Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Penelope

Subtitle: The Daring Debutantes Series, Book 3

Author: Marion Chesney - M. C. Beaton

Narrator: Mia Chiaromonte

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-13-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Genres: Romance, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In this whirlwind series, Marion Chesney brings us spirited, independent women who are bewitching, beguiling, and determined to make their marks on the world.

Penelope - golden haired, azure eyed, fresh from the country - has stolen the heart of the most-desirable earl of Hestleton. Rich and startlingly handsome, he is the most eligible lord in the realm. He had planned to toy with her affections and then toss her aside, but when the earl discovers that he is a pawn in her aunt's social-climbing scheme, he begins to doubt Penelope's true love. Can the belle keep her beau, or will Aunt Augusta's ambitious plans force Penelope to flee?

Members Reviews:

Another Excellent Beaton Regency

I really enjoyed this regency romance novel. It is the 3rd or 4th regency novel by M. C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney) that I have read, and so far it is my least favorite. All the previous novels were, IMO, 5 star reads. This one, however, is only deserving of 4 or maybe 4 1/2 stars. While the book is quite on par with Ms. Beatons others in that it is beautifully written, with an interesting plot, and fully developed characters, there is a part of the story that marred my enjoyment. The heroine, Penelope, is an 18 year old orphan, who works for peanuts as a music teacher at a school for young ladies. Penelope is quite alone in the world as her father's family disowned him when he married Penelope's mother, a woman of a lesser social standing. Penelope's only other relation, her Aunt Augusta, is a mushroom of the first order (not only by birth, but also in behavior!) Aunt Augusta is quite a character, and some of her social gaffs had me laughing out loud (like when she farted out loud at a ball! LOL) Augusta has inherited a fortune through some questionable means. Her greatest desire is to become a society matron. To that end, she decides to finance Penelope's come out into society with the hope that the beautiful, well bred, Penelope will attract an aristocratic husband, which will raise Augusta's social standing. Augusta cares nothing for Penelope. She is an unfeeling, self-serving creature, who is capable of extreme cruelty. Augusta has her eye on the hero, Roger, Earl of Hestleton as a possible groom for Penelope. Through nefarious means, Augusta is able to secure an introduction to the Earl, and an invitation to his home, for herself and Penelope. From there the story develops. At first, Penelope thinks the Earl is a bit too high in the instep and finds his autocratic manner overbearing. The story that unfolds is an unusual one in my experience for this genre. The plot had a few unexpected twists and turns, but ultimately Roger and Penelope do get their HEA. To add a bit of intrigue to the plot there is treason, blackmail, and a death. I really liked Roger and Penelope, however at one point Roger engaged in behavior that I did not like. After that my feels towards him cooled a bit and, although I was happy that he finally got his HEA, I felt like he hadn't suffered quite enough and that Penelope should have called him on his conduct before finally agreeing to marry him. But, that's just me.