WENDY’S AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: THE PARFIT KNIGHT BY STELLA RILEY, PERFORMED BY ALEX WYNDHAM

(Rockliffe, #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (Georgian – 1762 and 1774)

Cover Blurb:

When the Marquis of Amberley’s coach is waylaid by highwaymen and his coachman shot, he is forced to take shelter at the first house he finds and is subsequently trapped there for a week by a severe snow storm.

Oakleigh Manor is the home of Rosalind Vernon who lives alone but for her devoted servants and an ill-natured parrot, cut off from the outside world by the tragic result of a childhood accident. But Rosalind is brave and bright and totally devoid of self-pity – and it is these qualities which, as the days pass and the snow continues to fall, touch Amberley’s heart.

On his return to London, the Marquis persuades Rosalind’s brother, Philip, to bring her to town for a taste of society, despite her handicap. But the course of Amberley’s courtship is far from smooth. Philip Vernon actively dislikes him; Rosalind appears to be falling under the spell of the suavely elegant Duke of Rockliffe; and worse still, Amberley is haunted by a dark and terrible secret that, if revealed, may cause him to lose Rosalind forever.

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Dominic Ballantine, Marquis of Amberley, is everything a girl could ask for in a husband. Still unattached at 34, he is tall, handsome and wealthy but most importantly honourable. He is universally liked by most of society, envied by a few, and extremely popular with his own set of peers, most notably the Duke of Rockliffe with whom he has a long-standing friendship. If Dominic, aka Nic to his friends, has one fault, and this is debatable depending on the company, he is given to a levity which is occasionally misconstrued as arrogance. It is this inability or reluctance to take life too seriously that has landed him in a hornets’ nest. Artifice not being in his nature, this ‘arrogance’ is merely an indicator that he sees no reason to explain his actions to friend or foe. With oodles of integrity and perhaps naively, he judges others by his own standards, occasionally leaving his actions open to misinterpretation.

Dominic really is well named as The Parfit Knight (Chaucer) – which roughly translates to The Perfect Knight. Early in the story, he sets out to ‘educate’ a young, inebriated buck who persistently inveigles himself into Dominic’s company against the advice of his companion. It is how Dominic handles this situation that leads to a series of misunderstandings of monumental proportions, culminating in apparently irreversible consequences which gather speed and spiral out of control. Worse still, he is unaware of what he has set in motion and how it will affect his own future.

Backtrack twelve years to the beginning of the story (prologue) and Dominic’s chaise is involved in a collision with a ten-year-old girl, the outcome of which he could not possibly foresee, being unaware of the devastation he has unwittingly left in his wake. Half way through chapter two, Dominic is again racing to reach his destination in an attempt to beat the rapidly deteriorating weather. When his chaise is held up by highwaymen and his coachman seriously injured, he must needs seek medical help. He requests help at the nearest house and is given shelter and medical assistance by the occupants, the mistress of which is breathtakingly beautiful…and blind.

As the weather deteriorates further, it becomes clear that Dominic must remain in the home of Rosalind Vernon and he is enchanted by her; she has had no experience of society and yet is gracious, welcoming and beautiful, both inside and out. He spends time in her company over the course of the next week and inevitably falls rather heavily for this courageous and unassuming young woman, who lives in a gilded cage surrounded by loyal servants and only a foul-mouthed parrot for company. And then, to his horror, he discovers exactly how she came to be blind.

After Dominic’s initial shock and his immediate knee-jerk reaction – which is to run back to town – he sets out to coerce Rosalind’s elder brother, Philip Vernon, into introducing his beautiful and charming sister to society. He feels she is more than able, with assistance, to leave her cotton wool prison. And of course, in town he will ensure that he meets her on an equal footing and, after finding a way to tell her of his folly, will hopefully be allowed to court her properly.

As previously mentioned, Dominic has already made enemies, albeit unwittingly, and one of these is Rosalind’s brother, through his dealings with Philip’s friend. Matters go from bad to worse as he blunders along, unaware that his so-called crimes are only multiplying. Once Rosalind arrives in town, Dominic’s courtship runs anything but smoothly, but falling more deeply under her spell, he is determined to court and marry her.

I am always in awe of how Stella Riley develops her characters and relationships. This was more tricky than usual – Rosalind is blind and has been for most of her life. Ms. Riley shows us the obstacles she faces realistically and with great sensitivity. At one point in the story, Rosalind’s worst nightmare is realised and she becomes lost. Her fear is palpable as she thrashes around trying desperately to find her way, whilst also attempting to escape the faceless person who placed her in the situation in the first place. This is so cleverly and astutely achieved that I could literally feel Rosalind’s terror.

There is no doubt that these two people care for each other and are meant to be together and this comes over fairly early in the story. I particularly like how the author has made it perfectly clear that neither Rosalind’s blindness nor Dominic’s guilt plays any part in his attraction to her. Yes, he is appalled by the truth, but he knows he cared for her deeply before he discovers that he is the one responsible for her disability. Rosalind, too, quickly realises that she loves this man who doesn’t appear to allow her disability to affect his attitude towards her, and who makes her feel womanly and attractive. However, Dominic has got himself into quite a tangle which takes some unravelling, but of course Ms. Riley achieves it in an entirely plausible way, that will both please and delight, leaving the reader with a silly grin on their face.

This is simply a beautiful love story with two wonderful protagonists – an excellent start to a stupendous series. Stella Riley begins to introduce her complex and fascinating cast of ‘friends’ who each have their own stories as main or secondary characters in the rest of the Rockliffe series. Fans of the series will know what I’m talking about when I say that those new to the series will soon come to view these people as friends. Not least of whom is Rockliffe himself, after whom the series is named. And for very good reason – he is an outstanding character and one whom I have no doubt you will come to love as much as I do. Rockliffe’s story, The Mésalliance, is the next book in the series and my advice is – don’t miss it.

The author’s legendary wit and humour is very much in evidence too, as we meet Broody, the temperamental parrot, with an ‘interesting’ vocabulary and an ability to spit seeds as well as profanities at his enemies with great precision Even Broody’s obvious love for Rosalind is moving and his jealousy towards her suitors, hilarious. In fact, Broody is one of the most successful ‘animal/bird’ additions to any historical romance I have read, and I defy anyone reading this beautiful story not to be touched by his obvious affection for Rosalind.

Actor, Alex Wyndham, performs the whole of the series and he is just perfect, with his dreamy voice which seems to wrap around one like a luxurious velvet blanket. His range and variety of voices is phenomenal and I cannot praise him highly enough. He is one voice actor who is capable of capturing both male and female alike, adopting the subtle nuances which make them individual and recognisable. He achieves this so effectively throughout the rest of the series that, for instance, I never have any difficulty recognising Rosalind, Amberley or Rock, some three or four books down the line (and I’ve read/listened to the entire series three times). How he does this is an enigma. Call me awestruck or starry-eyed – whatever you wish – but he has the perfect voice for the very real and fascinating people Stella Riley has created.

MY VERDICT: A brilliant start to a memorable series and one which I highly recommend. 

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: KISSES

 

Rockliffe series (click on the book covers for more details):

      – to be published 22nd  November 2018