-
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
![Prime logo](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/Audible/Homestead/Prime_Logo_RGB.png)
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $20.25
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Other Daughter
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised in a poor yet genteel household, Rachel Woodley is working in France as a governess when she receives news that her mother has died suddenly. Grief stricken, she returns to the small town in England where she was raised to clear out the cottage...and finds a cutting from a London society magazine, with a photograph of her supposedly deceased father dated all of three month before. He's an earl, respected and influential, and he is standing with another daughter - his legitimate daughter.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Maine Knitter on 07-22-15
By: Lauren Willig
-
The English Wife
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life in New York: He's the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she grew up in a Tudor house in England, they had a fairy-tale romance in London, and he's recreated her family home on the banks of the Hudson. Yes, there are rumors that she's having an affair with the architect, but rumors are rumors. But then Bayard is found dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth Night Ball; Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned; and the papers go mad.
-
-
Not sure what to call this… Turn of the century mystery romance?
- By Amazon Customer on 02-09-18
By: Lauren Willig
-
Two Wars and a Wedding
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1896: As an aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into a very male-dominated field and find work at some of the world’s most famous excavation sites. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in philanthropist Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously.
-
-
Spanish American War
- By Tracy on 06-23-23
By: Lauren Willig
-
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
- A Royal Spyness Novella
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
-
-
Fun, light prequel
- By CMMV on 01-01-15
By: Rhys Bowen
-
The Lost Summers of Newport
- A Novel
- By: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Brittany Pressley, Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
2019: Andie Figuero has just landed her dream job as a producer of Mansion Makeover, a popular reality show about restoring America’s most lavish historic houses. Andie has high hopes for her latest project: the once glorious but gently crumbling Sprague Hall in Newport, Rhode Island, summer resort of America’s gilded class—famous for the lavish “summer cottages” of Vanderbilts and Belmonts. But Andie runs into trouble: the reclusive heiress who still lives in the mansion, Lucia “Lucky” Sprague, will only allow the show to go forward on two conditions.
-
-
If only Andie wasn’t part of the story…
- By jullee on 05-31-22
By: Beatriz Williams, and others
-
Band of Sisters
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story - a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network - from New York Times best-selling author Lauren Willig.
-
-
Interesting history
- By Ru on 07-13-21
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Other Daughter
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised in a poor yet genteel household, Rachel Woodley is working in France as a governess when she receives news that her mother has died suddenly. Grief stricken, she returns to the small town in England where she was raised to clear out the cottage...and finds a cutting from a London society magazine, with a photograph of her supposedly deceased father dated all of three month before. He's an earl, respected and influential, and he is standing with another daughter - his legitimate daughter.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Maine Knitter on 07-22-15
By: Lauren Willig
-
The English Wife
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life in New York: He's the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she grew up in a Tudor house in England, they had a fairy-tale romance in London, and he's recreated her family home on the banks of the Hudson. Yes, there are rumors that she's having an affair with the architect, but rumors are rumors. But then Bayard is found dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth Night Ball; Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned; and the papers go mad.
-
-
Not sure what to call this… Turn of the century mystery romance?
- By Amazon Customer on 02-09-18
By: Lauren Willig
-
Two Wars and a Wedding
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1896: As an aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into a very male-dominated field and find work at some of the world’s most famous excavation sites. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in philanthropist Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously.
-
-
Spanish American War
- By Tracy on 06-23-23
By: Lauren Willig
-
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
- A Royal Spyness Novella
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
-
-
Fun, light prequel
- By CMMV on 01-01-15
By: Rhys Bowen
-
The Lost Summers of Newport
- A Novel
- By: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Brittany Pressley, Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
2019: Andie Figuero has just landed her dream job as a producer of Mansion Makeover, a popular reality show about restoring America’s most lavish historic houses. Andie has high hopes for her latest project: the once glorious but gently crumbling Sprague Hall in Newport, Rhode Island, summer resort of America’s gilded class—famous for the lavish “summer cottages” of Vanderbilts and Belmonts. But Andie runs into trouble: the reclusive heiress who still lives in the mansion, Lucia “Lucky” Sprague, will only allow the show to go forward on two conditions.
-
-
If only Andie wasn’t part of the story…
- By jullee on 05-31-22
By: Beatriz Williams, and others
-
Band of Sisters
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story - a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network - from New York Times best-selling author Lauren Willig.
