Month: September 2019

The Girl With The Pearl Pin by Lynne Connolly

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

The Girl with the Pearl Pin (The Society for Single Ladies, #1)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Society for Single Ladies #1
Publication Date: 9/10/19
Number of Pages: 247

This book was a lovely start to a new series. We met future characters and learned the start of The Society for Single Ladies. I was particularly intrigued by the founder of the Society, Miss Angela Childers who may be featured in a book with Col, Duke of Colston Magna. That could definitely be an interesting match.

Leo, delightful, delicious Duke of Leomore, is all that is proper and appropriate. He’s handsome and rich – and according to his grandmother – he’s in need of a bride. He’ll look around this season, but silly debutants just don’t appeal. The only one who might hold his interest is Angela Childers who has staunchly declared that she will never marry. Leo decides to approach her for a dance, but she foists him off on her cousin, Phoebe North, who is visiting from the country.

Phoebe stutters when she’s stressed and she’s also sometimes a bit awkward. Leo is incensed when others ignore her during the dance and when she trips and begins to fall he sees her chagrin and rescues her. Uncharacteristically, he scoops her up and carries her outside to help repair the damage to her ruffle and to calm her. He feels the need to kiss her, but before he can, there is a commotion and she dashes out to see what is happening. A heavily cloaked man runs into her – and the rest of the people in attendance at the ball are running behind him. When the worst gossip in London, Lady Latimer, points her finger at Phoebe and accuses her of being the thief, Leo steps forward and says that can’t be so because she has just been accepting his proposal.

Phoebe definitely doesn’t think she’s duchess material – and Leo isn’t sure either, but the more time he spends with her, the more he is attracted. He’s sure it is a physical attraction, but he likes her as a friend too and that is all he needs in a wife – he has absolutely no desire for love in his marriage.

I absolutely adore the way this author handled a scurrilous, underhanded, sly kidnapper. It is one of the best ‘punishments’ I’ve seen. I loved it. I didn’t love the non-punishment that the theft mastermind got – and I wasn’t thoroughly clear on whether there was one or two masterminds. I’ll be interested to see what happens to Lucinda in the future – if we ever get to see that.

This was a fun read and a great introduction to the series. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Spitfire by Christi Caldwell

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837)Leave a comment

The Spitfire (Wicked Wallflowers, #5)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Wicked Wallflowers #5
Publication Date: 9/17/19
Number of Pages: 327

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read with an improbable, slow-burn romance and a villain of whom you are happy to see the end. It was also nice to visit with Reggie Killoran again. I never really loved Henry, but I was so very happy that he wasn’t a man ‘ho. I thoroughly appreciated Clara as a heroine because she had overcome so much in her life, yet she wasn’t hard and cold – even though she tried to be. I also loved that the book wasn’t filled with angst. There was a bit of repetitive introspection, but not page after page after page of angst.

The book gets right into the action and excitement with Henry being attacked with the intention to murder him in St. Giles. He doesn’t make it easy for his assailants – he just keeps refusing to die. When he is totally unconscious and being dragged down an alleyway, a savior appears.

Henry March, the Earl of Waterson, is a prig of a man – uptight, regimented, fully focused on his role in parliament and totally unaware of how those who are less fortunate than he lives their lives. His parent’s marriage was a cold one – totally a business affair. Henry fully intended to follow along the same lines. Henry is also full to overflowing with guilt. Unjustified guilt, but he feels it anyway. His younger sister was caught in the riots at Peterloo and she’s been traumatized and withdrawn from the world since then. Henry blames himself for not getting her out of there sooner.

Clara Winters, former actress, whore, and madam finally has a future to which she looks forward. She and her friend Reggie Killoran are building a music hall in St. Giles. Clara will have a secure future and will be able to provide jobs for others who don’t want to have to sell their bodies in order to survive. She’s worked so very hard – and overcome so much – and she’s still almost afraid to hope that it will all work.

I loved the way Clara pulled at Henry – and Henry pulled at Clara even though neither of them wanted that. Henry began to learn what it was like for those less fortunate than himself and it was good to watch his growth as a person. Though this a very highly unlikely match, I still enjoyed the story.

I would have liked to learn what happened with the villain – and to see his punishment. That ending felt a little rushed to me. I know that Henry got his licks in, but – did he kill the villain? I don’t think so – but I didn’t really learn. The perfect thing, in my humble opinion, would have been for the villain to have been tried and convicted – transported would have been good given that he was a slaver – AND – I would have loved for his association with Lord Peerson to have been made public so Peerson could have some punishment as well. Something I didn’t understand was Henry’s older sister. Was her husband a peer? If so, why wasn’t she living in their home awaiting the birth of the child that would become the heir to that title if it was a boy? It just seemed odd that she was living with her brother rather than her deceased husband’s family.

I hope you’ll read and enjoy this book as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.