Category: Part of a Series

The Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson

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

The Art of Love and LiesThe Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Part of the “A Proper Romance” series

Release Date: August 08/2023

Gifted Artist Rosanna Hawkins makes a living by painting “parlor” copies of priceless artwork that her employer sells to upper-middle-class families in Manchester, England, and together they have a successful partnership. Her personal life takes a turn when she meets detective Martin Harrison, who is in charge of security, while touring the Art Treasures Exhibition and finds a kindred spirit and someone she believes she could share a future with. But when her reproductions are connected to stolen masterpieces, everything in her life including her blossoming romance is in jeopardy unless she can convince Martin that she is innocent and garner his help in finding the real thief.

Martin immediately falls for Rosanna, but due to his father’s notorious past, he can’t quite accept her work as legit and when priceless paintings are found to have been replaced with her reproductions, he wants to believe she is innocent, but all evidence point to her being the thief. Will he be able to trust his heart and work with her to find the real thief or will a lifetime of mistrust cost him a chance for HEA?

This is a new-to-me author and apparently, this is part of “A Proper Romance” series, which I have never read, so perhaps I was at a disadvantage right from the start. I thought the writing was good, although a bit wordy, dry, and meandering at times, yet at the same time the mystery was interesting and the author’s writing is descriptive. The romance was very lowkey and while a no-heat romance is fine, I felt like this book could have used a bit of spice to liven things up. Overall it was a good read and I would be willing to read more of this author’s work, but this story was very “art-centric” and that just isn’t my cuppa.

*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.*

Deadly Illusion by Carla Simpson

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Deadly Illusion (Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe #4)Barbara’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe #4
Publication Date: 8/8/23
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 295

How can you not love a book that has mystery, mayhem, madness, magicians, and murder? I found the first book of this series by a new-to-me author as a ‘free’ read through Amazon Prime and I was instantly hooked and have read each subsequent book. Mikaela Forsythe is a very smart, feisty, free-thinking woman who supports herself through writing adventure novels – and many of those novels are based upon her own real-life experiences. Angus Brodie is a straight-laced, dour, over-protective, Scot who was formerly an Inspector with the Metropolitan Police. He left the police under circumstances that have not yet been revealed to us, but I suspect it is a case of Brodie being right about something the mucky mucks wanted him to be wrong about it. The supporting characters are a varied and interesting lot from an actress with a 4-foot iguana to a chemist (pharmacist) with a penchant for dissection and an octogenarian aunt who is indomitable, enlightened, and planning a safari to Africa for herself.

Mikaela’s actress friend, Theodora Templeton, invited her to attend a one-night-only performance by illusionist Jean Luc Betard at the Crystal Palace. Betard was the premier Illusionist of the time and he was unveiling a never-seen-before illusion before leaving on tour to the continent. Pragmatic and practical Mikaela knows it is all trickery – drawing your attention to one place while the action is happening in another. However, this illusion defies logic. How could this beautiful young woman possibly disappear from one box and reappear in another? Magic surely. Until – the body – right on stage – Oh! My!

Chief Inspector Abberline is a total twit and when he declares it a tragic accident, Mikaela sends word to Brodie. Mikaela could plainly see it wasn’t an accident. When Betard hires Brodie and Mikaela to find out what really happened, they are thrown into a world of illusions where nothing and no one is what they seem. As more bodies turn up and threatening notes promise more to come, they know the answers lie in deeply kept secrets. Once they unearth those secrets, they’ll know who the murderer is – and why. But, even with the answers, will they be able to keep the murderer from striking again? You’ll just have to read the book to see.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can definitely recommend it. The mystery is excellently done, the pacing is quick and keeps you flipping from page to page, and there is finally some movement in the relationship between Brodie and Mikaela. My only complaint about the book is that it almost makes Mikaela appear to be an alcoholic as often as she has a drink (morning, noon, and night) of her “aunt’s very fine whisky”. That is the other thing that bugged me – I think that phrase appeared at least once in every chapter – including the epilogue. Those two things are why I rated it at 4.5 stars but rounded it up to 5.

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

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