Month: November 2022

A Gentleman Will Never…Forget A Lady by Emily Windsor

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

A Gentleman Will Never Forget a Lady by Emily Windsor

A Gentleman Will Never… Forget a Lady

Get swept away this winter to romantic rugged Wales…

Having lost her beloved to a storm at sea, Lady Gwen Evans is planning a life of travel to foreign lands, writing books on her adventures.
But will the arrival of a dark, scarred stranger one December’s eve disrupt all her plans…
Please note: This book is best read as a sequel to Book Two in this series: A Governess Should Never… Deny a Duke

Series: The Governess Chronicles. Book 3
Author: Emily Windsor
Genre: Regency Romance
Release Date: 1st December 2022
Length: Short Novel. 42k words
Tropes: Lost love. Amnesia. Christmas. Family.
Tone: Romantic. Poignant. Nostalgic.
Heat Level: Sensual. Moderate.
Tagline: Get swept away this winter to romantic rugged Wales…
Notes: This book is written in British English spelling.

Purchase Links (e-books):

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Series Link on Amazon

emily

Author Bio:

Emily grew up in the north of England on a diet of historical romance and strong tea.
Unfortunately, you couldn’t study Regency slang, so she did the next best thing and gained a degree in Classics and History instead. This ‘led’ to an eight-year stint in engineering.
Having left city life, she now lives in a dilapidated farmhouse where her days are spent writing, fixing the leaky roof, battling the endless vegetation, and finding pictures of well-tied cravats.

Connect with Emily:

Amazon ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest ~ Website ~ Newsletter

Tracy’s Review:

A Gentleman Will Never... Forget a Lady (The Governess Chronicles #3)A Gentleman Will Never… Forget a Lady by Emily Windsor

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Governess Chronicles, #3

Release Date: December 1, 2022

Lady Gwen Evans has decided that it is time to move on from her private mourning and finally explore the world, she even has a list entitled Deeds and Intrigues to be Sought and Gained whilst Rambling Around the Continents and their Environs or D.I.S.G.R.A.C.E. for short (how great is that??) – but before she embarks on her travels, she will spend the Advent and Christmastide at the neighboring Llanedwyn Estate, home of Rhys and Isabelle Cadogan, the Duke and Duchess of Aberdare and their friends and family, including their orphaned niece Mari. Gwen grew up with Rhys and his twin brother Tristan, and the three were great friends as children, but it wasn’t until just over a year ago that things changed. Gwen and Tristan began to spend more time together when she returned from her London season and their friendship deepened and evolved into romantic love, but the feelings were still new and they decided to keep their newfound love just between them for a little while longer. And then the unthinkable happened, Tristan finally finished the boat he was building and sailed away one July afternoon, then a storm hit and he didn’t return. Despite a massive search, all they found was bits and pieces of his boat, Tristan (along with Gwen’s heart) was lost to the sea.

But Fate still had cards to play and she delivered Tristan back to his family, he had been in Ireland these last sixteen months and had suffered from amnesia and was living in a small village working as a carpenter when a visit from a family friend triggers the return of his memory – mostly – he doesn’t recall the year before his shipwreck – which includes his newfound love for Gwen. He returns home, and her heart breaks all over again – but she refuses to tell him of their love, instead, she hopes his memory returns, if not, she will walk away. Tristan is not the same man who left Wales all those months ago and the return to his family is not as simple as one would expect, not only does he feel different, he is haunted by a faceless woman in his dreams and to complicate matters, he finds himself attracted to Gwen in a completely unfriendlike way, but until he can recall what the faceless woman means to him, he can’t in good faith pursue anything with Gwen.  Oh yes, Fate is having a good time with these two and has no desire to make their path to HEA easy!

This was a well-written, nicely-paced second-chance romance brimming with emotion, but it was surprisingly light on the angst – which is a plus in my opinion! The book is filled with wonderful characters, secrets, longing, a bit of heartache, healing, new beginnings, ghouls, wassail, and finally a hard-earned HEA, complete with an epilogue. This book is set in Wales and the author does an amazing job of incorporating Welsh Yuletide customs and traditions into the story – I found the historical tidbits fascinating and especially enjoyed the “wassailing”. The book is on the “sweet” side as far as love scenes go, with only a couple of kisses and one mild love scene at the end, and while I usually like a bit more spice the story didn’t need it. This was a lovely read that I am happy to recommend and I am crossing my fingers that Hugh’s story is next!

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

A Snowlit Christmas Kiss by Larissa Lyons

On By TracyIn Christmas, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

A Snowlit Christmas Kiss (Regency Christmas Kisses, Book #1)A Snowlit Christmas Kiss by Larissa Lyons

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: Regency Christmas Kisses, #1

Release Date: December 13, 2022

Edward Snowden Thomas Redford was the third son of a viscount and never imagined he would inherit the title, much less his brother’s bride, but that is exactly what happened. He learned his new destiny as he lay in a hospital recuperating from the loss of his arm, and several broken bones in his remaining hand and his leg, injuries he sustained in Spain battling Napoleon at Albuera. Now months later and mostly healed, Ed makes his way home to meet his future bride, but before he commits the rest of his life to duty, he is going to spend a few days at his friend Warrick’s hunting lodge. At least that was the plan before his rented horse was spooked and he was thrown during a snowstorm and forced to leave half his belongings and walk in the dark. As he sets out, he sees a faint light and makes his way toward it, hoping it is shelter. However, the light leads him to a young woman, digging a hole – in a snowstorm – without a coat – covered in blood. He introduces himself as Edward, which she assumes is his surname and he learns her name is Mary Anne, and after just a few minutes in her company, he is captivated.

Anne Larchmont, Merry Anne to her sister Harriet, had escaped her house and the preparations for her betrothal ball to visit her friend Isabella Spier. While visiting, one of Lord Spier’s tenants goes into labor and needs help, as her husband is in London with Lord Spier. As Isabella is blind, Anne offers to help, which is how she ended up in a field after dark in a snowstorm digging a grave for a cat. After the difficult birth of triplets and the sorrow of losing one of the infants, all Anne wants to do is bury the cat and sleep for a week. But all that changes when a handsome stranger joins her and offers her shelter for the night. As she has decided that she is going to refuse to marry her substitute betrothed, especially after waiting for his brother for over eight years, she agrees to a night with “Mr. Edwards” with the understanding that she is not a trollop. They set out for the cottage, moving faster when they believe they are being stalked by a wild animal. And they spend a lovely evening filled with nothing more than heated kisses and companionship together. The next morning they part, never expecting to see each other again. But fate has plans for these two and with the help of a shape-shifting matchmaker, they may just find their HEA.

This was an interesting novella, that used mistaken identity and unwanted betrothal tropes as well as a twist with a matchmaking shape-shifter, which was unexpected and surprisingly entertaining. This was a sweet story with great characters, low-heat love scenes, delightful secondary characters, and a HEA, complete with an epilogue. I enjoyed the story, but the writing was a little choppy and the dialogue shifts between characters was not always as smooth as it could be. Overall, it was an entertaining story that held my attention and one I would be happy to recommend.

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