Autumn Duchess by Lucinda Brant 

Autumn Duchess-300Narrated by Alex Wyndham

If you listen to only one historical romance all year, I highly recommend that it be Autumn Duchess! Wow, this story blew me away! Not only does it sport one of the best narrations I have ever listened to – I will definitely be seeking out more of Alex Wyndham’s narrations in the future! – but it also brings to the table a fantastically developed historical romance with real depth to its plot and a heartfelt, unique romance.

In that regard, I will note that one of the features that I look for in a “A” rated story is a fresh, unusual twist or at least a new to me angle that makes the romance stand out. When you read and listen to as many romances as I do, I find that this is an essential ingredient to reinvigorating my insatiable lust and appetite for romances; otherwise it is just too easy to fall into a reading/listening rut. Well, Autumn Duchess brings this fresh perspective to the forefront in spades!

For one, not only does Autumn Duchess feature an older heroine by today’s romance standards (by my count the heroine is around 49 years old, as her son is about 30 and she had him at 19), but it also features a younger (late thirty-something) hero by comparison. I also enjoyed the interplay between the various family members, which demonstrated the plight of women living in the 1700s and how vulnerable women truly were to the dictates of the male heirs in their families. This includes the heroine’s oldest son, the new Duke of Roxton (Julian, the hero of Midnight Marriage, the 2nd book in the Roxton Family Saga) who in his determination to “take care of his mother” perhaps does her the greatest injustice of all. Then there is a cast of cousins and the hero’s own daughter who add further depth, intrigue and complexity to this already well done story.

Set in Hampshire, England, in 1777, Antonia, Dowager Duchess of Roxton finds herself in the impossible situation of being in deep mourning for her beloved and much older husband. Although she had been several decades younger than her husband when she married him, she believed him to be her true and only love of her life. So deep was the unique bond they shared, that many believed that she had wished she had died along with him. However, now that a couple of years have passed, no one, not even her oldest son, the new Duke of Roxton, can seem to understand why she still insists on wearing black and continuing to bear tradition to other vestiges of mourning. Wishing that she could engage in behavior “befitting” her station in society as a Dowager Duchess, her family and friends begin to label her feelings a mental illness.

Strangely, the only person who seems to understand and allow her room to truly express her feelings, is a rich merchant named Jonathon Strang, who unbeknownst to Antonia, has his own agenda for engaging her. Interestingly Jonathon, a man who lost his own young bride and love of his life in the child birth of what would have been their second child many years before, can also relate to what others have termed Antonia’s odd behavior. So, while Jonathon has his own reasons for pursing Antonia, he can’t help but find a common bond with her. He also admires her unique beauty and surprising candor and willingness to share her intellect with a merchant like himself, who although richer than most of the nobles who were constantly seeking him as an eligible match for their younger female relatives, or the married ones, who wished to be his mistress, was nonetheless not seen as quite fitting in with the upper crust of the era.

Amidst this backdrop, there are also espionage conspiracy theories and concerns regarding the continuing instability in France. The fact that the Dowager Duchess is of French descent adds further fodder for these historical events. But the most touching piece of this story is the unique relationship that begins with a surprising and unusual friendship between Jonathon and Antonia. Aptly, this relationship is taken to the brink of a new level and precipice of new healing when a dangerous situation is unveiled and Jonathon proves just what a fantastic alpha hero he is. Putting aside his own self-interest, Jonathon proves to be the one person who truly has Antonio’s interests at heart.

This was my first experience with Alex Wyndham and I was mesmerized by his performance! Although distinctive, Mr. Wyndham’s voice is so pleasing that it reminds me of the effect Phil Gigante had on me the first time I listened to him. There are just some voices that are more naturally appealing than others (and that’s before I factor in all of the other characteristics I look for in a good narrator)!

On that front, Mr. Wyndham has an excellent range of voices that can expertly recreate authentic sounding characters that run the gamut from a young male child to a French-accented Duchess! Moreover, his female portrayals were as equally believable as his male ones, a characteristic that I often find that deep voiced male narrators have a very difficult time fulfilling.

Mr. Wyndham’s voice for Jonathan was simply superb. He sounded every part the valiant alpha hero, while at the same time having the incredible gentleness and kind spirit to truly defer to Antonia’s undeniable continuing admiration for the husband she lost. Not intimidated in the least, due to his undeniable self-confidence, Mr. Wyndham was able to accurately portray the strong and yet necessarily deferential demeanor of Jonathon’s which is what ultimately makes such a meaningful connection with Antonia. Additionally, Mr. Wyndham’s timing was perfect for both the faster paced action/suspense scenes, as well as the more subdued contemplative ones, and the heat-filled, passionate scenes. I think I could listen to just about anything that Mr. Wyndham narrates!

All in all, I have nothing but high praise for Autumn Duchess. Now I am determined to listen to more of both Ms. Brant’s and Mr. Wyndham’s works.

BJ


Narration: A+

Book Content: A

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence Rating: Fighting

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Sprigleaf Pty Ltd

Autumn Duchess was provided to AudioGals for a review.

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5 thoughts on “Autumn Duchess by Lucinda Brant 

  1. A lovely review, BJ; the Brant/Wyndham team are absolutely superb, as you say. I have just completed, Noble Satyr – the story of Antonia and her Duke and I adored it. In fact I love everything they conspire on. You have a treat in store with the Alec Halsey series ???? Happy dreamy, listening!

    1. Thank you Wendy. Good to know that Noble Satyr is as good as Autumn Duchess! I will definitely have to go back to experience that one, and check out the Alec Halsey: )

  2. I have this one on my TBL as well, so I didn’t look closely at your review. But I will totally agree with you already about the narration grade!

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