A clever and well-plotted Regency Romance

Any additional comments?

I'm still smiling. Clever humor, a plot that is fun but not over-convoluted; no extra filler, just a well-told story. (No explicit sex.) The interplay between hero and heroine was very fun and the romance made total sense. It comes to a very satisfactory and HEA ending for many. I'm not sure it fits exactly into the Regency genre; Napoleon is gone, but there are few other time clues, but it doesn't matter. This is a short, delicious listen.

Ann Bentinck does quite a good job, although her voice is high enough that her men's voices are not great. I didn't find that a hindrance to my enjoyment, however, she is a very good narrator and the way she approached the reading highlighted the book itself, not her narration, which is how I much prefer to hear books read.

Isabella Barclay, as Jodi Taylor, writes a wonderful series of time travel scientists that is also very clever and whimsical, although a bit darker than this story. I would recommend those books to anyone who likes sci fi/fantasy books, with a small bit of romance thrown in.

138 people found this helpful

Regency romance AND mystery? Count me in.

I've not recently had the pleasure of discovering characters as smart, witty and charming as Mrs. Bascombe and Lord Ryde. The writing here is delicious. Will be following Jodi Taylor's works for a long time to come I think. I also have discovered a new favorite narrator in Anna Bentinck. She was fantastic with her timing, voices, and expression. The mystery is light but still twisty, the romance is believable and satisfying, I may just listen to this again. I'm just sad to find out this is the author's first book in this genre, I really was hoping to discover a pile of them to dive into. I do look forward to discovering her other series and works, they look like fun. Please, Ms. Taylor, do write many more of these. Pretty please?

88 people found this helpful

MORE MORE MORE!!!!

I am not a romance fan.. At all. But I am a HUGE Jodi Taylor fan!!! So, I absolutely gave this a try. I fell in love with her version of a romance!!! Please more... Don't stop writing St Mary's books (please please never ever) but this was throughly enjoyable. I immediately cared about the characters, I was immersed in the world building and snickered all the way through. MORE MORE MORE!

43 people found this helpful

Not up to St. Mary's standards.

I was disappointed in this book, hoping for more in the line of the St. Mary's chronicles. Perhaps using Isabella Barkley as a pseudonym set up the expectation. This one is okay for a really light read, or listen, but don't anticipate any depth of character or much humor.

22 people found this helpful

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

I have to start by saying I don't listen to Historical Romance but I selected this book for a book challenge. Considering I don't enjoy this genre I have to say this book was a pleasant surprise. I was interested from beginning to end and found myself very intrigued by the story. I enjoyed the mystery & excitement as well as the witty banter between the characters and the romance was a lot more than I expected too.

The narration was ok. She was great for the story but her male voices weren't great.

18 people found this helpful

What do you know? Plump, 40ish, sexy heroin KUDOS

What did you love best about A Bachelor Establishment?

The story has mystery and moves along at a nice pace and characters are real. While this story lacks the usual blood and gore of many mysteries, it offers engaging and redeemable characters. I really liked it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The heroin is actually plump, middle-aged, competent and knows how to handle herself with a man - my kind of person

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

Yes. She does change of character well and I like her speed of delivery at a steady, even pace - very listenable.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

People can be misunderstood for years, even a lifetime, but when someone actually takes the trouble to look past what is "known" about a person, sometimes they may be pleasantly surprised.

Any additional comments?

I'd like to read more from this author.

16 people found this helpful

A decent book with one problem (for me)

I have mixed feelings about this book. Much of it was a delightful Regency romance, with the formulaic spunky heroine and ne'er do well hero with a heart of gold. There was humor and enough obstacles to overcome to keep the story going. Not great literature, but a pleasant read/listen.

Then the author decided to throw in a sex scene. I am not a prude and when intrinsic to the plot, sex scenes don't bother me in the least. However, here it was not intrinsic. It was anachronistic, out of character and dropped an otherwise charming read into breathless, bodice-rippy 'insta-passion' cheesy romance novel territory that dropped me completely out of the story. The way the aftermath of it was handled (or not handled as the case may be) also just grated. I never quite got back into the flow of the story.

I doubt I will try anything more from the author.

The narrator did a decent job.

13 people found this helpful

Disappointing

Would you try another book from Jodi Taylor and/or Anna Bentinck?

No.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect of the story was the development of characters. I didn't feel as though they were merely stock-characters, but rather more complex.

The least interesting was the inclusion of a rather explicit love scene that didn't seem to fit anything and made the rest of the story rather unpalatable.

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

She did a marvelous job of giving each character a specific voice. Without making them seem cartoon-ish, she managed to voice not only voice the ladies of various ages, but also the men.

What character would you cut from A Bachelor Establishment?

I didn't feel like there were any extraneous characters.

Any additional comments?

I was very disappointed by the inclusion of an explicit love scene which had no place in a regency-period romance. I would have enjoyed the story much more without it and do not wish to keep the book because of it.

13 people found this helpful

Delightful romance a la Heyer

This is a Regency romance with a little bit of darkness and a lot of humor. The sex is not overstated. Jodi Taylor is know for her St Mary's series on time travel and some of her snarky irony shows up here too. The performance by Anna Bentinck is excellent.

12 people found this helpful

Not St. Mary's But Still A Good Story

Would you consider the audio edition of A Bachelor Establishment to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version but most books are better when listened to. It is so nice to hear the people speak.

Who was your favorite character and why?

His Lord John was my favorite. He tried so hard to do right but was not aware of the facts. She on the other hand put him right. It was a delightful story and I liked the ending.

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

She brings the dialects and accents of the characters. The emphasis on the words and just livens the story up. Audible books are the best!

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

Not necessarily. It didn't have any angst really but it was entertaining.

12 people found this helpful