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

A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews

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

A Lady of Conscience (Somerset Stories, #5)A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Somerset Stories, #5

Release Date: July 30, 2024

Hannah Heywood is the youngest child of Captain and Mrs. Heywood, she is lovely, shy and a bit over-protected. Her parents were concerned that a debut season in London might be too much for her and opted to have her first season in Bath. Hannah is nervous yet excited to go to Bath, not only for her debut, but to finally meet fellow animal activist, Miss Winthrop. What she didn’t expect was the arrival of James Beresford, Viscount St. Clare. James is the elder brother of her brother’s fiancée and Hannah is secretly attracted to James but knows that they would never suit. So, she is surprised when he takes a marked interest in her, could she have been wrong about a future between them?

James Beresford, Viscount St. Clare, and heir to the Earl of Allendale, should be in London looking for the perfect bride, someone of impeccable lineage and social standing, someone who will help him restore his family name. Hannah Heywood is undeniably lovely, but her shyness and her work in animal advocacy will not help him sway the ton’s opinion of his family’s scandalous past. But even knowing this, he just can’t seem to walk away until she makes it clear that they will not suit. It isn’t until he returns to London and his quest for the perfect bride that he realizes he has already found her, but is it too late?

This was a sweet, gentle story that is a lovely addition to the series. James and Hannah are easy to like, and you can’t help but root for their HEA. The story is a bit shorter than the previous installments, but no less potent. I enjoyed their interactions and the slow, yet steady development of their love story. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and especially hope that there is a HEA in the works for Jack! Overall, this was a delightfully traditional Regency romance that employs the opposites attract trope and ends with their HEA. This is the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti – Review

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Rom-Com, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)2 Comments

Ne'er Duke WellBarbara’s rating: 3.3 out of 5
Series: I wish I knew, but it is part of a series
Publication Date: 7/23/24
Period: Regency – London
Number of Pages: 352

This author delivered a good first full-length novel with likable characters and plenty of her signature steam and wit. Some scenes had me laughing out loud and others made me smile because, overall, it was a happy book. I think Peter and Selina had the chemistry going, but I would have liked to see how we got there. I rather felt as if I’d been dropped into the romance in the middle of the second act – rather than seeing it unfurl as it grew. Our hero, Peter, was NOT an alpha male, but 😊I think maybe our heroine was an alpha female. Peter did, however, have his swoon-worthy moments. 😊 I liked all the characters, but I thought Peter’s half-sister was a bit over-the-top. I am glad to have read this book even though I did get a tad bored at times and found it draggy in spots.

Our story follows Peter Kent, born and raised in New Orleans to a third (or more) son of the Duke of Stanhope. Peter never expected nor wanted to inherit a title, much less that of Duke, but he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to present anti-slavery legislation in the House of Lords. Upon arriving in England three years ago, he discovered he had illegitimate half-siblings, a boy and a girl. He now has two goals – end slavery as best he can and gain guardianship of his half-siblings.

Selina Ravenscroft is a very modern woman – and a very managing one. She is a ‘fixer’ who fixes everything for everybody – whether they want it fixed or not. She is a brilliant ray of sunshine who sees the best in every situation and wants to make it right. So, when she learns Peter wants to gain guardianship of his half-siblings, she takes right over fixing it for him. Her solution? Peter needs to marry a very respectable English lady who hasn’t had a hint of scandal in her family for the last hundred years. Selina also has a secret – and it is the reason she cannot be the lady who marries Peter. Selina owns a lending library – but – that lending library makes some very scandalous literature available to the ladies of the ton – married and unmarried. She wants those ladies to learn what they need to do to keep from being taken advantage of by unscrupulous men – and contraception – and well, the mechanics of how it all works.

I really liked the three ladies Selina chooses for Peter and while they weren’t right for him, I know we’ll be seeing them in future books in the series. I am looking forward to those books and the next features Selina’s best friend, Lydia Hope-Wallace.

So, overall, this was a nice, witty, steamy book, that I am glad to have read, but wouldn’t read a second time because I thought the bland and boring times outweighed those flashes of brilliant wit and steam.

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

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