-
-
Interesting history
- By Ru on 07-13-21
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Summer Country
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barbados, 1854: Emily Dawson has always been the poor cousin in a prosperous English merchant clan - merely a vicar’s daughter, and a reform-minded vicar’s daughter, at that. Everyone knows that the family’s lucrative shipping business will go to her cousin, Adam, one day. But when her grandfather dies, Emily receives an unexpected inheritance: Peverills, a sugar plantation in Barbados - a plantation her grandfather never told anyone he owned.
-
-
Tediously Interesting
- By Dina on 08-12-19
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Ashford Affair
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a lawyer in a large Manhattan firm, just shy of making partner, Clementine Evans has finally achieved almost everything she's been working towards—but now she's not sure it's enough. Her long hours have led to a broken engagement and, suddenly single at thirty-four, she feels her messy life crumbling around her. But when the family gathers for her grandmother Addie's ninety-ninth birthday, a relative lets slip hints about a long-buried family secret, leading Clemmie on a journey into the past that could change everything.
-
-
Awful
- By Simone on 02-27-15
By: Lauren Willig
-
A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem
- By: Manda Collins
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1865: Newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb finds herself the subject of speculation when her latest article leads to an arrest in the murders plaguing London. The English believe women ought not to write about such vulgar things as crime, and a particularly attractive detective inspector is incensed that she's interfered with his investigation. To escape her sudden notoriety, Katherine heads to the country - only to witness a murder upon her arrival.
-
-
Adult Romance +18 read
- By CuteAsADaisy on 02-07-22
By: Manda Collins
-
Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle, Stephen Fry - introductions
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 71 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since he made his first appearance in A Study In Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes has enthralled and delighted millions of fans throughout the world. Now Audible is proud to present Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, read by Stephen Fry. A lifelong fan of Doyle's detective fiction, Fry has narrated the definitive collection of Sherlock Holmes - four novels and four collections of short stories. And, exclusively for Audible, Stephen has written and narrated eight insightful introductions, one for each title.
-
-
Chapter Guide!
- By Katya Rice on 05-25-18
By: Arthur Conan Doyle, and others
-
A Beastly Kind of Earl
- Longhope Abbey, Book .5
- By: Mia Vincy
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thea Knight loves a spot of mischief. She especially loves her current mischief: masquerading as her sister, while finalizing her scheme to expose the dastardly knaves whose lies ruined her life. Then big, bad-tempered Lord Luxborough upends her game by maneuvering her into marriage. But it's her sister’s name on the license, so the marriage won’t be valid. Thea’s idea? Keep pretending to be her sister until she can run away.
-
-
A slow burn romance
- By Kika on 06-11-20
By: Mia Vincy
-
Emma
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Jane Austen, Anna Lea - adaptation
- Narrated by: Emma Thompson, Joanne Froggatt, Isabella Inchbald, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Austen wrote, 'I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like' and thus introduces the handsome, clever, rich - and flawed, Emma Woodhouse. Emma is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage; nothing however delights her more than matchmaking her fellow residents of Highbury. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.
-
-
Background sonds RUINED this
- By Sandra Dodd on 09-09-18
By: Jane Austen, and others
-
A Bachelor Establishment
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
High adventure and dark mystery combine in a sparkling historical romance, by Jodi Taylor writing as Isabella Barclay from The Chronicles of St. Mary's. Bascombe, widowed and tied to an impoverished estate, has learned to ask little of life. With no hope of leaving, the years have passed her by. Lord Ryde, exiled abroad after a scandal, has returned to strip his estate and make a new start in America.
-
-
A clever and well-plotted Regency Romance
- By Hope on 09-17-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Silent in the Grave
- By: Deanna Raybourn
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.
-
-
Happily surprised
- By 9S on 07-04-09
By: Deanna Raybourn
-
A Curious Beginning
- By: Deanna Raybourn
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry - and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.
-
-
For fans of Elizabeth Peters and Gail Carriger
- By L. Williams on 06-29-16
By: Deanna Raybourn
-
The Real Jane Austen
- A Life in Small Things
- By: Paula Byrne
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things offers a startlingly original look at the revered writer through a variety of key moments, scenes, and objects in her life and work. Going beyond previous traditional biographies which have traced Austen's daily life from Steventon to Bath to Chawton to Winchester, Paula Byrne's portrait - organized thematically and drawn from the most up-to-date scholarship and unexplored sources - explores the lives of Austen's extended family, friends, and acquaintances.
