Category: Check Content Warning/Triggers

Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Rom-Com, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Rom Com, Scottish/Highlander, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Hardly a Gentleman (Accidental Brides, #2)Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James

Tracy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Accidental Brides, #2

Release Date: April 29, 2025

For years, Prince George has pursued, harassed and humiliated Miss Clara Vetry making her social life a nightmare, but all that comes to a shocking end at a garden party in which Clara is pushed beyond her tolerance and she does the unthinkable, she hits the prince with her reticule. Her horrified mother decides to wash her hands of Clara, she sends her to live with a distant cousin and giving her control of her dowry. But while waiting for the carriage her mother hired, Clara decides to take control of her own future and enters a carriage bound for the highlands, claiming to be Mrs. Potts, the housekeeper the driver, Mr. Cobbledick was waiting for, never imagining how this would change her life. She arrives at Castle CaerLaven and is enchanted, she heads inside ready to assume the position of housekeeper, until she sees the state of the dwelling. She then decides that she will wait for Mr. Cobbledick to return from picking up his daughter and convince him to take her away – she will find her own castle and fill it with books and live happily ever after. As the castle seems abandoned, so she goes looking for the owners to inform them she is not staying, and she finds a very naked Caelan MacCrae, Laird of CaerLaven fishing in the loch. They return to the castle and Clara is even more horrified by the kitchen and makes it clear she isn’t staying. Convinced Caelan has let his house fall into disrepair because his is grieving for his late wife, whom everyone has told her is the love of his life. She agrees to stay for a few days and recruits help to clean the castle. Falling in love was never part of the plan, especially to a man who is still in love with his dead wife! When he proposes, she declines, but when her identity is uncovered, she doesn’t have a choice – but is determined not to lose her heart to a man who has sworn to never fall in love again.

Caelan MacCrae, Laird of CaerLaven is perfectly happy living alone in his castle, fishing, making whisky, writing books about fishing and whisky and improving his tenant’s lives. It is his sister Fiona who has decided he needs a housekeeper from England and informs him she is on her way. Everyone believes that Caelan is heartbroken and that the state of his castle is a reflection of that grief – but that isn’t quite right. When Clara arrives and starts bringing the castle back to life, Caelan who was at first was opposed to a housekeeper, is determined to keep her. Too bad she keeps saying no to his proposals – especially since he has everything she wants – A castle and books! When her true identity is revealed, Caelan is ecstatic that she will have to marry him and is sure they can be happy together, as long as she doesn’t want more than he is able to give.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book! It was the perfect book to segue into my spring reading, it was a fun well-written, nicely paced story with wonderful characters. I loved Clara and Caelan together, they have both had pain in their lives, but they don’t lock themselves away, instead they find new joy. This book has a bit of a grumpy/sunshine trope, amazing characters, steamyish love scenes, witty banter, laugh out loud moments, fabulous secondary characters; including a “rabbity chicken”, naked fishing, a dramatic rescue and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. The book does touch on grief, loss of a loved one, and sexual abuse/harassment – but I felt like these subjects were handed respectfully and compassionately with plenty of levity to keep this book from becoming a dark read. This is the second book in the series, but they are very loosely connected and can definitely be read as standalone titles with no problems. Overall, if you are looking for your next favorite book – this is that book, which I happily and highly recommend to my fellow HR readers and can’t wait for the next installment in this outstanding series!

*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. *

The Viscount’s Forbidden Flirtation by Sarah Rodi

On By TracyIn Author Collaboration Series, Check Content Warning/Triggers, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Viscount's Forbidden Flirtation (A Season to Wed, 2)The Viscount’s Forbidden Flirtation by Sarah Rodi

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: A Season to Wed, #2

Release Date: April 1, 2025

French emigree, Miss Seraphine Mounier first meets Ezra Hart, heir to Viscount Hart when she tries to prevent a duel between Erza and her brother Henri, Baron Mounier. She is too late, but thankfully Erza deloped and apologized for the insult he paid to Henri, when he made derogatory statements about the French immigrants in England. This doesn’t pacify Seraphine, and she makes it clear that she doesn’t like Erza and wants nothing to do with him. But their paths keep crossing and the more time she spends with him, the more she softens towards him. Erza needs a noble wife with an impeccable background and there is no way the Viscount would accept her. She tries to distance herself from him, but Erza can’t seem to take a hint and when disaster strikes, he is her hero, and she falls head over heels for a man she can’t have. Too bad falling in love doesn’t guarantee a happy ending.

Ezra Hart is the heir to Viscount Hart, but that is not a right he was born to, and it is conditional. When Ezra was just 10 years old, the Viscount’s son died and he approached Ezra’s parents with a proposition, Ezra would come to live with them as their son and the Viscount will make him his heir and in exchange, he would give Ezra’s father a home and a living. Ezra missed his family, but had no contact with them, and never felt like he belonged with the Viscount. So, when the opportunity to go to school came, he was happy and made some lifelong friends, friends he convinced to go into the military with him when they finished school. He fought for years and now that the war is finally over and he has returned to England, his is trying to come to terms with his life. His experiences in the war skewed his feelings towards the French and while in his cups one night he made some awful comments that ended up published. Words he regrets and after meeting Seraphine, he will do whatever he can to make things right. He would love to make Seraphine his wife, but his inheritance is conditional and without the Viscount’s approval, he has nothing to offer her.

This was a well-written and interesting story with a very unique plot that touches on sensitive issues regarding prejudices and social status. I liked Erza and tried to be understanding of his original opinions of the French immigrants in England, especially as he had just returned from the war. I also tried to give the same empathy to Seraphine who had lived in England most of her life but was still treated like an outsider, yet I had a hard time warming up to her. However, I had a hard time believing she was as ostracized as she claimed, as she and her family were accepted into the highest echelons of society and had no shortage of invitations. Yes, there were a few people who were nasty – but that was more about jealousy than xenophobia. This was a very fresh story, but it did have a lot of etiquette errors – by my count Seraphine was ruined at least three times and seemed to have no concern for her reputation. Overall, I liked the story and thought the author handled the sensitive plot points very well. This is the second book in an author collaboration series but could easily 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/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *