Posted on by Maureen

Passion Favors the Bold by Theresa Romain

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

Passion Favors the Bold is a historical romance written by Theresa Romain. I have not read any of her other books, but Regency/Victorian stories are my favorite genre, and I am always excited to discover new authors.

I was instantly captivated by the heroine from the moment I first encountered her, masquerading as a street urchin. A male street urchin. A street urchin named Bone-box. Unconventional does not even begin to describe Georgette, and that is what makes her so fascinating. Georgette is paired with the rather subdued Lord Hugo, the younger son of a duke, who dreams of opening up a hospital but lacks the capital to do so. Hugo has promised his friend Benedict to keep an eye on Benedict’s sister- Georgette, of course. Needless to say, their madcap adventure in search of several trunks of missing gold coins is not what Benedict had in mind. As Georgette and Hugo get closer to solving the mystery, they realize that their lives may be in danger! Read more

Posted on by Maureen

If the Duke Demands by Anna Harrington

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

If the Duke Demands is a historical romance novel written by Anna Harrington. It is the first novel in the Capturing the Carlisles trilogy. I have not read any of Harrington’s other books, but Regency stories are my favorite genre, and I am always excited to discover new authors.

Miranda Hodgkins has a plan to capture the attention of Robert Carlisle: she’ll sneak into his room after a masquerade ball and show him exactly what she thinks of him. The plan goes awry when she sneaks into Sebastian Carlisle’s room instead. Sebastian is Robert’s older brother, and the Duke of Trent. Fortunately for both of them, the encounter is limited to little more than a kiss before identities are revealed, but not brief enough to leave a lasting impression. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Unlikely Lady by Valerie Bowman

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The Unlikely Lady is the third book in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series of regency-set historical romance novels. I received an advanced reader copy of Bowman’s The Untamed Earl, which I enjoyed so much that I sought out some of the other books in the series. I listened to the Audible version of An Unlikely Lady last year, but I never got around to reviewing it. I’m trying to get back into the swing of book reviewing, and catching up on books I missed.

The Unlikely Lady is the story of Miss Jane Lowndes, who is a thorough bluestocking. She has been bantering with Garrett Upton for years, and they appear to have a mutual disdain for each other. Needless to say, they are both surprised when they share a passionate kiss during a masquerade ball at a house party. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

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A Red Herring Without Mustard is the third book in Alan Bradley’s Flavia De Luce series. Curiously enough, this is the first book I have reviewed because I am woefully behind with my reviews.

Flavia De Luce is a young girl living in a crumbling manor house near a small village in post-WWII England. She lives with her stamp collecting father, her two teenage sisters, and Dogger, their father’s butler/valet/gardener.

A Red Herring Without Mustard concerns the events following a village fair. Flavia invites the gypsy fortuneteller to park her caravan in a remote part of the Buckshaw estate. When Flavia returns to check on her guest, she sees that the woman has been brutally attacked. As if that were not bad enough, Flavia then stumbles upon a body on the Buckshaw estate. With two crimes that may or may not be related, our intrepid young sleuth has two mysteries to solve!     Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean

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I am usually in the middle of several books at once. I have books on my Kindle, physical books, and then I am usually listening to a book via Audible.

I recently listened to the Audible edition of A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean. I had been looking forward to this book based on the premise, and so I was very excited to be able to bundle the Kindle edition with Audible.

The plot involves a modern phenomenon inserted into 19th century England- the naked selfie being leaked. Wait, you might say. That makes no sense, you might say- they didn’t even have cell phones, and cameras were rudimentary at best. Well, sit down and buckle up, because this is where things get interesting. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Duke by Kerrigan Byrne

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

The Duke is the fourth book in Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels series. I have not read any of the other books in this series, nor have I read any of Byrne’s other books. That’s okay, I’m always optimistic about new authors, and Regency/Victorian books are my favorite genre of historical romance- so I went into this book with high hopes.

