Silent Revenge

By: Laura Landon

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

A Marriage of Convenience

Such is the agreement forged between Lady Jessica Stanton and Simon Warland, Earl of Northcote. Jessica needs a husband strong enough to protect her inheritance from her avaricious stepbrother. Simon needs money to restore the family legacy his father squandered. United by necessity, emotional attachment isn’t part of the deal.

An Unexpected Passion

Yet once the reluctant newlyweds are living under the same roof, Simon can’t ignore the startling intellect, gentle strength, and graceful beauty Jessica keeps so carefully hidden from the world. And Jessica is intrigued to discover Simon’s formidable temper masks a kind, noble heart. But when Simon’s true motive for their marriage is revealed, Jessica is devastated by his betrayal. Because, despite her best intentions, she is falling in love with her husband. And love is the last thing either of them wants - though it may be exactly what they need.

©2012 Laura Landon (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Deaf heroine is an interesting approach

This book started off fairly interesting but fell apart about midway. The heroine, a deaf and wealthy woman marries a disgraced and bankrupt Earle who is accused of murdering his father. His father and his new young wife have squandered the family's fortune. The marriage is one of convenience. He needs money and she needs protection from her evil stepbrother. The thing that made the story fall apart, in my opinion, is that the married couple who were previously unknown to one another and who immediately profess to dislike one another, fall in amazing love in 5 minutes. They absolute cannot go on living if something happens to the other - and that was within three days of getting married. The deaf girl's lip reading abilities are also over the top. The narrator is good, but the story really did get preposterous in the second half. The narrator is very good at both male and female voices.

This is an excellent narrator

loved the storyline. Well written. Non offensive and worth the read. Highly recommend this book.

Entertaining

Pretty interesting story. He needs money because of his wastrel father and she needs to marry because her step brother wants to put her in an institution to take it all.

The most interesting part, is that the heroine, Jessica, is deaf. I've never seen a romance novel with that element in it. I would actually have loved to have seen a little more of her backstory about this element of her life, I think it would have enriched the threat of the villain as well.

As it is, aside from that, it is a pretty standard story. We need each other, we don't know each other, oh! we love each other.

I liked reading it, the characters were pretty well drawn, the ambiance of the story was well created and I'd be interested in reading more from this author.

Really good audio!

Loved the story and the characters. I enjoyed the book greatly. Ready for Laura's next book.

GREAT BOOK

I have listened to this book so many times I lost count, only if I could find other like this.. just love this book

couldn't stop listening

what a wonderful story. I throughly enjoyed Jesse's bravery and the determination she had to be a survivor. and the tenderness of Simon when he found her. great story

Exceptional book

I love this book. Finally a love story that has a plot. The love scene were very well written. I enjoyed the less explicit description of sex scenes. She has the ability of transporting the reader into the story. You can feel the sorrow or other emotions of her characters. Thank you for keeping the readers attention throughout the book. Her stories keep moving along, one will not wonder how many more chapters are left before I can start another book. This author doesn't use four letter words, thank you. Nothing ruins a book for me more than four letter words being use constantly throughout the book. Her books also employ twits to the story. Thanks for an extremely well written books. I will look forward to reading more of her books.

Overall very good

Some issues I have are Jessica is too forgiving. She should have held her anger longer at the unforgivable way Simon pushes her. Deafness in the 19th century was nothing to joke about. As she feared she could easily have been forced into an asylum. Also the *ton* would have assumed she was unable to learn or even think. It was also feared that it was contagious. Silly as that sounds today. Simon didn't seem to understand Jessica's fear until very late in the game.

Simon came through in the end but he was a bit of a poop head for a long time.

Rosalyn Landor is the best! She is so good.

The story was mostly good

Rosalyn Landon is by far one over the very best performer,I listen most any thing I can find with her in it!
Laura Landon is good author,well formed characters good story line.

Simon and Jessica

Silent Revenge by Laura Landon. Standalone. Audiobook and ebook borrowed through the KU Read and Listen program. M/F marriage of convenience, historical romance. Multiple POV (Jessica, Simon, and Rosalind). Solo style narration. It's listed as 10 hours 37 minutes; I listened at speed 2.25 for 4 hours 43 minutes. Narrator Rosalyn Lander read well, but I did struggle to understand several phrases. Unnecessary intro and finalé music. The girl in the red dress on the cover caught my eye immediately; I love it. Content warnings: h had scarlet fever as a child and is deaf as a result; Colin murdered his mother and h's father; Rosalind cheated on Simon, married his father, and then k¡lled his father; both main characters suffer Body Betrayal Syndrome; years ago, Colin r@ped and murdered a young girl, and then stabbed Vincent when he tried to rescue her; H had malaria; drug smuggling; Colin k¡lled Rosalind and several other people; Colin abducted Jessica and had her sent to an asylum; and Colin was murdered by the father of a man Colin murdered.

Lady Jessica Stanton (24, 25; aka Countess of Northcote/Jess/Jesse) is an orphan/wealthy heiress who has been living in her deceased father's home since she was 15 years old. She lost her hearing as a child after suffering from scarlet fever and has been hidden away ever since. She is an anonymous but much sought-after fashion designer who sells her designs to Madame Lamont, who brings her designs to life and sells them from her dress shop. Ira Cambden, her father's long-time friend and solicitor, reveals that while they thought Colin died years ago that he is, in fact, alive and will most likely come after Jessica for her inheritance. Colin Tanhill is Jessica's evil, abusive stepbrother. He's also a drug smuggler, a r@pist, a murder, and faked his own death to avoid his debts. Jessica's father's wealth will be released to her on her twenty-fifth birthday because she never married. She was unaware that she stood to inherit such vast wealth. Ira and Jessica are concerned that Colin will have her committed because she's deaf and reclusive as a result, so Jessica decides to find a husband. Simon Warland*, Earl of Northcote, has returned home to find his father left him bankrupt with very little left to inherit. He needs to find a way to save his family's estate. Jessica visits him and offers him her entire inheritance so he can save his family's estate in exchange for a marriage of convenience. Simon is convinced his close friend sent Jessica to offer him money because Simon wouldn't accept his friend's help. Jessica tried to convince him her offer is legitimate, but Simon is drunk and can't be convinced. Once Simon sobers up, he finds Jessica and agrees to marry her. After they're married, she finds out that he may have only married her as a scheme to save his property, have an heir, and then get rid of her to reunite with his former fiancée. He has no intention of reuniting with Rosalind. Rosalind cheated on him with his father, ultimately k¡lled his father, and is currently in a sordid partnership/relationship with Colin, Simon's mortal enemy. Simon really married her to draw Colin out and get revenge. In the end, Simon and Jessica are happily married, she's expecting their first baby, and she's still anonymously submitting her designs to Madam Lamont.

It was a good story, but there was a lot going on. It didn't entirely hold my attention, and a lot of people were murdered. Also, Jessica never thought she would inherit after her father, stepmother, and stepbrother died? How in the world did Simon not know it was Colin buying up his family's business and estate? These characters weren't too bright. JP

1 out of 5 on my spice scale (fade-to-black).

1st listen 10-17-24 (KU Read & Listen program)

*The Amazon blurb typo: Simon's last name is "Westland," but it's "Warland" in the book.