Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

Someday My Duke Will Come by Christina Britton

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Someday My Duke Will Come (Isle of Synne, #2)
Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Isle of Synne #2
Publication Date: 1/12/21
Number of Pages: 400

How wonderful to find a book with a hero that you absolutely adore from the first page to the last. He was just perfect. I loved him in the last book, A Good Duke Is Hard to Find, and that just increased with this book. He is the loveliest, most honorable, steadfast, gentleman you could want to meet. We should all have the opportunity to know a Quincy at least once in our lifetime. I loved Clara as well, but she did get on my nerves after a while because she just needed to let go long before she did. Anyway, the book is wonderfully delivered, the story is compelling, all of the characters are delightful, and the epilogue is to-die-for. Definitely an excellent read and even though it is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

We met and loved Lady Clara Ashford in the first book, and we learned much of her backstory. We also learn that backstory in this book, but in more detail than before. Because of her past, Clara has decided to never marry – and she is very, very, very adamant about that. No matter how much she might be attracted to Quincy, she’ll never let her heart belong to him and even if it did, she’d never marry him. Clara’s life is a bit of a conundrum at the moment because she doesn’t know where she belongs anymore nor does she know where her future lies. She’s spent her entire life – since the age of nine, taking care of her family – being a mother to her younger siblings and acting as hostess and then caregiver for her father. Now that her father and her brother have died and her sister is marrying in a few weeks, she wonders where that will leave her. She’s trying desperately to find a place for herself – to be helpful – to be of use. She needs to be useful. Her plan is to stay with her cousin, who inherited her father’s title, but over the weeks leading up to her sister’s wedding, she finds she isn’t really needed by any of them. She cannot marry because of her past – so what is left for her?

When we last saw Quincy Nesbitt, he was getting ready to board a ship to head back to America where he intended to sell off his remaining business and begin the travels that he and his father had dreamed of. On a whim, his first stop is back in England where he intends to visit with his friend and former partner, Peter Ashford, the new Duke of Dane. Little does he know what he’ll be walking into with his ‘real’ family. Oh! My! Goodness! Quincy is actually the fourth son of the Duke of Reigate – and he ran away from home at the age of fourteen when his father died. His mother despised him and his older brothers didn’t care for him either – so, when he overheard his mother planning to send him into the Navy, he gathered his courage and ran away. Now, when he goes to his old home to say a forever goodbye to his mother and brothers, he gets shocking news. News that can/will change his entire future.

Clara and Quincy have been attracted to each other from the moment they met, but neither would ever act upon it because they each had their futures planned. Now, a year later, Quincy has returned and they are thrown together more and more. Clara is wonderful at assuaging Quincy’s anger and agitation at the changes thrust upon him – and he treats her with such care and gentleness. It is delightful to see these two wounded souls help each other through upsetting and troubling times. Clara always leapt to Quincy’s defense and Quincy did all he could to bring Clara out of her shell where she could find joy in life again. They are absolutely perfect for each other and I enjoyed watching them grow into their HEA.

As I mentioned earlier, the Epilogue was absolutely perfect. Set several years into the future, it showed perfectly how their love had grown and flourished. I was left with a question though – whatever happened to the nasty duchess? No mention of her after her last departure from James’ home. I REALLY wanted to know that Quincy had exacted revenge of some sort – even if it was just moving her to a tiny dower house on some remote property.

I can definitely recommend this book and I’ll tell you this author is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

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

Unexpectedly Wed To The Officer by Jenni Fletcher

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Unexpectedly Wed To The Officer (Mills & Boon Historical) (Regency Belles of Bath, Book 2)
Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Regency Belles of Bath #2
Publication Date: 01/01/21
Number of Pages: 288

This was a most refreshing and welcome read – A gem among the many dark, intense, grim, and depressing books that seem to be releasing in abundance during this lockdown and COVID pandemic period. It is a delightfully well-written, romantic, well-plotted, and well-executed read. The characters are all wonderful – not a clinker in the lot of them. I am so very happy to have found and read this book!

In the first book of the series, An Unconventional Countess, we met and got to know Henrietta Gardiner a bit, and we also learned a little about Sebastian Fortini though we didn’t actually get to meet him. Anna Fortini, Sebastian’s sister, managed their family-owned bakeshop until she met and married her hero, Samuel. When Anna married and became a Countess, she made Henrietta the manager of the shop. I tell you this only to give you a tad of the background – but – you don’t need any of it. This book is part of a series, but it can totally stand alone.

Henrietta Gardiner is so grateful to have been made manager of Belle’s Biscuit Shop, the very best biscuit shop in Bath. She loves making the biscuits and she loves the new assistant, Nancy MacQueen, who is working with her. All is right with her world, except for her troubled brother, David, who has gone off the deep-end with drinking since he lost his wife. Henrietta does her best to help with her three young nephews, but she can’t be in two places at once. Henrietta is very, very leery of men. She doesn’t trust them and she has good reason to feel that way. In her experience, all men want to do is compliment her, flatter her, and seduce her without ever getting to know the real her. So, she discourages them, vehemently.

Sebastian is feeling rudderless at the moment – and suffering from a great deal of guilt. He’s rudderless because his naval career is at an end – it seems they don’t need as many officers without a war. He feels guilty because his father died shortly after he had joined the navy and he couldn’t get home to help his sister and his mother run the shop and deal with all of the issues involved. With his mother incapacitated, he knew everything fell on Anna – and couldn’t be there to help. Well, that is all changed now because he’s back to help run the shop. Won’t Anna and his mother be surprised! They haven’t been able to communicate in over a year – no letters at all – so they have no idea he’s even coming home.

After an arduous journey by stagecoach, Sebastian arrives at the bakery in the middle of the night. He knows his mother and sister are asleep, so he’ll just let himself in and then sleep in a chair until they awaken. He’ll be so excited to see their faces when they find him home! Except – when he steps inside, he starts tripping over things – so many things have moved – he’s making more noise than he wants, but … Then, as he approaches a door, it slams open and hits him in the face, and knocks him to the ground. There stands the most beautiful angel he’s ever seen – and she’s carrying tongs as a weapon – and … she’s NOT his sister. What is going on?

After a number of shocking (to Sebastian) revelations regarding his sister’s whereabouts and status – as well as his mother’s – Sebastian isn’t sure where his future currently lies. The termagant intrigues him and he has friends with whom he wants to visit, so he’ll delay his leaving for another few days. Wise move dude.

I loved seeing Henrietta learning to trust Sebastian – something that is so very hard for her. I also loved seeing Sebastian come to terms with his sister and his mother’s choices since he’d been gone – not to mention his growing regard for Henrietta. Both of these lovely people are just that – lovely. They are giving, caring, concerned for others, and so very supportive of each other. As I said earlier, this is a delightfully happy book and it was so very welcome in this time where most of the releases from authors I read seem to be filled with dark, grim, and intense things. Now, I cannot wait for the next book.

I definitely recommend the book and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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