OYENTE

Nicole

  • 36
  • opiniones
  • 6
  • votos útiles
  • 39
  • calificaciones
The Lady's Guide to Tempting a Transylvanian Count Audiolibro Por Emmanuelle de Maupassant arte de portada

this was a great narration

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 11-23-22

It's been five years since Sofia's new husband humilated her by leaving the morning after their wedding night. Now that her father has passed away, Sofia has no one else and is determined to find her estranged husband and take the place she deserves, at his side, even if that means living in a crumbling castle in the Carpathian mountains. In the company of the new Count Roznovatu's exceedingly odd family, Sofia is ever hopeful that she'll be able to melt her husband's cold heart. Constantin foolishly thought marrying Sofia would be his saving grace, a way to overcome the weakness he carries in his blood. Now, Sofia is in danger because of him and all he's struggling to keep the family's secrets hidden.

This author is the best at setting up a creepy, suspenseful setting with gothic vibes and plenty of intrigue that will keep you reading. The housekeeper in this book was giving me all the Mrs. Danvers vibes and my only complaint is that Sofia was perhaps a bit too nice and I definitely wanted to see Constantin stick up for her more. Constantin's reason for wanting them to stay apart and his efforts to keep Sofia safe did make sense, but they were a bit less than what I was expecting after so much build up. I would've liked more romance between these two and less of Constantin ignoring Sofia, but we get less of that since their courtship occurred before the beginning of the story. Despite his standoffishness, or maybe because of it, I couldn't help but root for Constantin and Sofia. This feeling was also boosted by the fact that they were surrounded by such odd characters and everyone was so cryptic. Overall, this was a nice, quick read that held my attention and I found it to be a great escape from reality for a little while.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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The Lady's Guide to Deception and Desire Audiolibro Por Emmanuelle de Maupassant arte de portada

this was a good listen for fall

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-13-22

3.5 stars rounded up.

Since her father disowned her and her mother, Rosamund Burnell has quite a few problems to contend with. She and her mother are stuck in England, far from their Texas home and she has few options. The most obvious coping mechanism is to pretend she’s still the oil heiress she seems to be and find a wealthy English lord to marry.

Now she’s met the aging Duke of Studborne, a man in need of an heir, he seems the answer to Rosamund’s prayers, and he seemed infatuated with her. Unfortunately, Rosamund’s attraction is only for the duke’s nephew, Benedict Studborne, a penniless scholar. She knows she needs to use her head and not her heart to ensure her survival and her mother’s, but when it becomes apparent that the duke’s courtship isn’t quite the infatuation it seems, Rosamund finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation.

It seems the disappearing maids at the Abbey may not have simply shirked their duties, but something far more sinister may be occurring within the Abbey walls and Rosamund will need help from the frustratingly strait-laced Benedict to get to the truth.

This book was definitely darker than I expected, but the narrator does a great job of bringing the listener into the story. This spooky, gothic tale is perfect for the fall/Halloween season and those who like to mood read. We definitely have instalove between Benedict and Rosamund as they don’t have too terribly many interactions together on page, but they were still a believable couple for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of the misunderstanding between them, but it resolved quickly and in a way that I found satisfying. This was a nice, quick story to get me into the fall spirit, and though it was rather darker than I expected, I enjoyed listening to it.

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The Lady's Guide to Scandal Audiolibro Por Emmanuelle de Maupassant arte de portada

a fun, quick listen

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-23-22

Archaeologist and explorer Ethan Burnell has no intention of staying in England for long and is eager to return to his exploration in the Yucatan as soon as he’s able. He has even less interest in finding a wife, despite his sister’s best efforts. She’s hosting a Christmas house party and has invited several ladies of marriageable age, leaving Ethan feeling a bit cornered.

