Month: August 2020

The Matter of a Marquess by Jess Michaels

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

The Matter of a Marquess (The Duke's Bastards, #3)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Duke’s Bastards #3
Publication Date: 8/18/20
Number of Pages: 242

This is a great addition to the Duke’s Bastards series (or The Duke’s By-Blows since Amazon doesn’t like the word Bastards). As always, I loved the characters, the steaminess, the plot and, of course, the writing was first-class. I loved Nicholas in the last book especially and could hardly wait for his book – and it was well worth the wait. While the book is part of a series, you can read it as a standalone. I can’t imagine why you’d want to do that because the series is wonderful – but you can.

Lady Aurora Lovell and Nicholas Gillingham grew up together and then they loved each other, and then they went their separate ways. They didn’t part deliberately – each thought the other had betrayed them – but parted they were – for almost ten years. She married – unhappily – and he became a badly wounded war hero.

Aurora, now a widow, leaves London for a house party at the Duke of Roseford’s estate because she is in the middle of a scandal. She was caught in a brothel while looking for her best friend – trying to rescue her. No matter the reason she was there, she is forever tarnished.

Nicholas has been trying to recover from his grievous wounds for the past two years and while he is greatly improved, he’s not completely healed. Since he was injured saving others – including a nobleman’s son – the crown has been considering bestowing a Marquessate on him. He REALLY wants that marquessate! He wants that power that goes with it so nothing can ever be taken from him again. ** I’m sure the author must have researched it, but, I thought the crown could bestow a title when, where, and to whom they wanted. This book makes it seem as if there has to be a campaign and meetings and…. Well, you name it. **

Nicholas’s half-brother, Robert, decides to have a house party and invite many guests of influence to help Nicholas in his quest for the title. Robert’s wife also invites a new friend to the party. When those two meet – WOW! Nicholas’s breath is sucked right out of his body and Aurora’s jaw drops. How could this be? It is like they never parted – and in their hearts, they never did.

Will Aurora and Nicholas let the past keep them from having a future? Can each forgive the other and themselves? What will happen with the Marquessate if Nicholas associates himself with scandal-ridden Aurora? Can Aurora find and rescue her friend? Oh! My Goodness – you’ll just have to read the book to find out. BTW – there is a nice set-up for the next book – and it looks like it will be a great read as well.

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

A Secret Surrender by Darcy Burke

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

A Secret Surrender (The Pretenders #1)A Secret Surrender by Darcy Burke

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Pretenders, #1

Release Date: August 7, 2020

Harry Sheffield, younger son of the Earl of Aylesbury and constable for Bow Street, has been tasked by his father to learn all he can about a fortune-teller named Madame Sybila, whom his mother has been visiting. He has tracked her to a perfume shop on the Strand and hopes to get the proof he needs to shut her down. But Madame Sybila surprises him, she refuses to see him and no matter how much he offers, she won’t “read” his cards. She asks him to leave and when he says he will be back, she surprises him by saying Bow Street is not that far.

Selina Blackwell aka Madame Sybila aka Lady Gresham is exactly what Harry thinks she is – a scammer and a fraud. She has had a hard life, orphaned early in life and raised with her brother on the streets of London, then sent to school, where she met another lost child, Beatrix. After years at school, she lost touch with her brother and built a life for herself and Beatrix. She has returned to London as Lady Gresham to introduce Beatrix to society, with the hope that her father – the Duke of Ramsgate – will acknowledge her and offer to support her. She plans to steer clear of Harry, but when she learns he is looking into a fire that killed several people – including her brother – she decides to befriend him to learn who killed her brother and get revenge. But things don’t work out as she plans and she learns that her brother is not dead and happens to be the “Vicar”, the very criminal mastermind that Harry is looking for!

Selina plays a deep game, juggling her many personas and trying to keep herself from falling in love with Harry. Harry is thwarted at every turn in his investigations of Madame Sybila and the Vicar and completely smitten with Lady Gresham. Harry is falling hard for Selina and begins to think of forever, but when the truth comes out, he is shattered and any chance of HEA is gone…or is it?

I thought this was an interesting story, there was a lot going on and was not quite as cohesive as I have come to expect from Ms. Burke. I liked the characters, Harry is to die for, but I was not thrilled that Selina kept lying to Harry for so long, I understand the reasoning, but I still didn’t like it and while I didn’t hate her, I spent a good portion of the book disappointed with her. The book has a bit of everything, intrigue, shocking revelations, secrets, lies, fraud, betrayal, steamy love scenes, a kleptomaniac, a meddling yet loving family, heartache, a very forgiving hero and finally a HEA that seemed impossible.

This is the first book in a new series, but it has ties to the Spitfire Society and you will see some familiar names if you have read that series. And as there were some lingering, unanswered questions in this book, I will be looking forward to the future installments with the hope that they will be resolved in Beatrix and Rafe’s stories.

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