The Accidental Duke

Mad Matchmaking Men of Waterloo Series, Book 1

De: Barbara Devlin

Narrado por: Paul Woodson

What happens when the Mad Matchmakers of Waterloo join forces to find wives for each other? Delectable chaos. And no woman in London is safe.

A Wounded Warrior.... British Army Major Anthony Erasmus Hildebrand Bartlett, 7th Marquess of Rockingham, returns to London a tortured soul after losing an arm at Waterloo. Suffering incomprehensible terror from his wartime experiences, or what is referred to as nostalgia, Anthony is now the sole heir to a dukedom and a betrothal he doesn't want. He wishes he died on the front lines with his elder brother, and the last thing he needs is a wife. Can Anthony find the will to live again?

A Reluctant Debutante.... Lady Arabella is not so sanguine about her prospects, because she doesn't want to marry anyone. That Anthony is injured and may be mad is the least of her concerns. Smart and perceptive, she sees through the tormented soldier's pain, offering comfort and support that reaches through the fog to awaken him, and she is drawn to her fiance.

When the duke imprisons Anthony in an asylum, Arabella must rely on her wit and wisdom to free the man she loves.

©2021 Barbara Devlin (P)2021 Tantor

Very entertaining

I loved the connection between Anthony and Arabella. I’ll admit I had to step away a couple times because it made me nervous of what would happen. Arabella was a true champion

Heroes Weren't Appreciated

Loved this story. The narrator did a great job. The asylum scenes added a lot to the plot and made the doctor's sadist behaviour obvious.

Slow start

The story started slowly, but was worth the listen. Good, but not great, story. Sadly and frustratingly, several supporting story lines were not wrapped up before the book ended. Disappointing.

Relationships with war veterans.

The story was not boring or predictable. I thought the he narration was done well. Strong woman, family, and war veterans. All make up for an interesting listen.

Loved it!

I love the friendships in this book! The love story is sweet (and has some spice!). I am looking forward to more of this series.

Completely enjoyed

This not a straight up romance. It has a far bit of graphic violence but in my opinion war, torture, and disregard for mental health seems realistic for the time.
Our hero is just that a true hero who was wounded at Waterloo and is plagued by PTSD. His closest friends are all also wounded heroes. His father who never served just wants him to ‘get on with it’.
His betrothed is strong independent and resourceful.book depicts them as stronger and they actually take turns saving each other.
The writing is superb. Nothing is repeated nothing feels like filler. the flashbacks are described vividly in an ethereal way you can see and feel yet it’s unquestionably not real. We learn about the characters through their conversations. There aren’t any misunderstandings to add superficial dram. The drama is real faced by both of them and unfolds as book goes along. The writing is well balanced in that you get moments of levity so you don’t feel dragged or emotionally manipulated due to much drama. Not that it whiplashes.
If just a fascinating book with wonderfully multifaceted characters even the side characters are multifaceted. It’s not a steamy romance they do have sex not clean and wholesome either So normal? He is a true romantic hero and she is actually worthy of him.
I absolutely loved this book and would give it 6 stars definitely credit worthy.
No complaints with the narrator.