Category: Contemporary in Period Dress

Demons and Diplomacy by Megan Frampton

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Contemporary in Period Dress, Historical Mystery, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Demons and Diplomacy (Ministry of Supernatural Affairs Book 1)Demons and Diplomacy by Megan Frampton

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: Ministry of Supernatural Affairs, #1

Release Date: August 25, 2026

Cora Hastings serves as Britain’s Species Ombudsman in a Victorian London where supernatural beings have publicly joined society after the Great Revelation. Her role places her between humans and supernatural species, requiring diplomacy, order, and practical problem-solving. Marcellus, the Marquis of Hell, becomes central to her assignment when he arrives with his father, the Devil, and his characterization leans into charm, temptation, and demonic influence. The supporting characters, including Cora’s friends and the supernatural figures surrounding the diplomatic visit, mainly function around Cora’s work, the developing romance, and the broader political tensions of the setting.

Cora is assigned to escort and manage the Devil’s visit to London ahead of the Great Exhibition, a diplomatic responsibility that becomes more complicated once threats against supernatural beings begin to surface. As Cora and Marcellus work together, the story combines historical romance, paranormal politics, mystery, and fantasy elements. The central conflict involves maintaining peace between humans and supernatural society while uncovering a conspiracy connected to the exhibition and the Devil’s presence in London.

When I learned that Megan Frampton was trying her hand at Romantasy, I was all in, I have read all of her Historical Romances and love her writing style, so I was rather surprised to find that she had written this book in the first person and that it just didn’t flow as well as her previous books had. I thought the premise had a lot of promise, especially with its supernatural version of Victorian London and Cora’s role as a government liaison between species. The worldbuilding and political setup were interesting, but the romance developed too quickly for me and did not have enough emotional build-up to make the connection feel fully earned. Also, the first-person narrative made Cora’s thoughts around Marcellus feel repetitive and sometimes disconnected from the high-stakes situation around her. While I can see the appeal for readers who enjoy light historical paranormal romance with banter, this one did not work for me.

*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. *

 

Miss Wick and the Duke Dilemma by Violet Marsh

On By TracyIn Contemporary in Period Dress, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Rom-Com, Part of a Series, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Miss Wick and the Duke DilemmaMiss Wick and the Duke Dilemma by Violet Marsh

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: None Listed, but this is the 3rd with the same characters

Release Date: March 17, 2026

When Eoin Aucourte, the new Duke of Foxglen comes into the Black Sheep Coffeehouse looking for help in finding his mother and sister, the proprietress, Miss Hannah Wick sees the opportunity to avenge the wrongs done to her father by the Aucourte Family and immediately offers to help. Hannah doesn’t really care for the peerage, despite the fact that her mother, cousin and several friends are nobles, but her father was wronged by the former duke and forced into a life of piracy, he found way out and made a good life for himself, but the distrust of the peerage and the desire for revenge was ingrained into Hannah. But she soon realizes that Eoin is not her enemy and the more time spent with him the more she wants and she knows she has to be honest with him about original intentions before he learns the truth.

When he was just six years old, Eoin’s father was hanged as a traitor and his grandfather the Duke of Foxglen sent his mother and sister away and raised Eoin as his heir. Unhappy with the way his own children turned out, he was brutally severe with Eoin, he refused to let him see his mother or sister, he accorded him none of the luxuries an heir would normally enjoy, he lead a solitary, joyless existence and the first thing he did when the old man died was try and find his mother and sister. His aunts and uncles have never cared for him and with their own inheritances dependent on Eoin not finding his mother, they are no help and he has no idea where to start. He turns to the people of the Black Sheep Coffeehouse who have been able to solve other mysteries and hopes they can help him. He never expected Hannah would be so willing to help and even offers to pretend to be his mistress so they can stay close. With Hannah, Eoin starts to feel alive for the first time ever and when it becomes clear that someone is trying to kill him, she stands by him, how could he not fall in love with her?

I will be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the previous books and even thought about passing on this one, but I am so glad that I decided to give this installment a go – because for me, the third time was a charm! I loved Hannah and Eoin, they are both perfectly flawed characters, each with a heart of gold. Is this story an era correct representation? No, it is completely over the top and ridiculous at times, but it is very entertaining and you can’t help but root for their happy ever after. While the author has not officially made this a series, this book is the third book with the same characters and the titles are connected, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no issues. Overall, I am happy to recommend this title and look forward to the next installment.

*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. *