Dancing on the Wind

The Regency Intrigue Series, Book 8

By: M. C. Beaton

Narrated by: Lizzie Stanton

A unique spin on the romance genre from New York Times bestselling author Marion Chesney

I am going to die, Polly thought. The crowd clamored for a speech. Polly raised her hands, and they fell silent. From the foot of the gallows, she asked the spectators why she, a poor woman, should hang for theft, while the abbess of Covent Garden can commit murder on the souls of innocent country girls over and over again and yet go free - and then she condemned them to hell.

©2013 M. C. Beaton (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Wow!

I loved the story and the reader. Marion Chesney aka M C Beaton never disappoints. Her stories are wonderful.

A step above her usual regency book

Some of the prose in this book struck me more than most other Chesney/Beaton books. I found this book and the characters somewhat more unique than most of her books. It contained several moments of extremely uncomfortably pointing out class distinctions.

A Dickensian tale with a strong female character.

Chesney (Beaton) doesn't write typical regency romantic fluff. Her characters are usually harder, more self-centered, and less sympathetic than found in other books of the genre, and she often exposes the realities of a world in which women had little-to-no power. Nor does she romanticize the period: her books provide many details about the less attractive characteristics of an era plagued by serious class discrepancy, unrelieved poverty, unchecked crime, universally poor hygiene, and ridiculous fashions and practices among the wealthy.

Like a Dickens novel, this particular story is full of intrigue, plots, counter-plots, pitfalls, scrapes and escapes; and the many historical details bring the period vividly to life as the story unfolds. The book has the strongest central character I've found in a Chesney book so far - a young woman who manages to take care of herself through a combination of physical strength, native cunning, a sensible brain, a kind heart, and the ability to take life as it comes. I think this is my favorite Chesney book outside of her Traveling Matchmaker series (which is a bit "fluffier" than this story).

Very good, one of the best

One of the longer, more detailed tales of gothic drama and romance. I enjoyed this one immensely! You will too.

Depressing and Dark

Narrator made so many errors in pronunciation that it became unbearable and embarrassing. Storyline was dark and unpleasant which is realistic but I don’t listen to MCB’s books for a grim history lesson. I want light, entertainment. This was not fun or particularly entertaining. .