BOOK REVIEW: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

I was curious about steam levels in historical romances from the past. (Not way in the past, but recent past, like the 1990s. I can’t believe that was 30+ years ago!) I was reading romance back then, but not as often, and whatever the steam levels were did not stick in my mind.

So I read Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, published in 1995, and based on this limited sample, I think steamy then is essentially the same as steamy now. Tropes, too, are familiar. This novel has an emotionally wounded MMC (Dain) who was shunned by his father and abandoned by his mother as a child. As an adult, he has made tons of money, but has lost himself in debauchery, convinced he is unworthy of love. His friends are all blackguards, and aristocratic society views him as the devil himself. The FMC (Jessica) is smart and determined, and refuses to be taken advantage of. But their desire for each other is instant and overpowering, and after a public indiscretion, they end up in a forced marriage. The storyline follows their road from lust to love.

There is wonderful emotional depth to the protagonists. Jessica, in particular, is a calm, pragmatic, take-charge kind of lady (even when she is shooting Dain.) Her responses to his cutting remarks are admirable, and her self-confidence make her the perfect foil for a man who lashes out to protect his own heart.

Loretta Chase is a USA Today Bestselling Author, and it’s easy to see why.

BOOK REVIEW: Isabella’s Rake by June Calvin

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Isabella’s Rake by June Calvin is a closed-door Regency Romance adventure that will have you rooting for the strong-willed heroine and the infatuated rake.

Isabella is the granddaughter of a duchess who is determined to see her married well. Meaning to a respectable peer. But Isabella is a talented artist who wants to be mentored by someone who can teach her to do more than ladylike watercolors. She wants to paint bold landscapes. She enlists a new friend to help her dress as a boy to present herself to a famous London painter who takes students. That artist sees through her disguise and refuses to help, but another of his students, Harrison Curzon, a gentleman of the ton, is present at the encounter and agrees to take on the challenge. He understands her passion for painting despite the censure of high society because he suffers from society’s strictures as well. A gentleman might paint for entertainment, but not seriously, and definitely not to sell his artwork. Isabella comes up with a scheme so that they can meet in secret, but there is another problem: Curzon is a notorious rake. To be caught with him would be ruinous, even if painting is their most scandalous activity–and it might not be.

This delightfully entertaining novel was originally released in 1997, but has been updated for re-release on July 21. If you’re looking for a story with passion but no steam, have a look at Isabella’s Rake.

BOOK REVIEW: Lady Ferocity by Kate Archer

Lady Ferocity by Kate Archer is the first in a 7-book closed-door Regency Romance series, featuring the seven daughters of the Duke of Pelham, an eccentric nobleman living in the Yorkshire Dales. He has a poor reputation among his peers, who see him as something of a madman, which may be why he hasn’t gone to London in a long while. However, his eldest daughter is of an age to marry, and his sister, Lady Marchfield, has dragged the whole family to the city for Felicity’s season. Felicity is a naive, lovely young lady who does her best to be good-natured but is known, in her family, for having a quick temper. At her first social event, she is smitten by the handsome Earl of Rustmont and she decides he must woo her.

Mr. Percy Stratton is the only son of a newly-created viscount. His father wants him to marry  well to protect their new status. Percy, at 24 years old, sees no reason to marry any time soon. He hatches a scheme to court a lady who will soundly reject him. Hearing rumors that Pelham is “unhinged” and the daughters may be also, he resolves to make a pretense of courting Felicity. (His father will be appalled, given that the viscount cannot stand the duke.)  Seeing that she is taken with Rustmont, Percy offers to help her make the earl jealous by following her around like a lovesick swain.

Of course, readers know how the fake courtship trope turns out. But in this madcap rom-com, the journey is more than half the fun. There is a lovely supportive cast of sisters, who will each get their own stories. And there is a subplot involving their housekeeper, Mrs. Right, who rules the Pelham roost through farcical schemes of her own. There is also an encounter with a tiger!

This is a fun book, and I hope to read more in the series!

