Month: January 2023

The Lady of a Sultan by Linda Rae Sande

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)2 Comments

The Lady of a Sultan (The Ladies of the Aristocracy)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: The Ladies of the Aristocracy #2
Publication Date: 1/6/23
Period: 1841 – Victorian – Ottoman Empire
Number of Pages: 332

This book was a delightful surprise! While I always enjoy Linda Rae Sande’s books, this one was a departure from her usual locations and circumstances and I thoroughly enjoyed her departure. Heavens – we have honest-to-goodness (or badness) pirates, a Sultan, a Duchess, a rescue (or is it?)! What more could you ask for? A sizzling romance, you say? Well – you definitely get one – and then another for good measure.

Charlotte, Duchess of Chichester, has just completed her year of ‘official’ mourning for her husband and is contemplating her future. She’ll never marry again because she has already loved and now lost the love of her life. Her son is now the new duke and he has a perfectly lovely and capable new duchess, so he doesn’t need her. With the encouragement of several of her friends, she decides to take a couple of years to travel. What a momentous decision that turns out to be!

Do pirates still ply the waters of the Mediterranean? Evidently, they do, because the ship on which Charlotte and her lady’s maid, Parma, are traveling is attacked, boarded, and overtaken by pirates. They are a nasty bunch and take Charlotte and Parma to the Ottoman Empire to sell them into slavery.

Sultan Ziyaeddin is also contemplating his life – past and future. He is still mourning the loss of his one true love even after more than twenty years. Yes, he is a Sultan and has many concubines, but none of those bring him joy. They don’t even slake his lust anymore. Then, there is his empire. He wants to end all the wars, build universities, create a banking system, and generally modernize everything. He’s made a start, but how much can he accomplish in his remaining lifetime?

Ziyaeddin is both enraged and enthralled when a pirate offers to sell him a beautiful woman – for his harem or as a slave. He is enraged by the pirate – but captivated by the woman with the snapping eyes. While he would never purchase her, or force her, he would be very happy should she choose to join his household.

Ziyaeddin and Charlotte are both instantly drawn to each other, but their worlds are so far apart. Could they actually forge a loving, lasting relationship? You’ll just have to read the book to see.

We always get two romances in this author’s books and this one is no exception. Ziyaeddin and Charlotte each have a child who finds their match as well. Ah! Love is in the Mediterranean air.

I really do appreciate that this book features two middle-aged people who are both seeking to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives. It does often get tiring reading about very young women finding their HEAs. Those stories are always lively and entertaining, but there is just something sigh-worthy about an older couple finding that the best is not all behind them.

I hope you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did should you choose to read it. Oh – and by the way – if you’d like to read the story of Charlotte’s first romance, it is in The Grace of A Duke from the Daughters of the Aristocracy series.

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

View all my reviews

Going Rogue – by Janet Evanovich

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Contemporary, Mystery, Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

Going Rogue (Stephanie Plum, #29)Barbara’s rating: 3.7 of 5 Stars
Series: Stephanie Plum #29
Publication Date: 11/1/22
Period: Contemporary – Trenton, New Jersey
Number of Pages: 336 (Audiobook)

What can I say about another Stephanie Plum book? While they are very formulaic and you pretty much know what is going to happen from scene to scene, they are also witty and entertaining. Just perfect for those times when you need a pick-me-up.

The mystery in this book was a bit different than usual because you have absolutely no idea who the villain is. There is just this voice over the phone threatening and demanding the return of a coin that was used as collateral during a bail hearing. Oh! My! The coin is missing and so is Connie Rosolli, the office manager at Vinnie’s Bail Bonds. Connie is never late and never misses work, so where is she? That is the question Stephanie and Lula have to solve after a mysterious caller tells them he has Connie and she won’t be returned until the coin is given to him. Easy enough, right? No, because the coin is missing from their office and they have no clue where to even begin looking.

Things become really intense when Vinnie is also kidnapped and they receive a picture of a mutilated hand. Is Vinnie being tortured? Add Stephanie’s near abduction and actual abduction and things are getting really dangerous. What is so very valuable about an old coin that came with a game that hasn’t been made in years?

You’ll just have to read the book to find all of the answers. You’ll also find a good bit of Ranger in this one and less of Morelli. In the last few books, Morelli seems to have been staying as clear of Stephanie’s investigations as possible – and I don’t blame him. Another character we get a good bit more of in this book is Bellissima Morelli, Joe Morelli’s grandmother. You see, Bella gives people the Evil Eye – so, what could be more entertaining than that?

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lorelei King and enjoyed it very much. I believe she has done every book in the series and has done an excellent job of it. The voices she uses for each character are distinctive and fit that character perfectly. Her pacing and delivery are also excellent.

My bottom line for these books is that I enjoy them when I need a mindless, entertaining read – and that is an important thing to have in your life. Frankly, I’ll say I am overly tired of Stephanie and her wishy-washy love life. For the entire series, she’s been going back and forth between Morelli and Ranger. She sees and sleeps with Ranger when she and Morelli are on the outs – and the rest of the time she is with Morelli – but she is still lusting after Ranger. ENOUGH! Frankly, after all of this time, if one of them wanted to marry her, they’d have already done so. Of course, I’m not sure who else would put up with her, so maybe she has to stay where she is. She’s not ready for marriage either, so I guess we’ll continue bed-hopping for a while.

View all my reviews