Today, I’m reviewing the audiobook for The Duchess of Sydney #histfic #audio #blogtour #historicalromance

Here’s the blurb

Betrayed, maliciously accused, and transported. Will she ever be free?

Betrayed by her family and convicted of a crime she did not commit, Georgiana is sent halfway around the world to the penal colony of Sydney, New South Wales. Aboard the transport ship, the Lady Amelia, Lieutenant Francis Brooks, the ship’s agent, becomes her protector, taking her as his “sea-wife”. Not because he has any interest in her, but because he has been tasked with the duty.

Despite their mutual distrust, the attraction between them grows. But life has not played fair with Georgiana. She is bound by family secrets and lies. Will she ever be free again–free to be herself and free to love?

Purchase Links

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Duchess-of-Sydney-Audiobook/B0C86JJPCV

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Duchess-of-Sydney-Audiobook/B0C86PCZ3G

My Review

The Duchess of Sydney is a really fascinating story, revolving around Georgiana, who finds herself being sent on a penal ship to Australia for a crime she didn’t commit, which she freely admits, but we don’t learn about the nature of the crime until much further through the story.

There is very much a ‘will they, won’t they’ narrative to this tale, but it is much more than a historical romance. I found the portrayal of the voyage really interesting and I confess, I had to Google the route taken from Britain to Australia because it seemed so higgledy piggedly, but was, obviously, correct. Following the ship on its many stops along the way, I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative, and the peril our character finds herself in. And on arrival in Sydney, the story continues, and we finally also discover the truth of what happened in Britain.

I found the narration to be really good – and there are some fabulous accents.

This tale is sure to appeal to fans of historical mystery and historical romance. A really enjoyable and interesting story.

Meet the author

Dawn spent much of her childhood making up stories filled with romance, drama and excitement. She loved fairy tales, although if she cast herself as a character, she’d more likely have played the part of the Court Jester than the Princess. She didn’t recognise it at the time, but she was searching for the emotional depth in the stories she read. It wasn’t enough to be told the Prince loved the Princess, she wanted to know how he felt and to see him declare his love. She wanted to see the wedding. And so, she’d furnish her stories with those details. 

Nowadays, she hopes to write books that will engage readers’ passions. From poignant stories set during the First World War, to the zany antics of the inhabitants of the fictitious town of Basilwade; and from historical romances, to the fantasy adventures of a group of anthropomorphic animals led by a chicken with delusions of grandeur, she explores the richness and depth of human emotion.

A book by Dawn will offer laughter or tears – or anything in between, but if she touches your soul, she’ll consider her job well done.

She has been a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for 2017 and 2020, Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2018 and Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award 2018.

Dawn has also written two plays about the First World War, which have been performed in England, Germany and France.

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Meet the narrator

Abigail Langham is an Olivier Award-nominated actor, teacher, and audiobook narrator originally from the UK now living and working in the United States. Additionally, Abi is a voice, speech, accent, and dialect coach and a licensed Clinical Therapist with Masters’ degrees in Voice Studies, Teaching, and Learning in Higher Education and Clinical Mental Health Counselling. Abi has narrated numerous audiobook titles to date working for some well-known publishing houses. Abi’s body of work is carefully curated and she records material that she feels drawn to and passionate about. Abi brings a love of reading and a desire to bring stories to life with sensitivity, attention to detail, and passion. Abi particularly enjoys recording historical fiction and Regency romance novels and adores intelligent writing that encompasses expansive feelings.