• Scandalous Desires

  • Maiden Lane, Book 3
  • By: Elizabeth Hoyt
  • Narrated by: Ashford McNab
  • Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (976 ratings)

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Scandalous Desires  By  cover art

Scandalous Desires

By: Elizabeth Hoyt
Narrated by: Ashford McNab
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Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Romance, 2013

Can a pirate learn that the only true treasure lies in a woman's heart?

Widowed Silence Hollingbrook is impoverished, lovely, and kind - and nine months ago she made a horrible mistake. She went to a river pirate for help in saving her husband, and in the process, made a bargain that cost her her marriage. That night wounded her so terribly that she hides in the foundling home she helps run with her brother. Except now that same river pirate is back... and he's asking for her help.

"Charming" Mickey O'Connor is the most ruthless river pirate in London. Devastatingly handsome and fearsomely intelligent, he clawed his way up through London's criminal underworld. Mickey has no use for tender emotions like compassion and love, and he sees people as pawns to be manipulated. And yet he's never been able to forget the naive captain's wife who came to him for help and spent one memorable night in his bed...talking.

When his bastard baby girl was dumped in his lap - her mother having died - Mickey couldn't resist the Machiavellian urge to leave the baby on Silence's doorstep. The baby would be hidden from his enemies, and he'd also bind Silence to him by her love for his daughter.

Pay another visit to Maiden Lane.
©2011 Elizabeth Hoyt (P)2011 Hachette

What listeners say about Scandalous Desires

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book is AMAZING !

Would you consider the audio edition of Scandalous Desires to be better than the print version?

No matter the edition. I think this book is amazing eitherway with its excellent storyline and interaction of all the characters
I started with the first book where the hero and heroine's characters first introduced. I was captivated by them and jumped ahead to listen to the third book in the series instead of the second book! I love love love the book

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mikky ofcourse !!!!!!! Such contradicting yet captivating character !

Which scene was your favorite?

What is not my favorite scene !!!!! I loved the whole thing ! I don't want to spoil the book :)

Any additional comments?

The narration was improved from the first book of the series. But still Ashford made Mikky's voice as if a teenager not fitting his charismatic character !

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Mickey O'connor is the most sensual man!!

I fell in love with him immediately!!
Silence was driving me crazy at times, what with the nagging about the food. But the story was so nicely written that I was able to overlook her nagging.
All in all I love this story and have listened to it 4 times already 😄
I believe it's better when you read them on order, but you can read them by themselves as well.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome Duo

Once again Hoyt and Mcnab blow my socks away. They put another St. Giles story in the hall of fame. Excellent read excellent time unwanted. Do give this one a listen you won't be sorry.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Silenced No More

I'd been anticipating Silence and Mickey's story since the first book, and this book lived up to my expectations, giving me both a hero and heroine that I loved. Silence was such a strong character throughout the series, and she shone in this book. I loved when Mickey described how he viewed her. I also loved the play on her name. In a previous book, Mickey was responsible for the act that had made Silence's family all disbelieve her, making her feel silenced and without a voice. In this book, he was the one to believe her and give her back her voice. This couple has become one of my favorites of all time.

While it had a few predictable scenes, the plot was very suspenseful and had some very dark moments. The villain was sheer evil. I loved Hoyt's secondary characters, especially Mickey's men, Harry and Bert. Hoyt puts a different dog in each story that simply melts my heart.

Ashford McNab did a wonderful narration. I think she has improved with each audiobook of this series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Duke of Sin better than this

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this romance, but after waiting hours and hours of listening before they FINALLY get frisky I found myself disappointed. Duke of Sin had more lustful magic, although this is a touching story. I wish the pirate made a move sooner. He was more of a tragic character than a brooding badass pirate. I wanted more victory for him in his present after such a terrible past. Set that tiresome baby aside and focus on your lover!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Favourite of the series so far!

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt (Audio Edition)
Narrated by Ashford McNab
Maiden Lane Series #3

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ I Loved the Mickey O’Connor! He was the perfect bad boy who falls in love with a good girl and everything changes. He and Silence made a wonderful pair. Perfect opposites. I also loved that you could see O’Connor’s men start to care for Silence as well and we get watch Mickey start to love his daughter.

I do have to comment though: “The home for unfortunate infants and foundling children.” The amount of times this was said in the book.. well, you could almost do a shot game for this! Then they added “The ladies syndicate for the benefit of...” to the beginning of it, and wowsa… a wee bit much I’m thinking… I did have to laugh when a character in one of the books actually commented about how the name itself is crazy.

