The Proposition

By: Judith Ivory

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Set amidst the glitz and glamour of high society Victorian London, The Proposition is an opulent tale of blossoming love.

Lady Edwina Bollash is a woman of importance and distinction who has never been the object of any man's affection. However, when she meets Mick Tremore, a tall, handsome young man from the bottommost rung of society, she instantly attracts his attention. As Mick wants desperately to become a gentleman, Edwina decides to transform him into a man with class. From the start, she notices the way he looks at her. But what she doesn't yet realize is that as much as she is preparing him, he is preparing her for a place in his heart--and in his bed. Narrator Steven Crossley elevates the mounting passion of Ivory's prose, building tension with every breath and every sensuous word.

©1999 Judith Ivory, Inc. (P)2001 Recorded Books, LLC

A very satisfying listen.

This was a joy to listen to. It is well written and well read. Judith Ivory can give lessons on how to write sexual tension. The characters are well drawn and lovable, especially the hero. This is a light, funny, engaging story concerned more with the relationship between the protagonists. There is never any doubt in your mind about where they are coming from, or why they do what they do. This was a well-spent credit.

Why a Duke? Why-a no Baronet?

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I realize this is the type of thing that a lot of women like, but for me it was just too cliche. Ugly Duckling meets Pygmalion meets Librarian Takes Off Her Glasses and every man in the room suddenly realizes she is hot. The table dancing scene in the bar would have had me flinging the book at the wall if I had a hardcopy edition to fling. I'd rather that we had an ending where the issues of class and money weren't resolved in way that forced no one to make a hard decision.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Saw it coming a mile away.

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Everything worthwhile about my listen. I picked this book because he was the narrator. I'm never going to marry a duke, but I would love to marry Steven Crossley's voice and/or subscribe to its newsletter.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

A heroine who wasn't scared of rats and mice and ferrets.

Any additional comments?

Meh. I enjoyed it on a certain level, but I'm going to look for more substantial fare read by Crossley.

Entertaining story

I really enjoyed this story. It has characters with depth. It has humerous parts, sentimental parts, a touch of mystery and an all around interesting and fun book.

He learned gentlemanly ways, she learned to live.

This was a fun and sweet romance in the reverse sense of My Fair Lady, only sexier. I really liked Mick he was such a quarker. If you like regency books this is a good one to get. I enjoyed the book and the characters. It's nice to see that the hero isn't the typical earl, duke or some other royalty. The time flew by and I had a good feeling inside from the story after it was over. I will probably reread it in the future when I need a sweet romance to cheer me up. This is definitely a happily ever after story. There is not a lot of action in the story but the interaction between the main characters are such that you anticipate their next meeting as soon as they have separated. The only downside to the story was the ending was rushed and all the strife that could have happed was wrapped up with a neat little bow. I felt more time could have been spent on this and should have had a bit more strife to overcome. At first I was confused on the narrator, he seemed a bit stuffy at first, but as the book progressed I believe he was perfect for the book.

A journey of introspection

Any additional comments?

This will appeal to you if you like to immerse yourself in the minds of two main characters as they try to figure out their attraction to each other. There were a few cringe-worthy sexual tension scenes, but if you're a 'leg man', this will appeal to you! Overall, neat twist on Pygmalion theme. Overall narrator has a good 'booming' voice and did his job because I didn't actually like the hero on account of his language at the beginning (not very romantic), but by the end I had forgotten how he started out.

A Little Different

I liked it. The fact that the heroine wasn't the typical drop dead beauty was a nice change of pace. The hero, while good looking, wasn't the typical rich, bored socialite either. That said it made for a good read with a small bit of mystery to keep you interested. My only complaint would be that the narrator does not do women's voices very well.

Wonderful Fairy Tale

"The Proposition" is the first book I have listened to by Ms. Ivory, but it will not be my last. The hero is a rat catcher and the heroine is a spinster Lady who is paid to teach the rat catcher to act like a Gentleman, a reversal of "My Fair Lady". The love story centres around the H/h falling in love without any hateful interference from old girl/boy friends, meddlesome family members, or major threats regarding their safety. Ms. Ivory also lets the reader see the story from both the Hero and Heroine's point of view. There was good chemistry and a few good sex scenes between the H/h and Mick and Winnie have LOTS of THAT!!! You can't miss on this one. Enjoy.

Absolutely delightful

Where does The Proposition rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of my favorites. I've listened many times.

What other book might you compare The Proposition to and why?

I can't really compare, because I don't listen to a lot of Romance novels. Generally, they're just too silly. The damsel in distress, the dashing rouge, ugh! But this was totally different!

Have you listened to any of Steven Crossley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to this narrator. But wow! I will certainly look for his work in the future. His voices are amazing. All of the accents. Male and female nothing rang false. There were times when his voice really painted the picture! I could not have imagined better.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I listen while doing chores. I found myself looking for things to do to extend my listen.

Any additional comments?

Wonderful listen, I found myself rewinding scenes, the were just that good!

Surprisingly Fun

A very enjoyable listen. Laugh out loud funny yet an insightful study of behavior. As the end approached I couldn't stop listening!

My Fair Rat Catcher

This is a reversal on the old story of Pygmalion also better known to many as MY FAIR LADY. We meet Mick, a rat catcher in London. Edwina, a linguist and teacher, is charged with turning Mick into a gentleman in time for a Ton ball. Emile and Jeremy Laponte are wagering againist each other as to if Mick can pull off the deception. Edwina has 6 weeks to accomplish the goal.

This is a delightful tale of a spinster who is being wooed by a man from the wrong side of the tracks and how they are so wrong for each other that they can't envision a way to be together. Steven Crossley does a wonderful job of performing both male and female voices along with various accents. But Judith Ivory's ability to tell the story and bring to a satisfying conclusion is superb. I can highly recommend this Audiobook.