TEST
Narrated by Kate Reading
I haven’t read a Loretta Chase book I haven’t loved. Lord Perfect, book three in Ms. Chase’s Carsington Family series proved no exception to this rule.
Lord Benedict Carsington, Viscount Rathbourne, is perfect. It’s rather miraculous when you consider the various scrapes his brothers have managed to get themselves into over the years. Nevertheless, Benedict shows no signs of ending up the subject of London gossip. He’s the one son The Earl of Hargate doesn’t have to worry about. Benedict prides himself on everything from his dress to his manners. Honestly, he was a tad insufferable, especially during the early portion of the story.
Bathsheba Wingate is Benedict’s exact opposite. A member of the scandalous DeLucey family, she is not received in polite society. Instead, she lives in a seedy section of the city and gives art lessons to the children of the merchant class. She wants only to ensure a good marriage for her young daughter. Possibly, Olivia will be able to rise above her mother’s family name.
Olivia has different ideas. She’s inherited quite a few of the DeLucey traits. She thinks nothing of cheating people to get what she wants. She’s only eleven, but her mother is sure she can give most adults a run for their money. I tended to agree with Bathsheba’s assessment. Olivia is the queen of the con. She lies and cheats in order to get what she wants. I would have disliked her heartily, had she been an adult, but since she is a young girl, I figured there was hope for her.
Olivia lures Benedict’s young nephew away on a hair-brained search for the DeLucey family treasure. Bathsheba and Benedict join forces to find the missing youngsters, and sparks fly almost immediately. I enjoyed their journey through the English countryside, laughing out loud at several points. Both Bathsheba and Benedict are highly intelligent people, and their banter is wonderful.
I can’t imagine a better narrator for Ms. Chase’s work than the hugely talented Kate Reading. She breathes life into the characters Ms. Chase created, making me feel like I was in the story, rather than just listening to an audiobook. She is especially gifted with accents, making each character stand out from the rest.
I was especially impressed with Ms. Reading’s attention to detail here. She nailed the sexual tension that sizzled between the leads. There are a lot of subtle nuances in their exchanges and Ms. Reading made each one sound authentic. It wasn’t a case of someone telling me the characters felt a certain way. I actually felt like someone was showing me, a definite plus when listening to someone narrate.
I give Ms. Reading a lot of credit for her portrayals of Olivia and Benedict’s nephew Peregrine. Both are given a suitably child-like sound for most of the book. However, during the epilogue when both are teenagers, Ms. Reading allows the listener to hear a bit of maturity creeping in. Many narrators struggle to portray children in a believable manner, but Ms. Reading didn’t seem to struggle at all.
Lord Perfect is a book I recommend to fans of historical romance, and to those of you who have read and enjoyed other Loretta Chase books. You won’t regret spending time with Bathsheba and Benedict.
Narration: A and Book Content: B+ Unabridged Length – 10 hours 8 minutes
Grade: A-
Book Type: Audiobook
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 11/09/15
Publication Date: 2015/07
I'm Shannon from Michigan. I've been an avid reader all my life. I adore romance, psychological fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and the occasional memoir. I share my home with my life partner, two dogs, and a very feisty feline.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.