A Shop Girl’s Guide to Wooing a Lord by Shana Galen

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

A Shop Girl's Guide to Wooing a Lord (The Heiress Hunters #1)Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: The Heiress Hunters #1
Publication Date: 6/9/2026
Period: Regency – 1815 London
Number of Pages: 336

I loved this delightful first book in Shana Galen’s new Heiress Hunters series. The four Kildare brothers gave themselves the label ‘Heiress Hunters’ when their father sat them all down and told them that the family money was gone. The only way to save the family was for one of them to marry an heiress. There are four brothers: Liam, the heir is straight-laced and everything a proper heir should be; Garret, our current hero, has no clue what he’s good at but he’s sure it must be something; Killian is the tortured artist (and maybe a ladies man); Daire is the youngest, smartest, and a whiz at managing investments (if he had money to invest). There is also one sister who is fifteen, Mariah. I really enjoyed the family as a whole, but I did believe that a Regency-era titled family, even an Irish one, would have more issues with class disparity than they did. I’m assuming there will be 5 books in the series, and I’m looking forward to each of them.

Tamsin Archer first saw Garret Kildare when she was a young girl selling flowers outside the theater. He was kind to her, and she was instantly in love – she even followed him home to see where he lived. She saw the warm, loving, happy family and wanted to belong to them. Her own life was a drudgery of daily tasks at a coffee shop and sleeping in a single cold room along with her mother. Once there were four of them, but the coffee shop owner sold her small brother and sister to a chimney sweep, and now every spare shilling goes to paying for their release. That’s how she met Garret the second time – and now he’s helping her rescue her brother and sister.

Tamsin and Garret are a lovely couple who are at opposite ends of the social scale. She’s skittish, but he jumps in with both feet – sort of. It’s fun watching them work their way through all the obstacles life has thrown at them and still find a lasting love.

You’ll quickly find yourself rooting for the Kildare family and the Archers – particularly Tamsin and Garret. It will be fun to get to know the brothers more fully as their books are presented because each seems to be a cheeky, humorous fellow bent on finding an heiress to save the family. Will any of them succeed? I can hardly wait to find out.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Second Chance Prince by Sara Bennett

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

Second Chance Prince (Romancing the Dukes, #3)Second Chance Prince by Sara Bennett

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: Romancing the Dukes #3

Release Date: May 19, 2026

Roberta Ashton was raised as Lady Roberta Ashton, daughter of the Duke of Grantham, but learned after his death that her parents’ marriage was not valid and she and her sisters were deemed as illegitimate. Thankfully, her half-brother Gabriel didn’t turn his back on them and insisted that they still had the privileges due to them as daughters of a duke. She met Prince Nikolai of Holtswig years ago when he was introduced as a possible suitor for her sister Olivia, and was instantly smitten, thankfully her sister married someone else, but he returned home soon afterwards. Now during her come out season the prince returns and they meet again at a ball, while they are catching up their conversation is interrupted when someone tries to kill the prince! The next day she is shocked when her brother’s friend Freddie Hart, a government agent approaches her and asks her to pretend to be engaged to the prince so the English government will be able to guard him without insulting his countrymen. She agrees, never believing she would actually marry him, even though she is still smitten with him. But when plans go awry and her life is turned upside down, will she find her HEA?

Prince Nikolai “Niki” of Holtswig has recently inherited his grandfather’s throne, but he is aware that not all of his countrymen are happy with his ideas for his country’s future. But he ever imagined anyone with try to kill him! When an attempt is made and it is suggested that he betroth himself to an English lady, he immediately asks Freddie to approach Roberta Ashton. Though he courted her sister, he had always been drawn to Roberta and thinks she would be the perfect lady to play his faux fiancée. When their charade becomes real, he is thrilled, as he knows he loves her, but not everyone is happy with their marriage and with so many suscepts it is hard to know who he can really trust. Will he be able to figure it out in time or will he lose everything including the woman he loves?

I really didn’t like the first two books in this series and was hoping the third time would be the charm – it wasn’t. I think I am just too picky – I know this is a work of fiction and I am willing to accept a certain amount of creative license, but in this series, it is like the author didn’t even try to make the story realistic to the era. I am not going to rehash all the title and protocol errors – but even if I was willing to overlook those errors, I thought the fake engagement plot was weak and slow moving. Overall, I do like the author’s writing style and enjoyed getting to know Roberta and Nikolai, the love scenes were warm without being graphic, the mystery was very well done and the book ends with a happy ending. So, while not my cuppa, I am sure many readers would find this book enjoyable.

2.5 stars

*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. *