The Lady Chosen

By: Stephanie Laurens

Narrated by: Jill Tanner

Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Stephanie Laurens' hot-blooded romances, including her New York Times best-selling Bar Cynster series, have earned her legions of loyal devotees. The beginning of an exciting new saga, The Lady Chosen introduces the distinguished war veterans of the Bastion Club, single gentlemen not entirely committed to staying that way.

©2003 Stephanie Laurens (P)2007 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Fans of Laurens's popular Cynster...romances will expect the high adventure and steamy, sensual love scenes that are her signature, and they won't be disappointed." ( Publishers Weekly)

First of the Bastion Club spies to fall in love

These are long drawn out romance novels but if you can grin and bear it then you will be rewarded with an enjoyable, fun, lighthearted and passionate listen.

I prefer Jill Tanner to Simon Prebbles as he sounds too old for the parts he plays, but I don't particularly like her either.

Worth the credit? Yes, it's long but, if you're a S.L. fan then you know what you're getting and you should enjoy it.

Grimace

I enjoyed the the story, but the word grimaced and the way it was pronounced drove me crazy.
I cringed every time it was said (way too much usage in my opinion)

Not My Favorite

I love the Cynster books, but this one leaves me wanting. It REALLY drags. No part is particularly bad, but no part is particularly good. I hate ditsy or annoying leading ladies and she is neither. However, I never actually come to care about her. I have read some of the other reviews that blame the never ending monotony on the narrator, and this is a possibility. I may have to motivate to read the book some time and see if I like it better, but at this point, I cannot recommend it.

pretty good book

it was a pretty good book I'd listen to another but this author and reader

Much better played at 1.3 x speed.

The story is ok, but the narrator's long pauses between sentences are painful. Played at 1.3x speed it was a bit easier to listen.

Hated narrator pronounciation

The story was great, great romance, mysteries and fantastic female who aren’t wilting flowers. However, I grimaced every time the narrator pronounced the word”grimace.” It was agonising. She also pronounced “lived” as “liived “. Very tedious attempt to absorb the story. Narrator also seemed a little monotonous. Preferred McCallister Lee, from Captain Jacks Woman.

Interesting plot, gratuitous sex

This is my second or third reread of the Bastion Club series. What struck me this time is how little insight Loretta has. For a smart cookie, she acts really stupidly. She has decided she doesn’t want to get married, and yet over and over again she risks an unwanted pregnancy. She knows the score and knows what that would mean for her reputation. And yet she still blunders on! And there’s also this assumption that possessiveness equals love. The guy’s head over heels, so why can’t he just say so instead of all this game playing. I wanted to smack him! Hopefully, when we see them reappear in later books, she will have tamed him :-)
Jill Tanner’s reading was OK, but I had to speed it up to 1.2 because the long pauses in between each sentence were driving me crazy. Asked my English husband if any English accent includes grimACE, he said no.

The Lady Chosen

I bought this story when it was first published. Over the years it has remained one of my favorites.. In fact I love the entire series.. I'm sure I've read/listened to them at least four or five times.

Good story

I gave this audiobook 3 stars and think the strong points include an interesting plot with equally interesting characters. It got a little long towards the end, but overall, a nice story.

Start here, and don't miss this series!

The book begins with the former spies for the crown meeting after Waterloo and banding together as the Bastion Club to take control of what comes next in their lives.
The publisher's blurb gives clues as to the plot. This is the first in the series, and is not the strongest, but is a very interesting read, nonetheless. It does stand up to the rereading test, as well as the "filched by friends" test. I gave up and got the audio, so I could keep a copy.
Jill Tanner does a good job as narrator, but I would have preferred a baritone.