Cornelia Mortmain has no marriage prospects, though she had hoped once to find a true partner. Now widowed and faced with scandal thanks to her mother’s escapades as well as the circumstances of her late husband’s death, that hope is shriveling. Brash American Ethan Burnell is precisely the type of man she generally avoids, but there’s the slightest chance that his interest in her could increase the level of interest she receives from other men. On the off chance of this being helpful for her, Cornelia grudgingly agrees to Ethan’s scheme to protect himself from the marriage-minded mamas and daughters in attendance at the party. Now he and Cornelia must simply convince the guests of their undying love for one another.

This was a fast-paced romp with a rather starchy heroine and a hero with no interest in marriage, or so he thinks. Their attraction is rather instant, but it also builds upon a connection they had forged as children, so I thought this was a neat way to feature the childhood friends to lovers trope in with a fake relationship. This book maintains a hint of gothic feel and the narration pulled me into the story quite well. Cornelia was a bit difficult to like thanks to her tendency toward snappishness and yet, this prickliness was something that made her very relatable for me and made perfect sense given everything she’d been through thanks to her mother’s and her late husband’s scandals. Ethan was a bit ramshackle in his courtship and it took a while for him to get his head on straight and realize what he truly did want from life as far as relationships go. Fortunately, Cornelia was a match for him in every way and refused to settle for less than everything he had to offer and an equal partnership. I loved that she stood up for herself and her two aunts were fabulous supporting characters to a charming, fast-paced story.

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Bringing Down the Duke Audiolibro Por Evie Dunmore arte de portada

the narration made this story for me

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 06-15-22

3.5 stars rounded up.

Vicar’s daughter Annabelle Archer is limited by her station and lack of funds, but thanks to a scholarship, has earned a place in the first class of women allowed to study at Oxford. In exchange for her stipend, she must support a league of suffragists, helping bring powerful men to their cause. She’s assigned Sebastian Deveraux, the very powerful, very unfeeling, Duke of Montgomery, a man who has the queen’s ear and a leading role in British politics. Keeping her attraction hidden will be harder than winning him to the cause.

When he arrives at his country home unexpectedly, Sebastian is not at all pleased to find three suffragists and several of his brother’s wastrel Oxford classmates are making merry in his home. The bigger threat to his sanity, however, is his reaction to the beautiful Annabelle. He’s worked very hard to restore the dukedom his father left so damaged and that means he must marry a lady of equal standing, not a commoner with opposing political views to his own. But that doesn’t mean Sebastian won’t try to get Annabelle some other way, leaving him in store for more of a battle of wills than he’d bargained for.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. Given the premise, I thought it possible the heroine might annoy me with an unfair attitude toward all men or something along those lines, but that wasn’t the case. Don’t get me wrong, Annabelle still annoyed me plenty, just not for that reason. Her determination to make herself a martyr is what got me. This did come later on in the book, but it just seemed to go against her previously established character. That said, I think perhaps this change in characterization was purposeful and meant to illustrate how her experiences outside her small village had changed things for Annabelle and not all for the better, so I do think that it worked, even if it was annoying and made me want to shake her. I think it was meant to.

Sebastian annoyed me just as much with his blindness to his own options as a powerful duke. He allowed himself to be manipulated quite a lot and it took him some time to realize that he did in fact have free will to follow his own conscience and desires instead of always working towards the goals of the queen or his political party, no matter how noble they seemed. That said, this obliviousness did make it very satisfying when he opened his eyes and got down to the business of creating the life he wanted. At first, he was much too focused on appearances and duty to his title, and he came off as something of a spoiled brat when Annabelle refused to fall in line with his plans.

These two both annoyed me in some ways, but at the same time, I believed in the inevitability of their connection. They both saw the barriers to their having a respectable future together and they wound up forging their own path anyway because they just couldn't help it. I can get on board with that. I liked seeing Sebastian’s heart thaw as he learned to open himself up to feelings again and Annabelle did a lot of maturing as well as she learned what was truly important to her. Annabelle and Sebastian truly saw each other, probably in ways no one else did or ever had and that made a strong case for their validity as a couple and made me root for them despite myself. I have to say, I really wanted someone to put Annabelle’s dreadful cousin in his place and I did sometimes find her suffragist friends too demanding in terms of what they expected from Annabelle. I may have set this book down a time or two if I were reading it, but the audio narration was excellent and helped keep me invested in the story. All told, I did enjoy this story and premise enough to want to continue this series. I especially want to find out if Peregrine and Fiona wind up together because I was quietly shipping them for a while during this book.

