Category: Georgian Era (1714-1837)

The Georgian era is a period in British history 1714 to 1830. The kings were all named George: George I, George II, George III and George IV. The sub-period of the Regency is defined by the Regency of George IV as Prince of Wales during the illness of his father George III. The definition of the Georgian era is often extended to include the short reign of William IV, which ended with his death in 1837.
Preceded by: Restoration
Including: Regency era
Followed by: Victorian era

The Trouble with Earls by Anna Campbell

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Trouble with Earls (Scoundrels of Mayfair, #2)The Trouble with Earls by Anna Campbell

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Scoundrels of Mayfair, #2

Release Date: October 13, 2022

As the youngest, and in her opinion, the least attractive of the three Frain sisters, Lady Viola Frain is content to read and fade into the background, she certainly doesn’t expect nor does she want to have men falling at her feet, but that is exactly what happened. While reading under a tree in the garden, a man falls from the tree and lands in a heap at her feet. Make that a gorgeous, slightly drunk man who flirts outrageously with her.

Tobias “Toby” Sutton, the Earl of Renfrew, had tagged along with a friend to visit the Frain sisters but realized too late that a lady he is trying to avoid was in attendance – thus his foray into the foliage. He is immediately attracted to Viola and enjoys chatting with her, but when the other ladies find them, he makes a quick escape but manages to secure a dance at an upcoming ball as he is leaving. Now he can’t seem to get the pretty bluestocking out of his mind and pushes the boundaries to spend more time with her. But when a turn in the garden ends with them betrothed, he knows she is too good for the likes of him and worries that he is going to ruin her life. Will they find their way to HEA or is heartache inevitable?

OK – I am going to go fangirl gushy – Sorry, Not Sorry – OMG – I loved this book so much, I loved Viola’s positivity and her no-nonsense approach to problems, and I loved Toby’s gentle heart and his desire to make her happy. I loved that they boosted each other’s esteem and didn’t shy away from their problems. The book is well-written and nicely paced with a bit of everything: instant attraction, a tormented hero, a gloomy castle, great secondary characters, steamy love scenes, wonderful dialogue, leads that face their problems head-on, a lovely declaration scene leading to their HEA and an absolutely stunning epilogue set nearly 25 years later! This is the second book in the series, but this book could easily be read as a standalone title. I highly recommend this story, I can’t even remember the last time I enjoyed a book this much, it is definitely a keeper!

*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.*

Duke in a Box Anthology by Various Authors

On By TracyIn Anthology, Christmas, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/Highlander, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Duke in a Box: Twelve Steamy Historical Holiday NovellasDuke in a Box: Twelve Steamy Historical Holiday Novellas by Various Authors

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: N/A, but many of the novellas have ties to their author’s series

Release Date: November 1, 2022 (only available until 12/31/22)

This Anthology is amazing, all 12 novellas are set around Christmas, and all feature either a Duke or a would-be Duke and even a case of mistaken Duke-identity. Below are a few of my favorites from the collection:

Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke, 4.5 stars – Cecilia Bromwell and John Rowley, Earl of Cosford and heir to the Duke of Ironbridge met 5 years ago at a house party and it was definitely not love at first sight, in fact, it was quite the opposite and involved snakes, capsized boats, jam-filled boots and a pitcher of lemonade. Now older and hopefully more mature, their parents believe that they will make a perfect match, too bad they are wrong! Or are they? Cecilia hatches a plan to lose John in the woods, but it backfires when they are caught in a snowstorm and end up spending the night together. Are they doomed to an unhappy marriage or will their time together lead to an unexpected HEA? This was a cute story of misconceptions and assumptions, Cecilia did seem a bit petty and immature at first, but she owns up to her past behavior and her transformation is believable. The novella features an Enemies to Lovers trope with steamyish love scenes and a HEA.

Her Duke with Benefits by Jess Michaels, 5 stars – When widow Alice Crandon arrives at the cottage she let for Christmas she never expected to find her childhood friend Leo, the Duke of Greenfield already in residence. Alice wanted to spend this Christmas alone, she is officially out of mourning, but needed a bit of time to herself before returning to society, she loved her husband and isn’t sure how to go on without him. Leo too was looking for some time alone, but when he realized that a scheduling mix-up led to both him and Alice renting the same cottage for the holiday, there is no way he is going to let the opportunity to woo the woman he has always loved pass him by! Alice is surprised to feel desire, but is she ready to open her heart to the possibility of new love, or will her past love hold her heart for eternity? This novella features a Second-Chance at Love trope, with steamy love scenes, a swoon-worthy hero, and a HEA.

Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden, 5 stars – When her family learns they are being evicted from their farm by the Duke of Dingwall, widow Lucie Carmichael decides to take matters into her own hands by abducting the dastardly duke and forcing him to reconsider his plans – too bad Lucie’s schemes never work out the way she plans. Silas Northfield might be a younger, fitter, better-looking version of his elder half-brother, but he is not the duke and yet, he can’t be sorry that the lovely Scottish loon mistook him for Dingwall. For too long Silas has felt incomplete but after meeting Lucie, he knows two things for certain, 1 – she needs a keeper, and 2 – he is keeping her. This novella was my favorite and features a Love at First Sight/mistaken identity trope, very steamy love scenes, lovable characters, and a HEA.

My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman, 5 stars – After nearly 28 years of marriage, four children, scandals galore, and now the challenges of midlife, Ewan and Caroline Radley, the Duke and Duchess of Strathmore are still very much in love, but this holiday season will test them like never before. I love reading stories set after the HEA and this novella is a perfect example of love after the happily ever after. This novella features a mature couple, steamy love scenes, family, and the completely relatable trials of menopause, as well as, an even happier ever after.

I really enjoyed this collection of novellas and can’t recommend it enough, all the stories are well-written and there are a variety of tropes to enjoy. From what I understand, this anthology is only available for a limited time, so grab it while you can!

*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.*