A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber

A Perilous Perspective (Lady Darby Mystery #10)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: Lady Darby #10
Publication Date: 4/19/22
Period: Scotland, 1837
Number of Pages: 384

Goodness, this is the tenth book in the series and it is every bit as good as the first. The characters are wonderful, the mystery is – well – mysterious, the writing is outstanding, and – we have a new baby to love and a wedding to attend! I have read each of the books in this series and they are all outstanding. You can read this as a stand-alone, but to get the full, immersive view of the relationship and background of Kiera and Gage, you should read at least the first couple of books. But, heavens, why would you stop there – you really should read them all because they are all so good.

Kiera, Gage, and new baby Emma; along with their entourage of servant/friends are at Barbreck Manor on the shores of Loch Craignish in Scotland for the wedding of Charlotte (Lady Stratford whom we met in the first book) and Kiera’s cousin, Rye Mallory. Kiera is so happy for her friend and her cousin and is looking forward to spending a couple of weeks prior to the wedding with friends and family.

All is going splendidly – until – well, Kiera being Kiera, she had to look at the paintings in the art collection. To her shock and dismay, she discovered two were forgeries. What to do? She knew she had to tell the Marquess, of course, but she dreaded it because he was such an irascible man. To say he didn’t take it well would be putting it mildly. After systematically going through the entire collection, Kiera identifies several more paintings as forgeries. How did the forgeries get into the collection? Did they come in as forgeries in the beginning – or – did the originals come in and were later replaced with forgeries?

As the investigation into the forgeries progresses, a young maid from a nearby estate is found, dead, beneath the first painting Kiera identified as a forgery. The maid didn’t just die – it was horrible – it was poison. How did she get into Barbreck Manor – and why was she there?

With an additional death, Kiera’s maid being poisoned, Kiera being taunted with strange happenings, and people not telling the whole truth, can they solve the mystery. Not just the deaths, but the forgeries as well?

There are a lot of things going on besides the mysteries that will keep you interested. We learn a lot more about Kiera’s family – especially her beloved mother – and we see the relationship grow between Gage and his half-brother Henry. Then, of course, there is the wedding and sweet baby Emma to make you smile. So, the book has something for everyone.

I hope you’ll read the book and enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Three Times Tempted by Anna Campbell

Three Times Tempted (A Scandal in Mayfair, #3)Three Times Tempted by Anna Campbell

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: A Scandal in Mayfair, #3

Release Date: January 26, 2022

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so upon learning that her father, the Earl of Deerforth plans to marry her off to the cringe-worthy Lord Chippenham, Lady Imogen Ridley takes matters into her own hands and sets out to ruin herself. She invites the Earl of Halston, a renowned rake, to meet her in the gazebo while attending a ball – but to her surprise, it is not the earl who is there, but an American. They chat and have an instant connection, they even make plans to meet again at another function, thus beginning their secret love affair.

Caleb Black is a successful landscape artist in New York, who has come to England to design a garden for Lord Tierney. He came hoping to expand his family business but is shocked to find love instead. But unlike America where Caleb is considered a “catch” here in England, he is considered little more than a servant, making courtship with an earl’s daughter all but impossible. But the heart wants what the heart wants and Caleb won’t let anyone or anything keep him from the love of his life.

This is the final book in the A Scandal in Mayfair series and it ties up the series nicely. The book is not as steamy as the previous books and it is definitely more angsty. The first part of the book was a bit slow as it is the same timeline as the first two books, but from Imogen’s POV – kudos to Ms. Campbell for keeping Imogen’s secret love affair so well hidden in the first two books – I read them both and honestly had no idea Imogen was in love! As I mentioned, this book is less steamy, but it is filled with emotion, a truly vile villain, a hero and heroine willing to lose everything for their love and the long, painful road to their HEA. This is the third (and final) book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the series in order.

*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.*