Audiobook Review – Beyond Compare (The Mad Morelands, Book 2) by Candace Camp, Narrated by Will Thorne (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 10 hours and 6 minutes
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Release Date: July 07, 2020
ASIN: B08BJD4YSN
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Mad Morelands series
Source: Borrowed ebook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Though Kyria Moreland is beautiful enough to earn the sobriquet “The Goddess” and rich enough to attract London’s most sought after gentlemen, she has yet to find love and refuses to marry without it. When she receives a strange package under mysterious circumstances, she is confronted with danger, murder and a handsome American whose destiny is entwined with hers…

Rafe McIntyre has enough charm to seduce any woman, but his smooth facade hides a bitter past. Still, he has seen enough of the world to know Kyria is in danger, and he refuses to let her solve the riddle of this package alone. But even he is mesmerized by the events that unfold as Kyria begins to sort out the mystery put to her by the arrival of a priceless antiquity. Who sent her this treasure steeped in legend? And who is willing to murder to claim its secrets and its glory for themselves?”

Series Info/Source: This is 2nd book in The Mad Morelands series. I got this on audiobok from Audible.com.

Thoughts: This is a bit more romance heavy than I usually like to read and has some very typical Victorian romance themes. However, this series sets itself apart from others because of the Moreland family. The Moreland family is much more modern thinking than your typical Victorian family and full of witty and zany characters. This also sets itself apart by including a fun historical mystery about antiquities, and it also has just a touch of magical realism.

Kyria is beautiful enough to be known as “The Goddess” and although rich suitors are always seeking her out, she has refused to marry any of them. She is the organizer and heart of the Moreland family, always making sure events are planned and amenities are available and generally making sure the whole eccentric Moreland crew is taken care of. When a man is murdered for an antiquity he brings to the Moreland house Kyria gets drawn into a dangerous mystery.

Kyria is desperate to unravel the mystery behind this antiquity and who better to accompany her on this adventure than the fearless American visiting the Moreland’s, Rafe McIntyre. What initially seems like it will be a fun adventure touring Europe quickly turns into something else when both Kyria and Rafe find themselves in danger and also strangely drawn to one another.

The banter here is witty and fun, and the Moreland family is a joy to spend time with. There is some adventure and mystery, but that definitely takes a back seat to the romance in this novel. If I am in the mood for a historical romance, this is definitely a series I will pick up. However, it’s not something I would want to read all of the time. I think I’ve been reading one of these books a year.

Kyria and Rafe have excellent chemistry throughout this book. They form a relationship of mutual respect. There are also some very well done love scenes between the two. There is a bit too much of them bemoaning what they see as their own deficiencies throughout, but part of the story is them growing as people as well as a couple.

I am not a huge fan of the audiobook narrator for this series. He always lifts his words at the end of a sentence, which makes every sentence sound like it’s something dire and major. I also feel like his voice doesn’t match the series well. He does a decent job with character voices, but more just narrates rather than sucking you into the story and making you feel what the characters are feeling.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. This is a fun historical romance with witty banter, quirky characters, steamy romance, adventure, and just a tad of magical realism. It is a bit romance heavy for me, but I absolutely adore the Moreland family. I also really enjoyed the mystery around mysterious antiquities. I plan on continuing to slowly read this series whenever I am in the mood for a historical romance.