Chelynne

By: Robyn Carr

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

Orphaned and raised by her uncle, the feisty 16-year-old Chelynne resolves to show her gratitude by marrying the man of her uncle's choice. Bracing herself for a graying, sickly noble, the last man she expects for a husband is the dashing future Earl of Bryant, Chadwick Hawthorne - suddenly, being a loving wife doesn't seem too hard a task. But he spurns her affection and remains her husband only in name, never in deed. Tormented by unfinished business from his past and an uprising threatening his land, Chad resolves to keep his distance from everyone, including his young wife.

Chelynne will go to any lengths to ignite her husband’s passion and save their marriage. But when she finally goes too far, the Earl must share his dark secret before Chelynne loses her reputation - or worse, her life.

Set during the English Restoration, Chelynne is filled with political conspiracies, family secrets, and shocking affairs, creating a deliciously complicated plot. Fans of Virgin River will love this historical novel written with Robyn's trademark zest for life.

Robyn Carr is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the Virgin River series, published by Mira. Chelynne is the first of her nine historical novels, which will be reissued as digital editions in the coming months.

©1980 Robyn Carr (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A delightful book…. Robyn Carr is absolutely marvelous." (Danielle Steel)

"Adventure, danger, derring-do, as well as doings at the glittering anything-goes court of Charles II.... Carr tells an entertaining yarn." ( Publishers Weekly)

Wife

I really enjoy listening to Robyn Carr's books. But this one I understand that it takes place in the 1800's. But I didn't like the fact that a 33 year old man has wed a child of 16. I would have enjoyed the story much better if the girl was 18-21 years old.

Light entertainment

Robyn Carr books are always easy to listen to and when I just want light entertainment and a good storyline that ends happily ever after I choose her books.

Horrid narration!

The narrator ruined this book entirely. The female voice was whiny and sounded like a 6 year old little girl and the king’s voice…so many things wrong here. Nasally and incoherent. She made him sound like an absolute buffoon. Just awful! Outside of the narration- the book drug on and on. If you’re waiting for anything romantic between the main character don’t hold your breath. It’s mentioned in the very last 20 minutes.

A Good Book RUINED

Robyn Carr is a very talented writer who can depict characters in such a way as we feel empathy even if they are unlikable. The storyline was on point for the genre even though there were parts that I felt I had heard elsewhere. Altogether a most enjoyable book - absolutely ruined by the narrator.

I think that Robyn Carr has done an excellent job with the language of the day but Alison Larkin destroyed it. She had two female voices. The first was a silly little girl and the second was an embarrassing attempt at a temptress. She also had two mail voice. One was a quivering old man and the second was a quivering old man with a dirty mind. It was very hard to take the heroes seriously. I appreciate it very much when a narrator takes the time to perhaps read a piece before recording it so they can develop an understanding of what the author is trying to say, especially with dialogue. I got the feeling that Alison's narration was the first time she had put her eyes to the page. A lot of what she recited was an inaccurate portrayal of the scene. I found I was correcting her as I listened most of the time and this certainly detracted from the listen.

I love Robyn Carr books - all of them - but I hope she never uses Alison Larkin again.

One of Carr's Best Historical Romance

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

YES! This story was full of angst, secrets, villains, love and rogues. I wasn't sure I was going to like it after some of the reviews, but I was caught up from the beginning and hardly could press pause!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Chelynne?

Memorable.....when Chelynne is saved from harm by John....the second time. The night they spent together and with their conversation and other....eye opening moment for her.

Any additional comments?

I loved Carr's By Right Of Arms....liked The Bellrose Bargain pretty good.....did NOT like The Braeswood Tapestry...so I didn't know what to expect with Chelynne. WELL WORTH THE CREDIT or MONEY. GREAT CHARACTERS!!! GREAT STORY!!!

Acceptable Read!

I love Robyn Carr and she always bring humor to her stories and characters. This was a good read, typical story line but still entertaining 👏

EXCELLENT ROBYN CARR

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, I really like the story, but the reader was terrible

What other book might you compare Chelynne to and why?

I have heard a story almost like this one by another author

Would you be willing to try another one of Alison Larkin’s performances?

No

Do you think Chelynne needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Maybe with a different reader

Any additional comments?

The reader read so fast that the whole book was as one word. No pause at sentence end, no definition or emphasis. Very dull.

Much More Than I Expected!

What did you like about this audiobook?

This book was more complex and entertaining than Robyn Carr's usual books. She allows the story and characters to go beyond the usual "formula" romance.

Chad is a not a nice man, but not in a sexy, arrogant way. He is truly an insensitive man. R.C. is not afraid for the reader to be diappointed with, or fed up, with Chad's behaviors.

Chelynne is sweet, naive, and genuine, but not sickeningly so. She is easy to relate to when considering the life lessons she learns and her position in an older, unsavory group of peers. She was not whiney or simple. I was actually rooting for her during most of the story, which is unlike me.

There were aspects of the story that had me speculating, such as whether John was playing with people or sincere in his dealings. I was continually wondering about what would come next.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

Not increased, but made the era come to life. I love the time period and the complexities in relationships. Whether the particpants are wealthy or not, there are always unwritten social rules that people must instinctively know and adhere to. There was a gross inequity between husbands and wives that can make for some creative events within the story.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

The whole story is full of detail, and the reader is made to understand all that occurs and the nuances of the time period, but it is seamless.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Chelynne's character was portrayed as a bit too frivilous and girly, but otherwise all was good.

Do you have any additional comments?

This was an awesome book. It was just plain entertaining and full of life. I lost many hours of sleep because I did not want to trun off my mp3 player so I could go to sleep. I was truly suprised at how different this book was from anything R.C. has previously written. I have read the entire Virgin River series and can say this is probably the best book she has written to date. I hope to see/hear more. WELL WORTH YOUR CREDIT.

Good book. But long

The book is great, but I think It's long.
The narrator makes the characters alive, so that helps to get to the end.

Not happy

I am not sure if I am disappointed in the author or the narrator. Not sure if I will read another book by this author, The story was dragged out for so long with no sexual relations until the story was nearly finished.The narrator did a horrible voice of the King, I was so disappointed.