Fast and Fastidious by R M Caldwell

On By TracyIn Debut Novel, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Mystery, New To Me Author, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

Fast and FastidiousFast and Fastidious by R.M. Caldwell

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: April 14, 2026

Outwardly, Miss Lucy Elliot fits the mold of the perfect Regency lady, but what drew me in was her secret passion for engineering that made her feel both relatable and refreshingly original to me. Watching her sneak into the Night Races was a highlight; it showed her curiosity and her willingness to challenge the expectations placed on her. Captain Dashwood, her neighbor, is an interesting character, as the story unfolds, I enjoyed seeing new layers to his character and how his interactions with Lucy brought out her strengths. Meg and the rest of Lucy’s friends were unwavering in their support. The story mixes carriage racing with a mystery involving robberies and espionage. There are action scenes and technical details about carriages, and while some readers might find these engaging, I felt that slowed the story down. The Night Races add excitement and help blur class lines, giving the book its unique twist.

Overall, this was a fun Regency adventure with some fresh ideas and entertaining moments. While I admired Lucy’s neurodivergent traits and the way her personality shines through, I sometimes wished the story gave a bit more attention to the other characters who also had so much potential and while Lucy’s perspective made the novel feel personal and heartfelt, I felt it lacked the emotional depth I was expecting and considering this was billed as a romance, I found the story completely lacking romance and ultimately it doesn’t deliver the emotional payoff I was hoping for. If you’re looking for a historical story with good character development and a mystery plot, this book is worth checking out. However, if you want a romance-driven read, this is probably not the story for you.

*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. *

 

Can’t Get Enough of the Duke by Lenora Bell

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Rom-Com, Movie / Story Retelling, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Can't Get Enough of the Duke (The Thunderbolt Club, #2)Can’t Get Enough of the Duke by Lenora Bell

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Thunderbolt Club #2

Release Date: April 7, 2026

Deckard “Dex” Payne, the Duke of Warburton makes a battlefield death promise to one of his men, Lt John Crewe as he lays dying in Dex’s arms, he promises to find and care for the man’s daughter, Analise, but just moments later he himself is attacked and it is months before he is healed enough to look for Analise. When he finally returns to England and begins his search, he is devasted to learn that Analise is no longer at the school her father enrolled her in and no one knows where she has gone. It takes years for him to track her down and when he does find her, he is shocked to learn she isn’t the docile, young schoolgirl he was imagining, but a beautiful young woman who is anything but docile. He finally convinces her that he was sent by her father to take care of her. But in addition to being older than he imagined, Analise isn’t biddable in the slightest and has no intention of making his task easy. Little by little, she worms her way into his heart, something he thought was long dead.

Analise Crewe doesn’t believe her father is dead, but with no other alternatives, she agrees to let the duke “launch” her into society, something she only agreed to so she can research the ton for her book. As an aspiring authoress, she left school after her father was reported missing and went to work for a well-respected authoress, who believed her work was good and sent her fantasy story to her publisher. But when the lady dies unexpectedly, Analise is once again on her own, that is until the duke shows up. She never expected to be the ward of a wealthy, grumpy duke and when they ended up compromised and forced to marry, she is determined to make the best of things. Too bad her duke is just as determined to keep her at arm’s length.

I definitely liked this story better than the last book and I think that is because I haven’t seen the movie Annie in decades, so I thankfully didn’t make that association. The book has a lot going on and at times I felt a little lost, but overall, it was a fun grumpy/sunshine book with a couple different storylines that ultimately come together in a very charming happy ending. As I mentioned before, I didn’t get the Annie reference (which honestly is a bit cringy) and I wasn’t put off by the age difference, because I have been reading historical romance for years and could easily accept that young women marrying older men was a common practice – but I can also see how it could be off-putting to a contemporary reader. Overall, it was an OK read and if you are a grumpy/sunshine fan – you will probably enjoy this book. This is the second book in the series, but they are very loosely connected, and this book can be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*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. *