BOOK REVIEW: Corpse in the Canal by Mary Lancaster

 I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I’m an avid follower of Mary Lancaster’s historical mystery series, Silver and Grey. The latest release, Corpse in the Canal, continues the storyline of Constance Silver and Sebastian Grey, now a happily married couple, who investigate crimes in Regency England. Each story delves into different, evolving aspects of their relationship, and also brings in the love stories of some of the more peripheral characters. The emotional deep dives pull the plots along as much as the mystery.

In this novel, Silver and Grey are asked to look into the disappearance of the adult son of a wealthy gentleman from Buckinghamshire. The young man has not been gone long, but his father believes he is being lured into a relationship with a widow of whom the father (and mother) do not approve. The detecting duo are inclined to believe this is the son’s own business, but there is a suspicion of foul play and some urgency, so they agree to look into it. 

What they discover is that the young man is an awful person, with many enemies. He has left London to return home, so Silver and Grey also go to Buckinghamshire. There they find the young man has been murdered. Now, there is a true mystery to solve.

This series does not disappoint! I do recommend starting with book 1. The mysteries stand alone, but the relationship development is best understood by reading the novels in order.

BOOK REVIEW: A Bitter Cut by Anna Lee Huber

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

The latest book (book 14, including a novella) in Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby Mysteries series is A Bitter Cut. Huber continues to serve up tightly plotted murder mysteries to be solved by the clever Lady Darby and her handsome husband, Sebastian Gage. And there are intricate family dynamics to navigate along the way.

In this book, Kiera (Lady Darby) and Gage are hosting a house party alongside Sebastian’s father, Lord Gage. There is to be a gathering of family and politically minded friends and acquaintances. For Kiera, the most critical partygoers are her brother Trevor, the young heiresss–Matilda Birnam--he hopes to wed, and Matilda’s parents. The parents, unfortunately, are nightmares. Not only are they commoners, but Mr. Birnam is pressing an unpopular political stance: allowing his factories to continue to exploit child labor. He dominates every table conversation despite the obvious distaste of his fellow diners. His wife, Mrs. Birnam, is a haughty, complaining shrew. If that isn’t bad enough, Mr. Birnam has brought along his secretary, a pretty young woman, whose presence he insists upon during social functions, despite the fact that this just isn’t done. (Is she his mistress, being foisted upon them all? Kiera is horrified.)

Before Kiera can get too worked up about the impropriety, the woman asks her to meet someplace private, at midnight, because she is frightened and has something to confess. When Kiera goes to meet her, she finds that the woman has been murdered. By way of an acid attack.

Once again, Kiera and Gage are called upon to solve what at first seems an unsolvable murder. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that the Birnams (who might possibly be future in-laws) and even her beloved brother Trevor are all hiding something.

Alongside the mystery, the novel delves into issues of inequality and child labor in mid-1800s England. As always, the Lady Darby Mysteries spin a fine tale.

BOOK REVIEW: A Shop Girl’s Guide to Wooing a Lord by Shana Galen

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Shana Galen has a new series coming out: The Heiress Hunters. Book 1 is A Shop Girl’s Guide to Wooing a Lord.

The heiress hunters are the sons of the Earl of Glenister. When they learn of the family’s impending bankruptcy, and of their parents’ reluctant decision to marry off their fifteen-year-old sister to a significantly older wealthy lord to salvage their estates, the sons decide that one of them will have to marry an heiress instead. Being brothers, they turn it into a competition. Garrett Kildare, the second son, is determined to be the one to save the family. The only problem is, the heiresses he has been introduced to leave him cold.

Tamsin Archer is an impoverished commoner who lives with her twice-widowed mother in a tavern where their labor is exploited by the owner and where Tamsin is beaten by the owner’s wife. If this situation isn’t hopeless enough, Tamsin has two younger step-siblings who were sold to a man named Snoozer who runs a company of chimney sweeps. Tamsin has to turn over the little money she earns in order that they might be fed. She’s trying to save up to buy them back, but the price is forever out of reach. And so, she begins stealing. At an aristocrat’s party, she is caught mid-robbery by Garrett.

