Amy Jarecki is one of my go-to authors when I am looking for some historical shenanigans. These two characters were no different than any of the others I have enjoyed so much. The characters were the story under the goals of the two. Eleanor was strong and independent, but hid behind a mask.

Philip Battley was the addition that allowed for the story to play like a movie in your mind without turning pages or tapping a screen.

This was my first novel /audiobook of this genre, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I must say the listening was easy and entertaining, the narrator does an excellent job of impersonating all the characters with different tones of voice and different accent. 
I didn't care much about the sex scenes, I felt they weren't necessary and made me cringe a little.
All in all the book is enjoyable, and does a very good job of transporting you in another period of time, with beautiful descriptions of palaces and attires. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Woo, okay. I haven't reviewed in a couple of days and I feel weird about doing this review. I also feel like I haven't read a lot lately but I hope to change that in a bit. But today I finally finished this audiobook. It's an historical romance between a Duke and Eleanor, a privateer. I had no idea what that word meant and it's pretty much a legal pirate. She was described as a smuggler but I didn't really feel like I learned a lot about that which is something I was curious about. 

The romance was the focus of the book obviously but unfortunately this one didn't really work for me. Some of the things the characters said had me cringing a little bit. And I noticed a couple of times that the hero kept kissing/touching her etc when the heroine told him no or pulled away but then seemed to like it. It felt a bit icky which made me uncomfortable even if she seemed to like it or whatever. This wasn't my favorite historical romance but it wasn't all terrible and the audio was easy to listen to though. 


<i>(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Really enjoyed this book. Beautifully read by Philip Battley with very distinct voices for each character.
After just one season, Eleanor Kent had to set up a privateering business to stop her family from becoming destitute after her father was left disabled after the war. After many successful years, it looks like it may come to an end as the Prime Minister has put together a taskforce, lead by the Duke of Danby, to stop smugglers.
Sherborn Price, the Duke of Danby is fascinated by Eleanor when he meets her at a party held by the Prince Regent. He also knows that her family have a shipping business which may be involved in smuggling. He decides to employ her to redesign a room in his house so that he can ferret out if there is anything going on.
A very will they/won’t they story with both characters unsure of the attraction they feel for each other. There are some unexpected elements thrown in which don’t really add to the story and seem unnecessary. Its seems like a long listen (29 chapters) but the lengths vary. Overall a interesting read/listen.

The Duke's Privateer by Amy Jarecki was a slow like for me. I wasn't so sure about it when the book started and I wasn't sure what was keeping me from falling in love with it. It took me a few chapters to actually get into it, but once I did, it was amazing!!! I loved the story and the slow burn romance, the whole will they/won't they/when will they kept me interested. I loved the characters and how perfect they were for each other, but they just couldn't/didn't want to see it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good historical fiction/romance.

I am unable to get to this title and won't be able to leave a review in a timely manner due to health issues.

I enjoyed this audio book and believe the narrator Philip, is quite perfect!
We find Eleanor, a young self-named spinster, and a smuggler helping the Prince of England decorate his home.  Meanwhile, the Duke is heading a task force to stop the smugglers!  Eleanor is a very strong and caring woman who turned to smuggling to save her home and family, and the Duke is a kind and honorable man who is trying to right the coffers of Britain!  
I won’t tell you the tale, but I think you’ll enjoy it!

The Dukes privateer was a good but very interesting listen. To start off the titles a little misleading. Before even before starting this book I looked up the definition of privateer since I didn’t originally know it and per the definition it gave a privateer, basically, is a pirate with papers. They are people who have privately owned commerce ships fully equipped with weapons that would be contracted out by the governments to attack vessels. Now in the Dukes privateer the main character did have a privately owned commerce vessel that was fully equipped with cannons though it was not being used to attack enemy lines or enemy ships it was basically just a ship under her name. Smuggler would have been a much more accurate description of what Eleanor did and it would’ve been just as captivating as privateer for the title. Now going into the contents of the book it was fairy well laid out had a very engaging plot line. It could’ve gone without the vivid descriptions of erotic encounters between the main characters or at least warned of the content. The ended was sweet and heart warming 
I did enjoy the narrators voice. It was very smooth and pleasing through it all. I would suggest this as a nice light listen so I would be suggest carefulness of where you listen to it as it is not appropriate for all locations.

I do not usually read/listen to this type of book and, to be truthful I started listening with low expectations, however...I thoroughly enjoyed it! Amy Jarecki has written a little gem and Philip Battley narrates it beautifully.  

