Narrator James Langton's voice is as smooth as warm chocolate sauce--and just as yummy. This sophisticated Regency romance is filled with smart dialogue, well-done accents, and acting so good the listener won't want to pause between chapters. Fate, poachers, and a trapped rabbit bring handsome and disillusioned Duncan Wentworth into the path of the mysterious, lovely widow Duchess Matilda Wakefield. Matilda holds dangerous secrets, but despite them and her reticence, Duncan's heart wants what it wants. As delivered by Langton, Duncan's voice is interesting and well done. Matilda's is lighter, feminine, and distinct. Langton especially excels in his portrayal of two miscreants whose lower-class accents are simply perfect. This is a witty, well-presented listening experience.
Pub Date: April 2, 2019
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549199707
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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