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

When the Viscount Wanted Me by Lydia Lloyd

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When the Viscount Wanted Me (The Rake Chronicles #2)When the Viscount Wanted Me by Lydia Lloyd

Tracy’s rating: 3/3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Rake Chronicles, #2

Release Date: January 16, 2024

Hugh “Trem” Aldershot, Lord Tremberly is livid when he overhears the very drunk Earl of Hartley spewing lies about his best friend’s little sister, Lady Henrietta Breminster, and promptly carts the man to the Duke of Edington’s house to clear things up and set the foxed Earl straight! But things do not go as planned when Henrietta intercepts them in the foyer and confirms that the Earl’s ramblings are true, but is clear – she won’t marry him. Trem is shocked and if truth be told a little (OK, a lot) intrigued and realizes that he is seeing Henrietta in a new light – no longer as just John’s little sister, but a fully grown, beautiful woman. But he knows that she is completely off limits and though he might be a rake, there are lines that he won’t cross – until he does! He accepts Henrietta’s choice and vows to help her be rid of the pesky Earl, but close proximity to her proves to be his undoing and the two embark on a steamy affair. But it isn’t long before he realizes she is the woman for him and proposes, she says yes, but almost immediately disappears, leaving Trem no choice but to follow her.

Lady Henrietta Breminster, sister to John Breminster, the Duke of Edington, can’t believe that Hartley is trying to ruin her reputation and belatedly realizes that Justin, Lord Hartley was perhaps not the best choice to teach her about passion. She thought since they were friends, they could share a night of passion without having to worry about being forced to marry. Clearly, she was wrong since he has proposed, been rejected, and is still hellbent on marrying her. Thankfully, Trem has promised to help her and when they ended up engaged, she is thrilled as she has been in love with him for as long as she could remember. But she knows that if she wants a true love match, she will have to share her deepest, darkest secrets with him. But before she confesses all, she wants to know more about her birth mother and takes off without telling him. Which will just be one more bad decision she makes before they finally get their HEA.

Just like the last book, I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I liked Trem quite a bit, but Henrietta was TSTL, seriously, she was selfish, self-centered, impulsive, and lacked common sense. The book does have a deeper emotional undertone, as well as some humorous banter, angry brothers, rakes, a suitor that won’t take no for an answer, secrets, steamy love scenes, emotional growth, great secondary characters and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I will not deny that Ms. Lloyd has talent and I am sure with time she will refine her writing style to eliminate the excessive dialogue and smooth out the flow of the story to keep it on a steady pace. Hopefully, she will also take some time to learn about the etiquette and protocols of the era she is writing in, as well as, correct titles and formal address. I am not a historical purist by any stretch of the imagination, and I enjoy relatable characters – but relatable through emotion and experience, not because they are 21st-century characters in period dress, because if I wanted 21st-century ideals and morals, I would read contemporary romance. Overall, this was a good story that filled in some of the blanks missing from the first book, while still being its own story and not a retelling of the previous book. This is the second book in the series, and while there is a connection to the first book, this book could easily be read as a standalone title.

*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.*

My Dearest Duke by Collette Cameron

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My Dearest Duke (Seductive Scoundrels #13)My Dearest Duke by Collette Cameron

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Seductive Scoundrels, #13 (Originally Published as Loved by the Lyon)

Release Date: November 20, 2023 (reissued)

Vanessa Becket is mere days away from gaining her inheritance when her odious step-brother Owen Elligon goes too far. For weeks Vanessa has known that Owen has been stealing from her, but she has turned a blind eye, until now, when he stole an heirloom left to her by her mother, that has passed from mother to daughter for generations, and with the recent death of both her brother and mother, she cannot lose anything else connected to her true family. So Vanessa tracks Owen to Fortuna, a notorious gaming hell and social club, owned by the infamous Mrs. Dorrian-Lane aka The Wicked Widow of Whitechapel, a well-known matchmaker for the elite. Vanessa makes her way into the club and manages to find Owen, but before she can confront him, she is caught by an employee and comes face to face with a man she hasn’t seen in years – Kingston Barclay, her late brother Gabriel’s best friend. When Owen arrives on the scene, declaring himself Vanessa’s guardian and promptly informs her he has promised her in marriage, Mrs. Dorrian-Lane gets involved and offers another idea, that Vanessa marry Kingston, after all, he was there to hire her to find him an heiress.

Kingston returned from the war a changed man, not just because of the wounds he endured, he also harbors incredible guilt over the death of his best friend, Gabriel Becket, that guilt was magnified upon learning that his father passed away leaving his siblings penniless and alone to fend for themselves. Kingston is the heir presumptive to the Duke of Caerleon, but the duke hates him and won’t help his family, leaving Kingston with no choice but to marry a heiress. But because of the vow he made upon Gabriel’s death and the secret Kingston must keep from her, there is no way he can marry Vanessa, or is there? When Vanessa proposes a temporary marriage, it seems like the perfect solution, until he falls in love with the one woman he can never have.

This was a well-written, nicely-paced story with very likable characters and a lot of emotion. Kingston and Vanessa have a great rapport, making it very easy to root for their happily ever after. The story has a lot of emotion, some heartache, secrets, family, healing, very mild to almost closed-door love scenes, forgiveness, and finally their HEA complete with an epilogue. I did feel like Kingston’s secret was built up to be a major plot point and ended up being anti-climatic, but ultimately it didn’t diminish my enjoyment and I would happily recommend this book to my fellow HR readers. This book was originally published as Loved by the Lyon and is now being republished as a part of the Seductive Scoundrels series, with ties to several other series.

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.*