Ashford McNab really made this story come alive for me. She did a lovely Irish lilt for Mickey’s voice and it was great to listen to. This book, I think may be my favourite of the series so far. Can’t wait to start the next one!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Charming Mickey, indeed

I love the Maiden Lane series! It encompasses everything I enjoy in a historical romance: passion, complex and lovable characters, and a great story.

This installment is one of my favorites. We are first introduced to the relationship of Charming Mickey and Silence during the first book and since then, I was hoping these two would end up together.

He is a river pirate and she is an innocent widow who lost the love of her dear husband even before he lost his life at sea. Without giving too much away, Silence has been forced to live with Charming Mickey. He is a ruthless man bent on obtaining as much material possessions as he can. Silence holds Mickey in contempt with the way he fashions his life and of what he did to her.

As the story progresses, we become more and more acquainted with the real Charming Mickey and the true nature of Silence's relationship with her late husband. The story is brilliantly crafted and at the end of this book, I was grasping for more in the Maiden Lane series.

Narrator:
Ashford MacNab
Performance: 6 out of 5 (can I even do that?)
MacNab is an amazing narrator. In fact, the whole reason I found the Maiden Lane series was because I wanted to listen to more books read by MacNab. She does the voices beautifully. The accents are wonderfully done and really distinguishes the characters as you listen to the performance. The was she portrays Charming Mickey is fantastic and her female characters sound exactly how I imagine them in my mind.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Stunning...simply stunning!

When I finished this book & the only word that came to mind was stunning...because I myself was stunned.

I decided to read this book first in the series as the previous two books seemed to have somewhat mixed reviews. However, it seemed like the reviews from this book were steadily highly rated. There was enough background information given on the main characters that I didn't feel at all lost. In fact, this book was so good, I can't wait to go back & read the previous.

BACKGROUND:
"Charming" Mikey O'Connor a despot, powerful river pirate intertwines his life with Silence Hollingbrook, a beautiful widow. Silence's husband, Hollingbrook would be responsible for and consequently serve time in prison as O'Connor had stolen some goods from his ship. Silence begs O'Connor to replace the cargo and slyly O'Connor concedes but for the price of a night alone with her.

As Silence agrees to the pirate's terms, she is left to deal with the repercussions of this one night. Although Mikey did not touch her that night they spent alone, Silence's reputation never recovered. Even her husband Hollingbrook was repulsed by her. He left on his last voyage without reconciling to Silence and then died at sea.

When Mikey's bastard daughter is brought to him after her mother's death, he does not hesitate to anonymously secure the child with Silence. Mikey has many enemies and he knows that Silence, who has a pure heart will love the baby.

About 1 year later, Mikey takes the baby away and lures Silence to his home. He informs her that the baby girl, Mary Darling, is in fact his child and he will keep her with him. There are two reasons Mikey brings Mary and Silence to his home. 1) His enemy is vicious and bother Silence and the baby are in real peril, 2) Mikey has been looking for an opportunity to bring Silence back into his life as she made an indelible impression in his life.

Although he promises Silence that she can leave with Mary "Darling" after his enemy is defeated, in his heart, he knows he will never let her go....and good thing too, because their bond becomes one that is unbreakable!


THE NOVEL:
THis novel was fabulous on so many levels. Elizabeth Hoyt has a way of creating interesting stories that will always keep you gasping and following every step of the characters with anticipation.

Mikey O'Connor is a worthy hero in this story. He falls deeply in love with Silence and, in turn, Silence is like a healing balm to his traumatic life. She brings beauty and hope into his life. One of the things I loved about Mikey O'Connor was his humor.....so smooth, tough & sarcastic in the right sense. Silence is a strong heroine. She stands up to Mikey and also gently pushes him to be a better man through love.

Although the love story was so tantalizing and beautiful, I really enjoyed the lead into the next novel in the series as the Ghost of St. Giles is revealed! I can't wait for that love story to unfold!

There were also some very tragic parts of this story that left me almost in tears & shocked. This is reflective of Hoyt's style, she allows the reader to enjoy the magic of a fierce, healing love contrasted by tragedy, pain and loss. She paints a world with both pain and love.

Lastly, I loved the narrator! She is superb....just perfect! What a wonderful listening experience!


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    5 out of 5 stars
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Best in series thus far...

This is the best in the series thus far....looking forward to Winter's tale next.... I love the narrator as well. She does an excellent job on bringing the book to life!!!!

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Awesome

Please read this series in order. It is a delightful, funny, entertaining, sexy, romantic, suspenseful, read. This last book was my favorite of the series. I love when a writer can make one love and cheer for the bad guy. It is not easy to keep us historical romance novel readers enthralled, but you will be with this series. At least, it kept me listening late into the night. Great ending.

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