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 Scandal at Stonecliffe by Candace Camp

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

A Scandal at Stonecliffe (Stonecliffe #3)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Stonecliffe #3
Publication Date: 8/20/24
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 339

In the series’ second book, we spent our time rooting for the hero and heroine – as we should have. However, I think most of us gave little thought to the man to whom the heroine was betrothed before she got her HEA with the hero. Did any of us wonder how broken his heart might have been? Did we care how much he might have loved the heroine? We all liked him, but did we wonder where his life would go? Probably not. This book, however, turns all of that on its head and shows us Nathan’s journey to finding love again. It is an exciting, well-written, engrossing story that will have you holding your breath, wringing your hands, frowning in exasperation, and smiling at the HEA.

Nathan Dunbridge spent months on the continent trying to mend his broken heart after his broken betrothal. He had truly loved Annabeth, but he knew he had to give her the freedom to marry the man she loved. Is his heart mended? Well, he can at least tolerate being in the same room with Annabeth and her husband for a while. He’s back into his role in society and living his normal life – until – a man marches up to him, proclaims himself to be his brother, and asserts he is their father’s rightful heir. Oh! My! Nathan doesn’t believe a word of it, but the man is quite adamant and Nathan knows the scandal would ruin them whether it was true or not – and it would break his sweet, caring mother’s heart. Nathan knows he has to get to the bottom of it, true or not, and he knows just the person to help.

Verity Cole has run a very discreet detective agency for the last couple of years. Before that, she was a very successful spy for the Crown. Verity has many secrets and never lets anyone get too close to her. Her life is one role after another, to the point where she’s not sure where the role ends and she begins. That all begins to change when Nathan asks her to help solve the mystery of his ‘brother’. Can she open up enough to let someone else into her life, her heart?

Verity and Nathan work together to solve the mystery of his brother and a few others as well. They work very well together but are opposites in most ways. Will that be a detriment or an asset? You’ll just have to read this fast-paced, exciting, romantic adventure to see how it all comes out. You’ll find betrayals, kidnappings, attempted murders, murders, past secrets, and longings for things that cannot be. The storyline will reach out and pull you in, and the characters will hold you till the end.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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

Fairest of the Fayre by Sheri Cobb South

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Fairest of the Fayre

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Bartholomew Fayre #1
Publication Date: 8/1/24
Period: Regency London – 1814
Number of Pages: 243

This is a delightfully entertaining and unique first book in the author’s Bartholomew Fayre series and I am so glad to have read it. The series is centered around the Fayre family and features Penelope, Oliver, and Caroline. The father is deceased and left them rather destitute by ton standards which means no dowery for Penelope and no inheritance for Oliver. Caroline has been married but is now a widow with a small son to care for. I loved meeting all of the siblings and cannot wait to read their books. I also appreciated the author’s inclusion of information about the Bartholomew fair in the Introduction. Bartholomew Fair took place two weeks each year for around 700 years, so it was fun to learn a little about it. Though you don’t have to read the Introduction, I thought it was a nice addition to the book and enhanced my enjoyment of the story when I met the characters that were mentioned. With the Bartholomew Fair being a significant setting in each book, it is nice to learn something about it.

Penelope Fayre is the Diamond of the Season and has received no less than seven proposals – and she has declined all of them. Penelope sees no reason to accept a proposal from a man she isn’t at least a bit attracted to – though her real preference would be to love him. Penelope, however, isn’t aware of how dire their financial situation is and that her mother has counted on her making a very advantageous match to rescue their family. When Penelope learns of their financial straits, she vows she’ll accept the next eligible proposal she receives – no matter who it is from. All Penelope wants is to be able to go to the exciting Bartholomew Fair first. She hatches a plan that will get her to the fair accompanied by her maid and the maid’s beau. There are so many exciting things to see – especially Monsieur Philippe Valois, the Frenchman who does fencing exhibitions.

Philippe Valois and his mother barely escaped the guillotine in France, but his father wasn’t so lucky. Though they made it back to England when Philippe was seven, everyone believed he had perished and his mother did nothing to change that belief. She believed her husband and their family were sold out to the French and she was fearful those enemies would still come after Philippe. However, his mother is gone now and he is free to pursue and punish those who wronged his father – and to reclaim what is rightfully his. Of course, meeting the beautiful woman at the fair makes him want to claim his estates and title even more.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Philippe and Penelope and seeing their bravery in action. The supporting characters of Andre, Crumley, and Freddie were particularly memorable and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of them.

I have always enjoyed this author’s works, so it is no surprise that I also loved this new release. The characters are interesting and their stories are compelling. It is a delightful and quick read that I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Happy Reading

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