Ten Things I Love About You
by Julia Quinn
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
LENGTH 9 hrs and 46 mins
RELEASE DATE 05-25-10
PUBLISHER HarperAudio
Genre: Historical Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.
Publisher's Summary
Ten things you should know about this book....
1. Sebastian Grey is a devilishly handsome rogue with a secret.
2. Annabel Winslow's family voted her The Winslow Most Likely to Speak Her Mind and The Winslow Most Likely to Fall Asleep in Church.
3. Sebastian's uncle is the Earl of Newbury, and if he dies without siring an heir, Sebastian inherits everything.
4. Lord Newbury detests Sebastian and will stop at nothing to prevent this from happening.
5. Lord Newbury has decided that Annabel is the answer to all of his problems.
6. Annabel does not want to marry Lord Newbury, especially when she finds out he once romanced her grandmother.
Number 7 is shocking, 8 is delicious, and 9 is downright wicked, all of which lead the way to:
10. Happily. Ever. After.
©2010 Julie Cotler Pottinger (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers
Review:
Country raised Annabelle is the eldest of many children who needs to make an advantageous marriage to help secure the future happiness of her siblings. Annabelle’s rather outrageous grandmother is pleased that it appears they have snagged wealthy Lord Newbury as a match. He is elderly and desperately needs an heir, especially since he doesn’t want his nephew, Sebastian, to inherit. Annabelle isn’t thrilled with the idea of marrying the rotund man who is as old as her grandparents. But she is mostly reconciled to doing her duty, until she accidentally meets a charming rogue on a dark field.
Sebastian is certainly a rogue but he is really warm and likeable. He doesn’t believe in love and has been in no big hurry to settle down. The ton members think he is a poor relative waiting to inherit from his uncle, Lord Newbury, but Sebastian has actually provided funds for himself through a rather surprising, if secretive, means.
Sebastian is drawn to the witty, outspoken, and lovely young woman he meets out in the field at a party. He realizes she is trying to dodge someone as they stumble into a bantering discussion without proper introductions. He is pleased to see her again and begins to pursue her until he discovers that she is intended to be his uncle’s young bride (and brood mare)!
Annabelle finds herself in a society fix caught in an ugly family rival between uncle and nephew. If they both abandon her she will be shamed and no one will be interested in her. Sebastian’s good friend convinces him to step up and at least pretend to court Annabelle in order to save her reputation. This gives them the chance to spend time together and grow fond of each other even as it places them in more awkward difficulties that have to be unraveled. Plus Lord Newbury isn’t about to let this situation pass gracefully.
I have always enjoyed the historical romances of Julia Quinn and was reminded why when I listened to this fun audiobook. There is always warmth in Ms. Quinn’s characters with enjoyable verbal interplay. Even what might not be an altogether original plot becomes fun as the reader follows the heroine’s struggles to avoid an unwanted, arranged marriage and societal obstacles as she and an unsuspecting stranger discover they just might be falling in love. I highly recommend this book and this author to readers who enjoy witty historical romance, especially those that like their romances sensual without crossing over into steamy.
Audio Notes: Rosalyn Landor offers a delightful audio performance of this book. The voices fit the characters and the subtle energies and humor are properly conveyed throughout the audio. The narration enhanced the book enjoyment for me.
This was a download from my own Audible library.