Imogen and Cole are thrown together by chance. She stands out in his eyes because she is the only one to offer him condolences for the loss of his family rather than congratulating him for his elevation to duke as a result of the aforementioned loss. They spend one amazing night together, but then they have to part ways because Cole has a top secret Big Mission.

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Posted on by Maureen

Ready Set Rogue by Manda Collins

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

I was not familiar with author Manda Collins when I received the opportunity to read Ready Set Rogue, which is the first book in her new series entitled Studies in Scandal. That being said, I love historical romances set during the Regency, so I was very excited to discover a new author.

Ivy Wareham is a thorough bluestocking. She has been invited to Beauchamp House at the request of the late Lady Celeste Beauchamp to spend a year conducting research in Greek poetry. Ivy is not the only young lady invited to Beauchamp House; there are four ladies in total, and each has her own preferred field of study. While none of the four women were expecting this bequest, it comes as a pleasant surprise, and everyone is looking forward an idyllic year.

There is just one problem: Lady Celeste’s nephew- Quill Beauchamp The Marquess of Kerr- has also found out about his aunt’s odd bequest and has travelled to Beauchamp House to put a stop to the madness. He is convinced that the four young bluestockings have conspired to trick his beloved aunt into leaving them the house. Quill does realize the error of his ways, but not after Ivy confides in him and tells him that Lady Celeste may have been murdered. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Adventures of Henry Whiskers by Gigi Priebe

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

I am always excited about the opportunity to read ARCs of middle grade books because my three girls are in the target demographic. Not only do we get quality time together every night, but they are able to provide valuable feedback for my book reviews.

The Adventures of Henry Whiskers is author Gigi Priebe’s first book. She transports the reader to England and introduces us to a young mouse named Henry Whiskers. Henry and his family live in Windsor Castle; specifically, they live in Queen Mary’s dollhouse, a grand edifice with functioning appliances and real books, etc. Henry is always very careful to avoid being detected by the museum staff, but when his little sister goes missing, Henry knows that he is the only one who can find her. Accompanied by his cousin Jeremy, the two mice set out on a grand adventure to rescue their beloved Isabel. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Four Weddings and a Sixpence by Julia Quinn & Elizabeth Boyle & Laura Lee Guhrke & Stefanie Sloane

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Julia Quinn has always been one of my favorite authors, so I was very excited about the release of Four Weddings and a Sixpence. Granted, this is an anthology, so it isn’t 100% Julia Quinn, but I like discovering new authors as well. I don’t think I’ve read anything by the other three women who contributed to this anthology, so I was going into this with tabula rasa.

Quinn herself provides us with the premise for the book via the prologue: four schoolgirls find an old sixpence in a mattress at school and declare that it is to be their lucky talisman that will aid them in their quests to marry.

Something New was written by Stefanie Sloane. In this story, Ann needs to get married by her 21st birthday. She is at a loss as to which eligible gentlemen are worth pursuing and which should be avoided. Luckily for her, Rhys Hamilton, the Duke of Dorset agrees to help her. After all, he is very familiar with Society and can answer her question. Naturally, the two fall in love. I enjoyed this novella quite a bit, although I did raise my eyebrows a little when Anne and Rhys became (ahem) closer. Perhaps acrobatics ought to be saved for future endeavors rather than when first becoming acquainted. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Pinch of Poison by Alyssa Maxwell

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

I enjoyed reading Alyssa Maxwell’s Murder Most Malicious, so I was excited about the opportunity to read the next entry in her Lady and Lady’s Maid series.

A Pinch of Poison takes place a few months after the events in Murder Most Malicious. Lady Phoebe does not intend to make a habit of engaging in detective work, but this changes when the headmistress of her alma mater dies unexpectedly during a school function. When signs point to a poisoning, Lady Phoebe knows that she needs to assist the investigation in any way possible. After all, she is an alumna of the school and her sister is a current student. Perhaps she can speak to the students in a manner in which the male police officers cannot. Likewise, the household staff at the school might be more comfortable speaking to lady’s maid Eva. Read more