Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

Forever And A Duke by Grace Burrowes

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)2 Comments

Forever and a Duke (Rogues to Riches, #3)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Rogues To Riches #3
Publication Date: 11/26/19

Wrexham (Rex) Dorset, Duke of Elsmore is a loving but clueless son, nephew, brother, cousin to his very large family. He loves them all – especially his mother, sisters, and the aunties. He delights in seeing to their welfare and they delight in managing him. He’s noticed some discrepancies in some of his books and has become concerned. His holdings are vast and far-flung and since it is time for him and his sisters to wed, he needs to assure that all is in order. He’s heard that his friend and fellow bank owner, the Duke of Walden has an auditor that can spot an error in a column of figures at fifty paces away – during a rainstorm. So, it is natural for him to ask – nay – beg – for the loan of that auditor to go over the estate’s books.

Eleanora Hatfield has a past – and she does her very best to keep it deeply buried. Life has not always treated her well and she wants – needs – craves – respectability above all else. She’s worked hard to become the well-respected woman she is today. She has a knack for figures and spotting patterns – and she knows every possible con and scheme that can be used to defraud someone. To say that she is invaluable to the bank that employs her would be a gross understatement. So, just imagine her unhappiness and distress when her employer asks her to take on the task of auditing all of the Duke of Elsmore’s accounts. She is not a happy camper and wastes no time telling both Elsmore and Walden. However, she is beholden to Walden for giving her employment when no one else would hire a woman to do what she does – and Walden is beholden to Elsmore – so – there is no way out of the task.

Rex can’t help but admire the feisty, outspoken, confident, straight-forward, no-nonsense, diminutive woman who is asking more and more probing questions about his holdings and his books. Her insight and intuition about what is happening are awe-inspiring and he is more and more curious about her. As he asks questions of his own, he manages to get her to let things about her past slip out – and she intrigues him even more.

Poor Rex was desperately smitten early on and Eleanora was smitten as well, but she was determined to hold Rex at arm’s length. She knew there was no future for them – he was so very far above her station. Rex definitely had his work cut out for him when it came to convincing her they could have a future together.

I always love a good mystery to be included with my romances and this one had a nice mystery. It won’t be much of a challenge for you to figure out who the culprit(s) are, but it is great fun to see Rex come to terms with who it is and what he is willing to do about it.

This was a fun read and I hope you’ll 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.

Miss Amelia’s Mistletoe Marquess by Jenni Fletcher

On By BarbaraIn Author Collaboration Series, Barb's Reviews, Christmas, Victorian Era (1837-1901)1 Comment

Miss Amelia's Mistletoe Marquess (Mills & Boon Historical) (Secrets of a Victorian Household, Book 2)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Manor Secrets of a Victorian Household #2
Publication Date: 11/28/19
Number of Pages: 368

This is the second book in a four-book collaboration series. Each book is written by a different author and features a different member of the Fairclough family. Lilian Fairclough, a widowed mother of three – Lottie, Amelia, and Silas – has continued to run the charitable foundation for indigent and needy women since her husband died ten years ago. The foundation is floundering and they may soon find themselves homeless. The first book in the series, Miss Lottie’s Christmas Protector by Sophia James, released November 1st and the next two will be following soon after this one.

Ten years ago, when her father died, the spontaneous, fun-loving Millie Fairclough ceased to exist and was replaced by prim, proper, staid, responsible Amelia Fairclough. She felt responsible for protecting the legacy her father left behind. She’s lovely, self-sacrificing and caring, but has no clue about the effect she has on others.

Amelia and her mother are visiting relatives when she has a bad experience at a gathering given by one of the local gentry. She’s never comfortable in those social situations and when she just needed to get out of the room for a while, the coach that was supposed to deliver her back to her relative’s house left her. Well, a walk home in the cold will just help to cool down her temper – at least until the temperature plummets and the snow starts. When she is near freezing, lost, and just can’t go any further, she sees smoke coming from a chimney and seeks sanctuary at the cottage.

Cassius Whitlock, Marquess of Falconmore, is a haunted man. He’s home from the wars in India and Afghanistan – scarred on the inside. His best friend died while he was saving Cassius’ life and then his cousin (close as a brother) died in an accident and left him a title he never wanted. Sometimes he just has to escape it all. One cold, blustery, snowy winter evening he was at his refuge when he heard a knocking on the door.

Cassius angrily jerks open the door to the cottage, expecting to see his cousin-in-law, when the lovelies snowman he’s ever seen stumbles in the door. They have no choice but to spend the night together in the cottage without the benefit of a chaperone. They spend the evening talking and sharing things they’ve told no one else. Early the next morning, she leaves and walks back to her relative’s home. They’ll never see each other again – except – someone saw her leaving and knew who was staying in the cottage – and they spread the rumor. Now, it is either marry or be ruined.

Millie and Cassius are both in need of love and support and somehow, they manage to give that to each other. It was lovely to watch them heal and find their happily ever.

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