Category: Regency Era (1811-1820)

The Regency in Great Britain was a period when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent. On the death of George III in 1820, the Prince Regent became George IV. The term Regency can refer to various stretches of time; some are longer than the decade of the formal Regency which lasted from 1811–1820.
Preceded by: Georgian era
Followed by: Victorian era
Monarch: George III, George IV, William IV

Winter’s Season: A Regency Mystery by R.J. Koreto

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

Winter's Season: A Regency Mystery
Barbara’s rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Series: A Regency Mystery (Not sure if it is a series)
Publication Date: 2/17/26
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 300

Captain Edmund Winter, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, now serves as a “special envoy” for the Home Office—a sort of one-man police force who moves easily between London’s aristocracy and its working classes. As the foster brother of an earl and the son of a tenant farmer, Winter straddles two worlds, though he never seems entirely comfortable in either. That inner tension adds an intriguing layer to his character.

While capturing a vicious madman responsible for murdering prostitutes in London’s seedier neighborhoods, Winter stumbles upon another body—one that clearly doesn’t fit the pattern. The victim, though dressed as a maid and dumped in an alley, is unmistakably a gentlewoman. Winter quickly realizes she was not killed by the man he has just apprehended, raising the central mystery: how did a woman of her status end up murdered in such circumstances?

As Winter investigates, he uncovers a much more complicated portrait of the victim than expected. She was no sheltered innocent, and the list of suspects grows to include a lover from below stairs, an aristocratic suitor favored by her family, and even those closest to her. While I narrowed the culprit down fairly early, there were enough red herrings to keep the mystery engaging.

Where the book didn’t quite work for me was in the characterization. Several of the supporting characters had potential, but I never felt I truly got to know them. If this is the first in a series, that may improve over time. The story also felt different from my usual historical mysteries—not in a bad way, just unexpected. I generally enjoy a touch of romance alongside the mystery, and while there is a love triangle here, it never felt emotionally convincing. Even though Winter ultimately ends up with one of the women, the connection didn’t resonate with me.

That said, readers looking for a solid mystery with a dark villain and a capable, determined investigator may find a lot to enjoy here. I’d be curious to see whether Winter returns in future books or if this remains a standalone story.

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

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The Duke’s Meddlesome Matchmaker by Emily E K Murdoch

On By TracyIn Contemporary in Period Dress, Georgian Era (1714-1837), New To Me Author, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Duke's Meddlesome Matchmaker (The Unconventional Oliver Sisters, #1)The Duke’s Meddlesome Matchmaker by Emily E.K. Murdoch

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Unconventional Oliver Sisters #1

Release Date: January 27, 2026

After the death of her father, the Oliver sisters, Aphrodite “Ditty”, Thalia and Calliope, moved to London with their heartbroken mother. Ditty soon realized that they were left penniless and that their mother was too caught up in her grief to form any sort of plan, so Ditty did what she does best – plan! She started a business designing and planning the perfect marriage proposal, despite not being a fan of love matches or romantic love in general. Business is good and she has an exceptional success rate, but when she refuses a commission, the spurned client makes a lot of noise and she accepts a job outside of London to let things calm down.

She travels to the small village of Brexley, which apparently is “The Home of Romance” to meet her new client Mr. Charles Paisley. But it isn’t Charles who picks her up from the Coaching house – it is his older brother Henry, the town doctor and newly minted Duke of Glanyrafon. After a bit of miscommunication and more than a little rudeness on Henry’s part, Ditty is relieved to realize that he is not her client. She tries to ignore her attraction to him and gets to work planning the perfect proposal for Charles and his (hopefully) soon to be fiancée. As she settles into town, Henry tries to make amends for his terrible behavior when they first met and slowly the two form a friendship. Henry inherited the title only to learn that it was penniless, but he had already opened a retirement home for the elderly residents of Brexley. He has been quietly struggling to keep the home afloat until Ditty offers to help him. Henry has been burned by love, and it has made him a bit jaded, but with Ditty he realizes that he gave his heart to the wrong woman. He would love to woo Ditty, but he has nothing to offer her other than his heart.

After reading the blurb, I was very excited to jump right into this book as it sounded amazing. I started reading and almost immediately realized that the title of the book is deceiving – Ditty is not a matchmaker, she plans proposals – which seems a bit unbelievable, especially for the Regency era. The further I got into the story, the more disillusioned I became – the story is fine, but the idea of three sisters with mythological names making their own way seemed very familiar and as I read it became clear that this book is a contemporary in period dress – there is nothing even remotely historical about this book other than the characters wear period clothing, ride in carriages and have no electricity, they do not observe the properties of the era, or even basic etiquette. Overall, I guess I am just too picky, if you don’t get hung up on historical etiquette, primogeniture, or correct formal address, you will probably enjoy this story. For me, it was a miss, I didn’t hate it and I liked the author’s writing style, but I wouldn’t read it again and I don’t think I will be reading any future installments of this series.

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