How to Dance With a Duke Audiobook By Manda Collins cover art

How to Dance With a Duke

Ugly Duckling Trilogy, Book 1

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How to Dance With a Duke

By: Manda Collins
Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
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Miss Cecily Hurston would much rather explore the antiquities of Egypt than the uncharted territory of marriage. But the rules of her father's exclusive academic society forbid her entrance unless she weds one of its members. To clear her ailing father's name of a scandalous rumor, Cecily needs to gain admission into the Egyptian Club-and is willing to marry any old dullard to do it. Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is anything but dull. He's a dashing and decorated war hero determined to help Cecily-even if that means looking the other way when she claims the dance card of Amelia Snow, this season's most sought-after beauty. But Lucas has a reason for wanting Cecily to join the Egyptian Club: His brother went missing during one of Lord Hurston's expeditions to Egypt. An alliance with the explorer's bluestocking daughter could bring Lucas closer to the truth about what happened....or it could lead him to a more dangerous love than either he or Cecily could have imagined.

©2012 Manda Collins (P)2012 Tantor Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Regency Regency Romance Thriller & Suspense Romance Middle East Africa Mystery

Critic reviews

"Collins' debut delivers a fast-paced, adventurous love story that will enthrall [listeners]. Her dynamic characters, a murder and passion combine with the perfect amount of lively repartee." ( Romantic Times)
Engaging Mystery • Strong Characters • Acquired Taste • Likeable Protagonists • Entertaining Romance • Witty Dialogue
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Where does How to Dance With a Duke rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

a bit too much sex, not my cup of tea on that. But story line is good

not bad

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The story was good. The sex scenes seemed unnecessarily long and too explicit for my taste. But that is all too common.

The greatest problem I have with the recording is the pronounced "lisp" the narrator has of the type where her "r's" often sound like "w's" and she always has a stuffy nasal quality. In essence she sounds like a child. The poor woman also has an unfortunate accent carefully schooled but which is occassionally glaringly obvious. Sadly her acting was great!

Painful to Listen to

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What made the experience of listening to How to Dance With a Duke the most enjoyable?

I adore Anne Flosnick but I found the descriptive prose in this volume a cut about the usual. The heroine is one of my favorites ever. I loved her character development and her style.

What did you like best about this story?

The gambling matches between the newlyweds. I liked all of the sideplots with the supporting cast. The book was very well paced. Motivations were explained and it was very satisfying to discover this author.

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

Another winner. I have to admit sometimes when I need something to listen to I search for this narrator.

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

I savored it a bit. I wanted it to last because it was worth the listen and when I heard a thought provoking plotline I chose to take a break. Once you finish a listen then it is not new and I enjoyed each new chapter.

My first "look at Tessa Dare but not my last"

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Would you try another book from Manda Collins and/or Anne Flosnik?

Yes

Would you recommend How to Dance With a Duke to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, if you're looking for light entertainment - this will do nicely.

Do you think How to Dance With a Duke needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, this does not need a follow-up book. The characters have been taken as far as they can be. I can't imagine a storyline that wouldn't seem like a re-hash of this one.

Any additional comments?

Its a little formulaic as romance novels go - stubborn girl - charming rich guy.... She won't listen to him because she's pig-headed which causes conflict - in the end they love each other...

Entertaining

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I had a hard time listening to this story as the performance was utterly horrible for the masculine parts. I would love to hear from someone else.

Good Story, Bad Reading

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I like Manda Collins but the narration was a struggle to listen to. I tried to overlook the narration but I almost didn't finish the book because of it. The story was good because the mystery was written well all the way to the end. If the narrator would have been different, it would have been an excellent read.

The narration was challenging the story was good.

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The mystery in this book is what really makes it, the development of the romance being secondary in many ways. Of course, the romance could not develop without the protagonists working at finding the answers to the questions they have. I liked the protagonists, especially because I have a fondness for bluestockings and the men who are open-minded enough to see beyond the intellectual bent of the woman. Intelligence and spinsterhood (a woman being over 22 or so made her almost unmarriagable) were huge drawbacks in the old days - you know, that time before the 1960s. Anne Flosnik is not in the category of favorite narrators, but she is does a tolerably good job, especially if I don't listen to too many of her narrations in a row.

A compelling mystery with romance on the side

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I have never been one for historical novels, so I am always surprised how Manda Collins' stories draw me in. It takes a moment for me to get used to the sound of the narrator's voice (maybe she is a matronly British woman?), but once I get in the groove I can quickly get caught up in the story.

These characters are all driven by honor and the proper behavior of polite society -- but the reader comes away contemplating whether there was indeed this much steamy sex during the reserved Georgian era. I find myself wondering if, as the hero tells his lady, gentlemen of the day considered it their duty to insure that their ladies have a climactic experience in bed -- because the notion that anyone in this patriarchal society concerned themselves with what sex was like for women is very hard to believe.

Regardless, the author weaves a story that juggles the thrills her characters experience as they partner to solve a life and death mystery with the thrills they experience when they become partners in bed. Some of the drama she tries to drum up through the heroine's fear of letting herself fall in love is a bit tedious and is drawn out too long, but in general this book was an entertaining escape.

I am always surprised how these stories draw me in

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If you’re worried about the other reviews of the narrator, try the sample and speed it up. I don’t know why but often I think that English narration has maybe been slowed down in editing for US audiences? Well, I think she sounds way better at 1.2x.

Try the sample

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This book is a good start to the series. The characters are well developed and interesting. The romantic storyline kept my interest and I liked the fact that it had a mystery in the story too. I have read Anne Flosnik's narrations before so I was used to her. She's kind of an acquired taste. Check the sample and see if you like her narration before you buy it. I enjoyed it anyway.

Nice Romance and Mystery

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