Review of More than Words by Harper Bliss, Audiobook narrated by Angela Dawe
This is book 9 in the Pink Bean series which follows a group of lesbian friends who gather in a coffee shop in Sydney. Most books can be read as standalone as each focuses on a couple’s relationship but there will be minor spoilers of the previous books. This particular novel is very slightly connected to book 8, Crazy for you, but it shouldn’t be an issue to follow this story without reading the previous one.
Katherine Jones has retired from her previous job as a call girl and now is opening a new branch of the Pink Bean café with her best friend Rocco. His aunt, Hera Walker, is tasked with the new building renovations. Hera is recovering from the death of her lifelong partner and having a former escort as a client isn’t helping. Can Hera see past her own prejudices and discover in Katherine a beautiful and compassionate woman who can make her happy again?
This is another very good installment in the Pink Bean series which, like its predecessor, deals with the double standards towards sex workers. At the beginning of the story, Hera shows her prejudices and bigoted attitude which doesn’t help the reader to like her. However, the author shows us her human side as Hera explores the source of her conflicts with her therapist Jill Becket, who incidentally is one of the mains in book 10. The scenes where Hera discusses with Jill, her anguish and the way to move forward, are very well written and some of the most compelling of the story.
Katherine, on the other hand, is a lovable character who, like Liz in book 8, is unapologetic about her life and career choices and won’t tolerate Hera’s disrespectful attitude. Slowly but surely she will tear down the protective walls that Hera built around her and show Hera that she can have another chance in love.
The audiobook was narrated by Angela Dawe who narrates most of this series (except for book 3) and does again an outstanding job at it. As I said in the other reviews of this series, these books are demanding because there are a good number of female characters but Ms. Dawe manages to interpret them all with distinct voices and personalities. As usual, her performance of the diversity of feelings is fantastic. This narrator is an excellent fit for this series and adds value to the final product. 4.5 stars.
Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
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