The Duke's Wayward Ward

By: Claudia Stone

Narrated by: Duke DeFoix, Duchess DeFoix

Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

When Lady Emma Percival's father dies, leaving her penniless and alone, she fears that she will end up on the streets. Help is at hand, albeit from an unlikely source, when it transpires that her father has appointed his greatest enemy to be her guardian. The Duke of Liscarroll is a cold-hearted brute whom Emma spars with at every turn, but soon their angry altercations turn to something else entirely....

Peter William Brazil, Sixth Duke of Liscarroll, finds himself strong-armed by his mother into accepting Lady Emma as his ward. Though he is loath to have anything to do with the Percival family, he does want to get his hands on the priceless manuscript the late Earl bequeathed him in his will, on condition that he finds Lady Emma a suitable husband. Peter fully intends to have Lady Emma married off and out of his house within a fortnight, but there's something about the fiery, young lady that sparks his interest, and soon he's not sure that he wants to let her go at all.

When someone attempts to shoot him and the ton label Emma as the prime suspect, Peter knows that he must clear her name before he makes her his bride. The only problem is, there's more than one person with reason to want him dead, and his bride-to-be is less than enamoured with the idea of becoming his....

Can these two warring enemies find the culprit and a happily ever after? Find out in the sweet, Regency listen!

©2018 Claudia Stone (P)2019 Claudia Stone

Excellent story & narration!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The story was fun, the mystery engaging, and the h/H love story enjoyable (I am a sucker for enemies-to-lovers or "just don't want to know you" tales to "can't live without you plots!) The mystery gave the story some meat and I thought it was a great combination of both (romance and mystery in one). What more could a girl ask for? The story was well-written and engaging, and I was rooting for Lady Emma and Peter (the Duke) to reach their happy ending.

The voice actors ("Duke DeFoix" & "Duchess DeFoix") were marvelous! I hadn't listened to a multi-narrator audiobook up until now; for all my years of listening, they somehow have slipped my notice. But it's a great audio format and I preferred the male/female narrators' voices and performances of the story made it more of an immersive listen.

I will definitely seek out Claudia Stone's other works and more audio performances by both narrators. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for both story and narration, and it's on my re-listen shelf.

Note: I received this title for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

Great Regency romance

This listen has an interesting backstory - the Duke ruins a man and the man leaves the Duke the guardianship of his daughter at the man's death. (I know, right?)

I liked the slow burn that was the Duke and his ward. Someone is trying to kill the Duke but they find their way to each other anyway. I guessed the whodunnit right away. I was surprised when I was right but yup, nailed it!

The duo narration worked well. I preferred the male voice but the female held her own. Regency romances can be a tricky genre but the narration for this book stayed true.

A Good Listen!

This story had its moments of romance and falling in love between two lovely and interesting people, Lady Emma and Peter, sixth Duke of Liscarroll. There is also a potential murderer, a delightful mother, an ex mistress and so on, all of whom help make this story into a page turner.
I loved how the romance almost didn't happen because the two main characters didn't believe it was possible and also because of what was happening in the story, but it did happen or we wouldn't have had such a delightful book to read or listen to.
It is well written by Claudia Stone and very competently narrated by the Duke & Duchess DeFoix. Good teamwork between all three parties!
I requested and listened to an audiobook version and my review above is unbiased and given voluntarily.

Sweet Historical Romance

Peter Brazil, the Duke of Liscarroll, is shocked when the will of his father's enemy is read. Peter has been appointed as the guardian of the man's daughter, Emma Percival. Peter is determined to marry Emma off as soon as possible, but when he meets his young ward, no man seems quite worthy of her. But matters are complicated when someone tries to kill him, and all fingers are pointed at Emma.

This was a sweet clean read with great characters. Emma and Peter spark and spar with each other, and it's all a ton of fun. Peter seems a bit heartless at first but it soon becomes obvious that he's just hopeless at courting. He can flirt with the experienced ladies of the ton but when it comes to winning the heart of the innocent yet feisty Emma, he's a lost cause. And Emma is at her best when she stands up to him. Throw in a meddling and adorable Dowager Duchess and this one gets five stars from me.

