Refining Felicity

The School for Manners, Book One

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

When Amy and Effy Tribble, two charming but impoverished spinster sisters, lose out on a much needed inheritance, they place an advertisement in The Morning Post and hire themselves out as professional chaperones. Vowing to prepare even the most difficult misses for marriage, the Tribble sisters will spend a London season on each client in this delightful Regency series, The School for Manners. Felicity Baronsheath, their first assignment, turns out to be more of a challenge than they could have ever imagined. Not only is Felicity indifferent to the idea of marriage, but she has been permitted to roam free on her father's estates, hunting and carousing like any young lord.

When her neighbor, the Marquess of Ravenswood, agrees to help the Tribbles set up their London town house, he confirms their observation that Felicity is a spoilt brat. And when Felicity insists on remaining unrefined, the Tribbles begin to fear that her season--and their new business venture - will end in disaster.

©1988 Marion Chesney (P)2013 AudioGO

Slow start,

Enjoyable story. It started slow but soon picked up. Sadly, about when it picked up is about when the worst of the mispronunciations started. I finished it because I’m a completest, but I had to stop and groan a few times.

Wrong narrator, book too long for the story, but cute

My title about sums it up; the narrator - though having nothing objectionable in the least about her voice, per se - about put me to sleep on a number of occasions. Ok, she actually did, once, though I guess it’s partly my fault since I made the mistake of sitting down a moment while listening to her. 🙄 Truly - she is the most boring narrator I think I’ve listened to, & that’s saying quite a bit. She uses a -very- narrow range in which to read, droning on with very little emotion, change of pitch or pattern, or seemingly any interest in what she is reading (versus “narrating”; two different things, in my mind). The most passionate sentences any character spoke came across about as passionate as an adult in a “Peanuts” cartoon.

As to the story; I’ve like many of this author’s other tales, but this book is one that should’ve been a novella or, even better, a short story. There was too much repetition & obvious padding in order to lengthen it, which took away from (what should’ve been) the lighthearted, cute story. I’ll probably listen to the next in the series since it comes “free” with the romance package...but there will need to be much improvement in both the story & the narrator to even tempt me to consider the third.

loved it.

I Love these as much as I loved the Poor Relations series from the same author. Funny, sweet, and entertaining. The narrator did a good job with it.

Difficult Tutors of difficult Misses

The spinster sisters that are teaching manners and romance don't really seem experienced in either but muddle through. It is hard to like any of the characters but they are interesting. You keep hoping for more redeeming qualities but these seem lacking.

News Report?

I’m a fan of M.C. Beaton’s period romances. I’ve heard other series, read by other actors…and this one was the worst, IMO. The cadence sounded like a news reporter. If someone else read the series, I’d recommend the audiobook.

LOL Romantic Comedy

How lovely to listen to something I’ve read before, brilliantly performed by Anne Flosnik, bringing Amy Tribble, indeed both Tribble sisters, to comic heights that had me laughing uproariously. Yes I love the central romance, but the greater story which will take us through six volumes of School for Manners is the trials and ultimate jubilation of the two aged Tribble spinsters, challenged in age, looks and modern manners - and for me where Ms Flosnik’s narration sparkled.

Funny, Sweetly Romantic Series

Any additional comments?

Marion Chesney is great at writing historical fiction romances. School of Manners series engages the reader right away with the outrageous characters of Effie & Amy Tribble. This is a lighthearted, easy listen with a good sense of humour, sweet romance and a happy ending. Can't wait to listen to the rest of the series.

Short, excellent and clean!

Such fun, clean yet romantic stories! Love this author! And the narration is top notch!

Very cute

The upper class Brits sure have a way of speaking that sounds snooty and superior and spoiled and haughty to an American ear. It is fun to see what kinds of behaviors are thought important in young people and how they go about picking a mate. The whole book is funny and light-hearted. (One thing to the narrator:?I can’t imagine the British pronunciation of ‘Juan’ is ‘Jew-on’. Too funny!)

Amy is the best

If you want to laugh and be surprised at the antics of a character, you will enjoy Amy. She has a character that you will enjoy and imagine being around her. She us like one of those outspoken older church ladies that you cannot predict and just says whatever comes to her mind. It is fun and refreshing.