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 Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Re-Release / Updated Edition, Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

A Matter of ClassA Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

Tracy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: 07/09/2024 re-release

When Reginald “Reggie” Mason incurs the wrath of his father by spending money foolishly and losing even more by gambling, his father puts his foot down and demands that Reggie settle down and marry or be cut off without a shilling. His father, Bernard is a self-made man who made a fortune in coal, but despite his enormous wealth, has never been accepted into the ton. He had high hopes for Reggie, and by sending him to schools with the ton’s sons, he gained connections as well as a great education. Reggie refuses to marry saying he is still young and hasn’t done anything ruinous, unlike their neighbor’s daughter, who ran off with the family coachman and was seen by half the ton before she was dragged home, ruined and jilted by her betrothed. Upon hearing that tidbit, Bernard hatches a plan – after 30 years of being snubbed by the ton, and especially his haughty neighbor the Earl of Havercroft, the tide has turned, and Bernard sees a way to marry his son into the nobility – he will make Havercroft an offer he can’t refuse!

Lady Annabelle “Anna” Ashton, the only child of the Earl of Havercroft is in a world of trouble. Thanks to an ill-advised elopement with Thomas Till, she has found herself ruined and her father is threatening to send her into exile. He is especially upset that her betrothed, the Marquess of Illingsworth cried off, which will ensure the financial ruin of family, which is in dire straits thanks to some poor investments and unwise spending. But even knowing this, Anna could not bear the thought of marrying the marquess when she was madly in love with another. Now it seems she is ruined and unless she agrees to marry Reginald Mason, the son of the man her father hates, she will be sent away. Could things get any worse?

This is a re-release of a previously published story, which I read years ago and was delighted to learn that it was being given a second life – I loved this story when I first read it and I think I actually loved it more today – it is fresh, fun and an utter delight to read. I loved Anna and Reggie, they are both likable and both care deeply for their families. This story doesn’t have a lot of action, drama or angst – but it has love, friendship, hope, and a lovely happy ending. It is not the story you think it is going to be – it is better! It has earned a spot on my very small keeper list and I happily and highly recommend it to my fellow historical romance lovers!

*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. *

The Kiss That Made Her Countess by Laura Martin

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

The Kiss That Made Her Countess (A Season of Celebration Book 3)The Kiss That Made Her Countess by Laura Martin

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: A Season of Celebration, #3

Release Date: June 25, 2024

Miss Alice James is not normally reckless, but with the prospect of being engaged to her vile cousin Cecil, she embraces the idea of one final night of freedom and agrees to sneak into a masquerade party with her best friend Lydia. Once at the party the girls are separated and Alice meets Simon Westcroft, the Earl of Northumberland. They share a dance and then a kiss, before she runs off. The next day it comes out that they were seen, and Simon does the honorable thing and proposes. But Simon has secrets, and his proposal has conditions, most notably that he will be leaving the country within days of the wedding Alice and does not plan to ever return. But with her only other option is to marry Cecil – she accepts. She sets out to build a life for herself alone and does so for almost a year when without a word, Simon returns and upends everything. Can marriage to a stranger lead to HEA?

Simon inherited the earldom from his older brother Robert, who had been the earl for years, since the sudden death of their father – a death, that a very young Simon witnessed. Simon grieved hard for his father but thankfully he had Robert to help him through. But when just a few years after Robert married, he too suddenly passed away, Simon is adrift and lost to grief. He is sure that he too will die young and without warning, as he is suffering from headaches just like his father and brother – because of this he has decided to leave his home and die alone, to spare his family the pain of his death. He never anticipated meeting Alice and had never planned to marry, but when it becomes clear that she will be ruined unless he marries her, he proposes. But marriage changes nothing, he is still going to die, and he is even more determined to leave England. But when the headaches stop and a doctor tells him it is not his time to go, he returns home to England and a wife he hasn’t even written to in almost a year. Simon should be happy, but instead he is consumed by survivors’ guilt and refuses to try and have a happy life with Alice. Will he ever let go of his guilt and let love in or has he doomed them both to a lonely, loveless life?

I liked this book, but I don’t think I would read it again, as it was a lot more angsty than I thought it would be and I found Simon’s continuous running away to be emotionally exhausting. I understood that the author was trying to walk the reader through the process of his grief and his survivors’ guilt, and it was probably an accurate representation, but for me it was just annoying that he repeatedly refused to be happy and honestly it started to feel like a pity party. That aside, Alice was amazing, and I wanted better for her – I am not convinced that Simon won’t once again run away. One other thing that irked me – he is the Earl of Northumberland, but he referred to and called Lord Westcroft and Alice called Lady Westcroft (as well as his brother’s widow and his mother) WHY? They should be Lord and Lady Northumberland – sigh. This is my first time reading this author and while I didn’t love this story, I did like her writing style and would be willing to read more of her work in the future. If you like angst, low steam and HEA – I would suggest you give this book a read.

*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. *