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

A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman

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

A Daring Pursuit: The Ruthless RivalsA Daring Pursuit: The Ruthless Rivals by Kate Bateman

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Ruthless Rivals, #2

Release Date: May 24, 20222

Lady Carys Davies is being blackmailed by a man she thought she loved and believed she would marry, but instead he left her ruined and married another, and then had the gall to demand she pay him if she didn’t want the ton to learn of her fall from grace. Carys would rather pay than let her brothers learn of her ruin and has decided to either remain a spinster or agree to a white marriage with her friend Lord Ellington. And besides that, the only man she really wants is the one she could never have, Tristan Montgomery, her neighbor, and lifelong enemy.

Tristan is everything that Carys is not, he is restrained, proper, and meticulous, in short, her complete opposite. But despite his outward disdain for her, Carys is never far from his thoughts and though he would never admit it, she inhabits many of his dreams and fantasies. However, she is not someone he would ever consider marrying, he needs a “proper” wife and he has already found the woman he plans to court. But when Tristan learns Carys’s secret, it changes everything between them and activates his protective instincts. And when the blackmail takes a turn into treason and Carys’s life is in danger, Tristan realizes that “proper” isn’t what he needs after all, but has he missed his chance?

What a fun, well-written, fast-paced read this was! Carys and Tristan are wonderful, relatable, and very likable characters who fill the pages of this enemies-to-lovers book with witty banter and barely contained passion. The book has secrets, blackmail, bears, treason, steamyish love scenes, lots of witty banter, great secondary characters, a couple of nail-biting, run-for-your-life moments, and finally a very satisfying HEA. Personally, I thought the villains got off a little easy, but overall, this was a fantastic read and though it is the second book in the series, it 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. All opinions in this review are my own.*

A Most Unusual Duke by Susanna Allen

On By TracyIn Book Publicity, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

A Most Unusual Duke (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde, #2)A Most Unusual Duke by Susanna Allen

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde, #2

Release Date: December 28, 2021

When Beatrice, the widow of the Marquess of Castleton sought to secure her independence by blackmailing the Prince Regent of England, things did not go as planned. Not only did she find herself married again, but her reluctant groom is also a Shifter. But unlike her first husband, Arthur Humphries, the Duke of Osborn is not a decrepit old man and neither is he a wolf.

When Arthur’s father was challenged and lost his life to the challenger, Arthur vowed to never claim his position as Alpha in his bear sleuth. But his cousin, Prince George (also a bear Shifter) demands that Arthur do his duty, if not he will make sure that Arthur’s brother and his young family will suffer. With no choice, Arthur agrees to marry Beatrice but insists theirs will be a white marriage. At the prince’s command, they retire to Arthur’s family estate, a place that Arthur hasn’t seen since the night he lost his father. He manages to keep his feelings for the sleuth and his new bride in check, that is until his brother and his family show up, making him long for things he has sworn to never have.

This was a very interesting, well-plotted, thoughtful story about second chances, love, and acceptance. Beatrice and Arthur are wonderful characters, both with painful pasts, yet they haven’t lost themselves to bitterness. I enjoyed watching their slow-burn romance unfold and loved the secondary characters who added lightness and levity to the story. I liked the story, but the reading was slow-going, the author has and utilizes an amazing (if somewhat obscure) vocabulary, which did break the flow for me, as I had to continually stop to look up a word, or foreign language phrase (which were not italicized) to understand the story and many times the author chose to use a very archaic/obscure word instead of a common word, and while I love to learn new words, I don’t need to learn one on just about every page. Overall, it was entertaining to read with a somewhat anti-climatic ending but did manage to set up the next book rather nicely. This is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone title with no issue.

*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.*