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My One and Only Duke Audiolibro Por Grace Burrowes arte de portada

this story pulled me in

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 06-08-22

Quinn Wentworth has pulled himself up from the slums of York to become one of the most successful bankers in London, only to find himself facing execution on a trumped-up charge of manslaughter. His life takes another unexpected turn when he’s declared the new Duke of Walden and released at the last minute. He’s happy enough with his newfound circumstances, but he knows someone pulled a lot of strings to put him in the hangman’s noose and he’s determined to find out who.

Jane Winston is widowed, pregnant, and stuck with her preacher father, a pompous man given to pontificating incessantly in prisons but not doing much real good. Jane meets Quinn in jail and he, believing himself soon to be executed, offers to marry her and set up a trust to provide her and her child independence and an escape from her father.

Neither Jane nor Quinn expected to truly become a married couple, but now that they are, they’re going to make the most of it. Jane’s mother was a lady, so she knows how to make Quinn’s household into something properly ducal, while he’s more focused on his vengeance than anything else.

This wound up being such a sweet book and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. So far, I’ve read Althea’s, Constance’s, Stephen’s and Ned’s books, but not the first three of the series and I’m trying to remedy that, though I must say I’m pretty happy to have read them out of order, actually. I’m not sure I would’ve liked Althea and Constance very much as heroines if I’d read this book first, but at the same time, this book definitely shows how much growth they undergo between it and their own stories.

Anyway, Quinn’s situation and last-minute reprieve is so unique, and I loved it. The only time I’ve read something similar was Julie Anne Long’s The Perils of Pleasure, Colin Eversea’s story. I actually find I preferred this story to that one, possibly because Quinn was able to seize his power and clear his name rather than having to go on the run. I loved that Quinn was so tenacious about protecting his family and ensuring their wellbeing at any cost. Perhaps my favorite aspect of his character was his treatment of Jane though. He wasn’t in the least bit put off by her pregnancy, not at all fussed about the child not being his, and he made it clear to her how attractive and desirable he found her regardless. He may have tried to protect her a bit too much by not sharing certain alarming things with her, but I think most men are guilty of this at one time or another and he did mean well. Having built himself up from nothing, and with an abusive father, Quinn was understandably territorial over what was his, including his family, so his reaction when their safety was threatened made perfect sense. I loved that Jane also understood this and insinuated herself right there to help him adjust to his newly elevated circumstances, providing him with support he didn’t even realize he needed.

It’s not often that I say this, but I really loved Jane as a heroine. I can definitely relate to her struggle with feeling guilty about the treatment of her family and I loved that she finally stood up for herself to her father. The fact that Quinn gave her the stability to enable her to do that just solidified them as a favorite couple for me. Jane took charge of Quinn’s house, whipping it into something worthy of a new, if reluctant duke, and I loved her take charge attitude. I especially loved seeing Jane stand up to Quinn’s sisters and brother as she really came into her own. She’d never really had an opportunity to be her own person outside of her father’s demands and I loved watching her finally have a chance to develop her own personality and show it, rather than having to tamp down her wants in favor of the desires of another. Jane and Quinn became a real team and Jane demanded openness and honesty from Quinn, not resting until she got it. I loved the communication they worked up to and it made it impossible not to root for them. These two are a new favorite couple for me and perfect to be the heads of the Wentworth family.

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The Hero and the Hellion Audiolibro Por Ava Devlin arte de portada

second chance done right

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-09-22

After four long years at war, Callum Laughlin is finally returning home to Yorkshire, having made something of himself and secured enough of a fortune to reclaim the love he left behind. Now that he’s raised himself above the role of stable boy and become someone his well-bred love can marry, he’s surprised by the lukewarm welcome he receives.

