Lady Fortescue Steps Out, M. C. Beaton
Lady Fortescue Steps Out, M. C. Beaton
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Lady Fortescue Steps Out

Author: M. C. Beaton

Narrator: Davina Porter

Unabridged: 4 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/01/2012

Synopsis

Life is not easy for the poor relations of England’s upper crust, but fate and clever schemes bring them together.Lady Fortescue and Colonel Sandhurst hatch a plan: What if they were to transform her decrepit Bond Street home into a posh hotel, offering their guests the pleasure of being waited upon by nobility? With the help of other down-and-out aristocrats, they do just that, and London’s newest hotel, the Poor Relation, is born.The establishment is an immediate hit with London’s most illustrious citizens, save the Duke of Rowcester, Lady Fortescue’s nephew. Rowcester believes that his aunt’s entry into the trade will denigrate their family name and is determined to shut the hotel down—until he meets Miss Harriett James, the lovely young woman who accepts Lady Fortescue’s offer to become the Poor Relations’ chef after the death of her parents and the loss of her fortune. Rowcester moves into the Poor Relation for the season—ostensibly to keep an eye on his aunt’s business.

About M. C. Beaton

M. C. Beaton (1936–2019), hailed as the “Queen of Crime” by the Globe and Mail, was the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Agatha Raisin novels—the basis for the hit series on Acorn TV—as well as the Hamish Macbeth series. Born in Scotland, Beaton also wrote nearly one hundred historical romances under several pseudonyms. Her books have been translated into nineteen languages and sold more than twenty-two million copies worldwide.

About Davina Porter

Davina Porter has been enthralling listeners for over twenty-five years with her ability to mine the psychological depths of the characters she reads and bring them convincingly to life. In 2006, she won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Female Narration and in 2004 for Best Inspirational Literature Narration. She has been honored as an AudioFile Golden Voice and has won nineteen AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actress, she has appeared on stage at the Vineyard Playhouse and the Square One Theater, among others.

Reviews

Goodreads review by mark on August 27, 2014

oh dear! what's a broke Regency era heroine to do? her lack of funds are intolerable - she can barely stay warm or well-fed - and whatever is to be done about the ever faithful servants? she's a "poor relation" to infinitely wealthier noble relations - why can't they help out? she's a senior citizen......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on October 25, 2024

This was a lot of fun! I’m definitely going to read the series because I want to know what becomes of the dear Poor Relations. Even Sir Philip, the out-and-out rogue, is super fun and endearing. Harriet is a lovely heroine. I love her sense of personal dignity.......more

Goodreads review by Marlene on October 13, 2017

"But there were also the members of the invisible poor, the victims of genteel poverty who, with many subterfuges and stratagems, hid their condition from the eyes of polite society." *Edit - I found my old review from 2011. Interesting how opinions change. I've added it to the bottom of this review......more

Goodreads review by Lady Wesley on November 11, 2019

Audiobook review. Delightful. Clever. Light. Funny but with poignant portraits about the situation facing a poor relation. Davina Porter, of course, provides her usual excellent performance. I’m off to the next chapter.......more

Quotes

“[Beaton’s] fans will cheer when they open the pages of her latest romantic series and find a solid cast of eccentrics who call themselves the Poor Relations…A promising start to a new set of Regency romance novels from the author of the Traveling Matchmaker and three other entertaining series.” Booklist

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