The Dissolute Duke by Sophia James

the dissolute dukeNarrated by Carolyn Morris

The Dissolute Duke is the fourth book in the author’s Wellingham series, which was originally published between 2010 and 2013 and of which books two and three – One Unashamed Night and One Illicit Night – are available in audio, both with different narrators. It’s not necessary to have listened to or read the others in the series, as this works as a standalone – although it’s probably helpful to know that the heroes of the previous three books are the three older brothers of the heroine in this one.

Lucinda Wellingham has always been a bit of a hellion. Reckless and unconventional, her brothers have pulled her out of any number of scrapes in the past, but she continues to seek adventure by doing things no properly bred young lady should and her latest escapade has taken her to one of the infamous, debauched parties held by Taylen Ellesmere, Duke of Alderworth. (Before I go any further, I have to roll my eyes at the implausibility of an English duke in the early nineteenth century having such a ridiculous first name. People back then were fairly conservative when it came to names and it’s far more likely he’d have been George, William or Edward!)

Lucinda has been cornered by a lecherous partygoer and in an attempt to escape him, has run through the corridors of the house trying to find an open door behind which to hide. Finding an unlocked room, she hurries inside, only to find her host sitting in bed without a stitch on, glasses perched on his nose, reading a book.

There’s an instant attraction on both sides and the pair shares an illicit kiss, but while Alderworth might have a tarnished reputation, he draws the line at debauching an innocent and instead insists on accompanying Lucinda home in his carriage.

Unfortunately, however, they never reach their destination. The carriage overturns on the road, causing both of them to be badly injured, especially Lucinda who wakes a few days later, confined to bed, surrounded by her worried sisters-in-law and with no memory of the accident or much of what preceded it.

Refusing to believe Taylen’s assertion that he did no more than kiss their sister, the Wellinghams close ranks and force him to marry her. Knowing the Alderworth finances are in dire straits, the brothers offer him a considerable sum of money to leave England after the wedding, and Taylen, realising that he could actually put the money to good use on his estate and help his dependents, and believing Lucinda hates him, agrees to both propositions. He will marry her, and, after a short interval, take himself off overseas.

Fast forward three years, and Lucinda is gradually re-emerging into society following the massive scandal over her hasty marriage and her husband’s disappearance. But fate being what it is, after three years making his fortune in America, Taylen returns to England, pays back Lucinda’s brothers every penny they gave him with interest and then sets about reclaiming his wife. He wants an heir and strikes a bargain with his recalcitrant spouse; he will pay her every time she sleeps with him and once the heir is born, she will be free to live her own life. But even though he tries to hide his desire for her behind his desire for an heir, Taylen wants more than a cold, bloodless union and is determined to ignite his wife’s passions and gain her affections – and more.

Second Chance Romance is one of my favourite tropes, and although The Dissolute Duke doesn’t break any new ground, it’s a decent tale that’s told well enough to have made me want to keep listening to hear how everything would work out. But there are a lot of inconsistencies – and some things that just don’t make sense – that kept taking me out of the story. For example, we’re told that Lucinda’s brothers are all very protective and want the best for her. But it seems that they are under the misguided belief that the best thing for her is to marry her to a man she (mistakenly) thinks raped her and then chase him off, thereby making her the subject of an enormous scandal and denying her the chance of having a home and family of her own.

Then there’s Taylen, a debauched rake with a terrible reputation at twenty-five but who never shows signs of being anything other than a kind, compassionate and protective man. We learn that he suffered terrible abuse as a child, but the effects of that abuse are never fully explored or resolved. And Lucinda goes, very suddenly, from hating his guts to wanting to spend time with him and then blurting out a declaration of love that really comes from nowhere.

Ms. James writes the love scenes and intimate moments well, but there isn’t a lot of sexual chemistry between Taylen and Lucinda, and most of the time I was at a loss to work out what they really saw in each other apart from being physically attracted. Had I read the book, I suspect I might have given the story a lower rating, but Carolyn Morris’ enjoyable and accomplished performance nudges the audiobook version into the “slightly above average” category.

She is one of my favourite narrators and, at one time, narrated a lot of historical romances, but seems to be doing that less frequently now – and that’s a shame, because she’s very well suited to the genre. She doesn’t have a particularly large range when it comes to pitch, yet is able to imbue the male characters with an appropriate degree of masculinity by virtue of a subtle shift in timbre and tone. Her characterisation of the various female roles here is excellent, with all the Wellingham wives easily distinguishable from one another and from the heroine; and she differentiates equally well between the brothers and between the other male characters, including the sleazeball who is out to seduce Lucinda at Alderworth’s party, and her would-be suitor, Lord Colleridge.  Ms. Morris delivers both narrative and dialogue at a good pace, and her acting choices are all spot on, especially in the more emotional scenes.

With those reservations expressed, if you’re in the market for a fairly short (the running time is just over six-and-a-half hours) well-narrated historical romance, you might consider giving this a try. The Dissolute Duke isn’t going to win any awards for originality, but Carolyn Morris’ engaging performance is good enough to paper over some of the cracks in the storytelling and characterisation.

Caz


Narration: A-

Book Content: C+

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence Rating: Minimal

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

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