Heloise Somers has overcome her impetuous nature, for the most part, living the life of a staid spinster, working to help those in her village as a midwife, and taking on the role of doting “aunt” to the child who is secretly her daughter. She didn’t really think Callum would ever return and seeing him back at Somerton rocks her well-ordered life, leaving her terrified of having her secrets revealed.

With the entire Somers family gathered to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Heloise avoids Callum, trying to hide their child, but when the village faces a crisis, they must come together to help their people. As they rebuild the town, their unchanged feelings become impossible to ignore and both Heloise and Callum begin to work at true forgiveness and rebuilding their love.

I was a bit nervous about this one just because I have not been loving second chance stories lately, but this one was well done. Heloise was understandably annoyed at the way Callum left, but this animosity was not allowed to drag on or be blown up too much. Heloise wasn’t always the nicest to Callum and she was keeping a secret from him that she had no right to, but she realized this too and also asked his forgiveness rather than just demanding his apology. Callum also realized he shouldn’t have let his pride get in the way by assuming he knew what Heloise would want. They had both made mistakes, but each was willing to admit it and neither did much in the way of trying to pretend they didn’t still love each other. I usually don’t care for children in romances, but Callum’s reunion with the daughter he didn’t know he had was absolutely adorable. Sometimes emotional scenes with tears from the hero just really work and this was one of those times. I loved the role Heloise’s mother played in this scene and how supportive she was in working everything out for Callum, Heloise and their daughter in the most delightful way. I’m surprised to say it given this trope, but I think this is my favorite book of the series.

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His Brazen Tart Audiolibro Por Victoria Vale arte de portada

this was a great listen

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-31-21

Joan Durbin has enjoyed life as a widow, out from under the control of her overbearing, at times abusive, husband. She’s taken a string of lovers, but the pampered dandies of the London aristocracy have left her wanting, so when she hears of an agency of male courtesans, she decides to investigate. Upon meeting Sir Piers Lovelace, Joan’s desire for a dominant lover is finally satisfied.

Unlike most of his fellow courtesans, Piers has no need of the money he stands to earn, he simply enjoys the opportunity his position affords him to have affairs without any expectations of permanency. He’s had his heart broken before and has no interest in revisiting the pain.

But it doesn’t take long for Piers to realize that Joan is not like any other woman he’s ever met, and it becomes increasingly difficult for him to keep their arrangement simply pleasure without involving his heart.

It took a little bit for me to really get invested in this story, but Darcy Stark’s excellent narration helped to draw me in. At first, I was a bit annoyed by Joan’s bratty behavior, but at the same time I also identified with her rebellious streak, and I think that is what made her such a good match for Piers and him for her. They each challenged each other in ways that were recognizable as new and scary but also special and I think a lot of us read romance to remember that feeling of first meeting someone and realizing they’re different. At least I do, so I really enjoyed that here. Besides all that, the chemistry and steam here was off the charts and these two did a pretty good job of communicating, despite insecurities and a few false starts. I really enjoyed this story and I look forward to the rest of the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an audio advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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The Scoundrel and the Socialite Audiolibro Por Ava Devlin arte de portada

this was an enjoyable story

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 11-05-21

Gloriana Blakely has turned down one too many suitors for her parents’ liking and now they’ve sent her off to spend some time with her cousin in remote Yorkshire. She’s decidedly less than thrilled at being banished from society and being forced to share the estate with her girlhood nemesis who is now her cousin’s sister-in-law.

Alex Somers has at last finished his Oxford degree, in much more time than it should have taken him, but now he must make a decision about what to do with his life. With nowhere else to go, he returns to his brother’s estate in Yorkshire to figure out his next move, only to discover that a lovely guest has entrenched herself in the family library and taken up his cause by planning an elaborate country house party to celebrate the completion of his studies.

Alex and Gloriana disagree at every turn, building a decidedly less than unfriendly tension between them. They find themselves thrown together at every turn, especially when they uncover a potentially treasonous plot unfolding during the party, and the two are brought together by a secret they’ve accidentally overheard, even as their mutual attraction begins to blossom into something more.

