A Hand for the Duke

The Ladies' Wagering Whist Society, Book 1

De: Meredith Bond

Narrado por: Naomi Rose-Mock

Can the Ladies of the Wagering Whist Society help an impoverished modiste win the hand of a sought-after Duke?

Tina Rowan is beautiful, talented - and wants nothing more than to be free of her past. The illegitimate daughter of a baroness, she is being blackmailed by her own foster-father. She must rely on her flair for designing dresses to earn enough to pay him off. Starting a business dressing the ladies of Regency society isn’t easy for a nobody. But Tina has three aces up her sleeve - her own amazing talent, her well-connected biological mother, and the helpful (if meddlesome) support of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society.

The handsome, arrogant Duke of Warwick has grown up schooled in the “proper” way for a nobleman to behave. Rule number one: Do not fraternize with people of the lower classes. But when he has to introduce his beloved sister to society, he finds himself completely reliant on the beguiling woman he’s hired as his sister’s modiste. To his astonishment, he finds himself opening up to her and enjoying her company far, far too much.

When Tina discovers the true man behind the ducal title, her heart might very well be lost. But can the duke set aside his façade and allow himself to love the only woman who could possibly make him happy?

It will take the combined efforts of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society to see this difficult hand well played.

©2019 Miriam Banerji (P)2021 Miriam Banerji

Sweet Regency Romance!

This is the first book in The Ladies' Wagering Whist Society. This is a sweet and beautifully written Regency Romance. The characters are great, and the storyline is interesting. Naomi Rose-Mock did a good job with the narration. I received this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily written this review.

Sweet Regency Romance

This is the first installment of the Ladies of the Wagering Whist Society series and is a delightful Regency romance filled with intrigue, class struggles, and a satisfying slow-burn romance.

Tina is a talented modiste with a sharp mind, a strong sense of independence, and a past she is desperate to escape. She is being blackmailed by her foster-father, and the only way she sees out of the situation is to rely on her talent to earn enough money to pay him off. Her journey of navigating blackmail and carving a place for herself in the restrictive world of Regency England is both heart-wrenching and inspiring.

The Duke of Warwick, with his rigid adherence to class expectations, is a perfect foil to Tina. The story follows the duke as he goes through his own journey of arrogance to vulnerability. Their chemistry crackles with tension and charm, especially as Tina’s warmth and intelligence slowly break down Warwick’s defenses.

I also enjoyed getting to know the members of Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society. Their camaraderie was heartwarming and their combination of humor, wit, and resourcefulness, created a supportive environment for Tina while adding layers of richness to the narrative. These women are a force to be reckoned with, and their clever schemes make the story sparkle.

The audiobook’s narrator does a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life, capturing the nuances of Regency dialogue and the emotional undercurrents in every interaction. The pacing is smooth, the romantic tension builds beautifully, and the dual struggles—Tina’s with her blackmailer and Warwick’s with his societal expectations—are intertwined seamlessly.

I received a complimentary copy from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Sweet story - great narration!

Overall I liked this story. It was very sweet, if not a little implausible given the time period. The book is set in what appears to be the Regency era in London. The book introduces Tina, an illegitimate child of a member of society. She is smart, kind, and very talented at fashion design and soon befriends the Duke's sister while making dresses for her. The book follows Tina's relationship with her biological mother and her and her blossoming, but unprobeable relationship with the Duke. I found elements of the book hard to believe, but that is the fun in fiction-you can just accept what is presented and enjoy it for what it is!
The narration was very good. Ms. Rose-Mock does a great job with the British accents in the book and an excellent job with the male and female characters' voices! Each one sounded completely different which made the book very entertaining to listen to. My only criticism of the Audible book is that the editing of chapters or written breaks in a chapter seemed a little off at points, but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book!

Sweet romance. Excellent narration.

This is a sweet, clean regency romance. Interesting characters. Cute plot.

5 stars plus for the narrator. She has different voices for each character. Her male voices are very good and believable.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author through Story Origin.

Seamstress to Society

I loved this story! The story is very well written, and characters well developed. I really liked the personality and gumption of Tina. I could see the activities and behavior of the ton actually occurring. It was also fun to listen to. I am looking for more works by this author! The narration was really good, and a pleasure to listen to. I received a free copy of this audiobook am voluntarily leaving my review.

a Sweet Clean Romance

“A Hand for the Duke” by Meredith Bond
I thoroughly enjoyed my time within this story. A romance that is oh so special, the formation of a rather exclusive ladies’ group, and the meeting of some very fine and interesting characters. Yes, I am looking forward to reading book 2. I have had this book for a long time and finally plucked it out of my TBR stack.
And, now I am wondering what ever took me so long as I do wish I had read this back when I first added this book to my collection. Happy Reading ! !

Great voices.

I truly liked the voice actor. The woman who did the Voices did an outstanding job with the men's voices. Particularly the duke's voice.

ENJOYABLE & INTRIGUING STEAMY ROMANCE

STORY IS GOOD, INTRIGUING FULL OF DRAMA AND GOOD HUMOR.
STORY IS WELL WRITTEN AND EASY TO FOLLOW.

NOT CLEAN. HAS INTIMATE SENSUAL CONTENT.

NARRATOR WAS GREAT, WELL SPOKEN AND EASY TO FOLLOW.

Love the Main Character!

I really enjoyed this listen. I love the idea of the main character working as a modiste. The story was good, but I feel like the Duke's character could've been developed a bit more. I wanted more depth of thought and feeling from him. Perhaps it was the way he was narrated? I didn't care for his character's voice, but overall, the narration was very good. POTENTIAL SPOILER: Or perhaps it was the encounter between Tina and the Duke when he comes to her home that spoiled it a bit for me. I think the scene was a little excessive, not believable (she prides herself on being virtuous), and I like truly clean historical romance. I don't need body parts mentioned.

Regency Romance

Societal rules complicate the world of the Duke of Warwick when he must introduce his sister into society. The dressmaker he hired is not only a beautiful and talented woman, but she is also not the proper woman to be involved with. Being illegitimate, she is barely holding onto her business and life as she is being blackmailed. However, it is the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society who steps in and begins to meddle. Once they become involved no one stands a chance!

The author, Meredith Bond accurately weaves the rules and beliefs of the Regency era into this romance story. Her character development is good and thorough given the genre and era of the book’s focus. There were some lighthearted moments that were fun and some that were tense. The plot twists were well done.

The narrator, Naomi Rose-Mock gives a solid performance. Her voice is rich and provides unique voices to each character. She keeps the story flowing smoothly and speaks clearly. Her accents are spot on as well.

The book keeps the listener entertained with its simple yet highly interesting plot.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook. However, the editing could be smoother.