Audiobook Review: Duke of Depravity by Scarlett Scott

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)

 

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Format: 400 pages, Paperback

Published: April 7, 2026 by Fourth Estate

Fiction/library

 I kept seeing reviews how I would hate Natalie, and sure I did not like her. She was horrible. But at the end I just felt sorry for her.

She was clearly depressed already in College, after the first kid even more. She should have gotten help then. Instead she seems to turn more manic, people throw money at her. And she has enablers. No one ever seems to point the finger at the ever more rightwing conspiracy freak of a husband. I just cant hate someone who seems really mentally unstable, and I do not think she ever got help. She is just evil, nah, the woman needs some psychiatric help.

I feel like I read another book then everyone else. Why did no one ever help her?! I get it is hard to help someone who does not know they need help but come on.

Natalie marries young, moves to a farm, starts to film her life. Think Ballerina farm. Smile and pretend everyone is happy, even though everyone is miserable. She only cares about likes. She is focused and driven and pretends to be the best Trad Wife there is.

And then she is transported to the 1800s. And being a real trad wife sucks....

I liked it, it was good. I enjoyed the twists, but, srsly, why did no one ever help her?

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and has the social media accounts to prove it. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What Natalie’s followers don’t know won’t hurt them.

Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children―they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.

Bests 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!

Book Review: By His Vow by Tracy Lorraine

Author: Tracy Lorraine

Title: By His Vow

Series: Callahan Billionaires #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 678

Published: April 21, 2024

Where I got It: My shelf (Bookbub)

Summary: 

As the daughter of a powerful businessman, I wasn’t expecting to inherit much when my father suddenly passed.

There was only one thing I truly wanted.

The cottage— the only place that ever felt like home.

But it turns out that I got a lot more than I bargained for.

Kingston Callahan.

Arrogant, egotistical, power-hungry, demanding and all the other not-so-charming attributes I despised.

He’s also my brother’s best friend.

And now, thanks to my dearly departed father, my husband for the next year.

He’s everything I hate about the life I was born into. Everything I’m not.

One short year...three hundred and sixty-five days in return for the life I've always dreamed of.

It’s a merger, not a marriage, but I’m not prepared for the hunger Kingston uncovers with his touch.

It’ll all be over soon, just so long as I remember not to catch real feelings for my fake husband while we’re pretending.

Review:

I picked this up because 1) freeeeeeee and 2) it fit a reading challenge. It all seemed like the perfect storm. 

Here we have Kingston and Tatum. The two have known each other for years. After the death of her father, she thinks she'll finally get the quiet life of her dreams at the family cottage, and she'll be out of the family business for good. However, her father and Kingston have other plans for her. To get her cottage and be left alone, she has to marry Kingston for one year and, hopefully, give him a baby. Problem? She hates him.

Sighs. 

Sighs again but louder and more eye rolling. 

I hate Kingston. I hate his face. Tatum RUUUUUUUN!!!!

I'm a smut gal, and this had too much smut. It was like every other page. Did they ever really talk? Barely. That is why it took 600+ pages for them to finally get on the same page; they were able to finally talk here and there in between the rolling around on the sheets. UGH.

I powered through because I wanted the credit for the reading challenge, and I had the smallest bit of hope maybe, just maybe, Kingston would grow on me. He finally did...kinda....in the epilogue *faints*

But yes. Not for me. This has a high rating, so people must love it. I guess I'm in the minority on this one. 

2 stars. I give this an extra star because I liked Tatum and her cat. Good kitty! Scratch him again!!!!!

 

Reading Challenges:

- Reading Romance Challenge #15 (Blind Date/Arranged Marriage)