Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

After the Spy Seduces by Anna Harrington

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837)2 Comments

After the Spy Seduces (Capturing the Carlisles, #6)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Capturing the Carlisles #6
Publication Date: 9/27/19
Number of Pages: 316

Goodness – can those Carlisle’s get any better? It is a good thing there aren’t many of them left without their HEA’s or the author would be hard-pressed to keep making them better and better. I really am sad to learn that the author doesn’t intend any more full-length novels in this series – but maybe a novella or two. I’d like to see some associated stories for those characters that we meet and like, but don’t hear from again – like Garrett Morgan.

In this suspenseful, action-packed book filled with mystery, intrigue, and romance we finally get the answer to the mystery that was left hanging in the series The Secret Life of Scoundrels. Again, we meet Nathaniel Grey, Along Came a Rogue, and he has been very busy since his book. He’s been hot on the trail of the traitor, knows who the traitor is, and now all he has to do is spring his trap. Well, it WAS all he had to do until someone got in his way.

Christopher (Kit) Carlisle has been searching for the man who savagely murdered his partner – and now he has him in his sights. That man, Garrett Morgan, will be in the pub tonight meeting French spies and Kit is going to catch him in the act. Kit arrives early to get the lay of the land, and eventually, a boy/young man comes sauntering in and sits down with the French. Has Garrett sent someone in his place? Apparently, because he isn’t in sight. Then, things go south and Kit ends up rescuing the young lad – only it isn’t a lad – and he recognizes the woman. It is Diana Morgan, daughter of General Thaddeus Morgan. (NOTE: we met Diana in As the Devil Dares). Is she working with her brother?

Diana’s brother, Garrett, has been kidnapped and she is required to pay the ransom which is a few pages from her father’s diary. Diana will do absolutely anything to protect her family – even dressing as a male and strolling into a tavern to deliver pages from her father’s papers to a kidnapper. When the kidnapper refuses the papers, things don’t go well and the kidnapper tries to harm her – only to be thwarted by – of all people – the scapegrace Christopher Carlisle.

Nobody in this book is who they appear to be and they are all filled with secrets and agendas. It is fun to figure out who is who and what their agendas are. There is a fun twist at the end and, of course, a lovely HEA.

I hope you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did!

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

Earl of Dryden by Tammy Andresen

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

Earl of Dryden (Chronicles of a Bluestocking, #1)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Chronicles of a Bluestocking #1; Wicked Earls’ Christmas #1; Wicked Earls’ Club #13
Publication Date: 9/24/19

The authors of the Wicked Earls’ Club series are giving us part two with the series Wicked Earls’ Christmas series. I don’t know if the release schedule is the same as the original series or not, but that one released a new novella every two weeks.

I loved meeting and getting to know The Earl of Dryden and Miss Chloe Finch. At first glance, they are an improbable match, but as you get to know them, you realize that they are actually perfect for each other. I loved seeing them find their HEA.

Fenton (Fin) [sorry, we never learned his last name], the Earl of Dryden, has a dark and troubled past. He still feels as if he’s filled with that darkness and hates to be anywhere near society. Over the last few years, he’s recovered his health and then built up his bankrupt estate – but the rumors about him are wild. Many think he is associated with the criminal element – though he isn’t. He certainly isn’t marriage material – nor does he trust himself to marry because he can’t do anything that would send him back into that dark place and emotions could do that.

Chloe lost her father before she was even old enough to form a memory of him. However, her mother made a loving and happy home for them. Then, when Chloe was thirteen, her mother died. That was when Chloe’s nightmare began. She went to live with her aunt who was cruel to her, belittled her, denigrated her, and abused her. Chloe lost her ability to speak. She wanted to speak, she just couldn’t get the words past her constricted throat.

Things become more and more intolerable at home, but there is no way for Chloe to escape. She’ll never get a proposal because – well – she can’t speak to the gentlemen. Many of those gentlemen now think she’s a joke and that she is deaf and dumb. None of them want to chance passing her affliction on to their own children.

While at a ball, Chloe’s aunt was being particularly mean and Chloe turned and spoke to the statue that was beside her – “Would you save me, kind sir, from the dastardly tongues of wicked old women?” Then, the statue answered back, “Why yes, I will.”

Fin couldn’t believe he’d just uttered those words – yet there was something about that lovely young woman that drew him to want to protect her and save her.

I really liked Fin who was a very good man, he just had a troubled past and Chloe was just what he needed to bring light into his dark places.

This is definitely a good read and I am looking forward to reading the next books in both the Wicked Earls’ series and The Chronicles of A Bluestocking series.

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