Category: Tracy’s Reviews

The Heiress’s Daughter by Anne Gracie

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews3 Comments

The Heiress's Daughter (The Brides of Bellaire Gardens #3)The Heiress’s Daughter by Anne Gracie

Tracy’s rating: 3/3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Brides of Bellaire Gardens, #3

Release Date: May 21, 2024

With her sister Izzy on her honeymoon, heiress Clarissa Studley is going to have to face the season with just her marriage-minded chaperone for support. Clarissa’s father was an awful man who was unforgivably cruel to both Clarissa and her mother, having affair after affair and belittling them both to point that Clarissa is sure that no man would ever want more than her fortune. So, when her brother-in-law, Leo’s best friend Lord Randall “Race” begins to show an interest in her, she is sure he is only pretending to like her as a favor to Leo, after all he is gorgeous and a known rake, why would he want a plump, plain country girl like her? Besides, she has bigger things to consider, like the possibility of another sister! But Race doesn’t seem to be giving up and now she has another suitor who is also showing serious intentions. Too bad he doesn’t make her heart beat faster like Race does, but if life with her father taught her anything it is that you can never trust a rake.

Horatio “Race”, Lord Randall may have a reputation as a rake, but it is exaggerated and worked to his advantage before he wanted find a wife. But now it seems that his legendary charm is failing him, because the first and only woman he has ever wanted to marry is doing her utmost to avoid him! He will have to find a way to prove to her that his love is real or risk losing her to the wrong man!

This was a very sweet story but was not as cohesive as I have come to expect from Ms. Gracie. Race and Clarissa are wonderful characters and I wanted to love their journey to HEA, but sadly, the story just seemed to drag and began to feel repetitious. It also had elements that just seemed as if they were added to act as a filler. This book has a very slow-burn romance, feelings of inadequacy, sneaky suitors, surprise relatives, very low-steam love scenes, wonderful secondary characters, and finally a well-earned HEA. I liked this book, but it felt like it would have been better as a novella, as Clarissa’s self-doubts and insecurities just went on way too long and stalled the progress of the story. Overall, it was not a bad book, but not the story I was hoping for. I would recommend it for readers who have been following the series or readers who prefer a lower steam romance. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title.

3 maybe 3.5 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. *

The Warrior’s Forbidden Maiden by Lissa Morgan

On By TracyIn Book Publicity, Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Part of a Series, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Warrior's Forbidden Maiden (The Warriors of Wales, 2)The Warrior’s Forbidden Maiden by Lissa Morgan

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Warrior’s of Wales, #2

Release Date: May 21, 2024

Several years ago, and after years of friendship, Cristin ferch Ifor and Llywelyn ap Cadwgan, shared a forbidden night of passion before Llywelyn committed himself to the priesthood. But the next morning brought the news of the death of his elder brother and ending Llywelyn’s hope of taking his vows. He leaves his sister’s home to take up the sword for Lord Rhys, the Prince of Deheubarth against the English. As he leaves, he breaks Cristin’s heart when he bids farewell to everyone except her, leaving with not even glance at her. Cristin is a bondswoman in service to his family and had relocated to sister Rhianon’s new home when she married, but after Llywelyn’s slight to her, she begs Rhianon to release her from service so she may return to their home at Ystrad Meurig. Once there she hopes to find out why Llywelyn left her as he did, but she doesn’t get the chance and soon after he left war came to Ystrad Meurig and the holding was captured by the English. It will be many years before she is reunited with her love, and once they are together again Cristin will have to find the boy, she once knew in the warrior who has returned. And even if she finds him, it won’t change the fact that he is a lord and she is a servant, and any match between them would be unheard of! But the heart wants what it wants no matter how impossible…

Llywelyn was raised by a cruel man and an indifferent mother, his sole joy as a boy was his friendship with Cristin and the solace he found with her family. He had set his heart on taking his vows and joining the monks at Ystrad Fflur, but that hope was crushed when his brother died, and it fell upon Llywelyn to fight for the prince. The wars took their toll on him, filling him with self-loathing and resentment. When he returns to retake his family’s holding, he seeks out Cristin for help, knowing he treated her poorly years ago, but hoping her loyalty would convince her to help him. Once he reclaims his castle, he hopes to finally lay down his sword and take his vows, but he didn’t anticipate his still burning desire for Cristin.

This was a very well written, emotional story with wonderful characters struggling to find a bit of happiness in war torn Medieval Wales. Cristin and Llywelyn shared an amazing bond and the chemistry between them was obvious, but war has taken its toll on them both and healing will be slow and at times agonizing. The book has war, talk of past abuse, class difference, pain, angst, a very slow-burn romance, vows, twist and turns, more vows, low steam love scenes, and finally redemption, forgiveness and HEA. My only complaint would be that there are a lot of Welsh phrases scattered throughout the book and most have no translation, making me wish the author had included a glossary of the Welsh words, as my Kindle couldn’t translate most of them. This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title as the stories are very loosely connected. This book is a bit darker than I expected, but it is still a very satisfying read, and one I would recommend to readers who enjoy romances with a medieval setting.

*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. *