Month: May 2021

How to Survive a Scandal by Samara Parish

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

How to Survive a Scandal (Rebels with a Cause, #1)How to Survive a Scandal by Samara Parish

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Rebels with a Cause, #1

Release Date: May 25, 2021

Betrothed to the Duke of Wildeforde for most of her life, Lady Amelia Crofton, the only child of the Earl of Crofton and reigning belle of the ton is tired of waiting for the duke to finally set a wedding date and means to convince him that it is time to wed! In her rush to get to his estate, she leaves unprepared for winter travel and without her maid – mistakes that will change her life forever when she ends up stranded and half-frozen to death on the road. But, as luck would have it (or not), she is saved by Wildeforde’s neighbor and one-time friend, Mr. Benedict Asterly.

Benedict “Ben” Asterly is a self-made man, the son of a misalliance between the daughter of a marquess and a footman, Ben has no liking for the Aristocracy, especially when he saw how unhappy his mother was in his father’s world. His distrust for nobles increased when his mother left them and disintegrated, even more, when he found her alone and dying and her father refused to help. Since then, Ben has avoided interacting with the nobility – but when he is found in a state of undress with Lady Amelia by her father, her fiancé, and a gossipy neighbor, his honor will not let her be ruined, so much to her horror, he offers to marry her.

At first, their marriage seems like it will be just as awful as his parent’s was, but Amelia surprises him time and again and he finds himself agreeing to changes that he has always been adamantly opposed to. Additionally, Amelia’s connections and standing in the ton may be exactly what he needs to secure a lucrative contract to build trains for an American company. Things seem to be going well and Amelia feels like she has finally found her “place” and begins to open her heart to Ben and his young sister, but her happiness is cut short when a tragedy has Ben questioning his actions of late and placing the blame for everything squarely on Amelia. Can these two find their way back to the happiness they had just begun to share? Or will past hurts make a future together impossible?

What a great debut novel! It is a well-written, nicely-paced, fresh, and original story with very likable and relatable characters. This book is a great “fish out of water” type story with strong characters, warm love scenes, detailed character growth, wonderful secondary characters, betrayal, misassumptions, some shocking twists and turns, a dash of angst, some interesting historical facts woven into the story, and a very lovely HEA complete with a touching epilogue. I enjoyed the story despite some title errors and a couple of questionable timeline plot points (it is important to note that the copy I read was an ARC/Proof and any errors/inconsistencies I noted may well be corrected in the final, published copy.). Overall, for a debut, this book was outstanding and I believe Ms. Parish will quickly become a “must-read” author for historical romance lovers! This is the first book in the series and I am happy to recommend this title and will be impatiently waiting for the next installment!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *

The Jewel of an Earl’s Heir by Linda Rae Sande

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Jewel of an Earl's Heir
Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Heirs of the Aristocracy #5
Publication Date: 5/25/21
Period: Victorian

This was a delightfully witty, well-balanced, well-written story filled with some very likable and relatable characters. You will absolutely adore Stella and Harold who were featured in The Epiphany of an Explorer. As always, we have two romances – we have Stella and Harold who have different ways of dealing with the fact that they are getting older – and we have their son Alexander who finds his romance with Margaret Ewen who is a gemologist.

Harold Tennison, the Earl of Everly, and his still strikingly beautiful wife Estelle (Stella) are approaching their twenty-second wedding anniversary. While they are still very much in love, life has become a bit routine over the years. Neither of them is ready to just roll over and curl up their toes, so they are both coping with their middle years just a tad differently – but they definitely end up in the same place. I absolutely adored their scenes in the book – they were irreverent, randy, funny, and thoroughly entertaining.

Twenty-one-year-old Alexander Tennison, the heir to the Earl of Everly, looks like a Greek God. That would make most people arrogant and self-centered, but not Alex. He is a very loving, dutiful, honorable young man who really has no clue about the effect his looks have on others – especially those young marriageable ladies. The Tennison family is one with a scientific bent – Harold is a botanist and Alex is a metallurgist with an interest in making fine jewelry. When Alex learned that he was color blind, it was a devastating blow to him because he suddenly understood why he had difficulty choosing stones that worked together in his jewelry creations. He just needs someone to help him ‘see’ the colors.

Margaret Ewen is a gemologist in her father’s shop, Ewen and Ewen. When this tall, handsome Greek God walks into their shop, she has no idea who he is, so she teases him – and he teases back. He’s in the shop to buy several ounces of gold for a jewelry project he’s working on, and Margaret is a bit concerned that he’ll be setting himself up in competition with their already faltering shop. Then, she learns who he is and she can’t believe she teased him the way she did. However, that doesn’t stop her from selling him several hundred rubies and citrines the next time he comes into the shop. Then, when he shows her his designs and asks for her help – well – goodness – who can refuse a Greek God?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the fact that both families are warm, loving, and accepting of themselves and each other. I loved that the nasty villain got his comeuppance and our couples got their HEAs. If you are looking for a happy read, this is the book for you.

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