• My Wicked Marquess

  • Inferno Club
  • By: Gaelen Foley
  • Narrated by: Annette Chown
  • Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (220 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
My Wicked Marquess  By  cover art

My Wicked Marquess

By: Gaelen Foley
Narrated by: Annette Chown
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

"Always fabulous." (Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times Best-selling author)

Publisher's summary

The Inferno Club, a scandalous gathering of wealthy libertines and highborn rakehells devoted to their wicked pleasures. Or so they are known to London society. Little does the world suspect the true purpose of the Inferno Club - or the unseen threat looming over England, which these select, powerful lords are secretly sworn to fight.

Recruited as lads from noble families, trained in an array of deadly arts, they are the operatives of a covert order so mysterious that few beyond the crown even know it exists. As dutiful peers of the realm, however, they are expected to take wives - and marriage may prove their most perilous mission yet! For it takes a lady of uncommon spirit to love an especially dangerous hero.

With the war against Napoleon winding down, the Marquess of Rotherstone decides it's time to restore his family's tainted reputation. But as a member of the Inferno Club, he knows there is only one way to redeem himself in society's eyes: marry an impeccable young lady of beauty and breeding, whose behavior is well beyond reproach.

Someone quite unlike Miss Daphne Starling. True, she is temptingly lovely, but a whiff of scandal suggests the blond beauty may be a jilt who enjoys toying with her suitors' emotions. Still, Max cannot resist her allure - or the challenge of proving London's gossips wrong. Pursuing her with a spy's cool, calm calculation, he is soon swept up in the chase. He would do anything to win her hand...and prove that even a very wicked marquess can become the ideal husband.

©2009 Gaelen Foley (P)2015 Gaelen Foley

Critic reviews

>"Foley's most powerful novel to date!" ( RT Book Reviews)

What listeners say about My Wicked Marquess

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    105
  • 4 Stars
    63
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    92
  • 4 Stars
    60
  • 3 Stars
    29
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    58
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

HMMM, IT'S A SERIES-AUDIBLE LAGGING

Disappointed to realise (at end of this audible) this is part of a series which is not yet available on audible or amazon Australia! I have had this occur on other series and it starts to become quite annoying. As for this audible, I liked Max the main male lead, the female lead, Daphne drove me crazy with her continual annoying thought process regarding male control and dishonesty etc. etc. etc.. but hung in there as the story had promise and I hoped the ending would bring it all together gloriously only to get a quick wind up of My Wicked Marquees and the confusing introduction to book 2, which is not available on audible or amazon Australia yet... Searched for series and alas there is currently 7 books in the series written, yet only 1 available on audible. Not happy and will not bother following through with this series. I suggest Australian audible listeners browse net prior to downloading any audible to check if part of a series or check author through audible to see what is available to download in Australia. I get very annoyed when I download an audible only to find the next book, (in a series) is not available. If I wanted to read a hard copy, I wouldn't be an audible listener. Will request return on this audible, very disappointed all round.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Regency Romance With a Bit of Suspense

What made the experience of listening to My Wicked Marquess the most enjoyable?

The contrast of personalities between Daphne and Max.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Daphine's great aunt the dowager dragon duchess. Every one is afraid of Daphine's great aunt and she sets the trends. She has the control that Daphine yearns for.

What aspect of Annette Chown’s performance would you have changed?

Her voice was sort of weak and timid. A more commanding distinctive voice would of been nice.

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

It was a fairly good book and enjoyable but not so much as to want to listen to it in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

Daphine is somewhat spoiled in some ways, is very generous and loving, wears her heart on her sleeve and is very trusting and sometimes a bit silly. Max hides his emotions and is very pragmatic. He is closed and secretive as he has had to be in order to survive. Max and Daphine balance each other, however besides being very open Daphine is curious, demands to be in control and not controlled by others and will not accept Max's secrets. As Max is a spy, Daphine snoops and learns things things best left unopened.

The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger with an introduction to the next book. I am hooked and am eagerly awaiting the next book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

The narrator is too sugary sweet.

Started out with strong, almost too hard edge. Towards the end it was so sugary sweet I had to skip forward and sighed with relief when it ended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thanks be to have this in audio!

Daphne is something of a twit, but she is only 20 and a product of the time in which she lives. She falls for the man who wants her but doesn't know how to deal with himself, let alone her. I don't know any spies, but I do know about military who return from war and law enforcement men who can't share the things they've seen and done. Just like Max. He has been involved in Good vs Evil for a very long time, and has never known a family life. So, there's the background, and the publisher's summary gives hints to the action. There is also a secondary story line which is a set-up for the rest of this fascinating series. Jump in and enjoy the ride!
Annette is a fine audio performer and is able to project the emotions of the characters. But. She is in a higher voice range which I cannot like and it is especially annoying when portraying men.
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I couldn't even finish it.

