I was nervous about this book at first because the audiobook narrators Scottish accent was atrocious. But, as the story moved forward, I quickly got over that. This book is whimsical, fun, and deliciously spicy. The FMC was a lovable bookworm, and the MMC was clearly smitten with her from the start. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves an easy read with sexy Scottish lairds, castles, adventurous women, and witty banter.

⭐️: 4
🌶: 4

The writing was fine. everything about it was kind of mid but the voice actor. oh my God. this fucking narrator blew it out of the park. I fucking thought that she was Caelan cuz like damn! And the accents?!? the range?!?!? good Lord I want to see more of this narrator Mary Jane.
I had to listen to this book a little slower because there are so many accents but they hit it out of the park.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for providing access to "Hardly a Gentleman," a novel by Eloisa James and narrated by the incomparable Mary Jane Wells.

I jumped at the chance to listen early because I’ve enjoyed several of Eloisa James’ books, and Mary Jane Wells is one of my all-time favorite narrators. I would’ve finished this in two days if that pesky thing called work hadn’t gotten in the way, but I zipped through it in three.

Mary Jane Wells doesn’t just narrate; she performs. Her work brings stories to life, and "Hardly a Gentleman" was no exception. Her talent makes the words shimmer and bounce. She’s the reason I’ve discovered many new authors—if she’s the narrator, I’m in. I did have a bit of trouble with the Scottish accent at first, but my ears adjusted quickly.

The story itself was a lot of fun. One highlight for me was the author's note at the end, where James explains why she wrote about hygiene the way she did. Like many readers, I often wonder about that when I’m knee-deep in historical fiction or watching yet another Jane Austen adaptation. I’m all for escaping into the past, but I wouldn’t trade modern plumbing or medicine for anything—antibiotics and vaccines for the win.

The hero and heroine were delightfully over the top, and the supporting characters—Caelan’s sister, nephew, mother-in-law, and more—made the story especially rich. I don’t love romances where it’s just the two leads in a vacuum. This book had a full, warm world of people who genuinely care about the laird and lass, and that was a joy to experience.

I also really enjoyed the epilogue. To me, epilogues are like frosting on a cake—delicious and expected.

Caelan’s “big secret” dragged out a bit longer than I would’ve liked, with lots of teasing and not enough clues. And Clara frustrated me at times when she shut down emotionally just as Caelan was starting to open up—but alas, conflict is the road to a satisfying HEA.

One of the reasons I keep coming back to Eloisa James is her gift for blending humor, heart, and history. I’m not interested in damsels in distress, mysteries, or suspense—I want engaging characters, clever dialogue, and a good time. And if you’re looking for spice, this one has it—equal parts funny and frank.

Eloisa James and Tessa Dare are my go-to authors for historical romance with a sense of humor. Lucky for me, James is wonderfully prolific!

Goodness Mary Jane Well's does it again with a fantastic narration. I adore her voices for her characters, especially the MMC Caelan. Her mastery of accents is phenomenal. And she really brought out the hilarity of Eloisa James's writing! It was also a great narration for listening at varying speeds for the readers who listen at 1x and those who listen at or above 2.5x!

There were so many times I laughed out loud during this book. I loved Clara's character from her animal inspired reticules to taking her future into her own hands in a coaching yard in by assuming the identity of a housekeeper. How Caelen fell first and kept asking for her hand. The whole idea that he was like 'you want a castle and books and I have a castle and books' and Clara is like pass. Until she could not pass any longer. I enjoyed Caelen's slight cluelessness on how to win Clara's heart & how his widower past effected him in ways that he did not foresee.

We've got a hidden identity trope (well Clara's attempt at it...), the elements of forced proximity that only a small town can provide as well as a forced union to avoid scandal.

This was a fun romp of a book. In hardly a gentleman we get Clara, who is best friends with Tori who is on the first book (Viscount in love). Clara is in her third or fourth season but without any luck finding a man because the Prince of England (despite being married) keeps making obscene comments about her and being totally inappropriate. The time comes when Clara has had enough and she hits him with her reticule (omg, the scandal!). Her mom decides that best course of action is to send Clara to Scotland so that hopefully the rumors will soon die down.
On her way to Scotland, Clara decides to take ownership of her live and take an adventure and pose as a housekeeper for a castle. For romance reasons she ends up at Caelan's castle who is in pretty bad shape since he has been a widow for the last 2 years. These two have so much chemistry right away and Caelan quickly discovers that Clara is not housekeeper (not when half of your luggage is fill with books!). Caelan slowly shows Clara that she is awesome as she is and doesn't need to change a thing.
These two were meant to be together and I loved how Clara found a new family that accepted her and loved her the way she is (books and all!)
I listen to the audio and Scottish accents are a little hard for me but still a fun experience.

