Undressed by the Earl

Secrets in Silk, Book 3

De: Michelle Willingham

Narrado por: Sue Pitkin

A man shrouded in grief…

David Hartford, the Earl of Castledon, is tormented by the death of his wife. Though everyone expects him to remarry and beget an heir, he is a man living in shadows, unwilling to break out of his prison of sorrow.

A spirited young woman who embraces life…

Impulsive Amelia Andrews befriends Lord Castledon and decides that he would make the perfect match for her prim older sister. Though she tries to bring the pair of them together, Amelia cannot help but see the lonely man behind David’s grim exterior. Even worse, she finds herself caught beneath his piercing stare…and she wonders how to melt his icy heart.

An unlikely match

No woman can ever replace his first wife…but when Amelia is caught in a web of ruin, David cannot stand aside and let her suffer. Can an unexpected marriage bring about a love even greater than the one he lost?

©2014 Michelle Willingham (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Hmmmm, I actually really liked this book :/

Love the tenderness and the understanding the heroine shows to the hero and his daughter. Her character actually seems to mature quickly through the story and her kind nature draws readers in. After reading the first book in the series I thought I would stay away from this series but then I saw the reviews and thought to give this book a shot. Again as with MW’s writing, she tends to repeat the same thoughts a few times, yes completely irritating. For instance I believe she repeated the fact that the hero wore black seven years after his wife died about three times within the first 1/3 of the book. You just want to yell out and say, I GET IT. He needs new cloths. Move on. But then the story gets much better and you tended not to mind as much her mind babbling. The narrator’s performance is not great since all men sound the same and all women have the exact same voice but she did better with this book than with the first book in the series.

Best of the series so far

I'd rate this 3.5 if I could. My favorite of the series so far. The narration was decent and the author's writing has improved. For example, "couldn't care less" was finally used properly, unlike in the previous book. A personal pet peeve.

Amelia was quite a character in the previous books and she's a great lead in this one. David spent a long time grieving his first wife and wasn't ready to marry so when he brings Amelia back to his country home and she meets his daughter there are issues. Sure, some are stereotypical but it's a very interesting book.

I'm glad I have all four. I'm binge listening to the series.

Intricately plotted romance

The 5 star ratings are due to the intricately plotted story; the well-integrated subplots and superb character development and growth. The listener and reader is warned that this is a voyeuristic story, though excellent in all other ways.

Married to save her reputation

Young and impulsive, Amelia Andrews falls in love with the wrong man. She realizes her mistake, but unfortunately, the rake sees her rejection as a challenge and kidnaps her, intending to win her over in a grand romantic gesture and marry her in Scotland. Amelia's friend, the solid and staid Earl of Castledon, David Hartford, comes to her rescue. Even though he appears to be a better match for her prim and proper elder sister Margaret, David marries Amelia to save her reputation. David promises to be a good husband, but still grieving the loss of his first wife six years earlier, he swears he will never fall in love again. As Amelia breathes life into his sad estate and befriends his lonely daughter, can she also penetrate David's carefully guarded heart, or is she condemned to a loveless marriage?

I enjoyed this installment of the Secrets in Silk series. In order to fully appreciate the story, I think it is important to listen to the first two books first. There is a history with the sewing business the sisters operate and a legacy of hatred between the Andrews family (and their tenants) and the Earl of Strathland that forms the backdrop for this story. Without an understanding of the events prior to this point in the series, the secondary plot elements in this novel will make little sense. In addition, one of the strengths of Undressed by the Earl is the depth of the characters featured in the book. Having read the first two books in the series only adds color and clarity to the characters and their motivations. David's steady nature and grief are a palpable force, and Amelia's bright nature and optimism are the perfect foil to his stolid character. Unfortunately, the narrator chosen to perform the audiobook version of this story often sounds as if she is speaking with her mouth full, particularly when trying to use a lower timbre for male voices. She speaks with little voice inflection, and the changes she does try to invoke to differentiate between male and female and young and old characters are more distracting than helpful. While I usually enjoy audiobooks, I will likely continue on with the series, but I will probably look for the ebook version of the next book, rather than the audiobook version.

masterfully written and narrated

loved the story and different characters. will certainly get more by this author and narrated by Sue Pitkin. wonderful story.