Her Perfect Scoundrel

A Rogue's Kiss, Book 4

By: Amanda Mariel

Narrated by: Andrea Zuvich

Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Lady Celia Kendal has a knack for mischief, but some adventures should remain in the past. She thought that was the case where a certain marquess was concerned, until he arrived at her brother’s house party, threatening to unearth her secret misadventure, upending her heart.

The Marquess of Crawford, Jasper, was captivated by Lady Celia from the moment he set eyes on her, but she demanded more than he wished to give. So he let her go, never expecting to follow her. But when thoughts of her continued to fill his days and nights, he set out to find her.

Can Celia and Jasper overcome the disaster that was their first meeting in order to embrace true love?

Her Perfect Scoundrel was previously published as Rogue of Her Heart in the limited edition How the Rogue Stole Christmas set.

©2022 Amanda Mariel (P)2023 Amanda Mariel

Great audiobook

I loved this story it is very very good and the narrator did a great job I found the story very enjoyable and the narrator soothing this is a great audiobook.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Narrator Didn’t Help

Since I have gotten into audiobooks in the past year, I've enjoyed revisiting books I have read in eBook form. I've even sometimes enjoyed a book in audiobook format more than in eBook format. The right narrator can sometimes add an irresistible spark to even a lackluster book. I had issues with this story when I read it in eBook form, as I thought it suffered from one of the novella’s fatal flaws: too much story crammed into the novella's limited word real estate. Much of the book seems to be told in disjointed flashbacks. Unfortunately, the narrator of this book didn't add that sparkle I was hoping for. I liked the heroine at the start of the eBook before things went awry. But the way the narrator voiced her made her sound incredibly flighty and demanding, so much so that I didn't find her appealing in the least in audiobook format. On top of that, the narrator did not do a good job with any of the male characters’ voices. She also subjects us to a little of her singing in a few places; let's just say she should stick to narrating, even though she's not terribly great at that. So, unfortunately, I don't feel like I can raise the number of stars I gave this story in eBook format.

Full eBook Review: Too Much Missing
This book started off fun, with a very spirited heroine (daughter of a deceased duke and sister to the current one) and “perfect scoundrel” having a chance meeting by the side of the road when her carriage gets stuck in the pouring rain near his estate. He comes to her rescue after her attempts fail. The book fell apart for me quickly, though, unfortunately. We only see their time on the road in this prologue; we don’t get to see what happened at his estate (part of his rescue plan), which apparently was significant from the flashbacks provided (the characters more telling their interpretation of what happened between them than showing the encounter as it happened at the moment back then). These didn’t go into enough detail to satisfy me as a reader; it felt disjointed, and I didn’t feel like we ever got the full story of what happened that evening. As such, their initial reactions and interactions when the hero some months later joins them for her brother’s house party just made little sense. I found it all confusing. Not showing a crucial scene or only telling about it in flashbacks is a flaw I see too often in novellas, especially lately. Even in a novella, we want and need to get a sense of how romantic feelings—good or bad—change and grow to have a satisfying romantic arc. Unfortunately, that did not happen here. I also felt like the heroine was a bit too worldly with her flirtation, coming across as a more experienced woman though she still retained her virtue. To me, that’s ascribing modern sensibilities to people who lived two centuries ago. Not likely, given the times and how sheltered the daughters of dukes would have probably been.

Another Great Addition to the Series

This fourth installment of the series was well written and filled with endearing characters along with an engaging story line. The narrator was able to breathe life into the characters and make the story come to life.

I received a copy of this audiobook and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Enjoyable, short regency romance

I enjoyed this story overall, but the way the author set up events felt awkward. Lady Celia and Lord Jasper have a not meet-cute when he refuses to help push her carriage out of the mud (and is a bit mocking in the process), but takes her back to his home, saying he will send a team for her conveyance. That's all the listener knows until the two meet again months later at a house party, and Celia fears Jasper will reveal 'what happened' to her brother and the ton. What happened? We don't know right away, but the story of what happened AFTER the duo arrived at Jasper's house is slowly revealed. There is instant attraction, forbidden passion, and two people separated by their goals (she wants to marry, he doesn't). Why is Jasper at the house party? Has time changed their feelings for each other? Has Jasper changed his mind about marrying, and can he convince Celia? I think the story would have been more coherent if the author had revealed what happened between Celia and Jasper in the beginning. As it is, I kept think I had missed something, until it was all finally revealed.

I narration was excellent, and I really enjoyed Andrea Zuvich's voice.

I received a free review copy via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving this honest review,

It's Good

This is a quick-paced, well-written and engaging story with interesting characters; and a complete story despite its short length. The narration was also good. Would recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sweet Regency Romance!

This is the fourth book in the A Rogue's Kiss Series, a Regency Romance. Celia and Jasper's story is beautifully written, and heartwarming. The storyline is fast-paced, and engaging. Andrea Zuvich did a great job bringing this story to life. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Lady and the Scoundrel . . .

Headstrong Lady Celia Kendal, sister of Charles the Duke of Selkirk, first meets The Marquess of Crawford, Jasper, when he came to her aid on a rainy night. He was attracted to her but has no interest in marriage and does not pursue her further after a few kisses. However, he could not stop thinking about her. He arranges to meet her again months later when he attends her brother’s house party. Alarmed that her behavior would be revealed, she is not ready to believe he is showing true interest in her now. Can he convince her that he is ready to commit to love? Will she admit feelings for him? Or will he have to earn her affections?

Celia’s humorous initial encounter with Jasper was very enjoyable, more so with the wonderful narration for the audiobook version by Andrea Zuvich, who brings the “reading” experience alive for the listener. She does a great job with the voices, especially with her lovely British accent, to personalize the story and make it easy for the listener to get an accurate impression of what each character is like. It helps to set the mood, familiarize the reader with the characters, and offers a pleasant way to “read” and enjoy the book.

Jasper & Celia

The fourth book in the A Rogue's Kiss, Lady Celia Kendal and Jasper the Marquess of Crawford's short story is engaging with a very good storyline that held my interest. I enjoyed listening to Andrea Zuvich narrate their story.

Her Perfect Scoundrel A Rogue's Kiss, Book 4

Her Perfect Scoundrel
A Rogue's Kiss, Book 4
By: Amanda Mariel
Narrated by: Andrea Zuvich
Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
Audiobook


Well written. Great characters, brilliant journey and easy to read.

Romantic Rogues

Her Perfect Scoundrel is a standalone Regency Era romance by Amanda Mariel. It is book four of the series A Rogue's Kiss, but the books do not need to consumed in order. I've read this this series totally out of order, on both book and Audible, and while I recognise some of the other characters when they make brief appearances, it is nothing of consequence.

The audio is fun. Andrea Zurvich is a new narrator to me. I enjoyed the voice of the narrator, whose performance was wonderful, telling the story through the voices of both Celia and Jasper. This was also a real easy listen for me, I listen to audios at 1.5x speed, so it took just under an hour to listen to this book while I was at work.

This is the story of Lady Celia Kendall, whose brother is a duke, and Lord Jasper, the Marquess of Crawford. Their first acquaintance is a rather rocky start, they do not get off on the right foot at all. Fast forward some months later, Jasper has reappeared to make it clear he now has only honourable intentions towards Celia. This is a wild ride to love, and while there is an element of instalove, there is also time taken to get to know each other.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.