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 Governess and the Duke by Lydia Drake

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

The Governess and the Duke (Renegade Dukes #3)The Governess and the Duke by Lydia Drake

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Renegade Dukes, #3

Release Date: December 26, 2023

Years ago, Miss Viola Winslow, fell in love at first sight with her employer’s best friend, James Montagu, the Duke of Huntington, but as the governess of the Duke of Ashworth’s ward, not to mention a woman with secrets, Viola was in no position to make her feelings known, so she hid them and silently loved him from afar. That would have been the end of the story, had her charge been anyone other than the incorrigible Felicity Berridge. Because Felicity loves Viola as much as Viola loves her and she wants Viola to be happy and have her heart’s desire, but in Felicity’s opinion, Viola is taking way too long and clearly needs assistance. And Felicity is up to the task. So begins the convoluted matchmaking scheme of a very wiley fourteen-year-old and her accomplices. Little does she know that her plan is going to stir up more than amorous feelings.

James, the Duke of Huntington has been hiding (and brooding) at his ancestral home, Moorcliff Castle for the past fifteen months, following the humiliating rejection of his marriage proposal to Miss Susannah Fletcher. But all that changes when Viola and Felicity need assistance and become guests at the castle. For the first time, James really “sees” Viola and wonders how he had been so blind the last ten years. It isn’t long before he realizes he is in love with Viola, but convincing her may be a losing battle, luckily for him, he has help and won’t give up easily. But when secrets come out and hard truths are faced, will duty and family honor supersede his heart’s desire?

This was a very fun read, with a dash of angst thrown in to keep it interesting. I liked Viola and James, but in my opinion, Felicity stole the spotlight in this book. The story is filled with secrets, scheming teenage girls, a chatty raven, vile family members, seances, ghosts, some lies, steamyish love scenes, wonderful secondary characters, a bit of angst, martyr-worthy sacrifices, cameos from previous characters, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I enjoyed this story, but in complete honesty, I had a hard time with the notion that James and Viola knew each other for ten years, and yet in all that time, he never noticed her and then in just a matter of days, fell head over heels in love with her. Other than that, it was a great story and one I would be happy to recommend to my fellow historical romance readers. This is the third book in the series, and I hope not the last – because I really want to read Felicity’s story!!!

4 stars

*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.*

Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman

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

Second Duke's the Charm (Her Majesty's Rebels #1)Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Her Majesty’s Rebels, #1

Release Date: December 26, 2023

At 19, Tess Townsend was the belle of the season and could have had her pick of any man, but instead, she was forced to marry the Duke of Wansford, a man old enough to be her grandfather. Tess is horrified and miserable at the thought of wedding the duke, but what choice does she have, especially when her father locks her up in their home until the day of her wedding? However, fate seems to have a different plan for Tess when her groom dies on their wedding night, leaving her a widow. For the first time in her life, Tess is independent, and she makes good use of her freedom, starting by improving the ducal estate while waiting for the solicitors to find the heir. Then along with Ellie Law and Lady Dorothea “Daisy” Hamilton, her two best friends from Miss Honoria Burnett’s Ladies Academy, she starts an investigation business, King & Co., and to avoid scandal, they invent a fictitious man named Charles King to head the company and act as his agents. Two years later, she is happy with her life, but longs to experience passion, and decides to attend a scandalous party on her way back to London, in hopes of finding someone to share a kiss with. And she does, sharing a dance and then a toe-curling kiss that would have led to more if they had not been interrupted. Shocked by her behavior, Tess flees without learning the man’s name. She returns to London and is meeting with Ellie and Daisy at their investigation offices when a cloaked woman enters asking to see Mr. King. The woman turns out to be Queen Charlotte and she wants to hire them to catch a blackmailer, a job they are more than happy to accept. Tess and her friends are excited to work on this case, because if they are successful, not only will it pay well, but should bring more business, additionally, Tess is hoping that working the case will keep her mind so busy she will finally be able to forget her mystery lover. But fate isn’t quite done with Tess…

Justin Thornton is a very successful shipping magnate and as it turns out the new Duke of Wansford, after several other heirs died in rapid succession. Justin has no desire to take up the dukedom, but it isn’t a choice, it is his, whether he wants it or not. The solicitor suggests for him to go to London and take up his responsibilities, meet with the widowed Duchess of Wansford, and find a bride. Reluctantly he agrees and is in for the shock of his life, when the duchess turns out to be not only his mysterious Lady in Red, but Tess Townsend, a lovely debutante he saw two years ago who instantly caught his attention, but whom he never approached because he felt he had nothing to offer. Instantly Justin knows that she is the answer to all his duke-related problems, he just needs to set some boundaries to make sure they don’t do anything stupid, like fall in love.

This is a great start to a new series by Kate Bateman, featuring wonderful characters, an investigation agency, and good friends. I liked Tess and Justin, they were both strong leads, but they aren’t perfect, they both have trust issues and will have to work to get their HEA. This story is filled with emotion, secrets, blackmail, assassination attempts, instant attraction, steamy love scenes, cute puppies, good friends, misassumptions, a grand gesture that doesn’t go as planned, and finally a hard-won HEA complete with an epilogue. I enjoyed this story and will be anxiously looking forward to the next installment.

*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.*