Category: Novella

The Lord of the Highwaymen by Elizabeth Bramwell

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Lord of the Highwaymen (Hearts & Highways, #1)The Lord of the Highwaymen by Elizabeth Bramwell

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Hearts & Highways, #1

Release Date: July 30, 2020

The Honorable William Haddington, the heir to Viscount Haddington has loved Amelia “Amy”, Baroness Fellows for as long as he can remember and has already lost her once. Now that she is out of mourning, he doesn’t intend to let her get away again, but really has no idea how to woo her. With the help of his friends, he plans to tell her his true feelings at the masked ball they will both be attending.

Amelia has loved William since she was a girl, but her family need money and her father assured her that William’s father would never let his heir wed her and insisted that she marry Baron Fellows, a man old enough to be her grandfather. And to her surprise, she cared deeply for the Baron, who was a dear friend to her and taught her much about life. But as much as she cared for him, her heart longs for William and now that she has reentered society, she plans to let William know how she feels.

After much to-do and a nasty encounter with her step-son Archibald, they finally meet up in the conservatory at Lady Melbourne’s Masked Ball and from there William’s well thought out plan crumbles and Amelia leaves in a huff. Things don’t look good for our would-be lovers, but with the help of their friends, a wager and a highwayman – they might just find their HEA.

This was a fast paced, well written novella with likeable characters, sweet (kisses only) love scenes, interesting secondary characters and [I assume] a storyline that will continue in future installments. I would have preferred a little more steam and a bit more build up to the next novella since there were things that were not addressed in this installment that left me feeling a bit bewildered and the story incomplete. This is the first book in a new series and I assume that stories will be interconnected and have an ongoing storyline.

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

The Highlander’s Forbidden Mistress by Anna Campbell

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Highlander's Forbidden Mistress (The Lairds Most Likely, #7)The Highlander’s Forbidden Mistress by Anna Campbell

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Lairds Most Likely, #7

Release Date: June 30, 2020

Widow Selina Martin attends a house party with her betrothed, Cecil Canley-Smythe just weeks before they due to marry. Selina doesn’t love Cecil any more than she loved her late husband, but she does love her son Gerald and will willingly sacrifice her own happiness to ensure his future. She has finally resigned herself to a passionless, loveless marriage when a chance meeting changes everything.

A well-known rake, Brock Drummond, the Earl of Bruard, noticed Selina from the moment he laid eyes on her. He knows that she has noticed him too and makes sure they meet. She has just concluded a meeting with Cecil in the library and has taken a moment for herself before heading up to bed, when Brock makes himself known. They talk and she is surprisingly candid about her relationship with Cecil and why she must marry him. Brock offers her a week of pleasure; no strings attached and is surprised and excited when she agrees. And so, begins an affair that will rock them to their core and may break their hearts and shatter their perfectly constructed plan when it ends!

This was a very well written book, with likable characters that were easy to sympathize with, some very HOT love scenes, a true hero moment at the end and a nice HEA complete with an epilogue. So why not 5 stars? Sigh – she was betrothed to another man and cheated on him with Brock – I just can’t like that – if she wasn’t actually betrothed, if she was just being courted with the expectation of marriage – I might have been less upset, but I felt like she made a commitment to Cecil and she went behind his back and had an affair, with the intention of keeping it from him and marrying him. That is just not something I can nonchalantly overlook. This is the seventh book in the series and can easily be read as a standalone title. Despite my disappointment in the heroine’s cheating, I know this doesn’t bother everyone and if you fall in that category, I would happily recommend this book.