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

Can’t Get Enough of the Duke by Lenora Bell

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Rom-Com, Movie / Story Retelling, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Can't Get Enough of the Duke (The Thunderbolt Club, #2)Can’t Get Enough of the Duke by Lenora Bell

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Thunderbolt Club #2

Release Date: April 7, 2026

Deckard “Dex” Payne, the Duke of Warburton makes a battlefield death promise to one of his men, Lt John Crewe as he lays dying in Dex’s arms, he promises to find and care for the man’s daughter, Analise, but just moments later he himself is attacked and it is months before he is healed enough to look for Analise. When he finally returns to England and begins his search, he is devasted to learn that Analise is no longer at the school her father enrolled her in and no one knows where she has gone. It takes years for him to track her down and when he does find her, he is shocked to learn she isn’t the docile, young schoolgirl he was imagining, but a beautiful young woman who is anything but docile. He finally convinces her that he was sent by her father to take care of her. But in addition to being older than he imagined, Analise isn’t biddable in the slightest and has no intention of making his task easy. Little by little, she worms her way into his heart, something he thought was long dead.

Analise Crewe doesn’t believe her father is dead, but with no other alternatives, she agrees to let the duke “launch” her into society, something she only agreed to so she can research the ton for her book. As an aspiring authoress, she left school after her father was reported missing and went to work for a well-respected authoress, who believed her work was good and sent her fantasy story to her publisher. But when the lady dies unexpectedly, Analise is once again on her own, that is until the duke shows up. She never expected to be the ward of a wealthy, grumpy duke and when they ended up compromised and forced to marry, she is determined to make the best of things. Too bad her duke is just as determined to keep her at arm’s length.

I definitely liked this story better than the last book and I think that is because I haven’t seen the movie Annie in decades, so I thankfully didn’t make that association. The book has a lot going on and at times I felt a little lost, but overall, it was a fun grumpy/sunshine book with a couple different storylines that ultimately come together in a very charming happy ending. As I mentioned before, I didn’t get the Annie reference (which honestly is a bit cringy) and I wasn’t put off by the age difference, because I have been reading historical romance for years and could easily accept that young women marrying older men was a common practice – but I can also see how it could be off-putting to a contemporary reader. Overall, it was an OK read and if you are a grumpy/sunshine fan – you will probably enjoy this book. This is the second book in the series, but they are very loosely connected, and this book can be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*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. *

Murder on the Rhône by Ashley Gardner

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

Murder on the Rhône (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries Book 18)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Captain Lacey #18
Publication Date: 3/17/26
Period: Regency Lyon
Number of Pages: 297

Lacey and his wife travel to Lyon, France, to attend his daughter Gabriella’s wedding. It is a bittersweet time for Lacey, as he has only recently been reunited with his long-lost firstborn. Now, he feels as though he is losing her again—but she is so clearly happy and deeply in love that he cannot help but share in her joy. Determined to spend as much time with her as possible before the wedding, Lacey sets aside his usual work… though he has an unfortunate habit of stumbling across murder victims wherever he goes.

While walking through a crowded street with Brewster, Lacey catches sight of a man from his past—a man who once left him for dead. Because the incident occurred during the war, Lacey chooses not to pursue the encounter, but fate clearly has other plans. Early one morning, he encounters the man again… standing over a dead body.

The victim’s questionable past provides plenty of possible motives, but the gendarmes quickly focus their suspicions on the family of the man Gabriella is about to marry. The story weaves together past and present, blending multiple mysteries with fascinating glimpses into the history and atmosphere of Lyon.

This is a well-paced and engaging mystery populated with memorable characters—from an outrageously flamboyant mistress to an elegant and refined countess. Readers will also enjoy spending time with the familiar supporting cast who make this series so enjoyable.

I happily recommend this book, this series, and this author. Happy reading!

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