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Something Fabulous

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Something Fabulous

By: Alexis Hall
Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
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About this listen

One of AudioFile Magazine's Best Audiobooks of 2022

From the acclaimed author of Boyfriend Material comes a delightfully witty romance featuring a reserved duke who’s betrothed to one twin and hopelessly enamoured of the other.

Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has twin problems: literally.

It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, too many novels at an impressionable age have caused her to grow up…romantic. So romantic that a marriage of convenience will not do and after Valentine’s proposal she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on him again.

Arabella’s twin brother, Mr. Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, has also grown up…romantic. And fully expects Valentine to ride out after Arabella and prove to her that he’s not the cold-hearted cad he seems to be.

Despite copious misgivings, Valentine finds himself on a pell-mell chase to Dover with Bonny by his side. Bonny is unreasonable, overdramatic, annoying, and…beautiful? And being with him makes Valentine question everything he thought he knew. About himself. About love. Even about which Tarleton he should be pursuing.

©2022 Alexis Hall. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Historical Historical Fiction Regency Regency Romance Romance Romantic Comedy Comedy Witty Funny Heartfelt Feel-Good

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Critic reviews

“[Nicholas] Boulton perfectly captures Valentine's tendency to become stiff and overly formal when he is distressed.… On the surface, Bonny seems flighty and flirty, but Boulton gives him unexpected depths of compassion and insight into Valentine and the workings of the world at large.... A delightful performance will leave listeners alternately cackling with glee and cringing in sympathy.”–AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award Winner

“Alexis Hall’s first queer historical, Something Fabulous pays homage to the classic Heyeresque Regency romp while subverting many of its problems…The whole duke archetype is deconstructed piece by piece in a series of comic mishaps unfurled with impeccable authorial control.”—The New York Times

“[A] wonderfully queer mash-up/send-up of buddy movies, Austen novels, and classic rom-coms.”—Publishers Weekly

All stars
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Written with great wit and performed expertly, this book will bring joy to anyone with humour and a sense of fun. It is so silly, it’s just sure to lift your spirits, whilst still holding profound messages of love, respecting others and living as your true self.

Fabulous indeed!

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What fantasy was meant to be. Lovely romp with fun and frolicked. Loved it soo much

Very Sweet and good fun

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This is an audiobook I return to again and again. If you love a good Regency romance and enjoy Jane Austen, then this book is for you. The best way I can think to describe is Northanger Abbey on steroids with some MM spice thrown in. Wonderful!

I love this story!

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A madcap romp through the English countryside with some memorable characters. Dukes who become less duke-ish die to love are a lot of fun.

Ridiculous fun

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I'm a big Alexis Hall fan but this one wasn't for me. The twins frankly got on my nerves but it had its wittier bits too.

Pastiche of 18th century novels with a gay twist

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I did not know what to think but in the end really enjoyed it a lot!! grumpy x sunshine for real

ridiculous but i loved it

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Do not read this if you're looking for a realistically convincing period drama. This is very much not it. It's absurd, and utterly delightful.

It has distinct tones of The Importance of Being Earnest (my favourite play), with the characters and the convoluted plots being simultaneously ridiculous and entrancing.

I laughed out loud more times during this than any other audiobook.

When I was still trying to take it seriously at the beginning (I had not known what to expect), I wasn't keen on the voice used for Bonny, which seemed rather too silly. However, as soon as I got into the spirit of it, and let myself enjoy the farce, everything was perfect.

A gloriously light and uplifting read.

Hilarious, reminiscent of Wilde

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What an adorably Romantic Story! a perfect little Romcom with some unexpectedly steamy scenes.
I highly recommend it!

Adorable

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A really heartwarming book with lots of fun moments, romance and very British languages. Perhaps a bit advanced for the time contest. I trully recommend if you want give some laughs and elevate your spirit.
The character "Duque" Valentine is the best.!
I have to give a stand ovation to the narrator..it was SUPERB..10 out of 5!

The narration...AMAZING!

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Everyone here is queer (almost). The story is hilarious in a preposterous and absurd kind of way. Valentine is a reserved, extremely taciturn and socially awkward aristocrat who, up to this point, lived in complete ignorance of his own sexuality and, in fact acted as an as£xual being (he appears to be in the spectrum). Bonny is a dramatic, over the top, highly in touch with his own s£xuality Queen 👑. Their relationship starts quite tumultuous but develops beautifully, eventually. This is a slow burn and the spicy scenes, though far and rare, were deliciously done, and I savored them.
Many parts of this story were wonderfully written and it was easy to fall in love with some of it, but I couldn't get past the fact that Valentine was abused and diminished throughout the book for trying to do the right thing, in a way he thought would be best for all involved despite his own reservations and dislike for the arrangement made by his father. I absolutely detested his wife to be, she was a spoiled, irrational, manipulative, selfish brat that terrorized him during the entire story and suffered no consequences for her heinous actions. That and the fact that everyone just protected her is the reason I took away 2 stars. Poor Valentine was shunned for being reserved and socially awkward, I couldn't stand his treatment.
This was Free on ku with audio included and the narration was superbly done. Not only the voices and the interpretation, but also how each character was portrait and the difference between dialogue and the rest of the narration too.

Loved and hated this one

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