Category: Historical Paranormal/Fantasy

A Duke at the Door by Susanna Allen

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

A Duke at the Door (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde, #3)A Duke at the Door by Susanna Allen

Tracy’s rating:  3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde, #3

Release Date: August 23, 2022

After years of being held captive in his animal form, Alwyn ap Lewin, the Duke of Llewellyn was finally able to free himself from his captors and made his way to Carlton House and the Prince of Wales. Alwyn is not well, he was not treated well, and now that he is back in his human form, his Lion is nowhere to be found, causing him more suffering. Anxious to help, the Prince sends him to recuperate at Lowell Close and then summons Miss Tabitha Barrington.

Tabitha and her younger brother Timothy have recently returned to England after 10 years of traveling abroad. During that time, Tabitha a gifted healer and apothecary honed her skills and knowledge and was much sought after. And now it is those skills that the Prince asks her to use to heal Alwyn. He explains the situation to her and tells her of the “versipelles” (shifters), something few humans are privileged to know. Not sure what she can do, she and her brother travel to Lowell Close and settle in. They are immediately welcomed by the “pack” and Tabitha meets Alwyn. She makes no move to “cure” him and just spends time with him, which intrigues him. Soon, Alwyn is making progress and begins to think that Tabitha might be his fated mate, but before things progress too far, Tabitha begins to shy away from him, afraid to face her growing feelings. But when the villain who captured Alwyn comes back for him, she can no longer deny what she feels and will risk her life to save him, but is she willing to risk her heart as well?

I liked the story, but I am not a huge fan of the author’s writing style or her inflated/obscure vocabulary. For me, the story was very slow-moving for a good part of the book, but once the villain is unmasked, the story takes off and doesn’t stop until the very end. I think what I enjoyed the most was the relationship between Tabitha and her brother Timothy, and her “suitors” were amusing and added some much-needed levity to the book. Overall, this was a very emotional read with a resilient hero, a reluctant heroine, a lot of secondary characters, healing, acceptance, warm love scenes, and finally a hard-won HEA. This is the third book in the series, but I believe this story could 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.*

The Lord Pretender by Sawyer North

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

The Lord PretenderThe Lord Pretender by Sawyer North

Tracy’s rating: 3/3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Red Lion Ladies, #1

Release Date: June 20, 2022

When Emma Watts’s father dies and she learns that he gambled away everything at the notorious Prometheans’ Club, she becomes bent on revenge. She decides to make the members pay and starts snooping around, looking for anything that she can use to ruin the members. Concerned by her actions, Simon Pike, the Earl of Blackburn offers to look into the matter and take care of it. Simon knows that women shouldn’t be underestimated and that they are more than capable of destroying someone – he just has to look to his mother for proof of that.

Emma and Simon share an immediate attraction, that they both ignore as they are intent on destroying the other. But when a lightning bolt strikes a bit too close and they wake up in each other’s bodies, there will be no ignoring the other until they find a way to switch back!

This was a quirky take on “Freaky Friday” with a regency twist. The book was a bit slow to start, but once they switch bodies, it does pick up speed. The book is filled with witty banter, situation comedy, an interesting mix of secondary characters, and finally a HEA. For me, this book was not what I hoped for, the romance wasn’t there and the book had zero steam, which I can deal with, but I think the author missed out on incorporating a very unique love scene into this book. Anyway, it was a fun read that I am sure many people will enjoy, but personally, I think Katharine Ashe did this story better in her book “My Lady, My Lord”.

*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.*