This was an enjoyable book and very fitting for the historical romance category. Clara insults the prince after she's gropped by him. Due to this, her mother choses to ship her to the Highlands. However, upon arriving there, Clara decides to pretend to be a housekeeper to make her own future.

This story was paced well and I found myself laughing out loud while listening. The narrator does a good job of adapting her voice for all the different characters. Her accents are a touch off-putting at first, but I thoroughly enjoyed her narration. By the end of the book, I don't think I could have imagined a different narrator.

Clara is so sweet and honest that its impossible not to like her. I identified with her love for novels and desire to be able to support herself. It was lovely to see Caelan's character progression throughout the novel. He stayed true to himself, while allowing happiness back into his life. Alfie's appearances were my favorite. He was exactly the lighthearted character the novel needed.

While this isnt my favorite Eloisa James novel, it was very good. I found the plot to be predicatable, but James' writing made it enjoyable to see where the story went.

A solid, historical romance with a burly Scottish widow and an independent English woman. When Clara’s 4th season is sullied after an unfortunate incident at a party, she sets off on an adventure by impersonating a housemaid who never showed for her new job. Caelan begins an adventure of his own when a proper English woman shows up at his door. While I enjoy a forced marriage trope story, I found Clara and Caelan’s story VERY rushed. Kissing within 2 days, him proposing marriage immediately after, etc. I also found the language used in the spicy scenes a bit cringeworthy and unnecessarily vulgar.

Overall I found the audiobook to be an easy listen. The narration was excellent. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to listen to this ALC!

Eloisa James always delivers and Hardly a Gentleman is no exception! It's safe to say any book where the heroine wants to run away and fill a castle with books is going to be a win for me. I in fact am tempted to follow in her footsteps but unfortunately do not have castle money lying around.

Clara is such a fun heroine with her love of stories and romantic ideals. Calean pretty much adores her immediately and it was really fun to read about! I always love a story that matches the characters. Clara wanted a dramatic love story and she got one. She also got a family which is something I don't think she even knew to hope for but very much deserved.

If you like historical romance and aren't already obsessed with Eloisa James why? However take this as your sign to start now! I really enjoyed the first book in this series as well but this one could undoubtable be read as a standalone.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story and loved it! Mary Jane Wells did the narration and she is one of my favorite audiobook narrators of all time. If you listen to historical romance audiobooks you are likely familiar with her work.

Naked fishing? Not something I had considered before, but hey, it was a fairly entertaining plot point! This was the perfect historical romcom, and I absolutely loved Clara and Caelan’s chemistry. Although the book is historical romance, it felt fresh and modern.

Read if you like: Impulsive heroines who like dorky crafts, Jamie Fraser (though this Scottish hottie has much less baggage),

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperAudio Adult for providing me with a copy of the book.

🎧Audio/📖ebook Review
Narrated by Mary Jane Wells
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

To me, Mary Jane Wells and historical romance audios go together like peanut butter and jelly. She has always been one of my favorite historical romance narrators and I‘m so excited to be able to review an advanced copy of this audio.

Clara Is well past her marriageable age and her mother has given up. Attending a ball which included the prince regent, an embarrassment of epic proportions leads Clara to escape to Scotland, impersonating a newly hired house keeper for Castle Caerlaven. Laird Caelan knows Clara is lying about her identity but his attraction to her from the beginning prevents him from letting her go. Clara wants true love….to be number one in someone’s life. Yet she can’t fight the ghost of Caelan’s departed beloved wife. As they grow closer, he’s not sure that he can give her what she wants and Clara won’t settle for second best. I was in tears at Clara’s heartbreak over her unrequited love for Caelan. It was like a knife in my gut. Caelan just needs to get out of his own way and see what’s right in front of him.

Mary Jane dose a superb job. She really showcased her skill with the various accents from posh English to peasant Scottish and everything in between. Her male voices are so well done. She is one of the few female narrators that can do a male voice so well that I don’t miss a duet narration at all.

*A note about reading in order. Although this is book 2 and, usually, I’m a stickler about reading books in order so I don’t feel lost, this book can definitely be read without reading the first. The characters from book one barely even make a dent in this and the entire book takes place in Scotland.

I've loved Eloisa's books for so long! One of my favorite historical romance authors, I jumped at the chance to read this one!

I adored this book! It was just so damn fun to read. I had a smile on my face the whole time! Clara and Caelan are just the cutest couple! I love how they go from strangers to friends to lovers. There are quirky moments to be sure and there were also some heartfelt ones as they really learn to be a couple.

Clara was so quirky and just exude whimsy & I really enjoyed her a lot. I admired that she didn't just say yes when Caelan first proposed but stuck to her plan of making it on her own without a husband ...you go girl!

That Caelen is a dirty talker. He's a walking, talking sexy Scot and I could easily picture him with his strong legs, bare chest and kilt! He's witty, charming and swoony - just what I want in my HR men!

