A DUKE, THE LADY, AND A BABY Rogues and Remarkable Women, Book 1

Bahni Turpin voices widowed heiress Patience Jordan in Riley's multicultural Regency romance. Patience fights to be reunited with her infant son despite the Duke of Repington's arrival as his guardian. Turpin rolls out a realistic Demerara (present-day Guyana) accent for Patience with broad vowels and a distinctive intonation. Patience's desperation is well represented by Turpin's forthright dialogue, sometimes edged with hints of panic. Her English accents for Repington and his second-in-command emerge as officious sounding and stiff, making it hard for listeners to connect with Repington and Patience's romance. Turpin depicts characters' thoughts in their native accents but narrates the story softly in an American accent. Listeners will root for Patience but may wonder at her attraction to the prickly Repington. C.A. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2021]