Posted on by Maureen

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

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The Duchess Deal is the first book in Tessa Dare’s Girl Meets Duke series. I’ve been looking forward to this book for several months, and I was so excited that it was finally here that I read the whole thing in a day.

Emma was a vicar’s daughter, but circumstances have forced her to seek work as a seamstress. And when the Duke of Ashbury’s wedding is canceled, this leaves Emma is a precarious position- she has designed the dress, and now she will not be receiving payment for her effort. So she does what any rational person would do- she shows up at Ashbury’s London home wearing the wedding dress.

Ash, as he was called by the friends he once had, was severely injured in the Napoleonic Wars. He is scarred and bitter, but he also needs an heir. So he does what any rational aristocrat would do in his position- he proposes marriage to the angry young woman wearing a wedding dress. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

You May Kiss The Bride by Lisa Berne

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I picked up You May Kiss the Bride when the Kindle edition was on sale., and I added the audio as well. This is the first book in Lisa Berne’s Penhallow Dynasty series of Regency-set romance novels.

Gabriel Penhallow is supposed to marry the perfect girl from the right family, a young woman well-versed in the nuances of Proper Society. And he has every intention of proposing to Cecily; he doesn’t know her at all, but his grandmother says that she is the perfect Penhallow bride. But Gabriel finds himself kissing Livia Stuart in the garden, and when they are discovered, he insists that he will marry Livia. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Too Scot to Handle by Grace Burrowes

 

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

Too Scot to Handle is the second book in Grace Burrowes’ Windham Brides series. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book. I haven’t read the first book in the series, but it’s in my to-read pile, and I love historical romance novels set during the Regency.

Anwen Windham is determined that the orphanage she sponsors will succeed. There are several obstacles that have prevented this from happening, but when Lord Colin MacHugh joins the board, he brings a plethora of new ideas. Anwen already enjoys a congenial relationship with Lord Colin because her sister is married to his brother, but as they spend time together working for the benefit of the orphanage, they realize that they enjoy each other’s company.

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Posted on by Maureen

The Ruin of a Rake by Cat Sebastian

 

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The Ruin of a Rake is Cat Sebastian’s third novel published in less than a year. I also own both of her other books, and I enjoyed them immensely. I spent my holiday in a leisurely fashion, and this was the perfect book to read while lounging. Like her other two books, this is a m/m Regency story.

Julian Medlock is convinced that dissolute Lord Courtenay is corrupting his sister. Eleanor assures Julian that Courtenay is just a friend, and then asks him to help improve Courtenay’s reputation. Julian likes things in his life to be neat, orderly, and predictable. Courtenay is the complete opposite, and Julian is reluctant to have anything to do with someone who is so different. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Scandalous Ever After (Romance of the Turf) by Theresa Romain

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

Scandalous Ever After is the second book in Theresa Romain’s Romance of the Turf series of Regency romance novels.

Evan Rhys is an antiquities expert who is planning to go to Greece, but his plans change when Lady Kate Whelan arrives unexpectedly after one of his magic lantern presentations. Kate was married to Evan’s best friend Conn, who tragically passed away two years ago. Evan had been a frequent houseguest at Conn’s Irish estate, but he has not visited- or seen Kate- since Conn’s funeral. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Lady Most Willing by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway

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I recently listened to the Audible edition of The Lady Most Willing, a historical romance novel in three parts. This cooperative effort is made up of the work of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway. I also own the Kindle edition of this book, but sometimes it’s easier to listen than to read.

The story begins with a kidnapping. Laird Taran Ferguson decides that it is time that his nephews- Robin and Byron- settle down and marry. So, he does what any rational man would do- he kidnaps several eligible young heiresses from a house party at a neighboring house and brings them to his decrepit castle. Robin and Byron are mortified by this, and then the situation becomes even more complicated when a snowstorm cuts off the castle from the main road, forcing everyone to hunker down for a few days. And then added to the mix, we have two unexpected guests- a charming young lady who is most certainly not an heiress and a very angry young duke who was sleeping in his carriage when the vehicle was used to spirit the kidnapped women away. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

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

Murder on Black Swan Lane was written by Andrea Penrose. This mystery, set during the Regency era, is the first in a new series featuring the delightfully dynamic duo of Wrexford and Sloane.

When the charismatic Reverend Josiah Holworthy is found murdered in a church, it is a shocking crime. Suspicion falls on The Earl of Wrexford, who has been known to be one of the targets of Holworthy’s sermons against debauchery. Wrexford didn’t do it, of course, but can he convince Bow Street of his innocence? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Duke with Benefits (Studies in Scandal) by Manda Collins

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

Duke With Benefits is the second book in Manda Collins’ Studies in Scandal series of Regency romances.   I enjoyed the first book in the series- Ready Set Rogue; Daphne and Maitland had some delightful interactions as secondary characters, so I was very excited when I found out that they were the main characters in the second book of the series.

Daphne is a mathematical genius, and her arrival at Beauchamp House provides her with the opportunity for independence from her n’er do well father. Daphne also has a secret that she has been keeping from her new friends- it appears that Celeste Beauchamp wanted her to solve a cipher. As legend has it, the solution to the cipher leads to an enormous treasure. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

 

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I recently listened to the Audible edition of Tessa Dare’s Do You Want To Start a Scandal after purchasing the Kindle edition and adding the audiobook at a discounted price.

Even though the basis of the plot utilizes a fairly common trope- the forced engagement- it is apparent even from the beginning that this is going to be a rather unconventional story. To begin with, a young child claims that he heard noises coming from the library in which our hero and heroine are discovered. But wait, there’s more- the aforementioned child then proceeds to imitate the noises he heard. This, of course, shocks the house party guests, but it had me doubling over with laughter.

It should be noted that although Charlotte and Piers were in the library together, they were not, as Piers so eloquently puts it, the “mystery tuppers”. However, he declares his intention to marry Charlotte to preserve her reputation. Charlotte is less than pleased with this development; her mother is a known schemer, and the consensus is that Charlotte has tricked/trapped Piers into marriage. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Nothing Like a Duke by Jane Ashford

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

Nothing Like a Duke is a historical romance written by Jane Ashford. It is the fourth book in The Duke’s Sons series.

Robert Gresham is one of the younger sons of the Duke of Langford. He has much to offer Society- he is young, handsome, and personable. It is no surprise that he is invited to a house party thrown by his friend’s family. On the way to the house party, the carriage breaks, and Robert finds a stray dog. Because Robert is kind-hearted, he can’t just leave the wretched creature on the side of the road in the pouring rain. So naturally, he arrives at the house party soaking wet, disheveled, and clutching a disreputable dog. This arrival only adds to his charm.

Flora is the daughter of an academic, and she specializes in cuneiform. She seems rather surprised by being included in the house party, and she is even more surprised to see Lord Robert, who she knows from her academic world. Read more