Enlightened by Joanna Chambers

Narrated by Hamish McKinlay

Enlightened completes Joanna Chambers’ trilogy of historical romances set mostly in Edinburgh in the 1820s. Because there are overarching plotlines, it really is necessary to listen to all three books in order so as to enjoy the complete story; and because of that, there will be spoilers for books one (Provoked) and two (Beguiled) in this review.

At the end of Beguiled, we left young advocate David Lauriston and his lover, Lord Murdo Balfour, travelling north to Murdo’s Perthshire estate following an accident in which David’s leg had been badly broken. Enlightened opens some five months later, with David very much on the mend and enjoying his time at Laverock, where he has been acting as Murdo’s man of business. He is also very much enjoying his life with Murdo, one filled with affection, closeness (and great sex!), something he had never thought to experience. David dreads the end of their idyll, and the thought of parting from Murdo – probably for ever – is devastating, but the time is approaching when he must return to Edinburgh and his growing legal practice. David’s anxiety about the future is compounded by the still-nagging suspicion that Murdo is keeping something from him. He has never been able to forget Murdo’s long-ago declared intention to marry and continue to take male lovers (as so many men of their persuasion do) and he absolutely refuses to share or be relegated to the role of ‘dirty secret’.

Murdo has steadfastly rebuffed all David’s attempts to discuss his departure, but when word reaches them that David’s mentor and friend Patrick Chalmers is near death at his home in Edinburgh, Murdo agrees to convey David to the city on his way to London. Arrived in Edinburgh, the relationship between the two men – which had blossomed away from prying eyes and the strict rules of behaviour imposed by society – becomes strained as David and Murdo have once again to conform to expectations and to hide the truth of their relationship and their feelings for one another.

When David visits Chalmers for the last time, it’s to find his old friend close to death and desirous of making a last confession to him. David is surprised at the revelations, but Chalmers’ insistence that that “Love should not be denied” and his parting words – that David deserves to be happy – affect David profoundly and at last bring him to admit to himself the truth he’s known for some time; that he’s in love with Murdo and that their imminent separation will inflict the greatest hurt he’s ever known. Chalmers also asks David for one last favour on behalf of his daughter Elizabeth – whose escape from her abusive husband was engineered by David, and ultimately led to his being injured. In order to complete this business, David will have to travel to London, where he will also be able to see Elizabeth and deliver her father’s final words to her.

During the long journey to London, Murdo at last begins to open up to David a little about subjects that have previously been off-limits – namely his family. He tells David of his siblings, and how all of them have been subject to their father’s machinations and ambitions all their lives – although Murdo still refuses to speak much about the man himself. David already knows how the Marquess of Balfour had used and threatened his younger son and how his actions ultimately gave Murdo the impetus to become the man he now is. But when the marquess pays an unexpected visit to his son in London, David finally comes to understand the depths to which the man will go in order to force Murdo’s obedience – and Murdo finally realises he’s had the means to break free from his father’s influence all along…

The Enlightenment trilogy is a fabulous blend of romance and history in which Ms. Chambers does a splendid job of capturing the atmosphere of political unrest and the social mores of the time, setting them against a splendidly drawn backdrop of the city in all its upper class glory and lower class squalor. In Enlightened, the author narrows her focus onto the relationship between David and Murdo and the tying up of the secondary storyline featuring Elizabeth Chalmers, skilfully bringing her two plotlines to a high-stakes, game-changing intersection.

The story is told entirely through David’s eyes, and he’s an incredibly well-drawn character, full of insecurities and contradictions that often mean he is unable to see what is staring him in the face (and what has been obvious to the listener for some time); namely that Murdo loves him and wants to be with him but is afraid of rejection. David has changed a lot over the course of the three books; from someone who despised himself for his sexual ‘lapses’ with men, he has learned to be more accepting of himself and his preferences, and is beginning to believe that he deserves happiness. Murdo has also changed; when we first met him, he was arrogant in his hedonism, confident that life owed him the best it had to offer, but over the course of Beguiled, David observes that Murdo has become less cynical and slightly more mellow when they are together, while the listener becomes increasingly aware of just how deep Murdo’s feelings for David really run. Within the first few minutes of the first scene between David and Murdo in Enlightenment, the listener knows precisely how things stand between them; that Murdo is very much in love, but David can’t or won’t see it. It’s extremely well-done given we never get into Murdo’s head, and the pay-off, when David finally stops pushing Murdo away, is one of the most tender and gorgeously romantic declaration scenes I’ve read or listened to.

Hamish McKinlay returns to narrate this final instalment of the trilogy, and his work here is as accomplished and enjoyable as in the two previous books in the series. Recurring characters are voiced consistently, his pacing in narrative and dialogue is excellent, and he differentiates expertly between all the characters, both male and female. The light, lilting tone Mr. McKinlay uses for David perfectly captures his youth, but the steely note underneath signals David’s stubborness and determination. His interpretation of Murdo is outstanding; I said in my review of Provoked that he had clearly taken note of what’s said in the text indicating that Murdo’s accent is almost completely English, but not only is the accent perfect, the deep, resonant timbre of his voice when speaking Murdo’s dialogue is so very different to the sound of almost all the other characters that it’s easy to forget you’re listening to only one performer. In his portrayal of Murdo’s father, Mr. McKinlay employs the same accent but at a slightly higher pitch, making it easy for the listener to tell the difference between father and son but also making them sound similar enough that it’s obvious they’re related.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the Enlightenment series in audio and have no hesitation in recommending the trilogy as a whole to anyone who enjoys a beautifully developed, sensual romance set against a strongly drawn, well-researched background. Hamish McKinlay’s narrations are an absolute delight and his insightful, emotionally nuanced performances have served to take these fabulous stories to the next level. I know these are audiobooks I will revisit, and hope to listen to more from Mr. McKinlay in future.

Caz