A Scandalous Countess
Mallorens & Friends • Book 12
by Jo Beverley
Narrated by Susan Duerden
Why Listen to This Audiobook?
A disgraced countess clawing her way back into society while a scarred veteran refuses to play along — the tension here is social, romantic, and genuinely sharp.
- Great if you want: Regency romance with bite and a flawed heroine
- Listening experience: witty and brisk, with slow-burning romantic tension underneath
- Narration: Duerden's crisp delivery suits Beverley's precise, ironic prose well
- Skip if: you haven't read the series and dislike mid-series entry points
About This Audiobook
A Scandalous Countess brings the widowed Georgia Maybury back to London society after a year of mourning, determined to reclaim her position despite the scandal that still clings to her. A scarred former naval officer complicates her plans in ways neither of them anticipated, and Beverley weaves the social politics of Georgian England, where a woman's reputation is her only currency, into a romance that takes both characters seriously.
Susan Duerden's narration suits the social comedy Beverley favors, with a light touch on the period detail and genuine warmth in the developing relationship. Her Georgia is spirited without being shrill, and the novel's relatively short runtime makes this a compact, satisfying entry in the Mallorens and Friends universe.