Tamsin knows what a kind person he is, because she met him once, years before. He bought violets from her when she was a desperate flower girl. She is even more desperate now. She manages to run off, but Garrett is determined to find her. When he does, and learns her story, he wants to help. 

Unfortunately, Garrett is also sticking to his plan to marry an heiress. He falls for Tamsin, but he can’t marry her. She’s a commoner and she’s poor. Tamsin in turn has been in love with Garrett since her flower girl days, but she also knows the class difference is insurmountable.

Or is it?

This steamy Regency Romance is a fun read that introduces spirited protagonists to root for as well as a host of brothers who will no doubt continue the hunt for heiresses. (And a sister who’ll get her own story, I hope!)

BOOK REVIEW: Remember That Day by Mary Balogh

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I love Mary Balogh’s historical romances. Her newest release, Remember That Day, brings together the Wares and the Westcotts, families whose courtships are featured in the Ravenswood Series and the Westcott Series. I’ve enjoyed both series and was happy to see them all meet. However, this latest novel is not one of my favorites. 

The premise is wonderful. Nicholas Ware, the second son in the Ware family, has been a soldier since he turned 18. Now in his thirties, with the Napoleonic Wars ended, he is in the Horse Guard. Although traumatized in his youth by the discovery of his father’s infidelity, and thus suspicious of love, he is ready to settle down and start a family. He is close with his commander’s daughter, Grace Haviland, and has decided to propose to her. She’s beautiful and essentially perfect, but she doesn’t stir his heart.

Winifred Cunningham is the adopted daughter of Camille Westcott and Joel Cunningham. She is unattractive. She was abandoned as a baby at an orphanage and has no idea who her parents might have been. Although much of her youth was spent insecure and desperate to be loved, she has matured to be a woman comfortable in her own skin, despite her lack of good looks and the fact that everyone who sets eyes upon her must think or comment upon this lack, often more than once. She, too, has given up on love. However, she is good friends with Owen Ware, who has similar ideas about helping troubled youths, and she has begun to hope he might fall in love with her and propose. Owen is Nicholas’ younger brother.

Nicholas and Winifred meet in London. And then they spend time together at a house party of sorts, where the two families come together, as well as the Havilands. It is more or less expected by all attendees that by the end of the visit, Nicholas will be engaged to Grace and Winifred will be engaged to Owen.

The slow-burn love story is sweet and engaging. The characters are all generous, kind, and understanding. The emotion and interiority is all signature Balogh style. However, too much of the novel is taken up with reminding the reader who all the players are. While it is good to have some of the reminders, the detailed pedigrees and backstories slow the pace and intrude too much on the story. They also make some of the dialogues feel unrealistic. Moreover, readers don’t really need to have every character remind us that Winifred is unattractive. Very few pages go by without someone reminding us of that fact. Even when Nicholas asks Winifred’s adoptive father for her hand, the father finds it hard to believe someone as good-looking as Nicholas could have fallen for his ugly daughter, and essentially says that out loud. I appreciate that Winifred has inner beauty and everyone can see it, but I still get the sense that they all think outer beauty is more important. 

Nevertheless, I still admire Mary Balogh’s romances and will certainly read the next.

BOOK REVIEW: Death at Villa de Lacey by Aviva Orr

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Death at Villa De Lacey by Aviva Orr is the first book in a new Regency mystery series with a budding romance between the sleuths.

Bridget De Lacey has just lost her father in the worst way possible. He took his own life because of insurmountable gambling debts, including the loss of the house in the Lake District where Bridget lives with her aunt. Now they can do nothing but wait until the home is claimed by the man who beat him at cards.

Nate Squires, younger brother of Edward, the Earl of Westerly, has been living a dissolute life, largely to spite his controlling brother. When he refuses to marry the lady of Edward’s choice, his brother threatens to cut off his allowance and strip him of his London home. The only alternative Edward offers is for Nate to leave London to reside in the Lake District villa that he (Edward) won gambling. Resentfully, Nate goes. It isn’t until he arrives at Villa De Lacey that he learns the house is occupied. He isn’t heartless enough to cast out two grieving women, but what is he to do with them?