The narration was great, as always. the male and female narrators perform each chapter from Emma and Peter's point of view and also perform the male or female speaking parts. It's seamless and immerses you right into the story. I requested an audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Amazing Regency Romance and Fantastic Narration!

I love this author writing! She definitely is one of my favorite Regency Romance authors. The story has is all: romance, twists and turns, intrigue, and a little suspense. Duke DeFoix and Duchesse DeFoix are amazing narrators. I love their voices together. The story, and the narration, are fantastic. I HIGHLY recommend it.

A Great Listen

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request, and have voluntarily left this review. This is not my usual type of book, but it was a lot of fun. Emma, orphaned but at marrying age, fate is left in the hands of her father's worst enemy when her deceased father appoints him her guardian in his will. The Duke's mother decides it will be her duty to find the poor girl a husband at her son's expense. The Duke's perfect world is turned upside down. Between the well written characters, the fast moving plot and the narration that brings it you life, you'll keep listening longer than you intended.

Entertaining and very well interpreted:)

It's another book by Ms Stone that I really enjoyed:)

When we meet Lady Emma Percival and Peter Brazil, the Duke of Liscarroll, for the first time, they seem to be like fire and ice, with nothing in common and the background of a family feud... Yet appearances do deceive and with every page/minute of listening we wait more and more impatiently for them to finally find their happily ever after. The plot is deceptively simple at first, but then unexpected events complicate it enough for us to feel the tension and anxiety along with our H and h. The background characters are colourful and memorable (I especially liked Peter's mother, the Duchess:)) and the mystery behind the murder attempts well developed. What I also like a lot is that it's not really the 'love at first sight' kind of story, but that we see love between Emma and Peter grow and mature and we witness their doubts, uncertainties and fears about the other's feelings - it's so much closer to real life that the 'insta-love' kinds of romances...:)

It's the second book I listened to in the interpretation of Duke and Duchess DeFoix (the previous one was also written by Ms Stone) and I will repeat what I already wrote once: I like the male-female narration mirroring the male-female point of view chapter pattern of the book, it is very well done, with all the voices of individual characters sounding really natural. I also liked the pace of the couple's reading, it was just about right, no need to speed it up (as I usually do). Generally it's a great interpretation of the book.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

When you don't trust your relations...

Trust your enemies instead.

Two families long feuding, and what does Lady Emma Percival's father do in his will? Bequeath a treasured manuscript on the condition that the son of his enemy take on his daughter as his ward. Peter Brazil, Duke of Liscarroll, says no, but then his mother says yes for the girl's sake. Peter refuses to have much to do about the business, but his mother is pretty crafty. Sparks fly from their brief tête-à-têtes and soon passion and scandal follow.

The narrators were fabulous and well matched. Duke DeFoix and Duchess DeFoix switched on and off as voices were required and as chapters alternated in head space between the main characters. I would gladly listen to more that they narrate. Beautifully read.

love it

Cute often funny story with a splash of naughty.

Both narrators did an excellent job reading. love the accents making them perfect for this story.

I received this audible free at my request. I gladly and freely post my review.

The most amazing narrators ever

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I ended up liking this book a bit more than I thought, but it had its issues. I never realized what a sucker I am for historical romance. I love a headstrong woman and I got exactly that with Lady Emma Percival. I liked the banter between her and Peter. The man made tons of mistakes when it came to her, but he really was trying to be what Emma deserved. There was some mystery with someone trying to kill Peter and I liked that aspect of the story a bit. My only issue was with the fact that I didn't really feel a connection between Peter and Emma. I am interested to read more books by Claudia Stone.

Let me tell you that this audiobook is amazing. If I can give Duke and Duchess DeFoix more than five stars I would. They have such lovely voices and their accents made the reading experience that much better. I could have listened to them all day and night. I will listen to anything and everything they narrate. I don't care what it is.

Would highly recommend!

I love this authors characters. They are complex, annoying, funny and lovable. I have rarly come across an author where I have loved all their books and this author really surprised me. Like a chef she knew the right ingredients and amount to make the perfect dish.
The books are just as good but I would recommend the audio book. The narrators bring the book to life.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
There is no profanity or violence. There is no sexual content but there is some tension between the characters and the book would be considered flirty.

