These Old Shades cover art

These Old Shades

The Alastair-Audley Series, Book 1

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These Old Shades

By: Georgette Heyer
Narrated by: Sarah Nichols
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About this listen

Society believes the worst of Justin Alastair, the notorious Duke of Avon. When he encounters a young boy, Léon, who is running from his abusive brother, Avon employs the boy as his page, parading him around parties and other society events in full view of his bitter rival, the Comte de Saint-Vire.

But the truth is soon uncovered: Léon is in fact a girl named Léonie and is actually the legitimate child of the Comte and his wife. While Avon is intent on his plan to reveal the Comte’s duplicity and ruin him publicly, he is charmed by Léonie’s kindness, falls in love, and becomes a changed man.

First published in 1926 to great commercial success, These Old Shades showcases Heyer at her romantic best and remains a charming and entertaining listen for all fans of historical romances.

Public Domain (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing Historical Historical Fiction Romance
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Wonderful story and superb characters. Would invite first time Georgette Heyer readers to start with this one.

The narrator Sarah Nichols does an excellent job of portraying all the different characters. She gets Avon's complex personality right and the relationship between Le Duc & Leonie is spot on.

Humour runs through the story telling and Rupert is laugh out loud funny. A truly classic romance.

Wonderful rendition of an age old story

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Gripping, thrilling and lough out loud funny. What a character, who couldn’t love Leon. It made Paris come alive in a whole new way.

1000 years later and it’s still a bonza book.

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So much better than an earlier reading of this novel by a male narrator. Léonie is captured superbly. This is still a favourite Heyer.

Fantastic performance

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My Mother read this book and gave me the name Lèonie as my middle name. I am now 61 years of age and have just finished this wonderful story. I’m very pleased to have been named after this wilful & strong character and much to my Mothers’ frustration I’m quite like this character 😂🤩🙄💖 Jennifer Lèonie 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was named after the character Lèonie

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Thoroughly enjoyed regency romance. Georgette Heyer spins a story with humour, adventure and romance set to a regency background.

Adventure and romance

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I read Georgette Heyer in my teens, when I was in high school & rediscovered her writing. Loved it then & still love it! Interesting story & plot

Rekindling an old love

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loved the character of Leon/Leoni. perfect spunk and feistiness.
found the narrator difficult to follow at times and that the way in which the story was read didn't fit with my thoughts of the characters.

Leoni's spunk

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Loved it, very engaging and narrated very well. Will listen many times over again for sure

My favourite story

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The afterword by Georgette Heyer's biographer was very interesting. I have read this novel and it's sequel many times but hadn't come across the information included in the afterword before.

An excellent rendition of this very entertaining novel by Georgette Heyer.

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Story very good. Regency England well depicted but unfortunately, did not like the narrator's voice. Found it very distracting.

Great story. Regency England at it's romantic best.

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