-
-
I keep re-listening to it!
- By Frances K. Harville on 06-10-20
By: Paula Byrne
-
The Chemist
- By: Stephenie Meyer
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She used to work for the US government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.
-
-
Listened all night!
- By bebe on 06-04-17
By: Stephenie Meyer
-
The Counterfeit Scoundrel
- A Novel
- By: Lorraine Heath
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born into an aristocratic family, yearning for a life beyond Society’s strictures, Marguerite “Daisy” Townsend is an enterprising sleuth. Hired to obtain proof of a wife’s infidelity, she secures a position in the household of the woman’s lover, never expecting to be lured into the seductive blackguard’s arms herself. Devilishly handsome, David Blackwood, known widely as Bishop, quickly realizes the enticing maid is interested in far more than dusting. She aims to uncover his sins. Although tempted by the dangerous beauty, he can’t risk her learning the truth.
-
-
Couldn’t finish
- By Margaret Stock on 04-05-23
By: Lorraine Heath
Publisher's summary
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, a wildly imaginative and highly adventurous debut, opens with the story of a modern-day heroine but soon becomes a book within a book. Eloise Kelly settles in to read the secret history hoping to unmask the Pink Carnation's identity, but before she can make this discovery, she uncovers a passionate romance within the pages of the secret history that almost threw off the course of world events. How did the Pink Carnation save England? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly find a hero of her own?
Critic reviews
"Lauren Willig balances her knowledge of English history with a veritable passion for English spies, turning out a deftly hilarious, sexy novel." (Eloisa James, author of Kiss Me, Annabel)
"In her swashbuckling debut...Willig reimagines France under Napoleon besieged by a whole bouquet of spying floral foes.... Bad news for the Bonapartes but barrels of good-natured fun for the rest of us." (Library Journal)
"A juicy mystery...Chick-lit never had it so good!" (Complete Woman)
Related to this topic
-
To Taste Temptation
- Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Hoyt
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Britain’s high society—le bon ton—loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they’re giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives. Lady Emeline Gordon is captivated by Samuel. Not only does he defy convention with his unusual dress, his sensual smile, and his forthright manner, but he survived the battle that killed her beloved brother.
-
-
Loved It
- By Cathie on 10-26-10
By: Elizabeth Hoyt
-
Revealed
- By: Kate Noble
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Phillippa Benning is the unrivaled beauty of the Season. But when another lady challenges her for a marquis's attentions, Phillippa entices him to a secret rendezvous only to stumble upon The Blue Raven, England's most famous spy, lurking at the site of her planned tryst. The Blue Raven has uncovered an enemy plot directed at upcoming society functions, but he's unable to infiltrate London society.
-
-
Really enjoyed this one — terrific listen — ignore the negative reviews
- By Pamela on 08-31-20
By: Kate Noble
-
One Touch of Scandal
- By: Liz Carlyle
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a safe position as a governess. Now, unprotected and alone in London, accused of the shocking murder of her employer, she has no one to turn to except the mysterious - and possibly dangerous - Lord Ruthveyn.
-
-
Boring What Happened
- By Cindy Johnston on 10-13-10
By: Liz Carlyle
-
Duke of My Heart
- By: Kelly Bowen
- Narrated by: Ashford McNab
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Captain Maximus Harcourt, the unconventional tenth Duke of Alderidge, can deal with tropical storms, raging seas, and the fiercest of pirates. But he's returned home from his latest voyage to find a naked earl - quite inconveniently deceased - tied to his missing sister's bed. And he has only one place to turn. Now he's at the mercy of the captivating Miss Ivory Moore of Chegarre & Associates, known throughout London for smoothing over the most dire of scandals.
-
-
Awesome read..
- By Trish R. on 01-28-16
By: Kelly Bowen
-
Once a Duchess
- Crimson Romance, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Boyce
- Narrated by: Rachael Beresford
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isabelle Lockwood was a duchess, until her husband of only a few months wrongfully divorced her for adultery. Since then she's been a pariah, living in anonymous exile to escape the prying eyes and wagging tongues of the town. More than anything, Isabelle longs for a family of her own, and so has to marry again. But society is ruthlessly unforgiving. To clear her name, Isabelle must face down her past - and the man who broke her heart and ruined her completely. Marshall Lockwood, Duke of Monthwaite, was blindsided by his young bride's infidelity.
-
-
Great Listen, Wonderful Story
- By Kirsten Wilson on 05-01-18
By: Elizabeth Boyce
-
How the Duke Was Won
- Disgraceful Dukes Series, Book 1
- By: Lenora Bell
- Narrated by: Beverley A. Crick
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
James, the scandalously uncivilized Duke of Harland, requires a bride with a spotless reputation for a strictly business arrangement. Lust is prohibited, and love is out of the question. Charlene Beckett, the unacknowledged daughter of an earl and a courtesan, has just been offered a life-altering fortune to pose as her half-sister, Lady Dorothea, and win the duke's proposal.
-
-
Really enjoyed this book a lot! Great Narration!
- By Tracy T on 02-27-17
By: Lenora Bell
-
To Taste Temptation
- Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Hoyt
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Britain’s high society—le bon ton—loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they’re giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives. Lady Emeline Gordon is captivated by Samuel. Not only does he defy convention with his unusual dress, his sensual smile, and his forthright manner, but he survived the battle that killed her beloved brother.
-
-
Loved It
- By Cathie on 10-26-10
By: Elizabeth Hoyt
-
Revealed
- By: Kate Noble
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Phillippa Benning is the unrivaled beauty of the Season. But when another lady challenges her for a marquis's attentions, Phillippa entices him to a secret rendezvous only to stumble upon The Blue Raven, England's most famous spy, lurking at the site of her planned tryst. The Blue Raven has uncovered an enemy plot directed at upcoming society functions, but he's unable to infiltrate London society.
-
-
Really enjoyed this one — terrific listen — ignore the negative reviews
- By Pamela on 08-31-20
By: Kate Noble
-
One Touch of Scandal
- By: Liz Carlyle
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a safe position as a governess. Now, unprotected and alone in London, accused of the shocking murder of her employer, she has no one to turn to except the mysterious - and possibly dangerous - Lord Ruthveyn.
-
-
Boring What Happened
- By Cindy Johnston on 10-13-10
By: Liz Carlyle
-
Duke of My Heart
- By: Kelly Bowen
- Narrated by: Ashford McNab
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Captain Maximus Harcourt, the unconventional tenth Duke of Alderidge, can deal with tropical storms, raging seas, and the fiercest of pirates. But he's returned home from his latest voyage to find a naked earl - quite inconveniently deceased - tied to his missing sister's bed. And he has only one place to turn. Now he's at the mercy of the captivating Miss Ivory Moore of Chegarre & Associates, known throughout London for smoothing over the most dire of scandals.
-
-
Awesome read..
- By Trish R. on 01-28-16
By: Kelly Bowen
-
Once a Duchess
- Crimson Romance, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Boyce
- Narrated by: Rachael Beresford
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isabelle Lockwood was a duchess, until her husband of only a few months wrongfully divorced her for adultery. Since then she's been a pariah, living in anonymous exile to escape the prying eyes and wagging tongues of the town. More than anything, Isabelle longs for a family of her own, and so has to marry again. But society is ruthlessly unforgiving. To clear her name, Isabelle must face down her past - and the man who broke her heart and ruined her completely. Marshall Lockwood, Duke of Monthwaite, was blindsided by his young bride's infidelity.
-
-
Great Listen, Wonderful Story
- By Kirsten Wilson on 05-01-18
By: Elizabeth Boyce
-
How the Duke Was Won
- Disgraceful Dukes Series, Book 1
- By: Lenora Bell
- Narrated by: Beverley A. Crick
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
James, the scandalously uncivilized Duke of Harland, requires a bride with a spotless reputation for a strictly business arrangement. Lust is prohibited, and love is out of the question. Charlene Beckett, the unacknowledged daughter of an earl and a courtesan, has just been offered a life-altering fortune to pose as her half-sister, Lady Dorothea, and win the duke's proposal.
-
-
Really enjoyed this book a lot! Great Narration!
- By Tracy T on 02-27-17
By: Lenora Bell
-
A Kiss at Midnight
- By: Eloisa James
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince...and decides he's anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.
-
-
Great narrator and story.