Bridget suggests a plan. They should renovate the large home into an upscale inn. (Wordsworth’s travel guide to the Lake District has made it a popular spot for tourists.) She will act as hostess to earn her keep.

Unfortunately, the first guests include a few of Nate’s disreputable friends, a couple of nasty, controlling older women, and the young lady Edward wanted Nate to wed. Another guest is an actress/courtesan who is definitely not the type of upscale patron they want at their inn. When it seems things could not be worse, one of the guests is found dead. Was it an accident? Or murder?

As Bridget and Nate join forces to investigate, danger closes in around them.

This is a fine addition to the Regency Mystery genre with a slowly developing romance. It’s a quick read with likable protagonists and an unexpected villain. A wonderful set-up for the series.

BOOK REVIEW: The Sailor without a Sweetheart by Katherine Grant

Katherine Grant’s The Sailor without a Sweetheart is an angsty, steamy, second-chance Regency Romance set within the context of Britain’s (half-hearted?) attempts to end the slave trade.

Nate Preston is a captain in the Royal Navy whose remit is to capture foreign ships transporting enslaved people and free them. However, he is back on land, waiting for a court martial trial for being too vigorous in the pursuit of such ships.

Amy Lampugh is a twenty-eight year old gentlewoman seen by one and all as a spinster, destined to serve as nanny/governess to her younger sister’s children. She suffers from a goiter (enlarged thyroid and symptoms of hyperthyroidism) that has left her feeling older than her age and afraid she looks older too. 

Six years earlier, Nate and Amy (pre-illness) were in love. When Amy’s father refused permission for them to marry, they decided to elope. But on the night that they’d planned to run away together, Amy didn’t show up, breaking Nate’s heart. Knowing Nate would be away at sea for months at a time, she realized she had no resources to fall back on if her father disowned her, which he certainly would.

Now, Amy and Nate find themselves thrown together at her sister’s house, an estate near Portsmouth. Nate and his uncle are in Portsmouth to await Nate’s trial. This unexpected reunion forces them to confront the fact that they still have strong feelings for one another. But with so much heartbreak in their past, with Amy’s chronic illness, and with Nate’s career hanging in the balance, can they find their way back to one another?

This is the fifth book in The Prestons series, following The Charmer without a Cause. This is a delightful series with historical depth!

BOOK REVIEW: While You Were Spying by Shana Galen

While You Were Spying by Shana Galen is a steamy Regency Romance, the first book in the Regency Spies series.

Miss Francesca Dashing is the unconventionally beautiful daughter of a viscount, whose first engagement ended in disaster and left her emotionally scarred. Convinced that she is not worthy of love, she has determined never to marry. Back home on her father’s Hampshire estate, she tends to wounded animals, watches over her stunning younger sister, and puts up with her loving but silly mother. This all changes when Ethan Caxton, the Marquess of Winterbourne, mysteriously appears.

Winterbourne is an alpha hero who also has a traumatic love affair in his past. He is convinced all women are untrustworthy. But he hasn’t time for love anyway, since he is trying to flush out a ring of smugglers involved with France.

The attraction between the two is instantaneous, though they both deny it. However, when Francesca is attacked, and Winterbourne suspects the attack might be related to the smuggling, he assigns himself the task of keeping her safe.

Of course, one thing leads to another.

For fans of high-steam romance with a touch of mystery!

BOOK REVIEW: Miss Morton and the Missing Heir by Catherine Lloyd

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I’m a big fan of Catherine Lloyd’s historical mysteries. The Kurland St. Mary Mysteries are not to be missed, and neither is her current series, the Miss Morton Mysteries.

Miss Morton and the Missing Heir is book 4. Miss Caroline Morton is the daughter of an earl. However, her father gambled away everything that wasn’t entailed, including the dowries of Caroline and her sister. When he died with no known male heir, the two young girls were thrown onto the mercy of relatives, who did not treat them well. The backstory comes out in books 1-3, so I recommend reading the series in order.

