Month: March 2018

My Gentleman Spy by Sasha Cottman

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)1 Comment

My Gentleman Spy (The Duke of Strathmore, #5)My Gentleman Spy by Sasha Cottman

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Duke of Strathmore #5
Publication Date: 2/1/18

Gibraltar 1817 – ‘Hattie Wright sucked in a deep breath before slowly letting the air back out. The long drop over the side of the ship to the water below was a heart-rending distance.’ Thus begins our adventure in this well written and well-plotted novel. This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While this book is part of a series, I felt it could easily be read as a stand-alone. I liked that almost the entire cast of characters were non-titled.

Up until a couple of years ago, Hattie led a happy, privileged life with loving parents and a caring, supportive brother. Then her parents had a religious conversion to a much more zealous sect of the church. They also seemed to be deeply under the influence of Reverend Peter Brown. Their zealotry caused a rift with Hattie’s brother and they became totally estranged. To make matters even worse, they betrothed Hattie to Reverend Brown. Her parents renounced everything and they were all headed – against Hattie’s will – to be missionaries in Africa. Hattie knew she had to escape and the only way she could see to do it was to jump overboard while the ship was near enough to Gibraltar for her to swim to shore. It seems that the normally compliant Hattie had grown a spine.

William Saunders, a former spy for the crown, is a lonely widower on his way home to England. He longed to return to England and his large, loving, supportive family, but he knew he was going to miss the warm weather of the continent. He was treating himself to a farewell tour of the now peaceful cities of lower France and Spain before he returned home. Thus, he was sitting on the beach when he noticed a ship far out in the water and – what was that – there was someone, a female, who just went overboard! He had to save her!

Will and Hattie are attracted to each other, but each has secrets – he shares his – she doesn’t. I love that she outmaneuvers him at every turn. The vaunted spy outdone by the amateur – that is good. Once they reach England, she manages to outsmart him and escape. He has to find her and make her his wife – can he? Will she have him? What made her so desperate to run away from him? What is she hiding? What danger does she face? All questions that can be answered when you read the book. So happy reading!

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Why Kill The Innocent by C.S. Harris

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

WhyKillTheInnocentWhy Kill the Innocent by C.S. Harris

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Sebastian St. Cyr #13
Publication Date: 4/3/18

I anxiously await each new release in this series and can hardly wait to start reading. Then, I am bereft when it ends. I always think that I’ll pace myself, read slower, enjoy longer, but, I always find myself flying through because I can’t wait to see what happens next. This book falls right into that mold. I really wish this author could write as quickly as I read! I love the characters, of course, but I also love the accuracy of the history that the author weaves into the stories – and she always includes our characters meeting one real historical character – this one included the widower of Mary Wollstonecraft. Harris’ command of the English language is unparalleled – I learned several new vocabulary words. She used one word, ‘broquins’ that I can’t even find in any of the dictionaries but I remember my grandmother using it when referring to a particular type of shoe. The online dictionaries keep showing me the definition of ‘bruins’ – say what.

I love the way this author writes, her research is impeccable and her character development is superb. This book concentrated more on the mystery than on any new developments in the relationship between Sebastian and his father (Hendon) or any real hints of what is happening between Hero’s father and her cousin. There were some hints of what might be coming – a new hint surfaced about Sebastian’s natural father. There was somewhat less life-threatening excitement in this book than in the others – one small scene for each that was very quickly resolved. I’m still anxious to see whether Hero’s father (or her cousin – or both) had a hand in the death of Hero’s mother – she was ill, but maybe they helped her along a bit . . . .

Hero and her friend Alexi Sauvage traveled to Clerkenwell in a raging snowstorm during one of the worst winters in English history. Hero was researching a story on the families left behind when the men were impressed into the English military. While they were there, the woman went into labor and Alexi and Hero stayed to deliver the baby. As they headed back to the carriage, it was long past dark, the snow was blowing and the wind was howling when Hero tripped, pitched forward and landed in a deep snow drift. She froze in place as she realized she had landed on a body. When they turned the rapidly freezing body, they realized two things. First, it was a woman who had been murdered and second, Hero knew who she was.

As Hero and Sebastian investigate, there are clues and suspects everywhere – not to mention the palace intrigues and interference from Hero’s father, Jarvis as well as international intrigue. How could one sweet, gentle, caring and sad young piano teacher have so much happen to her and then end up murdered? There are so many possibilities, so many suspects and it takes a lot of effort to unravel it all – especially when more bodies start to turn up. Can they solve it before one of them becomes a victim? You’ll just have to read this exciting new entry in the series to find out.

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”