Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

The Obsessions of Lord Godfrey Cavanaugh by Stephanie Laurens

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Obsessions of Lord Godfrey Cavanaugh (The Cavanaughs, #4)The Obsessions of Lord Godfrey Cavanaugh by Stephanie Laurens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Cavanaughs #4
Publication Date: 7/16/20
Number of Pages: 332

The final book in The Cavanaughs series is finally here. I have really been looking forward to Godfrey’s book because he always seemed to be on the outside looking in. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his siblings and their families, it was just that with their horrendous upbringing, he had learned to hold himself apart. The love was there, it was just more ‘formal’. I wanted to see the woman who could get through that aloofness. I met her – I liked her – but, it was all sort of — meh. The story was neither exciting nor steamy. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the read, it was a nice story, it just didn’t raise my pulse rate in the least. It seems I’ve been all over the place with this series – 4-stars for the first book, The Designs of Lord Randolph Cavanaugh – 5-stars for the second book, The Pursuits of Lord Kit Cavanaugh – and, 3-stars for the third book, The Beguilement of Lady Eustacia Cavanaugh. Now, I’m at 3.5-stars for this book and will round it to 3.

Given his family history, Lord Godfrey Cavanaugh learned very early in life to spot fake from real. While that applied mostly to people, he quickly learned he could do the same with art – especially paintings. He studied and honed his skills until he became the sought-after authority for authenticating paintings. The National Gallery asked him to travel to North Yorkshire, the home of Mr. Hinkley, who had offered to sell the museum a rare High Renaissance painting by Mariotto Albertinelli.

Godfrey runs afoul of a nasty winter storm and is nearly frozen when he finally arrives at Hinckley Hall – where he promptly falls over, totally unconscious. Between nearly freezing and then developing lung fever, he was confined to bed for over a week before he could begin his authentication. During that time, he got to know and became smitten with Hinckley’s daughter, Ellie.

Elinor (Ellie) Hinckley is a caregiver by nature. She always puts others first and herself last. That is why she is eight-and-twenty, unmarried, in the middle of cold Yorkshire, caring for her invalid father and her two siblings. Life has passed her by, but she is happy with her life – really, she is. She’s also contending with two suitors who want to marry her (or her family name/prestige/money) and don’t seem to want to take no for an answer.

When Godfrey can finally begin his work, he’s entranced with the documentation the family has kept over the years. Goodness – if the provenance is that good, he can’t wait to see the painting!

There is a villain afoot, and when Godfrey is attacked, it could be the end of his life. He’s shocked to learn who the villain is and when Ellie tries to save Godfrey, she’s in danger as well. The villain had panicked when he discovered the plans to sell the painting and made plans to act to thwart them. He nearly succeeded.

This is an enjoyable read and I am glad I finally got to see Godfrey’s HEA. However, it wasn’t particularly exciting nor passionate. I wouldn’t read it a second time, but I am glad I have read it.

Misleading A Duke by A.S. Fenichel

On By BarbaraIn OtherLeave a comment

Misleading a Duke (The Wallflowers of West Lane, #2)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Wallflowers of West Lane #2
Publication Date: 9/29/20
Number of Pages: 240

This is an exciting, action-packed, fast-paced, well-written book that is populated with exceptional characters and some really vile villains. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I always look forward to her next book. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone, but you won’t have as deep an understanding of the relationships between the characters if you miss that first book. But – why would you miss it, it was a great read.

We first met The Wallflowers of West Lane in The Earl Not Taken. They were four young ladies who had problems following society’s rules, so their parents sent them to Switzerland to attend Agatha Wormbattle’s School for Young Ladies. While the parents all viewed it as a punishment, the young ladies – Aurora, Faith, Poppy, and Mercy – viewed it as the best thing to ever happen to them. They formed a strong, unbreakable bond and they’ve allowed nothing to separate them since. However, they do all have one very real fear and that has been the driver in these first two books, and I suspect in the next books as well. Aurora was married off to a man she’d never met and he was exceedingly cruel – both physically and emotionally. When that man died, they all vowed they’d never let that happen to another one of them. In the first book, Rhys and Poppy get together because they are investigating the man to whom Faith has become betrothed. While Rhys and Poppy got their HEA, Faith’s betrothed wasn’t happy with being investigated and asked Faith to call off the betrothal. Thus – we now have our second book featuring Faith and her betrothed.

Nicholas Ellsworth, Duke of Breckenridge, spent years on the continent as a spy for the crown. He has many secrets and he’s not proud of any of them. However, to protect his country, he’d do all of it again. He is incensed when he learns that his betrothed and her friends are investigating him! He doesn’t question why they would be doing it, he just tells her that she needs to call off the betrothal. He doesn’t want to ruin her by calling it off himself. Yet she hasn’t called it off yet. He’s attracted to her, but he cannot share his secrets and will not be questioned.

Lady Faith Landon has convinced her uncaring parents to allow her to live with her widowed friend Aurora only because she is betrothed. If she weren’t betrothed, they would force her to move back into their home and they’d be shopping for a husband for her. Faith isn’t sure she wants to call off the betrothal, but she does want to get to know Nicholas better. He just won’t cooperate. He’ll hardly speak to her. So, she and her friends come up with a plan to force him to spend time with her.

All they need to do is trick him into coming to someplace remote and then stranding him and Faith together for a few days. Good plan until it all goes horribly wrong and Nick’s past comes back to haunt them. With their lives in peril, they’ll have to learn to trust each other. Can they learn to trust each other? Can they learn to love each other? Can they even make it through all of it alive?

OH! It is an exciting fast-paced, story that I’m sure you’ll love. I sure did. I, of course, wish there was an epilogue because I always LOVE epilogues. I also love Author’s Notes and I would have loved to see some author’s notes on Special Licenses and also Joseph Fouche who was a real-life villain of the French Revolution. Now, I can hardly wait for the next book, Capturing the Earl, which will feature Mercedes (Mercy) and Wesley Renshaw, Earl of Castlewick.

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