- By angela on 07-28-10
By: Eloisa James
-
Steam and Sorcery
- By: Cindy Spencer Pape
- Narrated by: Helen Stern
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sir Merrick Hadrian hunts monsters, both human and supernatural. A Knight of the Order of the Round Table, his use of magick and the technologies of steam power have made him both respected and feared. But his considerable skills are useless in the face of his greatest challenge, guardianship of five unusual children. At a loss, Merrick enlists the aid of a governess....
-
-
light read
- By Marcelina on 02-07-13
-
More or Less a Marchioness
- Somerset Sisters Series, Book 1
- By: Anna Bradley
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the sake of propriety, and her younger sisters' reputations, Iris Somerset has kept her rebellious streak locked away. But though she receives a proposal from Phineas Knight, Lord of Huntington, Iris can't marry a man she knows isn't truly enamored with her. In fact, Iris no longer wants to be chosen - she wants to choose. Under the clandestine tutelage of "wicked widow" Lady Annabel Tallant, she'll learn how to steer her own marriage prospects - and discover her secret appetites.
-
-
Rollicking regency
- By Cranky 3950 on 12-01-18
By: Anna Bradley
-
One for All
- By: Lillie Lainoff
- Narrated by: Mara Wilson
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl.” But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for new Musketeers.
-
-
Good story, marred by fractured French
- By Elaine Bennett on 07-26-22
By: Lillie Lainoff
-
The Rake
- Lessons in Love
- By: Suzanne Enoch
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Regency romp about a young lady who vows revenge on the rakish lord who loved and left her, only to find herself unexpectedly caught in Cupid's net along with the handsome viscount when her plan to love and leave him backfires.
-
-
Very good!
- By J-9 on 05-06-11
By: Suzanne Enoch
-
Mesmerized
- Mad Morelands Series, Book 1
- By: Candace Camp
- Narrated by: Will Thorne
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Olivia Moreland prides herself on discrediting charlatans, particularly the false mediums that flock to London. But when Lord Stephen St. Leger requests her help in investigating an alleged psychic's claims, she can't deny the ominous feeling she has within the walls of his ancient estate - or the intimately familiar connection she has with Stephen himself. The last time he'd called Blackhope Hall home, Stephen had watched as his elder brother claimed both the family title and the woman he loved.
-
-
Read this AFTER “Her Scandalous Pursuit”
- By Karen on 08-22-20
By: Candace Camp
-
One Dance with a Duke
- Stud Club Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Tessa Dare
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only 10 members - yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing "Duke of Midnight." Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke - until Lady Amelia d'Orsay tries her luck.
-
-
My favorite Tessa Dare book.
- By PTL on 08-22-20
By: Tessa Dare
-
Dangerous
- Outcasts Series, Book 1
- By: Minerva Spencer
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lady Euphemia Marlington hasn't been free in 17 years - since she was captured by Corsairs and sold into a harem. Now the sultan is dead and Mia is back in London facing relentless newspapermen, an insatiably curious public, and her first Season. Worst of all is her ashamed father's ultimatum: marry a man of his choosing or live out her life in seclusion. No doubt her potential groom is a demented octogenarian. Fortunately, Mia is no longer a girl, but a clever woman with a secret - and a plan of her own....
-
-
excellent story , horrible narrator
- By Pam on 04-27-21
By: Minerva Spencer
-
How to Capture a Countess
- Duchess Diaries, Book 1
- By: Karen Hawkins
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 17, Rose fell wildly in love with Lord Alton Sinclair, known as Lord Sin for his wicked ways. Stung by his indifference, the starry-eyed girl tried to win an illicit kiss, but then panicked and pushed the notorious rakehell into a fountain. Leaving Lord Sin floating among the lily pads to the mocking laughter of his peers, Rose escaped back to the countryside.
-
-
witty, romantic, and entertaining!
- By 🌸DARA on 06-07-13
By: Karen Hawkins
-
Diary of an Accidental Wallflower
- The Seduction Diaries
- By: Jennifer McQuiston
- Narrated by: Lana J. Weston
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pretty and popular, Miss Clare Westmore knows exactly what (or rather, who) she wants: the next Duke of Harrington. But when she twists her ankle on the eve of the Season's most touted event, Clare is left standing in the wallflower line watching her best friend dance away with her duke.
-
-
Great Narrator!!!
