Category: America’s Gilded Age (1870-1900)

The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George – Release Day Blitz

On By TracyIn America's Gilded Age (1870-1900), Book Publicity, Part of a Series, Release Day Blitz, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Stranger I Wed (The Doves of New York, #1)The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Doves of New York, #1

Release Date: April 23, 2024

When Cora Dove, the eldest of Charles Hathaway’s three illegitimate daughters, receives a letter from her father’s mother, filled with regrets and a promise of inheritance for her and her sisters, she is overjoyed and ventures to the home of her father. But her father changes the terms, making the money his mother promised to the girls a dowry that is contingent on his approval of their grooms and forbids them to marry anyone in the Northeast who might socialize with his legitimate family. But Cora will not be deterred, she sets her sites on England and the peerage and with the help of Camille, the Duchess of Hereford, she hopes to find the perfect match. She has no dreams of finding Prince Charming and living happily ever after, she just hopes she can find a man that is willing to agree to her terms of a paper marriage that will be dissolved in a few years without revealing any of her secrets.

Leopold Brendon, the Earl of Devonworth, needs a rich bride, thanks to his younger brother’s obscene gambling debts. Enter Cora Dove, the American heiress seems to be the answers to all his problems, and after a bit of negotiating, they agree on terms, she will live with him for two years and if they are not able to divorce, she will agree to bear his heir before separating. He has been in love before and has no desire to repeat the experience, so Cora is perfect for him. But once they begin to spend time together, it is clear that they are perfect for each other and could be a powerful political couple and well as passionate lovers. But they both have secrets and once they begin to come out, danger, betrayal, and heartache is sure to follow. Will they find a way to HEA or was their love doomed from the start?

As with all Harper St. George’s books, this story was well written and filled with likable characters. Cora and Leo are wonderful characters, both intent on keeping their marriage strictly in name only, each with their own reasons, but their attraction is strong and soon feelings are involved. My only qualm is that the story moved slow – I would not go as far as to say it dragged, but I did start feeling impatient with the progression of the romance. The story is a slow-burn, low heat romance with secrets, lies, previous betrayal, great secondary characters, interesting historical events, cameos from previous characters, lots of emotion, wonderful chemistry, a bit of danger and finally a well-deserved HEA. This book is the start of a new series and has ties to the previous series. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to Eliza’s story.

*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.*

The Heiress Swap by Maddison Michaels

On By TracyIn America's Gilded Age (1870-1900), Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Heiress SwapThe Heiress Swap by Maddison Michaels

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: N/A

Release Date: July 25, 2023

Yvette “Evie” Jenkins was orphaned young and was raised by her maternal Aunt Beth, but upon her death six years ago, she was taken in by her father’s extremely rich family and brought to America. As she is illegitimate, the Thornton-Jones give her the position of companion to their daughter Aimee. Evie has been treated well and for the most part, is happy, but now Aimee’s parents want her cousin to go to London and find a husband while having Evie train for the position of secretary at her uncle Thomas’ company in London. She has no desire to be a secretary, but her options are limited thanks to her birth, but when Aimee suggests that they switch places, she refuses. But Aimee is relentless and convinces Evie that everybody wins with her plan – for 6 weeks Evie will politely decline any and all suitors and will get to visit museums and pursue her passion for history and paleontology and Aimee will learn her father’s business from the ground up and prove to him that she is worthy to run his company one day. Finally, Evie agrees and even looks forward to her adventure. Until she meets the nephew of her hostess, Alexander “Alex” Trenton, the Duke of Hargrave. Needless to say, it was not love at first sight!

When his cousin Samuel Ellingsworth, the Earl of Brexton begins to exalt the virtues of his mother’s houseguest, an American heiress, Alex is immediately on guard, Sam falls in love at the drop of a hat and Alex doesn’t want him to be hurt. Alex doesn’t trust women, after his experience with his mother and then with his faithless ex- fiancée (who was also an American heiress) he believes women are universally fleckless and fickle, willing to tell you what you want to hear to manipulate you – he is sure Evie (who they believe is Aimee) is cut from the same mold and plans to prove it. But instead, he discovers they have a lot in common and finds himself beginning to like her. Soon deeper feelings are involved, but old fears, new threats, and the truth may end any chance they have for HEA.

I thought this was a well-written, nicely-paced story, but I really didn’t care for Alex. I completely understand that he was hurt before, first by his mother and then by his fiancée, but he took it over the top in my opinion. And his reaction to finding out the truth of Evie’s deception, while somewhat understandable, again was too much, especially given all that had passed between them. For me, it felt like Alex didn’t grovel nearly enough and not at all until he learned who she really was. I also felt that Evie caved much too quickly and everything just conveniently fell into place. In the end, I loved the idea of the story but had a hard time with the execution, so while this was not a keeper for me, it kept me entertained and left me wanting to read Aimee’s story!

*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.*