Category: Movie / Story Retelling

Better Than A Duke by Suzanne Enoch

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Rom-Com, Movie / Story Retelling, Regency Era (1811-1820), Rom Com, Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

Better Than a DukeBetter Than a Duke by Suzanne Enoch

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone Title

Release Date: March 3, 2026

Iris Silbern is a spirited and resilient widow with a young son and a family that is pushing her to accept a marriage proposal from a wealthy, elderly duke. Iris has no desire to remarry and refuses to let society or family dictate her future. Her sharp wit, humor, and fierce devotion to her young son make her relatable and endearing and she isn’t afraid to challenge the expectations placed upon her by the ton. She brings a refreshing honesty and strength to her interactions, particularly with Beckett and his daughter, Rebecca. Her journey is filled with difficult choices necessary to secure her son’s well-being while remaining true to her heart.

Beckett Raines, the Marquis of Hentrose, is a widower whose sense of duty to his daughter Rebecca leads him to seek out a proper, practical wife, rather than a love match. Though initially determined to follow the path of reason over emotion and pursue Lady Pauline Grenedy, his mother’s choice for his bride, Beckett is quickly charmed by his unconventional new neighbor, Iris, and her son Edmund. Beckett forms genuine relationships with not just Iris, but also with her son, whom he welcomes into his daughter’s life. His feelings make him question his decisions, but circumstances and past experience make it hard for him to follow his heart.

I thought this was a fun, light-hearted Regency-era “Parent Trap” story that incorporates lots of humor, heartfelt moments, and a dash of mischief. The matchmaking schemes of Rebecca and Edmund truly steal the spotlight as they plot to match their parents in true Parent Trap style. The romance between Iris and Beckett is both endearing and emotional but was dimmed by a strong other-woman presence that lasts way too long and gave me big cheating vibes as Beckett is courting Lady Pauline with intentions of marriage while having an affair with Iris. Overall, this historical romance that delivers fun romance with a happy ending and if you enjoy movie adaptations, this book should be a win for you.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

 

The Earl That Got Away by Diana Quincy

On By TracyIn America's Gilded Age (1870-1900), Movie / Story Retelling, Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Earl That Got Away (Sirens in Silk, #2)The Earl That Got Away by Diana Quincy

Tracy Rating: 3 Maybe 3.5 of 5 Stars

Series: Sirens in Silk #2

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Once upon a time Miss Naila Darwish met Basil Trevelyn in Philadelphia and fell in love. So in love, that when he proposed she was happy to accept, but later she was worried that her family would disapprove and ultimately rejected him. She returned to Brooklyn and tried to convince herself that she had done the right thing, but her heart never forgot. Fast forward eight years, Naila’s sister Raya is getting married to the Duke of Strickland in England and Naila and her relatives have arrived for the wedding. They are at a ball to celebrate the betrothal when Naila is introduced to the duke’s best friend, the Earl of Hawksworth, also happens to be Basil Trevelyn, her long lost love. At first, she thinks she is being given a second chance, but it soon becomes obvious that Basil doesn’t feel the same.

Basil Trevelyn never expected to see Naila again after she broke his heart in Philadelphia. No long after she left him, he learned that a distant cousin and his sons died making him the new Earl of Hawksworth, a title he never expected to inherit. Seeing Naila again makes wonder what happened to her, she is nothing like the vibrant, bold girl he met in America, and tells himself it doesn’t matter, he is over her and she is only interested now because he is an Earl. To prove to himself that he is over Naila, he tells Raya that he is looking for a bride and even agrees to host Naila and her family while Raya and Strickland are away on their honeymoon. Let the angst begin…

This is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion with a unique spin; as Diana Quincy has taken that book and made it her own by incorporating a multicultural aspect to the story. Naila is American, but comes from a traditional Arabic family, her parents immigrated to America from Palestine and have raised their family to hold fast to their beliefs – which is a big part of the reason Naila didn’t marry Basil when they first met. The story is filled with miscommunication, misunderstanding, angst, longing, regret, jealousy, flashbacks, warm love scenes, second chances, more misunderstanding, meddling relatives, and finally a HEA. I accept the fact that the book needed both the time during and after of their meeting in Philadelphia, but I felt like the alternating chapter flashbacks made the first part of the book drag, I would have preferred the story in two parts rather than mixed together. I liked this book, but not nearly as much as the first book, in fact the scenes with Raya and Strickland acting stupid in love were my favorite parts of the book.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *