Author: Tracy

Avid reader (and reviewer) of historical romance.

Her Warrior’s Surprise Return by Ella Matthews

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Her Warrior's Surprise Return (Brothers and Rivals #1)Her Warrior’s Surprise Return by Ella Matthews

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Brothers and Rivals, #1

Release Date: October 24, 2023

Inseparable since they met as children, Sorcha and Ruaidhri seemed destined to marry and live happily ever after. But they are betrayed and separated, each believing the other was aware and complicit in their separation. But nothing could be further from the truth, and now eight years later, they meet again, but this time as enemies. Sorcha, now the chief of the Suibhne Clan has struggled to keep her small clan together after the deaths of her father and the man she married after Ruaidhri left her. She has faced more than her fair share of problems and survived, but now with the threat of Lord Robert DeBrunville, an Anglo-Norman from England coming to Ireland to wed the daughter of a rival clan and promising to eradicate the other Irish clans, she isn’t sure she will be able to keep her clan from being conquered, especially when she learns that Ruaidhri has been hired by Lord Robert. She isn’t ready to see the only man she ever loved, the man who betrayed and left her without a word, especially since she has a secret that he must never learn.

Ruaidhri was ejected from clan Suibhne by Sorcha’s father, after being beaten and sold to mercenaries, he fought to survive and planned to return to Ireland for Sorcha, but then learned that she had wed another less than a year after he was cast out. Heartbroken, Ruaidhri throws himself into his work as a mercenary, and building a reputation for being Ruthless – even though most of the stories about him are greatly exaggerated. He agrees to return to Ireland and help Lord Robert DeBrunville (a man he has never met) with the clans, but never mentions that he was raised in the very clan Lord Robert wants to conquer first – Sorcha’s clan. Ruaidhri might not love Sorcha anymore, but he doesn’t want the clan that he was raised by to be annihilated and believes that he can negotiate a comprise between Sorcha and Lord Robert. But he is not prepared for the emotions seeing her again brings and it is not long before he has to admit to himself that he never stopped loving her. But there are still questions that will need to be answered and Lord Robert to be dealt with before they can think about any kind of future.

What an amazing second chance romance! I loved Sorcha and Ruaidhri and was completely invested in their reunion! This book has so much going on but it never loses sight of Sorcha and Ruaidhri’s romance, there is betrayal, abandonment, secrets, shocking revelations, more betrayal, some heartache, surprises, steamyish love scenes, reconciliation, healing, more betrayal and finally a very sweet ending that includes an epilogue. This book is part of a collaboration duet series with Melissa Oliver and I actually read the books out of order, however, I would definitely recommend reading this book first, because it will help you understand Ruaidhri so much better when you read the next one! That said; I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a medieval fan.

*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. *

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

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

Much Ado About MargaretMuch Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Stand Alone Title

Release Date: October 22, 2024

Since the death of her father, Miss Margaret Arden and her sisters live with their mother in a cottage owned by their Aunt Eliza and are dependent on her good will. But Margaret has a plan to save her family, that doesn’t involve marrying a rich man. You see, Margaret is an author (an unpublished author, but an author nonetheless) who has just finished her third novel and is trying to find a publisher to publish it and set her on the path of financial freedom. As luck would have it, the publisher she sent her manuscript to (and who never even bothered to acknowledge it) is going to be at her aunt’s salon and she plans to use the opportunity to pitch her book. She is shocked to learn that Mr. Bridger Darrow of publisher Dockarty & Co is an uncommonly handsome man, but once he starts talking any attraction, she felt dies a quick death when he berates her writing and wishes her good luck with her life. But fate has a wicked sense of humor and the two are reunited a couple of months later at her cousin’s wedding. She isn’t thrilled to see him again, but maybe he isn’t as bad as she thought, especially when a tragic mishap turns fortuitous, and he wants to publish her book. Then when her cousin’s new wife is implicated in a horrific scandal, he is the first to help her clear Ann’s name. Will this lead Margaret to her very own HEA or will fate pull the rug out from under her and she will lose everything?

Bridger Darrow is the younger son of landed gentry, with no possibility of inheriting, Bridger joined the military. Now after years of war, he has had enough and it ready to settle back into civilian life. He has inherited a publishing company and is trying to make it profitable and what he needs is a really good book. In all fairness, he tried to read Miss Arden’s book, but was bored to tears after only a few pages and never finished it. Still trying to find his golden goose, he is in London when he is called to his father’s estate. His father is dying, and the estate is in shambles thanks to his older brother, Paul’s reckless spending and now he has disappeared. Leaving Bridger to clean up the mess. When he learns that Paul has left to go the wedding of Bridger’s best friend, Lane. He sets out to find his brother and drag him home, but instead finds Miss Arden as well as a scorned former love interest. And that’s when things get interesting, and he realizes that he seriously underestimated Margaret. But as with everything in his life, nothing is going to be easy. Can he save his brother, prevent a scandal, save his business and win the girl?

I so wanted to love this book and thought it would suck me in and hold me fast until the end. It didn’t. I liked Margaret and her sisters, but Bridger was not really a hero I could root for. Add to that the fact that Margaret and Bridger don’t really spend time together until the book is almost half done, which made it hard for me to become invested in their HEA. I didn’t hate the book, and I enjoyed parts of it, but I found it very “put-downable” and it is not a book I would read again.

*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. *