Review of ‘The Chosen One’ by TB Markinson, Audiobook narrated by Lori Prince
I’m slowly but surely going through this author’s back catalogue and somehow missed this audiobook with the narration by Lori Prince. This is book one in The Chosen One series by TB Markinson and it’s right up my street: half political thriller, half sweet romance. A great formula to guarantee hours of enjoyment.
Ainsley Carmichael is in her freshman year at university but her life isn’t like her classmates’. She’s part of the political dynasty of the Carmichaels, and the chosen one to become the US president in the future. Getting involved with other girls isn’t in her cards but when Maya the Gray appears in her history class all bets are off. Soon enough it’s clear to Ainsley that Maya is as attractive as mysterious. What is Maya hiding and will both women be able to explore a relationship together?
This was a fun and entertaining listen. I loved the political intrigue and manipulation that surrounds Ainsley’s family, commanded by her 90-year-old grandmother. The Carmichael family reminded me of the Kennedys, for their prominence in politics and because they were also from Massachusetts. This author is very good at writing characters who are varied, realistic and well fleshed-out. Most of her books feature not only well-written leads but also interesting secondary characters.
Ms. Markinson is a historian and likes to supply the reader with random tidbits of information about former US presidents and historical data but it never feels as info-dump, at least, nor for me (though I majored in Political Science). The story has a part of intrigue around Maya’s mysterious past. This subplot resolution felt a bit rushed and wrapped up too easily but I guess that it might develop further in the second installment of this series.
The audiobook was narrated by Lori Prince who did an excellent job with the good amount of characters, varied in age, accents and gender. I loved her voice for Maya and the self-deprecatory tone for Ainsley whose anti-heroine antics and tendency to get involved in embarrassing situations is epic. Ms. Prince’s playful tone was a good match for this story but she also performed the more emotional moments with ease. I can’t wait to listen to book 2 of this sequel, ‘The Hidden One’. 4.5 stars.
Length: 7 hours, 41 minutes
