Category: Historical Paranormal/Fantasy

Lady in the Grove by Jane Charles

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

Lady in the Grove (Magic & Mayhem #6)Lady in the Grove by Jane Charles

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Magic & Mystery, #1 / Magic & Mayhem, #6

Release Date: May 16, 2023

Orion Drakos, the second son of the Earl and Countess of Wharton, has returned to Nightshade Manor in Bocka Morrow to attend the wedding of his cousin Damon Norcott and Cordelia Vail. After the ceremony as he is speaking to Damon when he notices movement at the edge of the grove and sees Damon’s niece Nephele coming out of the wood and asks her what she was doing when she approaches them. Nephele tells him she was speaking to the lady in the grove – intrigued Orion convinces her to show him where she saw the lady and is astounded to learn that the grove extends passed the boxwoods, which he always believed was the edge of the grove. She shows him an opening in the hedge and they enter a clearing with a folly and he sees her, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She is upset by his presence and asks him to leave, when he doesn’t, she does. Orion can’t forget about her and even dreams of her. Determined to get answers, he returns day after day until he finds out that she is Nina Jourdain, the sister of Cassian, the French emigrant that was taken in by his aunt and uncle when he survived a shipwreck that killed his family. But in truth, Cassian saved Nina and begged the Dryads of the grove to save her life, they do but the price is high, Nina will live, but she can never leave the grove.

Orion falls hard for her, but Nina can’t let herself fall for him in return, she has led a quiet life and knows from experience that she cannot leave the grove, so how could she ever consider falling in love or having a family? But Orion isn’t about to give up, he doesn’t care if she can’t leave, he will stay! They seem to be at an impasse and she is firm in her refusal to marry him or even believe he loves her. But her choices are limited and none will give them a true HEA unless they can find a way for her to survive outside the grove, a feat that seems impossible even for a family of witches, or is it?

This was such a great story and I love returning to Bocka Morrow and the witches of Nightshade Manor as well as all the magical beings that reside there, kudos to Jane Charles (and many other authors) who has created this world and kept it going! In this story, I especially loved Orion’s determination to be with Nina and the addition of dryads (tree nymphs) and nereids (water nymphs). I did think the story dragged a bit in the middle, but the ending more than makes up for that! And I wish there had been a bit of heat in the love scenes and that the epilogue had more of their HEA. Overall this was a delightful read and I cannot wait for Pierce’s story!

*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.*

Violet and the Bow Street Runner by Emily Larkin

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Violet and the Bow Street Runner (Garland Cousins #2)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: Garland Cousins #2
Publication Date: 2/20/22
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 456

Whew! This was a truly entertaining read and it was just what I needed in this very stressful year. The characters are bright, funny, entertaining, smart, and serious, and they’ll make you laugh out loud, smile, chortle, guffaw, and shake your head. You could feel the chemistry between Perry and Violet coming right off the page, and when you add an excellent mystery on top of that – well – you just won’t be able to put the book down.

Lady Violet Garland, the spinster daughter of the Duke of Sevenash, shares a secret with all of the ladies in her family. At the age of twenty-one, she and each of her sisters were given a ‘gift’ by a mean-tempered fairy godmother, Baletongue. Violet chose the ability to fly as her gift and she has loved flying over London every night for the last few years. It is exciting and exhilarating, and the majesty of the city below leaves her breathless. She is in the air one night when she sees a person she knows leaving a ball – and he is being followed by someone. Hmmm – she wonders why that is and with unbridled curiosity sets about following the follower. That works fine, but he senses her – and he traps her! Nobody has ever had a clue she was above them before – how did he know? What is he going to do?

Periander (Perry) Wintersmith was raised within the ton as the nephew of a Viscount – until his father gambled away their fortune and killed himself. The Viscount was so scandalized and disgraced that he snatched Periander and his two brothers up and put them in the military where they were immediately sent to India. Perry was the only one of them to survive and he’s only back in England because he promised his mother he’d leave the military and stay where it was safe. His mother is now deceased, he’s barely making enough money to keep the most meager roof over his head, and he’s considering joining his old military unit again.

Sir Mortimer, Bow Street Magistrate, has pulled Perry from his regular clerical duties and made him a temporary Principal Officer to handle a case brought to them by Lord Abbishaw. It appears that Lord Abbishaw collects very naughty mechanical clocks – and somebody is stealing them. Oh! My! Perry has narrowed the suspect list down and will start with the top of the list and follow him until he determines guilt or innocence – and then move on to the next. As he is following his suspect, his scalp tingles – and he keeps getting impressions of some distortion reflected in the windows. What can it be? Well – he’ll just find out by trapping whatever it is. Oops – imagine his surprise when what he catches is a beautiful woman.

Violet and Perry begin to work together – and play together. They run across roofs and develop tools to make it easier and they follow suspects. Their time together brings them together emotionally as well – but, nothing can ever come of it – after all, he is a Bow Street Runner and she is a duke’s daughter.

I loved violet’s exuberance for life and her insatiable curiosity. I also loved watching Violet and Perry learning to love and trust each other. This was a delightful read; I hope you will love it as much as I did.

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