Caroline struck out on her own, taking employment as a companion to Mrs. Frogerton, a wealthy businesswoman, who was pleased to have an aristocratic lady to help her launch her daughter into society. With that accomplished, and with the possibility of an inheritance coming to her through other means, Caroline is faced with the possibility of leaving Mrs. Frogerton’s employ. But not yet.

A Mr. Scutton appears, along with his mother and sister. Mr. Scutton says he is the next living male relative in the Morton line, and he has come to claim the earldom. His claim is fairly credible. Caroline doesn’t want to have anything to do with the earldom, and is content to let him have the title and ancestral home. While the old house is being fixed up (it was in quite a state of disrepair), Mrs. Frogerton invites the Scuttons to stay with her and Caroline.

Lloyd does a great job of presenting Mr. Scutton as a character to love to hate. He is arrogant, snooty, and he feels entitled to tell Caroline how to live. Of course, she must give up her employment and behave as a lady. And she definitely must give up her friendships with Inspector Ross (a detective who has helped Caroline and Mrs. Frogerton solve mysteries in the past) and Dr. Harris (a gruff, talented physician who has also been there in the past for Caroline.) Both men have fallen for Caroline, but she isn’t ready to commit to either. The reader will be as indignant as Caroline over Scutton’s presumption.

While they are waiting for Scutton’s claim to be approved by the powers that be, two murders occur. Caroline and Mrs. Frogerton investigate, alongside Inspector Ross. Scutton and his mother fume at the slow pace of the investigation.

Caroline’s calm is impressive as she deals with the insufferable Scuttons while trying to solve the murders. The novel is fast-paced and well-plotted. And the developing relationships keep me coming back for more.

BOOK REVIEW: Jane Austen: The Original Romance Novelist by Janet Lewis Saidi

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That didn’t influence this review.

I don’t read many biographies except for research for my own writing. But I do enjoy biographies of my favorite writers. Jane Austen: The Original Romance Novelist by Janet Lewis Saidi (Pocket Portraits) is a compact life story of the brilliant Regency era writer. This short book walks the reader through Jane’s life, correlating events with excerpts from her novels and letters to her family members. It mentions the speculation about possible love affairs of Jane’s, but does not speculate. It concludes with the timelessness of Austen’s work by pointing out her influence on contemporary movies, fan fiction, and Bridgerton.

Fans of Jane Austen, particularly budding fans who want to know more about her, will find this a great introduction.

BOOK REVIEW: A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin is a funny, closed-door Regency Romance that kept me delightedly turning pages.

Eliza Balfour, now Lady Somerset, is a 27-year-old widow who will be extremely wealthy as long as she obeys the morality clause in her deceased husband’s will. The late Lord Somerset was a miserly, much older curmudgeon, who wants to continue to control her from the grave. Eliza doesn’t expect this to be a problem. She has never misbehaved in her life. However, her cousin Margaret tempts her to live a little. What could go wrong if they spend a few quiet months in Bath?

Eliza is willing, mainly because she needs to get away from the new Lord Somerset, her husband’s nephew. Eliza and this handsome young man were in love, long ago, before she was coerced by her parents to marry for title and wealth. She’s still in love with him, but he accused her of dooming them both to unhappiness because of her lack of spirit and she’s sure he still despises her.

In Bath, she is thrown into the company of Lord Melville, a Byronesque figure who dazzles her with his charm, wit, and kindness. Unfortunately, he has a reputation as a rake, and by spending time with him, her reputation is likely to suffer. If it does, she risks losing her inheritance. Even worse, the new Lord Somerset gets to be the judge of her behavior, and he comes to Bath on a weak excuse to see her. It seems he isn’t over her, either.

Suddenly, Eliza finds herself the object of two men’s attentions. Who is the right man for her? Readers will form their own opinions pretty quickly, but Eliza has good reasons for her bafflement. Can she be in love with them both?

This novel is sweet, well-paced, and well-plotted, but even if it wasn’t, I’d recommend it for Melville’s witty conversation alone.

