Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman

By: Lorraine Heath

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

As the black sheep second son of an Earl, Stephen Lyons has gained a reputation in the art of seduction, but when his wicked ways result in scandal, he joins the army to redeem himself. On the battlefield, he proves courageous... until he is seriously wounded. Returning home to recover, he discovers he can't remember the angelic beauty who arrives at his doorstep, his babe nestled in her arms.

Mercy Dawson will risk everything to protect the son of the dashing soldier she once knew and admired. When Stephen offers to do the honorable thing, she is determined that London's most notorious gentleman will desire her and no other. But Mercy fears that what began as an innocent deception could destroy her dreams and their blossoming love if Stephen ever learns the scandalous truth...

They are masters of seduction, London's greatest lovers. Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one... until love takes them by surprise.

©2011 Jan Nowasky (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Odd title for this story

The reason I say that this is an odd title is that it really doesn't have that much to do with the story. Sure, the hero was a rake before going to the Crimean War, but it really doesn't enter into the plot. The meat of the story is how he deals with his injuries and the effect they have on the plot line. It was kind of gut-wrenching for me because I knew I was going to cry at some point. The setting was nice in that it was in the 1850s and I have been reading or listening to many Regency romances ( reviews soonish), so the change was good. There was character growth, especially in the male protagonist. There really was no antagonist except for the situations in which the characters find themselves. Okay, as for the narration, I have to say that I didn't find Anne Flosnik to be as irritating as I have in the past.

Very very good!

This book has a lot of romance with a meaningful, serious--but not too serious--story that leads the listener down a path with hope but not certainty about how things will unfold. I loved it. The sex in the story is often enough without being overwhelming. Though I generally like overwhelming too. And the sex was not explicit but still detailed enough, not glossed over. Everything fit and worked perfectly. I didn't know what to expect from this author, but I will be looking for more of her stories now. I look for books by Lisa Kleypas, Charlotte Featherstone and Stephanie Laurens in the historical romance genre. I'll now add Lorraine Heath to that esteemed but short list.

This narrator should never, ever read male leads..

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator, dear heavens, the narrator.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Select a different reader.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She sounds like Jane Carr. This name might mean nothing to you unless you look her up and then you will recognize her as a famous character actress, often with brilliant comedic timing, Unfortunately, male leads that should be charismatic are unintentionally lampooned by a reading that makes it seem like a comedy sketch. Female parts are adequate. Not fantastic, but adequate. Male parts are uncomfortably pompous and affected, sounding like, well, Jane Carr (remember the British Airways travel agent in Friends when Rachel has to buy a ticket to London? That was Jane Carr. Great actress, "veddy" funny, but "veddy" bad for a sound-alike for a serious male lead).

Did Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to write a review. I've only done a couple reviews at this point and I had to warn people off this narrator. I think she is fine in her job, but for other genres. Not this genre. She should not read male parts unless it is childrens books that call for a great pomposity and exaggeration of voice.It also is inspiring me to never buy a book with her as narrator again. Alas, I bought a batch with her as the reader (from the same author) since they were part of an overarching story line. I cannot take that back, but I can warn others.

Any additional comments?

The problem is not the story but the narrator. This is not to scare anyone off from the subject or author, just books narrated in fiction by this woman that have significant male roles to be read. It is never fun to be so distracted by a reading you cannot overlook (overlisten?) a poorly done reading.

A PLEASANT LITTLE TALE!

What made the experience of listening to Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman the most enjoyable?

Trying to figure out if Mercy was the mother of that child. When the real mother reappeared.
What will be the outcome of this tale.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman?

When he chased Mercy from the house after finding out her hidding secrets and how she walked away proudly.

What does Anne Flosnik bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narration was very good. The different characters voices and emotion.

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

Yes!

Tedious and poorly narrated

I think the story was pretty good....could have been better. Characters were not interesting. There was too much sex for me. IMHO, sex in a book is like icing on a cake and should complement and or enhance the flavor. Too much sex...as with too much icing is unpleasant. A different narrator would probably enhance the flavor of this book. As it is, this won't be a repeat listen for me.

Great story

Great love story! True to many lives. I love the way the writer captured the feeling of coming home from war and how the changes have a huge cost on individuals. I really respect the way the heroine becomes the mother of the child and doesn’t leave him no matter what. Blood lines don’t make a woman a mother, the heart does. True Love

Delightful Agony! Didn't want it to end!

I was in agony waiting for the truth to be found out!!!! But oh what a wonderful road it was! This is such a sweet delicious romance. I didn't want it to end!

Stephen's character gets depth in this book. Heath takes the serious topic of war and uses it as a back bone to the story of a man who has lost 2 years and in the process gained much more.

Stephen and Mercy's relationship had a good path and was super steamy. This whole book is about relationships in duplicate. Mother and Son....Father and Son....there are stories intertwined within stories.

I loved having Westcliffe and Claire and of course the Dutchess and Leo were once again there to give us a lighthearted carefree take on everything. Ainsley is there to keep everyone in line! So we get to see all the characters we have grown to love once again.

LOVED this book! Could listen again and again.

Middle Of The Road

Would you try another book from Lorraine Heath and/or Anne Flosnik?

I'll listen to more by Lorraine Heath in the future, though I try to avoid books narrated by Anne Flosnik. I find her reading style irritating. She tends to over-emote in the form of drawing out vowel sounds for emphasis in a way that comes across as overly dramatic. Other than that, her diction is so painfully precise, with the hard consonants VERY hard, that her delivery seems almost staccato. I doubt I'd have bought this if I'd realized she was the narrator. Luckily I at least got it at a good price due to the Whisper-Sync discount.

If you’ve listened to books by Lorraine Heath before, how does this one compare?

On the spectrum of Lorraine Heath's work, I found this one to be middle of the road: not her best and not her worst. I might have rated it higher with a different reader as I find that an overly dramatic reader can color my impression of the story, leaving me feeling that it was a bit mawkish. Also, I don't particularly care for the trope of starting a relationship with a major lie, no matter how good the reason behind it seems. I did enjoy the development of Stephen's character.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Anne Flosnik?

Almost anyone.

Very Very Enjoyable

Would you listen to Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman again? Why?

Yes and I have. The storyline is very good and the characters enjoyable and interesting.

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

Yes

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

Yes, and the love scene are quite nice.

Any additional comments?

The series is very good and holds your attention. I didn't want to stop listening at any time. I do not like to give spoilers, but I am happy about the ending showing that some things aren't corrected.

GREAT ENTERTAINMENT!

What made the experience of listening to Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman the most enjoyable?

It was a wonderful love story of how the reality of war changes people, and to what depths some people will go for love.. A wonderful, emotional love story, read with feeling.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All players had strong characters, even the butler is memorable. They all had different personalities and strengths, but if I had to choose just one, it would be Mercy. Mercy lived up to her name, giving so much of herself for others. She made mistakes, but for the right reasons.

What does Anne Flosnik bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her ability to change her voice, and put such feeling into the parts is truly commendable, certainly creating word pictures better than most readers could do for themselves. She is a true artist. I now look for audiobooks read by her.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

An emotional, passionate love story in the aftermath of war.