- By Maribee7 on 05-09-15
-
The Inventor's Secret
- By: Andrea Cremer
- Narrated by: Leslie Bellair
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.
-
-
Devolved into a 16 year old girls' love triangle
- By Amazon Customer on 06-17-21
By: Andrea Cremer
-
About a Rogue
- Desperately Seeking Duke
- By: Caroline Linden
- Narrated by: Beverley A. Crick
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bianca Tate is horrified when her sister Cathy is obliged to accept an offer of marriage from Maximilian St. James, notorious rake. Defiantly, she helps Cathy elope with her true love and takes her sister’s place at the altar. Perched on the lowest branch of his family tree, Max has relied on charm and cunning to survive. But an unexpected stroke of luck gives him an outside chance at a dukedom - and which Tate sister he weds hardly seems to matter. Married or not, Bianca is determined to protect her family’s prosperous ceramics business, even when Max shows an affinity for it.
-
-
Story through internal thoughts and over-telling
- By Laurie S on 08-01-21
By: Caroline Linden
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Two Wars and a Wedding
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1896: As an aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into a very male-dominated field and find work at some of the world’s most famous excavation sites. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in philanthropist Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously.
-
-
Spanish American War
- By Tracy on 06-23-23
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Summer Country
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barbados, 1854: Emily Dawson has always been the poor cousin in a prosperous English merchant clan - merely a vicar’s daughter, and a reform-minded vicar’s daughter, at that. Everyone knows that the family’s lucrative shipping business will go to her cousin, Adam, one day. But when her grandfather dies, Emily receives an unexpected inheritance: Peverills, a sugar plantation in Barbados - a plantation her grandfather never told anyone he owned.
-
-
Tediously Interesting
- By Dina on 08-12-19
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Other Daughter
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised in a poor yet genteel household, Rachel Woodley is working in France as a governess when she receives news that her mother has died suddenly. Grief stricken, she returns to the small town in England where she was raised to clear out the cottage...and finds a cutting from a London society magazine, with a photograph of her supposedly deceased father dated all of three month before. He's an earl, respected and influential, and he is standing with another daughter - his legitimate daughter.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Maine Knitter on 07-22-15
By: Lauren Willig
-
Band of Sisters
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story - a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network - from New York Times best-selling author Lauren Willig.
-
-
Interesting history
- By Ru on 07-13-21
By: Lauren Willig
-
That Summer
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Julia Conley hears that she has inherited a house outside London from an unknown great-aunt, she assumes it’s a joke. She hasn't been back to England since the car crash that killed her mother when she was six, an event she remembers only in her nightmares. But when she arrives at Herne Hill to sort through the house - with the help of her cousin Natasha and sexy antiques dealer Nicholas - bits of memory start coming back.
-
-
disappointed
- By laura on 08-17-16
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Ashford Affair
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a lawyer in a large Manhattan firm, just shy of making partner, Clementine Evans has finally achieved almost everything she's been working towards—but now she's not sure it's enough. Her long hours have led to a broken engagement and, suddenly single at thirty-four, she feels her messy life crumbling around her. But when the family gathers for her grandmother Addie's ninety-ninth birthday, a relative lets slip hints about a long-buried family secret, leading Clemmie on a journey into the past that could change everything.
-
-
Awful
- By Simone on 02-27-15
By: Lauren Willig
-
Two Wars and a Wedding
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1896: As an aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into a very male-dominated field and find work at some of the world’s most famous excavation sites. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in philanthropist Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously.
-
-
Spanish American War
- By Tracy on 06-23-23
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Summer Country
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barbados, 1854: Emily Dawson has always been the poor cousin in a prosperous English merchant clan - merely a vicar’s daughter, and a reform-minded vicar’s daughter, at that. Everyone knows that the family’s lucrative shipping business will go to her cousin, Adam, one day. But when her grandfather dies, Emily receives an unexpected inheritance: Peverills, a sugar plantation in Barbados - a plantation her grandfather never told anyone he owned.
-
-
Tediously Interesting
- By Dina on 08-12-19
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Other Daughter
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised in a poor yet genteel household, Rachel Woodley is working in France as a governess when she receives news that her mother has died suddenly. Grief stricken, she returns to the small town in England where she was raised to clear out the cottage...and finds a cutting from a London society magazine, with a photograph of her supposedly deceased father dated all of three month before. He's an earl, respected and influential, and he is standing with another daughter - his legitimate daughter.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Maine Knitter on 07-22-15
By: Lauren Willig
-
Band of Sisters
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story - a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network - from New York Times best-selling author Lauren Willig.
