Category: Scottish/Highlander

Review: Deadly Curse by Carla Simpson

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Deadly Curse (Angus Brodie & Mikaela Forsythe #11)Barbara’s rating: 3.7 out of 5 Stars
Series: Angus Brodie & Mikaela Forsythe #11
Publication Date: 1/28/25
Period: Victorian London – 1892
Number of Pages: 226

In 1892, the whole world was enamored with exploring ancient Egypt. Archaeologists and Egyptologists are thick on the ground digging for antiquities. Sir Nelson Lawrence is one of the few who doesn’t want to exploit Egypt for personal gain. He wants to show their ancient history to the world and teach others to love it as he does. It’s too bad he won’t ever get that chance since his body has been discovered at the base of a large floor-to-ceiling statue of Ramses II. Is it due to a curse? Or a rival archaeologist? Or a collector who wants the artifacts for himself? Or a family member who feels he’s been cheated? Or . . .

The tension mounts as more bodies turn up and Mikaela is attacked. They check out clue after clue and learn little – but just enough to move them forward by a single step. Then, things get even more stirred up when a leader in London’s underworld offers assistance. Is his information good or is he leading them into a trap? If his information is good and proves helpful, what will he want in return?

I always enjoy Mikaela and Brodie along with their entire ensemble cast. We had a couple of new characters added this time and I wonder if they will have recurring roles or if this was a one-and-only for them. First, we had Inspector Todd with the Metropolitan Police. He seems as nasty as Chief Inspector Abberline but with less power. The other new addition was the underworld boss, Mr. Brown, who appears to have a grudging respect for Brodie – but his interests seem entirely self-serving. So, two somewhat interesting characters appeared and it will be interesting to see if they reappear.

While this was an interesting story and the mystery was good, it was not my favorite book of the series. I found it to be more plodding and less exciting than the other books – probably more like a real-life investigation would be. 😊

If an ancient Egyptian curse runs shivers down your spine, you should give this book a try.

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

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Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Rom-Com, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/Highlander, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

Earl CrushEarl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Belvoir’s (there is no official series title), #2

Release Date: January 21, 2025

After years of correspondence with the Earl of Strathrannoch, political activist and author Miss Lydia Hope-Wallace has decided to make a bold move and has traveled to Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience to the Earl. Too bad the Earl has no idea who she is! Mortified Lydia tries to leave, but a zebra stampede and an Earl who needs her help, change her plans. And so, begins a wild road trip and the chance for a once in a lifetime type of love, as long as her own self-doubts don’t prevent her from risking her heart.

Arthur Baird, the Earl of Strathrannoch is stunned when a lovely young woman comes to his door and proposes marriage. Too bad she thinks he is his younger brother Davis, but maybe he could ask for her to find him, as he is worried that his brother has stolen his latest invention for nefarious reasons. Arthur can’t help but to fall for Lydia, she is everything he could have ever wanted in a woman, but he believes that she is in love with his brother and tries to keep his distance. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets. And when they are following a lead and are caught in a compromising position, Lydia says they are newlyweds, Arthur begins to have hope that maybe her feelings for Davis aren’t as serious as he thought. But just when he thinks they are headed for happily ever after, his own feelings of inadequacy may cost him the love of a lifetime.

I will be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book and almost passed on this ARC, but thankfully, I decided to give the book a chance and I am so happy I did! This book is a delightful read, filled with imperfect characters, dear friends, a protective family, spies, secrets, zebras, steamy love scenes, insecurities, a beautiful soulmate-type love, and finally a happily ever after with the sweetest epilogue I have read in quite some time. I did feel like the book dragged in places, but OMG – Arthur – he more than makes up for that and is now on my top five favorite heroes of all time and has been elevated to book-boyfriend status. This is the second book in the series (it doesn’t seem to have an official series title, but I am calling it Belvoir’s) and could be read as a standalone title without any problems. Needless to say, I would happily recommend this book to my fellow HR readers and am looking forward to the next installment!

*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. *