Author: Tracy

Avid reader (and reviewer) of historical romance, historical mystery, fantasy, romantasy and paranormal mystery

Snowflakes and Wallflowers by Lauren Smith

On By TracyIn Author Collaboration Series, Book Publicity, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Snowflakes and Wallflowers (Christmas Wallflowers, #2)Snowflakes and Wallflowers by Lauren Smith

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Christmas Wallflowers, #2

Release Date: December 20, 2022

Just weeks before Christmas, Matilda Matthews and her aunt Florence get a letter from the new Earl of Castleton telling them they have five days to vacate Meadow Cross cottage. The cottage has been Matilda’s home for her entire life, her father was the late earl’s steward and friend, when he died, the late earl promised Matilda she could have the cottage for life, rent-free and even gave her a small annuity, which is her only income. Now the new earl wants them out or to pay an outrageous amount in rent – there is no way Matilda is going to pay the rent or move out. She sets out in the snow to give the earl an earful! But things don’t go as planned…

Arthur Brynnwood is an unrepentant rake, he didn’t expect to inherit the Castleton earldom so soon and is a bit overwhelmed. He just wants to set the estate in order and return to London and his hedonistic life. But what he gets is a snowball to the face after a disagreement with his tenant – Miss Matthews. So he does the unexpected, grabs her, and locks her in a room until he decides what to do. His solution is simple, he is lacking female companionship, so if Matilda is willing to be his mistress for the next two weeks, he will let them stay rent-free in the cottage for 5 months. But once he goes to get her aunt and sees the state of the cottage, he is shocked and a bit ashamed. Renegotiations are in order and Matilda surprises him at every turn. Soon two weeks won’t be enough and he begins to think of ways to extend their time together. But when unexpected guests arrive, will the obvious differences between them tear them apart, or will love keep them together?

This was a very well-written, nicely-paced, fun story. I thought Arthur was a bit of a jerk at first, but he grew on me and by the end, I was smitten. I loved Arthur and Matilda together, their connection started as lust but developed into a true friendship, filled with admiration, respect, and love. The book has witty banter, laugh-out-loud moments, smokin’ hot love scenes, wonderful secondary characters, a bit of heartache, and finally a HEA complete with a feel-good epilogue. This is part of an author collaboration series, but it is a standalone title and quick read that I loved, and hope you will give it a try!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

What Happens in the Ballroom (Designing Debutantes, #2)What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Designing Debutantes, #2

Release Date: March 28, 2023

Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead is a man with a lot of responsibilities and a lot of secrets. After returning from the war and mourning the death of his mother, Nate needs to fulfill a deathbed promise he made to his commanding officer. A promise to see the man’s daughter, Jocelin, and her young son Jimmy taken care of, but to do that he will need help, so he turns to Mrs. Eliza Pierce, widow of his friend Samuel and co-owner of Elegant Occasions. Nathaniel has always thought Eliza is beautiful, but she seems even more so now and she is gracious when he reveals that he is the reason her husband ran off to war. The more time he spends with her, the more he wants, unfortunately, his secrets make it impossible to marry her right now, but he hopes Eliza will be able to help Jocelin find a husband so he can complete his promise to Jocelin’s father and then court Eliza and convince her to give marriage another try.

One husband was more than enough as far as Eliza is concerned, she is happy working behind the scenes of the business she and her two sisters started. When Nathaniel asks for her help launching his ward, she is happy to help the young widow but wonders about the relationship between Jocelin and Nathaniel, especially in relation to Jocelin’s young son. Nathaniel assures her that there is nothing going on, nor has there ever been anything between them. Eliza urges him to stay away from Jocelin, as it is clear the young woman has deeper feelings for him, and when Jocelin approaches them, Nathaniel pulls Eliza into a toe-curling kiss that Nathaniel says is for confirmation (that’s his story and he’s sticking to it). Upon seeing Jocelin’s reaction, he agrees to stay away but is more determined than ever to win Eliza. Eliza finds herself considering marriage again, but when she learns one of Nathaniel’s secrets from a third party, will she still be willing to trust him with her heart?

As always, Ms. Jeffries’s writing is impeccable and her characters are not only easy to relate to, they are easy to like. This book gives the eldest Harper sister a long overdue HEA with a man that has even more secrets than Geoffrey from the previous book did! I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I just had a hard time justifying Nathaniel’s deception to protect his secrets. I kept thinking, if he can’t trust her, how can he love her? Anyway, the book still delivered a great story with likable characters, a cute toddler, LOTS of secrets, some surprising twists, warm love scenes, familiar recurring characters, delightful new characters, more than one romance, and a sweet HEA complete with an epilogue. This is the second book in the series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*