Undone by the Duke

Secrets in Silk, Book 1

By: Michelle Willingham

Narrated by: Sue Pitkin

Victoria has a secret....

Reclusive designer Victoria Andrews hasn't gone outside in five years, though she yearns to escape the prison of her house. She designs sensual lingerie for the most exclusive dressmaker in London, although she has never known a man's touch.

A Duke in disguise....

Wounded and stranded in Scotland, Jonathan Nottoway, the Duke of Worthingstone, is avoiding the murderous scandal that darkened his family name. As his wounds heal, he spends several sensual nights with the beautiful seamstress who knows nothing of his true identity.

A passionate awakening....

Can a woman trapped by her emotional scars be able to love a duke, when it means abandoning her safe world to embrace the life of a duchess?

©2013 Michelle Willingham (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Critic reviews

"Heart-wrenching . . . [Secrets in Silk] quartet shows great promise." ( RT Book Reviews)

Kill the music

First of all, what's with the music?! At the beginning and the end it was too loud and too long. Very distracting and poorly produced. A shame to ruin the author's work in such a manner.

This started out so well. The injured Jonathan being cared for by Victoria, the time they spent together, his Christmas presents - all made for a great story. His attempts to break her of her agoraphobia were sweet. But as the book progressed the situations were odd and the ending felt a bit flat.

It wasn't bad. I will continue with the series.

Well read

Finding some narrators are good, some not. It was great, can't wait for the next book!

Engaging Heart Warming Romance

Where does Undone by the Duke rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I gave Undone by the Duke 4 out of 5 stars on my book list, four is a really good rating it means I really liked it. I would listen again sometime.

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best about this story was that it grabbed me from the very begging. Two people with issues that need to be over come. I also liked that it wasn't overly predictable like many other romance novels.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene in the book is Christmas and Jonathan wraps gift for them to open.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

He thought he was saving her but really she was saving him.

All around good

Little slow at first but eventually got into it & couldn't turn it off. Very enjoyable. Definitely Will try another one.

Narrator is aweful.

Sue Pitkin reads as if she has a mouthful of spit she can't swallow. I imagine the microphone she's reading into has . . . well, you get the idea. I don't know if this is a good book or not. I've tried to listen to it three times, and have given up every time.

I will not buy anything read by Sue Pitkin again, but plan on trying to read this book on my Kindle.

Good book

Interesting characters. Great story line. Worth listening in Audible. This book was a fun read.

Shy

I really enjoyed this book it did have some parts that were hard to get through but all in all it was a good book

A Racy Romance with Well-Developed Characters

Would you consider the audio edition of Undone by the Duke to be better than the print version?

About the same as the print version

Any additional comments?

A little racy romance, I enjoyed the characters and the storyline of this book. Victoria Andrews refused to go to London with her mother and sisters for the Christmas holiday. Their Aunt Charlotte had planned a series of events in hopes of procuring husbands for 2 of the 3 remaining siblings. After a horrible experience in the Scottish Highlands 5 years before, Victoria, the eldest, had become a helpless recluse, suffering uncontrollable terrors when even thinking of going outside. She fled when windows were opened, and never dared near the door.
An earl had terrorized the highlands, burning the croft homes, killing many of the people. With wild fires burning near to their home, a gunshot was heard, followed by the family's footman bringing in the victim of the gunshot wound. His servant was dead near his horse. Victoria did what she could to stop the bleeding and mend the man's wounds until the doctor arrived. A friendship formed, followed by a more intimate relationship. Unbeknownst to her, the man was a duke, and one of the wealthiest men in the kingdom. He enjoyed the anonymity, and Victoria's fondness for him as an ordinary man. He also has a painful past. Together they try to help each other.

super fun read

Wonderful story, great characters. Perfect chemistry, and good timing make the heated scenes even better! It didn't feel like Victoria was weak, but that she had a real ailment. She showed bravery in many situations, as well as intelligence and composure, while Jonathan was respectful, yet battling with his own heavy issues. Oh and fantastic ending. I was confused as to where it could go and then it got both thrilling and satisfying. Had a fun time listening to this.
As for the performance: sue pitkin does a nice job, she does men well and doesn't overact young woman by doing high voices, which can be terribly annoying. She does a great job on her inflections, and doesn't over enunciate, the way I might read it in my head. People have given the reader harsh criticism in the reviews, however I think these are unwarranted. The performance was solid.

Regency romance featuring two wounded souls

After a traumatic experience, Victoria Andrews retreats to the safety of her home. But her fears turn her sanctuary into a prison when she finds herself unable to take a single step outside in five years. Her only solace is in the design and sewing she does in secret to help her family with their financial problems, but if anyone ever discovered that Victoria is the force behind the scandalous lingerie taking London by storm, she and her sisters would be ruined.
Seeking suitable (and preferably wealthy) husbands, but unable to afford all that goes along with a complete London season, Victoria's mother and sisters go to London to visit the aunt for Christmas to attend her events and meet her candidates. Because of her fear of leaving the house, Victoria is left behind with only a few loyal servants even though the Scottish countryside around her home is in a time of violent unrest due to land clearances. Victoria takes in some wounded in the upheaval, including a stranger with a gunshot wound. By his clothing and mannerisms, she can tell that he is clearly wealthy, but seeking to avoid a scandal involving the violent deaths of his parents and enjoying the attentions of someone interested in his person and not his money or title, the man keeps his identity a secret, revealing only that his first name is Jonathan. As Jonathan heals physically, Victoria begins to heal emotionally. But will the secrets they hide destroy the progress they make, or will it bond them together more strongly?

This novel tackles a few interesting topics, including agoraphobia, sexual liberation, Scottish land clearances, and abusive relationships. Victoria's fears and the scars left on Jonathan's emotional well-being due to witnessing his parents' abusive relationship are a palpable force throughout the book. Without giving away any spoilers, I will only say that while the ending felt conclusive with a HEA for Victoria and Jonathan, there were plenty of unresolved issues that would provide promising plot lines for future books in the series, featuring Victoria's sisters and some of the minor characters. The narrator's voice had little inflection, and the voice used for male characters in particular seemed somewhat garbled, as though talking with a full mouth or through pursed lips. Rather than enhancing the experience, I found the narrator to be a little distracting. However, overall, I enjoyed the book and plan to continue with the next book in the series.