Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

The Virgin Who Captured a Viscount by Anna Bradley

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

The Virgin Who Captured a Viscount (The Swooning Virgins Society, #5)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Swooning Virgins Society #5
Publication Date: 10/4/22
Period: Georgian – 1772 – 1796
Number of Pages: 320

Oh! My Goodness! If you hitch your horse to this wagon, you are in for a wild and wonderful ride! I’ve read and loved all of the books in this series, but this is the best one yet. We’ve seen Daniel in the background of all of the books of the series – taking care of the ladies, protecting them, but always subservient, quiet, and unobtrusive. Somehow though, you just KNEW there was more to him than meets the eye. You knew he had a story – and now we finally know that it is a hum-dinger!

Mairi Cameron has to find Daniel Adair and convince him to return to Coldstream within the Scottish borders because it is the only way to save her grandmother’s life. She’s followed his trail and learned that Daniel Adair is now Daniel Brixton. She and Daniel were friends when they were small children – she adored him then – but he and his father took off and she hadn’t heard anything from him since. Now though, her grandmother has been accused of Daniel’s murder after the village found the body of a small boy in a pond on the local Viscount’s property. Twenty-four years ago, when Daniel disappeared, he loved her grandmother as much as Mairi did, so he’ll surely return to save her grandmother – since he isn’t dead.

Mairi tracks Daniel for several days and finds him in the worst slums of London. It seems that the sweet, loving Daniel Adair she remembers has grown into the slimiest of creatures who calls himself Daniel Brixton. He is part of that criminal element that populates the underbelly of London – or is he? Well, he certainly must be – just look where she found him. Then, of all things, she had to save his life from one of those thugs bent on knifing him. He certainly owes her now! Except, he doesn’t see it that way – and he has no idea who she is and he’s quite positive he’s not Scottish. Oh! My!

Against his better judgment, Daniel takes Mairi back to Clifford School so Lady Clifford could help him decide what to do with her. He certainly couldn’t leave her in that hovel in which he found her, but he also had no intention of going to Scotland with her. Of all things – she thought he was Scottish. Ha!

Daniel and Mairi are delightful characters and I enjoyed watching them sizing each other up and coming to a truce. After Daniel and Mairi head out for Coldstream, Scotland, the fireworks really begin – between them – but also with the whole fantastical tale Mairi tells Daniel. Can it all be true? Then – the additional revelations that come to both of them will rock their worlds to the core.

I highly recommend this book and hope you will love Daniel and Mairi as much as I did. I loved that the villains actually got their just punishment – and – of course – one of my favorite things – there was a lovely epilogue. Yep! A truly lovely read.

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

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The Highlander’s Holiday Wife by Vanessa Kelly

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/HighlanderLeave a comment

The Highlander's Holiday Wife (Clan Kendrick, #5)Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Series: Clan Kendrick #5
Publication Date: 9/27/22
Period: Regency Edinburgh – 1826
Number of Pages: 352

I have loved the Kendrick brothers since the very first book in the series. You know I love them because I’m reading them despite all of the very modern language in them. Frankly, it is off-putting, but I like the brothers and I like their HEAs, so I ignore the anachronisms the books are filled with – bottle rockets, billfold, mad about, dodgy, money laundering, blood bank, loonies – to name just a few. Things like that are so very simple to research . . . sigh.

When we first met Braden Kendrick (in the first book), he was a boy who dreamt of becoming a physician so he could heal his younger brother, Kade. Now, we see him as a man and a gifted, seasoned, physician. Braden has always been quiet and serious, but for the last few years, he’s done nothing but work – day and night. There is a reason for that.

Lady Samantha Penwith’s husband, Roger, was murdered two years ago. His murder caused another tragedy, which then caused another tragedy. Samantha is just beginning to come back to life – if you can call it that. Her life has a single focus – find Roger’s murderers – and the children who have gone missing from the orphanage they run. At night, Samantha and her trusted servant, Donny, haunt the labyrinth of passages in Old Town Edinburgh looking for the children and the killers. One night, she and Donny save the life of the young, handsome physician who runs a clinic in the roughest streets of Old Town. Oh, My!

When Braden and Samantha’s paths cross again, Samantha is definitely NOT in favor of him having any entanglements with her orphanage, her charity, her school, or her foundation. However, something is amiss and she knows she needs help to solve it.

Braden and Samantha both have secrets and hurts in their pasts, and they have to get past those before they can find their HEA. Because I liked Braden so very much, I hated to see him marry under the circumstances he did. It was nice that it all worked out, but I’d have liked a much more toe-curling romance for him.

Figuring out who the villain(s) are isn’t a hard task at all. So, if you are a mystery buff, don’t read this for the mystery. It really isn’t much of a spine-tingling romance either, but it is a nice story and I’m glad I’ve read it. I think there is only one more book in this series – Kade’s book. I’m not sure about that, but I look forward to seeing him get his HEA.

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

View all my reviews