CHRISTMAS AT SUGAR PLUM MANOR

Narrator Liz Pearce is exactly the storytelling tour guide listeners will want for a holiday manor house romance set in 1902 England. She sounds bright and whimsical as Lady Mariah Lyons, whose beloved Plumford Manor will eventually pass to her stepfather's heir, Cyril Lightbourne. Pearce's voice for Cyril is boyish and earnest. When Cyril joins Mariah's family for the holiday season, Pearce provides different voices for Mariah's parents and siblings, as well as Danish and Irish characters who have appropriate accents. Throughout, Pearce is clear and crisp; her pace is tuned to savoring each of Plumford's winter pleasures. As Mariah decides between two futures, Pearce alludes to Christian morality in a gentle way, giving listeners a satisfying ending perfectly suited to the Christmas season. C.A. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2024]