations aside, I was amazed by how attentive I became with the audio version of this story. Not having read the print copy yet, I'm listening to it all new. Both narrators (yes, both!) did such a marvelous job in expressing the different emotions, and even the nuances you can just image, like the annoyance Kathleen felt at times with her mother. Granted, I'm familiar with and enjoyed Heather Masters' narrations, so I'm thrilled to hear her voice our main character. However, I must give the love to Ryan Hudson and his narration of Garner Bradford. There's an air of confidence about his voice that had me imagining his role as the patriarch of the family a generation later in the full novels. Even during the emotional moments, I felt it embody the character's disappointments, frustrations, and even love. Well done.

The story itself was very well executed. At first, I was wondering why the announcement of where in the story we were at, be it a conversation or a journal entry. Then, once we're into it, you realize the story's emotional and personal thoughts were all written. How sweet is that?! I thought it was clever in telling the story. As I finished listening to the story, I loved and pondered on the message of God's grace to us. In all, Then Came You is a fabulous introduction to a series and the audiobook is one emotionally, absorbing listen.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

A Sweet Start to a Great Series!

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

Becky Wade is an amazing storyteller and the narrators did a fantastic job.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Then Came You: A Bradford Sisters Novella?

The style in which the book is written is unique and very memorable.

What does Ryan Hudson and Heather Masters bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Skilled acting and emotion really shine through in their voices, adding depth.

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

The whole story was gripping.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book.

Excellent Audio!

I first read the Kindle version of Then Came You and loved it, so I was so excited to listen this the audio this time around. Wonderful characters, stellar narration - they truly sounded like the characters. I love the realism of this story. Wade manages to walk the line between sweet yet serious, giving readers a happy ending without sacrificing realism. Definitely check out book one of this series as well!

Great Voices

If you could sum up Then Came You: A Bradford Sisters Novella in three words, what would they be?

Story come alive.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Garner's voice and character. And I love Kathleen's determination.

Which character – as performed by Ryan Hudson and Heather Masters – was your favorite?

Ryan Hudson and Heather Masters both did a fabulous job. I love the strength in Ryan's voice snd the softness and joy to Heather's.

Any additional comments?

Ryan and Heather brought life to the novel, which I had already read. My husband and I enjoyed listening to the story together.

Wonderful story read by fantastic talent

Ryan and Heather do an amazing job with this story. I had previously read the book and chose to listen after hearing raving reviews of their performance. I'm so glad I did. Then Came You is the prequel novella to The Bradford Sisters Series. It's written in an epistolary style, meaning the story is told via letters, emails, phone calls, etc. It is the first book in this style that I've read and I found the unique approach to be very enjoyable. This story touches your heart and causes you to care for the characters. It perfectly sets up the series and leaves you anticipating more. Hearing the male perspective read by a male and the female perspective by a female really enhanced the enjoyment of the story!

Enjoyed Every Moment

Not only was this story told in a unique way as far as storytelling goes, but it switched between male and female narration. That enhanced this book-on-tape, allowing the listener to become even more attached to the characters and plot. A wonderful beginning to a series I’ll continue reading or listening too!