Narrated by Kaleo Griffith

Carnal Gift is part historical romance and part history lesson. Pamela Clare set her novel in 1754 during the penal laws era in Ireland and on the eve of the French and Indian War in the Colonies. Clare did her research and the crushing laws described throughout Carnal Gift moved the action forward.

Living in rural Ireland, our heroine Bríghid Ní Maelsechnaill and her family are proud, poor, and persecuted. We meet the Maelsechnaill family mere moments before they are torn apart by the penal laws enforced by the earl, Sheffield Winthrop Tate III, Lord Byerly. But Bríghid and her three brothers, Finn, Ruaidhri, and Aidan, are strong and they manage to hold the family together after the loss of their father – that is until the hated earl once again focuses his attention on the family. Ruaidhri, the brash middle son, dares to challenge him but the the earl is persuaded by his friend Jamie not to harm Ruaidhri. Bríghid is not so lucky.

Jamie Blakewell is a wealthy tobacco plantation owner visiting from the Colonies and an old university friend of Lord Byerly. Jamie is struck by Bríghid’s beauty so, true to form, Lord Byerly abuses his power as the overlord to kidnap Bríghid and present her as gift to Jamie to be used in whatever fashion he desires. Understanding the danger Bríghid is in, Jamie is forced to play along with the earl’s disgusting game while secretly vowing to keep Bríghid safe.

The romance builds gradually as Jamie implements his plans to keep the earl away from Bríghid. Those plans thrust the two together and the spark lit the night when Jamie kisses and touches Bríghid for the first time grows into desire and then passion. When they realize what they feel is love for each other, they face challenges, both internal and external that aren’t solved easily but through communication and sacrifice the two find a way to be together. This is what I look for in a good romance. It’s realistic and shows a depth to the characters. Bríghid and Jamie are more than raging hormones.

Kaleo Griffith’s narration adds a layer to an already multifaceted book. The reader knows that Bríghid and the entire country of Ireland hates the English, but the listener of Carnal Gift hears and feels that hatred. From the first night when Bríghid meets Jamie and he pretends to rape her, Bríghid’s voice drips disdain when she speaks of the earl and the hated English. Over time, when she comes to understand, respect, and finally love Jamie, her voice changes and becomes softer and quieter. Our hero Jamie, the alpha male with a strong moral code, is powerful, refined, and thoughtful. He speaks in short, clipped tones when he’s defending Bríghid’s honor or arguing with Ruaidhri. As Jamie recovers from an injury sustained in his efforts to keep Bríghid safe, we hear his strain with each movement and his short, shallow breaths. When advocating for the frontier families in the Colonies, he speaks with passion and determination. And Ruaidhri, unable to rein in his temper, always talks with a sharp edge, especially when speaking to Jamie or questioning his sister on her feelings for the Englishman. Griffith includes every groan, growl, and yell. Ruaidhri sounds like the argumentative and angry sixteen-year-old that he is. All characters receive Griffith’s close attention as he distinctly performs each with accents that match the characters’ homelands and upbringings.

Listeners of the audiobook miss out on the acknowledgements, author’s note, and Clare’s explanation of her usage of Irish Gaelic. Clare gives the reader the backstory of her writing Carnal Gift and the struggles to get the complete version of the book published. I am so glad that Pamela Clare persevered and I was able to listen to the book the way she intended. Her note on Gaelic added to my understanding and enjoyment of the audio.

I recommend fans of Clare and Griffith pick up the eBook along with the audiobook. Griffith is talented, but when you see the complicated Gaelic names in print while listening to those same words roll off of Griffith’s tongue, talented is too mild a word. Kaleo Griffith is brilliant.

The epilogue of Carnal Gift may be a little too perfect, but I was so wrapped up in the characters that I forgot to be skeptical of how well all of the pieces came together. While the graphic violence throughout the book was hard to listen to, it felt real and because of that, Bríghid and Jamie’s victory felt all the more sweeter. Griffith’s portrayal of this final scene brought tears to my eyes and I savored Bríghid and Jamie’s happy ending and the promise of a bright future.

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