John Thornton won my heart

I listened to the audio book and this story is a must read or listen to. John Thornton, who is travelling to Spain to save his mill, runs into Miss Hale who is also travelling to the same location. She is injured and travelling alone, so Mr. Thornton travels as her brother. We get to know John's mother , Hannah more thoroughly as well as Frederick (Margaret's brother) and his wife. I fell in love with the honorable, honest, strong John Thornton more than ever during this story. It was so well put together. I recommend this to anyone who loves Darcy, yes Darcy, as he is a Darcy in a later age. The narrator Ana Clements did a phenomenal job bringing the characters to life and brought out the nuances of the story with such skill. I highly recommend the audiobook and highly recommend this story to lovers of JAFF and Darcy.

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5 people found this helpful

A Spicy Spanish Adventure

What did you love best about No Such Thing as Luck?

With a voyage, an accident, an exotic location, a villain, a fist-fight, a wedding, a death, a fugitive, the threat of execution, and plenty of steamy make-out sessions, NSTAL makes a fine plot for a blockbuster film. I loved that Margaret and John rediscover each other in locations foreign to them. It's adventurous with a dash of danger. I loved the flamboyant villain, Jiro. Jiro’s machinations only prove John to be the the brave and selfless knight in shining armour we know he can be, and who doesn’t swoon at that? We’re also introduced to some new characters on the voyage, and we meet Frederick and his family in Spain. Plus, there's plenty of John and Margaret makeout sessions!

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

There can be too much of a good thing though. For me there was a bit too much kissing too early in the story. Part of the fun is the angst, so I would have preferred a slower burn.There’s also a bit too much plot. There's a lot of action, which can actually be a great thing for most readers, but I’m old-school so I prefer to explore a character's inner world a bit more.

What does Ana Clements bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Ana Clements is an accent wizard, seamlessly transitioning from Northern to Southern, Spanish to French. She brought the right touch of tenderness and heat to John and Margaret's more intimate moments. I found her tone and rhythm relaxing. She definitely gets a thumbs up from me.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, I laughed at several places. But if you've read Nicole's books, that's to be expected. :)

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2 people found this helpful

Stunning Story!

What a beautiful way to spend more time with the characters I've come to know and love! A solid story that stays true to the characters created by Gaskell. I'll be revisiting this for some time to come!

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1 person found this helpful

Great narration of this North and South variation

I had read this book on Kindle earlier and I liked it a lot. So when I got the opportunity to listen and review it I couldn't resist.

The story has interesting turn of events and I like Margaret and Mr Thornton in this version (I do like the original Margaret and Mr Thornton too). The narration is great as well.


I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.

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Entertaining story

I really annoyed this story. I’ve read this author’s other 2 north & south variations and this was by far the most believable and entertaining. More stuff happens vs the author filling the story with wordy passages. The narrator was good, just a bit slow and monotone at some times.

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Love this variation!

I wished there were more great variations on this book. I love to see the 2 main characters working towards HEA throughout the book. You already know they will get together so you want to see them happy and together. At least I do.

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Very enjoyable!

Good plot, nicely read thoroughly enjoyable! Nicole Clarkson developed the personalities of Margareth and John quite well.

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I enjoy the book

good story not great and has no
depth everything happens within two long weeks John and Margaret love relationship were pretty good but I like John's mother and her interaction with little Johnny the narrator I like some of her voices but not John she makes him sound slow and unsure of himself and why she takes long pause between chapters didn't do a good job

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Sweet story, though it went on a bit too long...

No Such Thing as Luck by Nicole Clarkston is the story of Margaret Hale and John Thornton. Miss Hale is injured while about to set sail alone on a large ship. Mr. Thornton, with whom she had previous dealings with (and feelings for) is also aboard and once he realizes that she is traveling alone, takes it upon himself to act as her brother to ensure her safety while keeping her reputation intact. They get found out and without giving away spoilers, this is their story.

I have to say, I really enjoyed the book in the beginning. Now, this is a longer novel at a little over 14 hours. I only listened to about 8.5 hours of the story before giving up. I was just bored. Obviously, you can see that I am in the minority by the other reviews here, but this book just wasn't for me. The characters were likable, but I just think that for such a long story that it didn't progress fast enough for me.

Ana Clements did a very good job narrating this tale. Her reading accent fit perfectly with the time setting that the story took place in. Her diction was great and she brought life to the characters. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

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Poignant story

The story was very well written, even though the romance was a little over the top, but it was the narrator who truly impressed me. I was astounded by the extraordinary performance. in fact, I only decided to read this book after hearing her narration of another book. she is probably the best narrator on Audible, IMO, right after Alex Wyndham. I will be looking for more of her books.

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