Posted on by Maureen

An Unnatural Vice by K.J. Charles

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An Unnatural Vice is the second book in K.J. Charles’ Sins of the Cities series of Victorian-era m/m historical romance novels. I’ve read several of Charles’ other books, but this is the first book that I’ve read from this series.

Nathaniel is a journalist, and initially, he visits spiritual medium Justin with the intent of exposing him. Instead, Nathaniel is shocked with Justin is able to tell him things that he couldn’t possibly know. Nathaniel walks away frustrated, still convinced that it’s trickery, but now knowing how to prove it. He hopes that this is the last that he will see of the sham spiritualist, but then he learns that Justin may have some information about a case that he and his friends have been investigating.

Justin is quite different from Nathaniel. He grew up in abject poverty, and he justifies his occupation by believing that he is giving people what they want. And besides, it pays the bills and keeps him and his assistants fed. He finds Nathaniel arrogant, but there is a mutual attraction that neither of them can deny. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

As the Devil Dares by Anna Harrington

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As The Devil Dares is the third book in Anna Harrington’s Capturing the Carlisles Regency-era series of historical romance novels. I was excited about the opportunity to read/review this book because I enjoyed the other two books in this series.

Robert Carlisle is the last of the three wild Carlisle brothers. He doesn’t have any plans to marry, but that all changes when he meets Mariah Winslow. Mariah’s father is a prosperous shipping merchant, and he always hoped that his two daughters would have the opportunity to mingle with Proper Society. As the son of a duke, Robert can provide them with introductions- but what he really wants is the opportunity to become a partner in Winslow’s business. This comes as a surprise to Miranda who always assumed that she would be a partner in her father’s business one day, and she resents this interloper, even if he is devilishly handsome! Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Rogue of Her Own by Grace Burrowes

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A Rogue of Her Own was written by Grace Burrowes. It’s the fourth book in her Regency-era Windham Brides series. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book; I haven’t had a chance to read the first book in the series, but I did enjoy books two and three, so I was looking forward to this next installment in the series.

There was a hint in No Other Duke Will Do that Charlotte and Sherbourne were going to be paired up, and I remember saying that Burrowes had her work cut out for her because Sherbourne was quite troublesome. Sherbourne’s redemption is certainly an interesting process, and he makes a rather unique romantic lead. He doesn’t have a title, nor does he want one. He has spent his life making money, and is motivated by any opportunity to spite the aristocrats who have shunned him since childhood.     Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh by K.J. Charles

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The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh is a short story/novella in K.J. Charles’ A Society of Gentlemen Regency-era m/m series. There was a preview for this story at the end of one of the other books in the series, and it piqued my interest.

Gabriel Ashleigh, who goes by Ash, is the younger son of a duke. At 26, he has been spending most of his time carousing and being a general nuisance. So when he runs into Francis Webster at a gaming hell, he sees an opportunity for revenge. There is a deep-seated animosity between Ash (and his brother) and Francis that goes back many years. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles

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A Seditious Affair is the second book in KJ Charles’ A Society of Gentlemen series of Regency-era m/m historical romance novels. I am going to end up reading this series in reverse order due to the timing of when I received the digital holds from the library network.

Dominic Frey has some slightly unconventional needs, and he has a weekly appointment with a like-minded individual. These interludes provide him with an escape from his job and his friends, and while he doesn’t have much in common with his Wednesday partner, there is one thing that they share.

Silas Mason is a seditionist, and he loathes everything about the government, but he enjoys spending Wednesdays with his Tory. Over the course of the year, they have established a rapport and share wine and books with each other. They both look forward to Wednesdays, but neither of them ever thinks about meeting up outside of that standing appointment. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Gentleman’s Position by KJ Charles

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A Gentleman’s Position is the third book in KJ Charles’ Society of Gentlemen Regency-era series. I have been reading a lot of m/m historical romance lately, and having exhausted all of my Cat Sebastian books, I have moved on to KJ Charles. I placed a hold for a digital copy of all three of the books in this series, and I ended up receiving this one first.

It’s a little odd coming into a book at the end of the series, but I was able to pick up on the relationships fairly easily. This book concerns Lord Richard Vane and his valet, David Cyprian. They are both enmeshed in some sort of forbidden lust situation where neither one of them wants to violate the relationship between gentleman and valet.

