Valentina

De: S. E. Lynes

Narrado por: Ruth Urquhart

When Glasgow journalist Shona McGilvery moves with her partner Mikey and their baby to an idyllic cottage in rural Scotland, they believe that all that lies ahead of them is happiness. But with Mikey working offshore, the frightening isolation of the Aberdeenshire countryside begins to drive her insane....

That is, until she is rescued by a new friendship with the enchanting Valentina. She has the perfect home, the perfect man, and a charismatic new best friend - or does she? As her fairytale life begins to unravel, the deep dark wood becomes the least of her fears....

©2016 S. E. Lynes (P)2018 Tantor

Well written and entertaining.

I thought the writing was outstanding. The plot is going to require a significant leap of faith, however... Not that I can't get there. If an author entertains me, I follow her off the bridge. An epilogue would've been a nice way to end the book because it just sort of ends right after the climax. I needed an after dinner mint.

Loved This Audiobook

I thought this book was amazing ! What great twists!!! This was a very unique story! Believable characters. The narration was superb. I highly recommend.

Manipulative and twisted? Indeed!

I’ve found an adept new narrator, Ruth Urquhart. S.E. Lynes always a winner! After starting this outstanding audiobook, as I anticipated, it was a satisfying listen. An audictive offering, as Lynes and Urquhart combine their remarkable talents to bring this elaborate tale to life, complete with a {{{jaw, meet the floor}}} finale. To top it off, I chose this thriller from Audible Plus catalogue. Highly recommended. Get “Valentina” now! I am I am excited to start another Audible Plus book, Wendy Hudson’s “Four Steps,” narrated by Urquhart. Epic, I say! EPIC! EPIC! EPIC!

✍️👏🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👏✍️

As I listened to the Urquhart’s Scottish dialect, I returned to my cherished childhood memories of my Scottish Granny and family. RIP Robert Ross.

Glad I finished

Narration was horrible at the beginning. I almost didn't finish this book. I started it over and I'm so glad I did. By the middle of the book narration didn't bother me anymore. This is an amazing listen, I definitely recommend. ♥

Really good, except...

I really enjoyed listening to this book, but the ending disappointed me a little. It just seemed like the character was making a big mistake with how she reacted to all that had happened and it might have worked out terrible for her. She was smarter than that. Wish it would have been a bit different in the end, but still a great listen for sure. Narration was great!

Entertaining

I enjoyed the storyline. It was nice to have the female main character be smart, not naive and stupid. Very refreshing

This was an exquisite psychological thriller!

I loved the way the story drew you in and then continued with lots of twists and turns!

Very VERY Talented Narrator

I’ve been on the search for audiobooks w/ Scottish accents because it’s different from the usual English accents in the other books I like. To me they’re more engaging than books narrated in an American accent.
I was happily surprised to find that not only does Ruth Urquhart do a great job reading with emotion, she also was able to smoothly transition between a Scottish accent to an Australian and an English accent in this book too! I don’t even know the narrator’s real accent, that’s how good she is! The inner dialogue is very descriptive, not overly embellished and is very relatable.
The story kept me binge-listening through my commute to work, at my office, and my drive back home.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 👍🏼👍🏼

Couldn’t put this book down.

Great story. Well written and narrated. I will defiantly purchase another listen from this author. Enjoyed Book very much

A tale of trust and betrayal

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

Anyone who has had a brush with a covert narcissist or been exploited romantically to see how a trusting nature can blind you entirely.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Shona, because she had a true heart and an honest reaction.

What about Ruth Urquhart’s performance did you like?

I found the voice of Shona difficult at first, she talked quite fast, but I got used to it and the story went well. The voice of Valentina in her real voice would sometimes drift into her fake one with the occasional phrase or words.

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

The mental processes of Shona because I've just come through a 3 decade charade with a covert narcissist who unmasked with a double life.

Any additional comments?

It felt like it ended abruptly.