BOOK REVIEW: A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber

 I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I’ve been following Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby Mysteries since the beginning of the series. For fans of historical mystery, this is a series not to miss. A Tarnished Canvas is the thirteenth book, and there is also a novella tucked in there. While the latest novel can be read as a standalone, it would really be better to have read at least some of the earlier books to get the gist of the relationships. The mystery can stand alone, but you’ll lose out on a lot of the heart of the story.

Kiera Gage (Lady Darby) is an artist, a new mother, a skilled sleuth, and a devoted wife. That is a handful for anyone, but fortunately, she and her husband are wealthy enough to afford good help – a valet, lady’s maid, and nursemaid who also aid with the sleuthing. The valet and lady’s maid add a second element of troubled romance to the storyline.

Kiera is a sought-after portraitist amongst the members of high society, but she is currently working on material for an exhibition of the downtrodden populace. While she wants to make her peers see the subjects, she’s fearful of a negative response. (Her past has her very insecure about being attacked for her work.) As the book opens, Kiera receives an invitation and catalogue to an art auction. The effects of a deceased collector are being sold off. During the auction, calamity strikes. Part of the floor collapses, sending numerous attendees plummeting. Although at first it appears to be an accident, there are hints that it was intentional. Kiera and her inquiry agent husband, Sebastian Gage, are drawn into the investigation. They are aided, to Gage’s dismay, by the local crime lord Bonnie Brock (who is infatuated with Kiera.)

Once again, Huber crafts a well-plotted mystery that will keep you guessing until the end, and immerses it within ongoing complex family dynamics. This is an engaging series to follow!

BOOK REVIEW: Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath

 I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath is a delightful (moderately steamy) Regency Rom-Com.

Lottie Travers is a farmgirl whose family farm is failing, despite the efforts of her father and brothers. Lottie has been granted a great opportunity, education in Miss Prentice’s School, where she is to learn how to behave amongst wealthy aristocrats so that she can work as a governess, maid, or companion. She’s grateful for the opportunity because it allows her to earn wages to send home. Unfortunately, she is obsessed with fast horses, to the point that she can’t help flirting with stablehands in order to borrow mounts to go riding. And ultimately, in roundabout ways, getting herself fired. Fortunately, she is given the opportunity to be a companion to a crotchety old woman who seems amused by her escapades. Unfortunately, the lady is the aunt of a young lord with whom Lottie had collided in a park. The encounter was memorable for the lord’s rudeness and for his great good looks.

The lord, Viscount Wennington (Guy) is as grumpy as they come. Years ago, he made a fool of himself by making a very public proposal and being very publicly refused. Ever since, he has avoided female company, avoided polite society, and spent his time on his estate, taking care of his tenants. However, his 30^th birthday is approaching, and his grandchild-obsessed mother is plotting (along with her sister, Lottie’s employer, Lady Frinton) to throw him a birthday party filled with eligible ladies as guests. The party has to be kept secret because they know he’ll hate it.

While accompanying Lady Frinton, Lottie is repeatedly thrown into company with Guy. Their personality conflicts lead to a great deal of bickering and miscommunication, but the physical attraction is strong, and they are both good people at heart, so apologies follow the arguments and the two grow ever more enamored with one another. (Especially when Lottie is compared to the aristocratic competition!)

For fans of grumpy/sunshine romances, this one is fun!

BOOK REVIEW: The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman will be released in 4 days. I’ve been waiting for this impatiently since reading book 1 in the series, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. 

Book 2 continues the Regency-Era adventures of Lady Augusta (Gus) Colebrook and her sister, Julia. They are 42-year-old twins of genteel birth and modest fortune. But they are spinsters, which puts them in an odd place in Society. They have some independence, but are not expected to use it.

They have already caused a stir by their rescuing of Lady Hester Belford from an insane asylum, where she had been imprisoned by her brother. Now they are hiding the lady so that her brother, Lord Deele, can’t try again to have her locked away elsewhere. (For the record, Hester is not insane.) The only reason Deele (a second son) has control over his sister is that their eldest brother, Lord Evan Belford, is supposed to be in exile for a murder he did not (he didn’t think) commit. Evan has sneaked back from exile to try to clear his name. In book 1, he and Gus met and fell in love. Unfortunately, he’s on the run from the law and they can’t be together. Awkwardly, the law includes Mr. Kent, a Bow-Street Runner, who is pursuing Evan, and who is enamored with Julia—the feeling is mutual.

