Audiobook review: Just for the Season by Rachel Griffiths
Charolette loves breaking the rules. She doesn’t understand why women are not allowed the same privileges and freedoms as men. When she accidentally ends up in a compromising position at a notorious masquerade ball, the Queen tells her she must marry by the end of the summer.
Since Charolette’s older brother out of the country for the summer, Wolfgang, the Duke of Warwick (and her brother’s best friend), is standing in as her guardian and must attend the summer-long house party hosted by Charolette’s grandmother Lady Alice. Warwick cringes as every eager and eligible bachelor who wants her dowry tries to win Charolette’s hand, knowing none of them will ever be worthy.
Just for the Season is an absolutely delightful second chance, historical romance featuring a strong, outspoken woman and a grumpy, considerate duke. Charolette and Wolfgang felt an immediate attraction when they met three years ago, and after he was called away to his brother’s deathbed, they began corresponding daily. However, a small misunderstanding and lack of communication ended their brief courtship, leaving both brokenhearted. Now Warwick is forced to help Charlotte find a suitable match. I love that he finds ways to support Charlotte and stand up for her, but also allows her to fight her own battles and admires how she deftly handles misguided suitors.
As the second son, Wolfgang never wanted nor planned to be the Duke of Warwick, but after his brother died three years ago, the title and responsibilities are now his. This burden weighs on Wolfgang and he’s not really living life. He also won’t make changes to the dukedom or take his seat in the House of Lords because he is afraid of diminishing the memories of his late brother. Meanwhile Charlotte is vivacious and full of life. She is determined to solve her own problems, which includes covering her absentee mother’s outrageous debts, and never rely on a man.
Just for the Season is sweet, with deliciously drawn-out sexual tension. Charolette and Wolfgang are meant to be, but they each need time to figure out life and how to trust one another with their true self. While grief has blinded Wolfgang, Charlotte’s mother’s broken-heart and selfishness color her view of men and marriage. Luckily Charolette has amazing friends and the best grandmother ever. I loved Lady Alice, who often and not-so-covertly pushes Wolfgang and Charlotte together. I love that she supports Charolette’s freedom and allows her to make mistakes, while providing sage advice with a touch of humor.
Narration: the story is primarily shared via the alternating third person POVs of Charolette and Wolfgang, with a couple small sections from Lady Alice’s POV. Using an appropriate British accent, Shute does an amazing job narrating the entire story. She alters the narrator ever so slightly depending on the POV, with Alice’s being slightly more feminine and Wolfgang’s a bit deeper. In addition, Shute alters all dialogue based on gender, age, and place of origin. Shute nails Charlotte’s upbeat, perky demeanor, adding a lot of emotion for the character who wears her emotions on her sleeve. Shute also captures Wolfgang’s reluctant, grumpy attitude.
In the end, I loved listening to Just for the Season and hope to read more from Rachel Griffiths.
My Ratings
Story: A-
Narration: A
Jen
About the Book:
Lady Charlotte Louisa Aveton knows all of London’s rules, and better yet, knows how to break them. But when she takes it too far and stumbles into a serious scandal, she knows only one thing will save her—marriage, as soon as possible.
With only one summer to pick a husband, Charlotte invites all of England’s most eligible bachelors to an extravagant summer house party. There’s a brooding artist, a wickedly handsome Russian prince, and one of the wealthiest men in all of Europe…so why do her eyes keep sliding over to the Duke of Warrick, the man who once came dangerously close to breaking her heart?
Author: Rachel Griffiths
Narrator: Shakira Shute
Series: Standalone; Book 2
Genre: Historical Romance
Audiobook Release Date: July 7, 2026
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: 9 hours, 1 min
Source: Publisher
Audio Speed: 1.2x
#RRBC 2026: Book starts with same letter as your name