-
-
Interesting history
- By Ru on 07-13-21
By: Lauren Willig
-
That Summer
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Julia Conley hears that she has inherited a house outside London from an unknown great-aunt, she assumes it’s a joke. She hasn't been back to England since the car crash that killed her mother when she was six, an event she remembers only in her nightmares. But when she arrives at Herne Hill to sort through the house - with the help of her cousin Natasha and sexy antiques dealer Nicholas - bits of memory start coming back.
-
-
disappointed
- By laura on 08-17-16
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Ashford Affair
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a lawyer in a large Manhattan firm, just shy of making partner, Clementine Evans has finally achieved almost everything she's been working towards—but now she's not sure it's enough. Her long hours have led to a broken engagement and, suddenly single at thirty-four, she feels her messy life crumbling around her. But when the family gathers for her grandmother Addie's ninety-ninth birthday, a relative lets slip hints about a long-buried family secret, leading Clemmie on a journey into the past that could change everything.
-
-
Awful
- By Simone on 02-27-15
By: Lauren Willig
-
The English Wife
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life in New York: He's the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she grew up in a Tudor house in England, they had a fairy-tale romance in London, and he's recreated her family home on the banks of the Hudson. Yes, there are rumors that she's having an affair with the architect, but rumors are rumors. But then Bayard is found dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth Night Ball; Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned; and the papers go mad.
-
-
Not sure what to call this… Turn of the century mystery romance?
- By Amazon Customer on 02-09-18
By: Lauren Willig
-
A Hundred Summers
- By: Beatriz Williams
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the 1938 hurricane approaches Rhode Island, another storm brews in this New York Times best-selling beach listen from the author of Her Last Flight and The Golden Hour. Lily Dane has returned to Seaview, Rhode Island, where her family has summered for generations. It’s an escape not only from New York’s social scene but from a heartbreak that still haunts her. Here, among the seaside community that has embraced her since childhood, she finds comfort in the familiar rituals of summer.
-
-
Here We Go - the '13 Best Summer/Beach Reads...
- By Mel on 06-11-13
By: Beatriz Williams
-
The Summer Wives
- A Novel
- By: Beatriz Williams
- Narrated by: Kristin Kalbli
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1951, Miranda Schuyler arrives on elite, secretive Winthrop Island as a schoolgirl from the margins of high society. When her beautiful mother marries Hugh Fisher, Miranda’s catapulted into a heady new world of pedigrees and cocktails. Isobel Fisher, Miranda’s new stepsister is eager to draw Miranda into the arcane customs of Winthrop society. But there are really two clans: the summer families with their steadfast ways and quiet obsessions, and the working class of Portuguese fishermen and domestic workers. Then Miranda is caught in a catastrophe and banished....
-
-
Oh hum!
- By Ruth M. Penson on 07-26-18
By: Beatriz Williams
-
All the Ways We Said Goodbye
- A Novel of the Ritz Paris
- By: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White
- Narrated by: Helen Sadler, Nicola Barber, Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The New York Times best-selling authors of The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room return with a glorious historical adventure that moves from the dark days of two World Wars to the turbulent years of the 1960s, in which three women with bruised hearts find refuge at Paris’ legendary Ritz hotel. The heiress...the Resistance fighter...the widow...three women whose fates are joined by one splendid hotel.
-
-
Too Many Cooks in this Kitchen
- By Eve453 on 02-15-20
By: Beatriz Williams, and others
-
The Lost Summers of Newport
- A Novel
- By: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Brittany Pressley, Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
2019: Andie Figuero has just landed her dream job as a producer of Mansion Makeover, a popular reality show about restoring America’s most lavish historic houses. Andie has high hopes for her latest project: the once glorious but gently crumbling Sprague Hall in Newport, Rhode Island, summer resort of America’s gilded class—famous for the lavish “summer cottages” of Vanderbilts and Belmonts. But Andie runs into trouble: the reclusive heiress who still lives in the mansion, Lucia “Lucky” Sprague, will only allow the show to go forward on two conditions.
