The Study of a Rake: A Steamy Historical Regency Novella

The Beautiful Barringtons

De: Kathleen Ayers

Narrado por: Stevie Zimmerman

The widowed Duke of Averell is trying to be a better man...

But when he spies a young woman, reading the Iliad beneath a tree, no less, Marcus forgets all his good intentions. Miss Weatherly is outspoken, intelligent, and enamored with the ancient Greeks. When she brazenly offers to show him the constellations later that night, Marcus readily agrees.

Unfortunately, Miss Weatherly is not the woman Marcus has come to Halloway Park to offer for.

©2020 Kathleen Ayers (P)2021 Kathleen Ayers

story

i enjoyed the very unusual story alot which was short and performed well. yes I enjoyed the time spent with these people.

How it begins

I have listened to the first book and wondered about Marcus and Amanda. There is a lot packed into the story of who Marcus is and how he got to this point. You know from the first book that he never repairs his relationships with his sons and given what happened he had a monumental task. It is tragic and so sad. It seems his sons only had contact with the “Duke” after the death of his first wife and never got to know the man Marcus had become or never wanted to know him. Amanda was able to establish a relationship with them. The writing is very good.

Stevie Zimmerman gives another outstanding performance.

Loved!

So wonderful to get a better understanding of the dynamics between Marcus and Amanda at the start of their relationship after having met them as older adults in the first book.

A Rare Treat

I’ve read all of Ayers’ books and enjoyed each one. It was so rewarding to find how the Barringtons’ story started. Stevie Zimmerman alway does a stellar performance. Hope she narrates her other books because Ayers has assured me Audibles on in production There goes the bank account. Can’t wait for Ayers’ new Audibles. Oh this is a story of how the Duke found his Duchess reading Homer in the shade of an old oak tree. Lovely

Very disappointing

The dukes arrogance was so appalling that the supposedly happy ending was unbelievable. Amanda’s character bordered on simpleminded as well as a being so desperate she acted like a complete slut. In this way they were meant for each other I suppose, but a satisfying romance it did not make.

Hero was a disappointing piece of shit.

Wow. Not just a widow. He purposely was f****g his wife's lady's maid & had a bastard with her, secretly allowing his heir & wife to interact with them in complete ignorance...until the day the wife died? Really? Humiliating & wholly lacking in any kind of heroic ingredients. Far from the rake or rogue transforming into someone worth love, this jackass had it all & narcissistically (is that a word?) focus on his own lust for our supposed heroine? And his inner dialogue is all about his own feelings after losing his son's respect & having his lady's maid mistress & bastard son leave? Nope. All I could think throughout all of the descriptions of how our heroine is so easily attracted to this "Adonis" who "smells" nice while they chat & flirt is to feel how much of a stupid nitwit she is. Hero has no real repentance, redemption, change, transformation, or realistic romantic depth here. Just his regret at being caught & random thoughts about how he should be less arrogant as a duke. He was a disappointing piece of trash. She, a foolish idiot. At best, they should be f**k partners...but definitely not a love match or happily married. HEA is wholly unbelievable. Sorry I bought this book.