Reviews &Testimonials
'The Orphan of Salt Winds' by Elizabeth Brooks. Brilliance Audio
'From the opening lines of this audiobook, listeners are transported to Salt Winds, a crumbling, secluded house on the edge of a marsh in England. The location becomes a character as narrator Helen Lloyd weaves the past and present of Virginia Wrathmell. The story begins in 2015, when elderly Virginia believes she has received a sign that tells her to take her own life in the marsh. The story flashes back to 1939, when the recently adopted 10-year-old first arrived at Salt Winds. From there, Lloyd takes listeners back and forth as the tragedies and mysteries surrounding Salt Winds unfold. Lloyd brings Brooks's descriptive writing to life. She makes certain the story's atmosphere is palpable as Virginia attempts to untangle her history and right past wrongs.' Audiofile Magazine.
'Meet Me At The Museum' by Anne Youngson. PRH UK / MacMillan Audio US
'In this lovely audiobook an English farm wife, fascinated by the Tollund Man, an iron age Dane found uncannily preserved in a peat bog, begins a correspondence with a curator at the museum in Jutland that houses the remains. Helen Lloyd's Tina is warm, thoughtful, and seeking. The curator, Anders, who has been fairly recently widowed, is writing to her in his second language, so Lars Knudsen's Danish accent conveys the differences and distance between them, even as they come to trust and rely on each other through shared language as they acknowledge joys and face hard truths about their own lives. Meanwhile, they speculate about death, mourning, ritual, sacrifice, and how life happens to people, from Tollund Man to themselves, to deeply satisfying effect.' Audiofile Magazine.
'Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively. Penguin Random House
I have no idea what Penelope Lively sounds like, but as far as I'm concerned Helen Lloyd channels the 84-year-old, esteemed author perfectly. Her mellow educated tone is just right for the Booker Prize-winning author's newest book which combines with gardening commentary. Lively has gardened since she was growing up in Egypt, and though she's now limited to a small London yard, she has formed opinions on everything horticultural: style, order, control, the admirable willfulness of plants, and why we keep planting our little plot. It's all here, as well as her thoughts on the gardens of the literary and the famous, including Virginia Woolf's inexplicable love of "nasty yellow bulbous spotty" calceolaria. These are audio essays for gardening enthusiasts to savor. Audiofile Magazine
'Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose' by Stephanie Laurens. Blackstone Audio
Helen Lloyd, British actor and narrator, simply enchants with her delivery of this charming story. Therese, Lady Osbaldestone, a grand dame of the British ton, has retired to the quiet village of Little Moseley. Lloyd's portrayal of Lady O. is perfect, capturing her spine of steel and very soft heart. Her portrayals of the children, the young lords, and those working "below stairs" are also spot-on. This is a true Christmas gift. Audiofile Magazine
'An Affair With A Notorious Heiress' by Lorraine Heath. Harper Audio
Narrator Helen Lloyd's tantalizingly breathy voice expertly showcases "Tilly" and just as effectively assumes a stronger volume and aristocratic accent for Rexton in this romantic story about learning to trust and risking all for love. Lloyd's portrayals of Gina, the younger sister, who is not as frivolous as she appears, and Rexton's younger brother, who is not as gregarious as he appears, are spot-on. Audiofile Magazine
The Viscount and the Vixen' by Lorraine Heath. Harper Audio
'Helen Lloyd's skilful and charming narration does much to carry the listener through a problematic plot. Portia Gadstone answers an advert, expecting to marry the mad, old Marquess of Marsden, but his son, Locke, intervenes--leaving her no choice but to accept him in place of his father. There's a crackling sexual tension between Portia and Locke, which Lloyd seems to relish giving voice to. Audiofile Magazine
'The Duke and The Lady in Red' by Lorraine Heath. Harper Audio
'Helen Lloyd uses a smoky, steamy voice as she narrates this final installment of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James' series. Listeners are treated to the sultry tale of the seduction of the Duke of Avendale by the mysterious Lady in Red. Lloyd softens her tone as Rosalind and Avendale trade barbs, lies, and secrets throughout this sensual romance'. Audiofile Magazine
Author Reviews
Helen Lloyd did a fabulous job narrating my memoir 'But My Brain Had Other Ideas.' Not only was her voice and intonation perfect, but she really captured the essence of who i am. She hit all the nuances of my inner self, fear, humour, grief, just right. As I listened to the final product, I felt as if I was listening to (a better version of) myself telling my story. I can’t be prouder of this audiobook. Thanks so much, Helen. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude.
