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

It Had to Be a Duke by Vivienne Lorret

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It Had to Be a Duke (The Liar's Club, #1)It Had to Be a Duke by Vivienne Lorret

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Liar’s Club, #1

Release Date: November 28, 2023

Verity Hartley, the eldest daughter of Baron and Baroness Hartley, is not a liar by nature, but when she literally falls at the feet of Nell Hunnicutt, her snobbish neighbor who is bragging of her recent season in London and of all the offers of marriage she has come home to consider, Verity blurts out a lie to end all lies when she tells Nell that she is betrothed to the Magnus Warring, the Duke of Longhurst. Which is completely ludicrous, considering the Duke blames her family for the death of his father and the financial ruin of their estate, thanks to a scheme he alleges Verity’s father dreamed up to scam his father. But that doesn’t stop her falsehood from taking flight and landing her in an even bigger lie when the duke demands that she pretend to be engaged to him, but jilt him so he can marry the heiress he has been wooing without seeming dishonorable. She agrees because one, she caused this problem, and two, jilting the arrogant, self-righteous, pompous duke will be her pleasure. Besides, it’s not like she would ever fall in love with him or want to marry him in truth, why even the thought of it is beyond ridiculous!

Magnus, the Duke of Longhurst is a man who believes in family, duty, and honor, and for the last seven years, he has worked hard to pull his family out of the financial hole his father dug with his impulsive and reckless investments. He has been offered an investment opportunity that will not only restore his family’s fortunes but will also secure a livelihood for his younger brother, something his mother constantly reminds him of, but to invest, he will need money, and so he has set his sites on heiress Anna Snow, the daughter of Phineas Snow, the Button King, an obscenely rich merchant. But when he meets with Mr. Snow to ask for permission to marry Anna, he is turned down, because it turns out he is already betrothed to Miss Verity Hartley, the daughter of the man who ruined his life! He assures Mr. Snow that this is a misunderstanding and promises that it will all be taken care of without a scandal. But to protect his honor, he has no choice but to go along with Verity’s lie, first by proposing (so he isn’t lying – unlike SOME people) and then by demanding she breaks off the engagement after spending time with him in public to convince people that they really are betrothed. Once she dumps him, he will return to London and marry Miss Snow and forget this ever happened. It is a great plan and there is no reason why it won’t work exactly as planned because there is no way he would ever fall in love with her or want to marry her in truth, why even the thought of it is too preposterous to believe!

I enjoyed this story, I thought it was well-written and nicely paced, with wonderful characters and even a bit of a mystery thrown in to provide an interesting dash of intrigue. I loved the interactions between Magnus and Verity, especially their banter! As much as I dislike the trope, I felt the love triangle was handled well and the emotional growth of both Verity and Magnus was particularly well done, I even found myself tearing up a time or two wondering how they would ever be able to have a happily ever after. The story is filled with duty, honor, family, intrigue, secrets, lies, nasty neighbors, steamyish love scenes, surprising revelations, naked clergymen, a mischievous cat, more than one twist, and the promise of HEA. I do wish there had been an epilogue because it did feel like a few things were left hanging, but nothing major. Overall, I thought this was a wonderful start to a new series that I would happily recommend, and will be looking forward to future installments.

4.5 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.*

Not The Duke You Marry by Jess Michaels

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Not the Duke You Marry (The Kent's Row Duchesses #3)Not the Duke You Marry by Jess Michaels

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Kent’s Row Duchesses, #3

Release Date: November 14, 2023

Bernadette “Etta”, the widowed Duchess of Tunbridge is feeling a bit out of sorts after her two dearest friends marry. She is happy for them, but can’t help but feel a little jealous and maybe even sorry for herself. Her marriage was by no means a love match, for the most part, he ignored her, just as her parents had always done, but after his death, she moved to Kent Row and made friends, but now they are married and leaving and she wonders what is her next step. She considers taking a lover and even mentions it to her childhood friend Theodore “Theo” Tinsley, the Duke of Lightmorrow, who by all accounts is a rake of the first order. But that conversation doesn’t go well and she is embarrassed. Later she finds a letter addressed to her late husband from Donville Masquerade, a pleasure club, and her curiosity is piqued. She visits the club and decides to join, hoping to find a lover. But instead of an anonymous lover, it is Theo who finds her. He gives her a taste of pleasure, but immediately takes her home. She presses him and he agrees to engage in an affair but makes it clear that it is only about pleasure, nothing more. She agrees to his terms, but wonders if she will be able to keep her word, as Theo has always held a part of her heart.

Theo is and always has been attracted to Bernadette and considers her a friend, a friend he doesn’t want to lose. They embark on their affair and it is clear that they are perfectly matched in bed. Theo is amazed that her late husband didn’t want her, not only is she passionate, but she is clever, kind, and considerate – what more could a man want? As his feelings deepen, he begins to long for more from their relationship and wonders if Etta feels the same. But before he can declare his love and desire to marry her, a hurtful secret from his past will crush any hope he has of HEA with the woman he now knows he can’t live without.

In my opinion, this is the best book in the series. I loved Bernadette and Theo together, I felt their chemistry right from the beginning of the series and couldn’t wait for their story and it was well worth the wait! This book is filled with emotion, insecurity, friendship, a near-death experience, steamy love scenes, vindictive family members, a little heartache, forgiveness, and finally a lovely declaration scene leading to the start of their HEA and as if that wasn’t enough, there is also a very sweet epilogue featuring all the couples. I liked the previous books, but I LOVED this one and highly recommend it to readers who enjoy steamy friends-to-lovers stories. This is the third and final book in the series, but it could definitely be read as a standalone title.
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*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.*