The Shadow Earl

By: Stella Riley

Narrated by: Alex Wyndham

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

At the end of his Grand Tour, somewhere between Athens and Constantinople, Christian Selwyn, the young Earl of Hazelmere, vanished—seemingly without trace.

Time passes. In London, his uncle and cousin move into his home, while his unofficial fiancée, Sophia, is left desolate and in limbo.

Finally, his friends–loyal and close as brothers–set out to search in person, determined to find him and bring him home.

Christian’s startling re-appearance at a grand ball hosted by his uncle takes society by storm, fueling endless speculation. Where has he been during these three missing years? What happened to him? And more importantly, how did it happen?

Only one thing is clear. The earl who left England five years ago has returned a changed man. A man with secrets....

©2023 Stella Riley (P)2023 Stella Riley

Excellent

Stella Riley does it again! “The Shadow Earl” is another great audiobook and when Alex Wyndham is the narrator, I will listen!

Good story!

This is my first Stella Riley novel, and it won’t be my last. Hopefully she’s written more concerning some of the secondary characters.

Amazing story

This is my go to author and narrator when I need an emotional boost. I like a bit of mystery and intrigue but really want the HEA. I was a bit surprised thinking this one might take a darker turn but was surprised when we found out what really happened in captivity. It also brought to light that what is very traumatic and devastating to us may be perceived differently by others. She didn't less his feelings or emotions from the trauma but had his support system step up and be understanding. Great job Stella. Can't wait for the next book.

Kit and Sophie

Good tale. Kit had trauma and Sophie had courage. Kit had PTSD from his experience. He and his friends come up with and elaborate scheme.

Unforgettable

The Shadow Earl is a heartwarming story of true love with the most amazing characters and intricately woven backstory. I simply loved it, and will most certainly be both reading it again, and listening to it again on audiobook.

Christian and Sophia have a truly beautiful love story that withstands the most dreadful of trials - and yet the reader always knows that they will come through somehow victorious. I honestly could not say that I loved one more than the other because both Christian and Sophia are characters that capture your heart immediately and that only becomes more true as their story is revealed. I love when he calls her Sophie Rose. And the epilogue is like icing on the cake!

All of Christian‘s friends are wonderful characters who we know from previous stories by Miss Riley and they add even more depth to the story.

Then there is Sophie’s sister, Julia, who is deaf and dumb and delightful. Will we hear more of her in the future along with Christian‘s friend Gerald?

I will just briefly say that Christian‘s cousin Basil is disgusting and despicable, and deserves the worst consequences.

I very highly recommend this book, as well as the audiobook which is narrated by the incomparable Alex Wyndham.

5+ stars

P.S. Two days later and it’s really hard to move on from this book!

Many shadows resolving into light

Beautifully told story of enduring love, cunning jealousy, heroic friendship, and (mostly) satisfying justice. In many aspects, Kit's story mirrors the experiences of Edmond Dantès but, unlike Edmond, Kit has a group of honorable friends who finds, rescues, and helps facilitate a most-deserved revenge. My only disagreement is with Kit's belief of the "innocence" of his uncle Eustace, who claims to have "only suspected" his son, Basil, had done something to Kit, but then behaves as if he had finally received his just inheritance. Eustace's "disguised" jealousy must have influenced his language and behavior and likely affected the behavior and attitude of his weak-willed and selfish son. However, that being said, I'm beyond excited to learn this book is the first of a new series from a favorite author, to read future stories about Kit's friends, and to get a further peek at loved characters from the Rockliffe series. Narration/performance by the exceptional Alex Wyndham, is a jewel.

Another delightful story from Stella Riley!

Since 2020, when I flew through Stella Riley’s Rockliff series during quarantine, I have eagerly awaited each of her subsequent novels. As an American myself, Stella’s detailed descriptions of life among the English aristocracy are fascinating. Her characters are unique, endearing and the plot twists pull me in. In The Shadow Earl, I was delighted to meet new characters. I hope to hear from them again in future installments. Alex Wyndham’s narration as always, brings the tale to life beautifully.

Excellent listening

It was a real surprise to receive an email from Stella Riley telling me of this new book. I immediately bought it and oh my....what a lovely surprise. It's the perfect blend of romance, intrigue and revenge. Christian and Sophie are delightful characters whose love survived years of separation. The supporting characters are like old friends returning from previous books. And of course the great Alex Wyndham gave life and voice to all those characters. Wonderful listening experience.

Wonderful

Stella Riley is incredible and so is this novel. The writing is witty and the story is gripping. One of the aspects I enjoyed most was her incorporation of old friends from her Rockcliffe and Brandon Brothers series. It looks like there is a lot of potential for sequels with the new cast of characters to which she introduces us in this book. I hope she continues on this new series for a long time.

Superb combination of writer and narrator

Although it doesn't claim to be part of the Rockliffe series, this novel is set in the Rockliffe "universe, " and Rockliffe and some of his friends make cameo appearances.
Since I love the Rockliffe series, that was enough to let me enjoy this book, but in itself, this was a very entertaining story with a unique plot.
Try it, you'll like it; Alex Wyndham's voice is reason enough.