DEB BRANDON - Author 'But My Brain Had Other Ideas - a memoir of recovery from brain injury'.
Helen Lloyd narrated my novel 'Owl Song At Dawn'. A challenging task since it includes an array of voices of various different accents and ages, including characters with different learning disabilities. I braced myself to listen to the recording, but as soon as I heard Helen's narration I knew that she was the perfect reader for my work. She captured the tone of the main character, Maeve, uncannily well, sounding just like the voice I'd heard in my head. Hearing all of my characters animated through Helen's sensitive and insightful reading was one of the highlights of my publishing experience. I can't recommend her highly enough.'
EMMA CLAIRE SWEENEY - Author ‘Owl Song At Dawn’.
'Not only does Helen have a hauntingly beautiful voice, rich and velvety, but her pacing and expression are perfect. Her reading of 'The Lodger' brought my book to life and magically captured its atmosphere.'
LOUISA TREGER - Author 'The Lodger'
I was very fortunate to have Helen Lloyd read my book 'Spero' for Audible books. Helen has a marvellous voice, rich and expressive and it conveyed the essence of my story.
URSULA WESTMACOTT - Author. 'Spero'
‘The Bosnians come alive for me in a way I wasn’t fully able to imagine on the page. I am impressed by your fluency in shifting from one voice to the next, alternating with the narrator’s. It seems to be a very complex interweaving which makes your skills all the more evident, and admirable.’
ALEXANDRA MARSHALL 'Adopting Sarajevo'
'Helen Lloyd brings to life my characters in 'A Patient Fury' and perfectly captures the evocative Derbyshire setting. Her nuanced narration was a delight to listen to.'
SARAH WARD - Author 'A Patient Fury'
Listener Reviews
'Life In The Garden' The voice actor is amongst the best I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. Nary a Latin name mispronounced and kindly and accessible throughout.
'Meet Me At The Museum' - 'First, I will reveal that I am neither sentimental nor entirely taken with most fiction. So I was not entirely thrilled to read this book when the title appeared on a friend's book club invititation. I decided to "read" it on Audible while doing some painting, just to fill up the quiet.
I was at first struck by the warmth of Lloyd's voice as compared to the perfunctory stoicism of Knudsen's. If I had not continued I might have jumped to the conclusion that his narration was not quite on par with hers; but I would have been wrong. The voices of the narrators, I came to believe, were perfectly chosen for these characters and lent an authenticity to the story that would have been missed had I simply read the book. Please understand that I love books and reading and by no means wish to indicate otherwise. I was simply struck by the superb vocal acting abilities of the pair.
The story, on the surface, was ordinary enough. An unlikely pair sharing stories about their everyday lives. No great intrigues, no build up of anticipation to make you keep reading. What compelled me to continue was the depth of understanding of the author of the cost of intimacy...the effort it takes to share of oneself and, therefore, be vulnerable to another. The characters' tales are somewhat common and, at times, even predictable. However, their willingness to share and learn from both their own and the other's experiences creates a sense of vibrancy and growth.
Youngson has imbued her characters with logic, optimism, hopefulness and so much more. The result leaving me feeling connected to and invested in this pair (and to my own feelings stirred by their words). So what, you might say, but I often feel alienated by so many modern characters whose flaws are over emphased so as to make them seem more human or by classic characters reduced to characatures or products of their time in order to serve the authors use of them. The characters in this book feel genuine, unique and relatable.
I have tried, to this point, not to give anything away but I would be remiss if I didn't point out that my favorite part is that we do not know what happens in the end. Even as I took pleasure in the development of the relationship between the two I was constantly dreading a tidy ending in which the they realize that they have fallen in love and now must be together at any cost. To my surprise and delight, this was not the ending I got.
