The Deceptive Lady Darby

Publisher's Summary

When a lost lady discovers that love is found far from home....

After confessing her love for Lord Cunningham, Lady Rose Darby is whisked away by her father in the dead of night and locked in an old asylum. With no one but her paid companion, Miss Flint, for company, six months pass before Rose manages to escape.

But her plans to return to London go awry when she finds herself at Everleigh, a sprawling mansion nestled in the heart of the forest. Mistaken for a newly appointed maid, Rose is sent to meet her new master, the sinfully handsome and brooding Lord Farleigh. But how can she tell him who she really is without ruining her reputation? And why does the thought of working for a living suddenly have appeal?

Christian Knight, seventh Viscount Farleigh, leads a reclusive life in his country estate. Widowed at 30 and left to care for his two young children, love and marriage are not on his agenda. What respectable woman would want to move into a house in such a state of turmoil? The staff are sick, and he can’t keep a governess for more than a week. Is that why the new maid, Rose, proves too much of a distraction? As an honourable man, he knows he must fight the attraction. Yet, crippled with loneliness, his conscience is soon at war with his feeble heart.

Contains some descriptive sex scenes. Approx. 70,000 words.

©2017 Adele Clee (P)2018 Adele Clee

Narration ruins .... too dramatic

Not as bad as with miss Flint book 1 but i think the narration is what ruined this for me. Narration was dramatic/Cheesey/ Over the top Like i said though it wasn't as bad as in the Mysterious Miss Flint book that was truly cringe worthy. I actually think the story was good but the narration made it seem worse than it was..... I like Adelle Clee i find her writing is good and her stories are always entertaining. the first two books in this series are the only time i have listened with audio instead of reading the book

Wonderful book and narration.

This book has it all: mystery, excitement, strong emotion, passion, danger, and a HEA. I highly recommend it! The narrator, Liisa Ivary, did a great job. It was easy to forget you were listening rather than taking part in it.
I received a copy and voluntarily chose to listen and review it. The review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Great Mystery with Romance

This was a great addition to this series. I loved finding out what happened to Lady Rose. The intrigue happening in the story added to the development of the characters. I had though that the story was almost over, but then something else happens that grabs you back into the story. The narrator did a great job of telling the story. Overall a great suspense romance.

Superb page turner

The more I read/listen to this series, the more I am enjoying it.
In this particular story we have a very jaded young man, Christian Knight, whose wife had some relationships with other men and at the writing of this story he is a widower. He is trying to bring up his 2 young children but every governess he hires leaves the house at a fast sprint. To add to the chaos in his life his household is very short staffed and many of the staff he employs fall ill with a mysterious illness.
Rose escapes the 'madhouse' nearby and arrives on his doorstep - the story takes off and unfolds in leaps and bounds with lots of twists and turns. It is very cleverly written, captured and held my interest throughout and I was extremely well entertained. It is a stand-alone but does have close ties to the first book and we meet the main characters from that story again.
I enjoyed the narration by Liisa Ivary in this audiobook and note that her work is improving with each book she does.
I am very happy to recommend this book/audiobook as a page turner that will entertain and keep you wanting more in is series.
A copy of the audiobook was freely supplied by the author and this is my voluntary and unbiased review of it.

Lovely Romance with a Suspenseful Mystery

This is the second book in the Lost Ladies of London series, and it's all about Rose's adventures after she leaves Morton Manor. If you haven't read book 1, go read it first! This review will have spoilers for the first book, which was a really good read.

After being locked away in Morton Manor for the last six months, Rose finally escapes the old asylum. Desperate to return to London and avoid her father, Rose makes her way to the local inn in the middle of the night. Seeing her father's coach outside, she tries to return to the manor house to warn Nicole. But Rose loses her way in the woods and finds herself outside Everleigh Manor instead.

Mistaken for a newly hired maid, Rose goes along with the deception. When Rose meets the owner of the manor, Viscount Farleigh, she's driven to help the burdened widower and his two young children, even if she loses her heart in the process.

This was another lovely romance with a suspenseful mystery that had me hooked until the end! It's a steamy read, it could be read as a standalone but I enjoyed the first one and recommend it as well. I loved both Rose and Christian. Each of Adele Clee's heroines are distinct and have their own personalities. Rose was so sweet and kind, in contrast to Nicole's spunk and spirit. Christian was a mature man with a weight on his shoulders, experiencing love for the first time. The mystery kept me listening and guessing until the end.

The narration was great, the narrator performed separate voices for each character and read dramatically. She made it a really easy listen. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Romance and mystery

This was an entertaining story concerning Lady Rose Darby and what happened to her when she escaped from the asylum. She finds her way into a nearby Manor House and pretends to be a maid. The house belongs to Christian Knight, Viscount Farleigh, a widower with two children. Rose quickly becomes involved in the life of the house and there is a definite attraction between Rose and Christian. There is also a mystery concerning the death of his first wife and a strange illness that affects the staff. The action takes place in the country but also in London. In London, we meet Christian’s friend Vane and his sister, Lillian. There is also a mystery involving Lillian. The narrator was easy to listen to and used different voices for the characters, bringing the action to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next in the series. I was given copy and I have voluntarily and honestly reviewed it.

Mysterious Happenings

What made the experience of listening to The Deceptive Lady Darby the most enjoyable?

Most enjoyable was the fact that I could close my eyes and truly picture the characters and their surroundings.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Deceptive Lady Darby?

the mysterious happenings

What about Liisa Ivary’s performance did you like?

She clearly distinguishes between male and female voices.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely!

Any additional comments?

There is love, misunderstandings, and most of all a lot of mysterious happenings. Throughout the well-paced book are plenty of hints to keep the reader interested.

Loved it

Mystery, suspense and romance abound in this second book in the series.
The whereabouts of Lady Rose is revealed and I followed her adventures with excitement.
I like the governess trope when it is well written and the characters are as likeable and charming as they are here. The children and their bond with Rose was sweet and I couldn't help but be entertained as they muddled through their days together. Lord Farleigh was kind to Rose and their initial scenes together, sweet and cute, left me with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
I enjoyed the dark elements to the novel. There were a few sinister characters lurking in the background which kept my mind busy in guessing what their motives were and how they would fit into the events surrounding the deaths of two women and the mysterious illness affecting the servants in the house. I was kept guessing right to the end.
Events unfolded and concluded in a very satisfactory way. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a gifted copy.