The Devereaux Affair

Ladies of the Order, Book 1

By: Adele Clee

Narrated by: Stevie Zimmerman

Two lonely children form a bond.

As the daughter of a famed courtesan, Julianna de Lacy had seen more than her share of heartbreak. As a child, her own heart was broken the night her mother dragged her from the Marquess Devereaux’s mansion and forced her into a stranger’s carriage. It was not the fear of meeting her mother’s new lover that had Julianna sobbing, but the fact she was leaving Bennet Devereaux - the marquess’ young son and Julianna’s only friend. Their parting words became a mantra she recited every night before bed.

"Promise you’ll find me when you’re old enough. Promise you’ll return if you can."

Two promises made and broken.

Someone is trying to kill Bennet Devereaux. The 27-year-old marquess has received copies of his obituary, witnessed two staged murder scenes, and fears the third might be his last. Desperate to uncover the culprit, he seeks to hire an enquiry agent. Imagine his surprise when the only available agent is a woman - a woman who was once his childhood friend and confidante.

Two people thrown together by fate.

Bennet and Julianna must find the villain before it’s too late. But the deep bond they forged as children quickly develops into an intense attraction. How will they navigate these uncharted waters when Julianna refuses to be any man’s mistress? What options are left for Bennet when he can’t make a courtesan’s daughter his wife?

Find out in The Devereaux Affair, book one in Ladies of the Order series.

©2021 Adele Clee (P)2022 Adele Clee

Okay

It’s an okay story to pass the time, though it devolves to lust and TMI fillers in the latter half. Now that I know these aren’t clean Regencies, I won’t buy more from this author. The mystery is the most interesting part, though not enthralling. I’m not fond of the “childhood friends to potential love later in life after years of absence” trope. Unfortunately, they always result in flashbacks, comparisons, or reminiscings of childhood moments that are never interesting. So I skip or speed-listen through those bits to get them over with. This trope does not lend itself to any creativity, and it practically sounds the same in every single book that uses it. But, check it out for the mystery and for Stevie’s excellent narration.

An Affair to Remember!

Wow! This has it all: intrigue, romance, vengeance, betrayal. It’s a complex mix of mystery, healing, childhood trauma, forgiveness, and love. The author weaves the plot together with sensitivity and brilliance. The characters are well-developed and real. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next one in the series.
The Audible narrator did a great job with all the voices as well as the emotions.

Finally, a regency romance with good mystery and plot!

I love regency romance novels, but too often the romance is the only plot line and it gets drawn out simply by the characters being insecure or one of them keeping a secret, etc. This book has a lovely romance AND a page turning mystery full of “who done it” intrigue! I can’t wait to read the next one in the series. The audio narrator for this was also fantastic! I hope she does the narration for her future books!