From my perspective, the best part of the story was that the characters were unavailable for any kind of romantic entanglement, one mired in grief, the other committed to her marriage. The depth of their honesty and commitment to one another was made stronger by the fact that they could have been any one, from any time (like the Tollund Man himself) sacrificing themselves for the benefit of the other. I was relieved that Tina did not run to Anders in the end, as it would have been entirely out of character. This might lead one to believe that the character was jilted in the end but this was not the case. As she did throughout the book, Youngson ended the book with hope and possibility and the eternal search for new raspberries. I recommend that you read this book and perhaps discover a few of your own'.
'The Duke and the Lady in Red' --This was the first book in a long time where I didn't speed up the narration ever!' The story was great but the narrator's made the story telling even better. This was no light-weight regency love story. I couldn't stop listening. I have these really great water proof blue tooth buds so the only time I wasn't listening I was either sleeping or doing something else I found annoying because it interfered with my listening'.
'Money Farm' - 'Really Great Narration - Brits and Aussies and Germans and more. Lovely voice to listen to and she even captured the rather robotic nature of the cult-like members of the Money Farm.'
'The Earl Takes All' - 'Helen is one of my favorite narrators! She nailed the narration for Edward and Julia--making them come alive. I love her pacing and emotions. I highly recommend listening to this one.
'About Last Night' 'Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! It made me laugh out loud when I listened in the car, I even woke up at night and listened a bit more!
Producer's Comments
'Helen Lloyd is one of White House Sound's favourite narrators. With her rich tone, intimate storytelling and strong characterisation, Helen brings our books to life. Her sense of timing, ability to deliver and sustain accents and crystal clear delivery enriches the experience even further.
CHRIS PERKS - White House Sound.
Helen Lloyd's narration is remarkable. The strength and warmth of her voice easily lifts stories from the page and into the listener's ears. Her story telling is captivating; she is able to find the softest moments in a novel while turning on a dime to humor or anger. She is equally talented with nonfiction titles and presents the work confidently from the author's perspective. She is always an obvious choice for complex titles that require a range both broad and distinct. Lloyd is intelligent, professional, and always prompt. A delight to work with and asset to my roster.
JACKIE ROSENFELD - Casting Director 'BeeAudio Ltd.
'From the opening lines of this audiobook, listeners are transported to Salt Winds, a crumbling, secluded house on the edge of a marsh in England. The location becomes a character as narrator Helen Lloyd weaves the past and present of Virginia Wrathmell. The story begins in 2015, when elderly Virginia believes she has received a sign that tells her to take her own life in the marsh. The story flashes back to 1939, when the recently adopted 10-year-old first arrived at Salt Winds. From there, Lloyd takes listeners back and forth as the tragedies and mysteries surrounding Salt Winds unfold. Lloyd brings Brooks's descriptive writing to life. She makes certain the story's atmosphere is palpable as Virginia attempts to untangle her history and right past wrongs.' Audiofile Magazine.
'Meet Me At The Museum' by Anne Youngson. PRH UK / MacMillan Audio US
'In this lovely audiobook an English farm wife, fascinated by the Tollund Man, an iron age Dane found uncannily preserved in a peat bog, begins a correspondence with a curator at the museum in Jutland that houses the remains. Helen Lloyd's Tina is warm, thoughtful, and seeking. The curator, Anders, who has been fairly recently widowed, is writing to her in his second language, so Lars Knudsen's Danish accent conveys the differences and distance between them, even as they come to trust and rely on each other through shared language as they acknowledge joys and face hard truths about their own lives. Meanwhile, they speculate about death, mourning, ritual, sacrifice, and how life happens to people, from Tollund Man to themselves, to deeply satisfying effect.' Audiofile Magazine.
'Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively. Penguin Random House
I have no idea what Penelope Lively sounds like, but as far as I'm concerned Helen Lloyd channels the 84-year-old, esteemed author perfectly. Her mellow educated tone is just right for the Booker Prize-winning author's newest book which combines with gardening commentary. Lively has gardened since she was growing up in Egypt, and though she's now limited to a small London yard, she has formed opinions on everything horticultural: style, order, control, the admirable willfulness of plants, and why we keep planting our little plot. It's all here, as well as her thoughts on the gardens of the literary and the famous, including Virginia Woolf's inexplicable love of "nasty yellow bulbous spotty" calceolaria. These are audio essays for gardening enthusiasts to savor. Audiofile Magazine
'Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose' by Stephanie Laurens. Blackstone Audio
Helen Lloyd, British actor and narrator, simply enchants with her delivery of this charming story. Therese, Lady Osbaldestone, a grand dame of the British ton, has retired to the quiet village of Little Moseley. Lloyd's portrayal of Lady O. is perfect, capturing her spine of steel and very soft heart. Her portrayals of the children, the young lords, and those working "below stairs" are also spot-on. This is a true Christmas gift. Audiofile Magazine
'An Affair With A Notorious Heiress' by Lorraine Heath. Harper Audio
Narrator Helen Lloyd's tantalizingly breathy voice expertly showcases "Tilly" and just as effectively assumes a stronger volume and aristocratic accent for Rexton in this romantic story about learning to trust and risking all for love. Lloyd's portrayals of Gina, the younger sister, who is not as frivolous as she appears, and Rexton's younger brother, who is not as gregarious as he appears, are spot-on. Audiofile Magazine
The Viscount and the Vixen' by Lorraine Heath. Harper Audio
'Helen Lloyd's skilful and charming narration does much to carry the listener through a problematic plot. Portia Gadstone answers an advert, expecting to marry the mad, old Marquess of Marsden, but his son, Locke, intervenes--leaving her no choice but to accept him in place of his father. There's a crackling sexual tension between Portia and Locke, which Lloyd seems to relish giving voice to. Audiofile Magazine
'The Duke and The Lady in Red' by Lorraine Heath. Harper Audio
'Helen Lloyd uses a smoky, steamy voice as she narrates this final installment of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James' series. Listeners are treated to the sultry tale of the seduction of the Duke of Avendale by the mysterious Lady in Red. Lloyd softens her tone as Rosalind and Avendale trade barbs, lies, and secrets throughout this sensual romance'. Audiofile Magazine
Author Reviews
Helen Lloyd did a fabulous job narrating my memoir 'But My Brain Had Other Ideas.' Not only was her voice and intonation perfect, but she really captured the essence of who i am. She hit all the nuances of my inner self, fear, humour, grief, just right. As I listened to the final product, I felt as if I was listening to (a better version of) myself telling my story. I can’t be prouder of this audiobook. Thanks so much, Helen. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude.
DEB BRANDON - Author 'But My Brain Had Other Ideas - a memoir of recovery from brain injury'.
Helen Lloyd narrated my novel 'Owl Song At Dawn'. A challenging task since it includes an array of voices of various different accents and ages, including characters with different learning disabilities. I braced myself to listen to the recording, but as soon as I heard Helen's narration I knew that she was the perfect reader for my work. She captured the tone of the main character, Maeve, uncannily well, sounding just like the voice I'd heard in my head. Hearing all of my characters animated through Helen's sensitive and insightful reading was one of the highlights of my publishing experience. I can't recommend her highly enough.'
EMMA CLAIRE SWEENEY - Author ‘Owl Song At Dawn’.
'Not only does Helen have a hauntingly beautiful voice, rich and velvety, but her pacing and expression are perfect. Her reading of 'The Lodger' brought my book to life and magically captured its atmosphere.'
LOUISA TREGER - Author 'The Lodger'
I was very fortunate to have Helen Lloyd read my book 'Spero' for Audible books. Helen has a marvellous voice, rich and expressive and it conveyed the essence of my story.
URSULA WESTMACOTT - Author. 'Spero'
‘The Bosnians come alive for me in a way I wasn’t fully able to imagine on the page. I am impressed by your fluency in shifting from one voice to the next, alternating with the narrator’s. It seems to be a very complex interweaving which makes your skills all the more evident, and admirable.’
ALEXANDRA MARSHALL 'Adopting Sarajevo'
'Helen Lloyd brings to life my characters in 'A Patient Fury' and perfectly captures the evocative Derbyshire setting. Her nuanced narration was a delight to listen to.'
SARAH WARD - Author 'A Patient Fury'
Listener Reviews
'Life In The Garden' The voice actor is amongst the best I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. Nary a Latin name mispronounced and kindly and accessible throughout.
