A Betrothed’s Betrayal by Deb Marlowe

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

A Betrothed's Betrayal (Lockstone Hollow Mystery #1)A Betrothed’s Betrayal by Deb Marlowe

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Lockstone Hollow, #1

Release Date: August 11, 2026

Lady Lisette Birthwhistle, the sister of Adam Brithwhistle, the late Duke of Winbury, has not had an easy year. First, she broke off her betrothal to Alexander Prescott, the Earl of Bealford and then her beloved brother passed away unexpectedly. Alone and unsure of her future as the new duke has yet to be found, she travels to the village of Lockstone Hollow, her brother bequeathed her a cottage and the leases to several buildings in the village, presumably for her to manage. She sets out to make the cottage her own and hopefully to make friends in the community. But on the day she arrives there is a murder and it is none other than her former betrothed, which to the local constable makes her the prime suspect.

But Lisette has allies in the village; Misses Sylvie and Ruby Etwell, the mayor’s daughters, Miss Rosie Curtis, owner of the town tavern, Mr. Royce Logan, a carpenter (and local newcomer) who vow to support her when Mr. Maxwell Sowerby, former Bow Street Runner and now the local constable, sets her in his sites. Lisette is clever and easily gets the locals to talk, suppling her with clues and leads that she passes on the constable. When Mr. Sowerby makes an arrest, Lisette is sure he has the wrong person, but first she will need to find evidence and hopefully survive to deliver the proof!

Set in a quaint English village filled with wonderful characters, this was a great start to a new series. While the mystery is the main focus of the book, there is so much more to the is book! The story has new beginnings, loss, two possible love interests, great friends, small town charm, baby goats, and a bit of tension, female empowerment and finally an ending that ties up this mystery, but leaves the door open for more to come! If you are looking for a well-written, regency-era cozy mystery, this is a book you will want to read.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

 

Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me by Isabel Crowley

On By TracyIn Contemporary, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Romantasy, Standalone Title, Thiller / Suspense, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make MeWant Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me by Isabel Crowley

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: August 11, 2026

When medium Hazel Lewis is called to do a séance for a dying man, she had no idea much her life was going to change. She arrives and almost immediately realizes that she was duped, Clarence Chapman seems like a feeble, helpless old man, but in reality, he is a serial killer who made a deal with a demon and needs Hazel to use her as a conduit for the demon. She fights her way out of the house but is bitten by the demon in the process. Protection spells and warding can only do so much, so she needs to lay low until she can figure out how to defeat the demon and reclaim her life. She finds an old house in the wilds of Pennsylvania and tries to figure it out, but it doesn’t take long for Ligat, the demon’s minion, to find her and much to her dismay, she finds herself attracted to Ligat and the two become close, not quite friends, not really enemies. And if her life wasn’t complicated enough, she meets her handsome neighbor, Maxwell and is attracted to him too. As they say, when it rains, it pours…

Ligat has secrets, he is indentured to the demon Perthrux and cannot tell Hazel who his master is. Luckly for him, after years of servitude, he has earned a bit of slack from the demon, but his will is still controlled by his master and as much as he hates Perthrux, he cannot defy him. The problem is he is falling hard for Hazel and wants nothing more than for her to defeat Perthrux, even if it means his own destruction. To that end, he will do whatever it takes to save her.

I have mixed feelings about this book, I liked the story it started out fast and hard, but then it started to drag and it dragged until about last 10% of the story. That is not to say that it wasn’t good, but it was hard to stay immersed in it and very easy to put down. This story was filled with demons, minions, ghost dogs, druids, spicy love scenes with a Phoebe/Cole vibe (IYKYK), a bit of gore, a touch of horror, interesting secondary characters, a strong heroine, a cinnamon roll hero and twist at the end that changes everything. Overall, this book had a lot going on but the author managed to keep the central plot in the forefront and gave readers a satisfying ending, but I did have some lingering questions, so I am hoping there is a sequel in the works. So, while I don’t think I would read again, I did enjoy it and would recommend it to fans of dark romantasy.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *