Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at the start—*another* rake reforming in a quaint village? But *Mistakes Not to Make* disarmed me within chapters. Edgewood’s heroine isn’t just wary of the rakish Lord Whatever-His-Name-Is; she’s *actively* plotting his social demise, and the audiobook thrives on her scheming. Mhairi Morrison’s narration sells every beat: her clipped tones when the heroine’s patience frays, the lazy drawl she gives the rake’s most infuriating lines (you’ll *hate* how charming he sounds), and the way she makes even throwaway village gossip feel like high drama. The production is crisp, with no distracting edits, though I’d have loved a touch more variation in secondary characters’ voices—some of the villagers blur together in crowded scenes. The pacing is where this audiobook shines. Edgewood balances banter and introspection so the 9-hour runtime flies, but she doesn’t rush the emotional turns. The rake’s redemption isn’t instant; it’s a messy, grudging unraveling, and Morrison’s performance traces that arc beautifully. My one critique? The third-act conflict relies a bit too heavily on miscommunication tropes, which feels tired next to the otherwise fresh dialogue. Still, the audiobook’s strengths—its wit, the narration’s infectious energy, and a heroine who’s *actually* funny—easily outweigh it. If you love romances where the leads are equally matched in brains and stubbornness, this is your next listen. Just maybe don’t play it on public transit unless you’re prepared to snort-laugh.