Dair Devil: A Georgian Historical Romance

By: Lucinda Brant

Narrated by: Alex Wyndham

Winner - Best Historical Novel, 2015 RONE Awards

Opposites attract. Appearances can deceive. A dashing and rugged façade hides the vulnerable man within. He will gamble with his life, but never his heart. Always the observer, never the observed, her fragility hides conviction. She will risk everything for love. One fateful night they collide. The attraction is immediate, the consequences profound....

London and Hampshire, 1777: The story of Alisdair "Dair" Fitzstuart, nobleman, ex-soldier, and rogue, and Aurora "Rory" Talbot, spinster, pineapple fancier, and granddaughter of England's Spymaster General, and how they fall in love.

©2014 Lucinda Brant (P)2015 Lucinda Brant

Fantastic Listen

If you are looking for a well written and research Georgian era historical with top notch narration, this is the title for you. I loved finding a series that isn't a Regency set one, and I love that the series re-visits couples from previous books, but also work well as stand-alones. My only complaint is I have to wait until next year for the next title in the series. I can't say enough good things about the narration and hope to see Alex Wyndham narrate more historical titles.

Outstanding

I’m in love with the Roxton Family and its many branches. Ms. Brant has brought us the most virile and noble men, often wrapped in a sea of scandal. Antonia, former Duchess of Roxton is a force not to be reckoned with, and she doesn’t hesitate to use all her resources when needed. The narrator is perfect.

Rory and Dair's love story spoke to my heart

Dair Devil by Lucinda Brant is both beautifully written and beautifully narrated. The love between Rory and Dair is so pure and life-changing. Dair brings Rory out of her shell and out from behind the restrictive walls placed around her by her grandfather. In return, Rory helps Dair to see that he is deserving of receiving love and that love can be trusted. Dair Devil is a story of unexpected love and of two soulmates finding each other and I highly recommend it!

Marvelous!!

A wonderful addition to the Roxton Series. What I love about Lucinda's books, besides the characters, the historical accuracy, and her exceptional writing skill is that all the characters from the previous books in the series contribute to the overall continuation of the family saga in each succeeding book.

When you meet Dair in The Autumn Duchess you think he is just another womanizing rake and scoundrel. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I won't give away his secrets, you will have to read them for yourself.

Rory is a young lady born with a handicap that prevents her from participating in the Marriage Mart. What she lacks in grace she makes up for in courage, kindness and a heart of gold.

No one who knows could ever imagine that they would fall in love. Even the people close to them do not know all their secrets. Always remember the age-old adage;" Never judge a book by its cover" A story full of surprises that will make you smile. So prepare for surprises revealed by both Rory and Dair.

I can't forget how Alex Wyndham's performance adds to the story and it is amazing how he remembers all the other character voices from the previous books. He is awesome!!

I highly recommend this book and all of the other books in The Roxton Saga!!

Mispronunciation

I've noted in each of the books by this author and this narrator, that each instance of the word "oriented", or "disoriented/reoriented", the narrator reads as "orientated", "disorientated" and "reorientated". These obvious uses of non-words is very jarring and disruptive to the story. Yes, the noun form is "orientation/disorientation/reorientation", but the verb forms do not contain the extra "-a-" suffix/syllable. I don't know if the author wrote these words incorrectly or if the narrator is simply reading them as such. Otherwise, I'm enjoying the stories.

Alex Wyndham brings these Roxton men to life.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would most definitely recommend "Dair Devil" to all of my friends to read, but I'd suggest they do so after either reading or listening to the previous 3 in this series.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dair Devil?

The most memorable moments of Dair Devil are so many that I really can't easily narrow them down.... When the young men climbed in the window in loin cloths and chased a group of dancers around the room so their buddy could come in and save the ladies was quite funny. It sounds so much like a plan a group of young fellows would devise to help one of the group look to be the her to win a ladies heart. Didn't quite turn out as planned though, and caused some embarrassing moments for those involved.

Which character – as performed by Alex Wyndham – was your favorite?

My favorite characters, were Dair, who is one of the new characters, vaguely mentioned in "Autumn Duchess". Rory, the intellectual equal of many a man, and of course, Antonia, the Duchess of Roxton from book one.

Any additional comments?

Lucinda Brant always has interesting plots, creative, strong characters, and events often based in true history. I like that she weaves her stories around the characters of one book, but also in her own subtle way, introduces characters who will show up later, so she sets the stage well, and leaves the door open to adding more layers to her series.
In the audio versions for this series, Alex Wyndham is shown to be a master of narration bringing the different characters to life through his ability to create varied, yet believable, voices/accents for each character. You can really get a feel for the character since he seems to have the ability to allow their personalities to shine through as well.

Gorgeous new cover

If you haven’t read any of Lucinda Brandt’s engrossing Roxton series, it is helpful to read them in order. If you do you will appreciate the details and back story included in Dair Devil. I have read or listened to all of them more than once. Her extensive research, inventive plots, ability to transcend tired Romance tropes, and high quality writing mean this book is well beyond five stars.
Alex Wyndham is perfection.

Another great book in the Roxton Series!

In Dair Devil, Charles Fitztuart's handsome and vain brother shows his true colors and they are bright and beautiful. A war hero, a spy, and an extremely honorable man (in spite of all appearances). To tempt him, comes the lovely pineapple enthusiast, Ms. Aurora Talbot.
Rory is adorable! She is so very loyal and smart and beautiful. She has a disability and needs a walking stick to move around. I love how Mrs. Brant depicts her ordeals in such a believable manner and, above all, I love that she refuses to ever be the victim. She has an inner strength that is contagious.
There is some opposition to their HEA, wonderfully romantic scenes and the presence of the wonderful Antonia that saves the day!
Wonderful story made even better by the performance of Alex Wyndham.

Families secrets are best kept hidden away, but never forgotten.

Even though I listened & enjoyed “Proud Mary” before enjoying this intriguingly, romantic love story within these unusual Georgian families, Alisdair (Dair) made this book completely wonderful on it’s own.
With a little spying, comedy, drama, fear & fearlessness on Dair’s part, I believe this to be one of the best listens yet, had trouble stopping audio, even turned it back to 1.0 to catch every word.

I Can Hardly Wait to go to Bed Each Night...

I primarily listen to my Audible books at night before I go to sleep. With the Roxton Family series I find myself in a paradoxical situation: I am going to bed earlier just so I can listen to Alex Wyndham, but then I am so entranced by the story that I find myself staying awake later as I keep on listening.

Brant plus Wyndham make a magical combination. Brant's books really focus on creating the feeling of falling in love, all within a richly detailed historical world. I would say that she is a modern Georgette Hayer.

Wyndham is among the most gifted narrators I have listened to. His enunciation and pacing are perfect; his voice is rich and melodic without being contrived; his ability to create distinct voices for so many male characters and sustain them across a series of books is astonishing.

This series of books is character driven. Plot is driven by the characters and not the other way around. Although there won't be any major plot surprises, you will feel like you come to know these characters. In the end, you feel happy to be given a peek into their lives.