Month: July 2018

Maura’s Special Spinster’s Society by Charlotte Stone

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)12 Comments

Maura's Special Spinster's SocietySeries: Spinster’s Society #10
Publication Date: 7/31/18

Just a note:  If you want to read this book, you will not find it on any vendor, Goodreads, Bookbub, etc. until the release date.  I have no clue why the author does this, but you cannot pre-order or read the blurb — nothing before release date! 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the final book for the original ten members of the Men of Nashwood, and I had assumed the final book of the series. However, the author inducted five new members into the Nashwood group, so I assume we’ll either have five more books in this series or we’ll have a spin-off series. This author isn’t very communicative, so I have no idea of what might be next.

We’ve watched Maura and Julius bicker back-and-forth for a number of books, so we knew they’d be paired up. I’m glad we finally got to Julius’ story and I’m glad his story was the last one. The same goes for Maura. She’s been there since the beginning and they probably have the most interesting and disturbing backgrounds. We learned Julius’ big secret in the last book and now we learn Maura’s.

I’m still not sure what it is about these books that hold my attention – but they do. They are all totally improbable and totally period incorrect. These people, no matter their rank, would have been totally ostracized from polite society. I’m usually a stickler for toeing the line to be period correct – but for some mysterious reason – I just suspend my disbelief and enjoy the story. Maybe it is because they are so blatantly incorrect.

Maura has been visited by a ghost since she was eleven years old and she spent ten years in Bedlam because of it. In this book, we learn who her ghost is, how he visits her, and why. We also learn some of the horrendous ‘treatments’ she was subjected to in Bedlam – and she was treated kindly – God help those other poor souls.

After three years abroad, Maura’s father is coming home. He is the one who placed Maura in Bedlam – and as soon as he left the country, her mother went and got her. Three years of freedom has been a wonderful thing – but with her father on the way home, they all know she’ll soon be back in Bedlam. When the others find out about his return, they start looking for ways to keep her away from him and away from Bedlam.

At the same time, they are looking for ways to keep Maura out of Bedlam, they are also learning more about the Ghost. Can a man who has been dead for over ten years possibly have any bearing on the present? He sure can – read it to find out how and why.

Julius Hext, the Marquess of Darvess, had a horrible childhood that included his mother trying to murder him so that his uncle could inherit Julius’ title. Needless to say, Julius has serious, serious trust problems and he feels that he is unlovable. If his own mother couldn’t love him, who could. The ONLY people in the world he trusts are the Men of Nashwood because they saved his life and have bound themselves together to protect him and their secret ever since.

Julius is a flirt – but he’d never even think of marrying for love. Frankly, he’d never consider marrying at all. Well – unless he needed to do it to save Maura from her father. Then, he’d go for a marriage in name only with her living on her own in one residence and him in another. But then, he finds she has other options – there are other very eligible men willing to marry her. NO! He is the only one who can protect her.

There is a delightful epilogue set five-years out and I was so happy to see that. We get to catch up with all of the couples and their families and see how they are doing. We also learn that they are going to induct five new members to the Men of Nashwood.

This is a fun read and I hope you enjoy it!

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“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.”

The Highland Chieftain by Amy Jarecki

On By TracyIn Jacobean/Stuart Era (1603-1714), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

The Highland Chieftain (Lords of the Highlands)The Highland Chieftain by Amy Jarecki
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Highland Lords, #4

Release Date: July 31, 2018

I enjoyed this addition to the Lords of the Highlands series. When we last saw Lady Mairi MacKenzie, she was reeling from being jilted by Reid MacKenzie, the Earl of Seaforth. They had been betrothed as children and Mairi grew up believing she would be his countess, but instead, he breaks their betrothal and marries Audrey, his ward. Mairi isn’t exactly heartbroken, but she is feeling sorry for herself and turns down a proposal by Duncan “Dunn” MacRae, believing the highland laird, a man who swears fealty to Seaforth is only proposing out of pity.

Dunn has long desired Mairi, but as Seaforth’s betrothed, she was off limits. When he proposes and is rejected, he knows he should just move on and forget about her, but the heart wants what the heart wants and forgetting her is just not possible. When Mairi is in danger, Dunn risks his life to save her, he kills three English dragoons that were intent on raping her and rides away with her when more soldiers show up. He had planned on returning her to her home immediately, but her father convinced he abducted her, has placed a bounty on his head and he cannot safely return her.

They hole up in his favorite spot, the Cavern of the Fairies and Dunn does his best to keep his desire in check. They spend time talking and Dunn offers to teach her how to defend herself. All is going well until Mairi gets ill and Dunn is forced to leave their sanctuary to get her to a healer. He takes her to his home Eilean Donan Castle and nurses her back to health.

Mairi has always been attracted to Dunn, but she never acted on it, first she was betrothed and later didn’t want to be pitied by him, but now she has come to realize there is much more to Dunn than she believed and she would like nothing more than to explore the feelings he has invoked. Before they become lovers, Dunn again proposes and she accepts, she is aware her father has other plans for her, but she is sure she can convince him to accept Dunn.

They enjoy their time together, but they long to get her father’s blessing and when pleas to Seaforth to intervene come to nothing, they decide to confront her father. But things take a terrible turn and Dunn is imprisoned. Mairi is devastated, she loves Dunn with all her heart and is forced to go to London with her father to save his life.

It seems all is lost for our lovers, but Dunn is not willing to lose Mairi again, he is relentless in his quest to marry her and more than once, his life is put in jeopardy. But when all seems lost, help comes from unexpected sources and Mairi will have to decide if her love for Dunn is enough to give up her family.

This was a fast paced, very emotionally driven story with a sigh worthy hero who loves Mairi with steadfast devotion rarely portrayed in romances these days. The story has action, steamy love scenes, a really vile villain, heartbreak, cameos from Reid and Audrey and a truly beautiful soulmate type love. The only thing that really bothered me was that the villain really didn’t suffer any repercussions for his treatment of Dunn and Mairi. But that aside, it was a good read and had a completely different feel from the previous books in the series. This is the fourth book in the Lords of the Highlands, but I think it could be read as a stand alone with no problems, however, if you want to go into this book with a better understanding of the relationships between Dunn, Mairi and Seaforth, I would highly recommend at least reading Highland Guardian first.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*