Author: Tracy

Avid reader (and reviewer) of historical romance.

Magic & Manners by Melissa Constantine

On By TracyIn Fairytale Retelling, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

Magic & Manners (Curtsies & Consequences Book 2)Magic & Manners by Melissa Constantine

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Curtsies & Consequences #2

Release Date: June 9, 2025

After suffering from a heartbreak due to unrequited love, Lady Diana Yarborough of Wills gets a second chance at love when she and her mother are invited to spend time with Prince Travers of Tull. But when her mother gets ill right before they are supposed to leave, she thinks she will have to cancel. But her mother insists that she must go, so she sets out for the Kingdom of Tull with just a handful of servants and a mountain of luggage. But her hopes of an idyllic visit are blown almost as soon as she arrives – to a bay full of dead fish and no royal escort awaiting her. She learns that the prince and his aunt the Duchess are not in residence and there is not another ship leaving for weeks! She checks into the Rutledge Hotel (which would have been lovely if not for the aforementioned dead fish) and plans to leave just as soon as she can. But upon arriving she runs into Sir Jordaan, a knight she met last spring who is at the hotel recovering from a sleeping sickness, a man who is as infuriating as he is attractive and who is completely wrong for her. But her return to Wills won’t happen any time soon, as she is caught up in a mystery involving the prince, fairies, a witch, shapeshifters and of course the one man she absolutely shouldn’t be thinking about…

Sir Jordaan Van Dine is the youngest son of the very powerful Baron Van Dine and a knight in service to the Duke of Lower Miser. Last spring while helping his friend Sir Robert find a missing princess, he somehow contracted a sleeping sickness and has been unable to stay awake for more than a few hours a day. He seeks out the help of Caris Mourne, a powerful witch and she has concocted some potions that help him stay awake, but they still don’t know what is causing the sickness in the first place. The arrival of Lady Diana perks up Jordaan, but falling for her is a mistake, she is from a royal house, and he is the fifth son of a baron, nothing but heartache can come from loving her.

I read the first book in this series and was disappointed because I was expecting an adult romantasy and got a YA fantasy story. So, with that in mind, I entered this story with entirely different expectations, which enabled me to enjoy the story a bit more than the previous book. I did like the story and enjoyed the banter between Diana and Jordaan, as well as the barbs traded between the secondary characters. The mystery played out nicely and the author gave readers more than one twist to keep things interesting. The same issues I had in the first book were in this book in the form of title errors, unanswered questions, no spice at all (not even a kiss) and no definitive HEA. Overall, with my lowered expectations, I did like this book more than the first one, but I am not sure I will be reading the rest of the series. This is the second book in the series, and while the books can be read as standalone titles, I think reading them in order might give the reader a better understanding of the characters.

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

Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Contemporary, Mystery, New To Me Author, Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Making Friends Can Be MurderMaking Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: June 10, 2025

After breaking up with her fiancé, Personal Trainer, Sarah Jones aka 30, relocates from Vermont to her late mother’s hometown of Minneapolis and starts a new life. In Minneapolis, Sarah joins a group of other women all named Sarah Jones, that was formed by a 17-year-old girl (also Sarah Jones) that she tutors in biology. The group named “The Sarah Jones Project” was created when Sarah aka 17, got into some trouble in school and was advised to start a positive social experiment – she decides to create a multigenerational, whimsical club of people all sharing the very common name of Sarah Jones. The group has 6 members, 17 and 30, as well as a grad student/nanny 27 (who also works for a Sarah Jones), two teachers, 39 & 44, a retired lawyer who now runs a Murder She Wrote Blog, 69. They gain a bit of fame when they start an Instagram account and they post images of them “yarn-bombing” one of St. Paul’s most Iconic trees. Life seems to be going well; her “fame” has gained her some new clients, and she has met a new guy – George Nightingale, who is an FBI agent. When 27’s boss dies under questionable circumstances, the Sarahs decide to solve the murder, and 30 is recruited by George to help with the case – but she plans to use him for information to help the Sarahs. As her relationship with George deepens, surprising connections are discovered, but some stunning betrayals soon having her question everything.

George Nightingale never expected to be an FBI special agent, he always thought he would take over his family business – Birdson Camp. But a traumatic incident that occurred when he was a child, changed him forever. His friend Henry went missing and was never found. George was one of the last people to see him and never got over his disappearance, leading him to join the FBI in hopes of solving Henry’s case. But rather than being assigned to the case, he is assigned to the fraud unit and is given the case of Gabriella Johnson, who is believed to be responsible for assuming the same name as her victims and then stealing their trust funds, she is now in Minneapolis and George believes she is one of the “Sarahs” and upon the advice of his superior, he encouraged to cultivate an informant within the group. He chooses 30, she works at his gym, and he cannot deny that he is attracted to her. He tells her as much as he can, and when his fraud suspect becomes a suspect in a murder, he will need 30’s help more than ever. But he is soon torn between his feelings for her and his duty, and his past omissions may cost him everything he has worked for.

I really enjoyed this story, the mysteries were good, and the characters were likable. I loved all the twists and turns and definitely got a “it’s a small world” vibe. While I enjoyed this book, I will be honest, there were a lot of characters and a lot of POVs, and sometimes it was a bit much. I also felt like 30 was a bit hypocritical with George, she planned on using him for information without disclosing anything to him but is angry when she learns he didn’t tell her everything he knew – causing her to become somewhat petty and immature. Overall, it was a good book, and I would happily recommend the title to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and a bit of romance.

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