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 Last Duke by Jess Michaels

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

The Last Duke (The 1797 Club #10)The Last Duke by Jess Michaels

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The 1797 Club #10
Publication Date: 11/13/18

The Last Duke is perhaps the best Duke of all. It is a wonderful goodbye to the ten Dukes in the 1797 club and their wonderful wives and children. They are all featured and catching up with them is lovely. This book isn’t as fast-paced and exciting as some of the others, but, I think that is perfect because, well, goodbyes are sad. The writing is excellent, it is well-plotted, well-written and the characters are absolutely lovely.

It is the saddest of times. Christopher Collins, Kit, and all of his friends are gathered at his father’s country estate to say goodbye to the Duke of Kingsacre, Kit’s father. The Duke is loved and admired by all the members of the 1797 club because he was kind to them and helped guide them when their own fathers would not. He showed them love and kindness and how to manage their holdings with compassion and caring while still making them profitable. He was just a good, good man. The Duke’s health has been failing for quite some time, and his long fight is about to end.

The goodbye scenes between Kit and his father and Phoebe and her father were sweet, poignant and very, very sad. The author wrote them beautifully. Kit and Phoebe’s profound love for their father was palpable throughout the book – as was their love for each other. There was just no way around it, I fell in love with both Kit and Phoebe. So, I can certainly see why Sarah would as well.

Sarah Carlton had committed a terrible faux pas three years ago at a ball. In frustration, she had said some unkind things to Meg who is now the Duchess of Crestwood (Read Her Favorite Duke for their story). What she said was overheard by Kit and he called her to task for it and said some unkind things of his own. Kit has never forgotten what Sarah did and has sat in judgment of her since then. Now, he has to deal with her as the governess to his illegitimate 5-year-old sister. His sister loves Sarah, can he just dismiss her?

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Kit trying to fight his attraction to Sarah because, after all, he hated her. Then, when she almost died saving his sister – well – maybe he didn’t hate her so much. Then, when the villain appears and Sarah almost dies saving Phoebe again – well – that does it. He can’t fight it any longer.

This is really the perfect wrap-up for this series. Normally, I’m not pleased with a series wrap-up because they don’t really seem to let us say our goodbyes and see that each of our heroes/heroines still have their happy endings, so this one was a delightful surprise. Everyone is featured and everyone has a role and I loved catching up with all of them.

I can certainly recommend this book, but I do hope it goes through at least one more proofreading before publication.

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Dearest Millie by May McGoldrick

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/HighlanderLeave a comment

Dearest Millie (The Pennington Family, #3.5)Dearest Millie by May McGoldrick

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Pennington Family #3.5
Publication Date: 11/13/18

OH! My! Goodness! This is the sweetest, most heartwarming book I have read this year. It sucked me in at the first word and I don’t think it has let me go yet. I’m still basking in the warmth and light that is our hero Dermot McKendry. We ALL need a Dermot in our lives.

This is part of the wonderful Pennington Family series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. That said, the Pennington’s are such a delightful family that I can’t imagine you’d want to miss any of their tales. We first met Dermot in It Happened in the Highlands. Dermot is the partner of the hero of that book (Captain Wynne Melfort) and Millie is the younger sister of the heroine (Jo Pennington).

Dermot had wanted to meet Millie since she first came to his hospital to visit with her sister Jo. Dermot is a terribly messy soul because he is so very, very busy. He’s always researching and looking for better treatments for the patients at his hospital, so he leaves his books and research everywhere. After Millie’s first visit, he returns from a trip to find his office completely organized and neat as a pin. Then, when he makes a trip to Edinburg, he tries to visit her and finds her away – so – he rearranges her library. These visits continue until he finally meets her.

The love that is expressed in this book is amazing as is the concern and support for a serious medical issue. Just think what it would mean, back in that time, to be diagnosed with a disease that we still cannot always cure even today.

This is a very short novella, so I’m not going to tell you a lot about the story – other than – READ IT! I actually wish that it hadn’t been quite so short. I would have liked to see a little something between Chapters 11 and 12. I would have loved to see the wedding, maybe the beginnings (at least) of the treatments and maybe the first pregnancy. Nothing gory, just make the story feel a little more complete. As it is, I sort of feel as if we skipped over a large part of what got them to Chapter 12.

I highly recommend this novella!

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”