How to Tame Your Duke

A Princess in Hiding, Book 1

By: Juliana Gray

Narrated by: Veida Dehmlow

England, 1888. Quiet and scholarly Princess Emilie has always avoided adventure, until she's forced to disguise herself as a tutor in the household of the imposing Duke of Ashland, a former soldier disfigured in battle and abandoned by his wife. When chance draws her into a secret liaison with the duke, Emilie can't resist the opportunity to learn what lies behind his forbidding mask and find out what adventure really means.

The duke never imagines that his son's tutor and his mysterious golden-haired beauty are one and the same. But when the true identity of his lover is laid bare, Ashland must face the demons in his past in order to safeguard both his lady and his heart.

©2013 Juliana Gray (P)2013 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Emotionally electric scenes between strong characters make this one a winner." ( Publishers Weekly)

They didn’t solve anything!!

First of all, the narrator kept switching between the name Emilie and Amelia, sometimes in the same sentence and it was obnoxious. Pick one. While the story itself was interesting, I felt cheated at the end. They didn’t solve the main story line and there were still so many questions. I’m disappointed!

loved it

A particularly steamy period love story filled with adventure and excitement. It was an unexpected treat

Great Love story with international intrigue

This is one of my favorite books, and I've read hundreds lately. First of all it's well written, full of great characters, international intrigue, villains and scoundrels but two of the dearest - and sexiest - pairings of lovers around. These people have lives, which makes for an interesting book with plenty of steamy sex but also with sub-plots that make it richer than some romances. Both the Duke and the Princess are fully interesting characters whose responses to each other are endearing and entertaining. Also, the narration is some of the best so far.

Because the Duke falls completely for the princess's disguise as his son's tutor, their meeting comes about in an interesting and unexpected way. And the Duke is a character to die for, while the princess is one to admire as a great lady who is also a feisty woman not overly impressed by her class and title. Definitely worth a credit!

Now here's something different!

Let me just say first, I enjoyed this book tremendously: I like the storyline, the characters, the narration and the ending. Ok, it's not a "thinker" really. You probably aren't going to learn much even though it's historical fiction. It is about a period that is usually overlooked in historical romance novels: the beginnings of the anarchist movements of the late 19th and early 20th century that spread across much of the globe. but the author merely uses this tumult as a backdrop to tell the story. And that's what this book is about....storytelling. It's like grown up story time and it's deliciously entertaining. From princesses in peril to agents and counter agents to a hulking injured hero, it's indulgent and so much fun. The narrator is outstanding. She grabs your attention with her voice inflection and soft tones.

This is the beginning of a trilogy that follows three princesses forced to flee their homeland (I won't even try to spell the name of the principality of their birth) after the assasination of their father and the husband of one of the sisters. This book is about the middle sister, Emilie. She is forced to hide out at a Yorkshire estate in a most unusual disguise. It is the estate of a heroic, maimed veteran of British entanglements in Afghanistan. Unlikely circumstances result our hero knowing Emilie in two different identities, neither are her true identity. Of course this leads to some pretty far fetched complications, but because the story is so well told, I let go of my cynical need for realism and just enjoyed the unfolding tale.

I like to listen to books as I do mindless or boring activities, however, because of the narrator's skill, I found myself forgetting my chores and sitting down or just standing there enthralled. So, maybe don't listen while you're driving....

Very interesting story!

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the story line and characters. I did feel like narrator sounded a bit too much like Angela Lansbury which ruined some of the romance for me but I still enjoyed it a
To!

Too many narration slip ups

Any additional comments?

The story was very good and well written but the narration slip ups starting half way into the book was distracting for me. It somehow kept me away from immersing into the book.

As far as the book goes, I liked how Princess Emily was able to look beyond the disfiguration of the Duke of Ashland and actually find him attractive. Merits that made him look so appealing and irresistible to the princess. There are also some very funny moments in the story that actually had me laughing out loud. I still recommend this book for its content and not narration.

A fine romp

This is one story that does not drag. An enjoyable romantic romp with
some interesting characters with a nice hea.

It's Not Bad

The only problem is how stupid the heroine is about so many things. It's as if she is being stupid for the sake of it.

Captivating!

I was captivated by "How to Tame Your Duke". Ms. Gray delivers a wonderful action packed story that has you on the edge of your seat and eager for more in the end.

Although there are three princesses of the German principality of Holstein-Schweinwald-Huhnhof, Luisa, Emilie, and Stefanie, fleeing assassins trying to kill them, this is the story of Emilie.

Emilie, the quiet and scholarly sister, has never wanted a life of privilege, so when anarchists murder her father and brother-in-law and she and her sisters must flee to England and disguise themselves, it is her chance to experience a taste of freedom and independence.

Emilie relishes her disguise as a young man, becoming tutor to the Marquess of Silverton, preparing the16 year old son of a scarred and jaded Duke for college.

"How to Tame Your Duke" has everything I look for in a good book; there's danger, deception, humor, adventure, mystery, romance, with a passion heightened by their attempts at emotional restraint.

I don't remember hearing Veida Dehmlow read before, but she is an excellent performer. She not only does both male and female voices well, but is able to capture the situation with feeling, drawing the listener into the pictures she paints with her words.

I highly recommend it.

Simply awesome..

Have you listened to any of Veida Dehmlow’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

NO!! But I wish she narrated every book I listened to. She's incredible.

Any additional comments?

I absolutely LOVED Ashland, even though I didn't feel it was necessary for the author to maim the hero as much as she did. I read one other book like that and, at times, found it to be a little disgusting. I also read a book where the heroine dressed as a man and gave the book one star because the book itself was written so badly. This was written a whole lot better.
My favorite character was Freddie. He was fresh and funny and without an attitude that so many authors want to base on today's teenagers. I wouldn't mind having a teenager like him in all the books I read.
Miss Dingleby? I'm still not sure about her. Good? Bad? Like? Dislike? Just don't know. I'm sure she'll be in the other books and I'll find out.
And, finally, sex!! It was spectacular!!