The story centres on the Duke of Danby, a renowned rake and friend of the Prince Regent. At a dinner at the Brighton Pavilion, he becomes better acquainted with Eleanor Kent who, unknown to him, smuggles in Chinoiserie for the Prince's fantastic palace, so that HRH can have the style he wants without bankrupting the kingdom for a third time. The growing love between these two and the misunderstandings that affect their relationship is the core of the story.

Amy Jarecki writes well and with a degree of humour which I have found to be absent in other Regency romances. Her novel reminded me of Georgette Heyer who wrote beautifully and whose background knowledge of the period was encyclopaedic,  as a schoolgirl I devoured her books. Amy Jarecki uses the same tools but has updated the genre for the 21st century by including sex. An enjoyable read for fans of historical romance.

This romance novel set in England during the early 1800's has an interesting plot line.  The heroine's titled family is faced with financial ruination.  Rather than marry a wealthy man (which most women in her situation would do), the heroine takes matters into her own hands and saves the family by becoming one of England's wealthiest, most successful privateers.  When the heroine meets the duke charged with arresting the privateers and bringing them to justice, sparks fly.  The story is a fun romp to a predictable HEA.  The narration is excellent.

There is so much to love about this book! The cat and mouse game Eleanor and the Duke of Danby play with one another is a lot of fun and completely charming. I liked how he was smitten with her from the beginning and how he hated finding any fault with her business dealings. Eleanor is a strong and independent lady and I admired her entrepreneurial spirit as well as the loyalty she inspired in those who worked for her. 
The Duke is a kind and gentle character but is determined to put an end to as many smuggling enterprises as he could which unknowingly pits him against the woman he is falling in love with. His endeavours to find himself in her company was both sweet and humorous. 
The narrator did an excellent job and I liked the way he performed both characters.

I listened to an audio book so I can’t attest to any typos of any kind in the written novel. 
I’m not sure that the narrator of the arc is the final one, but he was amazing and made the story!

Eleanor Kent has fallen on hard times since war has left her father unable to walk or talk. She had picked up his privateer trade for importations but does a little smuggling on the side. 

The Duke of Danby is leading the charge against illegal smuggling and starts to suspect Eleanor may be more than she seems. 

The Duke genuinely likes Eleanor but she questions his sincerity. Does he like her or is he just trying to find out more about her operations?

They are forced to marry about halfway through the book. I was expecting it to go the way of most romance books where there is lots of angst and tension between the two. With a lot of going back and forth of desire and hate, the characters have passion at night but hate each other during the day. It did not go this way! It was a very nice story where they came together naturally. They got to know one another without the sex. They fell in love slowly and realistically. 

I also liked how the Duke was described as a rake but he was almost timid with his wife because he liked and respected her so much. I will definitely be reading more from this author! It was a delight. 

I received this audio book from NetGalley for an honest review.

<b>Actual Rating: 4.5 🌟</b>

<i><b>CW/TW:</b> parental illness, child abandonment, parental death, illegal privateering, unconcerned kissing, sex on page, headwound</i>

Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

I have no words to describe how much I enjoyed this book. And holy wow, Phillip Battley does not come to play when it came to the narrations. Honestly speaking, Battley gives thus book that little extra something that just makes the story so much more.

Amy Jarecki has put together something special here. The writing is fun and easy to read and the characters are all interesting. Eleanor and Danby are well written main characters, never losing their charm. They're both interesting and have been written in such a way that makes one want to root for their success.

This book is so well written that even the supporting characters are not lacking. Everyone has a role to play and they play it well.

Again, I have to commend Phillip Battley on the narration work because whow, it is spot on, the voices, the dialogue, is carried so well and draws you into the story, allowing for a person to simply get lost in the tale that is being woven. 

The story itself is intuguing and fun and there isn't a dull moment throughout. Every chapter is handled well and is hardly ever lacking of a fun moment, and every character is well thought out and plays their part. I really, truly enjoyed this book so, so much.

The Duke's Privateer blurb really appealed to me and looked like it had all the makings of a fine period romance- although as per the title, I expected the protagonist to be a privateer - but it turns out she is a smuggler of sorts and not a privateer/pirate at all - slightly disappointing. I liked Eleanor for the most part, who is independent, strong-willed and has self-made wealth; although at times she acted a bit insecure and out of character. Despite the character inconsistencies the book was a decent ‘read’. The Narrator was OK; although the narration felt a little stilted at times. Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book and leave an honest review.

DNF @ 26%

I was super stoked since this had generally high ratings. The premise was set up quite well actually and the writing was well done, but when they went off on a horse ride into the woods she finds a baby and decides to keep it??? Sorry I don't want orphan infants suddenly taking over my romance narrative, and we had just barely started showing interest beyond his sneaking around/trying to expose her as a smuggler. Just gonna DNF and move on.

