Month: November 2024

The Duke Says I Do by Anna Campbell

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The Duke Says I Do (Scoundrels of Mayfair, #4)The Duke Says I Do by Anna Campbell

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Scoundrels of Mayfair, #4

Release Date: October 24, 2024

While at the docks checking on his business concerns, Alaric Dempster, the Duke of Granville, is shocked to realize the young woman he encountered with a small dog being accosted by thug in an alley is none other than Lady Portia Frain, the sister of his former fiancée. Always the gentleman, Alaric steps in to help Portia, and finds himself the owner of a dog of dubious lineage and a fierce attraction to a woman he thought he disliked. When Portia returns to his house to help him settle in with the dog and his admiration and desire for her only intensified. Over the next few days, they meet in secret and finally give into their mutual attraction. Portia has made it clear that she has no desire to wed, when they decide to take the next step and enter an affair. Alaric has been jilted twice before and has no desire to be rejected a third time but he wants more from her than just an affair, and since his feelings for Portia are unlike anything he has ever felt and he wonders how he is going to be able to keep his heart from being shattered if he can’t convince Portia that she is the woman he has been waiting for all his life.

Portia Frain’s passion is rescuing injured and abused animals, and marriage doesn’t seem likely, especially as she is caring for her father since her mother passed away years ago and her sisters have both recently married. But a chance encounter with the Duke of Granville, the man her sister Juliet jilted a year ago, has her wondering about another type of passion. It is clear that Alaric is not the man she thought he was and her feelings for him are intense and overwhelming and all too soon she finds herself falling in love with him. A feeling that only grows stronger when they embark on an affair. But there are a lot of things that make a permanent relationship between them seem impossible, but no matter how many times she tells herself this, her heart doesn’t seem to understand.

As usual, Ms. Campbell writes a wonderful, passionate, heartfelt story with strong characters who are easy to like and root for. I was a little skeptical when I realized that Portia was the sister of the woman who jilted Alaric in the previous book and wondered if that was going to cause a lot of angst in the this story, thankfully, that was not the case, yes the issue is brought up, but I had no problem believing that Alaric wanted Portia for herself and his former relationship with her sister meant nothing to him. I was also a bit surprised (and delighted) by how steamy this book was (it reminded me of her older books). Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and the epilogue was everything that I could have hoped for and tied up the entire series beautifully. This is the fourth book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone title, I would recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

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

Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library by Angelina Jameson

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Mystery, Non-Traditional Romance, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library (The Rogue's Alliance Book 1)Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library by Angelina Jameson

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Rogue’s Alliance, #1

Release Date: November 19, 2024

When it becomes clear that Thorne’s Lending Library is in danger of closing, Lady Charlotte Beaumont and her friends Ladies Louisa and Edith, set out to save “their place”. In an attempt to learn what makes a place exclusive, Charlotte decides to don a disguise and investigate the famous bow window at White’s, it is there that she crosses paths with Benedict Grey, the Marquess of Ashford. She thinks she has escaped with her anonymity intact, but she isn’t that lucky, when Benedict quickly learns her identity and tries to discourage her improper behavior. But Charlotte has no intention of giving up her quest and when it becomes clear that there are darker forces at play, she turns to Benedict for help and can’t seem to stop herself from falling for him, despite the fact that he clearly believes that she would never make an appropriate wife for him.

Benedict has his own problems, his sister Diana, grieving the loss of her fiancé, has been acting out of character and may have insulted Lady Caroline Lamb, who is rumored to have written a book exposing members of the ton. He is desperately trying to learn if Diana is mentioned and doesn’t have time to be sidetracked by the intriguing, yet inappropriate Lady Charlotte! But it soon becomes clear that there is something sinister about the library’s current problems, and with the help of his friends, they uncover the reason for the library’s difficulties. Once he learns that the criminal group known as the Rouge’s Alliance is behind the sabotage to the library, nothing will stop him from protecting Charlotte. But saving Charlotte doesn’t change the fact that she isn’t an appropriate choice for his wife. Will Benedict be able to let go of his prejudices or is he doomed to lose the only woman he has ever loved?

I thought this was a cute story, yet it was nothing like the other books I have read by this author. This book read more like a young adult historical mystery than a romance. I have no idea how or why they fell in love, there is very little interaction between them throughout the story and absolutely no intimacy, they don’t even share a kiss until the very end of the book. So, I guess if you prefer an “Austen-like” story with no love scenes or sexual tension, this book will make you very happy. I was intrigued by the “Rouge’s Alliance” and would probably read future installments just for that story line.

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