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

Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Someone to Remember (Westcott #7)Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Westcott, #7

Release Date: November 05, 2019

If you have been following the Westcott series, you know that at the end of Someone to Honor, Lady Matilda Westcott – Abigail’s maiden aunt, goes to see Charles Sawyer, Viscount Dirkson and asks him to help Gilbert get custody of his daughter. In that book, it is clear to the reader that Charles and Matilda share a past and did not part on the best of terms, but the reader is never enlightened about what transpired and when.

Lady Matilda acts as caregiver/companion to her mother, the dowager Countess of Riverdale, she is fifty-six and has never married, but that doesn’t mean she was never in love or never wanted to marry, truth is, she was in love and wanted to marry Charles Sawyer, but her parents forbid the match and Matilda sent him away. Looking back, she believes it was the right choice, Charles went on to father an illegitimate child (Gilbert) and became a renowned rake, even after he married and sired 3 children. Matilda will admit to herself that she never stopped loving Charles, but wonders if he ever really loved her. It took all her courage to seek him out to help Abigail’s husband Gilbert and talking to him stirred up old feelings she has tried hard to bury. She was sure the worst was over, but now she has been invited to a family dinner honoring him for his assistance.

Charles doesn’t want to go to dinner any more than Matilda wants him there, but a small part of him needs to know why he has never forgotten her and why she is the only woman he has ever loved. At dinner he is annoyed about how she is treated by her mother and how her family largely ignores her, he tries to talk to her, but she brushes him off. Later when some of the young adult children want to visit Kew Gardens, Charles volunteers to chaperon and asks Matilda to help.
She goes to the gardens and is assaulted by memories of her courtship with Charles, later at the top of pagoda, he kisses her – just like he did 36 years ago. Thus begins a sweet courtship of two people who made mistakes years ago and are lucky enough to be granted a second chance at love.

This was a very sweet read, no real conflict, no drama and no villains, just two older people recapturing a love they shared 36 years ago. It is short, but well written and paced nicely, the love scenes are limited to kisses and the “courtship” does move rather quickly, but I felt considering their shared past, it was believable and I was rooting for their HEA.

This is the seventh book in the series, but it can easily be a stand-alone, however, if you read Someone to Honor – you will definitely want to read this book too, because it will answer the lingering questions you might have had at the end of that story. Either way, it is a very sweet read and I am happy to recommend it.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman #BlogTour

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews3 Comments

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This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman

 

Introducing the Bow Street Bachelors—men who work undercover for London’s first official police force—and the women they serve to protect. . .and wed?

Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed is done with men who covet her purse more than her person. Even worse than the ton’s lecherous fortune hunters, however, is the cruel cousin determined to force Georgie into marriage. If only she could find a way to be . . . widowed? Georgie hatches a madcap scheme to wed a condemned criminal before he’s set to be executed. All she has to do is find an eligible bachelor in prison to marry her, and she’ll be free. What could possibly go wrong?

Benedict William Henry Wylde, scapegrace second son of the late Earl of Morcott and well-known rake, is in Newgate prison undercover, working for Bow Street. Georgie doesn’t realize who he is when she marries him—and she most certainly never expects to bump into her very-much-alive, and very handsome, husband of convenience at a society gathering weeks later. Soon Wylde finds himself courting his own wife, hoping to win her heart since he already has her hand. But how can this seductive rogue convince brazen, beautiful Georgie that he wants to be together…until actual death do they part?

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Author Bio:

Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is the #1 bestselling author of historical romances, including her RITA® nominated Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, and the novels in the Secrets & Spies series To Steal a Heart, A Raven’s Heart, and A Counterfeit Heart. When not writing novels that feature feisty, intelligent heroines and sexy, snarky heroes you want to both strangle and kiss, Kate works as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several popular TV shows in the UK. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England. Follow her on Twitter to learn more.

Book-buy link: 

Tracy’s Review:

This Earl of Mine (Bow Street Bachelors, #1)This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Bow Street Bachelors #1

Release Date: October 29, 2019

Miss Georgiana “Georgie” Caversteed needs a husband – NOW – her cousin Josiah has been getting more aggressive in his attempts to force her into marriage and she is worried if she doesn’t marry a man of her own choosing, Josiah will compromise her and she will be forced to marry him. Georgie is a considerable heiress, her father left her his shipping business and with the help of her man of business, Georgie has continued to build on her father’s success. She has had several offers for marriage – but all of them were in love with her money and not her, so she had decided to take matters into her own hands and will marry a condemned man and live happily ever after as a widow. But her plan hit a snag when the man she planned to marry died and the only other option is a man that is being transported. Not ideal, but it is better than marrying Josiah!

Benedict “Ben” Wylde, brother to the Earl of Morcott is in Newgate undercover – he is working for Bow Street trying to uncover a plot to try and rescue Napoleon from exile again – When the guard demands that he marry Georgiana, his first reaction is to refuse, but refusal is not an option. He thinks that they will marry and then they can easily dissolve it later. So he signs her contract stating that he will never lay claim to her fortune and they marry. When the ceremony is over he teases a kiss out of her before she leaves.

Days later, Georgie is shocked to see her “husband” in Lady Langton’s ballroom. They dance and she demands answers, he tells her to meet him at his club and they will be able to talk in private. She hears rumors and thinks that Ben tricked her, but logic takes over and she knows there is no way he planned to marry her. Ben is broke, his father bankrupt the earldom and he and his brother John are working hard to restore it. Ben was in the army and when he sold his commission, he used the money to invest in a gaming hell with his friends Lord Alexander Harland, the Duke of Southwick’s younger son and Sebastian Wolff, the Duke of Winwick’s illegitimate son. Alex and Seb don’t need the money, but they like the adventure, which is why they also do jobs for Bow Street. The Tricorn Club is beginning to take off, but as of now it isn’t making Ben rich.

When they meet, they realize that there is no easy way to end their marriage and decide to make the best of it. Since she has told people she married a sailor, “he” will have to die and Ben will court her and they will marry again. They will stay together long enough for gossip to die down and then go their own ways. It is the perfect plan! But as they say, the best laid plans…

I loved this story, it was fresh, fun and entertaining. I really loved Georgie and Ben, they have such great chemistry between them and neither is quick to believe the worst of the other. The secondary characters including his friends Alex and Seb are great additions to the story without stealing the limelight and her sister Juliet and her love Simeon are wonderful and provide comic relief. If I had any complaint it would be that Josiah got off too easy, but even that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. So if you are looking for a light-hearted, fun story with steamy love scenes, a decent mystery and great characters, look no further, this is that book.

This is the first book in a new series and it is a lighter style than this author’s K.C. Bateman offerings, but it is a delightful read and I am happy to recommend it.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*