The story was slow and the narration was immature. I couldn't finish it. Not for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wicked Good Book!

YEAH! That is what i want in my Historical romance! My Wicked Marquess: Inferno Club is that book. I loved this! Good vs Evil storyline is also a fun thing i like. iI's hard to stop listening to the story, and that is saying something. I never had so much fun from a author i never ever heard about before. Gaelen Foley is so good as it gets when it comes to historical romance,

12 hrs and 54 mins with Annette Chown never feels like i am lost. her english accent fits this book like a hand to a glove. I am amazed about how few books there is with her as a narrator. She is just as fantastic as the book is. And that is saying something about the quality in this book.

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

What a mess

What would have made My Wicked Marquess better?

A tighter storyline and a more engaging heroine.

What was most disappointing about Gaelen Foley’s story?

Daphne, the heroine, was completely TSTL. When Max said that he'd asked her father for her hand in marriage before speaking to her, she flew off the rails (in spite of the fact that was very much the done thing at the time). When Max mentioned he'd paid her father's debts, she accused him of wanting to buy her, and refused to listen to his explanation that he had withheld the information at her father's request. All the time, she persisted in thinking that Max was trying to control her - he wasn't, and quite honestly I don't know what he saw in her. There was no chemistry between them at all.

The plot is full of info dumps - which were difficult to follow, especially given the lacklustre narration. Clearly, there is a lot of back-story and set-up for future books, but that doesn't make for interesting listening. There has to be some, of course, but there was way too much here.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Ms Chown has a pleasant enough voice, but it lacks colour and nuance. Women and men are performed in more or less the same register so that at times I had difficulty working out who was speaking in scenes in which the hero and heroine appeared together. She was unable to imbue the villains with any sense of menace so that they seemed cartoonish.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. I have read some of the later books in this series and enjoyed them, so was pleased to see this in audio. I admit that I had misgivings about it being read by a completely unknown narrator (according to an interview on Ms Foley's website, this is Ms Chown's first audiobook recording) - and I wasn't wrong to have felt that way.

Any additional comments?

Ms Chown has some good points as a narrator - she uses a number of regional accents well, and on the whole differentiates well between characters, but her male characters are not convincing. I'm not sure the historical romance genre is for her, given the nature of her voice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent historical romance with intrigue.

Any additional comments?

My Wicked Marquess (The Inferno Club #1) by Gaelen Foley is an excellent historical romantic story set in the Regency era shortly after the Napoleonic Wars. Our hero is Max, the Marquess of Rotherstone, is much more noble than his notorious reputation of debauchery lets the public see. Thankfully, our heroine, Daphne Starling, immediately sees through Max's charade, despite being a lady of impeccable beauty and breeding. However, she refuses to marry Max unless he is 100% honest with her. This puts Max and all the members of the Inferno Club in danger because they are secretly protecting the king and country from those plotting to destroy England.

The two main characters are simply charming. Max continually shows a gentle and compassionate side that many of the ton fail to see. And Daphne would rather clothe orphans than receive a priceless necklace from Max. They truly deserve each other and I'm so glad Max finally gave "in" and told Daphne everything about his fears, apprehensions, and past that includes a family lineage dating back to the Crusades.

I listened to the Audible version of the book narrated By Annette Chown. Despite clocking in at about 13 hours, she maintained different and consistent voices for all characters, including Max's Scottish boss. Her narration definitely contributed to my enjoyment of this book. I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fun & Intrigue

Awesome writing & wonderful narration! Ms. Foley does an amazing job setting up the back story for this series while giving readers a heartwarming story of a lost hero finally finding love.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very Enjoyable

I was twice surprised by this book from Gaelen Foley. I originally thought it was a new release, but found it was an older book newly released in audio that I hadn't heard about, so it was new to me. Having read Ms. Foley before, I was also surprised by how different it felt than her other work I have read. This is a series in which it's not just the story of one couple and then continues on with a story about another character from a previous book, which I also love. But, this is a true serial, in which part of the story is completed, but more remains to be revealed. In this story we are treated to Max and Daphne. Max is quite likable from the beginning. Daphne tends to be unreasonable at times which makes for some humorous situations for the reader and frustrating ones for Max. She's so determined not to attach herself to a man that can't open himself completely to her, that she often has Max feeling more frustrated and confused than resistant. We follow their story from their meeting to their happily ever after. However, we are introduced to the inferno club, and all of its secrets are not revealed. It left me wanting to know more about the inferno club and glad book 2 is already available.

The narrator, Annette Chown, did a wonderful job. I was left with a question about Drake's mother. At times it sounded as though his mother spoke with a Jamaican lilt. It did not detract. It just made me wonder if she'd grown up, or spent some time their. It was interesting to hear. I don't yet know Drake's story. Ms. Chown did a great job bringing these characters to life and expressing the story itself.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful