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

Remember When by Mary Balogh

On By TracyIn Blog Tour, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Remember When: Clarissa's Story (Ravenswood, #4)Remember When: Clarissa’s Story by Mary Balogh

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Ravenswood #4

Release Date: January 7, 2025

Once upon a time Clarissa Greenfield and Matthew Taylor were the best of friends and in the throughs of first love, but at that time in their lives, love was not enough to ensure their happily ever after. Clarissa learns that Caleb Ware the Earl of Stratton plans to offer for her and she is going to accept, despite her feelings for Matthew, she knows a match with Caleb is the best choice for her and she is attracted to him, but her heart longs for Matthew. She tells him of her choice and effectively ends their friendship. Now many years later, Clarissa is the dowager Countess of Stratton, her children are grown and settled with children of their own, and now that her youngest daughter has been launched into society, Clarissa longs for solitude. She returns to Ravenswood Hall, insisting on going alone, despite her family’s pleas for her to join them for the summer. When she returns home, she seeks out Matthew and renews their friendship. She is happy, but her friendship with Matthew is turning heads and setting tongues wagging. Once again, she has a choice to make, does she do what is expected of the dowager Countess of Stratton or does she finally follow her heart?

Matthew Taylor was a troubled young man, a second son with no prospects of his own and a contentious relationship with his family. When Clarissa tells him that she will marry the Earl of Stratton, he is heartbroken and acts rashly. Within months of her marriage to Caleb, Matthew also marries against his family’s wishes and is widowed less than a year later. Adrift and angry, Matthew leaves England and for over ten years stays away. When he returns, he is a changed man and turns his back on his genteel upbringing, settling in the village of Boscombe and in the shadow of Ravenswood Hall as the village carpenter. His feelings for Clarissa have never changed, but he keeps his distance from her and makes a new solitary life for himself. When Clarissa returns to Ravenwood Hall alone and reaches out to him, he is helpless to resist. Reconnecting with Clarissa sets off a chain reaction and soon his ordered life is anything but, will he risk the peace he has finally attained or throw caution to the wind and follow his heart?

Clarissa and Matthew are clearly soulmates, and prior to her marriage, they were of similar social standing, but expectations of society kept them apart, and now, over twenty years later they have a second chance at love if they are brave enough to take it. This installment of the Ravenswood series is a “gentle read” and while it is well written, it moves slowly and there is not really a lot going on, it is a sweet, gentle read with a lot of emotion, mature characters, second chances, familial bonds, self-forgiveness, cameos of all the Ware children and finally a long overdue HEA for Clarissa and Matthew. This is the fourth book in the series and could be read as a standalone title with no problems, but I would recommend reading the books in order for the best reading experience. Overall, I would happily recommend this book and was delighted that Clarissa finally found a man who loved her the way she deserved to be loved, but I did find it a bit bland, and it is not a book I would read a second time.

*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. *

The Secret Daughter by Anne Gracie

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The Secret Daughter (The Brides of Bellaire Gardens Book 4)The Secret Daughter by Anne Gracie

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The Brides of Bellaire Gardens

Release Date: December 24, 2024

Zoe Benoit grew up in the slums of London, the daughter of an aristocratic French emigrant and an unknown English gentleman, and when her mother died, she was sent to an orphanage. But her life changed when Clarrisa Studley found her and claimed her as a sister. Clarrisa along with her other half-sister Izzy, realized that they all shared the same father and decided to introduce Zoe to society. They sent her to France with their dear friend Lucy and her husband to learn to be a lady away from the prying eyes of the ton and planned to launch her once she returned. While in France Zoe attends a house party not far from her mother’s former home and when there is an incident that leads to her leaving the party early, she decides to use it as an opportunity to visit her mother’s home. She switches places with her maid and calling herself Vita, she sets out on her own. But it isn’t long before she realizes that it isn’t safe for a young woman to travel alone, lucky for her she meets a vagabond painter named Reynard, who gives her a ride to her mother’s old home and then later offers her shelter. She plans to return to Paris immediately, but after spending time with Reynard, she decides to stay and even helps him with his painting. She falls in love with him and can envision a life with him, but a misassumption of his character has her fleeing without a word. Back in England, she tries to forget him, but it seems impossible and when he finds her, it is clear that she was not the only pretending to be someone else.

Julian Fox, the Earl of Foxton never expected to inherit the earldom and never wanted it. But he takes his responsibility seriously, but that doesn’t mean he is willing to give up his freedom or his passion for painting. So, he takes a sojourn to France for three months and then plans to return to England to assume his responsibilities. What he didn’t plan on was falling in love and then losing her, all without knowing who she really is. He tries to find her but has to accept that she is gone. He returns to England and is stunned to see a painting that he is sure was done by his Vita. He tracks her down and discovers that he was not the only one hiding something, but that doesn’t matter to him, can he convince Zoe that her secrets don’t change the way he feels?

This was a well-written, interesting story with wonderful characters, and while I did enjoy this book, but it was not really the story I was expecting and while I definitely felt the connection between Zoe and Julian, I found myself wishing they spent more time together and let the reader experience the development of their romance. I loved catching up with Clarrisa, Lucy, Izzy and Lady Scattergood and enjoyed the secondary storyline with Millie, but it ends rather abruptly, and it really needed an epilogue to give readers a bit of closure. Overall, this was a good book, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it, but it is not a book I would read again. This is the final book in the series, it could be read as a standalone title, but I would recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*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. *