🎧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!

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.

Delightful! I have not read the first book in this series, but Eloisa James rarely disappoints. I loved the juxtaposition of Clara and Isla, the sweet villagers who took to Clara immediately and of course, the sexy Laird.

I really liked this HarperAudio romance. Lady Clara Vetry and the Laird of Castle Caerlaven are forced to marry. Clara doesn't mind, though, because she is already in love with him.

Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperAudio Adult for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

**Review: *Hardly a Gentleman* by Eloise James – 4⭐️**

*Hardly a Gentleman* is a fun and lighthearted historical romance featuring Lady Clara Vetry, a spirited and bookish heroine, and Caelin, the brooding Laird of Castle Caer Laven.

Still mourning his first wife’s death, Caelin has let both himself and his crumbling castle go. Desperate, his sister suggests hiring a housekeeper from England—since no Scottish woman will take on the task. Enter Lady Clara, who’s been sent away from London after an unfortunate encounter with Prinny. A case of mistaken identity has her whisked off to the Highlands as the new housekeeper—and so begins her unexpected adventure.

Clara’s inner strength and warmth shine through, making her easy to root for, and the romance unfolds with charm and gentle wit. A thoroughly enjoyable escape with just the right touch of heart and humor.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

The author says her inspiration started with the idea of a Scottish laird fly fishing in a loch naked and that was all it took to get me interested lol. On top of being absolutely hilarious this book had so much heart. I adore romances where one (or both) characters are unique and unappreciated and then find the person who revels in the parts of them that society doesn’t understand. Clara's optimistic, bookish nature was deeply relatable. While she is an avid book lover she is also not adverse to adventure and I truly believe Caelan and Clara are well matched in their adventurous natures. I was already have a fabulous time with this book but the ending really sealed the deal for me. Eloisa James left no conflict unresolved and she didn’t settle for mere happiness. She had to prove that Clara and Caelan are made for each other and I totally believed it. They are both so gone for each other and it's adorable to see.

Note - The story starts with Clara being groped and this inciting incident does continue to cause her some distress throughout the book so if that's a sensitive topic for you definitely check trigger warnings to get more details.

Mary Jane Wells is a queen of audiobook narration!! This might as well have been a full-cast narration for all the distinction each character got. If she reads it, I gotta listen to it (especially when Scottish accents are involved!). All the heart and humor were elevated with her narration.

She wanted a Scottish castle and a rugged man in a kilt and accidentally found BOTH, naked, by a lake. 🫣🏰 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

This book had me fighting for my life in the beginning, not from the plot, but from the ACCENT. I swear I spent the first few chapters like, “what did he just say??” 🤨 But once my brain adjusted, I was suddenly INTO IT. Honestly, the narration ended up being beautifully done.

Our girl just wants to escape, fix her life, and maybe not be groped in a ballroom again. (same, girl)

She’s not waiting for a man to save her. She’s got dreams, grit, and absolutely NO plan for what to do when a naked Highlander shows up mid-fishing trip and ruins her peace. (and her panties.)🤭

And him??? Oh, he FALLS FIRST**. 🩷

- The brooding laird with hairy thighs and sad eyes energy
- Says things like “I’ll buy her all the books you want” 😭
- Honestly a cinnamon roll disguised as a grumpy, large man

Clara disguises herself as a housekeeper after her Season comes to a spectacularly disastrous end, well, “disguises” is a strong word. She couldn’t hide it for a second🤭 he’s so curious about this mysterious adventures book girl that he follows her around like a puppy and listens to her every order.

He even helps her clean his castle just so he can be close to her and then they kiss.
And I was GIGGLING.

But then... they got married.
And I kinda clocked out. 😐

The tension dipped, the spice stayed (thank God), but virgin FMCs just aren’t my thing. And she was so overly innocent, I rolled my eyes every few pages.

It was good audiobook!

- Spice: spicy but not scandalous
- Narration: hard start but ended strong
- Plot: strong opening, kinda fizzled after the "I do"s

Would I read another Highlander romance? Yes.
Would I survive another audiobook with that strong of an accent? Unclear.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the advanced audio book.

💙 He fall first
💙 Virgin FMC
💙 Highlander MMC
💙 Found family
💙 2/5 🌶️

I was really looking forward to this audiobook because the plot sounded so interesting and fun, and I love a good historical romance. But I found the narration so incredibly distracting—it pulled me out of the story, and I just couldn’t get past it, even though I really tried to finish. On top of that, the plot itself felt a bit thin and lacking in depth for me. I keep wondering if I’d like a book version better.

Hardly a Gentleman was a fun book, I enjoyed the characters and the story. Historical romances are not my favorite genre (probably because I secretly am a feminist and hate the gender discrepancy that can run rampant in historical fiction), but this one was clever and well-written. I listened to the audiobook, done by one of my favorite narrators, and she hit it out of the park. Probably most surprising to me was how this one hit me with the feels, specially about feeling wanted as you are and not as you could be. I really liked it and would recommend.

This book has got to be one of the cutest comfiest books I’ve read that clearly communicated historical and more severe cultural themes. I thought it was just a fun story with extremely lovable characters and was taken aback when the narrated spoke about the research and how books affected the girls of that time. Reflecting I realized how tastefully the author incorporated those findings into the story and appreciated them all the more for doing so. I honestly loved the main characters and would happily read more about their lives as a couple and follow them through parenthood. I can only imagine what they would get up to. This is my first experience with the author and I had such a wonderful time that I’ll be looking for more books to read from them!

I really wanted to enjoy Hardly a Gentleman, but the audiobook made it tough. Between the narration style and the pacing, I found myself constantly distracted or frustrated. The story itself had potential—some fun banter and a classic setup—but it just didn’t come through in audio form.

Maybe I would’ve had a better experience reading it in print, but as an audiobook, it was a struggle to stay engaged.

Hardly a Gentleman was another wonderful display of Eloisa James’ charm and humor! And of course Mary Jane Wells brought the characters to life in her perfect MJW way. I will say my attention kept slipping throughout the book because there wasn’t much to the plot and the relationship itself was pretty cutesy.

*Spoiler*
It’s happened a few times, and I’ve decided I really like when a widow/widower isn’t like *that sad* to be in their current situation lol. Everyone assumed this dude was just so bereft but that wasn’t the case at all.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️.5/5


I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.