Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Secrets of an Accidental Duchess
    Secrets of an Accidental Duchess
    Secrets of an Accidental Duchess
    Audiobook11 hours

    Secrets of an Accidental Duchess

    Written by Jennifer Haymore

    Narrated by Kate Reading

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    With her pale hair and slim figure, Olivia Donovan looks as fragile as
    fine china, and has been treated as such by her sisters ever since a
    childhood bout with malaria. But beneath her delicate facade, Olivia
    guards a bold, independent spirit and the kind of passionate desires
    proper young ladies must never confess... It was a reckless
    wager, and one Max couldn't resist: seduce the alluring Olivia or
    forfeit part of his fortune. Yet the wild, soon-to-be Duke never
    imagined he'd fall in love with this innocent beauty. Nor could he have
    guessed that a dangerously unpredictable rival would set out to destroy
    them both. Now, Max must beat a Madman at his own twisted game-or
    forever lose the only woman to have ever won his heart.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateFeb 6, 2012
    ISBN9781452676104
    Secrets of an Accidental Duchess

    Related to Secrets of an Accidental Duchess

    Titles in the series (3)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Historical Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Prince William’s Statement

      May 24, 2021

      Prince William’s Statement
      1 min read

    • Article

      Into The Breeches

      Jul 8, 2022

      Into The Breeches
      7 min read

    • Article

      A Look Under The Bonnet: Why Our Fascination With The Regency Era Endures

      Jul 2, 2022

      The Regency, that narrow slice of history between 1811 and 1820, occupies a vastly disproportionate place in the British, and increasingly the global, imaginarium. Those nine years – when the future George IV reigned as prince regent owing to his fat

      7 min read

    • Article

      Liar, Liar

      Apr 4, 2021

      Liar, Liar
      7 min read

    • Article

      Victoria's Secrets

      Apr 3, 2024

      Victoria's Secrets
      4 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Simpson Learns A Lesson

      Jul 29, 2021

      Mrs Simpson Learns A Lesson
      4 min read

    • Article

      Dear Inga, Love Jack

      Jun 30, 2020

      Dear Inga, Love Jack
      20 min read

    • Article

      Casting The Runes

      Feb 25, 2021

      “I was interested in magic and witchcraft and things like that from an early age,” says Dave Arthur. “Twelve or so. Dennis Wheatley’s novels… I read those. The Devil Rides Out, To the Devil a Daughter, The Ka of Gifford Hillary. Occult novels fascina

      19 min read

    • Article

      Where The Walls Have Ears

      May 22, 2020

      Where The Walls Have Ears
      8 min read

    • Article

      Venice Peach

      Oct 2, 2023

      1. THE DRESSMAKER AND THE HIDDEN SOLDIER by Doug Gold (A&U) WWII thriller about Kiwi soldier and Greek dressmaker 2. SUMMER FAVOURITES by Vanya Insull (A&U) Recipes from @vj_cooks 3. TE REO KAPEKAPE: Māori Wit and Humour by Hona Black (Oratia) Having

      4 min read

    • Article

      ‘My Life With Princess Diana’

      Sep 11, 2023

      ‘My Life With Princess Diana’
      3 min read

    • Article

      Some Enchanted Evening

      Mar 1, 2019

      Some Enchanted Evening
      12 min read

    • Article

      She Was The Toast Of The World

      Jun 1, 2022

      She Was The Toast Of The World
      8 min read

    • Article

      ‘I’d Always Wanted To Write A Historical Novel About The Royal Family’

      Sep 16, 2020

      “If I didn’t write novels for a living, I’d run a second-hand bookshop. I love them and I never pass one without going in. As a result, our house wheezes under the weight of tatty old volumes on every subject under the sun. All purchased in a fit of