I was unsure about this one because I really couldn't stand Gloriana as a supporting character in the previous book and for a while at the beginning of this story, it seemed she still hadn’t matured. Thankfully, though she is still rather whimsical, this Gloriana at least demonstrates some growth and development. In fact, she and Alex both had some growing up to do and they seemed to be a good influence on each other as both demonstrated a good amount of development between the beginning and end of the book. I loved the house party setting here and I thought the tension between the two MCs was well-drawn. The mystery/spy element was a bit thin, but I think this twist sets the rest of the series up to be quite interesting, especially as secondary characters begin pairing off, and I’ll look forward to continuing.

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The Viscount and the Vixen Audiolibro Por Ava Devlin arte de portada

4.5 stars rounded up

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-25-21

Rose d’Aubrey has been engaged twice, only to have her prospective grooms perish before the wedding day. She’s since become gossip fodder and has come to terms with her fate as a spinster and is serving her family in the role of companion to her young cousin during her London debut. But when her cousin is told she’ll be having a hasty wedding to a rich viscount, rather than the season she’s always dreamed of, Rose has to manage her family and come up with a solution to get her cousin out of this situation.

Lord Gideon, Viscount Somers, wants nothing more than to reestablish the good reputation of his family which his father destroyed. He never imagined Rose would wind up back in his life, especially given her frequent appearance in gossip rags, but she’s the only woman he’s ever wanted. With a secret weighing on him, hastening his need to return home to Yorkshire, and a prospective intended who doesn’t even wish to meet him, he’s no longer able to ignore his draw toward Rose and strikes a deal with her instead. An impulsive elopement sees Rose and Gideon learning about each other in an enclosed world of their own, but their newfound connection also has to survive the strain meeting his family is about to cause.

This was such a strong debut. I loved the fast pace and the unique, madcap plotting. This was a bit like a second chance story for Gideon, who had always admired Rose from afar. For Rose, it was a chance to escape her overbearing mother but also to see a man she knew as a friend in an entirely different light. Gideon definitely had his moments of sheer male idiocy, but he redeemed himself well. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed, and I would’ve liked to have had perhaps one more scene featuring a heart to heart between Gideon and Rose, but I still liked them as a couple, overall. I listened to this as a complimentary audiobook from the author and while the narrator’s voice wasn’t my favorite, I did appreciate her ability to create distinctive voices that helped me differentiate each character and pulled me more fully into the story. This was my first read from this author, but I hope to continue the series now.

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The Earl's Entanglement Audiolibro Por Cecelia Mecca arte de portada

excellent story and narration

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-27-21

Since his father’s death in battle, Garrick Helmsley has been forced to return to England to claim both his earldom of Clave there and the one he has inherited in Scotland. His Scottish holding of Linkirk is threatened by his uncle so Garrick agrees to his mother’s plan for him to marry the daughter of a powerful Scottish border lord. But almost as soon as he agrees, Garrick meets Lady Emma Waryn, the sister-in-law of one of his childhood friends. Garrick finds himself escorting Emma to Scotland and wishing he weren’t betrothed.

Emma loves her family dearly but she’s tired of being smothered by their protectiveness and certainly doesn’t want more of the same in a marriage to a powerful man. But Garrick doesn’t fit with what she expected of a powerful earl, and she soon realizes he’s the man she wants for a husband despite all arguments to the contrary. Garrick risks starting a war if he breaks his betrothal, but for once he may put his own happiness above that of the others around him.

This was such an enjoyable listen and an excellent narration from Tim Campbell. I loved the fact that Emma was unwilling to compromise for anything less than all of Garrick and he never asked her to. It would’ve ruined everything if he’d suggested she become his mistress and I’m so glad that wasn’t the case. I appreciated that both Emma and Garrick were realistic about the obstacles they faced, but they never let that detract from the romance growing between them or from their determination to be together. I really enjoyed the communication between these two as well and I think this wound up being a real comfort read for me even with the contentious setting.

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