It's something a little different today on the blog, with a review of an audiobook drama. Riverside is a soap opera written by one of my favourite authors, Glenda Young and it's published weekly in The People's Friend. Ian Skillicorn wrote the script to convert it into an audiobook and it's fantastic so make sure you scroll down and enter the giveway to try to win an audio copy for yourself.
The feel-good, life-affirming story of love, friendship, family, and new beginnings!
Changes are coming to the riverside town of Ryemouth, and while some of the community are excited by new beginnings, others are finding it hard to let go of the past.
A new 14-episode audio soap with a cast of loveable characters you'll want to laugh and cry along with.
Susan and her boyfriend Dave can't wait to open their new café and deli, The Old Engine Room. But Susan's dad, George, is not so thrilled. He's never approved of Dave, who used to hang out with the wrong crowd. Can the happy young couple win George round?
Mary and Ruby have been friends since the first day of infant school, even though their lives have turned out very differently. Mary has a contented family life with husband George and daughter Susan. Poor Ruby has never been so lucky in love. Then she meets her teenage crush in surprising circumstances. Mary has her doubts about the charming Paul. Will Ruby finally get her own happy ever after?
Dave wants to put his past behind him. His dream is to make a success of the business, and one day be a good husband and father, like his own dad, Mike. Yet, he's forced to keep a secret from everyone he loves. Who should he turn to for help out of a tricky situation?
When the community comes under threat from developers, can everyone put their differences to one side to defend the town they love?
Riverside is full of romance, heartbreak and secrets, as well as gentle wit and humour.
The Riverside audiobook drama is based on the popular weekly magazine serial written and created by Glenda Young.
What did I think?
I love Glenda Young's books so when I heard that Ian Skillicorn had written a script for an audiobook drama based on Glenda's weekly soap opera that's published in The People's Friend I couldn't wait to listen to it. I don't listen to a lot of audiobooks as I find it hard to maintain my concentration levels if I'm doing something else at the same time, but I didn't have that problem with Riverside as I was completely riveted from start to finish.
I've never listened to anything like it; Riverside is absolutely brilliant. It's an audiobook drama with a full cast of characters and wonderful sound effects that bring the whole book to life. Each chapter has its own little story as well as there being a thread running through all of them as we follow the characters' lives. Running time is just under four hours with 14 chapters that average around 16 minutes each, so it's very easy to fit a couple of chapters in here and there. I was so addicted that I could have easily listened to it in one sitting, if I hadn't had other books to read too.
The setting is the fictional town of Ryemouth (a nod to Glenda's hometown of Ryhope, where her fabulous historical sagas are set), and its undergoing a lot of change and regeneration following the closure of the shipyards. The riverside, with its penthouse flats and artisinal vendors, is barely recognisable from its industrial past and, although it's sad that a lot of people lost the only job they'd ever known, most people think the change is for the better.
The characters become instantly recognisable because of the amazing actors who play them and apart from one (who shall remain nameless) I loved each and every one of them. There's a lot of drama, laughter and warmth in the stories to keep you entertained and they often finish on little mini cliffhangers so you always want to listen to more. I could have kept on listening way beyond the 14 chapters as I am now totally invested in the characters' lives and I want to find out what else Glenda has in store for them.
Heartwarming, humourous and completely addictive, Riverside is so fantastic that I really can't recommend it highly enough. I do hope there is more to come in audiobook as I absolutely loved it and I'm missing the characters so much that I am already considering listening to it again. Without doubt, it's an outstanding audiobook drama that's not to be missed. A definite five stars and I'd give it more if I could.
I chose to listen to an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
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Twitter: @ian_skillicorn / @flaming_nora
GIVEAWAY!!
Giveaway to Win 5 x Audio copies of Riverside (Open to UK/US)
*Terms and Conditions – UK/US entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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