-
-
If only Andie wasn’t part of the story…
- By jullee on 05-31-22
By: Beatriz Williams, and others
-
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
- A Royal Spyness Novella
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
-
-
Fun, light prequel
- By CMMV on 01-01-15
By: Rhys Bowen
What listeners say about The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Coffee Lover
- 09-04-06
Great entertainment
I personally found this book delightful. If you are expecting a great classic or historical accuracy, you might be disappointed but I only wanted to be entertained and this story certainly fulfilled its promised to do just that. The reader is one of my favorites and makes the characters come to life. It is so funny you will laugh out loud at some parts, cheer on the young lovers in others and has just enough suspense to keep it interesting. A lover of all things British, this was just up my alley. I was thrilled to find she had written a sequel to this which I enjoyed just as much.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daisy Flower
- 03-20-18
This was so fun!
I laughed so much! It was a sweet love story, too. The history was interesting.
The narrator was hilarious! She did a fab job of painting the main character with a smart wit and strong will.
Best narrator and book combination I've listened to!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tama Adams
- 08-07-18
A little obsessed
I'm a little obsessed with this series right now, I am not always a fan of books switching between time periods, but this one really pulls it off. What's not to love about clever female protagonists and the reader does a great job of bringing the story to life.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Nancy J.
- 03-14-11
PInk Carnation
I can't recommend this book to my friends, because it is a bit predictable and hokey. I rolled my eyes so many times and could predict what would happen without fail. Having said that I think it could have been great with more editing and the writer has great promise.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Courtney
- 04-08-18
I should have listened sooner
I had this on my wish list for a long time and deleted it and then it came up in my recommendations after I finished another book and finally took the plunge. I believe it was the book description that had me feeling hesitant and now I know I shouldn’t have been. Historical fiction is my preferred genre and the idea of some of this book taking place in the present day just didn’t tickle my fancy so to speak. However the bulk of this book took place in 1803. The book offers mystery, romance, suspense and hidden identities. I would highly recommend this book to other historical fiction lovers and I certainly will be listening to the other books in this series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Berta
- 02-29-20
Delightful performance!
This book was quite fun to listen to. The voices and language/writing were beautifully executed and captivating. I really enjoyed it and will continue with the series. If you like this historic period and a good romance, reach for this one!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Susan-Jane
- 10-12-06
Alas...
The worst of it is this: if I am to be given lengthy descriptions of sex play, it had better be original and erotic or possibly comic... or even realistic - (God knows "real sex" is interesting enough to warrant an HBO series of the same name). I felt embarrassed listening to these hackneyed scenes, because I felt as if I was eavesdropping on the writer's own rather immature fantasies, instead of being immersed in a world of idiosynchratic and characters. Literally (and literarily) embarrassed, I felt as if I was learning something about the writer's inner life that I was not meant to see. A Jackie Collins meets Barbara Cartland, masquerading as a serious, albeit playful, first novel. Herein lies the problem. Had it been marketed appropriately, I would not have had false expectations. For all it's apparent "naughtiness", the book was strangely antiseptic... None of the dirt and grit of the period - or much to ground it in a different time. In this way it was like a regency romance written during the 50's. Quite a few loose ends left loose as well. I was disappointed enough to take the time to write this critical review, because I think that the writer's underlying idea has great promise. She had a fairly real inner dialogue going for the main male character, and I applaud the notion that people are people in whatever time they live. I like Anais Nin's erotic fiction - it is really unusual: base and erotic at the same time - and some of this is directly from her life (key point: her life, not only - or even in spite of- her fantasies). And I like "Fanny", by Erica Jong: the point being that this criticsim is nothing to do with being offended by sex. To sum it up clearly, the words :"sheath", "scabard" and "Adonis" were actually used, in all seriousness, in a sexual context! Need I say more? Oh, well one more thing: the narrator was great...(which is why I give it 3 stars).
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
50 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Anthony
- 06-19-09
Love the series
I didn't favor this books but the rest of the series is excellent. I love book two with Miles and Henrietta.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mimi
- 10-09-16
Very Satifying
I loved this book! It encompasses well thought out details of history, present day culture, and romance all in one.
The erotic encounters are plausible and not "silly" like I have experienced in other romance novels.
Bravo!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rozmc
- 08-06-19
A bit melodramatic
A bit melodramatic or historical soap opera. Felt like a TV movie. Excellent narration by Kate Reading.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!