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

The Accidental Countess by Jess Michaels

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Accidental Countess (About An Earl #3)The Accidental Countess by Jess Michaels

My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: About An Earl, #3

Release Date: February 4, 2025

Clarissa Lockhart was raised to be a perfect lady, but after 3 three seasons she is still unwed, and her parents are growing impatient. They arrange a house party hoping to find a husband for her who will elevate them socially and support them financially. Clarissa is resigned, she knows it is her duty to honor her parents and to marry well, love is not something she expects or even desires, as strong emotions are not ladylike. In an effort to please her parents, Clarissa has always acted as expected and is a slave to proper etiquette, so when her rakish cousin George, Viscount Lockhart arrives at the house party with an uninvited guest in tow, she is annoyed, but much too polite to say anything to George’s friend and fellow rake, Roderick Stratford, the Earl of Kirkwood. She goes out of her way to avoid him, but he is not content to have her ignore him, which leads to them being caught in a compromising situation by her parents and they are forced to wed. Clarissa begins to fall for her husband but still holds tightly to her perfect comportment and still bends to her parents’ wishes. Can she let go of her rigid control and believe that she is worthy of love, or will she hold tight to old habits and forfeit the love of a lifetime?

Roderick Stratford, the Earl of Kirkwood, is a rake, but unlike other rakes, he actually believes in true love and is sure that one day he will find the love of his life. He thinks that when he meets the right woman it will be like a bolt of lightning, and he will know immediately that she is “the one”. So far, he hasn’t made that connection and when he is caught with Clarrisa, he believes that he has lost his chance at true love but plans to make the best of this forced union. The more time they spend together, the more he wants to make her happy and tries to help her relax a bit and see her own worth. He likes her and can’t deny his attraction to Clarissa or their compatibility in bed, but will that be enough or will he too learn to change the thinking of a lifetime and find love?

This was a delightful read with very likable characters and fresh plotlines. I liked Clarissa and Roderick, they each have ideals that they have nurtured all their lives and will each have to come to the realization those ideals may not be as absolute as they believed and that given a chance, love will find a way. Overall, this was a good read, with wonderful characters, cameos from previous characters, steamyish love scenes, a truly sigh worthy hero and a sweet heroine, great secondary characters, a forced marriage and finally a happy ending complete with an epilogue. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title without any problems. If you are looking for a steamyish historical romance with a storyline that is anything but run of the mill – look no further, you’ve found it!

*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. *

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Rom-Com, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/Highlander, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

Earl CrushEarl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Belvoir’s (there is no official series title), #2

Release Date: January 21, 2025

After years of correspondence with the Earl of Strathrannoch, political activist and author Miss Lydia Hope-Wallace has decided to make a bold move and has traveled to Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience to the Earl. Too bad the Earl has no idea who she is! Mortified Lydia tries to leave, but a zebra stampede and an Earl who needs her help, change her plans. And so, begins a wild road trip and the chance for a once in a lifetime type of love, as long as her own self-doubts don’t prevent her from risking her heart.

Arthur Baird, the Earl of Strathrannoch is stunned when a lovely young woman comes to his door and proposes marriage. Too bad she thinks he is his younger brother Davis, but maybe he could ask for her to find him, as he is worried that his brother has stolen his latest invention for nefarious reasons. Arthur can’t help but to fall for Lydia, she is everything he could have ever wanted in a woman, but he believes that she is in love with his brother and tries to keep his distance. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets. And when they are following a lead and are caught in a compromising position, Lydia says they are newlyweds, Arthur begins to have hope that maybe her feelings for Davis aren’t as serious as he thought. But just when he thinks they are headed for happily ever after, his own feelings of inadequacy may cost him the love of a lifetime.

I will be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book and almost passed on this ARC, but thankfully, I decided to give the book a chance and I am so happy I did! This book is a delightful read, filled with imperfect characters, dear friends, a protective family, spies, secrets, zebras, steamy love scenes, insecurities, a beautiful soulmate-type love, and finally a happily ever after with the sweetest epilogue I have read in quite some time. I did feel like the book dragged in places, but OMG – Arthur – he more than makes up for that and is now on my top five favorite heroes of all time and has been elevated to book-boyfriend status. This is the second book in the series (it doesn’t seem to have an official series title, but I am calling it Belvoir’s) and could be read as a standalone title without any problems. Needless to say, I would happily recommend this book to my fellow HR readers and am looking forward to the next installment!

*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. *