      2 min read

    • Article

      From Russia, With Love

      Sep 14, 2022

      From Russia, With Love
      5 min read

    • Article

      I Used to Live Here: The Haunted Life of Jean Rhys

      May 4, 2022

      Collins £22 Jean Rhys (1890-1979) was born in Dominica to a white Creole mother who was, by her daughter’s account, hard and cruel. ‘I’ve done my best, ’ her mother told her after yet another whipping. ‘You’ll never be like other people.’ Her father,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Feb 22, 2023

      Great Read
      7 min read

    • Article

      When the HEART MELTS

      Feb 23, 2022

      When the HEART MELTS
      8 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Secrets of an Accidental Duchess

    4/5

    34 ratings7 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      After living a life of being sick and being coddled way too much, Olivia has come to England to live a peaceful and contented life with her sisters. Olivia knows that her chances of finding a husband who would accept her history of bad health, is very rare. So she doesn't even expect to find a husband in London. When her family goes to their estate in the countryside, she does there to relax and spend some quality time with her family. But then she meets Max, who awakens her independent nature and and sensual desires. Max, when seeing Olivia in a crowded ballroom in London, was captivated, and wanted only to know her more. Then he makes a foolhardy wager, to see who can seduce her the fastest. Only Max never thought that he would end up falling in love with her, and when his recklessness comes to kick him in the butt, he endeavors to protect Olivia at all costs...Secrets of an Accidental Duchess is the second in the series, and I just LOVED this one!!! I think I read this in two hours....which only happens when I am really into a book, so this one was a winner, and I am totally addicted to this author. I just have loved every story I have read by her so far. There are different things that I really enjoyed about this story. Max is one of those hero's that you just fall for instantly. Even though he makes that ridiculous wager, you can see how much he starts to really care for Olivia. Olivia is just a ball of fun, she is sweet and innocent, but desires passion in her life. I just loved seeing Max and Olivia interact with each other, there was such a sense of playfulness, that really engages the reader. There was also lots of action and suspense portion to the plot, that really leaves one flipping the pages as fast as you can turn them. Overall a fun and suspenseful plot, complex characters, and a story that will capture your heart!! A Keeper For Your Shelf!
    • 4/5
      I liked this story. It was good in the beginning and at the end. The middle 100 pages lagged, leaving me to remove myself from the read and come back to it. The love between Max and Olivia was wonderful. The care and protection he showed her was endearing. It was great to reacquaint with the Donovan sisters. They are a tight loving overprotective clan, including Lord Stratford, Meg's/ Serena's husband. Fenwicke is horrid and it was excruciating to read how he abused his young naive wife. What a monster of a man. He got what he deserved in the end! I am excited to read the next novel. I was wondering when something good would come along for the loyal friend Captain Langley.
    • 4/5
      I had already written this fabulous review until the dang thing didn't save so I am going to summarize the few points I remember from it.

      - I like the rational way the hero and heroine come together.
      - I like that the villain is really a crappy guy.
      - I like the set up for the next story.

      - I didn't like how everyone babied the heroine, though I get it.
      - I didn't get the Meg/Serena thing but I guess it's from previous book.

