The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne

Fairbourne Quartet Series, Book 1

By: Madeline Hunter

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

A woman running a prestigious London auction house? Preposterous! But that is exactly what Emma Fairbourne intends to do when her father dies, leaving her the reins of this fabulous enterprise.

Of course, she is not addlepated enough to do this openly and scare away her wealthy collectors. So she and her friend concoct a deception, hiring a handsome and charming front man who will do her bidding.... All would have proceeded smoothly - if it weren't for the maddening interference of Darius, the arrogant Earl of Southwaite, who has been her father's "silent partner" and now shares ownership of Fairbourne's.

An earl, of course, has no interest in running an auction house - and Darius is certainly not interested in allowing the lovely Miss Fairbourne to run it either, her ludicrous scheme notwithstanding. Clearly the business must be sold. But the headstrong Emma is like no other lady he has ever encountered, refusing to follow his dictates. Holding his temper in check, Darius decides to attack on a different front. There is another way to achieve her surrender, one far more pleasurable for both of them.

©2012 Madeline Hunter (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Richly imbued with a deliciously dry sense of humor and graced with a striking cast of characters, the latest impeccably researched Regency romance by RITA Award winner Hunter is a masterpiece of wit and passion." ( Booklist)

Wonderful narration

I gave this a look because I am a big fan of Alison Larkin's narration of The Complete Novels of Jane Austen - I am a HUGE Austen fan. And I was not disappointed! Alison Larkin's narration is pitch perfect for this. It's a fun series, real characters and the reading is nothing short of perfect. I hope there will be more in the series. It says Book 1. This is a really fun one and I am a real fan of Regency romance! I love the way Alison Larkin does the men too - the women are fantastic, but so are the men. I like Madeline Hunter's writing - it is easy to listen to and in the hands of one of my favorite narrators, the story becomes really top notch. Bravo all round!

Spoiler *

I really did enjoy the story. The intrigue was exciting if not predictable, the steamy scenes were good, but not erotic and the characters were detailed.

The story was predictable, but not in an annoying way. I really enjoyed the characters but feel that Miss Fairborn never came into herself when it came to her relationship. Even in the final scene, she had such self doubt that it was frustrating. She was a strong heroin in other aspects, but she never developed an understanding that she was deserving of love and marriage.

As far as the narration goes , I do really like Alison Larkin. She has a well developed voice and good accents. Her voice is pleasing to listen to except for sometimes certain words sound childish. She also doesn’t have a large range when it comes to the tone of her voice, or even the pitch. when it comes to the inter-monologs of the characters, sometimes it’s hard to distinguish, which character is thinking.
Overall, this book is simple and pleasing with a happy ending. I will read the next book in the series. It’s just not one I will listen to it again.

Smugglers, spies, wit and passion

A delightful romance. Earl Southwaite is everything a hero should. Plucky Emma is a wonderful heroine. Together they battle smugglers and spies - and wits with each other - on the path to happily-ever-after. This is vintage Madeline Hunter displaying her knowledge of art and laced throughout with wit and passion. I loved it! And I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

A fun read

The writing was superb! The dialogue between the characters was a pleasure and the steamy scenes were good! Can’t wait to listen to the next book in the series.

Would have been better as a novella

There were 15 unnecessary chapters and an extra 5 hours of dialogue. Story was decent, but too much inner thoughts and needless dialogue.