Category: Part of a Series

In Want of a Viscount by Lorraine Heath

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

In Want of a Viscount (The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction, #3)In Want of a Viscount by Lorraine Heath

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction, #3

Release Date: February 20, 2024

American Leonora “Nora” Garrison has come to London with her brother Sam and her mother, to find investors for their machine factory. And it is in London that she learns about the Elysium, a private club for ladies. She goes to the club and seeks to fill a secret desire; to be kissed. Nervous, she overindulges in absinthe and is quite tipsy when a man joins her in the private room. They share an amazing kiss and then she passes out, waking much later and mortified by her actions. But that is nothing compared to the mortification of coming face to face with her mystery lover at a dinner with potential investors! Despite the awkwardness, Nora is drawn to John Castleton, Viscount Wyeth, or Rook to his fellow Chessmen, not only is he handsome, but he takes a real interest in Nora, making her feel intelligent and beautiful. They know there is no future for them, nor does she want one, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other, which is why they are found in a compromising situation and find themselves betrothed. While Nora has come to love Rook, she refuses to enter a marriage with a man who doesn’t love her back. But is her plan to save them actually going to save them from heartbreak or has that ship already sailed?

As part of an elite group of investors known as the Chessmen, John “Rook” Castleon, Viscount Wyeth has made a fortune, enabling him to live a life independent of his father the Earl of Elverton. The earl is a libertine whose exploits, mistresses, insatiable lust, and illegitimate children are widely known, and he is the last person Rook would ever want to emulate. To that end, he has devoted his life to being above reproach, so it is completely out of character for him to kiss a stranger in a club devoted to women, but that is exactly how he met Nora. He had gone to the club to see the owner, his brother Aiden Trewlove (one of his father’s many by-blows), and is talked into kissing her. He is intrigued by her the minute he meets her and is desperate to learn who she is, especially when she falls asleep during their kiss. Nora is unlike any woman he has ever known and when they end up betrothed, he isn’t as upset as he should be, considering he never planned to marry. So when Nora sets her plan in motion to free him from their forced engagement, he should be happy, right?

This was a well-written, engaging read with wonderful characters and lots of emotion. The book is filled with emotion, Trewlove cameos, really awful parents, a STEM heroine, secret trysts, a “technically virgin” hero who has been hurt before, steamy love scenes, a bit of heartache, some betrayal, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I liked this story, but it is not the ending I was expecting for the series as I was hoping for a bit more Chessmen involvement, especially in the epilogue. This is the third and final book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title as there isn’t any ongoing plot tying the books together, however, it is worth mentioning that this book is also loosely connected to the Sins for All Season series – so if you read that series you will see lots of familiar faces in this book! Overall this was a very good read and I wonder if the next series will pick up where this book ended (I hope so! Fingers crossed!) If you enjoy intelligent heroines, heroes trying to atone for the sins of their fathers, steamy love scenes, and happy endings, then I am happy to recommend this book to you!

4 stars

*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.*

A Gentleman in Pursuit of Truth by Grace Burrowes

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

A Gentleman in Pursuit of Truth (The Lord Julian Mysteries #4)Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: The Lord Julian Mysteries #4
Publication Date: 2/27/24
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 243

I absolutely love this series. It has a unique premise in that the protagonist has come home from the Napoleonic wars as a very broken man – mentally and physically. He holed himself up in a darkened house for almost a year after his return. He was taken prisoner and tortured by the French and somehow managed to escape but wandered injured and helpless through the Pyrenees until he reached friendly territory. His hair has turned pure white, his eyesight is poor and cannot tolerate bright light, he is emaciated, and . . . worst of all . . . his fellow citizens have branded him a traitor and accused him of leaving his older brother to die in the prison camp. He is not a traitor – but the rumors persist nevertheless. I believe that you should read the whole series, in order, so you get and follow the entire background of the characters and their relationships.

Lord Julian, who has solved several mysteries lately, has been summoned to the estate of Osgood Banter to solve the disappearance of a large, prized, foxhound named Thales. Yes, we have the case of the Purloined Puppy. However, when he arrives at the estate and meets all the players, Lord Julian realizes there is much more to solve than a missing canine. Tensions are high – both on the estate and in the surrounding village. It seems the dog’s owner is not greatly esteemed by any of the residents – at home or in the village. So, if Thales’s owner – Anaximander (Nax) Silforth (I know, it is a mouthful, right?) is so disliked by everyone, why is Osgood Banter leaving Nax in total charge of his vast, wealthy estate while he travels the continent? Hmmmm – you will just need to read the story to see, but it is a doozie!

In this book, we have a bit less page time with Arthur, the Duke of Waltham (Julian’s brother), Hyperia (Perry) West (Julian’s love interest), Lady Ophelia (Julian’s Godmother), and Atticus, Julian’s pint-sized outspoken Tiger. They were there but just didn’t have a lot of page time. I really love it when Julian and Perry are bouncing thoughts and ideas off each other.

Trigger warnings – the Duke of Waltham and Osgood Banter are male lovers. I love their relationship as it is longstanding, true, mature, and thoughtful – and that is what is focused on. I also love that the author depicts what a same-gender couple had to deal with during that time rather than writing like it was all buttercups, unicorns, and roses with everyone accepting and celebrating the relationship. Being in a same-gender relationship during that time often got you hanged, but if it didn’t, you were socially ostracized by all levels of society. This author shows that without being preachy about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of the others in the series. I am already anxiously awaiting the next book,
A Gentleman In Search of A Wife. Happy Reading!

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

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