Never Borrow a Baronet

Fortune's Brides, Book 2

By: Regina Scott

Narrated by: Jannie Meisberger

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

After caring for a crotchety countess, Patience Ramsey wants a more purposeful position. So, when Miss Thorn of the Fortune Employment Agency offers her the post of assistant to amateur apothecary Augusta Orwell, Patience jumps at the chance. 

Then, her new employer introduces her at an Easter house party as the bride-to-be of her nephew Sir Harold Orwell. Miss Thorn’s cat Fortune may approve of Sir Harry, but Patience has no interest in borrowing the handsome baronet. She’s had her heart trampled on by false promises before.

Sir Harry has enough on his hands trying to restore the family name while spying for the English against the French. But the pretty Patience could cover for him when he must ply his trade during the house party, so he convinces her to agree to the charade. 

As Harry’s work brings danger closer, he begins to realize Patience embodies everything he could want in a wife. Can he convince her to overlook the scandals surrounding him and exchange their false engagement for a true love?

This sweet, clean regency romance is the sequel to Never Doubt a Duke. Fortune’s Brides: Only a matchmaking cat can hunt true love.

©2018 Regina Lundgren (P)2020 Regina Lundgren

Fine, but...

For the price, this one is fine, but I didn't find it as engaging as the first one. And it's much slower. The characters get a little more interesting as it goes on. But I was somewhat disappointed in Lady Thorn. Her sharp, mysterious personality was missing. As others have stated, her causing all this intrigue over disappointment in a lover was overblown and a letdown.

Wonderfully Sweet Regency Romance!

Never Borrow a Baronet is a wonderfully sweet Regency romance in the Fortune’s Brides series by Regina Scott. Each book in the series starts with the mysterious Miss Meredith Thorn and her beloved cat Fortune as they place down on their luck gentlewomen in places of employment. This is the second book in the series wherein Patience Ramsey needs a more meaningful position after caring for a demanding and never-satisfied countess. Miss Thorn offers Patience the post of assistant to Augusta Orwell, an amateur apothecary.

Almost as soon as she arrives at her new job, Augusta is hosting an Easter house party and “accidentally” introduces Patience as the fiancé to her nephew, Sir Harold Orwell. While at first Patience doesn’t want anything to do with such games, she ultimately agrees to the charade after Harry persuades her to be his cover as a spy for the English, possibly against a few suspicious house guests who might be French sympathizers. Like many fake engagement stories, it doesn’t take long before Harry and Patience discover the similarities and compatibilities between them.

I really enjoy how Regina Scott includes so many interesting supporting characters in her books besides the main couple. To name just two, we have the eccentric Augusta, who creates concoctions that terrify most of her house guests; and Yvette, a French spy turned English spy with nothing to lose. Plus, we learn a bit more about Miss Thorn and the childhood sweetheart who broke her heart.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, narrated by the amazing Jannie Meisberger. I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good regency romance. I can’t wait to listen to the next audio in this wonderful series!

Good story, Okay followup

So, as the 2nd story in the Fortune’s Bride series, I think it was a good story, but I couldn’t really connect to it as a follow up .

I really enjoyed Patience and Harry interaction but I think I wanted more interaction between the two. Sometimes each character would have other work/ people to entertain and it left limited time for their own interaction.

I also enjoyed more time spent with Miss Thorn and her cat Fortune and the situation going on with Julian that continues on from the first book. It was nice tohttp://AudioFreebies.com see how that situation was turning out.

Not going to lie, I hit a reading slump about 48% into it. I’m not sure if it started because it was a little slow during that time or because of current events or even a mixture of both. Luckily, the story picked back up and I was able to continue with it.

The situation near the end of the story, basically was kind of twist/ kind of slightly predictable. I think if the villain had slightly more interaction it would have been less predictable.


Overall, I would rate it 3 stars. It’s good, but I feel like some parts of it could be better.


———————

Disclaimer: I received a free code from AudioFreebies.com. All opinions are my own.

Romance and intrigue

My thoughts on this story:

• This is the story of Harry and Patience. Harry was a spy and Patience was a lab assistant to Harry's Aunt Gussie. Can a spy (who hasn't disclosed his profession) and an insecure assistant find mutual ground to build a relationship?
• This story had many twists and turns in the plot that kept me trying to guess who wounded Sir Harry Orwell.
• This was a clean sweet Regency romance. That has intrigue, suspense, kidnapping, and many suspicious characters. This story has everything a good romantic suspense should have.
• The narrator, Jannie Meisberger, does an excellent job bringing this story to life.

At my request, I was given a free copy of this audiobook from the author. I have voluntarily left my review and my opinions were my own.

