Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Paid Companion
    The Paid Companion
    The Paid Companion
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Paid Companion

    Written by Amanda Quick

    Narrated by Bianca Amato

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    “Once again, the incomparable Quick has whipped up a delectable Regency romance” (Booklist)—about an ice-cold business agreement that turns into something far more heated …

    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 fiancée will keep the husband-hunters at bay while he goes about his business.

    The simplest solution is to hire a paid companion. After all, the sorry women who must accept such employment are sure to be grateful for any favor …

    When he encounters Miss Elenora Lodge, he believes his problem is solved. Her dowdy attire and pinned-up hair cannot hide her fine figure and the fire in her golden eyes. And her unfortunate circumstances—and secret dreams of a life onstage—make the Earl’s offer undeniably appealing.

    But St. Merryn is clearly hiding something, and things seem oddly amiss in his gloomy Rain Street home. Elenora is soon to discover that his secrets are even darker than his décor—and this lark will be a more dangerous adventure than she’d been led to believe. And Arthur, Earl of St. Merryn, will find that the meek and mild companion he’d envisioned has become both 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 …
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJan 23, 2015
    ISBN9781490652740
    The Paid Companion
    Author

    Amanda Quick

    Amanda Quick is the pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz, the author, under various pen names, of more than fifty New York Times bestsellers; there are more than 35 million copies of her books in print. She lives in Seattle.

    More audiobooks from Amanda Quick

    Related to The Paid Companion

    Related audiobooks

    Historical Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Prince William’s Statement

      May 24, 2021

      Prince William’s Statement
      1 min read

    • Article

      Cruel Means, Bitter Ends

      Nov 10, 2021

      “In order for this speech to mean anything to me, I’ll need to dispense with the usual demagoguery and, instead, make an attempt at honesty. With this in mind, there is one thing I have to make clear. I’m not in this race to serve your interests, but

      12 min read

    • Article

      Two-Stroke Toilets: The trouble with time travel.

      May 8, 2014

      What’s this?” I said, looking down at the change the old woman had put down on the counter between us. There were bills of the wrong size and color, clunky-seeming coins that were too big and too dull. I stirred a finger in the little pile. She glanc

      31 min read

    • Article

      Return Of The Bores

      Mar 9, 2022

      All bores are boring but not all boring people are bores. There are plenty of innocent folk who like nothing more than to share their anxieties about the village fête with you – and they’ll do it for 20 minutes you’ll never get back. Yet these are ju

      3 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Mar 23, 2022

      If you like a touch of magic in your books, then this is for you. Katy and her mum Carol had planned an Italian getaway, but when her mother dies, grief-sticken Katy goes alone to Positano on the Amalfi Coast, the place her mum had visited as a young

      2 min read

    • Article

      The William Trevor Reader: “The Bedroom Eyes of Mrs. Vansittart”

      Nov 3, 2022

      This story shows an author at the height of his powers, trying something he hasn't done before. The post The William Trevor Reader: “The Bedroom Eyes of Mrs. Vansittart” appeared first on The Millions.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Pats On The Back

      Dec 12, 2019

      I AM writing this column from a prone position. Reclining on my sofa in the library, propped up with cushions like some latter-day Lady Ottoline Morrell, but without the wit, brilliance and patronage. I wish I could say my current condition arose fro

      3 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Feb 19, 2021

      At a local newspaper in South East London in 1957, journalist Jean Swinney receives a curious letter written to the editor. Gretchen Tilbury – abeautiful, well-to-do woman – claims her 10-year-old daughter is the product of a virgin birth. Gretchen h

      5 min read

    • Article

      A tender THREAD

      Jan 5, 2022

      A tender THREAD
      9 min read

    • Article

      Table Talk in Austenworld

      May 17, 2018

      There are two traits in her character which are pleasing; namely, she admires Camilla, and drinks no cream in her tea. —Jane Austen in a letter to Cassandra, January 1796 The company was seated for dinner on the second night of the camp, and as we di

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Glove

      Mar 4, 2024

      The Glove
      8 min read

    • Article

      Make A Stand

      Jan 17, 2024

      Make A Stand
      6 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Feb 2, 2022

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Stranger Than Fiction

      Apr 12, 2024

      Stranger Than Fiction
      5 min read

    • Article

      The William Trevor Reader: “A Trinity”

      Jun 20, 2023

      It is a long-held position of mine that it’s nearly impossible for a completely humorless writer to be good. The post The William Trevor Reader: “A Trinity” appeared first on The Millions.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Bonjour Powys!

