Month: September 2020

A Pretty Deceit by Anna Lee Huber

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939)Leave a comment

A Pretty Deceit (Verity Kent #4)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Verity Kent #4
Publication Date: 9/29/20
Number of Pages: 304

This might be the best book in the series so far. All of them have had great mysteries and all of them have furthered the investigation into the overarching villain – but this one shows further character growth that I really appreciated. For me, it has been a slow go to warm up to Sidney – read the first book in the series, This Side of Murder, to learn why. Speaking of that, you can read this as a stand-alone book and you’ll definitely appreciate the single mystery contained within it, but to gain a good understanding of the overarching mystery as well as the character’s relationships with each other, you really ought to read the series in order.

Verity and Sidney are preparing to leave for Falmouth to further their investigation into Ardmore whenever Verity received a call from her parents asking her to travel to her aunt Ernestine’s estate, Littlemote, in northeastern Wiltshire. There were some issues that needed handling at the estate. Many soldiers from the nearby airfield were billeted at Littlemote during the war and caused a lot of damage to the structure. Along with that, several small items have disappeared and a number of the more valuable paintings have now been identified as forgeries.

When Verity arrives, she learns that not only are items missing and paintings forgeries, there is a maid missing. Verity quickly comes to a solution on the paintings, but the body of one of the employees turns up in a wooded area. Oh! My! Sounds like a job for the local constabulary.

As Verity, Sidney, and company zip around the countryside investigating Ardmore and the mishaps at Littlemote, we have more bodies, more danger, car chases, you name it. Solving this one won’t be easy and it certainly won’t be safe for Verity or her friends. Things are really beginning to heat up with Ardmore. Oh! Heart Palpitations!

I thoroughly enjoyed the read – the writing is excellent, the pacing is exciting, and the plot is interesting and keeps you wondering until the last moment. I am also coming to like Sidney much better – especially with the way that he allows Verity to take the lead on investigations and he’s even accepting of her friendships with the males in the group – even though it gives him a bit of a pang, he shows his trust and faith in her. So, I’m thawing toward him.

I hope you will enjoy the read as much as I did.

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

Sleeping with the Enemy by Jackie Barbosa

On By TracyIn American Historical, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

Sleeping with the Enemy (Lords of Lancashire, #4)Sleeping with the Enemy by Jackie Barbosa

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Lords of Lancashire, #4

Release Date: Septemeber 15, 2020

The last thing American widow Laura Farnsworth expects to find in the shrubs on the side of the is a new love, but that is exactly what she finds! Laura and her son Daniel are traveling back to their farm when she spots a man in red in the brush, they stop to help and think he is dead – but shockingly he is alive, and though he is weak and clearly English, she takes him home with her and hopes he survives.

It is days before Lt. Col. Geoffrey Langston (brother to Viscount Langston) and currently stationed in Fort York wakes in shock to learn the battle is over and he was found on the American side of the battlefield! Geoffrey cannot remember what happened to him and isn’t even sure if he was in the battle – his last memory is the day before the battle. He plans to turn himself over to the Americans as a POW, but promises to help Laura with the apple harvest as a thank you for helping him recover. But soon two things happen that will change everything – first he learns that a traitor tipped off the Americans and he is not sure how that pertains to him, but it would seem that he was caught out by the traitor and almost killed, so returning to Fort York would be dangerous without his memory and surrendering to the Americans will mean the traitor goes free. The second thing is he and Laura fall in love and marry. He is sure that by now the army has deemed him missing and presumed dead and wonders if that might just be for the best.

When word reaches his family in England, they refuse to believe he is dead and a close friend to the family (his sister’s brother-in-law) Thomas and his wife Sabine travel to Canada and then New York to search for him. They find him, but unwittingly lead the army right to him and he is arrested for treason. He will be taken back to England to stand trial – but Laura isn’t about to lose another husband and insists on going with him. Can they clear his name and have a HEA or will the traitor finally succeed in killing him?

I really enjoyed this book, it is well written, face paced and definitely not your run-of-the-mill Historical Romance. The book has so much going on and none of it will happen in London ballrooms, it is set primarily in northern New York and London. The book is filled with intrigue, treason, betrayal, a hero with amnesia, cameos from the other Langston siblings and their families, steamy love scenes, twists and turns, surprises and finally a wonderful ending complete with an epilogue. This is the fourth book in the series, but it is easily read as a standalone title. I am happy to recommend this book and hope you love it as much as I did!

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