The Greatest Challenge of Them All

The Devil’s Brood Trilogy, Book 3

By: Stephanie Laurens

Narrated by: Matthew Brenher

Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Lord Drake Varisey, Marquess of Winchelsea, eldest son and heir of the Duke of Wolverstone, must foil a plot that threatens to shake the foundations of the realm, but the very last lady - nay, noblewoman - he needs assisting him is Lady Louisa Cynster, known throughout the ton as Lady Wild.

For the past nine years, Louisa has suspected that Drake might well be the ideal husband for her, even though he's assiduous in avoiding her. But she's now 27, and enough is enough. She believes propinquity will reveal exactly what it is that lies between them, and what better opportunity to work closely with Drake than this latest mission, with which he patently needs her help?

Unable to deny Louisa's abilities or the value of her assistance and powerless to curb her willfulness, Drake is forced to grit his teeth and acquiesce to her sticking by his side if only to ensure her safety. But all too soon, his true feelings for her surface sufficiently for her, perspicacious as she is, to see through his denials, which she then interprets as a challenge.

Even while they gather information, tease out clues, increasingly desperately search for the missing gunpowder, and doggedly pursue the killer responsible for an ever-escalating tally of dead men, thrown together through the hours, he and she learn to trust and appreciate each other. And fed by constant exposure - and blatantly encouraged by her - their desires and hungers swell and grow....

As the barriers between them crumble, the attraction he has for so long restrained burgeons and balloons until, goaded by her near death, it erupts, and he seizes her - only to be seized in return.

Linked irrevocably, and with their wills melded and merged by passion's fire, with time running out and the evil mastermind's deadline looming, together they focus their considerable talents and make one last push to learn the critical truths - to find the gunpowder and unmask the villain behind this far-reaching plot.

Only to discover that they have significantly less time than they'd thought, that the villain's target is even more crucially fundamental to the realm than they'd imagined, and that it's going to take all that Drake is - as well as all that Louisa as Lady Wild can bring to bear - to defuse the threat, capture the villain, and make all safe and right again.

As they race to the ultimate confrontation, the future of all England rests on their shoulders.

©2017 Stephanie Laurens (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Wonderful Conclusion to the series

In the last book, all three couples are trying to find the culprits who are attempting some type of explosion, but where are they do not know. The culprits are killing those that are helping them to transport the explosives. I thoroughly enjoyed this book due to the development of the story and the characters. Narrator was very good.

Good story with some hick ups

I didn't like that were recycling parts of the recording during the story. I can't be the only one that noticed the narrator's inflection/intonation changed from one second to the other during the story when part of the story were used at an earlier moment in the storyline.

The Best of the three!

Everything gets tied up in this final book. I liked the strong, capable personalities of the women in this story. The book was well read.

Great series

Liked the way the characters solved the mystery. Also that the men respected women's opinions and capabilities.

Intrigue and romance - great combination.

This trilogy was so intriguing that I could not stop listening to it. Can’t wait to read more of Susan Lauren’s books.

Excellent

Not a plot unsolved. Not sn emotion missed. A most satisfying end. A completion of love, justice and resolve. Great job. Thank you!!!

Everything you never needed to know about gun powder

The middle of the book is pretty tedious, with all of the detective work. The heat between Drake and Louisa is good and entertaining. Unfortunately Matthew Brenher only has one female voice, and that sounds a little bit like Daisy duck. It was great to see some of the first generation come together at the end. I wish the author had an editor who would correct the grammar: one would expect members of the aristocracy to speak with perfect grammar and it made me wince when they didn’t. There were also some anachronistic words like re-run, input, and collateral damage. Having said all of this nitpicky stuff, I did enjoy the book

Fan

Loved the series and hope to read more about the 6 they were so entertaining. I loved the strong women in the series they knew what they wanted and went for the men they wanted.

Loved the story. Disliked the narrator.

Mr. Brenher does not do women's voices well, and his female characters sound strident. I was also disappointed in his pronunciation of many Regency terms. Finally, he failed to provide a French accent for the series' grand dame, Helena Dowager Duchess of St. Ives.

Don't like prounciation of Dalziel

Normally I like Matthew Brenher as a narrator, but I HATE the change in the pronunciation of "Dalziel." Granted that's my only complaint but I think new narrators for a series should listen to those earlier in the series. I frankly don't care which pronounciaton is correct, after many books of one, another extremely different is unacceptable to me.