Lady Fortescue Steps Out

The Poor Relation, Book 1

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Life is not easy for the poor relations of England’s upper crust, but fate and clever schemes bring them together. Lady Fortescue and Colonel Sandhurst hatch a plan: What if they were to transform her decrepit Bond Street home into a posh hotel, offering their guests the pleasure of being waited upon by nobility? With the help of other down-and-out aristocrats, they do just that, and London’s newest hotel, The Poor Relation, is born.

The establishment is an immediate hit with London’s most illustrious citizens, save the Duke of Rowcester, Lady Fortescue’s nephew. Rowcester believes that his aunt’s entry into the trade will denigrate their family name and is determined to shut the hotel down - until he meets Miss Harriett James, the lovely young woman who accepts Lady Fortescue’s offer to become The Poor Relation’s chef after the death of her parents and the loss of her fortune. Rowcester moves into The Poor Relation for the season - ostensibly to keep an eye on his aunt’s business.

©1992 Marion Chesney (P)2012 AudioGO

Fun!

Light and enjoyable story to listen to. Great characters and nice story line. Love to listen while I garden.

Left until my stomach hurt

This story has everything! It's an ensemble cast. It's got romance, a murder mystery or at the very least a mystery, a villain, heroes, and last but not least Sir Philip!

Sir Phillip's shenanigans kept me in tears laughing. S/o to the story about the gambling guest and the money in the sofa 😭😭 also his assistance in getting a French chef.

I love the authenticity of the story's commentary on the Regency period and its opulence and horrors.

Highly recommend

Fun and Light

I liked the way the friends came together and supported each other. The humor in circumstances and characters kept it light.

Excellent narration!

I was put off at first because the story seemed to be geared towards my grandmother's generation. Grateful I stuck with it! Lovely character development and satisfying ending. Im sick of all the modern books with constant contention and wicked people. The narration was outstanding.

Great fun

The perfect Sunday afternoon listen. A perfect balance of good news and bad news. Likes le characters and good historical details.

Sweet and fun

A sweet story about friendship and friends, who become family with a little bit of a love story.

Delightful!

An easy listen. Frothy. Stress-free. Fabulous reader. Written with care. Charming characters. No one is angry or mean. Enjoy!

A Delight.

Delightful! A simple wholesome romance, I loved the plot line, the genteel poor banding together for a better life. Great characters, witty dialogue and a sweet love story to boot. There was nothing about this I didn’t like. A short novel perfect for a quick regency fix.

Davina Porter is as usual superb; her flawless character portrayals are a joy to listen to. She is always spot on, she is the best of the best, in my humble opinion.

Regency England at its Best

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The author has the time period down pat. The reader had the perfect accent and "attitude" for each character's station for the time period. Looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lady Fortescue Steps Out?

The scene in the kitchen where the Duke finds his long lost love bathing after her long hard day as the hotel's French chef.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the Duke climbs the drainpipe to save his love from the burning house.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book was humorous as well as touching for the positions innocent people found themselves in.

Any additional comments?

Well worth the listen.

Regency with real people

Lady Fortescue is a lady with great sense and fortitude. By building her own family of poor relations she brings together hope and fortitude. Each person added brings more seasoning to the tale. It is a well written lovable story. I can't wait for the next one.