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 Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), New To Me Author, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord RightThe Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone Title

Release Date: December 10, 2024

When she was only 3 years old, Miss Arabella “Bella” Grant was orphaned and grudgingly taken in by her father’s family. She was raised with her cousin, the timid and bookish Lady Isabelle “Issie” and the two grow to be as close as sisters, but Bella’s Aunt makes sure she never forgets her place. Right before Issie is due to have her debut, her mother dies unexpectedly, leaving Issie a heiress and without a chaperone. The girls stay in the country, finally free of Lady Strickland’s abuse. They are content to live out their lives in the country, but when their mourning period is up, so is their reprieve, when Issie’s Great-Aunt Lucretia, Lady Dutton, insists that Issie come to London for her come out and to find a husband. But once they arrive, Issie is overcome with worry and has a panic attack that renders her bedridden. She convinces Bella to take her place for the few months left in the season, promising no one will find out and then they can return to the country and live in peace.

Bella is not convinced pretending to be Issie is the right thing to do, but she could never say no to her and agrees. She makes the acquaintance of Lord Brooks almost immediately, and learns that he met Issie years ago, so even though she likes him, she is wary that he will figure out her deception and tries her best to avoid him or any man that might be serious about marriage. Simultaneously, Issie has met a handsome young doctor and for the first time in her life is considering a life that contains more than books. Neither girl is being honest with the men that have caught their attention, but there doesn’t seem to be a good time to make things right. When their ruse is revealed, will they both find their HEA or will their lies leave them brokenhearted?

I thought the blurb for this book sounded like it was going to be a light, fun read with lots of laugh out loud moments and a heartwarming romance. Sadly, this book didn’t deliver either of those things to me. I guess if I was a YA reader, I might have found some of the antics amusing, but as a mature HR reader, this story bored me to tears and just had me wishing for it to be done. Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, it was just a light, fluffy, YA romance, with no steam or mature situations, so if you prefer your romances like that, you will probably love this book. However, if like me, you prefer your stories with a bit more heat and substance, I would pass on this title.

*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. *

The Rake’s Convenient Bride by Madeline Martin

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

The Rake's Convenient Bride (Wedding a Wallflower #2)The Rake’s Convenient Bride by Madeline Martin

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Wedding a Wallflower, #2

Release Date: December 10, 2024

Years ago, Lady Elizabeth Ashbrook and her four dearest friends made a pact at school to never marry, but now that one of her friends has broken the pact, Elizabeth has been chosen as the next to break it. Elizabeth is sweet and lovely, but she is shy, bookish, and incredibly clumsy, and while she is not opposed to marriage, she is sure no man will want to tie himself to a klutz. When it becomes clear that her parents will not let her younger sister marry before her, she agrees to attend more events and make an effort to find a husband. At the first ball of the season, she is with her friends, trying to blend into the wall when she sees Lord Darlington, a man she accidently spilled lemonade on and tried to clean it up, but ended up touching inappropriately and humiliating herself. She tries to slip away unnoticed, but during her escape her stocking begins to fall, so she seeks out an empty room to repair it. She hikes up her skirts to fix her stocking and realizes she is not alone – Lord Darlington is in the room; she trips and lands in his arms. Before they can untangle themselves, the door opens, and they are caught alone together by some of the ton’s biggest gossips. Elizabeth blurts out that Lord Darlington proposed, and they are engaged, a claim he thankfully backs up. Elizabeth knows they could never marry, but if he is willing to play along so her sister can wed, she promises to break it off, even if that is the last thing she wants to do.

Jasper Fitzroy, the Earl of Darlington is contemplating his day when his Grandmother Bess arrives to announce that she is dying, and Jasper must marry and give her a great-grandchild as soon as possible. Jasper is horrified, he loves Bess more than any person in the world, she raised him when his mother died and during his misspent young, she loved him when it seemed no one else did. He agrees to find a bride and she is ecstatic and tells him she happens to have an invitation to a ball that evening. He arrives and once it is clear that he will be looking for a bride, he feels hunted and slips away for a moment of peace. When Elizabeth comes in, he recognizes her and teases her. He has always liked and admired her but believes that his past makes him unworthy of a woman like her. When they are caught alone together and she announces they are engaged, he is happy to go along, as she would make a wonderful bride and Bess will be overjoyed and maybe he will be able to prove to Elizabeth he can be worthy of her.

This installment of the Wedding a Wallflower series was definitely worth the wait! I loved Elizabeth and Jasper, they are both wonderfully flawed and incredibly likeable characters who you can’t help but root for. This book is filled with emotion, longing, insecurity, wonderful characters, great friends, a feisty grandmother, steamyish love scenes, a bit of misassumption, a little heartache and finally an extremely sweet ending complete with an epilogue! This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title with no issues. I loved this story and would happily recommend it to my fellow historical romance readers, especially those who love a reformed rake story and those who love to see “girl power” at its finest.

*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. *