BY WINTER'S LIGHT Cynsters, Book 21

In this twenty-first installment of the Cynster family adventures, tutor Daniel Crosbie is resolved to win the heart of governess Claire Meadows during the family’s Christmas festivities. But Claire has already loved and lost once, and is hesitant to risk her heart again. Though Matthew Brenher’s voice is simply delightful, and his calm, mellow delivery is engaging, he employs accents or inflection only for certain characters. While these few are compelling and unique, most of the considerable cast, particularly the female characters, remain largely indistinct. Also, longtime fans appreciate Stephanie Laurens’s understated humor and character insights, and the absence of these in Brenher’s narration downplays the story’s suspense. B.E.K. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2015]