Gus and Julia have to protect Lady Hester, Evan, and their own reputations while also dealing with their brother, Lord Duffield, who is mortified by their behavior and determined to make them behave so they’ll stop bringing shame upon the family name.

Along the way, they encounter a “thief-taker,” who is determined to catch Lord Evan and kill him. Someone, they don’t know who, wants Evan dead. They uncover a secret club devoted to sexual violence and depravity. And they become involved with government plots. All the while, they have to accept that their own sisterly relationship is changing.

This book is a worthy successor to book one. While entertaining in its own right, you should really read book one first to help keep all the players straight. If you enjoy historical adventure with a strong dose of romance, this series is not to be missed.

BOOK REVIEW: The Charmer Without a Cause by Katherine Grant

The Charmer Without a Cause by Katherine Grant is the fourth book in her Regency Romance series The Prestons. It brings together a sensitive hero (Benjamin Preston) and a passionate heroine (Lady Lydia Deveraux) in a marriage that Benjamin thinks is a love match, but Lydia thinks is a marriage of convenience.

Benjamin, who comes from a family that live their high principles, has just inherited ten thousand pounds from his uncle. He believes in helping the less fortunate, but wants to find his own cause, not simply follow the path forged by his father. More importantly, Benjamin wants to find true love. He’s known for repeated bouts of instalove, so his father is concerned that he’ll end up with a fortune hunter. In a way, he does.

Lydia’s family belongs to the Irish Protestant aristocracy. And while her parents and brother are glad of their top dog status, Lydia has more compassion for the Irish people who want their independence from Britain. She became a true fighter for Ireland when she fell for Seamus, an Irish Catholic activist who died for his beliefs. Now, Lydia wants only to continue the fight in his memory. She sees her role as marrying for money to funnel funds to the cause.

The first part of her plan succeeds quickly. Benjamin is easy to catch. And he is even more generous with his fortune than Lydia could have hoped. But the political situation is much more difficult to navigate than she anticipated. And it’s hard to keep Benjamin at a distance when he is so handsome and kind, and they are so good together in bed. 

This steamy romance brings together strong characters in a fascinating historical setting. I don’t usually jump into a series at book four, but this one stands very well on its own. However, now I have to go back and read books 1-3!

BOOK REVIEW: Evidence of Evil by Mary Lancaster

Constance Silver and Solomon Grey are reunited in Book 2 of the Silver and Grey Regency mystery series, Evidence of Evil, by Mary Lancaster. This can be read as a standalone for the mystery, but the evolving romance will make more sense if you first read book 1, Murder in Moonlight.

Constance Silver is the exceptionally beautiful owner of a high-priced London brothel, that also serves as a refuge and training school for women in crisis. Solomon Grey is a wealthy British businessman from a Jamaican background, who has risen in society because of his wealth but is nevertheless subjected to racism as an everyday experience. The two have met before and solved one mystery together. A friendship has evolved between them, but also a sexual attraction that is difficult to ignore.

When a friend of Constance’s, Lady Elizabeth Maule, asks her to visit her in the country because she is afraid she is about to be accused of murder, Constance is ready to leap to her defense. She knows Elizabeth is incapable of murder. A one-time resident of the brothel, Elizabeth moved on to a position as governess and then married the father of the children, Sir Humphrey Maule. One of Elizabeth’s neighbors, a beautiful young woman, was found dead in Sir Humphrey’s pond, and Elizabeth is supposedly the last person to see her alive. Moreover, they had a fairly public argument.

Rather than go alone, Constance enlists Solomon’s help. 

Together the two piece together the truth of what happened. And they grow closer. The novel delves into the psyches of the protagonists and also into that of the murdered woman, who was neither as angelic nor as evil as revelations about her would suggest.

