Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

Gone With the Rogue by Amelia Grey

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)1 Comment

Gone With the Rogue (First Comes Love, #2)Barbara’s rating: 3/3.5 of 5 stars

Series: First Comes Love #2
Publication Date: 4/28/20
Number of Pages: 352
** 3.5 Stars **

In the first book of the series, The Earl Next Door, we learned about the sinking of the Salty Dove and the impact that had on the families of the passengers and crew. We also met and got to know the ladies who are featured in this series and their struggles to come to grips with what happened by creating a school to educate the young girls who were orphaned by the sinking. While this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone. The writing was good, I liked the characters in general, the story had promise, but I did find myself skimming portions of it. If you like a lot of steam in your books, you won’t find it in this one. There are a couple of love scenes, but they are told more from an emotional standpoint than from a more graphic one. That part is fine with me as I’m happy with no steam or a lot of steam – as long as they are done well.

Julia was being forced into a vile marriage she didn’t want and Kitson’s father was trying to force him into an arranged marriage that would benefit both families. Kitson very much wanted to defy his nasty father and Julia wanted to avoid marriage to a man who was her father’s age – their solution was to run away and marry at Gretna Green. Theirs wasn’t a love match, but it worked well enough for them – until Kitson died on the Salty Dove and Julia was left expecting and under the very firm control of her father-in-law, the Duke of Sprogsfield. After four years of widowhood, she’s just as tightly under his control as she ever was – and she’s looking for a way out. The duke has told her she is welcome to leave any time she likes, but his grandson will remain with him. Now she has a plan for them to escape – can she pull it off?

Garrett Stockton wanted more from his life than living on a stipend doled out by a titled relative. His father was perfectly happy with that life and tried to raise Garett to be the same way, but it just didn’t sit well with Garrett. Garrett’s father was very good at reading people and he was very lucky. When Garrett tried to convince him to put those talents into a business, his father was appalled. Gentlemen didn’t work or engage in trade! So, when Garrett’s father died, Garrett took off in a ship that his father had won in a card game and turned that ship into a very successful shipping fleet. Now, the ton doesn’t know what to make of Garrett. Is he still a gentleman? Not by many standards, but he is very wealthy. After all these years, Garrett is getting restless and wants more in his life – he wants a home. Not just any home – he wants the one he was raised in, the one his father said they could never own because it belonged to the title. He just has to get his titled relative to sell it.

I loved the initial meeting between Julia and Garrett. It was witty and entertaining. They were instantly attracted to each other, but Julia knew she could never act on any attraction because that would go against the Duke’s dictates of how she should live her life. Garrett just wanted to be with her, to help her any way he could. As he wins her trust and they manage to spend time together, she comes to trust him and believe in him. If they can outwit the duke, will they have their HEA?

All-in-all, it was a cute story, but just didn’t have any real depth nor character growth. I think the duke overshadowed the romance because 99.9% of the conversations and interactions centered around him rather than them getting to know each other. Some things dragged on too long and if those had been shortened, then more time could have been spent developing the main characters and their relationship. I will be looking forward to seeing how the next book goes.

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

A Duke By Any Other Name by Grace Burrowes

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837)3 Comments

A Duke by Any Other Name (Rogues to Riches, #4)Barbara’s rating: 4.5/5 of 5 stars

Series: Rogues To Riches #4
Publication Date: 4/28/20
Number of Pages: 368
** 4.5 Starts – Rounded up **

I couldn’t put this book down from the delightfully witty and entertaining first chapter through the exciting and eventful final chapter. I absolutely adored Lady Althea who longed for acceptance by society – but she just couldn’t help being herself. The plot is intriguingly unusual, the writing is excellent and the characters are robust, likable, relatable, and fully formed. I actually got to know each of the lead characters and would have been delighted to call them friends.

Lady Althea Wentworth has an unenviable past. She was born in abject poverty to a vile, hateful man who delighted in starving and abusing her and her siblings. Then, one day, like magic, her brother, Quinn, inherited a dukedom (My One and Only Duke). Quinn had riches beyond imagining through the dukedom and his own hard work and he wanted to share that with his family – so he gave each of them their own estate and plenty of money to go with it. Even as an heiress, Althea didn’t ‘take’ during the seasons she’s had in London so she’s decided to forego this year’s season and spend it at her estate, Lynley Vale Manor. It is her plan to gain social acceptance within local Yorkshire society and perhaps find a husband among them – because she dearly wants a child to love. To further that goal, she needs to gain acceptance by the local reclusive, ill-tempered duke. Since he allows absolutely nobody on his property, she devises an ingenious plan to make him come to her.

Nathaniel Rothmere, Duke of Rothhaven, is a lonely man who is keeping grave secrets. Secrets he can share with no one. He has carefully cultivated a reputation as a reclusive, ill-tempered, inhospitable man who will quickly prosecute anyone found trespassing on his property. His description of trespassing includes hapless visitors who knock on his door. None are welcome. That reputation hides the lonely, caring, and very honorable man Nathaniel really is and he suffers for it. The loneliness is sometimes overpowering – but his secrets must be kept at all costs.

Althea’s plan to meet Nathaniel is priceless and it will highly entertain you – and it also works great! I love that Althea is never anything other than who she is – wonderfully honest and straight forward. She doesn’t hide her feelings and she is always honest with herself about who she is and what she wants.

Nathaniel is drawn to Althea from the first moment he meets her – yet he knows he cannot further their acquaintance. Sometimes though, life has other plans for you – and it certainly had a rude awakening planned for Nathaniel. When it comes down to the final choice, will Nathaniel choose Althea or his secrets? You’ll just have to read the story to find out!

In my view, the only thing that would have made it better would have been an epilogue – or for the last chapter to be a bit longer. I never like it when romances end before the wedding – a lot can happen between whatever happens at the end and the actual wedding, so I like to be sure it actually happened. I would have loved an epilogue set six or so months in the future – showing them happy and maybe expecting – especially since a child is the one thing Althea really wanted.

Now, I can hardly wait until November for Robert’s story.

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