To Love a Duchess audiobook

To Love a Duchess is the first book in Karen Ranney's new series,All for Love. This first book is a flipped power dynamic, where our hero is a member of the commoner class, and our heroine is a grieving duchess. The story took a bit to draw me in, but I ended up liking it quite a bit by the end.Adam Drummond is employed by the War Office, and has been sent on assignment to pose as a majordomo at the deceased Duke of Marsley's estate to try to find proof that the man was a traitor to country and comrade. He never expected to be feeling protective and intrigued by Marsley's grieving widow, deemed Marble Marsley by her staff. But the more Adam learned about our heroine, the stronger the attraction and feelings grew. Yet he still had to carry out his mission, which left him somewhat conflicted. Even though I am usually partial to the dark and dangerous dukes, I quite liked Adam. He was honorable, loyal to his country, and protective of those weaker than him. He was fair with the other service staff, and seemed to be well-liked by all. Suzanne Hackney Whitcomb, Duchess of Marsley, has been buried in grief for quite some time. She has been letting others, including her maid, push her around and dictate nearly every facet of her life. I had a very hard time with this heroine at first. I felt like she had no back bone and couldn't believe she willingly drank the tonic that her maid kept pushing on her. But I started to cut Suzanne some slack and she did snap out of it and start taking up for herself by the end. I appreciated that once she started to come out of her fog, she didn't turn into a fickle heroine, or one that ran when things came to light. The relationship between Adam and Suzanne was more sweet than steamy. He took care of her when she was fragile, and made her realize that she couldn't let grief overtake her life. Their coming together seemed natural, despite the class difference and issues they would have faced during that time period. I will be interested to see what types of couple and class pairings we have in the future with this series.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Avon.

A historical trip back to a time when romance was elusive and reserved. It took time to grow and be cultivated but not in the realm of the elite. But for a duchess and a servant/spy, things have a way of making use of just the basic elements of life. There was elements of emotional complexities. The characters were rich and developed. This was very much an enjoyable read for the weekend or a Sunday afternoon. The duchess (Suzanne) was so much more than met the eye. She was well to do and a title to boot but she was just barely making her way in the world. The lofty, intelligent servant was more and less of what I was expecting. He was a male that listened, payed attention to the non verbal cues and was tuned in to this environment. Of course that may have had a few things to do with his job. But the one this it was not was just another job. Adam and Suzanne were more good together because apart Suzanne was not living.Needing a love that grows with patience and confidence this is the read you need to pick up. Get a foot in the door for this new series from Karen Ranney. Next up will be To Wed and Heiress. The year will be long but it just give me more time to read more of Karen Ranney's descriptive romantic journeys to historical Scotland.

I just really loved this book. I haven't read a Karen Ranney before, but I have been collecting her books for awhile now. I loved how she told this story and it was elevated for me by the performance of the narrator.Suzanne is stuck in a fog after the death of her son and she is left a widow when her husband died at the same time. Though she doesn't miss him or his philandering ways, she is heartbroken 2 years later and barely hanging on.Adam is undercover in Suzanne's home to find proof that her husband was a traitor, and he happens to catch her one night when she tries to throw herself off her balcony. He starts paying attention to her and is drawn to her sadness and the woman underneath.As Suzanne starts to come out of her fog and Adam gets closer to the truth... they become linked together and it brings her even more out of her shell.I really enjoyed this book and I would love to read another by this author.TW for death of a child and attempted suicide.4/5 stars

When Adam Drummond's work for the English War Office demands that he take up a post as majordomo to Suzanne Whitcomb, Duchess of Marsley. While investigating suspicions of treason on the part of her late husband.He has no way of knowing that the beautiful but seemingly distant duchess will help him discover much more about the mysteries of love, loss, and healing than he ever bargained for.This first book in Karen Ranney's All For Love series. Is one that becomes deeper, richer, and more emotionally involving for the reader as the story progresses. But does not use the romance between its leading couple to do so.Instead allowing for pain and suffering that each carries from their pasts, to be uncovered as separate entities. Apart from the romance, but still able to act as an important catalyst for Adam and Suzanne's common ground.It must be said however, that even their shared pain is unearthed within the context of its relationships to other aspects of the story. For Suzanne that context being the deaths which bring her to her overall state of being. At the time that she and Adam first meet.And for Adam. The discovery of a shared connection between his past and the facts brought to light during his investigation of the Duke of Marsley's activities during their joint service as officers of Her Majesty's Army. During the war in India.It is, in fact. The masterful way in which Miss Ranney intermingles mystery, discovery, memorable characters, and an ever escalating plot line. That makes Adam and Suzanne's transition from from friends to lovers so seamless.While also diverting one's attention from the myriad of class disparities between the two.At least.That is...Until Adam, the 'lesser' of the two. Makes it his business to make it an issue.As heroes and heroines go. These two could not be more perfectly matched. With her emotional vulnerability and acceptance acting as much the lifeline for Adam, as his braun, passion, and general 'white knight' behavior is for his leading lady. The romance between these two is best described as a ' slow burn '. Almost taking a back seat to the ever increasing amount of revelations and non-romantic entanglements that the two share.It acts as more a shoring of the bonds between two souls. Then the fulfillment of torrid longings.In short...This is a book that will appeal to readers of romance on all levels.With a mystery for your head. As well as a 'love after loss' romance for your heart. All tied up with a Cinderfella-style happily. That one will never want to end.Reviewer's Note: The All For Love series is one in which each respective story stands alone. Leaving it to reader discretion whether to read the series in its entirety.