'Meet Me At The Museum' - 'First, I will reveal that I am neither sentimental nor entirely taken with most fiction. So I was not entirely thrilled to read this book when the title appeared on a friend's book club invititation. I decided to "read" it on Audible while doing some painting, just to fill up the quiet.
I was at first struck by the warmth of Lloyd's voice as compared to the perfunctory stoicism of Knudsen's. If I had not continued I might have jumped to the conclusion that his narration was not quite on par with hers; but I would have been wrong. The voices of the narrators, I came to believe, were perfectly chosen for these characters and lent an authenticity to the story that would have been missed had I simply read the book. Please understand that I love books and reading and by no means wish to indicate otherwise. I was simply struck by the superb vocal acting abilities of the pair.
The story, on the surface, was ordinary enough. An unlikely pair sharing stories about their everyday lives. No great intrigues, no build up of anticipation to make you keep reading. What compelled me to continue was the depth of understanding of the author of the cost of intimacy...the effort it takes to share of oneself and, therefore, be vulnerable to another. The characters' tales are somewhat common and, at times, even predictable. However, their willingness to share and learn from both their own and the other's experiences creates a sense of vibrancy and growth.
Youngson has imbued her characters with logic, optimism, hopefulness and so much more. The result leaving me feeling connected to and invested in this pair (and to my own feelings stirred by their words). So what, you might say, but I often feel alienated by so many modern characters whose flaws are over emphased so as to make them seem more human or by classic characters reduced to characatures or products of their time in order to serve the authors use of them. The characters in this book feel genuine, unique and relatable.
I have tried, to this point, not to give anything away but I would be remiss if I didn't point out that my favorite part is that we do not know what happens in the end. Even as I took pleasure in the development of the relationship between the two I was constantly dreading a tidy ending in which the they realize that they have fallen in love and now must be together at any cost. To my surprise and delight, this was not the ending I got.
From my perspective, the best part of the story was that the characters were unavailable for any kind of romantic entanglement, one mired in grief, the other committed to her marriage. The depth of their honesty and commitment to one another was made stronger by the fact that they could have been any one, from any time (like the Tollund Man himself) sacrificing themselves for the benefit of the other. I was relieved that Tina did not run to Anders in the end, as it would have been entirely out of character. This might lead one to believe that the character was jilted in the end but this was not the case. As she did throughout the book, Youngson ended the book with hope and possibility and the eternal search for new raspberries. I recommend that you read this book and perhaps discover a few of your own'.
'The Duke and the Lady in Red' --This was the first book in a long time where I didn't speed up the narration ever!' The story was great but the narrator's made the story telling even better. This was no light-weight regency love story. I couldn't stop listening. I have these really great water proof blue tooth buds so the only time I wasn't listening I was either sleeping or doing something else I found annoying because it interfered with my listening'.
'Money Farm' - 'Really Great Narration - Brits and Aussies and Germans and more. Lovely voice to listen to and she even captured the rather robotic nature of the cult-like members of the Money Farm.'
'The Earl Takes All' - 'Helen is one of my favorite narrators! She nailed the narration for Edward and Julia--making them come alive. I love her pacing and emotions. I highly recommend listening to this one.
'About Last Night' 'Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! It made me laugh out loud when I listened in the car, I even woke up at night and listened a bit more!
Producer's Comments
'Helen Lloyd is one of White House Sound's favourite narrators. With her rich tone, intimate storytelling and strong characterisation, Helen brings our books to life. Her sense of timing, ability to deliver and sustain accents and crystal clear delivery enriches the experience even further.
CHRIS PERKS - White House Sound.
Helen Lloyd's narration is remarkable. The strength and warmth of her voice easily lifts stories from the page and into the listener's ears. Her story telling is captivating; she is able to find the softest moments in a novel while turning on a dime to humor or anger. She is equally talented with nonfiction titles and presents the work confidently from the author's perspective. She is always an obvious choice for complex titles that require a range both broad and distinct. Lloyd is intelligent, professional, and always prompt. A delight to work with and asset to my roster.
JACKIE ROSENFELD - Casting Director 'BeeAudio Ltd.
©
Helen Lloyd Audio - 2019