Category: Standalone Title

Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan

On By TracyIn Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Duchess MaterialDuchess Material by Emily Sullivan

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: None

Release Date: November 19, 2024

When one of her students goes missing, bluestocking teacher Phoebe Atkinson doesn’t think twice about investigating alone. But when she finds herself in trouble, she turns to an old friend, William “Will” Margrave, the uppity, oh-so-perfect Duke of Ellis for help. Together they will navigate the darker side of London and along the way reconnect after years apart. But can there be anything lasting between them? Especially since Phoebe has no desire to conform to society’s rules for women and Will needs a perfect duchess.

Years ago, Will and Phoebe were good friends and shared a mutual attraction, but all that changed when Will inherited the dukedom and all the responsibilities that came with it. He lost touch with Phoebe but continued to maintain a friendship with her elder sister Alexandra “Alex”. Will has spent years learning to be the perfect duke and is now in search of the perfect duchess, and even has a candidate selected. But when Phoebe needs his help, he quickly puts his courtship on hold and runs to Phoebe’s side. He quickly realizes that his attraction to her is just as strong as it ever was, but nothing could come of it, since Phoebe will never be a proper duchess.

This was a well-written story with interesting characters, but it wasn’t the book I was hoping for. I never really connected with Phoebe or Will, and honestly didn’t feel the “romance”. I was hoping for a fun, sexy Friends-to-Lovers, Second-Chance romance, and in the strictest sense it was that just minus the “fun, sexy” part. The book dragged and I got annoyed with Phoebe’s judgmental and martyrish ways, as well as Will’s constant lamenting that Pheobe wasn’t good enough to be his duchess. Overall, it was an OK story with a happy ending and while I didn’t love this book, I did like her sisters and would probably read their stories.

*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. *

Tempted by a Rake by Jane Charles

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

Tempted by a RakeTempted by a Rake by Jane Charles

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Wicked Widows League (with ties other series by this author)

Release Date: November 5, 2024

As her family prepares to retire to their country estate for Christmas, Lavinia Stewart, the widowed Marchioness of Teviot is feeling out of sorts and decides to spend Christmas alone at a cottage she visited as a child to try and figure out what is bothering her. Upon the death of her husband, she returned to her family, acting as chaperon to her younger sisters and not only hostess to her brother the Duke of Claybrook, but his closest confidante and advisor. She is not sure what she wants to do with the rest of her life, but she knows she will never again marry for duty and despite her sister’s suggestion of finding a lover, she isn’t sure that is right for her either. But when she arrives at the cottage and discovers her neighbor is none other than Mr. Demetrius Valentine, her brother’s solicitor and a man that Lavinia greatly admires, too bad he is a rake. But then again, who better to help her discover what she was missing in the marriage bed?

Demetrius Valentine has just unexpectedly inherited a cottage as well as a dog and cat from one of his first clients. Shocked at the gift, he decides to spend Christmas there and think about his next move. He is shocked and delighted to learn that Lady Teviot is also spending the holiday sans family. He has long admired her intelligence and beauty. He would love to be her lover, but while he might not be the rake she believes him to be, he does have secrets that could destroy his family if the truth gets out. Yet how could he live with himself if he started an affair without telling her the truth? And how will he guard his heart for the eventual end of the affair?

This was a sweet friends-to-lovers / class difference romance with very likable characters in a Christmas setting. I enjoyed the story, but it was not as fast-paced as most of Ms. Charles’ books and felt a bit repetitive as each character rehashed the reasons, they could never really be together. Overall, it was a nice read with wonderful characters, secrets, adorable pets, steamyish love scenes and a lovely HEA complete with an epilogue. This novel is connected to more than one series but could 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/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *