Barb’s Reviews – Page 406 – Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Wicked Wallflowers #3
Publication Date: 2/12/19
Number of Pages: 382

Christi Caldwell adds another gripping and intense story to her Wicked Wallflowers series. I always have to psyche myself up before I begin reading one of this author’s books. Not because the book isn’t good – they are all wonderful. No, it is because they are so intensely emotional that you will be wrung out by the time you are through with it.

The series features the Killoran’s, none of them are actually related by blood, but they are closer than most families could think of being. They were all children living on the streets of Seven Dials and they were all taken into the street gang of Diggory, one of the vilest humans you could imagine. Diggory is dead before this series begins (see the Sinful Brides series for details on that) and Broderick is now in charge. We’ve seen two of the siblings find their HEA in the first two books of the series – Cleo (Cleopatra) marries Adair in The Hellion and Ophelia settles down with Connor in The Vixen. This book features Broderick who finally discovers his love, Reggie, was right under his nose all the time.

Broderick Killoran is absolutely ruthless in his business dealings – he has to be because you don’t survive in Seven Dials without it. He’s also mysterious and everyone wonders how someone who is as cultured and who speaks as well as he does has ended up in the Dials. Broderick longs for respectability – not necessarily for himself, but he feels that is the only way to keep his family safe. He keeps trying to marry his sisters into the aristocracy, but he hasn’t managed to do it yet. So, maybe it is up to him to do it.

Broderick rescued Reggie years ago and has protected her since. How could she not love him? He saved her, he gave her a place in the running of the Devil’s Den, he treats her with respect and he listens to her thoughts and opinions. Except, he doesn’t know she exists as a woman.

Things are getting really intense in Broderick’s world. Years ago, a baby was stolen from the home of a Marquess and was subsequently delivered to Diggory in the Dials. That baby is now called Stephen and he is Broderick’s brother. That Marquess (know as the Mad Marquess) has discovered that Stephen is his kidnapped son and he’s coming after Broderick. Broderick may very well hang for it. To that stress, add that his most trusted right-hand person, Reggie, is planning to open her own music hall in competition with him.

In the previous books, both Reggie and Broderick’s pasts have been in shadow and we learn more about those in this book. It is nice to learn their history and see how they came to be the people they currently are.

It was emotionally exhausting to see Broderick and Reggie thread-the-needle to find love, protect Broderick, protect Stephen and deal with the villains.

Definitely a recommended read! Now, to wait for The Bluestocking that will feature Gertrude Killoran and the Mad Marquess. That has to be a hum-dinger!

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

The Gilded Shroud by Elizabeth Bailey

My rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: A Lady Fan Mystery #1
Publication Date: September 6th, 2011 by Berkley Trade (first published January 10th, 1992)
Number of Pages: 368
2.5 Stars rounded up to 3

I loved the synopsis of this book when I read it and immediately purchased it. I loved the mystery itself, but the rest seemed more like a script for an over-the-top stage play with cardboard characters than it did anything representing real life. The relationships and conversations between servants and upper classes were so far off base that it was more fantasy than reality. Then – the view of the Bow Street Runners – absolutely ridiculous. In that period Bow Street couldn’t touch the peerage in any way, shape or form – they couldn’t even enter through the front door of the home, they had to go to the servants entrance and if the peerage didn’t want to allow them in or to talk to them, they didn’t have to. Members of the peerage would be tried before the House of Lords and they almost never, ever convicted each other of anything. So, a peer could, literally, get away with murder – especially against someone who ‘belonged’ to him – such as a wife.

According to Goodreads, this book was first published in 1992, so I’m hoping that it was a ‘learner’ novel for this author and the subsequent books (written over twenty years later) will be much better.

The book opens with the discovery of the murdered body of Lady Emily Fanshawe, Marchioness of Polbrook. Her husband is nowhere to be found and the only family member in residence is his brother Francis. Therefore, it is up to Francis to take charge and one of the most onerous things he has to do is to tell his mother that Emily has been murdered and Randal is missing.

When Francis arrives at his mother’s townhouse to tell her the news, he finds her having breakfast with her new (temporary) companion (Mrs. Ottilia Draycott) that she has only met late the night before. Ottilia offers to withdraw, but Francis invites her to stay since it will soon be all over town anyway. As Francis is telling his mother this distressing news, Ottilia is constantly interrupting with questions that are clearly none of her business. Instead of rebuking her, both the Dowager Marchioness and Francis let her continue, tell her how clever she is, and then she goes with them to the crime scene and she actually examines the scene and the body, etc. in the most intimate way.

Francis immediately gives Ottilia carte blanche to conduct the investigation because she is so smart, intuitive, and clever and he and his mother are just so dumb. Then she does really clever things like determining that someone could have entered the house through one of the doors – duh! She is so clever because – wait for it – she raised her brother’s two sons. Given that criteria, I should be a genius!

Ottilia rocks along with her investigation and ropes Francis into helping with parts of it until the mystery is solved and the murderer is revealed. In the meantime, everyone is constantly telling Ottilia how very clever she is and allowing her to ask the most intimate questions. The servants have the most casual of interchanges and relationships with the Dowager, Francis and everybody else. It is all just so very period inappropriate.

Then, there is the relationship that develops with Francis and Ottilia. I just didn’t see or feel it. They were like two cardboard characters and I couldn’t see where an attraction would be. There just didn’t seem to be any real passion.

There is also Ottilia’s propensity for giggling and making inappropriate jokes and comments during very serious, emotional, trying times. There were times when I was thinking that someone ought to give her a slap to show her that things were serious.

It is my intention to read another book in this series because the later ones have been released in the last few years and the author has had some time to grow in her craft. I’d like to see a more likable and relatable Ottilia. If Ottilia does have that growth, I’ll look forward to more books in the series.

Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

Category: Barb’s Reviews

The Governess by Christi Caldwell

The Gilded Shroud by Elizabeth Bailey

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