Constance and Solomon make a perfect investigating team. They also make a perfect couple, except for the fact that Constance’s profession stands in the way. Book 3 comes out in May!

BOOK REVIEW: Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

 I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Alexandra Vasti, author of Ne’er Duke Well, has a new book out today in the Belvoir series, Earl Crush. This is an entertaining romp of a Regency Romance, a fine follow-up to the first.

Lydia Hope-Wallace is intelligent, beautiful, and passionate about social justice. Unfortunately, she suffers from an almost crippling social anxiety. This leaves her unable to attract a husband in the usual way. So she focuses her attention on the cause of equality for all. Men and women. She writes inflammatory pamphlets that are published and distributed by her friend Selena (who readers will have met in book 1, the owner of Belvoir library and publishers.) She signs the pamphlets only as “H.”

One of her readers has written back to her, repeatedly, through her publisher. They discovered a true meeting of the minds. This reader signed his letters as Lord Strathrannoch, an impoverished Scottish earl. Lydia, the possessor of a substantial dowry, decides to go to Scotland and propose. Unfortunately, when she arrives, the earl has no idea who she is. He didn’t write the letters. That was his brother, assuming his identity.

Arthur Baird, the Fifth Earl of Strathrannoch, is a gentle giant of a man. He’s very conscientious, caring for his tenants, but a recluse. He hasn’t been looking for a wife. Arthur is also an inventor. And one of his inventions was recently stolen by the same brother who has been writing to Lydia and using his name.

The two join forces to track down this brother. During their adventures, they find themselves lusting after one another increasingly. However, Lydia can’t forget that Arthur rejected her when she first proposed marriage. And Arthur can’t forget that Lydia proposed to him thinking that he was his brother. The steaminess of the novel soon ratchets up to high, especially after they have to pretend to be man and wife.

Readers know they’ll end up together, but there are plenty of surprises along the way. The novel stands alone, but book one will introduce you to Belvoir and to Lydia’s female friends, and they are not to be missed!

BOOK REVIEW: Remember When by Mary Balogh

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Remember When by Mary Balogh is the latest novel in The Ravenswood series. This warm, lovely Regency Romance is told in the signature Balogh style.

Clarissa Ware is the Dowager Countess of Stratton (met before in books 1-3). She has been a dutiful loving mother and had been a supportive wife up until her husband’s demise a few years earlier. She loved her husband despite his faults—which included serial infidelity. Now, at fifty, with her children grown, and for the most part, married off or otherwise settled, she wants time alone to rediscover herself. Who is she, besides a widow and mother?

She returns alone to Ravenwood, the estate where she was once the countess, a title that now belongs to her beloved daughter-in-law. She intends to enjoy her solitude. But one thing she is determined to do is to visit her old and once very dear friend, Matthew Taylor. They were children together and the most devoted of friends. They were both the offspring of respectable gentry, though Clarissa’s connections and expectations were somewhat better than Matthew’s, particularly since he was a second son. When she was 17, and Matthew 18, as the first sparks of possible romance were appearing between them, Clarissa had an offer of marriage from the Earl of Stratton. Excited by the possibilities and awed by the earl, she said yes. 

Matthew Taylor was a difficult child, understood only by Clarissa. When she wed the earl, he lost not just a woman he had begun to love, but also his only true friend. In quick fashion, he married another, but she died in childbirth. Matthew took himself away from the village and wandered (readers will discover where and why) for a decade, before returning to the village near Ravenswood to make his living as a carpenter and artist in wood.

Clarissa and Matthew renew their friendship. And despite their advanced ages (50! 51!) they discover their feelings go beyond platonic friendship. The problem is, now as it always was, Clarissa is socially above him. And much more so now. Moreover, they both value the lives they are leading, and aren’t sure what they are willing to risk.

The love story develops at a slow but steady pace, although it gets rather repetitive at times. There are no villains in this story, and in fact, little conflict, as everyone involved truly just wants what is best for the pair. It’s a soothing and angst free tale. The two deserve their happily ever after.