The Scoundrel's Daughter

Brides of Bellaire Gardens Series, Book 1

By: Anne Gracie

Narrated by: Christine Rendel

Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

When Lady Charlton is forced into becoming London's most reluctant matchmaker, sparks fly and romance ensues - from the nationally best-selling author of Marry in Scarlet.

Alice, Lady Charlton, is finally free of her dominating husband, but on the verge of her new life, she is trapped when a blackmailer threatens to publish letters that could ruin her. To protect the secrets of her past Alice must find a lord for his daughter, Lucy, to marry.

Alice reluctantly agrees to find the girl a noble husband, but when Lucy arrives, she's difficult and uncooperative and has no interest in her father's scheme. A lord, she says, will only look down his nose at her - and she's having none of that!

Desperate to retrieve the letters, Alice enlists the aid of her handsome young nephew, Gerald, who in turn seeks the help of his former commanding officer, James, Lord Tarrant. James is soon beguiled by the marriage-averse widow and sets out to change her mind. And each time they meet, Gerald and Lucy strike sparks off each other.

To find happiness, Alice and Lucy will have to be brave and trust in each other and the men who are attempting to win their hearts.

Contains mature themes.

©2021 Anne Gracie (P)2021 Tantor

Absolutely wonderful!

You will not want this book to end! I highly recommend it!
It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a new read this much!

Loved this book!!

I absolutely loved this book!! I didn’t want it to end! Delightful from the beginning to the end! Hurry up and write the other books in the series. Can’t wait!!

Not as great as Merridew series

The Merridew Sister series has two of my top ten (out of 600) books. I love the mix of heart, humor, and heat. I just could not follow this story. I don’t know if it was the mix of characters or the narrator. The story just kept falling out of my attention. I couldn’t keep character parings straight in my head and everyone sounded the same. I am going to try one more story in the series but I don’t have high hopes…. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised. I love Heather Wilds so perhaps I’m just missing her narration.

Marvelous start to new series! Loved the writing, the story, and the delicious humor.

This audiobook’s a delight to listen to. Anne Gracie’s story is so much fun, and the narration by Christine Rendel Is great - she really brings these characters to life.

Finding love and overcoming the past

Very well written with witty and thoughtful dialogue. The two main characters grow and overcome crippling pasts. Psychologically possible and often very funny – – a combination of and difficult to achieve. I am so happy to have discovered Anne Gracie.

One of her best!

Oh my god, this was SO so good!! I was laughing out loud from the 1st chapter, and throughout the whole book, I couldn’t believe it! Anne Gracie really outdid herself with the story, jam packed with the drama and romance we love from her, with tons of well written lines, a well thought out and illustrated plot, and diverse and compelling characters. The narrator as well did an excellent job and it’s in part due to her reading of the lines that the humor came across so well. Brava, Anne Gracie! I only wish I hadn’t finished this so quickly because now I have nothing left to read!

Absolutely wonderful

I love these characters! A fantastic story. I hope there are many more books to come.

Best Read in a Long Time!

Excellent character development plus humor & a captivating storyline. Children plus animals can’t be beat. Tasteful love scene, a very nice bonus!

Great!!!

This was a book with two great stories in one put together fabulously. I didn't want to put it down. Definitely worth a credit.

Mr.Thornbottle, I presume?

This was a funny book, and I was glad to read it!
Short summary- A kind and honest woman let's herself be blackmailed by a crook who bought letters from her long dead husband to his mistress, denegrading and humiliating the woman, though it was no fault of her own of which he wrote! The crook demands from the woman that he takes his daughter and give her a "season" and to make sure that his daughter marries a man with a title! At first, the woman believes that the daughter is in on this scheme, but after her father leaves the daughter (again) it is revealed to the woman by the daughter that her father has ALWAYS treated her poorly! The woman and the daughter becomes friends. The daughter does not want to marry any titled man, but the woman's nephew just happens to be an Earl. The woman herself had vowed never to marry again after the horrible treatment she's undergone at her previous husband's hands! Of course, they are both persued by different men, a 40 yr old widower with 3 little daughters, and the woman's nephew persues the man's daughter. The men learn of there predicament of each woman ( through their honesty with them) and figure out a way to save each woman. The humorous part was that the younger man's name was Lord Thornton, but the young woman ( the crook's daughter) keepsmaking a mess of his name accidentally on purpose!! She calls him a different name each time she deigns to speak to him - Lord Thornbottom and Lord Thorncliff, and Lord Thornintheside!! It is hilarious! But there are also some touching scenes in the book like the love the father of the 3 girls gives to them ( so tender-hearted!), and the love and patience the same older man shows the older woman who has been severely mistreated by her previous husband! A humourous and lovely story!
I just wish I had good things to say about the narrator, too! She made everyone sound like they were old and decrepit- especially the two men! It was like nails screeching on a blackboard to listen to her!!!