The Wallflower’s Stocking by Jane Charles

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Ties to “The Reluctant Rake” (Available on Amazon) and “Christmas Bauble” (Free on the author’s website)

Release Date: December 9, 2022

Last Christmas Eve, Lady Gaia Evans and Zachariah Radburn, the new Marquess of Lydell met in a brothel after they were both waylaid by a blizzard. They spent the evening talking and made plans to meet again in London and she promised to save him a waltz. Sadly, they didn’t manage to reconnect during the season as Zachariah was snubbed due to the evil doings of his cousin the former Marquess, and left town before Gaia arrived. But fate wasn’t done with this couple and they meet again in Bath when Gaia’s brother Angelo introduces them and is surprised to learn that they have already met!

Gaia spent a miserable season in London and was disappointed when Zachariah never appeared. Despite being very popular in her mother’s homeland of Italy, she found herself more comfortable with the wallflowers. When her mother suggested they move to Bath for Christmastide, she was happy to leave – until she learned that her mother had plans to find her a husband! Her brother offered to introduce her to one of his friends and she was beyond delighted when Angelo’s friend turned out to be the handsome stranger she spent last Christmas Eve with. She immediately felt the connection they had shared and hoped to get to know him better.

Zachariah was just as happy to see Gaia as she was to see him, he had thought of her many times over the last year and was sorry that he never got to claim his waltz. He would have waited for her, but the treatment he received in London made it clear that he was not welcome, thanks in part to his American heritage, but mostly because of his cousin’s actions, even though he never met the man. Left to raise his cousin’s daughter Alice, he could only hope that one day the gossip would die down when the ton saw that he was nothing like the former Marquess. Now it seems as if his luck is changing and he has been given a second chance with Gaia – a chance he won’t squander! But when it becomes clear that his cousin’s vile doings have hit closer to home than he thought, any chance for a HEA seems impossible.

This was a well-written, nicely-paced, sweet novella that ties into two previous stories. I loved Gaia and Zachariah as a couple and the antics of her Angelo were absolutely hilarious! This is set at Christmas, but it didn’t really feel like a Christmas novella, it was more like a second-chance romance. I liked that this wasn’t an “insta-love” story and that the characters actually took the time to get to know each other and while I usually prefer some sizzle, this kissing-only story didn’t suffer from a lack of heat. I am happy to recommend this delightful story, it is perfect to curl up with in a cozy spot and a cup of tea and it can be read in an afternoon (if your people leave you alone – good luck) that I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

*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.*

Barbara’s Review

This new author is keeping her readers jumping (happily I’m sure) with her rapid release of the first three books in her debut series. In October, we had Spruced Up For Murder; In November we have For Richer, For Deader; and in December will be Not Mushroom For Death. The series features a delightful cast of recurring characters – especially Daisy, Beatrice’s dog.

Lady Beatrice, seventeenth in line for the British throne, along with her new business partner and friend, Perry Juke, are happily working on their next project. They are redecorating/refurbishing The Lodge – a seven-bedroom house on the grounds of Fawstead Manor. The Lodge will be the UK base for Sybil and Otis Trotman once they are married – or – maybe we should say IF they are married because it seems someone is determined to see it called off.

The threats begin with a dead rat bearing a note demanding that the wedding stop – then more animals and more notes. However, finding a dead body is what really focuses everyone on how dangerous the situation is. Everyone is frightened – especially the American contingent of the wedding party – because it was one of them who was murdered. Should Sybil and Otis just postpone? Can they even accomplish that at this late date?

There is a special security bureau charged with keeping all members of the royal family safe. Since Lady Beatrice is working at the location where all of that mischief is taking place, the PaIRS bureau is called in to handle the investigation. Of course, that means DCI Fitzwilliam will be the one in charge and he and Lady Beatrice don’t have the best of relationships. DCI Fitzwilliam wants Lady Beatrice to keep her nosey little self out of his investigation even though she was a help in his last case and that really sets her off. She is absolutely determined that she and Perry will solve the case first and she can thumb her nose at him then.

As with the first book, I found this one to be a tad slow in spots, but it wasn’t anything that precluded me from enjoying the book. My biggest issue with this book is something Lady Beatrice’s mother does. I can’t/won’t say much about it because it would spoil it and I wouldn’t want to do that. Then, she forgives much too quickly and too easily. Had my mother done that to me and/or my family/friends, I would still love her – but I would be living someplace different. I understand the reasoning given in the book – but I just don’t buy it and don’t like it.

I always need some romance to go with my mysteries – I always want either a married couple or a couple with a committed relationship. I assume we’ll end up with that in this series, but I’m not sure where it is going at the moment. We have two candidates at the moment for Lady Beatrice – One I don’t care for, but I think he’ll be gone after the next book, and the other I would like but if it goes forward, I’ll be interested to see how the author will handle/explain the large differences in social class.

I can recommend this book and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.