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

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

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

Much Ado About MargaretMuch Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Stand Alone Title

Release Date: October 22, 2024

Since the death of her father, Miss Margaret Arden and her sisters live with their mother in a cottage owned by their Aunt Eliza and are dependent on her good will. But Margaret has a plan to save her family, that doesn’t involve marrying a rich man. You see, Margaret is an author (an unpublished author, but an author nonetheless) who has just finished her third novel and is trying to find a publisher to publish it and set her on the path of financial freedom. As luck would have it, the publisher she sent her manuscript to (and who never even bothered to acknowledge it) is going to be at her aunt’s salon and she plans to use the opportunity to pitch her book. She is shocked to learn that Mr. Bridger Darrow of publisher Dockarty & Co is an uncommonly handsome man, but once he starts talking any attraction, she felt dies a quick death when he berates her writing and wishes her good luck with her life. But fate has a wicked sense of humor and the two are reunited a couple of months later at her cousin’s wedding. She isn’t thrilled to see him again, but maybe he isn’t as bad as she thought, especially when a tragic mishap turns fortuitous, and he wants to publish her book. Then when her cousin’s new wife is implicated in a horrific scandal, he is the first to help her clear Ann’s name. Will this lead Margaret to her very own HEA or will fate pull the rug out from under her and she will lose everything?

Bridger Darrow is the younger son of landed gentry, with no possibility of inheriting, Bridger joined the military. Now after years of war, he has had enough and it ready to settle back into civilian life. He has inherited a publishing company and is trying to make it profitable and what he needs is a really good book. In all fairness, he tried to read Miss Arden’s book, but was bored to tears after only a few pages and never finished it. Still trying to find his golden goose, he is in London when he is called to his father’s estate. His father is dying, and the estate is in shambles thanks to his older brother, Paul’s reckless spending and now he has disappeared. Leaving Bridger to clean up the mess. When he learns that Paul has left to go the wedding of Bridger’s best friend, Lane. He sets out to find his brother and drag him home, but instead finds Miss Arden as well as a scorned former love interest. And that’s when things get interesting, and he realizes that he seriously underestimated Margaret. But as with everything in his life, nothing is going to be easy. Can he save his brother, prevent a scandal, save his business and win the girl?

I so wanted to love this book and thought it would suck me in and hold me fast until the end. It didn’t. I liked Margaret and her sisters, but Bridger was not really a hero I could root for. Add to that the fact that Margaret and Bridger don’t really spend time together until the book is almost half done, which made it hard for me to become invested in their HEA. I didn’t hate the book, and I enjoyed parts of it, but I found it very “put-downable” and it is not a book I would read again.

*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. *

A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor by Grace Burrowes

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

A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (The Lord Julian Mysteries #6)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: The Lord Julian Mysteries #6
Publication Date: 9/11/24
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 288

It is NOT a good time for Lord Julian to receive a summons to solve a mystery. His only surviving brother’s imminent departure for the continent means he wants/needs to spend that time with him. What if he decides not to return to England? While his brother is away, Julian has to run all Waltham ducal matters and Julian needs to be learning that – not solving mysteries. Except, it is his mother who has summoned him – the mother who doesn’t like him – but still, his mother, so he goes.

When he arrived he learned his mother was missing several old love letters – that were not from his father. He also learned that several other items of sentimental value are missing from other ladies attending the house party. These are all items the ladies received after they were widows, but each was from an inappropriate partner and thus could cause a scandal or gossip for the ladies. Julian immediately assumes the items will be used for blackmail – but when no demands are received, he has to reevaluate. What could anyone other than a blackmailer want with those items?

Julian has a house full of suspects – guests, servants, merchants – anyone with access to the house. Julian, and his stalwart companions – Lady Ophelia, Lady Hyperia, and the ever-delightful Atticus – will interview, search, evaluate, and finally figure out the villain. You will think you know it all as you read – but do you? Can any of them be trusted?

I was glad to see some reconciliation between Julian and his mother, but I was no closer to understanding the rift. However, I wondered if most of it wasn’t due to Juian’s insecurities. One of his thoughts lends credence to that. “I decided that my mother held me in low esteem and then found every piece of evidence necessary to support my conclusion and ignored evidence that did not.” I look forward to future developments with Julian’s mother, Leander (Julian’s nephew), and dukely brother.

I look forward to each new Lord Julian book and was delighted to learn that we will be getting a Christmas book that Julian informed the author she must write. YAY!