How to Tame Your Duke

By: Juliana Gray

Narrated by: Veida Dehmlow

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

England, 1888. Quiet and scholarly Princess Emilie has always avoided adventure, until she's forced to disguise herself as a tutor in the household of the imposing Duke of Ashland, a former soldier disfigured in battle and abandoned by his wife. When chance draws her into a secret liaison with the duke, Emilie can't resist the opportunity to learn what lies behind his forbidding mask and find out what adventure really means.

The duke never imagines that his son's tutor and his mysterious golden-haired beauty are one and the same. But when the true identity of his lover is laid bare, Ashland must face the demons in his past in order to safeguard both his lady and his heart.

©2013 Juliana Gray (P)2013 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"Emotionally electric scenes between strong characters make this one a winner." ( Publishers Weekly)

Don't miss this Exciting New Trilogy

{I won’t give away too much of the the plot or give “spoilers” in any of my reviews.}

This book is more than just a romance novel as it has mystery, fun, adversity, adventure, and murder entwined in this emotionally charged story with many twists and turns. Within the first few chapters I was intrigued by the way the author developed the characters so eloquently and was astonished by the way I felt transported into the life journey of Princess Emilie.

The evolution and chemistry of the relationship between Princess Emilie and the “Hero” was delightful to witness. Emilie is a very intelligent Princess who’s clever spunkiness helps her get out of some tricky situations. The “Hero” is the strong military type with a crazy past. Together they have great chemistry and really are a perfect match. I could go on and on about the other characters and how endearing they are in this wonderful story but I won't keep you any longer from listening to it yourself.

Don't miss this gem....it is worth a credit. I will be preordering book two.

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

AHHHH...... LOVE CAN EVENTUALLY CONQUER ALL

I'm a sucker for a book with the word 'Duke' in it's title as it conjures up a long ago world of manners, etiquette and forbidden liaisons. In this amusing, entertaining, surprising, intriguing and sensual listen you'll get caught up firstly in the intrigue, then the unrequited attraction and finally the emotional tumultuous romance.

Ashland is not your usual Rake but a disfigured, mentally tortured and lonely War Hero whose world is about to be completely changed when he takes on a Tutor for his son. The Tutor is Emilie, dressed as a man, and she is hopelessly drawn to the unsuspecting Duke but eventually opportunity comes a knocking and they share some passionate blindfolded liaisons which finally melts the ice around his heart.... but he's unaware just who he's being intimate with.

As the brilliant writing enables you to capture and visualise each scene as if it's playing out on stage in front of you, we get drawn into the web of deceit, the romance of their passion and finally the pain filled emotional unmasking. There's lust, sex, danger, lies, betrayal, twists, a villain, romance and humor as the drama slowly but deliciously unfolds between all the likeable characters.

Worth a credit? It has everything a historical/romance lover craves - so that's a definite YES.

10 of 14 people found this review helpful

Very interesting story!

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the story line and characters. I did feel like narrator sounded a bit too much like Angela Lansbury which ruined some of the romance for me but I still enjoyed it a
To!

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Very light reading

I must say I enjoyed the book once I'd forced myself to get past the first 2 hours.
Had I not been traveling and could change to another book I would have. But I was stuck with this book and figured I'd read it through. I must say I was glad of it and have gone on to purchase the second title in this series and have started listening to it too.
I takes some getting used to. but once you have it's a good book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Too many narration slip ups

Any additional comments?

The story was very good and well written but the narration slip ups starting half way into the book was distracting for me. It somehow kept me away from immersing into the book.

As far as the book goes, I liked how Princess Emily was able to look beyond the disfiguration of the Duke of Ashland and actually find him attractive. Merits that made him look so appealing and irresistible to the princess. There are also some very funny moments in the story that actually had me laughing out loud. I still recommend this book for its content and not narration.

7 of 10 people found this review helpful

Captivating!

I was captivated by "How to Tame Your Duke". Ms. Gray delivers a wonderful action packed story that has you on the edge of your seat and eager for more in the end.

