Dukes and Desires ~ Books 1-7 - M. C. Beaton, Marion Chesney

Written by M. C. Beaton, Marion Chesney
Read by Mia Chiaromonte; Charlotte Anne Dore; Justine Eyre; Lindy Nettleton
Format: M4B
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

[01]

The Desirable Duchess
By: M. C. Beaton
Narrated by: Justine Eyre
Series: Dukes and Desires, Book 1
Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins

Release date: 04-02-14
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary
Lovely Alice Lacey was a true incomparable, and her marriage to the Duke of Ferrant was the event of the season. Almost no one realized, however, that Alice was secretly in love with someone else - or that she had confided her feelings to a clever talking mynah bird who announces these intimacies at the moment of the couple’s wedding.

Now the gossip mongers are relentless. Alice’s marriage started out and has remained, cold and impersonal, and her new husband is already rumored to be taken with another woman.

Before she even realizes what is happening, Alice finds herself in a world of opposites: The man she thought she loved is something other than he seems; and the man she married, something far more than she hoped. Her last hope and redemption have to be convincing the man she wedded that they are in love.

[02]

Her Grace’s Passion
By: M. C. Beaton
Narrated by: Charlotte Anne Dore
Series: Dukes and Desires, Book 2
Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins

Release date: 08-08-14
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary
Matilda, Duchess of Hadshire, is virtually a prisoner of her cruel husband, who romances his mistress right under the Duchess’ nose. Her only joy is dreaming of the handsome Earl of Torridon - for, like her, he is trapped in a horrid marriage and longs to find true love and happiness.

Though she secretly wishes for the death of her unkind husband, Matilda never could have imagined the guilt that plagues her when the illustrious duke is befittingly murdered by his own mistress! When Matilda turns to Torridon for comfort, she discovers a few surprises are in store for both of them.

[03]

Pretty Polly
By: M. C. Beaton
Narrated by: Mia Chiaromonte
Series: Dukes and Desires, Book 3
Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins

Release date: 04-01-14
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary
Blessed with beauty, Mrs. Manners never bothered with the lesser skills of grammar and spelling. So, in order to entrap a second husband, namely the dashing Duke of Denbigh, she needed Miss Verity Bascombe. Surely the modest chit would be honored to write her love letters.

Poor Verity! Her old schoolmate was as selfish as ever. But the lovely girl’s gilded pen soon had the duke most intrigued by the poetic Mrs. Manners!

But alas, what began as a tiny deception became troublesome indeed - for Verity soon found herself enamored of the handsome duke!

[04]

The Sins of Lady Dacey
By: M. C. Beaton
Narrated by: Mia Chiaromonte
Series: Dukes and Desires, Book 4
Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins

Release date: 06-06-14
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary
The local society could only speculate how a pair of turtledoves would cope as the guests of the scandalous Lady Dacey. Surely she would attempt to corrupt them - an act that both Pamela Perryworth and Honoria Goodham would see as welcome entertainment in their rigid, joyless lives.

Though Mrs. Perryworth is married - most unhappily - and the young Honoria has a cloying tendency to read too much scripture, the purity and loveliness of both ladies nonetheless inflame the senses of two notorious lords. Mr. Sean Delaney loses his heart at first sight of the fair Mrs. Perryworth, while the disreputable Duke of Ware is quite disturbed by the innocent Honoria, who unknowingly dares to tempt his jaded heart.

[05]

My Dear Duchess
By: M. C. Beaton
Narrated by: Lindy Nettleton
Series: Dukes and Desires, Book 5
Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins

Release date: 04-29-14
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary
Handsome, dashing Henry Wright, the Duke of Westerland, needed a wife in a desperately short period of time. If he could not find a wife, he would lose the legacy he so desperately desired.

Young, lovely, but sheltered Miss Frederica Sayers needed a husband just as much as Henry Wright needed a wife, only she needed a husband to save her from the life of shame that almost certainly awaited her when she fled the callous cruelty of her family.

Marriage between the dashing lord and this reckless runaway was clearly the answer for both of them - until the duke discovered he had a duchess he could not tame and the duchess found that she would rather lose her spotless reputation than lose the duke to another beautiful woman who was everything she was not.

[06]

Lady Lucy’s Lover
By: Marion Chesney
Narrated by: Mia Chiaromonte
Series: Dukes and Desires, Book 6
Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins

Release date: 05-16-14
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary
“Why don’t you take a lover, my dear? It would serve that feckless husband of yours right.”

“But I don’t want a lover. I am in love with my husband.”

Poor deluded Lucy. She married a gambler, a womanizer, and a drunkard, and she refuses to admit that his frequent overnight absences are of significance. It is not until he reveals that Lucy’s parents “bought” him for her that it really stings.

And then one night at a ball, she meets the charismatic Duke of Habard - and suddenly anything seems possible.

[07]

The Scandalous Marriage
By: M. C. Beaton
Narrated by: Charlotte Anne Dore
Series: Dukes and Desires, Book 7
Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins

Release date: 02-27-15
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher’s Summary
As far as matrimonial prospects were concerned, Lucy Bliss was told she’d make an excellent clergyman’s wife.

Her mother had loftier aspirations, however, for Lucy’s lovely younger sister, Belinda. Belinda would marry a duke, more specifically the duke of Wardshire. Lucy was truly horrified. “Lucifer” Wardshire was rumored to be as wicked as the devil, with orgies and mistresses - and worse.

As the London season unfolded, Lucy couldn’t decide who was more abominable, her vulgar mama or the arrogant yet disconcertingly handsome duke. But Lucy vowed to go to any lengths to protect her sister, even if her mission should take her into the very arms of the devilish duke himself.