Category: Top Pick – Highly Recommended

The Beastly Earl by Monica Burns

On By TracyIn Gothic Historical, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Scottish/Highlander, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Beastly Earl (The Reckless Rockwoods #5)The Beastly Earl by Monica Burns

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Reckless Rockwoods #5

Release Date: December 24, 2019

Almost three years after the fire that claimed her brother Caleb and her husband Devin, Louisa Morehouse nee Rockwood, Viscountess Westbrook, has decided to go to Callendar Abbey for some time alone to center herself. She leaves her two sons with her brother Sebastian, Earl of Melton and sets off for the remote Scottish estate. Her trip is without incident, until she sets out to the Abbey from the train station. A storm spooks the horses and her driver is hurt, she takes a horse and rides out on the moors hoping to find help. She is thrown from her horse and injured, she would have died if not for her brother Caleb’s urging to get up and move. She goes as far as she can and finally collapses, but Caleb assures her that “he” is coming for her.

“He” is Ewan Colquhoun, the Earl of Argaty. Ewan returned from the Sudan a almost a year ago a changed man, physically and emotionally. He lost an arm and an eye in the wars and has become a bit of a hermit, he is angry and bitter, not just about his injuries, Argaty Keep is not a haven for him, but he accepts the responsibilities of the earldom and tries to tolerate his nasty, hateful mother and ignore his late wife’s son. When his steward tells him that a horse has shown up in the stables and they believe the rider is lost on the moors, Ewan grudgingly sets out without his eye patch or a glove to cover his prosthetic arm to find the missing rider. He finds Louisa and brings her back the Keep, he tends her injuries and nurses her through a fever. He thinks she is lovely, but believes she was repulsed by him on the moors and once she is well, stays far away from her. But Louisa is not going to be brushed off, she has the gift of sight (an dara sealladh, a trait shared by many in the Rockwood family) and is sure she needs to be at the Keep – she convinces Ewan to hire her as governess to his son Ross, she doesn’t tell him exactly who she is and she concocts a story of going to the Abbey for a position of a companion, a position she lost when Lady Matilda learned she had children. She implies she needs a position and asked him to let her sons Charles (Viscount Westbrook) and William “Wills” join her.

Louisa originally believes that she was sent to help Ross, but as time passes, she thinks Ewan might be the real person she was meant to help. She is attracted to the surly man and when they finally give into their mutual passion, it is beautiful and it seems like their HEA is a forgone conclusion. But what fun would that be? Secrets and lies will have Ewan pushing Louisa away and a gothic twist may keep them apart forever.

I really enjoyed this installment of the Reckless Rockwell series. The story is well written, paced well, has wonderful characters, lots of secrets, really evil villains, some nail biting scenes, a bit of comic relief, a little heartache, some steamy love scenes, a dash of the paranormal thrown in and an incredibly romantic epilogue. I really appreciate that the author prefaced the story with her author notes, it explained many things in the story that might have confused a reader if the notes were left to the end AND she provided a glossary of Scottish/Gaelic terms – also helpful. I do wish there had been a little more background on the Rockwood “gift”, but even without that information, I found this to be wonderful book that I am happy to recommend, it is the fifth book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*

The Dance Before Christmas by Victoria Alexander

On By TracyIn Christmas, Novella, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Dance Before Christmas (The Lady Travelers Society, #2.5)The Dance Before Christmas by Victoria Alexander

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Lady Travelers Society, #2.5

Release Date: October 1, 2018

When Wesley Grant enters the Explorers Club, he is greeted by a lovely young woman, who has clearly has him confused with someone else. Wesley is the president and chief innovator of the very successful Grant Watch and Clock Company, he has come to England from his home in America to meet Sir Archibald Snelling and hopefully get him to endorse his newest invention – a travelers chronometer, at his uncle’s suggestion, he is attending the Explorers Club Christmas Ball and hopes to find a way to get introduced to Sir Archibald. He is about to tell the young woman she has the wrong man, but he becomes intrigued by her story and when he learns she is Sir Archibald’s daughter and wants him to pretend to be her suitor to prevent her father from pressuring her to marry his friend’s son, he can’t seem to disappoint her with the truth and besides, he wanted to meet her father and it seems like fate has dealt him a winning hand.

Anabel Snelling is almost 21 and her father feels it is time for her to marry. He has decided that the perfect man for her is his best friend’s son Douglas Reed. Douglas has been offered a position in India and will be leaving the day after Christmas, so unless she has another serious suitor by Christmas Eve, her father expects to announce her engagement to Douglas at their annual Christmas Eve Ball. But thanks to her Aunt Lillian, her problems are solved! Her Aunt hired an actor to pretend to be her suitor and he will court her until Christmas and then once Douglas has set sail, she will say he doesn’t suit and will be free to carry on with her life. To ensure that her father will accept the fake beau, they have decided to say he is the son of the very famous, very elusive, very dead (and very much admired by her father), Reginald Everheart. When Anabel informs Wesley of the part he is playing, he readily agrees, but refuses to be called Earnest Everheart, he will keep his own first name.

They enter the ball and dance and talk, Wesley knows he should tell her the truth, but he is smitten and doesn’t want to lose the opportunity to meet her father and talk about his chronometer. Anabel introduces him to her father and he tells him that he wants to marry Anabel, they plan to meet the next day. Wesley is satisfied that he will get to talk to Sir Archibald and decides to leave, but on his way out, he is stopped by Effie Higginbotham and detoured to the library with her friends Poppy and Gwen. Effie overheard him telling her friend Archie that he was Reginald’s son and Effie knows something is up, because she and her friends know for a fact that Reginald didn’t have any children – because they made him up!

When confronted, Wesley tells the truth and of Anabel’s dilemma, the trio of ladies are more than willing to help! What could possibly go wrong?

I absolutely loved this novella, it is well written, fast paced, funny and very sweet. So if you are looking for a quick, feel-good, love at first sight novella, look no further! This book is part of the Lady Travelers Society series, but it is more of a prequel than an actual series installment, it can easily be read as a stand-alone and out of order with no problems at all. I really enjoyed this sweet (kisses only) story and am happy to recommend it.