Title: Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride
Author: Eli Easton
Narrator: Matthew Shaw
Publisher: Self-Published
Run Time: 7 hours and 34 minutes
Category: Historical
At a Glance: Between author Eli Easton’s incredible story and Matthew Shaw’s marvelous narration, Robbie Riverton: Mail Order Bride is simply outstanding and I highly recommend it to you.
Reviewed By: Sammy
Blurb: Being a fugitive in the Old West shouldn’t be this much fun. The year is 1860. Robby Riverton is a rising star on the New York stage. But he witnesses a murder by a famous crime boss and is forced to go on the run – all the way to Santa Fe.
When he still can’t seem to ditch his pursuers, he disguises himself as a mail-order bride he meets on the wagon train. Caught between gangsters who want to kill him and the crazy, uncouth family of his “intended”, Robby’s only ally is a lazy sheriff who sees exactly who Robby is – and can’t resist him.
Trace Crabtree took the job as sheriff of Flat Bottom because there was never a thing going on. And then Robby Riverton showed up disguised as a woman and betrothed to Trace’s brother. If that wasn’t complicated enough, Trace finds the man as appealing as blueberry pie. He urges Robby to stay undercover until the danger has passed.
But a few weeks of having Robby-Rowena at the ranch and the Crabtree family will never be the same again.
Review: Normally I would divide this review between the story and the narration, but I find with this one I can’t really make that delineation. I wonder if author Eli Easton had an audible narration in mind as she wrote this novel, for I have to tell you never have I encountered a story that lent itself to narration like this one. First off, narrator Matthew Shaw is a vocal genius who uses every bit of the vocal prowess he has to bring this story to life. I cannot tell you how often this voice actor had me laughing just by the way in which he interpreted a character’s voice. From Papa’s high-pitched querulous tones to Trace’s incredibly sexy gravel-like inflection, I was mesmerized by this story come to life.
Mr. Shaw was simply spot on. His pacing, intonation, emphasis, pausing, and myriad voices made this novel sing. I loved the way he chose to have Robbie swing from the effeminate tone he used for Rowena to the bolder, more masculine tone he normally had when interacting with Trace. Don’t get me started on how perfect the voice was for Trace—that slow, low-pitched drawl that made you feel as if the character were standing right in front of you—so sexy and so realistic.
Then when I thought Mr. Shaw could lower his voice no further he gave wing to Clovis—Robby/Rowena’s intended—and his bass tones hit a bottom register I have never heard from a narrator before. The stunning array of pitches and accents he used for the many, many characters, both male and female, in this book were just amazing. Never have I been so enthralled by an audible rendition of a story, and never have I been so entertained.
Between author Eli Easton’s incredible story and Matthew Shaw’s marvelous narration, Robbie Riverton: Mail Order Bride is simply outstanding and I highly recommend it to you.
You can buy Robbie Riverton: Mail Order Bride here:
[zilla_button url=”https://adbl.co/2LyNumL” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Audible [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/robby-riverton-mail-order-bride-unabridged/id1421848363?mt=3″ style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] iTunes [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B07G2Q234L?d” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon [/zilla_button]