Venus

By: Jane Feather

Narrated by: Gemma Dawson

From The New York Times bestselling Jane Feather, author of To Kiss a Spy and Kissed by Shadows, comes a deliciously sensual tale of intrigue and temptation…

The last thing Lord Nicholas Kincaid expected to see in the gloom of a London tavern was a vision of loveliness. And when she led him to a bedchamber with a come-hither smile, there was no question of resisting - until he realized the lying wench meant to render him senseless so the landlord could rob him blind! That's how the handsome lord made the acquaintance of Miss Polly Wyat, a ravishing beauty he soon decided would make the perfect spy. Unwittingly, she would infiltrate the inner circle at the king's court. But when Nicholas sets out to bind Polly with chains of passion, he'll find himself hard-pressed not to be bewitched…or to fall in love.

©1988 Jane Feather (P)2013 Audible Inc.

RIVETING & SIMPLY AMAZING….EVERY MINUTE!!!!

OMG! Jane Feather--where have you been all of my life??? LOL

Wow, this book was a nonstop, exciting listen for me. Upon reading the publisher's summary and noticing that Gemma Dawson was the narrator, it was an automatic buy for me. There is something about the quality & texture of Gemma's voice that I really like, and I was pleased to know that she has narrated the complete series (which I'm dying to devour)!

Feather gives us two leads, who are remarkably interesting and who feel real. And, of course they are both drop-dead gorgeous…LOL. Yet, there is something about Feather's writing that invoked visual images for me throughout the plot. For the action filled moments, I kept conjuring up the fast-movement from scenes in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean. And, when Miss Polly Wyat's enigmatic beauty was described I couldn't help but envision Angelina Jolie & her cunning ability to switch roles & hold the commanding presence of siren upon a crowd, and who is well aware of the power she wields. I really think the easy visualization is a tribute of the fantastic writing in this book, which is so lucid and almost tangible.

The romance begins when Lord Nicholas Kincaid & Miss Polly Wyat escape from a dreary tavern in a gloomy part of London with their lives in tact. Lord Nicholas had fallen prey to Miss Polly's alluring trap, as she served as bait for her abusive uncle to rob and possibly kill him. Both Nicholas & Polly then realize that they are at a marvelous crossroad in which they could be of service to one another to further each their personal agendas (she wants to be a grand actor, while Nicholas saw the advantage of using Polly for espionage in the king's court).

Yet, I thought the real trap lied in how leads formed a bargain with one another as if they were not made of flesh and blood. In doing so, they underestimated the devastating risks, especially when the dangerous Duke they set to deceive had the capacity to beat and crush them at their own game.

The power of this romance is found in the intimacy that bond Nicholas and Polly, at each stage of their relationship. Their love is a passionate, deep, and comfortable one. I loved how Polly drove Nicholas nuts with her daring comments & unfiltered thoughts. She was adorable! And, Nicholas was so patient and just sweet to her. Also, I thought it was funny how he didn't let her get away with her crocodile tears, or shenanigans, which worked on so many (but he was on to her…lol).

This book is a treasure, and the only thing predictable is that there is an HEA…otherwise be prepared to be captivated, at every riveting moment in this book! Loved it! On to the next book in the series!!!!

Romantic and Refreshing! Beautifully Narrated

If you could sum up Venus in three words, what would they be?

Compelling, Romantic, Complex.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Polly. She was intelligent and insightful. I loved her passion and resilience. Her transformation was very believable and the direction of her actions/reactions all made sense while never losing grip of the romantic fantasy.

Have you listened to any of Gemma Dawson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes! She is a wonderful narrator. This is a more subtle example of her work, I listened to one of the other 'v' books before this one (out of the order of sequence, which didn't make a difference as the stories are completely independent from on another in this series) and her character voices were bigger and bolder, this is the first book in the series so I imagine they got better and better as she narrated them all. Her voice has a pleasant musicality to it, and a beautiful tone. I always seek out and enjoy her performances.

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

Romantic Regency Rags to Riches!

Loved! Great Listen!

If you could sum up Venus in three words, what would they be?

Exciting. Sensual. Intriguing.

What did you like best about this story?

The growth of Polly - her strength and passion.

Which character – as performed by Gemma Dawson – was your favorite?

Polly. She was fabulous! Gemma Dawson is a great performer.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but it's long.

Mispronounciations abound!

The frustration of listening to a fabulous narrator mispronounce so many words in such a ridiculous way is almost funny! It felt at times as if a poor student read aloud and didn't know the words! How can such a narrator not even know how to say 'chemise’....(it isn't chemist without a clear T , after all..) Its absurd! Does no one Edit? Verify? Proof? C'mon.... Who chooses narrators without knowing they can't Pronounce Common words?? Do they interviww them? Even a script to read to confirm the ability of the narrator before hiring could avoid this? Grrrrr.....
I do like Gemma's voice, delivery, cadence, male vs female voices, etc...but this time it was....foolish?... Ugh!

Ignoring the one complaint I have to applaud Jane Feathers writing, as usual. The Pygmalion-esque theme was interesting in a weird way. Although this one was not my my favorite JF books and I won't rush to get the next one but all in all a typical regency period romance with most of what you expect from this author.

Creditworthy? Yes if you can handle all the mispronounced words.
Heat factor? Very low. SomeSome very explicit moments...but that's about it.
Tears? Not really...
Laughter? A little...

Worst narrator ever

I love Jane Feather's books but take my advice read this one. I wanted to listen to this series but the narration is so poor it's painful. I could not tell who was speaking, the male and female voices were the same, at times it became confusing, so I just stopped. Audible should take more care when committing an entire series to a bad narrator.