3 Historical Romance Audiobooks I Recently Enjoyed

Hey my wonderful bookish friends! I listened to 8 historical romance audiobooks pretty much in a row. These three books are the last of the historical romance TBR I had queued up for the summer. Overall, this was a fun way to experience a genre I enjoy and get to a few books in this genre a little faster than normal.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

When You Wish Upon a Duke by Charis Michaels
Narrator: Morag Sims
Length: 11 Hours 43 Minutes
Series: Awakened By A Kiss #2
Also in this series: A Duchess a Day
Also by this author: A Duchess a Day
Published by HarperCollins on August 24, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Romance / Royalty, Fiction / Women
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
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USA Today bestselling author Charis Michaels returns to her Awakened by a Kiss series where overlooked fairy tale characters get their own happy endings, with a captivating romance about Miss Isobel Tinker and the duke who makes her believe in magic.

All it takes….

After a childhood spent cavorting around Europe with a dangerous crowd, Miss Isobel Tinker has parlayed her experience and language skills into a safe, reliable life. Working as a clerk in Mayfair’s Everland Travel Shop, she dreams of someday owning her own travel agency and has vowed never to leave the familiar shores of England ever again. When a handsome duke arrives at her doorstep, she realizes her staid existence is about to take flight.

…is faith and hope

Jason “North” Beckett, the Duke of Northumberland, desperately needs a travel guide. He’s inherited a dukedom but has a final mission for the Foreign Office—rescuing his wayward cousin from Nordic pirates. Isobel Tinker is the ideal translator, discreet and unknown, but she’s also uncooperative, stubborn, and disarmingly beautiful.

And a little bit of trust

In exchange for her help, North promises Miss Tinker her own travel agency upon return and strict professionalism at sea. Isobel cautiously agrees but soon realizes “strict” and “professional” are not how she would describe her feelings for the irresistible duke. As their adventure sweeps them to the shores of Iceland and beyond, can temptation and growing trust give way to the magic of wild, passionate love?

When You Wish Upon A Duke by Charis Michaels is the second in the historical romance Awakened By A Kiss series. Frankly, you don’t really need to have read the first book in the series to be able to read this one. This story follows Isobel Tinker who works in a travel shop as a clerk. She speaks like 9 different languages and spent her childhood traveling all over Europe. Jason “North” Beckett is the new duke of Northumberland and he has a job for Isobel. He means to hire her as a translator on his mission — which will take him to Iceland. But Isobel is reluctant to go there for reasons. Still, she takes the job and well, love is in the air.

I was actually surprised by When You Wish Upon A Duke. I forgot about the summary and just listened because I’ve been on this kick of listening to historical romance books from my TBR. So, there are pirates in this book and it is quite adventurous. The plot is different and I quite enjoyed that. Isobel has an interesting background – given she’s not exactly a member of the ton. I also really liked her with North. The audiobook is narrated by Morag Sims who captures the adventure and pacing perfectly. It is 11 hours and 43 minutes unabridged — also on Hoopla if your library has it — highly recommend giving this one a listen!

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Fortune Favors the Duke by Kristin Vayden
Narrator: Lillian Rachel
Length: 10 Hours 5 Minutes
Series: Cambridge Brotherhood #1
on December 28, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 312
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
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For fans of Ella Quinn, Amelia Grey, and Bridgerton comes the first in a new historical romance series with all your favorite tropes:

• Friends to lovers romance
• Forbidden romance
• Reluctant dukes
• Tight-knit family saga

The new Duke has a proper scandal brewing.

Quinton Errington is perfectly happy teaching at Cambridge, with his elder brother carrying the duties of being the Duke of Wesley. But when a trip to celebrate Wesley's last week of bachelorhood ends in tragedy, Quinton, who becomes the Duke, would give anything to have his brother back.

Wesley's would-be bride, Catherine Greatheart, is left heartbroken and alone. Her grandmother has fallen ill, and Catherine has nowhere left to turn but to the family she was so close to being part of. The new Duke is kind, and she could use a friend.

Between learning how to be the head of his family, mourning his brother, and trying not to fall in love with his late-brother's fiancée, Quinton will need some help—and it's a good thing he's not alone.

