Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

To Want A Rogue by Tammy Andresen

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella1 Comment

To Want a Rogue: De Wolfe Pack Connected WorldBarbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: De Wolfe Pack Connected World
Publication Date: 12/28/19
Number of Pages: 80

This was an excellently written novella that was really fun to read. I loved the characters and felt as if I got to know them. This book is part of the DeWolf Pack Connected World and I believe it is also the last book in the Chronicles of A Bluestocking series.

Miss Dahlia Abigail Smith and her brother, Samuel (Sam) only had each other. They had lost both of their parents to diseases of the lung when it spread through London. While there was a small inheritance, it wouldn’t keep them for long, so they spent the money to complete Sam’s schooling as a barrister. Sam has now completed his education and they are traveling away from London to Sam’s new place of employment. A terrible storm overtakes them, horrendous thunder, flashing lightning, torrential rain, and wailing wind. The coachman does his best to outrun the approaching storm, but a large tree is uprooted and falls directly across the coach. The coachman is thrown from his perch on the coach and is left unconscious. Sam is trapped under the tree and cannot escape, so it is left to Dahlia to find help.

Dahlia feels as if she’s been trudging through the cold, driving rain for days when she finally sees what must be a dwelling in the distance. The place is forbidding looking – eerie – especially in this storm, but she must trudge on and find help for Sam.

When she arrives and lets the knocker fall on the huge wooden door, she is exhausted. When the door is opened, this sodden, small mouse falls inside dripping all over an expensive carpet. She is at the home of Baron Gavin deWolfe, widower, loner, and, at the moment, her savior.

Gavin has been grieving for his wife for the last two years and has sworn that he’ll never marry again. Losing someone you love just hurts too bad. I loved Gavin’s different reactions to Dahlia. First, he mistook her for a child, then he realized she was a lovely young woman, then he thought she was a widow, then he learned she was the lovely young woman he had thought she was. I loved the battle he had within himself trying to fight the attraction he felt for Dahlia. Then, when she was in danger, he had a grand epiphany.

This is a quick, fun, entertaining and romantic read and I hope you’ll enjoy it.

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

Wounded Knights by V Clifford

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Contemporary, MysteryLeave a comment

Wounded Knights: (A Viv Fraser Mystery 6)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: A Viv Fraser Mystery 6
Publication Date: 12/19/19
Number of Pages: 190
*** 3.5 Stars Rounded Up ***

This was my second book in the series. The only other one I’ve read was the first one, Beyond Cutting, and our intrepid detective, Vivian (Viv) Fraser, seems to have changed a good bit over the four books I missed. You can easily read this as a stand-alone, but it might be good to read the other books to see Viv’s progress in her life. This book begins with Viv returning home to Scotland only to learn that her lover has died in the US. The two ladies had parted on strained terms and Viv feels guilty that she didn’t do more, try harder, etc. Viv is also surprised to learn that Sal has left her an inheritance – one she isn’t sure she wants. Strangely enough, in that first book Viv was recovering from the death of her lover, Dawn, who has left her an inheritance. That book was written in third person/present tense and it was hard to read, so I’m glad the author has changed that in this book. Another change is that Viv has gone from hairdresser/journalist/Dr. of Anthropology to Dr. Viv Fraser, dark web hacker, and hairdresser.

Upon her return to Scotland, her friend Mac – DCI Marcus Marconi – has found a case for her. It will keep her busy while she works through her grief. The lover, David FitzRoy, of the local earl, Sholto Percy, has disappeared and the earl wants him found. Sholto’s lifestyle isn’t public and he’s engaged to a local woman, Pamela. Did David disappear on his own or did he have help?

Viv and Mac begin digging into the lives of Sholto and David and come across some links to the Knights of Malta organization. That organization is a philanthropic one geared toward raising money for the Catholic church. What connection can they have to murder? Then, a Catholic Cardinal (or is he?) is found dead – and he has the same symbol. How is that symbol related to their case?

When David’s body is found, Sholto goes into deep grieving and won’t speak to anyone – well – anyone except Viv. Her questioning and searching through the estate archives as well as the dark web turns up a number of clues.

You’ll have to read the book to see what the Knights of Malta and all of the rest have to do with the murders.

Now, bottom line, I enjoyed the mystery and the investigation. I liked the characters – but I did have a hard time reading the story. No, it wasn’t because of the gay and lesbian characters – it was the vernacular. There were so many turns of phrase I just didn’t understand – and several weren’t in the dictionary on my kindle. I’m sure they are unique to Scotland. I’m sure I’ll get accustomed to them over time, but for the moment, it was hard for me to read. Things like ‘des res’, ‘mis-pers’ (missing person I assume), ‘defo’ (definitely??), ’journos’ (journalists??), ‘Aga’ (I think it must be a stove brand). I am quite sure it is no different than someone from another country reading a book by an American author, so we’ll just have to learn to accommodate each other.

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