Category: Part of a Series

Sea of Charms (Audiobook) by Sarah Beth Durst, Narrated by Caitlin Davies

On By TracyIn Audiobook, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Tracy's Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

Sea of Charms (Spellshop, #3)Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Spellshop #3

Release Date: July 28, 2026

Mariner “Marin” is the captain of the supply ship “Silver” and has loved the sea for as long as she can remember. Her parents were sailors and when they retired, they helped her buy her own ship, going into debt to the sorcerer they hired to enchant the hold. Marin was sure she would be successful and could pay back the debt quickly, but when she is betrayed by her fiancé, and learns that her parents are in danger of losing their home, she is driven to save them and to never fall in love again! She sails between the Empire capital of Alyssium and the Crescent Islands with just a sea serpent named Perri for companionship – and she likes it that way. But after two years, she can admit she is a bit lonely and agrees to take on a crew member – a sentient wax myrtle named Ree. They set sail to Alyssium to look for work and are surprised to find the city ablaze! She and her shipmates head for the conservatory to check on their friend Daxicent “Dax” the musician, and against her better judgment agrees to ferry him and his friends to safety.

But when they arrive at the island, Dax asks to stay aboard when his friends disembark, Marin wants to refuse, but then has a thought, she asks him to stay and attend the festival on her parent’s home Island of Flicker, while pretending to be her boyfriend. He readily agrees, his life has been sheltered at the conservatory, and he is delighted to have new experiences and to spend time with Marin. He is working on his opus, to present at the winter solstice and to become a grand master at the conservatory. When the time comes, he plays the part of her boyfriend perfectly and Marin admits she might be falling for him, but bad news about her parents’ debt makes her harden her heart once more. Determined to earn the money she needs, they set out once again, but one trial after another makes any chance of a happy ending seem impossible and she refuses to let Dax give up on his dream, even if hers can never be.

I read the Enchanted Greenhouse and was delighted to discover that this story runs concurrently with that one and actually answers some lingering questions I had after that book. I loved Marin in that book and enjoyed the opportunity to really get to know her in this book. She tries to be a crusty old sailor but truly has a heart of gold and will do anything to help others, even at the cost of her own dreams. She is attracted to Dax, but past experience has made her heart-shy and unwilling to risk being hurt again – understandable, but she held on to that hurt a bit too long in my opinion. Dax is a gentle, kind soul who finds music in everything he sees, he is the perfect contrast to Marin. I was lucky enough to be granted advanced access to the audiobook and felt that the narrator Caitlin Davies did an amazing job of giving each character their own voice, it made an already great story even better. I loved the ending of this story and am looking forward to the next installment. I really don’t think you have to read the previous books to enjoy this story, but I do think reading them in order will enhance your reading experience.

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

 

Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Rom-Com, historical-romance, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Pride Comes Before a Fall (Miss Prentice's Protegees, #3)Barbara’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Series: Miss Prentice’s Proteges #3
Publication Date: 7/28/26
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 336

As always, I was delighted by Virginia Heath’s wit and humor. She has a remarkable talent for slipping a touch of humor into even the most intense scenes, making it feel completely natural. That said, this is probably my least favorite of her books. Much of that stems from the seemingly endless misunderstandings between the hero and heroine, who repeatedly make assumptions instead of having honest conversations. These are two highly intelligent people, yet neither seems willing to communicate openly—a pattern that continues almost to the very end of the story.

Portia Kendall, a graduate of Miss Prentice’s School for Young Ladies, has been a devoted social reformer ever since reading a Mary Wollstonecraft pamphlet at the age of sixteen. After graduation, she supports herself as a governess while dedicating much of her free time to writing pamphlets, speeches, articles, and essays for The United League for Reform in London. When she is offered the position of assistant editor for the organization’s newspaper, Equitas, she eagerly leaves her governess position and relocates to Bath. Unfortunately, despite all of her intelligence and careful planning, she somehow overlooks one crucial detail—the newspaper position is entirely voluntary. Suddenly unemployed and without an income, she must quickly find paid work to support herself while continuing her reform efforts.

Leopold (Leo) Stone, the Duke of Debden, has more responsibilities than any one man should. His two headstrong younger sisters have already come perilously close to causing a scandal in London, aided by a mother who indulges them far too much. Determined to avoid further disasters, Leo relocates the family to their principal estate in Bath for the remainder of the summer. Realizing his sisters need someone capable of keeping them in line, he interviews several candidates before selecting one particularly prickly applicant. She is every bit as determined, resourceful, and stubborn as the young ladies she is meant to supervise. Surely she can handle them… can’t she?

While I enjoyed the story overall, I struggled to connect with Portia. Much of that was because she was so completely unyielding. Ironically, she never seems to recognize that her own views are every bit as prejudiced as those she condemns. To Portia, the entire aristocracy is morally corrupt—selfish, lecherous, and determined to oppress the lower classes. She leaves almost no room for the possibility that some members of the nobility might actually be honorable people. Although she eventually acknowledges that Leo is different, she clings to her broader assumptions throughout most of the novel.

What made the romance less convincing for me was that Leo appeared to shoulder nearly all of the personal growth. Despite already holding fairly liberal views himself, he is the one who continually bends, compromises, and adapts, while Portia changes very little. Because of that imbalance, I found it difficult to fully believe in their happily-ever-after. A lasting partnership, in my view, requires growth and compromise from both people.

I also felt several loose ends deserved more attention. I would much rather have seen the constable dealt with, the sedition charges resolved, and Abigail and Percy’s romance given a proper beginning than spend quite so much time in London. In fact, when I reached the final page, I was surprised to find the Author’s Note instead of an epilogue. For me, this was definitely a book that needed one.

Even with those criticisms, I did enjoy the novel, and I hope you will too. What ultimately won me over were Virginia Heath’s trademark moments of humor—the antics involving the cat and the raven, as well as the wonderfully entertaining escape from the King’s presentation ceremony. Those scenes reminded me why I continue to look forward to each of her books.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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