Month: March 2023

Frederica by Georgette Heyer

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Re-Release / Updated Edition, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments


FredericaFrederica by Georgette Heyer

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: Originally published in 1965, Re-releasing 03/21/2023

At the grand old age of 24, Frederica Merriville knows her chance for marriage is long past, but she hopes to launch her lovely younger sister Charis into society and find her a husband. For that, she will need help and knows just who to ask, their “distant cousin” Vernon, the Marquis of Alverstoke!

Vernon, the Marquis of Alverstoke is a jaded rake, a confirmed bachelor, and bored – with everything. Alverstoke doesn’t really want to help Frederica and plans to tell her, but once he meets her siblings, he reconsiders, not because he is a nice man, but because he knows it will annoy his sisters who want him to launch their daughters. Let the games begin! The Merrivilles are anything but boring, and soon Alverstoke finds himself embroiled in their escapades and *gasp!!* not bored. He also finds himself doing something he never thought he would; falling in love and considering marriage.

Georgette Heyer is one of my mother’s favorite authors and she has been telling me to read her work for years, so when this book came up for review on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance. This book was written before I was born but I can see Ms. Heyer’s influence in the works of many other authors that I have read – Barbara Cartland comes to mind and even some current-day authors. This book is filled with humor, family, more than one mishap (thanks to Frederica’s younger brother), restorative pork jelly, a “Baluchistan” hound, a very slow-burn romance (with zero steam), and finally a very sweet declaration scene leading to their HEA. I think my 13-year-old self would have enjoyed this book much more than my 50-something self did and I can see the allure for Austen lovers – but while I enjoyed this story, I don’t think I will be rushing to read her other books. I thought it was too long and tended to meander, I didn’t mind that omission of love scenes, but did struggle to feel a true connection between Frederica and Alverstoke beyond friendship. Overall, it was a fun read and if you are a Jane Austen fan or even a Barbara Cartland fan – I think you would really enjoy this book.

*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 Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Blog Tour, Book Publicity, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell, #8)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5
Series: Veronica Speedwell #8
Publication Date: 3/7/23
Period: Victorian England
Number of Pages: 336

After reading the previous book in this series I was in a quandary about whether I wished to continue reading the series or not. Throughout the series, I have actively disliked Veronica – probably because the author has made her so ‘woke’ that she is rabid in her thoughts, beliefs, and relationships. There is a point where ‘It is all about me’, becomes just downright dislikable and that is where I was with Veronica. Then, with the hurt she delivered to Stoker in the last book, I was about done with Veronica, but I wanted to see how the author was going to manage to leave Veronica as dislikable as she was and still mend the relationship with Stoker. Therefore, I picked up a copy of this book. Let us just say I was pleased with some of the personal epiphanies Veronica had and the seeming character growth for her. I say seeming because that remains to be seen in future books. No, I didn’t come to like Veronica, but I was pleased to see her growing (seemingly anyway) into a multi-dimensional human where she seemed to realize she wasn’t perfect and actually had flaws.

Viscount Tiberius Templeton-Vane (Stoker’s brother) has received a death threat and he has deduced that two (maybe three) previous murders are connected. Tiberius knew he needed the help of Stoker and Veronica, so he and Veronica tracked Stoker to a remote area in Bavaria. Stoker agreed to return to England and help his brother, but he offered no olive branches to Veronica (YAY! Stoker). He was civil to her, but no matter what overtures she made, he very politely rebuffed them.

Tiberius was once part of a group of friends known as the Sinful Seven – not that they were particularly sinful. Twenty years previous one of those seven died when he fell off an unstable cliff during a house party at Tiberius’s home. As magistrate for the area, Tiberius’s father declared the fall accidental and they all went on with their lives. Only, now, they wonder if perhaps it was murder rather than an accident – and the person threatening Tiberius is now seeking revenge for the death.

Tiberius’s solution is to hold a house party with the same attendees as the house party of twenty years ago. Surely the original murderer is among those attendees – and possibly the current murderer as well. Can they catch not one, but two killers? Everyone is so likable, how could any of them have committed murder? There are plenty of red herrings and clues dropped to let you follow the breadcrumbs. Will you be surprised? Perhaps – perhaps not.

I definitely enjoyed this book more than the last one, so I will recommend it. I did think it was a bit draggy in parts and the narrative was (as always) a bit ponderous and formal. For me, the best part of the story centered around Veronica’s personal epiphanies and her character growth rather than the mystery itself. I will read the next book to see if the growth continues. I hope you will enjoy the story should you choose to read it.

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

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