Serena

By: Claudy Conn

Narrated by: Mary Sarah Agliotta, VOplanet Studios

Witty and refreshingly candid, lovely Serena has been capturing hearts young and old alike. Her guardian uncle worries, though, that at 23 she will soon become a spinster. He wants a better life for her than that, but she doesn't want to make a match without her heart being in it.

And none of the men courting her have touched her heart - not Warren, the old friend who woos her even as he eyes other women; certainly not Eustace, the minister concerned more with appearances than compassion; not even Freddy, perhaps the most ardent of her suitors but at 19 still a puppy.

Then Freddy's uncle, the handsome Lord Pendleton, arrives to extract his nephew from the woman he expects Serena to be - one interested only in wealth and a title. When he refuses to believe that, far from trying to ensnare Freddy, she has been urging him to return to Oxford, her ire gets the better of her. She decides to let his lordship stew in his own juices. And when it becomes clear Lord Arrogant's plan is to get her to change her course from Freddy to himself, feisty Serena sets her own course.

©2014 Claudy Conn (P)2014 Claudy Conn

Amazing

If you could sum up Serena in three words, what would they be?

Charming, exciting, sexy

What did you like best about this story?

This is my first audiobook and I must say I love it!! Claudy Conn is one of my favorite authors. Serena is an amazing read AND listening to it was a treat! Will definitely be downloading more from Claudy Conn.

Have you listened to any of Mary Sarah Agliotta and VOplanet Studios ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Any additional comments?

You can never go wrong with Claudy Conn!

Bizarre delivery of a good book!

I’d recommend reading it! The narrator had a peculiar cadence, odd pitch, often halting rhythm and over bizarre delivery. It’s too bad because the story is good.

You want to listen? Listen to the snippet first, then listen six more times and if you’re still ok with it then go for it....

Heat Factor is low, one brief sex scene, not well written so it’s good it was short! Not tasteful terminology either, but maybe for some people those words are used commonly enough... but a honey pot is a.... well a plush bear I know can explain what it is! ;)

Creditworthy, not exactly....

Sweet Romance

Would you consider the audio edition of Serena to be better than the print version?

I would have to say that I got different experiences from both. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I would have to say Serena, a beautiful young lady who is happy with her life. She takes care of her uncle and he wants her to find happiness and marry but she is holding out for a love match. She knows that none of the men she has met will do. Well that is until she meets Lord Pendleton.

Have you listened to any of Mary Sarah Agliotta and VOplanet Studios ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first I have listened of them but I did really enjoy it and hope to listen to more of them.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Amazingly sweet love story that will pull at your heart strings

Any additional comments?

I can't get enough of Claudy's books!!!

started out a very enjoyable read but.....

But I can't understand why a writer presents a wise beyond her years sensible and wonderful heroine then to continue controversy I suppose has that same savvy intelligent character make the dumbest decisions and assumptions. creating bad situations and relational dynamics that a simple word or two of communication would solve. a communication that any normal person would have made under the same circumstances. I found myself so infuriated I could not continue the book, though I was more than halfway through it and wanted to know what would happen next. Sorry mega dumb leading ladies sours the read for me. Great narration however, Ms. Agliotta is as usual without peer in her excellent narration.

Wonderful love story

If you could sum up Serena in three words, what would they be?

Inspiring love story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Serena?

She always did what her heart told her to do no matter the danger!

Have you listened to any of Mary Sarah Agliotta and VOplanet Studios ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

It just sounded very wonderful and enjoyable.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes when Daniel misjudges her and doesn't have enough faith in her love, so that made me very upset as well because I could relate. Then what made me laugh was when Daniel beat up the reverien because he deserved it for slapping Serena!

Any additional comments?

I thought this was a very inspiring and wonderfully written story and I enjoyed reading it very much. I just love author Claudy Conn's writing skills and wonderful imagination for creating such wonderful stories for her reader to read. I would recommend her books for others to read for they are such great reads and once you grab one of her books you won't want to stop!

Serena

What made the experience of listening to Serena the most enjoyable?

the story is so good and a joy to listen to

What did you like best about this story?

Lord Pendleton and his ideas were funny since Serena has a mind of her own

Which character – as performed by Mary Sarah Agliotta and VOplanet Studios – was your favorite?

Serna she cam alive with the narration

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

laugh

Any additional comments?

Caludy Conn has written a story MADE to be listened to

Loved it for the second time..

This is one of those books that's real close to either loving it or hating it, and only a little in-between. I actually loved everything about it. I absolutely loved Serena's personality and sense of adventure. I loved Daniel and his confusion about what was going on between Serena and his nephew Freddie. And I love, love, loved Freddie. The voice the narrator gave Freddie was just fabulous, always so full of life and child-like excitement. I loved that it wasn’t just a silly love story that went on and on and went nowhere. It had robbery, treason and murder in it, so there was something to look forward to other that another misunderstanding, and a whole lot more angst. Oh, there was angst in this story but there was something more than that, too.

I really liked the secondary characters, Serena’s uncle, Squire Moorely, Jasper, Lewis and Billy. I really couldn’t stand Eustace or Warren from the very beginning.

There was one explicit sex scene in this and no swearing.

As to the narrator: As long as a narrator can make men sound like men and reads with such emotion you really can’t complain. Even if a female narrator reads like a robot I can overlook that as long as her men sound like they should. And Mary Sarah Agliotta’s men definitely sounded like men, so I’m happy with the book.

Excellent!

This is only the second book I have listened to written by Claudy Conn, but I enjoyed Serena even more than the first, which I found engaging. I have added a couple more of her books to my wish list. I really like her writing style. I like the way she defines her characters personalities, as well as their appearance. You feel like you have been picked up and set into the scene she is describing.

It is hard to find an author with fresh ideas for those of us that read/listen to several books per month, but "Serena" fits that category. I didn't want to put it down, so to speak, and listened to it straight through.

The book is about the adventures of a beautiful unconventional lady; who, at the age of 23, was being pressured to choose a man to marry from her numerous suitors. Serena refuses to marry without love.

Freddy, one of Serena's suitors, is a wealthy, titled young man of 19. He tells his mother he is going to marry Serena. Upset that her son is considering marrying an "older woman" and refusing to return to University she asks her brother, Lord Pendleton, Freddy's uncle, to investigate the woman and talk some sense into her son.

For Serena, it is love at first sight when she meets Lord Pendleton, although she doesn't recognize the feeling. For Lord Pendleton plan "B" in rescuing his nephew is to turn Serena's attention away from Freddy to himself.

The story includes love and romance, murder and mayhem and theft of a gold shipment.

This was my first time to hear Mary Sarah Agliotta read, but she gave a noteworthy performance.

I highly recommend "Serena".

Lovely!

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

I would definitely recommend this book. Claudy's books are all unique in their own right. She knows how to put a story together and make you fall in love with the characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Serena!

What about Mary Sarah Agliotta and VOplanet Studios ’s performance did you like?

She knew how to read the characters.

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

The whole thing moved me. I love these characters.

Love and mystery

This was a good meld of love and mystery with not too much of either. There were times when there seemed to be too many characters for an audible book, but I kept listening and was able to sort the characters out. I recommend this book of those who like historical fiction.
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