Audio Book Review: My Lord Winter by Carola Dunn #Fridayreads

My Lord Winter
Regency Romance
Carola Dunn
Audible Audio
Tara-Louise Kaye - Narrator
Tata House LLC - Publisher
6 hrs 30 minutes
$17.46

BOOK BLURB: Lady Jane Brooke sought shelter when her coach broke down, and found herself at the Earl of Wintringham’s estate. Trying to conceal her identity, she introduced herself as a governess. Lord Winter, as the apparently cold earl was called, thawed in response to the delightful Miss Brooke, but she knew he would never approve of her deception.

REVIEW: The story has the usual elements that fans of regency romance look for. The mis-matched couple, the people working to keep them apart, and all of the airs that people put on while attending the fancy balls and other social gatherings during "the season." 

What makes each book unique is the cast of characters, especially the two lead characters; and in this case we have the delightfully impish Lady Jane and the troubled Lord Winter.  

Lady Jane is controlled by her mother who wants Jane to embrace the social norms of the ton and behave in all the proper ways. Lord Winter is controlled by his aunt. She wants him to marry one of the ladies she's chosen for him, and she isn't willing to accept the fact that he'd rather stay at the country estate to take care of the family interests there. He couldn't care a whit about one of those pretentious ladies his aunt has selected to be his bride.

The ruse that Jane is simply Jane when she arrives on Lord Winter's doorstep with the other passengers of the mail coach after it breaks down is what drives most of the plot of this story, and that secret identity is a common trope in romances. It works well for most of this book, but Jane's reluctance to tell Lord Winter the truth drags on a bit longer than what I thought necessary. And the ending of the story was rather abrupt. 

For me, some books are best read in print or electronically, and that proved true for My Lord Winter. While listening to this audiobook, it was often hard to follow the action and dialogue in scenes that had a lot of characters. The narrator did a commendable job giving each major character a distinct voice, but distinctions were less obvious in those busy scenes. When there were less people, especially the scenes with Jane and her governess, Miss Gracechurch, and then with Lord Winter, it was easier to distinguish the voices. 

Jane's sense of humor, and her willingness to let it shine, is an integral element of her personality. The comradery and teasing that goes back and forth between her and Miss Gracechurch lets the reader see that sense of humor, as well as the bond that connects them. 

It was also delightful to see how Jane uses that element of fun to thaw the "cold-hearted" Lord Winter. 

Balancing her responsibilities to the potential beaus Lady Jane meets at the customary balls that are held to pair eligible young men and women with her "dates" with Lord Winter, leads to some interesting subterfuge. She is aided by Ella and Albert, who soon develop their own romance, as does Miss Gracechurch with the lawyer Mr. Selwyn. Those two lines of sub-plot were handled deftly and added quite a bit of interest to the story, as well as giving the reader more characters to enjoy. 

If you're a fan of regency romance, this is a good story to read, and if you aren't already a fan of the genre, My Lord Winter is easy reading with characters that will quickly have you looking for more from Carola Dunn.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carola Dunn is the author of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries, the Cornish Mysteries, and over 30 Regencies. Born and raised in England, the author now lives with her dog in Eugene, Oregon, USA. To find out more about Carola, visit her WEBSITE

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REVIEW BY MARYANN MILLER 

Maryann Miller is a novelist, editor, and sometimes an actress. She's written a number of mysteries, including the critically-acclaimed Seasons Mystery Series that debuted with Open Season. Information about her books and her editing rates is available on her website.