Aphrodite and the Duke

A Novel

By: J.J. McAvoy

Narrated by: Grace Gray, Drew Rodgers, Kwame Augustine, Rachael Reshma

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

“Bridgerton lovers have found their next read. J. J. McAvoy is a welcome new voice in historical romance.”—New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean

“McAvoy has crafted a lushly romantic tale with a real thread of danger in its pages and a swoony second-chance romance.”—Entertainment Weekly

Aphrodite Du Bell has always resented her name. While the members of the ton, and even the queen herself, praise her warm brown skin, perfect curls, and exquisite features, Aphrodite can’t help but think that living up to the literal goddess of beauty is asking a bit much. Her renowned loveliness certainly didn’t stop the love of her life from jilting her and marrying another woman four years ago.

When Aphrodite’s formidable mother summons her back to London to aid in her sister’s debut, she has no choice but to acquiesce. But Aphrodite is determined to ignore one man in particular: Evander Eagleman, the Duke of Everely, the man who devastated her all those years ago. Yet why does her guileless heart still flutter at the sight of him?

Evander Eagleman lost his chance for true love, but now that he is an unattached widower, he is determined to win back Aphrodite’s trust—and her hand in marriage. But just as the couple make strides to mend old wounds, Evander’s true reason for rejecting Aphrodite threatens their coveted future . . . and even their lives.

Don’t miss any of J.J. McAvoy’s steamy DuBells series:
APHRODITE AND THE DUKE • VERITY AND THE FORBIDDEN SUITOR • HATHOR AND HER LOVER (coming in 2024!)

©2022 J.J. McAvoy (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“McAvoy has crafted a lushly romantic tale with a real thread of danger in its pages and a swoony second-chance romance.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Full of lush gowns, longing looks, and lingering secrets, Bridgerton lovers have found their next read in Aphrodite and the Duke. J. J. McAvoy is a welcome new voice in historical romance.”—New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean

“Aphrodite and the Duke is a vibrant historical romance, full of heart, heat, and thrilling period drama. A delectable treat for fans of Bridgerton!”—Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author of The Siren of Sussex

Very Enjoyable Read!

I have not read this author before and this was recommended by a friend. It was an enjoyable read, it’s nice to see diversity in historical romances.

Definitely made up for it in the end

I enjoyed the story in the beginning , and then I begin to have a great disdain for the lead character. However, she redeemed herself in the end, and I totally love the book.

Riveting and Nostalgic!

Such a good book and the capturing performances made it hard to stop listening! JJ McAvoy has done it again….

another hit out of the park

this was a wonderful experience. I really enjoyed my first historical fiction ☺️ I can't wait to read more by this author 😍

Worth it

This story was so well written and so well performed that I’m filled with anticipation for all the rest of the DuBells stories. It also made me interested in this authors other works.

Absolutely Breathtaking!

His book has NO dull moments. I finished the book in 2 days!! I couldn’t get enough.

Thank you.

I absolutely loved this book. To hear a fairly tail with a blended family like mine was amazing. Thanks again .

Loved it!

Let me say I’m not a huge fan of romance but I loved this book! The Bridgerton vibes kept me listening nonstop!

It is so good!

EVERYTHING about this book was great. The plot and twists, the narration. Well done!

Wonderful adaptation to a terrific book!

I will start with the Voice Acting:

I enjoyed how Aphrodite and the Duke used four different voice actors for each of the four narrators featured in the book; this helps the listener connect more with each of these characters; as they each bring their own set of personalities, experiences and tones to their roles/points of view.

The listener spends a majority of the time listening to Grace Gray, the actor voicing the narration of Aphrodite. Ms. Gray's performance as the lead is magical, as her inflections, emotion, and humor truly help bring this delightful story to life. Ms. Gray seems to have given each character its own voice (similar to Jim Dale's Harry Potter work) and her ability to match that voice/personality with the characters themselves is impeccable. I hope to hear more of her work soon!

On to the Story:

The characters and character development really stand out in this work, as their personalities and interactions with each other seems authentic to their status, age, and overall sense of self.

Another piece of this work that stood out is the pace. While certain scenes seem to move quickly at first, the listener/reader seems to always get caught-up with any missing information just at the right time.

I lastly would like to speak to the quality of the writing itself, this book is deep and avoids some of the common romance pitfalls of being a bit too surface level and predictable, Aphrodite and the Duke kept me on my toes and constantly wanting more.

Overall, this is a great piece of fiction performed by four incredibly talented voice over actors, all of whom left me wanting for a sequel in the end!