Month: November 2022

My Dearest Duke by Kristin Vayden

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

My Dearest Duke (Cambridge Brotherhood, #2)My Dearest Duke by Kristin Vayden

Tracy’s rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: Cambridge Brotherhood, #2

Release Date: November 8, 2022

As a professor of Divinity at Cambridge, Lord Rowles Haywind was happy with his lot in life, but all that changes when his brother is killed along with several others, and Rowles finds himself in a role he isn’t prepared for, the new Duke of Westmore, with not only the responsibilities of the dukedom but also the care of his mother, who is mentally ill and had declined since his brother Robert’s unexpected death. His mother’s care is something he takes seriously and something that worries him, will he be afflicted? Would his children? To be safe, he decides not to marry, but that is before he meets his best friend’s sister, Lady Joan Morgan, and is intrigued, even though he tries his best to keep some distance between them.

Joan is drawn to Rowles, as they not only have an instant intellectual connection but also share a tragic common bond by way of the deaths of their brothers. Joan’s eldest brother died at the same bachelor party as his brother did and her brother Collin “Morgan” became the Earl of Penderdale. Joan and Morgan work for the Home Office, Joan is an expert at detecting forgeries and reading people, but if this ever got out, it would mean scandal and ruin. But as get to know each other and they begin to engage in a lot of deep and theological conversations, she starts to fall for him, and she longs to share her work with him but fears his reaction, and the longer she waits, the harder it is to tell him.

This was not a hit for me, it was a book of missed opportunities, and based on the blurb, I was expecting so much more action and drama, but instead, I got a very sweet, slow-moving story about two people dealing with grief and their journey to healing. This is a slow-burn, no-steam romance with likable characters each with their own issues to overcome. I did notice a lot of reviewers seeming surprised by the Christian undertones in the book, but Rowles was a Professor of Divinity, so I wasn’t really surprised by the references, and I don’t think I would go as far as to label it a “Christian” romance. Overall, the book was not what I was hoping for, it was a slow, and at times boring read. This is the second book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title.

*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.*

In the Family Way: Another John Pickett Mystery by Sheri Cobb South

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Mystery, Part of a Series2 Comments

In the Family Way: Another John Pickett Mystery (John Pickett Mysteries Book 12)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: John Pickett Mystery #12
Publication Date: 10/31/22
Period: Georgian (just before Regency)
Number of Pages: 272

You’ll just love John Pickett, but, of course, you know that if you’ve ever read any of the books in this series. If you haven’t read any, I strongly urge you to read them all – from the beginning because it is so heartwarming to watch John grow from a gangly pickpocket to the intelligent, mature, caring man he is today. You can certainly read this as a standalone book, but the experience is so much richer if you’ve watched John from the beginning. Now, he’s going to be a father, and he’s going to be such a wonderful one. We know that because of the way he treats Kit, his ten-year-old half-brother.

The book opens with a bang when John is followed and then abducted by two men. He’s definitely shocked to learn the identity of the man behind the abduction. Not only shocked but definitely displeased. He doesn’t like the man and he doesn’t like what the man has to say. As soon as he arrives back at his home, he gets another shock. John’s father, Gentleman Jack Pickett, has returned from serving his sentence in the Antipodes. Yes, another man John doesn’t want in his life and he’s shown up in it – and on the same day.

John fully intends to put his father out of the house and not look back, but Julia influences him to do otherwise. Kit also influences John’s decision to offer his father a place to stay; after all, Kit has never seen his father before and Gentleman Jack didn’t know he had a second son.

When Gentleman Jack is murdered that same night – stabbed in the back with a strange-looking knife – John is determined to find the murderer. Gentleman Jack had hinted at some life changes while he was visiting, but didn’t elaborate on them – are those changes the reason he was murdered? John treks all over London – from the docks, to the City, to Whitehall, and points between before he puts all of the clues together.

It turns out that Gentleman Jack’s life-changing news was just that – for both Jack and John and I cannot wait to see the results of that in future books. I’m also anxious to see what happens with the gentleman who had John kidnapped – that one is scrumptious as well! Then, to add whipped cream to the top, Julia went into labor and delivered their first child.

This book had it all – and might just be my favorite book of the series – but I think I say that with each new book. There is a true abiding romance between John and Julia, a sweet newly found love between John and Kit, an intriguing murder mystery to solve, and a relationship with someone new who will be a friend or foe. So, I can definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author, and I hope you will enjoy the read as much as I did. The trouble with this series is that as soon as you finish a book, you are already wishing for the next.

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