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A review by petra_reads
Lilac Lane by Ann Swann
4.0
My original Lilac Lane audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Lilac Lane is the second book in the Stutter Creek series, but the third I have read, as I ended up reading these in the wrong order. But that didn’t really matter, as each book works fine as a standalone and focuses on one couple in particular. Characters from the other books in the series make an appearance, which is quite nice because after a couple of Stutter Creek books it feels like you are returning to a place you know which is inhabited by very likable characters. This one has been my favorite of the three I’ve now read/listened to.
It concentrates on Ella and her son, Nick, who are hoping for a fresh start in Stutter Creek after escaping the abusive behavior of husband and stepdad, Anson. The relationship between Ella and her son was touching and a very enjoyable element of the story. The romantic relationship between Ella and the local wildlife biologist, Chet, was believable and nicely done. The romantic elements remained very ‘mild’. Lilac Lane was heavier on the suspense than on the romance. But there wasn’t any overly bloody or gory violence either. [a:Ann Swann|5420711|Ann Swann|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1359688850p2/5420711.jpg] did a good job of creating a creepy atmosphere and building up the suspense.
The narration by Mindy Grall was excellent. She had a very pleasant voice, nice intonation, and good tempo to make this into an enjoyable listening experience. All her characters sounded credible, including the 10-year-old child and the male characters. This was the first time I listened to Mindy Grall. I would definitely listen to more books narrated by her, and I’m pleased there was a change of narrator from book 1 to book 2. There were no issues with the quality of the production.
Overall, an easy and enjoyable listen which should appeal particularly to listeners who like fairly clean, almost ‘cozy’, romantic suspense stories.
Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com
Lilac Lane is the second book in the Stutter Creek series, but the third I have read, as I ended up reading these in the wrong order. But that didn’t really matter, as each book works fine as a standalone and focuses on one couple in particular. Characters from the other books in the series make an appearance, which is quite nice because after a couple of Stutter Creek books it feels like you are returning to a place you know which is inhabited by very likable characters. This one has been my favorite of the three I’ve now read/listened to.
It concentrates on Ella and her son, Nick, who are hoping for a fresh start in Stutter Creek after escaping the abusive behavior of husband and stepdad, Anson. The relationship between Ella and her son was touching and a very enjoyable element of the story. The romantic relationship between Ella and the local wildlife biologist, Chet, was believable and nicely done. The romantic elements remained very ‘mild’. Lilac Lane was heavier on the suspense than on the romance. But there wasn’t any overly bloody or gory violence either. [a:Ann Swann|5420711|Ann Swann|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1359688850p2/5420711.jpg] did a good job of creating a creepy atmosphere and building up the suspense.
The narration by Mindy Grall was excellent. She had a very pleasant voice, nice intonation, and good tempo to make this into an enjoyable listening experience. All her characters sounded credible, including the 10-year-old child and the male characters. This was the first time I listened to Mindy Grall. I would definitely listen to more books narrated by her, and I’m pleased there was a change of narrator from book 1 to book 2. There were no issues with the quality of the production.
Overall, an easy and enjoyable listen which should appeal particularly to listeners who like fairly clean, almost ‘cozy’, romantic suspense stories.
Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com