Month: September 2021

A Rose for Laura by Callie Hutton

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

A Rose for Laura (The Rose Room Rogues, #4)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Rose Room Rogues #4
Publication Date: 9/30/21
Period: Victorian (1892) London
Number of Pages: 241

Just so you know – I would have given this book 5-stars just for the epilogue alone! As the last book in the series, I did so want an epic epilogue – and this author delivered! We’ve seen each of the Rose brothers find their HEAs and thanks to this wonderful epilogue, we get to see where life’s journey has taken them and their families six years later. OH! Just so I don’t forget – there is a wonderful, romantic, heartwarming, and witty story that comes before that epilogue. You DEFINITELY don’t want to miss that.

Keniel Singh is of mixed origins – his mother was half Jamaican and half Indian and his father is white English. Keniel lead a comfortable life in Jamaica even though he had no idea who sired him. His mother, a gifted artist, was part of Jamaica’s aristocracy and therefore Keniel was as well. Keniel never had any issues with not knowing anything about his father, but, on her death bed, his mother told him all about his father and made him promise to find his English family. Reluctantly, Keniel made the promise and after her death, he made the journey to England. He had no intention of immediately making himself known to his English family because he wanted to assure himself that these were honorable and upright people. The best way he found to get the measure of them was to take a job in their club – The Rose Room. There is nothing like working with someone day after day to get their measure. He came to like and respect his half-brothers but was having a hard time convincing himself to tell them the truth. He intends to do so – just not yet. He is still unsure how they would react to hearing they have a multi-racial half-brother.

Miss Laura Benson is the much-loved only child of a very, very wealthy businessman. Their business ventures have given them exposure to all cultures and they have admired all of those cultures and enjoyed learning more of them. While they are not members of the ton, they are accepted by them and receive invitations to all of the best venues. Laura is growing more and more tired of the social side of the ton and therefore accepts fewer and fewer invitations. Her main focus at the moment is the children’s orphanage she and her two other committee members sponsor. The building that houses the orphanage is due to be torn down by the end of the month and she has to find a new home for the children – and fast.

The initial meeting between Keniel and Laura is priceless and you’ll read it and all of the subsequent meetings with a huge smile on your face. Laura is sweet, lovely, giving, and very forthright. Keniel is caring, handsome, and very pragmatic about his reception by London society even though he has the full support of his half-brothers. It was a delight to see Keniel and Laura find their HEA.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read and can highly recommend it. My only, only, only complaint is that we saw four very nasty women walk away from a truly despicable act without any punishment at all. Surely there was something that could have happened to them – maybe they all got the pox from the same man or something. Happy reading!

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

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The Devil’s Own Duke by Lenora Bell

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)1 Comment

The Devil's Own Duke (Wallflowers vs. Rogues, #2)Barbara’s rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Series: Wallflowers vs. Rogues #2
Publication Date: 9/28/21
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 384

I fully intended to absolutely love this book because I have loved every book I’ve read by this author. I just couldn’t get there with this one and I’m so sorry to have to say that. Since I’m reading an advanced copy, there are several things I sincerely hope are corrected prior to publication – there are smaller things – like a completely naked man suddenly having blood on his sleeve – and there are huge things like the entire process of being declared the heir to a duke (which is the entire premise of the book). If you add in that I neither liked nor was invested in ANY of the characters, you’ll see why I just couldn’t love the book. The only character I found unobjectionable was Jax, who is our hero’s friend. The other characters in the book seem more like cardboard caricatures – even with Ash’s noble intentions, I couldn’t like him or what he did. He did have an epiphany, but – well – that didn’t make up for the rest of it – at least not to this reader.

Ash Ellis had a very, very hard life. He was raised in an orphanage and went to work in a bottling plant when he was eight. The work was grueling with long days, no sleep, little if any pay, the punishment was often and severe, and starvation-type hunger. When John Coakley offered him a chance to escape that existence, he jumped at it – only to find that he’d jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Coakley was cruel, took all of the goods they’d pickpocketed, beat them regularly, and virtually owned them. They’ve finally managed to escape Coakley and Ash and Jax now own their own gaming club, The Devil’s Staircase. That, however, isn’t enough for Ash. He wants revenge on the aristocracy for all of the mistreatment he and other children have suffered – and he’ll get it by fair means or foul. When the germs of an idea take hold, he acts and gets himself declared a ducal heir.

Lady Henrietta Prince is the daughter (and only child) of the Duke of Granville. Since her mother’s death, Hetty has secluded herself on their country estate, Rosehill Park, where her French mother had been revitalizing the vineyards. That became Hetty’s mission in life, she’d continue her mother’s work and make their wines a profitable entity. She loves Rosehill Park, it is her solace, her refuge – and she certainly isn’t going to allow that upstart rogue who claims to be her father’s heir to tear it apart.

Upon meeting Ash and hearing his claim, Hetty’s father accepts the claim as real – after about a 5-minute conversation. Hetty’s father and his lover are cartoonish – outlandish – and in no way believable. Then – he tells his new heir and Hetty that he wants them to marry. This man could be a pervert of the first order, and the duke wants him to marry his daughter just as soon as he meets him.

I found everything about this book to be implausible, improbable, and very, very unlikely, and since I also did not care for the characters, I cannot recommend the book. If you choose to read it, I hope you love it. The author is one I normally love; I just could not love this particular book.

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

View all my reviews