Regency Gold by M.C. Beaton writing at Marion Chesney

Title: Regency Gold

Author: M.C. Beaton writing as Marion Chesney
Read by: Charlotte Anne Dore
Publisher: Blackstone Audio

Length: 7 hours and 38 minutes
Source: Review Digital Audio from Audiobook Jukebox – Thanks!

Jean Lindsey is an orphan who lives with her drunken Uncle Hamish in a Scottish manse. Uncle Hamish gives her very poor clothing and makes her do much of the work around the house, including writing her Uncle’s sermons. She has been tutored by the kindness of local lord and lady with their snobby daughters.  It is at a party at their home where Jean Lindsey first meets the handsome and elegant John, the Marquis of Fleetwater.  She is attired in her mother’s old dress and is hopefully out of date.  Fleetwater takes pity on the girl and dances with her, but things as they always do with Jean go awry in her conquest of Fleetwater.  Jean has an overactive imagination and spends much of her time in her imaginary world oblivious of what is going on around her.  This causes many, many hilarious situations that always sadly seem to bring Jean down in the world.

Fleetwater knows that Jean is not of his class and has many blunders in society, but he can’t help his attraction to her.  Jean realizes that although Fleetwater’s stuffy ways often irritate her, he is the only man for her.  Jean goes to London to visit her Godmother and get a season in town.  A plot develops where someone is trying to kill Jean because of her rumored inheritance.  Fleetwater vows to project her.  Jean makes new friends including Teddy and his sister, who care more about hunting then society, but also care about Jean herself.  Will true love find its course and will the would be assassins be discovered?

I thought Regency Gold was a very entertaining audiobook.  Charlotte Anne Dore was a good narrator.  The light humor of the story as well as the mystery story line kept me intrigued on my long commute to and from work each day.  I particularly liked the characters and that Jean was not a perfect miss, and either was Fleetwater.  I also love the Regency time period in general.  I’ve listed to a few other Marion Chesney regency audiobooks, and I’ve found them all to be pleasant light stories that are good entertainment.  I’ll admit though that there were many times that I wanted Jean to pick the good hearted Teddy and be done with the heavy handed Marquis.

Overall, Regency Gold is a good audiobook to keep you entertained with humor, chaste romance, and mystery.  I found it to be something great to listen to after a long day of work – stress relieving!

The Intrigue by M.C. Beaton

Title: The Intrigue
Author: M.C. Beaton (Marion Chesney)
Read by:  Charlotte Anne Dore
Publisher: AudioGO

Length: 5 hours and 4 minutes
Source:  MP3 Audio through Wisconsin Public Library Consortium – Overdrive on my Droid

The Intrigue is the second book in the Daughters of Mannerling series after The Banishment.  If you liked The Banishment, The Intrigue follows the same basic premise.  Mannerling was a beautiful family estate that the daughters of Sir Beverly were very, very proud of.  After he gambles the estate away, they scheme to find ways to win the estate back.  In the first novel, the eldest daughter Isabella fails in the scheme and instead marries an Irish lord that she loves.  In this novel, the second daughter, Jessica works to win the hand of the son of the new owners, Harry Devers.  Unfortunately Harry is a drunken womanizer, but Jessica is fond of Professor Robert Sommerville.  Will Jessica follow the path of true love or will she get back the estate that her family desires?

I love regency romances.  Although this one had the same simplistic plot as the first novel, I enjoyed listening to it.  Charlotte Anne Dore was a good narrator and it was a quick story to get through.  If you are looking for something light and romantic to listen to, I highly recommend this book!

The Banishment (Daughters of Mannerly #1) by Marion Chesney

Title: The Banishment (Daughters of Mannerly #1)
Author: Marion Chesney (M.C. Beaton)
Read by: Lizzie Stanton
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Length: 4 hours and 23 minutes
Source: MP3 Audio through Wisconsin Public Library Consortium – Overdrive on my Droid

The Beverly family is very proud of their family estate, Mannerling, and have taught all six of their daughters to be proud as well.  The eldest Miss Beverly, Isabella, is beautiful and has been taught to only accept the very best offer of marriage.  She is more than a little surprised to go an entire season in London without an offer, and also surprised that she was rated a “bore” for only conversing about the wonders of Mannerling.  After returning home to her estate, Isabella is hit with the news that her father has gambled away not only the family fortune, but the beloved Mannerling estate as well. 

 

Isabella is chosen as the daughter to try to win the heart of the new owner of Mannerling, Mr. Judd.  Mr. Judd is not the nicest of fellows and Isabella finds herself longing to spend more time with her neighbor, Viscount Fitzgerald.  As an Irish peer he was considered not good enough for Isabella before Mannerling was lost, but as a true gentleman, Isabella wonders if her previous prejudices should not be reconsidered.

I really enjoyed this short audiobook.  I LOVE regency romances and this sweet and simple story hit the spot in a particularly stressful period of my life.  Lizzie Stanton was a great narrator.  I look forward to listening to the next in the series.  Jane Austen this is not, but if you like regency romance novels, this will probably hit the spot.