I'm not quite sure how to review this, its a book of two halves really. 
At its heart it's a historical romance set in the Georgian era, between Eleanor Kent, daughter of a Viscount & the Duke of Danby. 
Eleanor is an independent & enterprising young woman who is friends with the Prince Regent & is keeping her ailing father's business going - though he is probably not aware of her sideline in smuggling luxury goods without paying tax! Sherbourne Danby is young, attractive, very eligible and a notorious womaniser. The two meet by chance at an event hosted by the Prince Regent - Eleanor is there because she has been his interior designer (& has imported some unique items to decorate his rooms with!). Unfortunately for Eleanor, she soon discovers that the charming Duke of Danby has been tasked with uncovering the truth about some smuggling/tax evasion schemes ...

This book is very typical of the Mills&Boon style, Eleanor is flattered by the charming Duke but tries to ignore him. The Duke is intrigued by a woman who doesn't seem to want him. They ultimately fall in love  blah blah blah ... it did take a chapter or two to get into as the story but I was not aware that this was the third book in a series. It does work as a standalone. 
I listened to the audiobook & once I got beyond the first chapter or two, I found the narrator easy to listen to. He used voice to differentiate between the characters with consistency - I wasn't so keen on his narration during the passionate scenes, but I am not sure whether that was because I didn't feel that the detailed sex scenes were necessary to the book, or because the narrator's voice stayed quite flat & professional during such intense times. 
My dilemma with this book is really around the genre - I enjoyed the historical setting & the unusual storyline was interesting. I didn't like the sex scenes or feel that there was a necessity to include them. If this had been a TV show, it would have been classed as gratuitous - the book could have been in a completely different class if this had been hinted at rather than so explicit. 
Overall, if you like a romance with a decent underlying storyline, or a historical romance you will probably like this book, however if you dislike the traditional Mills&Boon style romance, or dislike detailed sex scenes, this may not be for you. 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own. #TheDukesPrivateer #NetGalley

The story line for this book itself was really great but I could not get past the lack of emotion in the narrator's voice to really be able to enjoy it.  I found myself bored and unable to follow the story well.  It simply became monotonous in tone, and I was unable to continue listening without feeling like I was being lulled to sleep with the narration.

Too long,  tedious  and boring 

I love audio books and this was a new author to me. I didn't realise it was the third book in a series and it can be read as a standalone. 

The narrator tried too hard and I just wasn't carried away with the story. 

Sherwood, the Duke of Danby is a renowned rake and is asked to lead the taskforce to  rid the kingdom of smugglers. 

The Honorable Eleanor Kent hides behind the image of a self-proclaimed spinster… though in truth she’s one of England’s most sought-after privateers.
 
When their paths cross at a royal dinner,  Danby suspects the stunning redheaded woman is more than she seems and he engages her to consult on a house redecoration which she accepts.  The story is now set on how their relationship will make-or-break. 

I warmed to Sher but not Eleanor  who i found shrewish and ungrateful, although she was kind to her family and employees. She seemed to be all about propriety but when it truly mattered, she didn't abide by the rules at all.  I loved his late "courtship" and  did wonder why he bothered! 

It didn't feel the story or characters plausible on so many levels and there were so many current words used that it didn't sit right with me. 

I found it very hard to  carry on listening and if I wasn't reviewing it  I would have given up half way through as it was far too long, tedious and boring. I will not be reading any more books by this author.  

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING
AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS AUDIBLE BOOK

The Dukes's Privateer by Amy Jarecki is a delightful cat and mouse listen.  I so enjoyed the vivid imagery, intriguing characters and meddlesome matchmakers.  The author injected some humor as well as historical details in this captivating listen.  Philip Battley performed this book very well.  He brought the characters to life with his voice and I knew exactly whom was speaking.Net Galley thank you so very much for letting me listen to a review copy.  I so enjoyed this book!  The book is both part of a series and a standalone listen.

So, The Duke's Privateer, is the first book I have read by Amy Jarecki. After reading this one, my first thought was wondering why I have not discovered her before. I loved this book. It was a fun story that had me entertained all of the way through. I loved Eleanor and Danby together. They had undeniable chemistry. It was so very good. I was excited to find out it was part of a series called, Devilish Dukes. I will most definitely be looking for the previous books.

The Duke's Privateer is getting a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy historical romance. It is so very good. Amy Jarecki has earned herself a new fan.

I received The Duke's Privateer from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion