The Spring Duchess

Duchess for All Seasons Series, Book 2

By: Jillian Eaton

Narrated by: Mary Sarah

Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

A wallflower who didn't want to be a duchess...

An eccentric bluestocking with an affinity for hedgehogs, Eleanor Ward never had any dreams of grandeur when it came to making a good match. Perfectly content to become a spinster, she already had her cottage in the country picked out, complete with a barn for her menagerie of rescued animals. Until one night a lost hairpin and an arrogant duke ruin everything. Now she's the duchess of Hawkridge, the last thing in the world she ever wanted to be. And her husband? Well, he's nowhere to be found.  

A duke who didn't want to be a husband...  

Furious at being tricked into marrying a woman who keeps a hedgehog in her pocket, Derek couldn't get away from Eleanor fast enough after their vows were read. It's been a year since he's seen her, and he has no plans to change that anytime soon - until his scheming cousin shows up and declares the union a sham. Now Derek has exactly one month to woo a wife he never desired and consummate a marriage he never wanted. 

A means to an end...or a new beginning?   

It seems like a simple enough task, especially for a man whose romantic conquests are the stuff of legends. But nothing is simple when two stubborn hearts are involved, especially when Derek begins to see Eleanor in an entirely new light. With time ticking down, can a cynical duke convince his unconventional duchess their marriage is worth saving? 

This spring, only one thing is certain...love is definitely in the air.   

Contains mature themes.

©2018 Jillian Eaton (P)2018 Tantor

Cute heroine, animal crazy, tames a duke

I only have one quibble with this story. It is as expected quite short, and Eaton does this quick story arc very well. The heroine is more interested in animals than catching a husband. She’d rather talk about anything other than what a debutante is supposed to. The hero is typically anti-marriage, and forced to think about it anyway.

Yes someone is going to take exception to the lack of depth, but these babies really move. You still get conflict and the HEA.

My quibble is the darned cute little hedgehog who is a major player in the story. That part is not my problem. My problem is the thing has the run of the entire home and has its favorite seating on the furniture. Sorry, hedgehogs pee indiscriminately wherever they happen to be. And it smells to high heaven. I know. It’s fiction. Yep, it was a cutie. I’m just wanting a little hedgehog corral for the darling.

Witty short romance

This is a very well written short story, witty and touching. Love the unusual authentic heroine and the reforming of the hero.. great narrator!

Another lovely story

These are great short stories. Fun and romantic. Not overly detailed due to length, but a nice feel good romance.

I enjoy Mary Sarah's narration and her raspy male voices.

These are like eating a very good box of bon bons.

Love this one!

This was my second listen. The author is a new favorite for me! This story is my favorite of the four in the series. Some may not care for brief OW - but in this story the way it played out was a complete non-issue for me. I've noticed some people *really* don't care for Mary Sarah's style of narration and/or accent, but honestly I really love listening to her typically. There is really only one time I can recall where her performance was a detriment to the story (Stacy Reid book/lisp issue - not sure what was going on there!) But I think she was the perfect fit for this series. She is great at differentiating characters as well as showing emotion through tone of voice. Overall, this was well worth the purchase! I hope Audible plans to give us more Jillian Eaton books on audio! 🤞

This is a delightful, humorous Historical Romance

The Spring Duchess is a whimsical yet, alluring tale of a charming but crass Duke , forced to wed a petulant, annoying woman of the “ton”. He barley said, “I do”, before sending her to his country estate while he moved in with his mistress .
Almost a year later, he discovers his rogue cousin will contest his grandfather’s will if he is not living as a true husband. How is he going to accomplish this?
This novella will surely keep the listener’s complete attention. The characters are very endearing. The scenes are hilarious.
Successfully narrated by, Jillian Eaton, the tale will entertain for a few hours of listening enjoy.
I would love to see this made into a movie. I feel it would delight most audiences.

Love pierced his heart

Another great book where a Duke stayed away from scandal until it found him! She wanted to be a wallflower so she could become a spinster and he knew he needed to marry but not like this! But love arrows finally hit them both! Mary Sarah was a great narrator!

Drivel

Absolute rubbish and more punk than Regency. The American narrator's pseudo English accent adds insult to injury.

A prickly tale.

An enjoyable bedtime read to take one's mind off the rough and tumble of daily life.