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 Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)2 Comments

The Virgin and the Rogue (The Rogue Files, #6)My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Rogue Files #6
Publication Date: 4/28/20
Number of Pages: 368

** Maybe 3.5 Stars **

My thoughts about this book were all over the place – from total disbelief to wondering what was going to happen next. I have read three of the six books in this series and each of the books can easily be read as a standalone. While the female lead in this story is the sister of the female lead in the previous story – the male lead is also related to the previous male lead – you don’t need to have read that story to enjoy this one.

Charlotte Langley is the middle sister, the dull one, the boring one, the uninteresting one, the one who just wants an uneventful, unexciting life. She wants to marry the man she has been friends with since they were children – he is steady, honorable, and … dull. She has convinced herself she is in love with him, but she’s never even kissed him, nor has she had any desire to do so. It never even occurred to her until – THE EVENT.

Samuel Kingston is the natural son of The Earl of Norfolk and a famed courtesan. His life has been a hedonistic one – much like his father’s – until he learns his mother is ill and he visits her. What he sees and learns of her illness turns his stomach and he immediately loses interest in his former lifestyle. He’s searching for something, but he doesn’t know exactly what it is. He’s been wandering from place to place for a while now and he finally decides to visit his step-brother. Now, his step-brother has no use for him – nor he for his step-brother – but he’ll stay there for a few days until he decides where to go from there. Except – when he arrives – he finds there is a new wife and her sisters who live there with Nicholas. Kingston is totally unimpressed with the lot of them – especially the middle one who seems like a milksop – and decides to leave the following day.

Nora, Charlotte’s younger sister, is an herbalist (she identifies herself as a scientist), and she mixes up a tonic to alleviate Charlotte’s menstrual cramps. However, she adds in a few new ingredients to see if they will be more effective. Well, it was certainly effective – as an aphrodisiac. Charlotte thought she was dying and headed out of her room in the middle of the night to go to Nora’s room for help. Except she encountered Kingston in the hallway and attacked him – seeking her pleasure on him. Luckily, he was gentleman enough to let her achieve her pleasure without him doing more.

I liked both Charlotte and Kingston, but I would have liked to get to know them a bit better. I failed to see how they could come to a deep and abiding love for each other when they spent almost no time in each other’s company and the time they did spend was of a more carnal nature.

I had to wonder how the Langley family home came to be in the possession and control of Marian who was then giving it to Charlotte. Yes, it meant the most to Charlotte, but – there was a brother. Given the times, why was the family home not under the control of the brother? Yes, he was younger, but still as the only male, and females unable to own property, I have to wonder how that came to be.

There are a few anachronisms in the ARC, but I will assume they will be corrected prior to publication. While the story itself felt a bit more modern in its concept, it had very little modern terminology or ways of speaking, etc.  There were no dates included, so the period was a bit ambiguous.  I’m assuming it was Regency.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and the characters. I would have liked to see at least one scene between Nicholas and Kingston where they come to realize that neither is actually who the other thought he was and maybe form a friendship of sorts. That could have just been mentioned in the epilogue and it would have made for a happier ending because Kingston really needed a friend.

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

Kisses and Scandal by Shana Galen

On By BarbaraIn Anthology, Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)1 Comment

Kisses and Scandal: A Survivors Series AnthologyBarbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Anthology
Publication Date: 4/14/20

As always, this author’s writing is excellent. I think you’ll enjoy these novellas.

Kisses and Scandal – 3-Stars

This was, by far, my least favorite of the three novellas simply because the premise is so very unlikely. The characters are very likable, the writing, of course, is solid, but a footman (that is a real footman not a peer in disguise) and a Duke’s daughter just didn’t resonate with me.

Lady Philomena (Phil) is the sister to the scandalous Duke of Mayne. Phil’s mother absolutely doesn’t approve of her brother’s recent marriage to a scandalous widow who is much older than he is, so she has every intention of assuring Phil marries well and scandal-free. She’s given Phil a deadline to either choose her own groom or one will be chosen for her. Unfortunately for Phil, the man she loves and wants to marry would provide nothing but scandal. He is, after all, a footman.

James Finnegan comes from the slums of Dublin and along with two of his friends, they have a plan to acquire a fortune and leave for the Americas. When James wants out of their plans, his friends decide to move along without him. James will do whatever it takes to keep Phil safe, but can he also keep her love?

The ending stretched my imagination even further than the overall premise of the story and I just couldn’t buy into the whole thing. It just felt contrived to me.

Counterfeit Scandal – 4-Stars

Bridget was working for the Home Office as a counterfeiter when she fell in love with Caleb who was a spy. Caleb left on a mission, a long and very dangerous mission – and he didn’t tell her he was going. Just as she learned she was expecting Caleb’s child, she was told that Caleb had died. She resigned from the Home Office and soon met a man who cared for her even though she didn’t love him in return. He was fine with her having Caleb’s child. So, she married him because she thought it would give her child a better life. Well – that was a mistake. Her husband was good to her and her son, James, but he was naïve when it came to money, so Bridget and her husband ended up in debtor’s prison. Rather than subject her young son (about 3 years old) to life inside the prison, she took him to a foundling home and told them she’d be back for him.

Several years later, her husband is dead and she’s out of prison with all debts paid. She’s been working at Miss Brodie’s Academy for a year and has saved up enough money to rent a room and to retrieve James from the orphanage. Except, the orphanage isn’t there anymore. It burned and nobody can tell her what happened to the orphans who lived there.

She rents the room with the intention of spending every spare minute looking for James. However, as she is leaving the home where she has rented the room, Caleb is entering the same home. She is absolutely and totally shocked. She tells him that he must find a new place to live and otherwise expresses her anger. Later, she realizes that she needs Caleb’s help to find James, so she tells him the whole story. He has also explained why he hasn’t contacted her and why they faked his death. They decide to work together even though it will put Caleb’s life in danger.

Their search takes them to Spitalfields and Mayfair and into a lot of danger. Quite an exciting search.

How To Brew A Perfect Kiss – 5-stars

This was my favorite of the three novellas. I adored Thomas and Raeni and as a couple they were perfect. Both were – or had been – slaves – and now they are both in England to find their freedom. They had a wonderful tale to tell and I loved reading about them.

Thomas Gaines was a slave in America in the Carolinas, where he worked in the tobacco fields. Through courage and good luck, he managed to escape to England and has never looked back. He taught himself to read, found employment and saved his money. Now, he is the very prosperous owner of several businesses including the just-opened business on Bond Street.

Raeni Sawyer is the daughter of an English landowner in Jamaica and his slave mistress. Raeni was raised well and was never in want for anything – but she was not free. When her circumstances changed, she fled Jamaica for England. Alone and penniless in London, she found work in Bond Street Coffee and Tobacco which was owned by Mr. Thomas Gaines.

Their meeting was tumultuous, but the attraction was instant and only developed over the coming days and weeks. Thomas turned out to be very considerate and caring and Raeni was capable and gentle. Each filled a need in the other, and it was delightful to see them come to care for each other.

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