• Arabella

  • Gossip, scandal and an unforgettable Regency romance
  • By: Georgette Heyer
  • Narrated by: Gemma Whelan
  • Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (48 ratings)

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Arabella  By  cover art

Arabella

By: Georgette Heyer
Narrated by: Gemma Whelan
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Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

A Beloved Classic from the Queen of the Regency Romance

A fiery debutante. An ill-tempered bachelor. A romance for the ages.

Arabella, the daughter of an impoverished country parson, dreams of a new life in London. But her beauty and charm will only get her so far - and when Arabella embarks on her first London season armed with nothing but a benevolent godmother and her own notoriously short temper, she quickly runs afoul of Robert Beaumaris.

He's the most eligible bachelor of the day, with a personality as strong and combative as hers - and Arabella cannot abide him thinking of her as just another pretty girl after his wealth. So she allows herself to be provoked into a game of deception - one that could have unexpected consequences....

Arabella is a rich, dashing romance from Georgette Heyer, the legendary creator of the beloved Regency romance genre.

©1949 Georgette Heyer (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A wonderful wit.... I've read her over and over and over again." (Stephen Fry)

"Triumphantly good.... Georgette Heyer is unbeatable." (India Knight)

What listeners say about Arabella

Average customer ratings
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Warm-Hearted Georgette

Arabella’s sense of justice leads her to hoax a proud prince of fashion, adopt a boy who’s suffered Dickensian abuse and finally own up to her own fibs. Delightful. The performance is very fine apart from a strange lapse. Heyer clearly intends Arabella’s godmother to be a comic foil, but the narrator plays her straight, just as the great Dame Judi Dench failed to find any fun in Oscar’s Aunt Augusta or Jane’s Lady Catherine. Still, recommended.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Reading was very well done

it was a very fun read, the lady did a very nice job with voices and this story was Jane Austen like. and it was a clean book. really loved it and will recommend

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Wry we’ll done!

I have always loved Georgette Heyer books, but listening to this narrator to all the different voices, makes it even more enjoyable

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Good Narrator

Didn’t like the way she pronounced Beaumaris but other than that it was a pretty good narration.

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very enjoyable!

Obviously, it's Heyer. it's also one of her best!

I thought the narration to be well above average. Yes, you have to understand she's giving the French pronunciation of Beaumaris, and phaeton was a little jarring, but if you look past those things, Gemma Whelan really does a spectacular job.

She grasps and conveys the humor, which, in a Heyer, is important. I'll definitely listen again. :)

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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Not my cup of tea

I Disliked the narration. Not my cup of tea unfortunately. I wish I could delete it from my list.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent story

I love this book. It’s one of Heyer’s best. Sadly, the narration simply does not do it justice. In my opinion, the older audio-version is better, narrated by Phyllida Nash. To my ears, Gemma Whelan speaks too fast, sounds rather staccato, and shows little of the sparkle, humor, and pathos inherent to the book. Also, she doe not manage the male voices very well. Alas.

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3 people found this helpful