Carole´s Monday: Duke of depravity

Author: Scarlett Scott

Narrator: Kate Handford

Title: Duke of Depravity

Series: Sins and Scoundrels #1

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: Audiobook 

Published: November 23, 2018

Where I Got It: Audible

Summary: 

Crispin Ashforth returns from battle the newly inherited Duke of Whitley with two sisters under his charge. Publicly lauded as a hero, he is haunted by the bitter mission that nearly saw him killed and cost the life of his best friend. He’s desperate to drown out the demons tormenting him by any means, regardless of how depraved.

All he needs to do is find a proper governess for his hellion sisters so he can drink and wench himself into oblivion. Enter Miss Jacinda Turnbow, who is as lovely as she is prickly. It doesn’t take Crispin long to realize he’s found precisely the sort of distraction he needs in the prim governess.

But Jacinda has secrets of her own, and she’s no ordinary governess. To save herself and her father from ruin, she has agreed to infiltrate the duke’s home and search for evidence that he’s a traitor.

Resisting his advances grows more difficult by the day, however, as she discovers there’s more to Crispin than the careless life of sin he’s cultivated. And the greatest danger she faces is losing her heart to the man she has no choice but to betray.

Review:

Picked this up randomly when I saw the title! It fits a reading challenge, and plus it has been ages since I read a Historical Romance. 

Here we follow Jacinda and Crispin. He is the new Duke and has to take care of his sisters, but his mind is still haunted by the war's events, so he's been drinking and man-whoring around town. However, he needs a new governess since his prankster sisters made the last one quite rather quickly. Enter Jacinda. She is undercover to search for evidence against Crispin. There are rumors that he is a traitor. As time goes on, she starts doubting his guilt, but is she biased because she is falling for the man, or is he truly innocent?

This one was alright. It had it's shiny and fun moments, but I didn't buy the love story between these two. Lust? Heck yeah, but there was little love there from what I could see. They rarely spoke, and then Jacinda wasn't who she said she was. There was little time at the end for them to talk it through and really get to know each other.

Love a good lust, and the chemistry was lovely, but I didn't buy their love. Not even in the epilogue. 

Other than that, I still had a lot of fun with this story and seeing them fumble about. 

The narrator did a good job. His voices fit. 

Overall, this was just alright for me because I never felt the love. The lust and etc...that was great! The narrator was good. I just needed more talking. 3 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #27

- Reading Romance Challenge #16 (Duke in Title)

 

Mid Year Check in Audiobook Challenge

 

Checking in :) Standing at 40 audiobooks

40. Hunt the ever wild by S.E.Kiser

49. Her final wish by Renata McMann

38. The Butcher´s Masquerade by Matt Dinnimann

37. Nobodys quest by Alyssa Day

36. A stitch in time by Kelley Armstrong

35. So material a change by Amy DOrazio

34. The gate of feral gods by Matt Dinnimann

33. Startup Hell by Caitlin Rozakis

32. Mr Hurst´s return by Jann Rowland

31. The dungeon anarchist´s cookbook by Matt Dinniman

30. A folly of youth by Amy Dorazio

29. Carl´s doomsday scenario by Matt Dinniman

28. Death at a Highland wedding by Kelley Armstrong

27. Summer with my cowboy by Linda Meal Miller

26. Maybe this time by Cara Bastone

25. This kingdom will not kill me by Ilona Andrews

24. The shades of Pemberley by Jann Rowland

23. Holidays on the ranch by Carolyn Brown

22. The vampire in the potting shed by Hailey Edwards

21. Wed for their royal heir by Jackie Ashenden

20. Turns of fate by Anne Bishop

19. Done for the best by Amy Dorazio

18. Disturbing the dead by Kelley Armstrong

17. Schemes and scandals by Kelley Armstrong

16. The accidental dating experiment by Lauren Blakely

15. An offer of marriage by Amy Dorazio

14. I love you like it´s 1999 by AJ Pine

13. Love at first psych by Cara Bastone

12. Cocktails and chloroform by Kelley Armstrong

11. The nameless lands by Kate Elliott

10. A baristas guide to love and larceny by Caroline Bonin

9. The flirting game by Lauren Blakely

8. Pumpkin spice and pour overs by Elise Kennedy

7. Blind date with a werewolf by Patricia Briggs

6. Hemlock&Silver by T.Kingfisher

5. Evergreen by Buck Turner

4. Suddenly Mrs Darcy by Jenetta James

3. Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely

2. Still mad about you by Liz Maverick

1.The poisoner´s ring by Kelley Armstrong

Hunt the ever wild by S.E.Kiser

By: S. E. Kiser

Narrated by: Graham Halstead

Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins

Release date: 06-23-26

Publisher: Tantor Media

To review/fantasy

Sy is a wizard, but he is also indentured to a king who makes him do things he is disgusted by. Then the same king calls for a Phoenix hunt, so that he can rule forever.

Sy have to do it so that he can free himself. He needs help and gets it from Anya, a hunter. With secrets of her own, and reasons for wanting that phoenix too.

But the once deserted magical woods is crawling with people.

Sy and Anya are both kind of lost and lonely, even with people around them who the trust, and have loved. Both really want something. And then they meet and something grows.

The book is humorous, fantastical and there is also some longing thrown in. I enjoyed it.

Good narration. He told the story in a good pace and the voices were good

When a king calls a hunt for a phoenix in a deadly, magical forest, wizard Sy jumps at the chance. Years ago, he indentured himself to pay for his magical education, binding him by unbreakable spell to the wicked king. The prize is just enough to pay off his debt. He can't split it. Neither can he survive the forest alone. He seeks Anya, a skilled huntress who lives on the forest's edge, and lies about splitting the money.

But Anya is lying, too. Cursed by a vengeful witch after killing her familiar, Anya must find the phoenix and bind it to her before the summer solstice. Until then, she will suffer a gruesome transformation. With the forest swarming with wizards, she needs one on her side—for now.

Neither can split the prize. Neither can win alone. Betrayal is their only option.

But anything can happen in the wood.

And the wood is hungry.

Best of June

June is done. Here comes the July sun!

Here are our faves for last month. 

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates

"I am giving this one best of! Sure DCC is amazing, but some other books needs to shine too."

Carole -  An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong

"Had some stiff competition for June! However, this one was just too good to not give the trophy to."

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole -  Project Hail Mary (2026)

"This was the only movie I watched in June and it was a darn good one that I had to watch it again."

Blodeuedd - Little Brother (2026)

"I watched Little Brother. Was it great? Nah, but it gave a few good laughs."

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Mating Season (s1) & The Mentalist (s3 & 4)

"Mating Season was effed up, lol. And now I have watched s3 and 4 of The Mentalist."

Carole - Off Campus (s1)

"One of the rare times that it was overall better than the book! I loved this show and I'm re-watching it as we speak."

Best Cover of the Month:

B's pick: Cute!

C's pick: Adorable!