The Day of the Duchess

May 22, 2017
MacLean’s clever explanation of the scandal at the heart of her previous Regency romance, The Rogue Not Taken, will impress readers who found Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, entirely insufferable in the earlier book. Malcolm plans to woo back his wife, Seraphina, whom he sent away shortly after their wedding because she had deceived him. Instead, to his shock, she returns and announces she wants a divorce. In order to buy some time to change her mind, Malcolm agrees to the divorce but asks her to live with him for six weeks and help him find another wife. Seraphina wants her freedom so she can circumvent the British law that a woman’s property belongs to her husband, but living with Malcolm soon reminds her what first attracted her to him. Passion is reignited, but she fears that they can’t overcome their past, which results in wishy-washy behavior. The chase grows tiring, but readers will empathize with the redeemed Malcolm. Seraphina’s sisters keep things lively, and new characters are just as spirited. The saucy setup for another love match will have readers eager for the next in the series. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency.

This is the third audiobook in the Scandal & Scoundrel series, the previous two were also narrated by Justine Eyre. Protagonists Sera and Haven's marriage fell apart in spectacular fashion in Book 2, and getting them back together after such a rough breakup is difficult to sell. In particular, the device for reuniting them--Sera must find Haven a new wife before he will grant her a divorce--seems contrived. As in the previous audiobooks, Eyre's reading is emphatic, with a breathy quality that occasionally makes the tone a bit exaggerated in a story that has plenty of melodrama on its own. Nonetheless, fans of the series will want to listen to this installment. L.C.L. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine