Month: December 2024

Three Days to Be Ruined by Giovanna Siniscalchi

On By TracyIn New To Me Author, Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)1 Comment

Three Days to Be Ruined: A Victorian Historical Romance (The Winemakers Book 5)Three Days to Be Ruined: A Victorian Historical Romance by Giovanna Siniscalchi

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series” The Winemakers, #5

Release Date: December 4, 2024

Six years ago, Miss Elizabeth “Beth” Croft was jilted by her fiancé and has had no other offers, but now her father is demanding she wed. Her father is an English gentleman and wine importer living in Portugal and was once the most successful importer in Oporto, but now he is ill and tittering on the edge of bankruptcy. He tells Beth she will have to marry Portugal’s premiere winemaker, Boyd Sandeman and sends her to meet with Boyd and to make an offer to merge their companies through marriage. With no choice, Beth goes to meet with Boyd and is shocked when he demands that she spend the Christmas holiday with him at his estate, where he will subject her to challenges to determine if she will be a suitable wife.

Transplanted Scotsman, Boyd Sandeman is a self-made man, who unbeknownst to Beth has been nurturing a grudge against her father for many years and with her proposal finally has the perfect opportunity to enact his revenge by rejecting and humiliating Beth in front of society. He invites his friends to join them, including Beth’s former fiancé Griffin Maxwell and his wife Julia, who he assumes will help him with his plan. But nothing goes as planned and soon Boyd realizes he has made a huge mistake, but is it too late to make things right, or has he lost his chance for a true HEA?

This was a great story! I am typically not a fan of revenge stories, but this was so well done, that I loved it! Boyd and Beth are wonderful characters, and I wanted them to find happiness together. This story has laugh out loud moments, revenge, meddling friends, steamyish love scenes, and finally a very sweet happy ending complete with an epilogue. Overall, this was a delightful read with a happy ending and a story that I would be happy to recommend. While this is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*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. *

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Review: Murder in Season by Mary Winters

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

Murder in Season (A Lady of Letters Mystery, #3)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: A Lady of Letters Mystery #3
Publication Date: 12/3/24
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 240

It was wonderful to have another visit with Amelia and Simon in this entertaining third book in the series. Amelia, Countess Amesbury, has a secret life as an Agony Aunt (advice columnist) and each chapter begins with the content of one of the letters and Amelia’s pithy reply. The book would be entertaining if it contained nothing but the letters and answers, but when you add a couple of engrossing mysteries along with likable and relatable characters, you have a sure winner.

Amelia is delighting in her life as it is at the moment. Although she is widowed, her husband left her with a title, plenty of money, a ward that she adores, and an aunt-in-law who is both formidable and lovable. Her life could hardly get better! Then, to add to her delight, her mother and sister (Madge) come for a visit.

Madge is in London because she caused a tad-bit of a scandal at home. Not the lascivious kind of scandal, but – still. . . Madge is irrepressible! You will love her and despair of her. She has no filter and whatever she thinks seems to come out of her mouth and that isn’t a good way to endear one’s self to the ton. Therefore, when the would-be baron she had loud words with ends up dead, who is the logical suspect? Madge, of course. Proving Madge’s innocence won’t be easy – especially when the policeman investigating the murder has a grudge against the Amesbury’s.

There are hundreds of suspects since the murder happened at a ball. How will they narrow the list? Everyone speaks highly of the deceased, but Madge thinks he was a cad. Amelia and Simon have to scrape away at the layers of veneer on the deceased to get down to the real man. It seems Madge is correct and he wasn’t who he seemed to be. Now that they know his true nature, how will they find the real murderer and clear Madge’s name?

I enjoyed reading this story and getting to see further developments in Amelia and Simon’s relationship. The Epilogue is great! There were also two mysteries, but I have mentioned only one because the secondary mystery is more superfluous and easily solved for Amelia. If you are looking for a quick, entertaining mystery with delightful characters and a nice mystery, then you should give this book (and series) a try.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.