Good god, people.
This was an impulse audio checkout from the library, and it completely consumed every minute of free time I’ve had in the twenty-four hours after I checked it out. I’ve never read a romance novel on audio before, and it was so entertaining. This particular book was very charming and swoonworthy, and I ended up loving it.
I mean, I was pathological about this book. I listened to it every chance I got. At one point, I for real snuck my iPhone into the bathroom at work just so I could listen to the last couple minutes of a chapter. I don’t think I’ve ever finished a novel-length audiobook in less than a day before. I guess the lesson is romance novels are just as addictive, if not more so, in audio form than they are in hard copy.
(Shhh, don’t tell anyone about that last thing I just told you.)
So, the actual book: Romancing the Duke is the first book in Tessa Dare’s Castles Ever After series, which are books that all features heroines who inherit castles unexpectedly, often run down ones. It is in parts very, very silly, but it made me swoon hard. It hit me in my swooners. I loved both of the main characters, also. Isolde (Izzy) is the poor daughter of one of England’s most famous authors, now deceased. Her father published fantastical stories in the form of bedtime stories to a fictionalized version of Izzy, so she is famous in her own right. She inherits a castle from her godfather upon his death. Only, it turns out the castle wasn’t his to buy. It’s still occupied by its rightful owner, the titular Duke, who disappeared from society under mysterious circumstances months ago, and has been presumed dead. Watching them fall in love with each other was delicious.
(Note: I had no trouble at all with Izzy’s “fans”. I was easily able to suspend disbelief, even though it did get very silly at a couple of points. Plus, it was soooo steamy.)
I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series in audiobook. I had to wait five months for the library audio copy of this one, while the paperback copies were available. So that might tell you something right there . . .
Anyway, good show, good show. Bring on more.
[4.5 stars]
I love audio books! I use my library’s overdrive to listen to them on my phone. I remember this one being fun!
Yeah, my library has Overdrive and OneClickDigital. I actually prefer the latter because their app is way better, but both are pretty much amazing. Audiobooks can get expensive if you read a bunch! And now that I’ve discovered the pleasure of romance via audio, I’m only going to be reading more of them.
I’ve done one romance on audiobook, and it was interesting. I didn’t mind, expect I had it in my car, and if someone was in there with me when the car started they might get a bit of an earful. Oops!
I listen on my phone, so I don’t have that problem :)
Although, that has happened to me with other types of less naughty books.
To quote Beth Ellen on a Milan review: I definitely prefer less “realistic” ones. On a Kleypas level more so than a full on Dare fantasy level.
That was a perfect distillation of what I like. I love Courtney Milan (but wouldn’t mind a little more [insert funky bass line here] and I DEVOUR Lisa Kleypas who hits the right willing suspension of disbelief note for me. With this book, Dare crossed over to full on fantasy and I really, really didn’t like. I found it hellaciously twee and my willing suspension of disbelief collapsed.
The only scene I had a real problem with was the one where Ransom has that outburst in front of the fans, but that was more because I hate those kinds of scenes in any kind of book. People just don’t have public outbursts of emotion like that!
I’m so glad you like this. I was starting to think that I was the only one who could suspend my disbelief enough to really revel in the delight that was this book. I have never listened to romance in audio – the idea of smexy times being read out loud to me just weirds me out. I was having a conversation about this with my best friend, who is currently obsessed with Lord of Scoundrels on audio. She loves it. With two such strong endorsements for romance audio, and a whole load of Audible credits going spare (I really am not buying as many audios now that I’m caught up on The Dresden Files), I really am going to have to try one. Maybe I’ll try the new Dare (out next week).
I thought it would be weird, too, but it wasn’t at all. I was too caught up in the story even to think about it!
Hey I loved it too! :P
Yay!
I remember this one – it was a bit too much for me, but I still liked it. I am horrible about audiobooks, though, bc I’m a blusher: if I were listening to a romance and it got steamy, everyone in my vicinity would be looking at me, even if I had my headphones in. Because TOMATO FACE. It’s horrible. And yes, I know from experience. (Let’s never mention this again.)
I guess I have no shame. Totally listened to a naughty sex scene while sitting in a Whole Foods eating lunch with a ton of people. Nobody suspected a thing! Mwahahah.