Video Trailer Review by Sandy M:
To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries
Historical Romance – November 2011
It’s been a while since I’ve brought a video review to you. I was so excited to begin a new idea here at TGTBTU for you too, and we had a nice response to that first – and only! – review. Sigh. Life never seems to cooperate when you want it to. But when I saw one of our favorites, Sabrina Jeffries, has a new book in her Hellion series due out next week and the video trailer for it is now available, I figured it’s the perfect opportunity to have a little extra fun again.
I’ve read the last two books in this series and have enjoyed them quite a bit, so I’m definitely looking forward to the last two that will tie up the series. Ms. Jeffries has written light-hearted characters who are at the mercy of their wily grandmother intent on seeing them married and starting families – with them all kicking and screaming on the way to the altar. But after some heartache and steamy loving, they realize grandma does know best and happily begin their new lives.
This time it’s Gabriel Sharpe and Virginia Waverly who’re up next. So let’s see what the video gives us – or doesn’t, as the case may be.
Content: 5 Presentation: 2 Total: 7
My Review: First off, I like that the overvoice is with a British accent, of course. Couldn’t be done any other way. My only problem with it, however, is it doesn’t seem to go with the look of the hero. I expected a deeper voice. I just can’t hear the depicted voice sensually rasping and growling during lovemaking or snapping in anger. While I realize Gabriel is a lord, this voice is almost too cultured for me. And I don’t like that the same voice recites the title at the beginning of the credits. Should be a totally different voice.
I think an opportunity was missed in not using a female voice in tandem with the hero in this video. There’s two sides to the story, two competitors in the race, each wanting something different in the outcome. Alternating voices to play off the other throughout would have a much better impact. Though we get to see Virginia a couple of times, it would be nice to hear her too.
The content is all there, we get the idea of the book, a tad of information about the hero and heroine, what to basically expect as we read. It’s succinct and to the point for the approximate one minute of actual content. The little hints, i.e., the Angel of Death, make me curious. However, it’s all imparted by voice – no wording or graphics – and with just that one voice, I’m sort of left flat at the end.
The music and sound effects of racing hooves, as well as the visual effects, are done well. They represent the period and the backdrop of the book. No nitpicks there at all. There is too much repetition, however. There’s three different elements repeated: the what I will call scene breaks with the curlique borders, the running horses’ hooves, and the newspaper with other paraphernalia atop it. Only the beginning frame and one near the end are different. If it were just the borders that are repeated, that would be fine, but a few more extra scenes to go along with those would have been much better.
So there are things that work for me and a few that don’t. Overall, a good trailer. I think it’s enough to draw me in and make me want to pick up the book.
