Category: Novella

Worth of a Lady by Tarah Scott & Sue-Ellen Welfonder

On By TracyIn Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Worth of a Lady (The Marriage Maker Book 1)Worth of a Lady by Tarah Scott
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Marriage Maker, #1)

Release Date: April 30, 2017

The Duke of Roxburgh has had enough, he has no male heir and his daughter Chastity will inherit, but he wants her to marry and have an heir before he dies, to date, she has managed to evade marriage for herself and her three sisters. So the duke threatens to marry her off to an old man if she doesn’t marry within two months. Chastity is angry, but knows her father is not bluffing, so she makes a deal, if her father can find a man who can find matches for her three sisters within a month, she will marry him.

Enter Sir James Stirling, he will find husbands for the sisters and then marry Lady Chastity, the reader is not privy to how the duke and Stirling meet, but Stirling is serious about marrying Chastity. He visits his friend and surrogate brother Quinn Ramsey, Baron Denly aka the Devil of Denly and reminds him of his promise to his dying father to marry. Quinn is a rake and happy to remain so, he tells Stirling he will marry when Stirling does. Stirling then announces that he will be marrying in five weeks and tells Quinn to prepare to meet his bride.

Lucy is the youngest daughter of the duke and the prettiest, she wants to marry, but is not sure that her father’s plan will work. She meets Quinn and is not overly impressed, but he is attractive and seems nice, until she learns he didn’t know about the plan with the duke and Stirling, she tells him and he laughs, he doesn’t plan to marry any time soon. But when he sees Lucy dancing with other men, he admits to being jealous and when another man claims her for a waltz, he announces to all that they are betrothed.

They marry days later and seem to be a perfect match. Chastity isn’t willing to concede defeat to Stirling and tells him that Lucy was the easiest to marry off, he baits her and she calls him a rogue, he says that just makes him interesting and that she will have the rest of her life to find out how interesting.

This was a very short story, but is was surprisingly good and fleshed out. I am now eager to find out who Stirling will pair the other sisters with and how he will win over Chastity.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*

The Traitor’s Club: Caleb by Laura Landon

On By TracyIn Novella, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Traitor's Club: Caleb (The Traitor's Club, #4)The Traitor’s Club: Caleb by Laura Landon

Series: The Traitor’s Club, #4

Release Date: January 30, 2018

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Caleb Parker is the final bachelor standing in the “Traitor’s Club”. Caleb has no desire to join the ranks of the blissfully domesticated. He is happy for his “brothers”, but is perfectly content to remain single.

The story starts with a tiny thief stealing Caleb’s breakfast, he catches the child and learns that the boy is a homeless, orphan. He also learns of a woman who runs a home for orphans outside of London. Caleb takes the boy to Southern Oaks, the home run by Eleanor, the widowed Countess of Grattling.

Eleanor is being harassed by a henchman for Vince Blackboot, a crime lord in St. Giles. Blackboot has a problem with Eleanor rescuing homeless children, he wants the children, so he can sell them to workhouses and brothels. Bryant, his henchman is currently trying to claim one of the children as his own, Eleanor calls his bluff and he strikes her – he is ready to hit her again, when Caleb intervenes. After a brief misunderstanding on Eleanor’s part, she realizes that Caleb is a very decent man and offers him a job.

Caleb takes the job of guarding Eleanor and the children very seriously and saves Eleanor more than once. He is shocked by his reaction to her and tells himself that nothing can come of it – he is the son of a common laborer and she is a Countess and granddaughter of a Duke. But the heart wants what the heart wants.

Eleanor has a huge heart and an enormous capacity for love. She is equally attracted to Caleb, but has her own reasons for keeping him at arm’s length.

This is a short novella, but it packs quite a punch! There is action, angst, betrayal, steamy kisses, sweet children and a very sweet epilogue with a Traitor’s Club reunion. The only reason I didn’t give the book 5 stars is because I felt like Eleanor’s secret dragged on a little too long. This is the fourth book in the series, but it could easily be read as a stand alone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*