Passion Blue

By: Victoria Strauss

Narrated by: Robin Eller

When 17-year-old Giulia, the orphaned, illegitimate daughter of a Milanese nobleman, learns she’s to be packed off to a life behind convent walls, she begs an astrologer-sorcerer for a talisman that will secure what she’s certain is her heart’s desire: true love and a place where she belongs. But does she really know the compass of her heart? The convent of Santa Marta is full of surprises, including a workshop of nuns who are creating paintings of astonishing beauty using a luminous blue mixed from a secret formula: Passion Blue. As Giulia’s own artistic self is awakened she’s torn: should she follow the young man who promises to help her escape? Or stay and satisfy her growing desire to paint?

This richly imagined novel of a girl’s daring journey towards self-discovery transports listeners into the fascinating world of Renaissance Italy where love and faith and art inspire passion - of many different hues.

©2012 Victoria Strauss (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

False accents -UGH!

I'm not sure how I'll feel once I get to the end, but the false accent added to all the dialogue is truly annoying. This accent would make sense if it took place in say England with Italian visitors, but it's Milan, for Pete's sake. Everyone is Italian, so the fake accents aren't needed. It makes it really hard to follow the story and at the moment I'm glad I didn't purchase the second in the series.

Worst. Narrator. Ever.

Would you try another book from Victoria Strauss and/or Robin Eller?

Yes/No.

Would you recommend Passion Blue to your friends? Why or why not?

Not the audio version.

Would you be willing to try another one of Robin Eller’s performances?

NO. NO NO NO.

Could you see Passion Blue being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Anyone who can, y'know, speak Italian.

Any additional comments?

I wish I could rate the story here, but I really can't. I got through less than fifteen minutes of it before I had to turn it off, because the narration is horrid. Not just bad, but painful -- for some reason, she believes that an Italian accent is no more than stilted english with an "uh" added at the end of each word. "You-uh are-uh so fat-uh." That kind of thing. I seriously cringed from the first dialogue and gave it a good go (since the beginning of the story isn't bad, as written), but there's no way I could finish nine hours of uh's.

I'm going to try to get the kindle version instead, and read it that way, since the premise is intriguing. I'll just be skipping the audio version -- and this narrator.