The Autumn Bride

Chance Sisters Romance Series, Book 1

By: Anne Gracie

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Governess Abigail Chantry will do anything to save her sister and two dearest friends from destitution, even if it means breaking into an empty mansion in the hope of finding something to sell. Instead of treasures, though, she finds the owner, Lady Beatrice Davenham, bedridden and neglected. Appalled, Abby rousts Lady Beatrice's predatory servants and-with Lady Beatrice's eager cooperation-the four young ladies become her "nieces," neatly eliminating the threat of disaster for all concerned!

It's the perfect situation, until Lady Beatrice's dashing and arrogant nephew, Max, Lord Davenham, returns from the Orient-and discovers an impostor running his household.... A romantic entanglement was never the plan for these stubborn, passionate opponents-but falling in love may be as inevitable as the falling of autumn leaves....

©2013 Anne Gracie (P)2013 Tantor

Engaging Story.

I enjoyed this story immensely and had a hard time turning it off. It took some time to get used to the narrator's accent. However, I thought she did a good job with the characters. I felt there was enough romance, but also plenty of back story and character development. Well done Anne Gracie! Looking forward to the next book.

Wonderfully romantic, witty, fun and touching

Loved this book because of its strong characters- I loved every single one of the "sisters", Aunt B, Max and Abby and even their quirky friends. They all meet in interesting ways and overcome adversity to create bonds of loyalty and love. There's lots of witty writing (banter between characters). I love this, too, because it's just so much more fun to listen to. The narrater takes some getting used to but, by the end, I found I liked her. Her voice seemed childlike to me in the beginning but when the charaters take shape, that's all you think about. I liked that the relationship between Max and Abby started with conflict that grew into mutual respect, sexual tension and finally, emotional and sexual intimacy. If you like Regency romance with wit and emotional maturity (not so cheesy) this is a great listen!

I can't wait for the second book in the series!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Autumn Bride to be better than the print version?

If I could bookmark all the fun passages in the audio edition as I do in the book/eprint version so I can go back and listen again, then yes. Since I can't, No. But I enjoyed the audio.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Aunt Bea is a hoot! She's quite funny, but also loving and loyal.

What does Alison Larkin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Alison Larkin was a great pick for this narration. I read the ebook first, then bought the audiobook. I could hear each character's voice in my head as I read. Ms. Larkin's Bea, Freddie and Daisy were different, but better.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The conversation between Abby and Aunt Bea when Abby found Bea in her lonely room, uncared for moved me to tears. I got just as angry with Max as Abby did. I know Max was at sea working to keep Bea living in comfort, but not having someone check to make sure everything continued along the same path when Bea man of affairs passed away leaving her care to his son was irresponsible. The apple does not always fall close to the tree. He should have known better.

Any additional comments?

This is a beautifully written story with wonderful dialogue. A little sad at the beginning, but it becomes humorous very soon after. I am waiting for the next story which is The Winter Bride (Damaris & Freddy's) love story. What's weird is I would not have pick these two characters to fall in love, but, I'm now intrigued.

Excellent

I wanted the book to go on and on! Beautifully read! I hope there are more books in the series.

Enjoyable

Well, this was a surprise! Totally enjoyable. Anne is a new author to me and I'm glad I discovered her work.

Writing was good. Abby and Max were great together. The story kept me interested and I stayed up too late reading (listening.) The narration was well done.

I'm looking forward to subsequent adventures of the Chance Sisters.

Narration was a bit off

I loved the story but although the narrator's voice was excellent, she had a tendency to speed up her speech as though in a rush during parts of the story where it was strange to do so.

Wonderfully Light - Creating Much Needed Amusement

What made the experience of listening to The Autumn Bride the most enjoyable?

Whitty females getting the best of the alpha males in their lives. Love the strength and bond the women have in this story. Not the normal smugness usally expected fo the "Gentle People" of this era.

What other book might you compare The Autumn Bride to and why?

This book reminded me of Lisa Kleypas, The Hathaways Series. The oddities that just make you laugh.

Which character – as performed by Alison Larkin – was your favorite?

Lady Beatrice Davenham "The Aunt"; is the best and most favored charater.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book had me in stitches ..... It made laugh so hard I was crying. This is a great pick me up.

Well performed, nice mix of pathos and humor.

Moves well, difficult to "put down". Excellent voice deflection with reading. Good descriptors and well defined characters. Very enjoyble.

I Laughed Out Loud!

This book made me laugh out loud! Such a sweet, lovely, funny, story that I couldn't wait to start listening to the second book in the Chance Sisters series. If you're looking for a taut thriller, this book is not for you. If you're looking for steamy love scenes, this book is not for you. What you get is a story of love - love between sisters, the strong bonds that develop between women of different ages, different classes, and different dreams, all working toward a common goal - with a little mystery thrown in. And the story of love that develops between a man and a woman based on their love and care for an elderly woman. The antics and machinations of each of the characters are amusing, and I rarely stopped smiling as I listened to this book. If you need a few hours of escape, this is one book to worth hearing.

Delightful story. Unexpected twists

Loved it. Listened to it a second time immediately after I finished it the first time.