To Love a Duchess: An All for Love Novel by Karen Ranney is an interesting and entertaining Regency Romance. The writing style was steady paced, interesting, intense at times and flowed seamlessly. Emotional and compelling. Well developed characters, who were engaging, with twists and turns, danger, secrets, suspense, determination, intrigue with a HEA. A romantic tale of sacrifice, and finding love. I was compelled to keep turning pages to find out the answers. Great read by Karen Ranney.I received a complimentary copy, however, all opinions are my own. Rating: 4.5

4.5 stars. I’m knocking off half a star for no epilogue. Otherwise I loved this book.

Good book with a different kind of romantic pairing. In this case, we have a commoner hero and titled heroine. Suzanne is the Duchess of Marsley. Her husband had died two years earlier, and since then she has just been going through the motions of daily life. When her father orders her to act as hostess for him, she does it, no questions asked. When her maid gives her a "tonic," she takes it. She goes through her days feeling detached from everything around her. Then an encounter with her majordomo shakes her out of her apathy.Adam is a former soldier who now works for the War Department's Silent Service. His current assignment is to go undercover to Marsley House as the majordomo. This gives him the opportunity to search the house for evidence that the late duke was a traitor to his country. Everything was going smoothly, if slowly, until the duchess returned to London from her country home. He doesn't expect to be intrigued by and protective of the lovely widow.I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Adam and Suzanne. It began with a bang, as Adam stopped her from what he thought was a suicide attempt. There were sparks of attraction from the start. Those sparks lit the fire in Suzanne that helped her break out of the daze she had been in. Both Adam and Suzanne are intrigued by the other and find it impossible to stay away. I loved Adam's protectiveness and how he took care of her when she was hurting. His sympathy and understanding when he found out the reason for the depth of her grief was one more thing that helped Suzanne break out of her fog. I loved seeing him support her as she began to take back control of her life. Suzanne was just as intrigued by Adam and found herself taking every chance she could to spend time with him. The feelings between them grew stronger the more time they spent together. I loved the fact that Adam told Suzanne the truth about why he was there and then listened to what she had to say afterward. I ached for him as he walked away at the end, believing that there was no chance for a future with Suzanne. I loved seeing her go after what she wanted, in spite of the obstacles before her. I hope we see more of them in later books.The mystery of the missing journal and the guilt or innocence of the late duke was very interesting. With Adam's experiences in India and his knowledge of the duke's activities, Adam was convinced of the duke's guilt. This case was personal for him and gave him extra motivation to complete it. There were times when I felt that it blinded Adam to other possibilities. That changed as he got to know Suzanne, and questions were raised in his mind. There were some interesting twists and turns that came out once Adam and Suzanne began to work together to find the truth. The revelations at the end had some unexpected elements as well as confirming a couple of my suspicions.

My Rating: 4.5 StarsAdam Drummond is a spy and his latest assignment is the Marsley House as it is thought that the late Duke of Marsley was a traitor. He is acting as majordomo in the house and his objective is to gather as much information as possible. Adam is distracted rather quickly, however, as he has more than one run-in with the widow, who is still a young woman. The thing is that she is heavily-grieving, even after two years. As time progresses, Adam realizes that the duchess, Suzanne Whitcomb has secrets of her own and this is concerning to Adam.Suzanne may be drawn to Adam, man in charge of her house, but she is also a bit annoyed, and for more than one reason. For starters, he is a servant, and she is a duchess. More importantly, she is still devasted by her losses. However, there is just something about Adam that makes Suzanne wonder more than once. Both Suzanne and Adam receive equal shock eventually. Adam because he learns the true reason for her grief. Suzanne because she learns his true purpose.While Adam is working hard, Suzanne has her own battles to fight. Not only does she have to deal with her controlling father, but she is also dealing with a recalcitrant maid. This could definitely lead to her undoing. But, she doesn't see that. All she can see is her pain and getting through each day, even if she is not really living. I so love when she wakes up! To Love a Duchess is the first book in the All for Love series, and I think this is a terrific start. I found this to be a very emotional read, especially where Suzanne’s grief originated. It certainly was very touching, especially when I got to read Adam’s reaction to this, and how he shared his own past with her. With Adam’s role as a spy, there was a measure of mystery in the book. The more clues that Adam unraveled, the more difficult things became. This added a very nice layer to an otherwise engaging romance. I look forward to continuing this series this week, with To Wed an Heiress, scheduled for publication March 26, 2019. Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.com.

