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

Only Rakes Need Apply by Kate Pearce

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Only Rakes Need Apply (Rakes of London)Only Rakes Need Apply by Kate Pearce

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: Rakes of London

Release Date: October 28, 2025

After two long years, Carenza, the widowed Countess Smythe-Harding has finally finished mourning her late (and unlamented) husband and is ready to move on with her life. After enduring a miserable marriage with a man that cheated on her and left her penniless, she has no desire to remarry but does miss the benefits of the marriage bed. After jokingly saying she should place an ad for a lover, her best friend Olivia Sheraton places the ad and sets up a place for them to interview applicants. Carenza is mortified but goes along with it. When her late husband’s best friend Julian Laurent shows up and stops the nonsense, he makes Carenza an offer of his own – he will be her lover, no strings attached.

Julian Laurent has known Carenza for most of her life, as their family estates border each other. As the second son, Julian had no fortune, title or purpose, so he did as many other “spares” did and sowed his wild oats in London and gaining a reputation as a rake. But recently he inherited a massive fortune from his godmother and has tried to become more responsible. When he learns that Carenza has placed an ad for a lover, he can’t stand by and let her ruin her reputation, so he intervenes, not intending to offer himself to her, but that is exactly what happens. Too bad they both have enemies determined to see them ruined before they can claim their HEA.

I have mixed feeling about this book, I loved the idea of the story and felt that the story was well-written with some great characters. But at the same time, there was a lot going on and despite the steamy love scenes, I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between Carenza and Julian – in fact at some points I wondered if they even liked each other. I did like Carenza’s circle of friends, which gave the story a bit of a “Desperate Housewives” vibe, but even that created more drama than the story could support. I finished the book and felt like the story was too chaotic and I didn’t get enough closure – I know this was the start of a series, so some unfinished business is bound to work its way through future installments – but this was more about things that were central to this story. Overall, I didn’t love this story, but I didn’t hate it either – I will definitely be reading the next book to see if I judged this installment too harshly.

*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. *

All’s Fayre in Love and War by Sheri Cobb South

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All's Fayre in Love and War (Bartholomew Fayre Book 2)

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Bartholomew Fayre #2
Publication Date: 9/15/25
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 272

I am a fan of this author’s acclaimed John Pickett series, and now, I am a fan of this new series, Bartholomew Fayre, that follows the three Fayre siblings to their HEA. The wonderful first book followed Penelope Fayre, the younger sister, and it is set somewhat concurrent to this one. I had pretty much given up on reading historical romances because they had become so woke and had devolved into being simply contemporary stories in period dress. So, imagine my delight when I found this series. It is a wonderful romance, historically accurate, and true to the times while still having a strong, resilient heroine.

Unlike her sister, Penelope, Caroline Fayre Cummings has known love that is true, deep, and lasting. However, her beloved husband left them after a long illness that ate up all of their savings and left Caroline and their son, Benjamin (Benjy), dependent upon her own nearly destitute family. As her bright, intelligent son rapidly approaches the age where he should be sent to school for the education gentlemen require, Caroline frets over her inability to provide that education for him. Then, she sees an advertisement for a governess and decides she can work while Benjy continues to reside with her mother. If she saves her wages, she should be able to manage her son’s education.

Edward, Lord Tarleton, has a daughter he has no idea how to handle. He’s gone through governess after governess, and they all quickly leave, either voluntarily or through his dismissal. Edward has also known deep love, and is left with two children he hardly knows and certainly has no idea how to handle. He’s advertised – yet again – for a governess of mature years and demeanor, so what is this lovely young woman doing in his study asking for the position? He has every intention of sending her packing until an unexpected interruption causes him to make a rash decision.

Watching the sweet, caring, loving Caroline burrow, little by little, under the hard, cold walls Edward had erected was a lovely experience. As I completed the last page, I let out a sigh and had a smile on my face. This was romance and HEA in the very best sense imaginable. You will adore Caroline with her spunky ‘interpretations’ of Edward’s edicts and her total, unselfish love for little Benjy. You will also love watching the cold Edward learn to love again and to discover his children as people to love rather than reminders of loss.

This is a wonderful romance that will make you smile, sniffle, sigh, and feel the warmth that a truly beautiful romance can provide. I recommend this book, this series, and this author. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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