Review of ‘Snowbound’ by Cari Hunter,

Audiobook narrated by Lesley Parkin

Police officer Sam Lucas is held hostage after an armed robbery goes wrong. Seriously injured, her captors ask for medical assistance. Dr. Kate Myles volunteers to help and both women will have to work together in order to survive. Their experience will change their lives forever and will make their bond strong with the possibility of developing into something deeper.

I’ve read this book years ago and now decided to listen to the audiobook. My first thought after listening is how impressive this book is considering that this is Cari Hunter’s debut. Even though I appreciate Ms. Hunter‘s growth as an author through the years, ‘Snowbound’ is by no means a minor work. All the distinctive elements of her style are present here: the British feel through the use of language, the permanent gloominess of the weather and the northern English habits; Ms. Hunter’s sense of humour and wit; and the well-conceived plot. Her obvious talent is already at display in her debut novel.

For me personally, it is a bonus that this is not a gruesome work like, for example, Ms. Hunter’s ‘Dark Peak’ series. ‘Snowbound’ isn’t free from violence but it keeps a balance between the spine-chilling moments and a heartwarming romance. So, if you are a romance fan and don’t mind a bit of violence and suspense, this book is worth it as the love story has more page space compared to other books by Hunter. As usual, all the characters are well-written, distinctive and multilayered, even the villains. Thanks to the author’s experience as a paramedic, the medical scenes are credible and realistic. So, if you are new to the author and want to read her novels chronologically you won’t be disappointed, and if you have read most of her recent work, ‘Snowbound’ won’t let you down either. Ms. Hunter’s high-quality consistency is rare in lesfic.

This was the first audiobook I’ve listened to by this narrator. I’m a bit on the fence regarding Ms. Parkin’s performance. On one hand, she is very good with the different accents and generally giving a British feel to the narration. On the other hand, I cannot explain why but the tone of the narration didn’t work for me, it seemed too overdramatised in the modulation of her voice which took me a long time to get used to. I have to say that this is my personal experience perhaps due to the fact that I’m too used to listening to other narrators, so just take it with an extra grain of salt. In any case, because of the quality of the writing and the appeal of the story, this audiobook is worth your while. Unfortunately, it’s not available on Audible Escape or Scribd but at more than 9 hours length, it’s good value for money.

Overall, a very good lesbian debut audiobook. 5 stars for the story, 4 stars for the narration. Average, 4.5 stars.