A warm and varied narration invites listeners into Bell's historical romance.
Playing both duke and authoress, narrator Beverley A. Crick displays impressive range. Analise Crewe, a winsome orphan, and Deckard Payne, the Duke of Warburton and a Napoleonic war veteran, find mutual benefit in an arranged marriage. Crick builds the story's tension as Dex, fulfilling a vow made on the battlefield, searches high and low for Analise. If there's a perfect voice for a duke, Crick delivers it with a combination of reserve and authority. Analise is his foil, her voice ringing with enthusiasm for her writing career and wonder for both her new role as duchess and her physical attraction to Dex. Analise's maid has a cockney accent, and other characters have distinct voices, too.
A warm and varied narration invites listeners into Bell's historical romance.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 40 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063316942
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2026
Both narrators capture the humor and heat, providing a diverting (smashing, splendid, enjoyable) listen.
This Regency romance features a wallflower nearing spinsterhood and a notorious rake. Harriet's love of words, especially synonyms and slang, and Alexander’s penchant for liaisons result in a chance encounter, an unlikely kidnapping, and an agreement for a marriage of convenience that both soon regret. Grace Blyth narrates much of the story, while Stewart Clarke performs the roles of male characters. The duo transports listeners to the couple’s world, and their skill at voicing a variety of characters will have listeners forgetting there are only two narrators. However, some sections told from Alexander’s point of view and narrated by Blyth would have been better served if Clarke had delivered them.
Both narrators capture the humor and heat, providing a diverting (smashing, splendid, enjoyable) listen.Pub Date: June 23, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 26 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217344673
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 8, 2026
Listeners will fall in love with this witty and clever romance.
Mhairi Morrison gives a dazzling performance of this first entry in a new Regency romance series. With admirable ease and conviction, Morrison portrays the intelligent, forthright manner of Lady Ruby Ballimore, who prefers to spend her time studying rather than securing a suitable husband. After another social mistake, Lady Ruby hatches a plan to spend the summer with her two best friends posing as ladies-in-waiting at the unoccupied holiday home of Princess Serafina. To her astonishment, a band of smugglers posing as household staff, headed by the charming, strong-willed Captain Malcolm Archer, is already there. Morrison evokes the pair’s growing attraction, expressing their deep emotion amidst a series of schemes, plot twists, and stolen moments.
Listeners will fall in love with this witty and clever romance.Pub Date: June 23, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 13 mins
DD ISBN: 9798349163944
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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