      Overall I liked it and will continue reading this series.
    • 4/5
      I liked this story. It was good in the beginning and at the end. The middle 100 pages lagged, leaving me to remove myself from the read and come back to it. The love between Max and Olivia was wonderful. The care and protection he showed her was endearing. It was great to reacquaint with the Donovan sisters. They are a tight loving overprotective clan, including Lord Stratford, Meg's/ Serena's husband. Fenwicke is horrid and it was excruciating to read how he abused his young naive wife. What a monster of a man. He got what he deserved in the end! I am excited to read the next novel. I was wondering when something good would come along for the loyal friend Captain Langley.
    • 4/5
      First Impression: A unique heroine and a dastardly villain stand out in this sweeping Regency romance.What Really Worked: I was quite drawn in by Max and Olivia’s love story. Olivia was a rather unique heroine. She contracted malaria as a child, and she still suffers from terrible fevers because of the disease. She’s convinced that no man would want her as a wife due to her frail body and bouts of illness. Max, however, falls hard for her regardless.The book starts out with a wager between Max and the unpleasant Marquis of Fenwicke. The bet is that Max will not be able to seduce the seemingly “frigid” Olivia. I was a little concerned, because this set up doesn’t exactly grab my attention. The bet is all but forgotten after a few chapters when thing get very interesting. I think what really spiced up this story was the simply dreadful villain, Fenwicke. I won’t reveal his dastardly deeds here. You must discover them for yourself and be as angry at him as I was!What Worked: I really enjoyed the close, protective relationship the four Donovan sisters shared. The first book in this series was Serena Donovan’s story, though I have not read it yet. There were only a couple of times where I felt I was missing something by not having read the first book. Overall, the author did a great job presenting the sisters’ backstory.What Didn’t Work So Much: I kept waiting for Max to turn into the bad boy he claimed was lurking beneath the surface, but it never happened. His greatest fear (and the reason he refused to marry) was that he’d become an abusive monster like his father, but I never saw any evidence of that. That’s not a bad thing. I just wasn’t convinced it was a reason for him to stay a bachelor.Final Thoughts: Enjoyable! SECRETS OF AN ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS is a captivating read for fans of Regency romances.Source: Free copy from the publisher
    • 5/5
      Olivia Donovan has been brought up sheltered and protected by her family. While living on a small island in the West Indies she contracted Malaria as a child and has since been plagued by a recurrence of the fevers. Now at twenty-one, she knows that no man would fall for a frail woman and has therefore resigned herself to the fact that she will be the “spinster aunt”. But when Max Buchanan promises a no-strings attached romance, becoming the “disgraced spinster aunt” might not be so bad after all.As with all of Ms. Haymore’s novels (and yes, I’ve read them all) you cannot go wrong with her books. Her heroines are always brave and witty and her leading men are dark and swoon-worthy. I especially loved Olivia - she was such a carefree young woman. I liked that she didn’t overdo or dwell on things. She saw a hurdle and she pretty much just jumped over it. She was never frail or timid in my eyes (nor Max’s for that matter). Max was all that I look for in a leading man. I loved how he is portrayed as dark, big and brawny compared to the petite Olivia. But don’t let the cover or its short synopsis fool you. Aside from the sweet romance you’ll find there’s a lot going on in this novel. I could not sit still with everything that was going on – from the worry of Olivia’s illness, the wager on her seduction, several kidnappings, sultry love scenes and one of the vilest villains I’ve read in a long time. Needless to say, I devoured this one quite rapidly.All in all, Secrets of an Accidental Duchess is a wonderful addition to the series. I loved how we get to see more about the lives of Serena and Jonathan (Confessions of an Improper Bride) as well as foresee who the next characters in the upcoming book will be (Pleasures of a Tempted Lady – releasing August 2012). I personally cannot wait. Ms. Haymore has proven herself once again and has earned the honor of being a permanent staple in my Historical Romance shelf.
    • 5/5
      SECRETS OF AN ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS(A DONOVAN NOVEL) by Jennifer Haymore is an exciting historical romance set in Regency England. It is the Bk 2 of “A Donovan Novel”,but can be read as a stand alone. See “Confessions of an Improper Bride Donovan Sisters, Book 1″. The Donovan Sisters are independent,feisty,full of courage,passion and scandal. “Secrets of An Accidental Duchess” is about Olivia Donovan and Maxwell Buchanan,the Marquis of Hasley. Ms. Haymore has again written a riveting story line with lush sensuality,sexy hero,feisty heroine,hidden identity,reunion plots,and characters that will capture your heart. “Secrets of an Accidental Duchess” is a story with complex emotions,love,romance,a bit of mystery,steamy passion,and second chances. A must for any historical,Regency England,romance or anyone who loves a great love story.Received for my honest review from the author. Details can be found at the author’s website,Forever,an imprint of Grand Central Publishing and My Book Addiction Reviews.