David is an excellent valet. He keeps everything in order for Lord Richard, and he also solves problems that are beyond the purview of a typical valet; that is, he is not above bribery and manipulation to achieve his goals. David senses the tension that he shares with Richard, but he won’t be the one to make the first move. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen

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The Tuscan Child was written by Rhys Bowen. This is her second standalone novel, but she is a prolific author of several series of historical mystery novels. I am a big fan of her Royal Spyness and Molly Murphy books, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book.

This novel functions with a dual timeline- half of the story takes place during WWII: Hugo Langley, an English pilot, crashes in the hills of Tuscany. Thirty years later, his daughter Joanna finds a letter among Hugo’s personal papers following his sudden death. She reads something so compelling that she returns to Tuscany to discover the truth about what happened all those years ago. Read more

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A Duke in the Night by Kelly Bowen

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A Duke in the Night was written by Kelly Bowen. This is the first book in her new Regency-era The Devils of Dover series. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book because I’ve heard a lot of buzz about Bowen in my book group.

Clara first encountered August during an incident in which he was dared to ask her to dance at a ball. Ten years later, they meet again when August’s sister enrolls at Clara’s school for young ladies.

August arrives at the school with a flimsy excuse as to why he needs to be there. Clara has moved on with her life, and she is very happy with the way her life has tuned out, but his return stirs up old memories, and she doesn’t know if she can trust him. She is skeptical about his reasons for remaining at the school, as well as his attempts to spend time with her.

August does have an ulterior motive, but as he spends time there, not only does he begin to see Clara in a new light, but he also sees that his sister is no longer a little girl who needs to be protected. There were some allusions to his backstory; I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll just say that he didn’t inherit his title in the conventional way. I found myself wanting to know more about his earlier years; they certainly shaped his current personality, but I want to know everything!

The story is bolstered by some really great secondary characters. I especially enjoyed the two elderly sisters who share the manor house with the school. I hope that I am just as spry when I am that age! I should also add that the villain of the piece was fairly easy to spot, but he had some really great mustache-twirling moments!

I would absolutely recommend A Duke in the Night. Clara and August have such good chemistry. They are also both fascinating in their own rights- their personalities are both very different than the usual archetypes found in the genre. Some might find the conventions to be too modern for the era, but I loved Clara’s commitment to instilling a sense of independence and self-affirmation in her students. And August’s reaction to these unconventional ways was just as fun! I am looking forward to catching up on Bowen’s earlier books, as well as looking forward to the next book in the series!

 

 

 

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Posted on by Maureen

The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian

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The Lawrence Browne Affair is the second book in Cat Sebastian’s Regency-era Turner series of historical romance novels. I actually purchased this book right after it came out almost a year ago, but I didn’t get around to reading it until last week. I love Sebastian’s books, and wanted to savor this one, and then unfortunately, I was so intent on savoring it, that I forgot about it! I’ve been on a m/m kick lately, and so I was very excited to pick up this little undiscovered treasure.

Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, believes that he is mad. He is content to live in his dilapidated manor house by the sea, subsisting on ham sandwiches and apples, and conducting experiments. This gentleman scientist’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of his new secretary. He didn’t hire a secretary, and does not know what to do with this handsome man who seems intent on helping him.

Georgie Turner travels to Cornwall to take on the secretary position for several reasons. He has double-crossed the wrong person and needs to leave town quickly. So it is rather fortuitous that Georgie’s brother’s partner mentions the small favor of checking up on the Earl of Radnor. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrne

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The Hunter is the second book in Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels series of historical romance novels. I’ve read a few of the books in this series, thanks to ARCs from Netgalley, but I recently read the first book in the series, The Highwayman. I absolutely loved it, and jumped right into The Hunter.

Christopher Argent works mostly for Dorian Blackwell, the protagonist of The Highwayman. Christopher earns his living as a killer for hire, and he has very few qualms about this vocation. But when he is tasked with killing Millie La Cour, he finds he cannot go through with the job. This is a first for him, and he feels unhinged by this loss of focus.

Millie doesn’t know what to make of this handsome stranger who keeps showing up at the most inopportune times. She knows he is a dangerous man, but she can’t control her attraction to him. Read more