Category: Tracy’s Reviews

Dreaming of a Duke Like You by Sara Bennett

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

Dreaming of a Duke Like You (Duke of Grantham #1)Dreaming of a Duke Like You by Sara Bennett

Tracy’s rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: Duke of Grantham, #1

Release Date: October 10, 2023

Gabriel Cadieux is a self-made man, raised in an orphanage after his mother died, he scraped by until at the age of 22 he won a gaming hell from the owner. In the five years since taking over the club, Gabriel, with the help of his two best friends, Charles and Freddie, has turned the club into a very profitable business. His life is going along just fine when he is confronted and if he is honest, intrigued by the sister of a young man who gambled himself into debt, but as intriguing as she was, meeting her was all but forgotten when minutes after sending her away he gets the shock of his life when he learns that his parents were married and he is now the new Duke of Grantham and is responsible for not only a debt-ridden estate, but six young half-sisters!

Vivienne Tremeer and her younger brother Sir William, came to London to escape the scandal she created at home in Cornwall. But Will is poised to create an even bigger scandal thanks to his reckless wagering. Vivienne tried to reason with the club owner, but was rejected and now she has been waiting months for Gabriel Cadieux to demand payment for her brother’s gambling debt, yet has heard nothing. So she is shocked to learn he is the new Duke of Grantham, and that he has a proposition, if she will teach his sisters the ways of the ton, he will forgive her brother’s debt. It seems like the answer to her prayers and really what could go wrong? Well, everything…

I liked the idea of the story and had no problem with the actual writing, but there were just so many things that didn’t make sense and things that were completely ridiculous and nonsensical, that I had a hard time getting into the book. I liked Gabriel and Vivienne and had no problem believing the attraction between them, but they don’t really interact until the second half of the book, which didn’t leave a lot of time to build the romance. I think my biggest problem was the fact that Vivienne’s “scandal” was so paltry compared to the fact that Gabriel’s father had committed bigamy, which rendered his six daughters illegitimate, and yet everyone was still calling them by their honorifics and planning come-outs for them – all the while warning Gabriel that associating with Vivienne will hurt his sister’s chances to make a good match – seriously? I really tried to keep an open mind, but I just couldn’t get past that. This is the first book in a new series, and despite my disappointment with this book, I would consider reading the next book in the series, as I have read and enjoyed this author’s other books.

*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.*

Under the Harvest Moon Anthology by Collected Authors

On By TracyIn Anthology, Author Collaboration Series, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Under the Harvest MoonUnder the Harvest Moon by Collette Cameron, Caroline Warfield, Rue Allyn, Mary Lancaster, Alina K. Field, Elizabeth Ellen Carter, Sherry Ewing, Cerise DeLand, and Jude Knight

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Anthology – Several novellas are connected to other series

Release Date: October 10, 2023

Nine award-winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.

As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.

But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.

With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.

I thought every novella in this anthology was great and I have reviewed some of my favorites below:

Coming Home by Mary Lancaster, 4.5 stars – Captain David Buckley has returned home to Reabridge after years of war, but before he can think about his future, he will have to settle his past. While visiting his late wife’s family, he meets Lady Lorna Gaveston when she literally falls into his arms. They form an instant friendship, and when a rejected suitor causes her grief, they work together to sort it out, growing closer as they do. Will David be able to forgive his past mistakes or will his guilt prevent him from pursuing new love?

A Love Beyond Time by Sherry Ewing, 4 stars – Eight years ago, Hannah Pownall had her heart broken when Lord Brandon Worthington’s father made him leave, but when they part, he declares his undying love and asks her to wait for him. When Brandon returns to the town of Reabridge to recover from his war injuries, he is stunned (and relieved) to find that Hannah is still unwed. But is it possible to turn back time and recapture the love of a lifetime, or have they missed their chance?

The Widow’s Harvest Hope by Cerise DeLand, 4.5 stars – Once upon a time, Stafford “Ford” Barlow, was the third son of an earl with no prospects beyond working as his family’s estate manager when he fell madly in love with Victorine “Vicky” Fortin, a French émigré, during the Harvest Festival. They spent one night together and Ford asked her to marry him, only to learn that she was betrothed. Heartbroken, Ford joins the army hoping to forget Vicky. Now six years later, Ford is the Earl and Vicky is the widowed Baroness Wright, and they are once again together for the Harvest Festival and it is clear that their feelings haven’t changed. Will this time end in happily ever after or is history doomed to repeat itself?

Love In Its Season by Jude Knight, 5 stars – Jack Wrath is at loose ends, the injuries he sustained at Waterloo caused him to lose the use of one arm and ended his career in the cavalry. With no home to speak of, he escorts Dr. Adam Wagner home to Reabridge. Gwen Hughes has her hands full trying to run a farrier business and care for her father who is suffering from dementia. They meet when she is being harassed by a “handsy” customer and Jack intervenes, he sends the lordling on his way and offers to stay with her father when Gwen’s usual caregiver is unable to stay with him. Love blossoms, but can these two flawed people let go of their insecurities and claim their happily ever after?

I found all the novellas to be well-written and entertaining, they were all seamlessly connected and moved the underlying story of the toddler along nicely. The installments were filled with wonderful characters, lots of emotion, true love, acceptance, forgiveness, low/no steam love scenes, friendship, heartache, and lots of HEAs. I enjoyed this entire anthology and will definitely be adding some of these authors’ connected backlist books to my TBR pile!

*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.*