The Daring Duke

The 1797 Club, Book 1

By: Jess Michaels

Narrated by: Danielle O'Farrell

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

The first book of the much anticipated 1797 Club series from USA Today best-selling author Jess Michaels. The dukes are coming!

The wild and charismatic Duke of Abernathe is the kind of friend anyone would wish to have. He even formed the 1797 Club, consisting of 10 men who would all be dukes. But he has full-throatedly declared he will never marry and no one understands why.

But Miss Emma Liston doesn't care why. A longtime wallflower with an absentee father who is a scandal waiting to happen, she needs to marry. Now. She decides to take a wild chance and ask the help of her friend Meg's brother James. She asks him to pretend he's interested in her just long enough to gain the attention of others. He agrees, but is quickly taken aback by how easy everything is with Emma.

When her father returns, threatening her with a terrible future, their courtship swiftly becomes all too real. Will James ever reveal the true man beneath the outer shell? And can Emma discover her own worthiness before it's too late?

Length: Full-Length (70,000 words)

Heat Level: Sizzling

This book is the first in The 1797 Club series.

©2017 Jesse Petersen (P)2017 Jesse Petersen

Nice story ...but

I found myself drawn to the story. Who doesn’t like one of the wallflower captivating the Duke? Unfortunately, the overdone theatrical narration all but ruined what could have been a great book. I felt the voice for Emma, lead, was juvenile and annoying and the others weren’t much better. I believe the narrator truly has talent but was too over the top. Nothing new or different in the storyline, but pleasant. Likeable lead characters.

Good story but a weak heroine

The story is interesting and different but i found the heroine I interesting and weak. It became frustrating because I did not find her attractive or alluring enough to fall in love with. Supporting characters are good and the narrator is ok. Nothing outstanding here.

Disappointed

The story line was weak, the heroine inane, and the hero was an ass. The narrator could not imitate male voices well and it jarred my hearing. Where are the strong heroines and gallant heroes? The basic story had potential but it fell into another sterotyped regency romance.

horrible narration

the story was ok, but it was hard to get through with the horrible narration

Very good

I liked that this book didn’t have too much angst, miscommunication, or misunderstanding. I liked seeing their relationship blossom. Yes there was somewhat of an immediate attraction but it was understandable how it was done. The only thing I would’ve changed was to add more love making scenes or a bit more descriptive love scene. I really liked the love making scene though. I look forward to reading the rest of this series. Both characters were great. She wasn’t this head strong girl who made me roll my eyes and he was simply great.

Cute story. Make voices need work

Enjoyed the story. It’s pretty much everything I like in a cheesy regency romance. But I did find the narrator’s James voice a bit distracting. It was fine for the villain or lesser male characters, but it wasn’t distinct from other male characters. I’ve heard plenty of female narrators do a deeper male voice. This one was kind of seedy sounding. Idk. But if you can’t get past that, all the female voices are great and the story is good.

Well done

I liked that the characters were attractive by personality instead of lust. Narrator was fantastic.

I think the narrator really killed this for me.

All of the women's voices were high, simpering, and childish. It felt like I was listening to a child's bedtime story.

Had me riveted!

Great book and absolutely wonderful narration. Couldn’t stop listening. Has all the elements of an awesome historical romance with the right blend of anticipation and steaminess.

Second time around

Hmm, second times hearing this one. Story is good, but the narration is aweful. Sorry just done care for her. You get used to it to hear the story, there are better narrators out there.
Still I recommend this series.
I’d still use a credit for it.
It’s not the best book in the world but I like it well enough.

The narrator can't do male voices.

I think the narrator's effort to do a male voice is the most jarring part of the story. It hurts the ears and impinges on what is being said.
The hero and heroine both have embarrassing parents, he is also suffering from longterm child abuse.
Funnily only his mother and himself really suffer, while his sister seems a happy soul. The heroine's parents seem alot worse as both are still alive.
The story is disjointed and seems stuck together with lots of additional characters thrown in. I failed to see the romance, she has fancied him for ages, he then mets her, wants her in his bed, but not to marry. They are eventually forced into marriage and realise they love each other. I don't think, there has ever been ten Dukesin England, let alone all round the same age. No doubt that is romantic licence, but just adds another jagged part.

Performance not very good

The performer was good when narrating the story and when voicing the female characters. However, when voicing the male protagonists all the men sounded the same, so it was hard to understand who was speaking, and one really needed to be reading the book along with the audiobook. Also she voiced all the male characters by doing a Sandi Toksvig impersonation (this likeness is probably only relevant to UK listeners).
Additionally, there were some very strange pronunciations - for example buoy was pronounced “boo ee”, so I assume this to be an American voice actress trying ‘to do’ an English accent....Yep - I have just googled the pronunciation of buoy and her pronunciation is as per an American accent!!! But the book is set in Regency England!!!!! :((
There were other really random pronunciations all very off putting and once again one needed the book to read the word that was being “totally garbled” by the American performer.
I have read all the books in the series and they are all narrated by the same performer :(

Also note to author - in England/Britain a foyer is an entrance hall or other open area in a building used by the public, especially an hotel or theatre - not a family home of whatever size.
In an English/British home we have an entrance hall - which is the room or space immediately inside the main door of a large or grand building like a stately home or townhouse.
Americanisms are a real turn off when reading a novel set in Regency England - authors should read Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskell or the more recent Georgette Heyer.

The books themselves each have a very different storyline, but each woman that ‘captures’ a duke’s heart is completely OK to go in for oral sex and premarital sex. That may have been the case with a widow, but an untouched virgin would have been inculcated with stories of young women being seduced and then left at the altar.
I know one has to suspend all pretences of reality with this genre but really it would have been nice if just one of them went to their marital bed chaste and the author could then have indulged her love of mild erotica once the ring was in her finger and the couple were exploring their relationship. The fact that they don’t remain chaste just starts to become tiresome after a few books in.
The main idea is: Lady meets Duke - a bit of groping - oral sex - premarital sex - oh and let’s not bother to lock the door each time either even when they get naked!!! WHAT REALLY!!!....in the 1810s?? Even today any sane person would lock the door!
It’s a shame - I quite liked the series but the books become very ‘Samey’ after a while EVEN THOUGH they have dissimilar plots and protagonists.

Great story, not so great narrator

The narrator would read lines very sharply and loudly and then follow with "she whispered". This ruined many intense and fragile moments