
The Duke's Wayward Ward
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Narrated by:
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Duke DeFoix
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Duchess DeFoix
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By:
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Claudia Stone
About this listen
When Lady Emma Percival's father dies, leaving her penniless and alone, she fears that she will end up on the streets. Help is at hand, albeit from an unlikely source, when it transpires that her father has appointed his greatest enemy to be her guardian. The Duke of Liscarroll is a cold-hearted brute whom Emma spars with at every turn, but soon their angry altercations turn to something else entirely....
Peter William Brazil, Sixth Duke of Liscarroll, finds himself strong-armed by his mother into accepting Lady Emma as his ward. Though he is loath to have anything to do with the Percival family, he does want to get his hands on the priceless manuscript the late Earl bequeathed him in his will, on condition that he finds Lady Emma a suitable husband. Peter fully intends to have Lady Emma married off and out of his house within a fortnight, but there's something about the fiery, young lady that sparks his interest, and soon he's not sure that he wants to let her go at all.
When someone attempts to shoot him and the ton label Emma as the prime suspect, Peter knows that he must clear her name before he makes her his bride. The only problem is, there's more than one person with reason to want him dead, and his bride-to-be is less than enamoured with the idea of becoming his....
Can these two warring enemies find the culprit and a happily ever after? Find out in the sweet, Regency listen!
©2018 Claudia Stone (P)2019 Claudia StoneThe story was humorous, sweet and had a little bit of mystery which I love. I adored the banter between the two lead characters. The cute ways they showed their jealous feelings were quite funny. I loved how every time it looked like they were having a sweet moment they were either interrupted or their banter evolved into a petty argument. It was really entertaining and a lot of fun.
I couldn't put the book down and I listened to it in one sitting.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reading studio copy.
Brilliant
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The books are just as good but I would recommend the audio book. The narrators bring the book to life.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
There is no profanity or violence. There is no sexual content but there is some tension between the characters and the book would be considered flirty.
Would highly recommend!
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I enjoyed the performance of this audiobook. I like how the narrators work together so that each character has a unique voice and that voice reflects their personality.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Regency Romantic!
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Listener received this title free
A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.
Delightful characters.
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I liked the Duke of Liscarroll immensely, as I did his mother, Georgette, the Dowager Duchess. It was very disconcerting to have her referred to as "Georgette throughout the novel, instead of by her title. It was so informal and unusual that it kept pulling me out of the period. Her relationship with her son was a little unconventional but very entertaining, and she brought a lot of humour to this audiobook.
It took me a little longer to warm to Emma, as her personality was not as gregarious as that of the Brazils. It also took me a little while to really feel as though she was feisty enough for Liscarroll, and as a couple I didn't think the tension quite built properly between them. They didn't spar as well as was necessary to introduce the required antagonism and the 'threats of violence' were a tad clumsily set up. There were so many moments which I really enjoyed, but I was never quite convinced that they were really opponents. Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett are the best example of Regency enemies-to-lovers, but Liscarroll and Emma's annoyance with each other felt too contrived. In fact, much of this book felt very contrived, with everything falling into place very neatly time and again. I think it would have been better had it been longer, and the relationship between Peter and Emma allowed to be a slower burn, with a few more bumps in the road for them.
The narrator, Duke and Duchess DeFoix, did a very nice job of their dual narration. He voiced the male parts, and she took on all the female passages.
I loved Duke DeFoix's narration, and found his rich, smooth voice very pleasant to listen to. I'd have happily listened to him narrate the whole book, but he worked well with Duchess DeFoix.
I think, perhaps, that Duchess DeFoix does not have a natural British accent, as many of her pronunciations were unusual and her pattern of speech was reminiscent of the deliberate, overly-enunciated way Americans tend to read in RP. Her accent was very good, but his was far more natural and comfortable, which did give his narration the superior edge. I thought Duchess DeFoix did very well to convey both Emma's youthfulness and the Dowager's experience, with her range of voices being very good, and nicely varied.
For all its little niggles, The Duke's Wayward Ward was a nice, easy, romance to curl up with in the evening before bed. I enjoyed it for being lightweight and often lighthearted, and would happily have spent far longer in the company of Liscarroll and the Dowager. I will certainly listen to other Regencies by Claudia Stone, especially if they were narrated by Duke and Duchess DeFoix.
I would recommend it to anyone who wants a nice, quick Regency listen with a HEA.
*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
A classic love story with a dash of mystery
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