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 Last Lord Standing by Diana Lloyd

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

The Last Lord StandingThe Last Lord Standing by Diana Lloyd

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: What Happens In The Ballroom, #3

Release Date: May 15, 2023

Lady Olivia Liberty “Libby” Chalford is the youngest child of the Earl and Countess of Winchcombe and the only child who is still unmarried, she is sure her parents want to marry her off, which is something to which she is adamantly opposed, she has other plans for her future, plans her parents and society at large would probably balk at, she wants to start a “modern” charity for the poor. She has given this a lot of thought and plans to put herself in the shoes of the poor to truly understand their plight and thanks to the help of her maid, she has been given the opportunity to work as a shopgirl in the theater district. She just needs to figure out how to work there without her family learning of it. The answer to that dilemma comes in the form of a handsome man spilling punch on her and then insisting they dance as if nothing happened. That dance leads to a kiss and the start of an unusual friendship.

Kerrigan “Kerr” Northam is the second son of a second son, he hasn’t decided what he wants to do with his life and currently runs a charity for widows of sailors, he also claims to be England’s greatest liar. He meets Libby when he accidentally spills punch on her at her birthday ball, an event he was not invited to. He notices her distress over a friend giving her the cut direct and insists that they dance, despite the punch staining her gown. When they part, she kisses him and he believes that they will never meet again, but fate has plans, and when three different friends approach him thinking he is acquainted with Libby. Each of them expresses interest in courting her, but for different reasons cannot court her for a few weeks and want Kerr to “watch” her and keep other potential suitors away. Kerr thinks this is hilarious and agrees because it will give him some more time with her, but his lies are piling up and when their feelings deepen, he doesn’t know how to make things right. Can he prove to her that not everything was a lie or is it too late?

This was an interesting read, I have never read this author before and her writing style took me a little time to acclimate to, but once I did, I found her approach to dialogue very refreshing. This book has a lot going on, there are lies, secrets, witty banter, wonderful secondary characters, social differences, more lies, steamyish love scenes, a guillotine that causes marriage, a couple of triggers, misassumptions, surprising twists, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. This is the third book in the series, but I had no problem reading this book without the benefit of reading the first two, however, now I want to read them too… I enjoyed this book and am happy to recommend it, but be warned that there are some triggers that may upset sensitive readers such as sexual assault and physical abuse – I thought the author handled them very well and with sensitivity, but they are both a bit graphic.

*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.*

Earls Rush In by Jennifer Haymore

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

Earls Rush InEarls Rush In by Jennifer Haymore

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: May 8, 2023

Life has not been easy for Miss Charlotte Chapman after the death of her beloved brother Chris, the Baron Chapman almost two years ago. Making matters worse, her uncle, the new baron has made it clear that Charlotte and her younger sister, Celine are no longer welcome in the house and must leave by the two-year anniversary of Chris’ passing in just a few months. Charlotte had always hoped for a love match and turned down suitors prior to her brother’s death, but now with the threat of homelessness looming, she can’t afford to hold on to that dream, and to save her sister, she is willing to accept the proposal of her only suitor, Reginald Bagshaw. But unbeknownst to her, her brother’s best friend, Finn will never let her marry Bagshaw, and he is willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that doesn’t happen, which is exactly how she ended up stranded with him at an inn during a blizzard, pretending to be his wife.

Finneas “Finn” Jones, the Earl of Trevelyan has loved Charlotte for as long as he can remember but knows he is not worthy of her and that if she ever found out the truth of her brother’s death, she would hate him. But there is no way he will let her make the mistake of a lifetime by marrying Reginald Bagshaw. Without his usual thoughtful planning, Finn rushes to stop her by basically kidnapping her. He planned to take her to Scotland, but the weather has other plans and when they are forced to share a room as husband and wife, Finn will be tempted beyond measure. A temptation Charlotte would happily make a reality, but Finn hasn’t been totally honest with Charlotte and as much as he would love to spend his life with her by his side, he knows the truth will make her hate him and he will lose her completely. So he holds her at arm’s length and promises to find her a husband before her uncle’s deadline. But can he actually hand her over to another man or is there a way to keep her without telling her everything about her brother’s death?

This well-written, nicely-paced story was an enjoyable read even though parts of it were a bit hard to believe. I thought that Finn and Charlotte were both likable characters, who seemed to balance each other nicely, making them an easy couple to root for. The story did have a few things happening that I personally had a hard time believing, such as her uncle kicking them out without a penny; his own nieces who are young unmarried women, one of whom is just 16 years old. There were other things that were a bit far-fetched, but I don’t want to spoil the story and they were not earth-shattering, but did make me shake my head in disbelief. The book was filled with lies, secrets, wonderful secondary characters, steamyish love scenes, duels, a bit of heartache, and finally a HEA including an epilogue. This book is a standalone title ( I am hoping that the author decides to give some of the secondary characters their own HEA) so if you are new to this author, this is the perfect book to start with.

*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.*