The Duke in Denial

Scandal in Sussex, Book 1

De: Alexandra Ainsworth

Narrado por: Joel Leslie

Sebastian Lewis never expected to become a duke. But with the sudden deaths of his cousin and uncle, Sebastian's position changes. He is determined to fulfill his new responsibilities with grace, even if it means remarrying, and even if the attractions of women, so often lauded by poets, fail to interest him.

Captain William Carlisle, newly returned from India, is elated when he meets Sebastian. Nobody knows of his inclinations, but his harrowing experiences in battle have prompted him to reach for the type of companionship he longs for. He thinks Sebastian might feel an attraction as well, but to his dismay, he discovers that Sebastian is courting his sister, Dorothea.

After a semi-arranged engagement and a disconcerting romantic tangle with William, Sebastian escapes London to look after his manor, only to face mysterious thefts, a headless ghost, and the arrival of his fiancée, her brother, and his family. Sebastian's new estate sits on the south coast, England's most vulnerable location, and Napoleon has set his sights on conquering the area. Amid this growing turmoil, Sebastian must sort out his feelings for his fiancée's brother and keep his home safe...and determine if he has the courage to reach for his own happiness in the process.

This is a gay regency historical romance.

©2014 Alexandra Ainsworth (P)2016 Alexandra Ainsworth

Good story

Any additional comments?

I liked this story except for
* not a good narrator, sentence was repeated and I didn’t find the voice pleasant to listen to, but remember that’s my personal opinion.

This is what I liked:
* very good storyline
* well described characters
* feelings were very present and I went through the happenings with the characters.
* sweet love scenes
* some suspense and plot that made it thrilling and kept my interest

It was a good mm romance I recommend if you like historical romances. 4 🌟

Wonderful M/M Regency Romance

If you could sum up The Duke in Denial in three words, what would they be?

Delightful, Interesting, Daring

Who was your favorite character and why?

William - He was wonderful, caring, tender and yet so very strong.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first one when Sebastian's hat flies away and he meets William.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me smile. I have to say that the narration made the story come to life for me. I had read the book before.

Any additional comments?

I loved this story and the narration of it. A good love story works no matter who the characters are that fall in love. This was my first audiobook and I am now hooked on the idea of having more in the future! Thank you to the author for the gift of this audiobook.

Frock Coats and Hot Blokes. Hurray!

Thrilled with this one. Wonderful characters and performed with warmth and great variety. If you've ever wanted Sense and Sensibility mashed up with Brokeback Mountain - this is it. The m/m spin on regency is new to me and I adored it. I also liked that this was a fairly clean romance... a little bit of sex...but done with a modesty and class that felt appropriate to the period. Definitely recommended to anyone who likes their m/m romance focused on plot and enjoys the historical genre. Sometimes Sebastian was a little aggravating with all his back and forth 'denial'... but since that's the title of the book, I guess I was forewarned lol... and it all wraps up into a truly heartwarming HEA.

The title should have been a warning

I am so over main characters in gay fiction who feel self-loathing for being gay. There’s denial by obliviousness, which I assumed was the case based on the beginning of the story, and then there is denial because “being gay is bad. BAD! I’m going to HELL! I should be punished!” Yeah, none of us needs that kind of story. Unfortunately, this one is exactly that until the last 20 minutes of the book. I will not be reading any more Alexandra Ainsworth books.

Joel Leslie, on the other hand, was outstanding! His performances are always stellar, and even with this drivel he made me forget that he was the only one performing. He truly makes each character individualized and unique and it’s because of him that I actually finished this audiobook. Kudos Joel!

Overall, don’t bother.

Gay Regency Extravaganza

This is a regency gay romance, the period is well drawn, with a really likable cast of characters and a romance I was rooting for very quickly. Within a short time the lead characters had won me over to really liking them and I listened intently to find out what would happen next. There's another book in the series focusing on another couple coming out soon, and I look forward to returning to the beautiful world in this story.