Category: Tracy’s Reviews

The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London

On By TracyIn Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Viscount Who Vexed Me (A Royal Match #3)The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: A Royal Match, #3

Release Date: May 23, 2023

After attending the Iddesleigh School of Exceptional Girls as a scholarship student, Miss Harriet “Hattie” Woodchurch started working right away, she worked as a bookkeeper to a local confectioner and acted as a companion of sorts to a former classmate and friend Miss Flora Raney, daughter of Viscount Raney. Hattie’s own family is a source of annoyance and embarrassment to her, her father is a wealthy man who is cheap and refuses to spend money on his only daughter, yet her mother is a compulsive collector, who has filled their modest home with grandfather clocks, tea services, and dress forms, and cats. Her older brother Daniel is a rake with a terrible reputation and her younger twin brothers are troublemakers. She began working in hopes of one day escaping her family, but that was before she met Rupert Masterson, her secret fiancé, now she plans to marry him and leave her family to become his partner in all things, including his business. So when her friend Flora mentions the arrival of the Santiavan duke to London to claim his English grandfather’s title of Viscount Abbott and settle his estates, and most likely selecting an English wife, she is not overly interested, that is until Flora breaks some bad news to her. Rupert asked Flora to have Hattie jilt him as he can’t marry into her family. Horrified, humiliated, and hurt, Hattie tries to act as if this news hasn’t broken her heart. Now more than ever she needs to get away from her family. So when Lord Iddesleigh invites her to tea and offers her a job working as a secretary to the new Lord Abbott, she is happy to accept. But Lord Abbott is not what she was expecting, he is stoic, reserved, and drop-dead gorgeous, it is enough to make a girl wish for things that can never be. They form a friendship, which makes things harder when it becomes clear that Flora is one of the women he is courting, and Flora wants her “insider” help in winning his proposal.

Mateo “Teo” Vincente, the sovereign Duke of Santiava and now the English Viscount Abbott, is having a hard time settling his grandfather’s estate, because although his spoken English is flawless, reading the language is not that easy for him, thus the need for a scribe. But Hattie is not what was expecting, she is vibrant, intelligent, and sticks up for herself – not to mention she gets prettier each time he sees her. Socializing is torture for him, but Hattie is like a port in the storm, helping him find a bit of calm. He becomes comfortable with her and shares his interest in baking and astronomy with her and a friendship is born. But soon it is clear that the only woman he wants to marry is the one woman he can’t or can he?

This was a terrific story with very likable characters, although I have to say that I don’t think I have ever felt as bad as I did for any heroine before Hattie – how she didn’t have a breakdown is beyond me, because each time I thought, this is as bad as it is going to get, it got worse and she was handed more pain and/or humiliation. I can’t think of a heroine who deserved a HEA more than Hattie, and let me tell you, she worked for it. This story is filled with emotion and features a much-beleaguered heroine, a shy, stoic hero, truly awful relatives, a well-meaning matchmaker, good friends, bad friends, surprising betrayals, warm kisses, twists and turns aplenty, and finally, a HEA that you didn’t even see coming. The story is not perfect and to enjoy the story, I had to force myself to accept the author’s convoluted version of primogeniture in regards to inheritance through the female line, as well as ignoring the fact that he is a sovereign duke but is addressed as my lord – since he is an English Viscount and is in England – cringe. I also would have liked a bit more steam, but that’s just my preference and the story is fine without it. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title. Overall, it was an enjoyable read that I am happy to recommend, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

*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.*

Four Weddings and a Duke by Michelle McLean

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Four Weddings and a DukeFour Weddings and a Duke by Michelle McLean

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: May 23, 2023

Alexander Reddington never expected to be the Duke of Beaubrooke, he was born the second son and had dedicated his life to botany – specifically grafting to create hybrid plants. But when his father and brother die close to one another, Alex finds himself the new duke with a host of obligations and duties he never planned for, especially marriage. But a promise is a promise and while attending the wedding of his cousin, he is to make the acquaintance of the Wynnburn sisters and choose one to be his bride, but it is the woman hiding in the back of the church reading that piques his interest when they chat. But it isn’t until the next day that he learns his wallflower is the middle Wynnburn sister, making his decision much easier. She is perfect for him, she is smart, and pretty and hates the social whirl as much as he does, so she will not expect him to socialize, leaving him with plenty of time to prepare his research for the Royal Society, what more could he want?

Lady Lavinia Wynnburn is the middle child of the Earl and Countess of Abberforth, she is often overlooked and feels lacking when compared to her two sisters Harriet and Kitty, who are both lovely and socially sophisticated, while Livy never feels like she fits in. She too is surprised to learn that the mystery man she met at the wedding is the duke and hides during the wedding ball. She is joined by her dearest friend and pseudo-brother Lord Nigel Bainbridge, who has known Alex for years and shares his interest in botany, they are rivals of a sort, but more like frenemies. Livy is thrilled when Alex wants to marry her, and for a while, it seems like they are well on their way to a love match, but obligations, expectations, and assumptions halt their HEA before it even begins. Can they find their way back to each other or will theirs just be another society marriage in name only?

What a delightful read, I found this story to be not only well-written and nicely paced, but the story felt original and fresh, even though it utilizes more than one commonly used HR trope. I really liked Livy and Alex and was frustrated for them each time they wronged each other, it was obvious to me that they were “meant to be” which made their setbacks a bit heartbreaking. The story has so much going on, a former wallflower finding her stride, a brilliant botanist, steamyish love scenes, great secondary characters, lots of plants, careless words, hurt feelings, grand gestures, collaboration with the “enemy”, and finally a hard-won HEA. I don’t know if this book is the start of new series or a standalone title – I am hoping it is the beginning of a new series, because there are several characters that I would love to see get their own HEAs. In any event, this is a fun story that I am happy to recommend!

*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.*