Brilliant

I loved the dual narration in this book. Both narrators were excellent giving very polished performances.
The story was humorous, sweet and had a little bit of mystery which I love. I adored the banter between the two lead characters. The cute ways they showed their jealous feelings were quite funny. I loved how every time it looked like they were having a sweet moment they were either interrupted or their banter evolved into a petty argument. It was really entertaining and a lot of fun.
I couldn't put the book down and I listened to it in one sitting.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reading studio copy.

A classic love story with a dash of mystery

The Duke's Wayward Ward is, in many ways, a classic 'enemies to lovers' Regency romance. Emma and Liscarroll are both unhappy about the arrangement which throws them into each other's path so unceremoniously, but it is clear from the beginning that they are very well suited. As with most novels of this type, the question is not so much 'will they or won't they get together' but 'when and how'. Despite Regencies' adherence to a fairly standard formula, it is the journey that makes them interesting, and it is for that reason that I was so disappointed to see the Publisher's Summary give so much away. It would have been much more enjoyable if I had not known so many of the key developments from the start.

I liked the Duke of Liscarroll immensely, as I did his mother, Georgette, the Dowager Duchess. It was very disconcerting to have her referred to as "Georgette throughout the novel, instead of by her title. It was so informal and unusual that it kept pulling me out of the period. Her relationship with her son was a little unconventional but very entertaining, and she brought a lot of humour to this audiobook.

It took me a little longer to warm to Emma, as her personality was not as gregarious as that of the Brazils. It also took me a little while to really feel as though she was feisty enough for Liscarroll, and as a couple I didn't think the tension quite built properly between them. They didn't spar as well as was necessary to introduce the required antagonism and the 'threats of violence' were a tad clumsily set up. There were so many moments which I really enjoyed, but I was never quite convinced that they were really opponents. Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett are the best example of Regency enemies-to-lovers, but Liscarroll and Emma's annoyance with each other felt too contrived. In fact, much of this book felt very contrived, with everything falling into place very neatly time and again. I think it would have been better had it been longer, and the relationship between Peter and Emma allowed to be a slower burn, with a few more bumps in the road for them.

The narrator, Duke and Duchess DeFoix, did a very nice job of their dual narration. He voiced the male parts, and she took on all the female passages.

I loved Duke DeFoix's narration, and found his rich, smooth voice very pleasant to listen to. I'd have happily listened to him narrate the whole book, but he worked well with Duchess DeFoix.

I think, perhaps, that Duchess DeFoix does not have a natural British accent, as many of her pronunciations were unusual and her pattern of speech was reminiscent of the deliberate, overly-enunciated way Americans tend to read in RP. Her accent was very good, but his was far more natural and comfortable, which did give his narration the superior edge. I thought Duchess DeFoix did very well to convey both Emma's youthfulness and the Dowager's experience, with her range of voices being very good, and nicely varied.

For all its little niggles, The Duke's Wayward Ward was a nice, easy, romance to curl up with in the evening before bed. I enjoyed it for being lightweight and often lighthearted, and would happily have spent far longer in the company of Liscarroll and the Dowager. I will certainly listen to other Regencies by Claudia Stone, especially if they were narrated by Duke and Duchess DeFoix.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants a nice, quick Regency listen with a HEA.

*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Regency Romantic!

Lady Emma Percival and the Duke of Liscarroll's story is definitely for the Regency romance lover. It has the usual glittering aristocracy life with balls, Almack's and White's, a little intrigue and a little humour. Emma and Peter, by all accounts are on the two ends of a family feud. And while they think they shouldn't like each other, that certainly is not the case. Peter, with the help of his mother is to find Emma a husband. But he finds that the beautiful Lady Emma may not be so easy to hoist on another man because he is unwilling to let her go. Throw in some attempted murder, rumours and ruined reputations. The result is rather fun escapism of the Regency variety!

I enjoyed the performance of this audiobook. I like how the narrators work together so that each character has a unique voice and that voice reflects their personality.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.