      Jul 27, 2021

      Bonjour Powys!
      12 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Jan 20, 2020

      Theresa’s former husband Theo has been little but a shadow in her life: he’s spent the past two decades in an institution. Now that he’s dead, she finds herself unsure how to mourn for a man she’s tried so hard to put behind her. But going through a

      4 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Feb 1, 2024

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Stories In 'Reality' Have Some Bite

      Mar 11, 2021

      John Lanchester's sharp new story collection considers the dark side of technology, from smartphones to selfie sticks. But you don't have to be a Luddite to appreciate this smart, scary book.

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Paid Companion

    4.5/5

    56 ratings11 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      It's a wonderful book to read on a Sunday evening. It was entertaining, light and interesting.
    • 3/5
       Somehow candyfloss is somewhat moreish... Entirely predictable, in one sense, in that you just know that the two lead characters will end up together. A few interesting twists on the way, although the idea of a laser pwerful enough to kill being created in the regency period, is frankly, laughable. But if you suspend disbelief at this point, the rest of it is entertaining enough.
    • 2/5
      Readable, enjoyable, ultimately forgettable. A little brain candy. Just what I needed for a lazy weekend.
    • 3/5
      Great dock read, lots of fun and enjoyment.
    • 3/5
      After his last fiance eloped with another man, the Earl of St. Merryn decides the logical thing to do would be to hire a paid companion to act as his fiance during the London social season allowing him to conduct his business without the attention of all the debutantes looking for husbands. He hires Elenora through an agency while he covertly hunts for his uncle’s murderer. Elenora, too, was jilted after her stepfather lost all their money in gambling debts. Needless to say, the inevitable happens while Elenora helps him find the murderer.
    • 5/5
      I love her books and enjoy the narrator so much.
    • 4/5
      When his fiance elopes with another man, the Earl of St. Merryn clinches his cold reputation by playing cards all night rather than tracking the fleeing pair down. He states his intention to apply logic to his next attempt at marriage - rather than joining the marriage mart, he'll see what the agencies have to offer in the way of paid companions. After all, they're women of good repute fallen on hard times, and he's wealthy enough not to need an heiress. Miss Elanora Lodge needs a job - badly - but for some reason her agency keeps sending her out to interview for posts with lechers and drunks. It's a match made in heaven.Clever and fast-paced, this is a fun read even if it is a bit predictable. If you're already a Quick fan, you'll probably like this one.
    • 3/5
      The Earl of St. Merryn needs a fiancée, he wants to find out why his uncle-in-law died and his time is being taken up by husband hunting ladies and their mothers. He hires Elenora Lodge, who is looking for a job as paid companion, his proposition appeals to her, it will leave her with enough money to start her own business, something that appeals to her as she sees herself as on the shelf. During the course of their mutual mystery investigation they find that they like each other a bit more than just as companions in the hunt. What they will do about that is the question.Interesing but pretty predictable. Not exceptional and in fact I was pretty sure I'd read it before until I realised that in fact one of her other stories is almsot identical.
    • 4/5
      Not my usual type of book (I don’t know that I’ve ever read Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick before), but I really enjoyed this. It was a romance without being really heavy-handed with the LOOOOOVE, and it was a light historical mystery to boot! You pretty much know how it’s going to end, but that doesn’t lessen the enjoyment of the journey.
    • 5/5
      I simply loved this book. I laughed aloud in many parts and couldn't leave it, it was that intriguing. Amanda Quick never disappoints
    • 5/5
      The wonderful narration! The timing and delivery are delightful. Reality, not just words being read.