Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Downstairs Maid  By  cover art

The Downstairs Maid

By: Rosie Clarke
Narrated by: Penelope Freeman
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.33

Buy for $20.33

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

She is a servant girl... When her father becomes ill, Emily Carter finds herself sent into service at Priorsfield Manor in order to provide the family with an income. He will be the Lord of the Manor...

Emily strikes up an unlikely friendship with the daughters of the house, as well as Nicolas, son of the Earl. But as the threat of war comes ever closer, she becomes even more aware of the vast differences between upstairs and downstairs, servant and master...

If you like Downton Abbey you’ll love this!

©2014 Rosie Clarke (P)2015 Magna Publishing, Random House Audiobooks

What listeners say about The Downstairs Maid

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    162
  • 4 Stars
    119
  • 3 Stars
    50
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    164
  • 4 Stars
    104
  • 3 Stars
    36
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    149
  • 4 Stars
    104
  • 3 Stars
    49
  • 2 Stars
    18
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent narrator

A well written tale if you've read this type of thing before. Not for under 18

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Downton Abby meets Wives & Daughters

Enjoyable for mindless listening, but very cliche and not particularly original. Weak character/ relationship development. Main character, in romance novel style, was too perfect: pretty, smart, hard working, and sickeningly sweet. Of course the son of the wealthy noble would fall madly in love with her ... at first sight, of course.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story line. Wonderfully read.

I would recommend this audio book. Well written a great character development. Performance was terrific as well. Really enjoyed book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Basic romance with brisk complications

Swift moving romance...However fairly pedestrian writing with a good number of 'manufactured' sometimes unbelievable complications!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

Definitely my genre. Loved it
I do feel the narration wasn't the best ( every single character seem to sound elederly).
But although the voices were distracting the story was still worth the read or in this case the listen.

I do feel like this book would be more enjoyable as a traditional book rather than audio book though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story and a great read.

Where does The Downstairs Maid rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 1/4

What other book might you compare The Downstairs Maid to and why?

The Secret Keeper.

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

She is as good as Davina Porter who I love as a reader.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

No Downton Abby!

What didn’t you like about Penelope Freeman’s performance?

I have to start by saying I am in my 60's but I don't really like older women narrating these stories where the main character is a 20 year old girl. All the men in the story sounded like they were about 75 years old and most of the women too. The narrator did a good job of making the voices different and the people who were truly old in the book sounded find but having a young man sound like he's 70 just is distracting.

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

No

Any additional comments?

The story was ok but not really realistic. Some members of the titled family treated Emily like a friend from the beginning and in those days servants had their place and the line wasn't crossed. The story was ok and maybe worth a listen but it wasn't great.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing.

I had a very hard time understanding the narrator's various accents and it really took away from the whole experience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story

It was a wonderful story. Done so well. It's a gentle story not a harsh war story. The narration was done beautifully.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

consistent

historically interesting and drama reasonable except the mother in story was a bit over top but doesnt detract too much

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful