Category: Novella

Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh

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

Someone to Remember (Westcott #7)Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Westcott, #7

Release Date: November 05, 2019

If you have been following the Westcott series, you know that at the end of Someone to Honor, Lady Matilda Westcott – Abigail’s maiden aunt, goes to see Charles Sawyer, Viscount Dirkson and asks him to help Gilbert get custody of his daughter. In that book, it is clear to the reader that Charles and Matilda share a past and did not part on the best of terms, but the reader is never enlightened about what transpired and when.

Lady Matilda acts as caregiver/companion to her mother, the dowager Countess of Riverdale, she is fifty-six and has never married, but that doesn’t mean she was never in love or never wanted to marry, truth is, she was in love and wanted to marry Charles Sawyer, but her parents forbid the match and Matilda sent him away. Looking back, she believes it was the right choice, Charles went on to father an illegitimate child (Gilbert) and became a renowned rake, even after he married and sired 3 children. Matilda will admit to herself that she never stopped loving Charles, but wonders if he ever really loved her. It took all her courage to seek him out to help Abigail’s husband Gilbert and talking to him stirred up old feelings she has tried hard to bury. She was sure the worst was over, but now she has been invited to a family dinner honoring him for his assistance.

Charles doesn’t want to go to dinner any more than Matilda wants him there, but a small part of him needs to know why he has never forgotten her and why she is the only woman he has ever loved. At dinner he is annoyed about how she is treated by her mother and how her family largely ignores her, he tries to talk to her, but she brushes him off. Later when some of the young adult children want to visit Kew Gardens, Charles volunteers to chaperon and asks Matilda to help.
She goes to the gardens and is assaulted by memories of her courtship with Charles, later at the top of pagoda, he kisses her – just like he did 36 years ago. Thus begins a sweet courtship of two people who made mistakes years ago and are lucky enough to be granted a second chance at love.

This was a very sweet read, no real conflict, no drama and no villains, just two older people recapturing a love they shared 36 years ago. It is short, but well written and paced nicely, the love scenes are limited to kisses and the “courtship” does move rather quickly, but I felt considering their shared past, it was believable and I was rooting for their HEA.

This is the seventh book in the series, but it can easily be a stand-alone, however, if you read Someone to Honor – you will definitely want to read this book too, because it will answer the lingering questions you might have had at the end of that story. Either way, it is a very sweet read and I am happy to recommend it.

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

Earl of Charm by Maggie Dallen

On By BarbaraIn Author Collaboration Series, Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), NovellaLeave a comment

Earl of Charm (Wicked Earls' Club)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Wicked Earl’s Club #17
Publication Date: 10/22/19
Number of Pages: 98

This was a lovely sweet addition to the Wicked Earl’s Club – Christmas edition. It was well-written and the story was lovely and uplifting. I loved the characters and can’t wait to read more about them in the spinoff series – The School of Charm. It was also lovely to have a brief visit with a former Wicked Earl, the Earl of Davenport, and his lovely wife.

Alexander (Alex) Gordon admired his older brother, Frederick, – well adored is more like it. Alex thought that his father was a wonderful earl and that Frederick was even better. Frederick was handsome, charming, full of vitality, wise – all of the things that made up an excellent earl. There is no way shy, studious, tongue-tied, quiet, honest, and brusque Alex can ever hope to fill his shoes. Except, that is exactly what has to happen thanks to Frederick’s tragic death in a hunting accident. While the former Earl’s of Charmain took delight in being called the Earl of Charm, Alex knew it would devolve into a derisive term during his tenure because charming is one thing he definitely was not.

Lady Clara Lovelace is the daughter of a disgraced line. None of it is her fault, her father the Marquess of Tarlow, had bankrupted the estate and then killed himself leaving Clara and her sister Edith with nothing and totally dependent on the charity of family members. She is now the companion of Gertrude Trumbolt, Dowager Duchess of Redmayne – also affectionately known as Aunt Gertie to Alex and his sister.

As Christmas nears, Clara and Aunt Gertie visit with Alex and his sister. Clara is charming and lovely and she quickly agrees to help Alex become more charming. Her best advice is for him to actually listen to the speaker rather than thinking of what his next comment should be – or even worse – instead of woolgathering. As they work together, he is more and more smitten and so is she, but they can never be. Because of her family scandal, she would only bring his family down, and he is expected to fulfill his brother’s obligation to his fiancée.

Will they get a Christmas miracle? Will his brother’s fiancée insist on marriage between herself and Alex? You’ll just have to read this delightful tale to find out for yourself.