Espionage and romance...:)

Not as fast-paced as the first book in the series, it still is great entertainment and a nicely done romance:)

Patience Ramsey has practiced her patience (:)) for years serving as a lady's companion for someone who has never appreciated her as they should. When Miss Thorn offers her a new place, she jumps at the chance for nothing cen be worse than her previous employment. What she doesn't expect is to be, well, forced to play the part of the bride-to-be of her new employer's nephew's...:) And what the nephew doesn't expect is how well she is suited to be exactly that - his wife-to-be.

That's the starting point of the book that has everything you want in a good romance: two main characters that are really well suited, though they themselves have to discover it on the way to their HEA; one, two, or even three mysteries involving attempts at murder, blackmail and espionage; a circle of acquaintances who may turn out friends or foes, you'll never know... That's the strong side of the book - the background characters that have secrets of their own, are not obviously good or obviously bad... They will surprise you at times:) I also like the "closed room" atmosphere of the book - no one can leave so the culprit must be one of them - but who? It's great fun discovering that along with Patience and Harry while witnessing Aunt Augusta's attempts at creating a new miraculous facial cream (this line of the story is really funny:)).

The only reason I've given the book 4 instead of 5 stars is the fact that at times the pace seems to slow down a bit too much just to rush in the next chapter - but overall it's a very good romance: entertaining, engaging, surprising, with the HEA and a hint at who the next story will be about...:)

Narration by Ms Meisberger is brilliant as always. She's a master at reading historical romances - you just believe in her lords and ladies:) On a more serious note, she's great at conveying the characters' emotions and personalities and very good in the narrative parts. And the speed of her reading is OK.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A Valentine to Romance

I finished story in one night. It is a love letter to Romance storytelling.
Easy listening on Audible

A fun historical romance with a bit of intrigue

Never Borrow a Baronet is a cute story about a companion who’s new position gets her embroiled in all sorts of intrigue. The story is fun with a sweet romance with just a little spice. The narrator does a very nice job with the audiobook.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Good Story & Narration

Patience has a new employer and a new job, there has to be a mistake she is introduced as the bride to be. Trying to make the best of the situation, and restore her self worth. While her intended is trying to restore his reputation. Cute store set in 1812 England
Given ARC audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

A charming, traditional, Regency cosy mystery

Never Borrow a Baronet is another charming audiobook in what is shaping up to be a highly diverting series.

I was delighted to return to Regina Scott's Fortune's Brides series with Patience's story, as she was an interesting minor character in the previous novel, Never Doubt a Duke, and deserved a tale of her own. When we meet her again she is in the process of escaping her irascible employer, Lady Carrolton, and assuming a new position as the laboratory assistant to an eccentric but warm-hearted maiden aunt.

This audiobook was charming throughout, and very easy to listen to. This series' style contains very little of the formality that is found in classic Regencies, but that gives it an ease and air of friendliness that makes it a relaxing and undemanding listen.

This second book involves more intrigue and mystery than its predecessor, taking the familiar house party setting and pitting the guests against an unknown villain who seems intent on harming the inhabitants. Scott does very well to introduce so many characters without it feeling slow or crowded.

There is a little too much repetition at times, but the chapters are structured exceedingly well, with a good hook at the end of each, compelling the listener to play 'just one more chapter' again and again.

Never Borrow a Baronet was also another great performance from the narrator, Jannie Meisberger. Her voice always reminds me a little of Anna Massey reading children's stories, and of Angela Thorne's style in The Secret of Platform 13 .

There's something wonderfully nostalgic about Meisberger's performance in more general terms, too; harking back to the classics I grew up loving. Though her performance is lively enough that it does not feel old-fashioned, it is still traditional and comforting for its familiarity.

I can recommend this audiobook to anyone who enjoyed the previous book in the series, and all those who are looking for a Regency that is not sweet but not saccharine.

*I received this audiobook free of charge in the hope of an honest, unbiased review.

Regency romance with a dash of mystery!

Book 2 of the Fortune's Brides series is just as fun as the first book. First off, Fortune is a cat. This cat and her mistress, Meredith, are committed to helping women down on their luck to find their forever homes and their forever partners. In this book Patience agrees to work for Gussy as her lab assistant. Even before she meets Gussy's nephew, Sir Harry, she is thrown into a situation where she has to pretend to be Harry's betrothed. So instead of entering the household as a servant, she becomes an almost mistress of the household that is hosting a house party for a motley crew. There are servants who are as close as family, there appears to wanderings at night, smuggling and so much more. Throw in the Napoleonic war in France and the plot takes on some interesting twists and turns.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more audiobooks in the series. After all, the series promises such Regency fun!


This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.