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These Old Shades

The Alastair-Audley Series, Book 1

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These Old Shades

By: Georgette Heyer
Narrated by: Sarah Nichols
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Society believes the worst of Justin Alastair, the notorious Duke of Avon. When he encounters a young boy, Léon, who is running from his abusive brother, Avon employs the boy as his page, parading him around parties and other society events in full view of his bitter rival, the Comte de Saint-Vire.

But the truth is soon uncovered: Léon is in fact a girl named Léonie and is actually the legitimate child of the Comte and his wife. While Avon is intent on his plan to reveal the Comte’s duplicity and ruin him publicly, he is charmed by Léonie’s kindness, falls in love, and becomes a changed man.

First published in 1926 to great commercial success, These Old Shades showcases Heyer at her romantic best and remains a charming and entertaining listen for all fans of historical romances.

Public Domain (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing Historical Historical Fiction Romance
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Devil's Cub By: Georgette Heyer
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The narrator is not good, she can’t create the right tones for different characters and some of the accents are overdone.
I didn’t enjoy her voice and only kept listening as I love the story. Please re-record with someone else! Thanks

Fab story from Georgette Heyer

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At last it is possible to listen to this superb book without cringing too often or having ones ears blasted off by a shouting narrator. I have said all along that it should have been a female narrator. Thank you for listening. Hopefully we will now get a few more books changed too. This lady made a reasonably good job of it in my view although there were some problems I feel.
Overall I was at last happy listening to this book.

much better narrator

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It takes a lot to detract from Heyer’s amazing storytelling, but the reading felt like being trapped in an episode of Allo,Allo, with mangled French pronunciations getting in the way of enjoyment and sentences being delivered in breathless chunks. To each his own but this didn’t do it for me.

Great story, shame about the reading

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This is my favourite Georgette Heyer book, full of intrigues and adventures. The time it is set in, Georgian England, (not regency) is evocatively captured. The details of the rich clothing, the French court, even the smaller details of home life (all be it the home life of the nobility) adding to the richness and depth of the story.
Our Heroine is both young and experienced, having had a disadvantaged life, and Avon is cynical and a little weary of his life looking for ways to best others using people and situations to his own advantage, until she explodes into his life.
I had listened to an earlier version where the narrator didn't get Satanas right and I was disappointed. This version is excellent- the narrator Sarah Nichols does a really good job with all the characters, bringing the book to life and I highly recommend it. This version is 5 stars all around

This Version is spot on.

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Very well written and engaging. Beats most of the modern day romances that are filled with tropes and one dimensional characters.

Surprisingly good

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