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

The Earl’s Cinderella Countess by Amanda McCabe

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

The Earl's Cinderella Countess (Matchmakers of Bath, 1)The Earl’s Cinderella Countess by Amanda McCabe

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Matchmakers of Bath, #1

Release Date: March 26, 2024

Years ago Eleanor “Ella” St. Aubin fell head over heels in love with the boy next door, Fredrick “Fred” Canning, the younger son of the Earl of Fleetwood. They were the best of friends, despite Fred being five years older, but all that changed when her mother died and Fred leaves to join the army. The two lose touch, but Ella never forgot him, even followed gossip about him in the papers. When her father passes, she and her sister Mary relocate to Bath and join forces with an old school friend, Henrietta, the widowed Lady Briggs, starting a matchmaking agency; The St. Aubin and Briggs Confidential Agency. They have had some success, but are by no means rich, but they are content, and Ella has made peace with the past. But when the love of her life turns up in Bath, now the Earl of Fleetwood and in need of a rich wife, Ella will have to try and force down the feelings she thought long buried and help him find a wife, who can repair not only the fortunes of the earldom, but the wounds Fred now carries, both inside and out.

Fred Canning never imagined he would inherit the earldom, and at nineteen he went to London to join the army and in his heart of hearts, hoped to return someday and marry Ella. But he did things in London as a young man that made him feel that he was not worthy of her, then the war happened and he was sure he wasn’t worthy, and buries his feeling for her. Injured and heartsore, he returns to England when he learns that he has inherited the earldom after the deaths of his brother and father. To his dismay, the estate is in shambles and needs a fortune to restore it. He visits his stepmother in Bath, hoping for a small reprieve before he has to take on the duties of the estate. He knows what he has to do, but when he runs into Ella, he realizes his feelings for her never died and the thought of marrying anyone but her is impossible to imagine. But Ella is determined to find him a bride, will he be able to let her go and wed for duty?

This was a well-written story, but it did not live up to the expectations I had based on the title. No reviews that I have read have mentioned it, but when I see “Cinderella” in the title, there are certain expectations made about the story and there was nothing remotely Cinderella-like about this book – other than the heroine’s name is Ella. Aside from that this was a good story, just not the story I was hoping for. The story is sweet, with a friends to lovers trope, a second chance romance, great friends, the possibility of several other romances and finally a very sweet ending with two happy endings. This was a nice start to a new series and I am looking forward to Mary and Harry’s stories!

*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 Duchess by Sophie Jordan

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

The Duchess (The Scandalous Ladies of London, #2)The Duchess by Sophie Jordan

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Scandalous Ladies of London, #2

Release Date: March 26, 2024

Once upon a time, Valencia married the man of her dreams, but not long after their wedding, her dream became a nightmare when her husband was injured in an accident and changed from the charming man she married into a mean, abusive drunk. For years she endured his abuse, both physically and verbally, until another accident finally ended his life. Now a year later, Valencia is the widowed Duchess of Dedham, and ready to live again, but things do not go as planned and instead of a fun night celebrating her birthday with friends at Vauxhall Gardens, she takes a dip in the Thames and is pulled out by a rude boor of a man and if that was not bad enough, she is awakened the next day by the arrival of the same rude boor who happens to be the new Duke, along with his mother and six unmarried sisters and is unceremoniously kicked out the house she has lived in for over a decade! But launching unmarried six sisters into London society is more than his mother can handle and Valencia sees an opportunity – she will prepare the girls for their debuts and in exchange the duke will pay her handsomely. She just has to keep her eye on the prize and ignore the attraction she feels for the new duke, because if there is one thing Valencia knows it is love is an illusion. She fell for that trick once and learned her lesson the hard way, so that won’t be a problem…

Welshman, Rhain Lloyd is a self-made man who has no interest in being the Duke of Dedham, but with no choice, he travels to London with his mother, cousin and his six unmarried sisters (he has 12). His plan is to access the dukedom and its holdings then have his cousin act as his steward, so he can return to Wales and his quiet, ordered life. He is shocked to learn that the woman he fished out of the Thames is the late duke’s widow, which makes her off-limits in his mind. And because of his attraction, he needs her gone ASAP, but when it becomes clear that his mother is not prepared to launch his sisters into society, he makes a deal with Valencia. He will pay her to present his sisters to the ton and find them husbands and then she will leave, and he will carry on with his original plan. He can control himself and there is no way he would ever fall in love with her, so that won’t be a problem…

This was a well-written, somewhat emotional story that focuses mostly on Valencia’s journey to HEA. The book is filled with emotional healing, some triggers, lots of sisters, a stuffed dog, well-meaning “ride or die” friends, secrets, low steam love scenes, betrayal, blackmail and finally a well-deserved happy ending complete with an epilogue. I liked this story, and my heart broke for Valencia, she was badly used and yet she never broke, she is a survivor who fought for her happy ending, and I was rooting for her all the way. Much like the previous book, this story didn’t “wow” me and I never really felt the romance. And am I the only one who found Poppet uber creepy? Anyway, IMO the book was not a keeper, but it was still a good read with a happy ending. This is the second book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title with no problems. Please note, this book does have content that might be upsetting to some readers, and I would suggest checking out the content warning before reading the book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

*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.*