The Scandal in Kissing an Heir

At the Kingsborough Ball, Book 2

By: Sophie Barnes

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

He is the next Marquess of Wolvington....

She is a lady with nothing but beauty and wits....

Together they share a forbidden kiss.

Lady Rebecca is determined to find a husband on her own terms, rather than marry any of the aging suitors her greedy aunt and uncle foist upon her. Her chance comes at the Kingsborough Ball, where she meets several potential grooms...yet no one compares to the dangerously handsome Daniel Neville.

Notorious rake and heir to the Marquess of Wolvington, Daniel Neville is in need of a bride, but finding a lady who's willing to accept his past is an entirely different matter. When he spies a stunning woman across the ballroom, Daniel believes he's found her...until scandal erupts around them. How can he convince Rebecca to take a chance on him...and on the love that could be theirs forever after?

©2014 Sophie Barnes (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Regency in name only.

The author is either too lazy to research the period or ignorant of what makes a Regency piece accurate. No effort was made to make this a period piece. The language and manners are quite contemporary.

Great storyline

As always, the narration from Susan Duerden brought the story to life. Engaging story! I hope to see more from this author.

What a great story. NOT FULL OF ANGST!

This was such a great story. I loved that it was not full of angst the whole way through. Fantastic relief. More authors should write books with less angst like this one.

I absolutely loved the heroine in this story. She was funny, charming, very witty, beautiful and so happy, especially considering how she was treated by her aunt and uncle.

Loved Daniel, he was handsome, smart, and such a hero!

The chemistry between the two is fantastic. I really loved the way they got to know each other, I mean really and truly got to know each other. Yes there was attraction at first sight but it was so much more than that. The sex scenes were very very well written. They really liked each other in and out of bed. LOL The honesty between them is so great and not the norm for historical romance novels.

The story line and plot are great. The story flowed so well and just when you thought oh noo there is going to be a misunderstanding here... there wasn't!

I listened/read this in one day it so much fun to listen too, A genuine treat!

I totally recommend this book for all you historical romance fans that want to read a book with less angst and a hero and heroine you can really believe are made for each other.

As for the narration, it was fantastic. Susan Duerden did a fantastic job as usual. The men sound like men the women sound like women, all the characters get their own distinct voice. She reads with all the emotion the story calls for. Perfect narrator for this book!

Just a great very well written story! I want to see more of this author on audible!

Wonderful read..

Any additional comments?

Loved this book. You couldn’t help but love that rake Daniel and the ever happy Rebecca, their meeting, their run to Scotland to marry, to save her from that murderous, insane, creep the Grover. OMG, how I loved to HATE him. Topperly wasn’t as sickening as Grover but they were both over 50 older than Rebecca. It’s no wonder she was trying to find her own husband. And, good grief, I wish her aunt and uncle, the Grifton’s had both had a heart attack at the same time and dropped dead. They were horrible (again, loved to hate them.)

I did like Laura, Molly, Hawkins and Madame Renarde. I really didn’t like Lord and Lady Wolvington at first, especially him, but they came around and were likable at the end of the book and I liked The Duke of Landborough, too.

The sex was very well written and I would definitely read more from this author.

As to the narrator: Love, love, love Susan Duerden. She laughs, she cries, she whispers, everything a narrator is supposed to do.

This Scandal is setting me on fire!

Sophie Barnes knows how to enthrall her readers. From the first chapter I was hooked! I enjoyed our Rake Daniel and his "Mental" wife Rebecca! I loved how their story came about and how that a Rake can be reformed for the right woman! I enjoyed the steamy passion between our newlyweds. I would give this book an 8/10 rating! Definitely worth your credit!

A KISS THEY NEVER REGRETTED

After 2 years of virtual imprisonment Lady Rebecca, in desperation, has decided to take her future in her own hands and sneaked out of her greedy Guardian's Castle to attend the Kingsborough Masked Ball where she hopes to meet someone eager to marry her - and quickly before time runs out and she's forced to marry an old lecherous Duke. Daniel is in line to become the next Marquis of Wolvington but, at the moment, he has been given an ultimatum by his Guardians who are fed up with his Rakish carefree ways and they want to see him married and have given him just one month to do so before cutting him off.

Daniel becomes transfixed by Rebecca, her wit, charm and exotic beauty all help, but so too does the fact that she is equally desperate to marry. There's instant attraction and one kiss seals the deal but Rebecca has trust issues and really longs for fidelity and even love but, as Daniel is a renowned Rake, she doubts she'll ever find that and is prepared to settle for friendship but his Rakish ways may just be a facade Daniel has put up to hide all his vulnerabilities.

Rebecca has greedy selfish Guardians who add to the lovers problems, there's a speedy scandalous escape, attempted murder (twice), a clever trap and a romance that quickly went from mere friendship to love. Daniel had to slowly seduce his new wife which results in a tender (not too descriptive) sex scene and, as the H/H had to overcome many obstacles, they bask in a sweet, honest relationship between two people who compliment each other by sharing a sense of humor, actually talk to each other about everything and so the hopes and dreams for their future eventually give them their longed for HEA ending.

Worth a credit? A far fetched yet charming and enjoyable Regency romance with all books in the series set around the events that happened during a Masked Ball, with plot twists and likeable characters - no, it's not the best historical romance I've ever listened to, but still a creditworthy addition to my Library.

What a lovely scandal.

Setting: Moxley, and London, England 1817
Genre: Romance
Narration: Susan Duerden gives a good performance. She has very good range in giving voice to the different characters.
The characters, even the minor ones, are well-written. Lady Rebecca is a lovely young woman being held, pretty much, prisoner by her greedy aunt and uncle. Daniel is the wastrel heir of the Marquess of Wolvington. They meet at the Kingsborough Ball and Daniel decides that she is the answer to his dilemma - he needs to marry by the end of the Season. Rebecca wants to avoid being married off to an elderly, lecherous peer, and Daniel might be a preferable option. The repartee is amusing and the plot is compelling enough that I couldn't put it down. I like that the characters, especially Daniel, grow during the course of the book. It was, overall, a satisfying use of my time.
Worth the credit? Definitely.