Who Needs a Duke

Fated for a Rogue (Wayward Dukes' Alliance, Book 9)

By: Amanda Mariel, Wayward Dukes

Narrated by: Stevie Zimmerman

Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Amidst Regency England's matchmaking frenzy, the charitable Lady Catherine Breckenridge and the charismatic Duke of Bedford enter a counterfeit romance, unraveling their convictions as they navigate the fine line between pretense and passion.

Lady Catherine Breckenridge has dedicated herself to charitable pursuits, shunning the allure of romance and marriage. Yet, her family has other plans. As Catherine edges toward her 22nd year, her kin's determination for a timely union grows resolute. Unexpectedly, salvation arrives in the form of a well-known rogue, the Duke of Bedford.

Charles De Vere, the dashing Duke of Bedford, possesses both charm and fortune, entitling him as one of England's most eligible bachelors. Despite his unsavory reputation, he finds himself besieged by eager mothers and their marriageable daughters at every society gathering. However, this season, he unveils a masterful strategy.

When the Duke proposes a clandestine alliance to Lady Catherine, her pragmatic nature sees the wisdom in his scheme. While he may be a rogue, he's also a trusted confidant of her brother. Moreover, she remains steadfast in her conviction to resist any rogue's enchantments. Neither harbors matrimonial intentions, and their hearts bear no inclinations toward each other. Their plan appears impeccable—until fate casts an unexpected twist.

Indulge in a world of forbidden passions, strategic alliances, and a love that defies conventions.

©2023 Amanda Mariel (P)2023 Amanda Mariel

Delightful

This was a quick, delightful, well-written story which I enjoyed immensely. The development of the relationship between Charles and Catherine was so sweet and unexpected (for them at least), and I found it adorable how they tried to NOT fall in love with each other because of their pretenses. It was delightful (beyond the dozens of mentions of "marriage minded misses and their mamas"--that was a bit irritating). The narration of the audiobook was excellently done.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Catherine & Charles

Part of the Wayward Dukes' Alliance/ Fated for a Rogue series. Lady Catherine Breckenridge and Charles De Vere, Duke of Bedford come up with a plan to keep themselves from getting married. I enjoyed seeing them with all the ups and downs they went through get a happy ending. The story is well worth reading and listening to. Stevie Zimmerman's narration brings this story to life.

Another Great Addition to the Series

This was another great addition to the series. Amanda Mariel has created characters that are endearing and will keep you entertained. The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life and making it a fun listen.

I have received a copy of this audiobook and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Charles and Catherine

Neither Charles nor Catherine are ready to marry, yet both are being pushed towards marriage by their family and society expectations. Brilliant idea, they pretend to be engaged, effecting removing them from the marriage market scene. As an affianced couple, they need to spend more time together to uphold their ruse. This leads to them actually falling for each other, and making the ruse a reality. There are parts I would like to read more about, such as example of her involvement with the orphans. However, as this is a short novella, I understand not everything can be expanded on. I enjoyed the brother’s response throughout the story. This was a fun read. The narration was well done. I received a free copy of this audiobook via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Perfect Plan !! . . .

Lady Catherine Breckenridge has more important activities than entering into marriage, despite her family’s opinion about that. They are determined to see her married. Charles De Vere, Duke of Bedford, is both charming and wealthy and, as such, bothered incessantly by mothers trying to lure him into a match with their eligible daughters. So he comes up with a brilliant plan for himself and Lady Catherine to solve both their problems. He will propose and she will accept their fake engagement while neither intends to make it true. She is convinced she can ignore his charms. And he is a friend of her brother, so she can trust him. Both of them are confident this will work. It’s too bad these two are perfect for each other… or their plan might have had a chance of succeeding! The narrator for the audiobook version is Stevie Zimmerman. She does a great job with the voices to personalize the story and make it easy for the listener to get an accurate impression of what each character is like. Her lovely accent helps to set the mood, familiarizes the reader with the characters, and is a pleasant way to “read” and enjoy the book.

Sweet Regency Romance

This is book is part of the Wayward Dukes' Alliance Series. I like Regency Romance! Lady Catherine and Charles De Vere, Duke of Bedford's story is beautifully written, heartwarming, and romantic. Charles is a gentleman, caring, and supportive. Catherine is lovely, smart, strong, and determined. They are perfect together. The supporting characters are interesting. This is a great fake engagement, and friends to lovers romance. Stevie Zimmerman did a great job bringing this story to life. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Review

What started off as a deal to help each other. Turns into something more. I love it when you can actually visualize when they characters relationships start to change. Even though they have not. The narrator does a great English accent. Don't know if that is her real voice or not but it sounds authentic to me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Decieve

Ths is Catherine and Charles story. Neither wants to marry, so they plan to act like they are going to marry. Will it work? Will everyone believe the? What will happen in the end?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Steamy Regency Novella

This is my second novella in the Wayward Dukes series, and I have adored both of them. This one was a touch spicy, a dash angsty, and very swoony. I loved both the hero and the heroine here; both were quite reserved, but not at all meek or quiet. What begins as a fake courtship leads to respect, friendship, and much more.

While this is an open door romance, the two semi-explicit scenes use more flowery language, rather than super detailed language. I actually prefer this in my spicy historical romances, so I thought this was wonderful!

I listened to the audiobook of this novella, and the narrator was excellent! It was obvious when the POV changed and when dialogue shifted between characters. Both the female and male characters were done well by the narrator, and the English accents were spot on!

All in all, this was an excellent historical romance novella, and I can't wait to read more in this series and more by this author!.

Thanks to the author and to Booksprout for the review copy. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Best Laid Plans

Charles De Vere, Duke of Bedford, is tired of being stalked by debutantes and their marriage-minded mamas. Lady Catherine Breckenridge prefers academic pursuits and vows not to marry at all. Charles and Catherine are both clever and confident. She is caring and wants to continue her charitable work. Charles is her brother’s best friend, and a rake (for now). They agree on a plan to help both of them meet their goals. For the duration of the season, they will pretend to be engaged. Will this work? It might work, if their feelings don’t get in the way. This is a well-written, charming story with a determined hero and heroine, lots of humor, and an entertaining romance. Narration by Stevie Zimmerman is excellent.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.