Narrated by James Langton
I generally find Grace Burrowes’ books work for me as comfort reads/listens – they’re not complicated or taxing, the characters are decent people trying to do the best for those they care for, and I enjoy the author’s slightly quirky writing style. In audio, James Langton’s narrations generally add something to the overall experience, and I’ve found myself more often listening to than reading her recent novels.
My One and Only Duke is the first in her new Rogues to Riches series, and it’s fairly typical Burrowes fare. We’ve got a gruff hero with a heart of gold, a no-nonsense heroine who is, by no fault of her own, in a bit of a pickle and a mystery to be solved – it’s not ground-breaking or original, but in my post-Christmas haze, it seemed like the sort of undemanding listen I wanted.
Quinn Wentworth, bluff Yorkshireman-turned-hard-nosed-banker has been convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, sentenced to hang and is in Newgate prison, awaiting the enactment of his sentence. One afternoon he receives an unexpected visitor in the form of Jane Winston, who is told she can wait in Quinn’s cell – it’s more comfortable than most owing to the fact that his money has bought him better surroundings – while her father, the Reverend Winston, ministers to the inmates. Quinn isn’t too pleased about the imposition, but quickly realises that the lady is no milk-and-water miss, and he finds himself pleasantly surprised by the intelligence of her conversation.
The narrative then shifts to the offices of the College of Arms, where investigators have at long last tracked down the heir to the dukedom of Walden. No prizes for guessing the identity of England’s newest duke – but the gentleman in question is a convicted felon about to be hanged which surely, makes him a most unsuitable choice. However, the Walden dukedom is severely in debt and should the title pass into escheat (to the crown), the king will be responsible for those debts –which, given his financial difficulties, he will not want. Quinn Wentworth, however, is extremely rich…
While the College of Arms dithers and tries to find an alternative option, Quinn’s final days are ticking away. During another visit from Jane Winston, Quinn discovers she’s actually a widow and that her young, hot-headed husband was killed in a duel a few months earlier, leaving her pregnant. Her pompous windbag of a father refuses to acknowledge her marriage, but Jane has nowhere else to go and has resigned herself to his continual reproaches and sermonising in order to keep a roof over her head. Due to die in a matter of days, Quinn suggests she should marry him as he will be able to leave her well-provided for and Jane, confused and exhausted, agrees.
The couple is wed, Jane goes back to her father’s house to prepare to leave it (in order to move in with Quinn’s family), and the day of Quinn’s execution arrives… as does a (literally) last-minute pardon – meaning that Quinn is free and has some explaining to do to his new wife. And not just about the pardon. The new Mrs. Wentworth is going to have to get used to being addressed by a completely different –and loftier – title.
So far so good… but sadly, the book takes a bit of a nose-dive after this. The rest of the story is devoted mostly to Quinn’s search for whoever framed him for murder and his brooding about how hateful he is for lying to Jane (because of course, he doesn’t want her to know he is putting himself in danger by hunting for whoever is out to get him). References are frequently dropped to the cruelty Quinn and his siblings suffered at the hands of their no-good father, but these don’t really go anywhere or serve to illuminate the characters, and there’s also something about Quinn being seduced by an older woman (his employer’s wife) when he was a sixteen-year-old footman. Ms. Burrowes seems to be trying to imply that Quinn was adversely affected by that experience; mention is made of the fact that he’s not had a woman for years, and he actively avoids consummating his marriage, but then that reluctance magically vanishes never to be seen again. It seemed to me that the author was trying to deal with some dark issues – which she is able to do successfully, as shown in her Captive Hearts trilogy (which I still think is her best work and which is not, sadly, available in audio) – but then backed away from them.
I was also left unconvinced by the romance and the ILYs, when they come, don’t have much of a foundation. Jane and Quinn don’t really spend a lot of time together, even after they’re married, and as Quinn keeps reminding us, he’s lying to Jane all the time, which doesn’t allow for much getting-to-know-you conversation or romantic development because he’s keeping so much hidden from her. This means that he’s a bit of an enigma to the listener as well, in spite of all the information we’re given about his background and his interactions with his siblings. And while I normally praise Ms. Burrowes for her skill in writing familial relationships, the ones in this book just didn’t convince. I liked Jane’s pragmatism and that she was more open emotionally than Quinn, but she’s not well developed and is mostly defined by her pregnancy and her issues with her sanctimonious father and dead husband.
James Langton’s narration is as accomplished as ever, and I’m sure it’s as much his voice that keeps me coming back to this author in audio as it is her stories. I’ve had issues with the way he performs female characters in the past – not in every book, though – but here, his portrayal of Jane is well-modulated and perfectly equable as befits the character. A drop in pitch and slight Yorkshire accent bring Quinn vividly to life, and he differentiates effectively between Quinn and the other male characters in the story – his younger brother Stephen, his business partner and Stephen’s tutor (all of whom will be future heroes in the series), and he has a particularly nice line in smarmy villains, using a smooth, nasal tone that just screams ‘rotten-to-the-core!’ It’s a strong performance all-round and definitely helped me to keep listening through the weaknesses in the story. I suspect fans of the author will enjoy this as much as any of Ms. Burrowes’ other books, although if you’re new to her work, I wouldn’t suggest starting here – try her MacGregor series or some of the Lonely Lords or Windhams instead.
Caz
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