"Flawless storytelling! Vayden is a new Regency powerhouse."—Rachel Van Dyken, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Fortune Favors The Duke by Kristin Vayden is the first book in the Cambridge Brotherhood series. This historical romance is about Catherine Greatheart, who is set to get married to the Duke of Wesley. Unfortunately, her fiance passes away on his bachelor weekend. Catherine is stressed because due to societal constraints, she really only has her grandmother to look out for her and she’s not doing well. Quinton Errington has been happily teaching at Cambridge and not expecting to be Duke of Wesley, but when his brother unexpected passes away he has to take up the mantle. He begins to get to know Catherine and it turns out, there’s some chemistry there. However, it would be a scandal for Catherine to be with the brother of her deceased fiance.

Vayden’s Fortune Favors The Duke is compelling. It is particularly interesting given there’s some scandal and secrets involving one of Catherine’s distant relatives. I for sure was surprised at one of the twists. Catherine and Quinton’s relationship follows the friends to lovers trope. If you like that, you’ll enjoy this book. I also liked that Quinton was scholarly. Catherine is also very kind to her grandmother and so thoughtful. The audiobook was okay – narrated by Lillian Rachel and is 10 hours and 5 minutes. 

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

The Countess by Sophie Jordan
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Length: 9 Hours 39 Minutes
Series: The Scandalous Ladies Of London #1
Also by this author: Firelight, Hidden, Reign of Shadows, How the Dukes Stole Christmas, This Scot of Mine, The Duke Effect, The Duke Goes Down
Published by HarperCollins on March 28, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Women
Pages: 400
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan kicks off her amazing new high concept series, The Scandalous Ladies of London, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent ladies reigning over glittering, Regency-era London, vying for position in the hierarchy of the ton. They are the young wives, widows, and daughters of London’s wealthiest families. The drama is big, the money runs deep, and the shade is real. Life is different in the ton.

“My husband is a good man… just ask all the women he has bedded.”

Wealthy society maven Lady Gertrude knows how the world works. If her husband is less than faithful, it’s an acceptable price to pay for her coveted position at the apex of London’s most fashionable set. No exclusive soirée or lavish ball is complete without her and her group of decadent, well-connected friends. And this Season promises more excitement than usual: Tru is launching her daughter into Society, helping her navigate the cutthroat Marriage Mart, complete with fortune hunters, jealous debutantes, and malicious gossips.

As skilled as Tru is at playing the high-stakes games of the ton, she never expects to meet her match—until Jasper Thorne begins to court her daughter. Jasper needs a titled bride, but when he meets Tru, all his carefully laid plans go up in smoke. The attraction between Tru and Jasper is undeniable…and unacceptable. To indulge in an affair with her daughter’s suitor would be ruinous. If it becomes public, she’ll never survive the scandal. Especially as it becomes clear that he wants more than one night…he wants the impossible. He wants forever.

A sizzling story of scandalous ladies, irresistible temptation, and the dangers—and joys—of being true to yourself. 

Sophie Jordan kicks off a new series with The Countess – first in The Scandalous Ladies Of London. This series basically is about controversial women jockeying for position in the ton. This story stars Tru, or Gertrude. She is 38 and married to a real asshole. He cheats on her all the time. They have one kid together — a girl — who is ready to make her debut this year. As she joins society and looks for a husband, the daughter comes across Jasper Thorne, who isn’t titled but rich. As it turns out, Tru is more to Jasper’s taste. But, he starts courting her daughter. Still the chemistry is there. But, if word of the affair gets out, it could ruin everything for Tru.

So, I won’t lie, it is a little difficult to read a character who is basically my age being perceived as super old. Like, what? But that’s fine. Just a commentary on society and the value we place on the youth of women. Anyways, that’s also something Tru struggles with — she feels like she is so old. Also, her husband treats her like an old maid. I liked that Jasper treated her really well and was so kind to her. I will say the way they solved the issue of her husband wasn’t one I cared for, the way the book was going, I was expecting a certain outcome with that but then it changed course and I was like damn, shoulda leaned in to the other way it was going instead. The Countess audiobook is narrated by Justine Eyre and is 9 hours and 39 minutes long. Eyre is superb. Overall, this was a fun novel to end my streak of historical romance audiobooks with.