Although there are three princesses of the German principality of Holstein-Schweinwald-Huhnhof, Luisa, Emilie, and Stefanie, fleeing assassins trying to kill them, this is the story of Emilie.

Emilie, the quiet and scholarly sister, has never wanted a life of privilege, so when anarchists murder her father and brother-in-law and she and her sisters must flee to England and disguise themselves, it is her chance to experience a taste of freedom and independence.

Emilie relishes her disguise as a young man, becoming tutor to the Marquess of Silverton, preparing the16 year old son of a scarred and jaded Duke for college.

"How to Tame Your Duke" has everything I look for in a good book; there's danger, deception, humor, adventure, mystery, romance, with a passion heightened by their attempts at emotional restraint.

I don't remember hearing Veida Dehmlow read before, but she is an excellent performer. She not only does both male and female voices well, but is able to capture the situation with feeling, drawing the listener into the pictures she paints with her words.

I highly recommend it.

7 of 10 people found this review helpful

Now here's something different!

Let me just say first, I enjoyed this book tremendously: I like the storyline, the characters, the narration and the ending. Ok, it's not a "thinker" really. You probably aren't going to learn much even though it's historical fiction. It is about a period that is usually overlooked in historical romance novels: the beginnings of the anarchist movements of the late 19th and early 20th century that spread across much of the globe. but the author merely uses this tumult as a backdrop to tell the story. And that's what this book is about....storytelling. It's like grown up story time and it's deliciously entertaining. From princesses in peril to agents and counter agents to a hulking injured hero, it's indulgent and so much fun. The narrator is outstanding. She grabs your attention with her voice inflection and soft tones.

This is the beginning of a trilogy that follows three princesses forced to flee their homeland (I won't even try to spell the name of the principality of their birth) after the assasination of their father and the husband of one of the sisters. This book is about the middle sister, Emilie. She is forced to hide out at a Yorkshire estate in a most unusual disguise. It is the estate of a heroic, maimed veteran of British entanglements in Afghanistan. Unlikely circumstances result our hero knowing Emilie in two different identities, neither are her true identity. Of course this leads to some pretty far fetched complications, but because the story is so well told, I let go of my cynical need for realism and just enjoyed the unfolding tale.

I like to listen to books as I do mindless or boring activities, however, because of the narrator's skill, I found myself forgetting my chores and sitting down or just standing there enthralled. So, maybe don't listen while you're driving....

5 of 8 people found this review helpful

It's Not Bad

The only problem is how stupid the heroine is about so many things. It's as if she is being stupid for the sake of it.

Great Love story with international intrigue

This is one of my favorite books, and I've read hundreds lately. First of all it's well written, full of great characters, international intrigue, villains and scoundrels but two of the dearest - and sexiest - pairings of lovers around. These people have lives, which makes for an interesting book with plenty of steamy sex but also with sub-plots that make it richer than some romances. Both the Duke and the Princess are fully interesting characters whose responses to each other are endearing and entertaining. Also, the narration is some of the best so far.

Because the Duke falls completely for the princess's disguise as his son's tutor, their meeting comes about in an interesting and unexpected way. And the Duke is a character to die for, while the princess is one to admire as a great lady who is also a feisty woman not overly impressed by her class and title. Definitely worth a credit!

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Simply awesome..

Have you listened to any of Veida Dehmlow’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

NO!! But I wish she narrated every book I listened to. She's incredible.

Any additional comments?

I absolutely LOVED Ashland, even though I didn't feel it was necessary for the author to maim the hero as much as she did. I read one other book like that and, at times, found it to be a little disgusting. I also read a book where the heroine dressed as a man and gave the book one star because the book itself was written so badly. This was written a whole lot better.
My favorite character was Freddie. He was fresh and funny and without an attitude that so many authors want to base on today's teenagers. I wouldn't mind having a teenager like him in all the books I read.
Miss Dingleby? I'm still not sure about her. Good? Bad? Like? Dislike? Just don't know. I'm sure she'll be in the other books and I'll find out.
And, finally, sex!! It was spectacular!!

3 of 6 people found this review helpful