The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick

The Paid Companion

by Amanda Quick

The Earl of St. Merryn needs a woman. His intentions are purely practical - he simply wants someone sensible and suitably lovely to pose as his betrothed for a few weeks among polite society. He has his own agenda to pursue, and a false fiance will keep the husband-hunters at bay while he goes about his business. The simplest solution is to hire a paid companion.

Finding the right candidate proves more of a challenge than he expected. But when he encounters Miss Elenora Lodge, her feisty manner and golden eyes sway him to make a generous offer.

Elenora's sorry financial circumstances - and dreams of a life of independence - leave her little choice but to accept. But St. Merryn appears to be hiding a secret or two, and things seem oddly amiss in his gloomy London home. Elenora soon discovers that this lark will be a far more dangerous adventure than she'd been led to believe. And the Earl of St. Merryn will find that the meek and mild companion he'd initially envisioned has become a partner in his quest to catch a killer - and an outspoken belle of the ball who stirs a bothersome passion in his practical heart.

Reviewed by stacey_is_sassy on

4 of 5 stars

Share
I loved the main characters...

I'm finding Amanda Quick's audios are quickly becoming favourites. This one entertained me from the beginning until the very end. It played out like what I would imagine a radio drama would, with characters that came to life and plenty of acting to bring emotion into each scene. Both of the main characters were original and very lovable. Arthur is arrogant, bossy and a wee bit egotistical, while Elenora is strong, opinionated and determined to be independent. Together, their confidence in themselves makes them a perfect match.

The narrator does a very good job giving each character their own distinct voice. I never struggled to work out who was 'talking' and the accents were very believable. The narrator is easy to listen to and I will definitely be looking for more of her work in the future.

The mystery was interesting and it played out at a pace that kept me engrossed and determined to help catch the bad guy. Elenora and Arthur work well together. I liked that (even though it was probably inappropriate for the time it was set) they kept each other informed and he didn't try and keep her away for 'her own protection'.

This was a fairly steamy read/listen but it was not OTT or excessive. There was a connection between Elenora and Arthur that was obvious and I never doubted they would be perfect together. The epilogue was very cute and made me love Arthur even more.

I will definitely be listening to more from this author and the narrator again.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 November, 2019: Finished reading
  • 11 November, 2019: Reviewed