Forced proximity and hidden identity are tropes I thoroughly enjoy!

I have to say though I thought that Alfie and Whilemena stole the show. IYKYN! I thought he stole every scene he was in! I hope he shows up in more books because that little guy is so cute!

The single narrator was fantastic doing both an English and Scottish accent, easily moving between the two and I was thoroughly engaged with this audio.
I'm really looking forward to the rest of this series and I hope they are as fun and quirky as this one was :)

I enjoyed this book and the the two leads had great banter. Now it takes place over the course of not even a week which was alittle hard to believe but the banter and other side characters were so great that it worked for me! The audio book was good and really brought out the characters in more lifelike!

Friday, I *inhaled* the audiobook of Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James, and it’s officially a new favorite historical romance set in Scotland (one of my favorite places). I giggled through the ENTIRE book, from the very opening scene, where the laird is fly-fishing in the nude and is snarkily chided by his sister (who is completely unfazed by his nudity) for not looking for a wife. Mary Jane Wells is one of the best narrators of historical romance you’ll find, and she delivered another fabulous performance.

Hardly a Gentleman is Eloisa James at her most delightful! I absolutely adored this witty, romantic, and emotionally rich story. The heroine is sharp, fearless, and refreshingly real, and the chemistry with the hero is electric from the very start. Their banter had me smiling, and their deeper emotional journey completely won me over.

Eloisa James has such a gift for combining elegance and humor with heartfelt emotion, and this book is a perfect example of that balance. If you love historical romance with clever dialogue, layered characters, and a romance that truly feels earned, this one’s a must-read.

Highly recommend to fans of smart, satisfying, slow-burn romance!

MJW is the GOAT.

If you are wondering if there’s anything Mary Jane Wells can’t do, Hardly a Gentlemen proves that answer is No.

Here we have the voice of:
- The young, bright English ingenue
- The creepy bombastic monarch
- The hot Scottish Laird
- The heartless match-obsessed mother
- Even the “accent” that is having a sore throat while ill is perfection.

This is easily the most impressive Historical Romance audiobook production I’ve ever listened to (and I’ve loved this genre on audio for 15+ years).

If she’s reading it, I’m listening to it.

Thank you to HarperAudio for an ALC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for a laird in Scotland. Castle. 6'5. thick thighs.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the Audiobook Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this! I think this is Eloisa at her finest! It's very saucy and has an instant chemistry between the love interests that kept a giddy smile on my cheeks from start to finish.

It was pretty run of the mill for as creative of a forced proximity premise it was. (The only thing keeping it from the full five stars.) But I enjoyed it and if every historical romance was like this one I'd be a happy girl!

Who needs Duet narration when you have Mary Jane Wells performing the audiobook. This book was amazing on its own, but her outstanding narration brings this adorable and sweet historical romance to life. This book is Eloisa James at her finest- with deep character development, hilarious situations and banter, and the perfect romantic setting.

My favorite thing about this book is Clara. She is such a good soul, the kind of person we should all have for a friend. She truly is irrepressible, and she keeps her kindness in spite of the poor examples she has seen. She is also hilarious and keeps the plot moving along at a brisk pace. Caelan has no idea what is about to happen to his quiet life. Fortunately, he is exactly the kind of hero who deserves Clara because he appreciates her character and fortitude.
The narrator does a terrific job with the humor in this book. She makes it all funnier. She also does a good job with the accents and secondary voices.

So wonderful to find not only a new title from Eloisa James, but to find a SPLENDID new title from an author who's delivered countless volumes of historical romance, delighting readers around the world. Clara has suffered both societal humiliation and her mother's disdain, and so she determines to leave London behind and seek a new future for herself in Scotland. Against all odds, she finds her dream situation: a lovely castle inhabited by kindly people and oodles of books. Too bad the laird, Caelan, is still deep in mourning for his beloved late wife. One improbable, preposterous scene follows another, until Clara and Caelan find themselves married but determined never to let the word "love" be mentioned or even contemplated. Hardly a Gentleman is both utterly silly and utterly perfect. As always, Ms. James drops in historical tidbits and cultural references, and since Clara, like so many of the author's characters, loves to read, we're casually introduced to writers often overlooked by history. Hardly a Gentleman is the perfect antidote to a humdrum mood, as its fun cast of characters, (including a pet chicken!) sizzling passion, and sweet love story will brighten any reader's day.

The first part was very zany and somewhat overly silly at times. In the second part, the characters became somewhat different from who they were at the beginning of the novel. I did like the romance, the setting, and the story. Despite the thin characterization, I had a lot of fun listening to Hardly a Gentleman. It was a good time! Mary Jane Wells is a phenomenal narrator, and she brought a level of depth to the story with her performance.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.