Georgian Era (1714-1837) – Page 67 – Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

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

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.*

TourBanner_Precious Burdens

Bookcover_PreciousBurden

Sarafina di Ramonicci sets sail for America as the promised bride in an arranged political marriage. Taken prisoner at sea, she clashes with her captor and demands freedom, only to discover he is planning her future husband’s demise, with her as a pawn in their deadly feud. The challenge of escape tests her loyalty to family, human decency, and love.

Captain Nye Tarquin is a dangerous man. Left to die on the streets of New Orleans, he swears retribution on the man responsible. When he makes Sarafina part of his plan, he isn’t prepared for the fiery vixen aboard his ship, nor his desire to claim her as his own. When passion overtakes honor, he’s torn between his heart and his need for justice.

Excerpt:

For a brief moment, his eyes softened. But it was short-lived. In the next breath, his gaze hardened, and his jaw twitched as he turned towards the house.

She pulled him back. “Tell me, Nye! Why can’t you tell me?”

He leaned down and came within a breath of her, their noses almost touching. “Look in my eyes, Sarafina. Do you see compassion for you—or anyone? No. Because I lack those feelings,” he supplied, his raspy voice straining to shout.

Sarafina brushed passed him and marched into the manor, Nye close behind. She stopped and turned so quickly he had to swiftly move aside to keep from toppling over her.

“You are not your demons, Nye.”

Cursing the increasing heat of the day, he removed his jacket and tossed it onto the closest piece of furniture, then untied his cravat. He caught his reflection in the massive mirror planted above the sideboard. His neck was exposed, and he looked disgustedly at the jagged scar. The wound had not only changed his appearance but also permanently damaged his voice. He braced his hands on the sideboard and avoided his own reflection. He couldn’t forgive all the pain he’d endured during his recovery. However, it was this ruination that had brought him Sarafina. He used to lie awake and dream of the different ways he’d make Cornell pay for what he’d done. Now, he lay awake thinking of a lady he wasn’t worthy of.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Avery Sterling’s love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create. Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance.

CONNECT WITH AVERY:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads ~ BookBub ~ X (formerly Twitter) ~ Amazon

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GIVEAWAY:

Avery Sterling will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

TRACY’S REVIEW:

Precious Burdens by Avery Sterling

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: N/A

Release Date: August 28, 2023

When Captain Nye Tarquin is beaten and left for dead on the streets of New Orleans, he is saved by his friend and business partner Alderic. Barely clinging to life, he vows to live and make Ellis Cornell, the man responsible, pay. And so begins his vendetta to destroy Cornell, which has been easy up to now, and while Nye is clever and wiley, he was not prepared for Sarafina di Ramonicci, daughter of Conte di Ramonicci, a rich and powerful nobleman from Malta. Soon Nye finds himself falling for his beautiful prisoner, and he will have to choose between his desire for vengeance and his desire for the feisty beauty who holds his heart.

Sarafina “Fina” is sailing to America from Malta to marry a man chosen by her father, when her ship is captured by Captain Tarquin. At first, Sarafina is outraged and gives no quarter, but as time passes and she gets to know the man who is holding her captive, she begins to fall for the gritty Captain. She knows two things for sure, one she will never marry Ellis Cornell, and two she will always love Nye Tarquin, even if she hates him.

This was a quick read, with an old-school historical romance feel. The book is filled with action, adventure, an evil villain, steamyish love scenes, great secondary characters, heartache, angst, and wrapping up with a HEA that didn’t seem like it was going to happen. I liked this book, but I didn’t love it, mostly because of the ending and because there was no epilogue, and in my opinion, this book really, really, really needed an epilogue. Overall, I thought the writing was very good and I enjoyed the author’s writing style, so therefore would consider reading more of her work.

3 stars