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 Gentleman of Dubious Reputation 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 Dubious Reputation (The Lord Julian Mysteries #2)Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Lord Julian Mysteries #2
Publication Date: 11/3/23
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 238

I loved the first book in this series so much that I was really fearful this book couldn’t live up to it. WRONG! This was an intriguing mystery filled with enough twists and turns to make it interesting. Couple that with just the right number of suspects and clues and – well, you’ve got another great entry into the series. I love seeing Julian grow and begin to come to grips with the outer and inner wounds from his captivity during the recent war. As you read the books, you can’t help but come to admire Julian for his strength of character, fortitude, self-deprecating sense of humor, and resilience. And – add to that – he’s becoming a great sleuth.

Julian has avoided the family seat as much as possible since his return from French captivity – mostly because, for him, it is haunted by his brother Harry. However, when he is summoned by his brother Arthur, the Duke of Waltham, he goes. It seems Lady Clarissa Valmond has set her cap for Arthur and he’s running scared. Lady Clarissa is one of the most exasperating and annoying females to ever be – but, is there more to her than meets the eye? What about her missing brother? Where are her parents – shouldn’t they be involved in helping to find her missing brother? Oh! My!

As readers, we made a pact with Julian to follow him through the events that unfolded during the story and to solve the mystery with him. That turned out to be an entertaining journey because the plot had plenty of twists and turns to keep us wondering and the surprising resolution bloomed before our eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I love Julian, but I also love the supporting cast members such as Hyperia (slow-burn romance there I hope), Lady Ophelia (Julian’s Godmother), and Arthur (Julian’s brother, the Duke).

If you are looking for a great mystery with a wonderful cast of characters, then give this one a try. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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The Governess and the Duke by Lydia Drake

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

The Governess and the Duke (Renegade Dukes #3)The Governess and the Duke by Lydia Drake

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Renegade Dukes, #3

Release Date: December 26, 2023

Years ago, Miss Viola Winslow, fell in love at first sight with her employer’s best friend, James Montagu, the Duke of Huntington, but as the governess of the Duke of Ashworth’s ward, not to mention a woman with secrets, Viola was in no position to make her feelings known, so she hid them and silently loved him from afar. That would have been the end of the story, had her charge been anyone other than the incorrigible Felicity Berridge. Because Felicity loves Viola as much as Viola loves her and she wants Viola to be happy and have her heart’s desire, but in Felicity’s opinion, Viola is taking way too long and clearly needs assistance. And Felicity is up to the task. So begins the convoluted matchmaking scheme of a very wiley fourteen-year-old and her accomplices. Little does she know that her plan is going to stir up more than amorous feelings.

James, the Duke of Huntington has been hiding (and brooding) at his ancestral home, Moorcliff Castle for the past fifteen months, following the humiliating rejection of his marriage proposal to Miss Susannah Fletcher. But all that changes when Viola and Felicity need assistance and become guests at the castle. For the first time, James really “sees” Viola and wonders how he had been so blind the last ten years. It isn’t long before he realizes he is in love with Viola, but convincing her may be a losing battle, luckily for him, he has help and won’t give up easily. But when secrets come out and hard truths are faced, will duty and family honor supersede his heart’s desire?

This was a very fun read, with a dash of angst thrown in to keep it interesting. I liked Viola and James, but in my opinion, Felicity stole the spotlight in this book. The story is filled with secrets, scheming teenage girls, a chatty raven, vile family members, seances, ghosts, some lies, steamyish love scenes, wonderful secondary characters, a bit of angst, martyr-worthy sacrifices, cameos from previous characters, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I enjoyed this story, but in complete honesty, I had a hard time with the notion that James and Viola knew each other for ten years, and yet in all that time, he never noticed her and then in just a matter of days, fell head over heels in love with her. Other than that, it was a great story and one I would be happy to recommend to my fellow historical romance readers. This is the third book in the series, and I hope not the last – because I really want to read Felicity’s story!!!

4 stars

*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.*