A Night to Surrender

Spindle Cove, Book 1

By: Tessa Dare

Narrated by: Carolyn Morris

Welcome to Spindle Cove, where the ladies with delicate constitutions come for the sea air, and men in their prime are...nowhere to be found.

Or are they?

Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: The painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men; it is a haven for those who live there.

Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn't belong here. So far as he can tell, there's nothing in this place but spinsters...and sheep. But he has no choice, he has orders to gather a militia. It's a simple mission, made complicated by the spirited, exquisite Susanna Finch - a woman who is determined to save her personal utopia from the invasion of Bram's makeshift army.

Susanna has no use for aggravating men; Bram has sworn off interfering women. The scene is set for an epic battle; but who can be named the winner when both have so much to lose?

©2011 Eve Ortega (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Funny and sensual!

The story was fun, had me laughing out loud and sharing with my husband. There were a few scenes I thought far fetch, but was still enjoyable. I have just started reading Tessa's books, but I'm becoming a fan! :)

The narration made the story droop I think.

The story was nice, but I'm more interested I think in the world Dare has created in Spindle Cove than these two particular characters; and I don't know if that's writing or narration or perhaps both. The narration, though adequate, was too austere for my taste--it took the sparkle out of the dialogue. Once I got used to it I could enjoy the story better, but overall this one was a bit lackluster for me.

Delightful story with likeable characters

Tessa Dare is a talented story teller and in this book, she tells another great story. I laughed in places and really enjoyed the repartee between the main characters....great senses of humor. Carolyn Morris did a great job. Her inflection was outstanding. The only con is the excessive sexual banter and innuendoes. There can be too much sex.

Excellent

Lovely story. Susanna is my favorite heroine in this series so far. Such a slunk lady.

This narrator is no Mary Jane Wells!

This is the first book of the Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare and narrated by Carolyn Morris. After reading all three books from the series "Girl Meets Duke" narrated by Mary Jane Wells, I was rather disappointed in this book. ALL three books of he Girl meets Duke series are very funny(!), and MARY JANE WELLS IS A VERY GOOD NARRTOR for Tessa Dare's humorous books!!! I understand that the authors of books don't have any say in who narrates their books unfortunately, but I really think they should! The authors have written the books and know how they imagine their humor or stories should be read. Mary Jane Wells is an excellent narrator but CAROLYN MORRIS IS NOT. She doesn't "get" what the author is saying and reads it sweetly in her own voice. The males in her books did not sound like males. I mistakenly thought that all Tessa Dare's books were humorous, but they are not - which is disappointing to me.

I'd hoped to like it more

Read from January 30 to February 12, 2014

Story: 3 stars
Narrator: 4 stars

The reason Tessa Dare's books are on my To Sample list is because I've read tons of favorable reviews of her books and, most compellingly, a few of the reviews I've read compare her to Julia Quinn, who happens to be my favorite historical romance author.

So maybe I went into this book with expectations that were too high. I was expecting a solid plot; fun, witty, and charming characters; and fantastic relationship development.

What I found in the book was a serviceable plot, stock characters (though the main characters had their moments of individuality), and Insta-Lust in the place of genuine relationship development.

It was that third part that had me the most disappointed in this book. Instead of building genuine rapport and romantic tension between Susanna and Bram, it was hard-this and pulsating-that from the moment they met. I'm surprised Bram was able to remain standing for as often as he had physiological reactions to just seeing her across a room. And for an inexperienced woman who's (supposed) primary concern was for the reputation of Spindle Cove as a place young women could come and recuperate from illnesses or just be themselves when they couldn't in Society, she sure did "surrender" to the Insta-Lust early---and OFTEN.

And when I say often . . . once they consummate the first time (on the town green!!!!) they're going at it like rabbits whenever and wherever they can. One morning, in the hour it takes me to get ready to go to work, as I was listening to the audio, there were two (explicit) sex scenes and it seemed like a third one was starting. In just an hour of narration (the entire audiobook is around 11.5 hours long). I lost count of the times they'd "coupled" before we got to the end of the book and their epiphanies/declarations of love for each other.

As far as the plot goes, if Dare had made the storyline and the (expansive) cast of minor characters more of the focus of the book, it might have fared better. Instead, because of the way things resolved, it all seemed pointless and unnecessary. There were a few bright moments: Minerva and her reticule full of rocks; Miss Taylor cutting off her hair so she could fill in as drummer boy for the review; the poignancy of Bram's reaction to Finn's (or was it Rufus's?) accident. But other incidents (and viewpoints in the story) were too obvious a setup for the next book, and did nothing to serve the plot/main characters of this story, so came across as distractions.

Now, I will say that I didn't hate this book. Dare has a fun, breezy writing style that I enjoy. And while I'm not champing at the bit to read another one of her books right now, I'm not taking them off my list either. I was intrigued by several of the minor characters and I hope that some of them get their own stories.

Great His/Hers dialogue

Where does A Night to Surrender rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A Night to Surrender actually ranks among my "re-listen" audiobooks. Dare fashions great his and hers dialogue that reveals aspects of character, provides humor, and ultimately sucks the reader into participating in the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Night to Surrender?

Without giving too much away, there's a great scene when Bram and Susanna first meet that involves black powder charges and sheep. It'll make you smile and also make you look forward to watching the relationship unfold.

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

Carolyn Morris is a nice, neutral narrator who blends into the story in such a way so as not to ruin the narration.

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

Both Bram and Susanna have medically scarring experiences in their past and while handled lightly, Dare does a nice job showcasing the historical accuracy of how malpractice due to lack of information/resources in that age.I also think people will identify with Susanna's loneliness (as showcased in flashbacks, etc).

Pretty Good

I am a Tessa Dare fan but this series starter didn’t intrigue me enough to explore other books in the series.

Clever writing, great narration

What a superbly clever written book. It had some great lines that truly made me laugh out loud. The storyline was also well thought of and characters well developed. As much as I try not to read books in a series I’ll have to make an exception in this case. If the next two books are as filled with clever one-liners, then I can’t wait. Can’t believe I got this book on sale for $4.99 but once the sale is gone, it will still be worth the credit for those who are looking for not just a good story, but light humor.

Great fun read with great narration!

Loved the start of this new story - keep writing Tessa!
Love the mix of humor, romance and characters
Thanks