Quick Take
- Narration: Sam Devereaux handles Regency atmosphere and dual-protagonist chemistry competently, though the more emotionally exposed moments are less fully inhabited than the witty exchanges.
- Themes: Guardian and ward power dynamics, independence versus convention, aristocratic secrets
- Mood: Lush and intrigue-tinged, with a current of tension beneath the drawing-room surface
- Verdict: A confident Regency romance with a genuinely compelling hero, best enjoyed by readers who have already spent time in the Seducer series.
It was a rainy Tuesday evening when I started The Saint, the second entry in Madeline Hunter’s Seducer series, and I had not read the first book. I am noting that upfront because several reviews make a point of saying you should, and having now listened to this one, I understand why. Vergil Duclairc is introduced here as a fully formed figure, a viscount who has inherited both a title and a complicated moral reputation, and there are clearly layers to him that accumulate across the series rather than originating in this volume alone.
That said, Hunter’s setup is sufficiently engaging on its own terms. A guardian who discovers his ward is working as a theatrical singer in scandalous costume, a woman who has built her independence carefully and resents its threatened removal, an affair that begins in frustration and irritation and proceeds toward something both parties are slow to acknowledge. The bones here are the familiar architecture of Regency romance, but Hunter executes them with enough specificity to keep the formula from feeling mechanical.
Our Take on The Saint
What distinguishes Vergil Duclairc from the more generic Regency hero is the quality of his interiority. He is not simply brooding; he has actual secrets, actual reasons for the way he manages proximity and control. Bianca Kenwood, the American-born ward deposited into his custody, is the more active of the two protagonists: she pushes, she tests, she refuses to be diminished. One reviewer notes with some satisfaction that Bianca did not fall for the more obviously charming secondary character Dante, choosing instead the complicated man who resists easy categorization. That resistance is, in the end, what makes the central relationship interesting.
The series framing, a dueling club that binds the various heroes together, gives the book a broader context than a single love story. Politics enter the picture more than some readers prefer; at least one reviewer describes it as slowing the narrative in places. That is a fair observation. Hunter is doing more than one thing here, and the political subplot is not always given the space it needs to fully cohere. Whether that ambition enriches or dilutes depends considerably on your tolerance for period intrigue alongside your romance.
Why Listen to The Saint
Sam Devereaux’s narration captures the period atmosphere effectively. The drawing-room scenes, where much of the maneuvering happens through implication and social code, benefit from a delivery that understands timing and register. The more emotionally exposed moments are handled with less confidence, which is the one consistent limitation in an otherwise serviceable performance. For a ten-hour Regency, that is not a fatal problem, but listeners who prioritize emotional depth in their audio romance may notice the gap.
What to Watch For in The Saint
The mystery subplot, which involves the dangerous intrigue referenced in the synopsis’s final lines, is less fully developed than the romantic arc. One reviewer describes it as falling somewhat flat, and that is consistent with my experience. Hunter’s strength is character and period atmosphere; the thriller elements are present but secondary. If you are coming to this for the romance, you will be satisfied. If you want the secondary plot to carry equal weight, you may find yourself wanting more from it. The ten-hour runtime also means the pacing is deliberate in places, and the novel does not move quickly by the standards of the contemporary romance genre.
A final note on the casting of this audiobook: Devereaux’s voice has the right gravity for Vergil without tipping into self-parody. The ten-hour runtime asks for that kind of sustained presence, and he provides it.
Who Should Listen to The Saint
Readers who enjoy Regency romance with a genuine power-dynamic tension at its center, a heroine who actively shapes her own story, and a hero whose appeal is earned through complexity rather than surface charm. Those who have not read The Seducer may want to start there; the investment pays off in how much more Vergil’s arc resonates in this volume. Listeners who prefer their romance free of political subplot and secondary mystery will find some of the middle sections slower than they would like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Saint the right starting point for the Seducer series, or should I read the first book first?
Most reviewers strongly recommend starting with The Seducer. Vergil Duclairc appears as a secondary character in that volume, and the history he carries into The Saint is meaningfully richer if you have met him before. The Saint can be followed as a standalone, but the emotional payoff is reduced.
How explicit is the romance content in this audiobook?
This is a mainstream Regency romance from a nationally bestselling author. The content is sensual and the attraction between Vergil and Bianca is central to the narrative, but the explicit content sits in the conventional range for the genre rather than at the more graphic end.
Does the political subplot detract from the romance, or do the two elements integrate well?
Opinion is divided among reviewers. Some find the political elements add depth to Vergil’s character; others feel they slow the pacing and divert attention from the relationship. Hunter does not fully integrate the two strands, and the mystery element at the climax is less developed than the central romance.
How does Sam Devereaux handle the American voice of Bianca versus the British aristocratic voices?
Devereaux manages the period register convincingly overall, and the social class distinctions are handled with reasonable care. The distinction between Bianca’s American directness and the more mannered English characters around her is maintained without exaggeration.
