The Parfit Knight

Rockliffe Book 1

By: Stella Riley

Narrated by: Alex Wyndham

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

When the Marquis of Amberley's coach is waylaid by highwaymen and his coachman shot, he is forced to take shelter at the first house he finds and is subsequently trapped there for a week by a severe snowstorm.

Oakleigh Manor is the home of Rosalind Vernon who lives alone but for her devoted servants and an ill-natured parrot, cut off from the outside world by the tragic result of a childhood accident. But Rosalind is brave and bright and totally devoid of self-pity - and it is these qualities which, as the days pass and the snow continues to fall, touch Amberley's heart.

On his return to London, the Marquis persuades Rosalind's brother, Philip, to bring her to town for a taste of society, despite her handicap. But the course of Amberley's courtship is far from smooth. Philip Vernon actively dislikes him; Rosalind appears to be falling under the spell of the suavely elegant Duke of Rockliffe; and worse still, Amberley is haunted by a dark and terrible secret that, if revealed, may cause him to lose Rosalind forever.

©2016 Stella Riley (P)2016 Stella Riley

A True Gentleman

Any additional comments?

4.5 "A True Gentleman" Stars for the story and 5 Stars for Alex Wyndham's narration!

What a delightful treasure! The intricate plot, complex characters, threads of humor, touching romance and one of the best ever narrations make The Parfit Knight a true gem!

There are so many things that make this this book a special listen. But if I'd have to pick just one, I'd say what I loved the most was how the hero was able to look through the heroine's handicap (she is blind), to see the fully capable, desirable woman that lay underneath the over protected layers that her family (meaning well but burying her in the process) had unintentionally trapped the heroine in. Moreover, this hero, with his multiple, selfless actions with respect to a number of the characters (not just the heroine) definitely deserves the title of "The Parfit Knight." For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this term, a similar phrase was used by Chaucer in the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, where he described the knight as a "veray parfit gentil knight" which translates to a "very perfect gentle knight." No better words could ever describe the hero of this touching romance by Stella Riley.

A Parfit Knight takes place in 1774 in England. Rosalind Vernon was blinded in a childhood accident. She lives in Oakleigh Manor, pretty much by herself except for her servants, a rather foul-mouthed parrot, and the occasional visit of from her brother, Philip. Though Philip frequents London often, and Rosalind would be entitled to a large dowry virtually ensuring she would have many offers of marriage, Philip has never considered introducing Rosalind to society. Instead reasoning that, due to her blindness, Rosalind is better off in the country in a familiar "safe" environment. Of course Rosalind doesn't really seem to mind, until a chance meeting challenges her view of the future.

When The Marquis of Amberley's coach is ambushed by highwaymen on the countryside, he is left with no choice but to seek the help of the closest home to get aid for his coachman who has been shot. That is how he meets Rosalind and becomes her guest while his coachman recovers and they weather a heavy snowstorm. Over the days of their forced cohabitation, Amberley and Rosalind bond. Amberley seems to be the only man who has ever seen through Rosalind's apparent limitations to see the unlimited potential that lies underneath and challenges her to begin to experience life to her full potential. In his opinion, there is nothing that she can't do, and after a short time passes, it becomes clear to Amberley what he must do: convince Philip to allow Rosalind to be introduced to society.

However, much to Amberley's chagrin, Philip already has a less than favorable impression of him due to a previous unrelated encounter, and is less than happy to learn of Amberley's and Rosalind's acquaintance. Soon it becomes clear that there are a number of obstacles in the way of securing Rosalind's HEA, not the least of which is Philip's disdain for Amberley. As secrets begin to surface and other suitors start to show interest, the future hangs in the balance. Could it possibly include a HEA for Amberley and Rosalind?

I recently discovered the magic of Alex Wyndham's narrations in another historical romance, and he absolutely blew me away! Mr. Wyndham has a naturally appealing voice that is likely to keep you enthralled no matter what the subject matter. Since then he has been on my must-listens to narrators list, so I was thrilled to hear that he was narrating this tale. And as expected Mr. Wyndam delivered another fantastic performance in The Parfit Knight.

Mr. Wyndham is a master at creating distinguishable, personality specific voices for each one of the numerous characters which really brought the multitude of characters from The Parfit Knight to life for me. From the noble and yet compassionate voice of Amberley to the melodic and strong voice of Rosalind, I was equally pleased with both his male and female characterizations.

Additionally, Mr. Wyndham's close attention to the mood of the scene helps to frame each and every scene. Listening to Mr. Wyndham's rendition was simply magical, and I can't wait to listen to more of his works!

If you are a historical romance enthusiast, then I highly recommend The Parfit Knight. And now that my curiosity has been piqued, I can't wait to explore and enjoy more of Ms. Riley's delightful works!

Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent narration, great story

Alex Wyndham gives an excellent performance of a fun and engrossing book. It was hard to put down at times.

I wish Audible had more of these

This romance is a bit unusual in the setting being Georgian (late 18th century) instead of Regency, and with a heroine who is blind. There is some humor and great relationships between female characters as well as of course the main romance. The narration is excellent.

Excellent romance with wonderful characters

A very good historical romance story with most likable heroine and hero. This author does an excellent job creating characters with depth. The author reminds me a great deal of Georgette Heyer. The romance is clean but sensual. The dialog is good and the parrot is an excellent additional touch. The performer is excellent.

Perfection! Down to the parrot!

If one is a fan of historical romance, Stella Riley is a must! Georgette Heyer would be very proud! Jane Austen would applaud! And, Alex Whyndham enhances a perfect tale! You will fall in complete love with: the story, the characters, the author, and the narrator, and of course the parrot! Enjoy!

Cute

It was very innocent but cute and adorable. It reminded me of Jane Austin. A little misunderstanding some questionable circumstances and the weather all made for some romantic chemistry

Delightful Story

The characters and story draw you right in. Wonderful characters. I actually laughed out loud a few times. While it was free to listen to, I will be buying it , it's that good.

A Parfit Pleasure

This must have been my 4th time listening to this book by one of my favorite authors. An excellent writer with a subtle sense of humor and deep understanding of human nature.

I loved it!!

The writing was beautiful! It was like I was really there. The parrot was hilarious! And Alex W did an awesome job of narrating it. So good! I’m going to listen to it again ☺️

Alex Wyndham's voice should be used for ALL heroes

What can I say about this narration except SUPERB. I am half in love with the fictional heroes Alex portrays because of his narrations. He has a true gift.
The story was also superbly written and the dialogue was fabulous. The book reminded me of reading my other beloved writer Lucinda Brant's called the "Roxton Family Saga" series. Mother was also French in that book and if I did not know better I'd believe this is one and the same writer. I still enjoyed this book thoroughly even though it almost seemed like it was an extension of that series. LOVED this book. Wish it was longer.