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 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.*

One Dangerous Night by Cathy Maxwell

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

One Dangerous Night (The Gambler's Daughters, #2)One Dangerous Night by Cathy Maxwell

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The Gambler’s Daughters, #2

Release Date: March 26, 2024

After arriving in London with high hopes of marrying a duke, Elise Lanscarr, the youngest (and loveliest) of the Lanscarr sisters, is leaving, betrayed, heartbroken and filled with rage. After her sister Dara married Michael, the man Elise loved and hoped to marry, she can no longer abide living with them and she has decided to return to Ireland. In a final fit of pique, she leaves a note in the sister’s money box after taking the funds she needs to make it back to Ireland, knowing her sisters will believe she has gone to stay with her friend Lady Whitby and won’t realize she is gone until one of them checks the money box. She is filled with self-righteous indignation, she sets out for Liverpool, but nothing goes as planned and she finds herself traveling with a stranger, in a mail coach driven by a drunk, in a storm. A horrific crash finds her alone with the stranger, a young man going by the name of Kit. Together they will have to find their way to the next coaching inn, while avoiding the many pitfalls that pop up along the way. At first, she is sure Kit is a ne’er-do-well, but the more time she spends with him, the more she likes him and respect him. She also begins to see her own shortcomings and faults, she knows she has fences to mend and apologies to make, and once that is done, will she give up her dream of a duke for a wanderer?

Christopher “Kit” Fitzhugh-Cox, the Duke of Winderton is also running away after experiencing heartbreak when the woman he loved married his uncle. He too left in a fit of pique, and he has been wandering for months under an assumed name, play out he version of Shakespeare’s Prince Hal. It isn’t until he meets Elise that he truly begins to change and see the error of his ways. She makes him want to be a better man, a man worthy of her love. But to do that he will have keep Elise safe while evading the men trying to kill him, then return home and make things right. And there is the small fact that he hasn’t revealed his true identity to her, but he is sure she will forgive him, well, mostly sure.

This was the well-written, nicely paced story of two young people who start out acting like spoiled brats, but through a series of misfortunes, seeing the error of their ways and maturing into adulthood while truly falling in love. The book is filled with emotion, some anger, indignation, hurt feelings, broken hearts, perceived betrayal, a sweet dog, danger, hidden identities, more heartache, a tiny bit of steam, shocking revelations, and finally a very sweet ending with a lovely declaration and a nice set up for the next book. Honestly, I didn’t like Elise in the last book and I didn’t like her for most of this book, but in the end, she won me over, as did Kit. I am happy to recommend this book, but I would strongly suggest reading the books in order. I didn’t love this story, but in the end, I enjoyed it and now I can’t wait for Gwendolyn and Steele’s story!

*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.*