Two in the Bush

The Branwell Chronicles, Book 1

By: Judith Everett

Narrated by: Clare Wille

She thought he was the perfect man for her daughter, until she fell in love with him herself.

Sir Joshua Stiles wants nothing more than to fill the hole in his heart left by his wife's death, but it seems that women are more interested in his fortune than in himself. Cynical and ready to renounce all females, he is none too pleased when his sister invites her dear friend to visit for the Season.

Having survived a joyless marriage, Genevieve Breckinridge has no romantic expectations. In coming to London, she hopes only to cure her daughter's Gothic fantasies. But Sir Joshua seems always to be at hand, either to witness Genevieve's most mortifying moments, or to make himself so agreeable that she wishes she had not given up romance.

When her daughter develops a decided tendre for Sir Joshua, however, Genevieve suddenly realizes where her own heart lies and must make a painful choice. For what loving mother could (or would) play rival to her own daughter?

©2020 Judith Hale Everett (P)2021 Judith Hale Everett

Delightful. A definite re-listen

I purchased in read a paper copy, and loved it. However-- having a native Brit actress narrate this book, took it to a whole new level. The characters were brought into sharper focus. Clare Wille captured Judith Everett's humor and wit woven through out the book.
Judith's meticulous study of regency times and the locations is evident in her writing. There are scenes and scenarios with historical elements cleverly intertwined in the telling of the story. I often felt it was written during those times.

If I were an influencer I would unabashedly promote this audiobook and the paperback book.
If you are a regency era book lover and you want a light delightful book to read or listen to, this is an excellent choice.

I listened for the second time. so fun to catch different details. loved it just as much, if not more.

Wholesome Romance with adventure

Two In a Bush is a delightful Regency-era romance novel that focuses on the young Lenora who is about to make her debut this season. Her mother, Genevieve Breckinridge, calls on a dear friend from her past to help debut her daughter. While she is not seeking to marry her off just yet, she does want to remove the silly romantic ideas Lenora focuses on and gives her some experience in the real world. Throw in dashing Sir Joshua into the mix turning heads with his dashing good looks yet arrogant attitude and the fun ensues. Genevieve not only has her daughter to worry about but must make some tough decisions and possibly even more sacrifices of her own.

The author, Judith Everett, weaves a captivating story highlighting the Regency-era and its views on romance. She develops each character carefully and with significant details focusing on their personalities and the era. I have to say, I really did not like Sir Joshua at first but then began to enjoy his character. I used to read Barbara Cartland and dreaded finding a replacement author to feel those times when I wanted pure romance and during a romantic era. I think I found that replacement with Ms. Everett!

The narrator, Clare Wille gives a sweet performance that enhances the story. Her voice is smooth and clear. Wille’s cadence is steady and polished moving the story forward.

This is a fresh, wholesome romance book that is easy to listen to and allows the listener to become engrossed in the story.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

My Happy Place

Life is often stressful, and there’s so much clamoring for our attention. Listening to this delightful book was my happy place to go. The narrator did a superb job! Judith Everett is a talented writer. Her character depictions were good, her dialogue brilliant, and her plot twists were intriguing. I would recommend Two in the Bush to anyone who likes Jane Austin type genre.

Good writing skills

Yep, the young girls can go on about romantic silliness at times. As a mature woman, I’m not interested in that as a large portion of the book, but it’s easy enough to skip over those parts or play them faster. This is an okay story, and the writing is excellent. I absolutely love that there are no tedious internal thoughts. Yay! Also, some have complained about Joshua’s demeanor. But I thought it was easy to see that he had a wry sense of humor and an understated sense of the absurd, and I enjoyed his personality. Wish he played a more frequent role. I would have enjoyed seeing more small hints of love growing. Villains aren’t a favorite trope for me, so those parts were fast-forwarded as well. The writing style shone, and because of that, I’ll try the next one in the series. A minor complaint is that the very talented narrator drops her voice too low in some of the dialog.