Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart

Publisher's Summary

She lives for passion.

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: She speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips...and precisely the kind of woman the duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

He swears by reputation.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening - risking everything he holds dear - he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

©2011 Sarah Trabucchi (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

Like the Story - Horrible Narration

Would you try another book from Sarah MacLean and/or Barrie Kreinik?

Yes, I enjoy most of Sarah MacLean's stories. Light reading good for beaches or cold winter night.

Would not buy another Barrie Kreinik narration. She did a horrible job at the heroine's voice. Made her sound like a gargon. Also made Ralston sound like a fool.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Barrie Kreinik?

Kate Reading. She does an excellent job with both male and female voices.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

Better narrator, more development of Simon and to why he was the way he was.

Any additional comments?

It is a good enough book but the narrator spoils the entire story. Needs to be done over.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Enjoyed the family loyalty

The first part was more intriguing than the second because it tended to be repetitious and move slower after the first half. Interesting characters including the stereotyped straight-laced Duke. Count how many times the author uses her favorite word: imperious. The narrator's Italian accent was actually quite good, although loud.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Main characters SOOOOOOOOOOO annoying

Sarah MacLean is a great storyteller and this book is a good story. BUT, the characters drove me crazy.. Juliana made me want to jerk her out of the story and slap her silly. At times her interaction with other characters made the others seem stupid. The book should have ended about chapter 12. A different narrator may have made me like the book more....but I don't think so.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Lovely story

Loved the story but wasn’t a fan of the reading.. I didn’t care for her voice if the main character and it made it difficult to warm up to her

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Narrator a Disappointment

When writing a series with recurring characters it's a big mistake to change narrators. The "loving" heroes in the previous two books, were now portrayed in a haughty, almost whiny way. The heroine in this book was also more strident sounding. Because of this, it was harder to engage with the characters. The story was good but this was my least favorite of this family saga.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Love Simon!!!

Simon's character was hard to like at first but as the story went on he became easier to understand. He had family and duty and in that time it meant everything. He loved his sister, not always I the right way, but he still loved her.

His love for his siren made him a true man. He loved someone who all deemed undesirable. In the end they both learned that love was enough.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

REALLY ENJOYED THIS LISTEN

Loved the characters and the story line. The narrator was very good...I would listen to anything she narrates again.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Not as good as the 2nd book.

This was an okay story, not nearly as good as the second book. I liked the chemistry and the bickering between Juliana and Simon "The Duke". The story was good. I would have liked there to be a better ending with the mother, ie, she deserved to get exiled or something without a penny. But unfortunately that was left with no resolution.

The narration was not the best. I thought the narrator did the men's voices better than the women's. She made Juliana sound like a wretched old crow most of the time, especially when she was angry. And she should never do an Italian voice ever again.

6 of 9 people found this review helpful

Great strong willed Heroine

Surprising twists and turns, just when you think you got it, the story changes. Also liked the various connections to other characters in her other works.

The narration was good with easily identified characters that brought the story to life

A Decent End to the Trilogy

I enjoyed this series, and this was a suitable end for it. Simon is a bit of a hard-ass, but I think that fits pretty well with his title and role as well as the time period of the book. He makes some questionable decisions that aren't going to win him points regarding his loyalty to others, but I think that's part of his character growth throughout the book, so I don't mind a little less-than-perfect male protagonist if done decently. Juliana is likable enough for me. She was never supposed to be someone who cares what others think or about following the rules of the aristocracy, so her wildness works, especially as a complementary fit with Simon. Their back-and-forth was a little redundant at times, but again, I overall liked the book.

I thought Barrie Kreinik was just fine. Some parts could be a little more polished, but she delivered a good performance for what I was looking for out of this.

I recommend this book to fans of regency romance, the author, and/or the series.