This is the only novel by Ranney I have read—and she's written MANY. One reviewer said sometimes a Ranney novel hits the ball way out of the park. This book must be one such hit. I loved the character of Adam, an ex-military man (he served in India) from a poor Scottish background, acting as a steward (Ranney calls him a majordomo which sounds much more masculine!) for the very wealthy widowed Duchess but really working for a government espionage agency. The novel depicts his growing relationship with the Duchess, as they gradually switch from the servant-Duchess relationship to one more intimate. Finally we get exchanges like this: "Are you back to being a duchess now, Your Grace?" "I am, Drummond, and I also insist that you kiss me again. Consider it a command." "Very well, but only because I always do my duty."I liked not only the dialogue but the rendering of the characters' thoughts, which conveyed well their personalities and emotions. For example, kissing the Duchess for the first time and then daring to kiss her a second time, Adam thinks, "In for a penny, in for a pound." And the Duchess, who has been grieving the loss of her little son for two years, is brought back to life by Adam. She feels like the threadbare rug she had once seen, with "the sun's rays [shining] through the worn fibers." I read another adventure-romance after reading this one, where the love relationship was in contrast very wooden; it was not dramatized as convincingly as this one. And the detective story behind this romance is good too, grounded in some real history.In fact, my only complaint is that the Duchess cries too much. But I recommend the book--for a very enjoyable read!

Adam Drummond is a spy working for the Home Office posing undercover as a majordomo in Marsley House with one mission - gather proof that the late Duke of Marsley was an unforgivable traitor to his country. Usually Adam never strays from mission but the very beguiling young and still-grieving duchess has him more than concerned for her safety and health. Not only is she one of the most beautiful woman he’s ever met but she has secrets which he feels must be exposed - did she know or was she a part of the traitorous acts perpetrated by the late Duke?Suzanne Whitcomb, Duchess of Marsley has not been herself for some time yet she is shocked that a servant such as the new majordomo has aroused her passion. Two years of grieving since the duke had lost his life and Suzanne can’t comprehend how the touch from a mere servant has quickened her pulse. There are other dangers in Marsley House that Drummond is discovering that must be dealt with and when his real mission is revealed, along with the truths of Suzanne’s extreme grief are exposed - will it tear them apart or enforce the love that has begun to bring them together. Another excellent and extremely beautifully written sensual love story written by one of my very favorite historical romance authors. Characterizations of the principals and secondary characters are always spot on and motivations are clearly shown. The quick pace of the story make the book feel shorter than the 384 pages. So happy when I can begin a series with book one and I’ll be looking forward to the next book by this extremely talented author.Marilyn Rondeau

Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books, on 7/31/18.A new series from Karen Ranney--woot!I loved Suzanne and Adam's story. It went in many directions I wasn't really expecting, which made reading it feel anything but ordinary. I spent a lot of the book not knowing things--why was Suzanne so sad? What was that tonic she was drinking, and who wanted her to drink it (and why)? Was Adam going after the right culprit as he searched for evidence of a traitor? Was he truly working for the good guys? Were there good guys? Overall. the story had a much darker feel than I was expecting, and for much of the book I wasn't sure what to make of that. But the characters of Suzanne and Adam drew me in to their lives, and before I knew it I was 100% invested. I don't know a thing yet about the next book in the series other than the title ( To Wed an Heiress ), but you'd better believe it was on my TBR as soon as I knew it existed!Rating: 4 1/2 stars / AI voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

The storyline of a romance between majordomo/ex-soldier/spy and a duchess seems far fetched. The author, however, does such a great job of presenting two people that are more than their occupation/title and the connectivity between them that I had no trouble believing this romance. The depth of the emotions of the main characters, the mystery of the traitor, the slow building of friendship then love made this a 5+ star read.