Month: November 2025

Go, Rogue by Kay K. Denner

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Go, Rogue (The Mavericks Book 2)Go, Rogue by Kay K. Denner

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Mavericks #2

Release Date: December 1, 2025

On the day she is supposed to marry, Lady Catherine West instead leaves her groom at the altar and stows away on Andrew McGann’s ship, The Elphame bound for Boston. She knows Andrew thinks she is more trouble than she is worth and clearly wants nothing to do with her, but boarding his ship gives her something she desperately needs, a new start far away from the gilded cage she has been trapped in. Can she win over the stern captain and finally find the happiness she has been longing for?

Andrew McGann has fought for his place in the world; he is half Scottish/half Jamaican and carries the stigma of being born on the “wrong side of the blanket” and he has finally realized his dream of owning his own shipping company and after years of servitude to the East India Company and then four more years landlocked in England. He is finally back on the water, but within moments of setting sail, his peace is ruined thanks to “the menace”. He wants nothing more than to get rid of her, but for now he will have to keep her at a distance. But when things start going wrong, keeping Catherine at bay becomes impossible and the sparks will fly!

When I finished this book, I was left with mixed feelings. Andrew was the definitely the star of the show and I appreciated that the book didn’t shy away from the racism he faced, or the emotional wounds left by his family, he was a grump, but I loved him. He kept me turning pages, but some things didn’t quite work for me; primarily was author’s use of present tense narrative, which made it hard for me to stay immersed in the story, add to that was my mixed feelings about Catherine, she was strong, but she was also a bit self-absorbed and had more than one TSTL moments. Overall, if you enjoy opposites-attract, grumpy/sunshine or forced proximity romance tropes, you might enjoy this book, but for me, while the story had a wonderful hero and a bit of steam, it ultimately wasn’t what I was hoping for and not a book I would read again. This is the second book in the series, and I would strongly recommend reading the books in order so you can better understand the initial tension between Catherine and Andrew.

*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. *

Love at Midnight by Nola Saint James

On By TracyIn Christmas, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Non-Traditional Romance, Paranormal / Fantasy, Romantasy, Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

Love at Midnight: A Regency Christmas RomantasyLove at Midnight: A Regency Christmas Romantasy by Nola Saint James

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: October 16, 2025

When Miss Grace Cooper, daughter of the late Viscount & Viscountess Shelbourne and heiress learns that her estate trustees are planning to marry her off sight unseen to a man of their choosing in just a few months, she knows that she will have to take matters into her own hands if she wants to marry her true love. The real problem is she doesn’t know who her true love is! Her housekeeper has been like a surrogate mother to her and vows to help her find her true love and suggests she meet with Mommia Ravenal, a Roma lady with the gift of sight, perhaps she can point Grace in the direction of her true love. Mommia does give her good news, her true love is near, but Grace will have to find him on her own.

Harold Picton AKA Hal Ravenal is the Earl of Langafel, however, he was not raised to be the earl. His parents eloped as their families didn’t approve of their love, sadly both his parents died shortly after his birth, and he was raised by a childless couple in the village. When he turned 18 his foster parents told him of his family – his father was heir to the Earl of Langafel and his mother was a member of the Roma Ravenal clan. He tracks down his mother’s clan and learns he has a gift with horses. He is happy to be reunited with his mother’s family and is content to build a life with them, but when Mommia, the matriarch of the clan demands he attend her, he knows this life is about to change. He learns that his paternal grandfather has died and he is now the earl. Being the earl means leaving the clan, but Mommia tells him that he won’t be alone, his true love is near and when he finds her, she will be the helpmate he needs to take up his title. Now he just needs to find her…

This was not your typical romance story, but it was an interesting story with very likable characters, not all of whom are human. The main characters don’t meet right away and there are a lot of things going on aside from Grace and Hal trying to find their true loves. Interwoven in the love story is a Norwegian legend about animals speaking to humans on Christmas eve as well as the Ravenal paranormal gifts. I liked this story, but it meandered all over the place, personally, I would have preferred the focus of the story to be the romance and have more of a connection between Grace and Hal, rather than relying on the love at first sight / true love trope. Overall, it was a unique read and if you are looking for something a bit different, you might want to give this book a try.

*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. *