Category: Tracy’s Reviews

A Secret Surrender by Darcy Burke

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

A Secret Surrender (The Pretenders #1)A Secret Surrender by Darcy Burke

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Pretenders, #1

Release Date: August 7, 2020

Harry Sheffield, younger son of the Earl of Aylesbury and constable for Bow Street, has been tasked by his father to learn all he can about a fortune-teller named Madame Sybila, whom his mother has been visiting. He has tracked her to a perfume shop on the Strand and hopes to get the proof he needs to shut her down. But Madame Sybila surprises him, she refuses to see him and no matter how much he offers, she won’t “read” his cards. She asks him to leave and when he says he will be back, she surprises him by saying Bow Street is not that far.

Selina Blackwell aka Madame Sybila aka Lady Gresham is exactly what Harry thinks she is – a scammer and a fraud. She has had a hard life, orphaned early in life and raised with her brother on the streets of London, then sent to school, where she met another lost child, Beatrix. After years at school, she lost touch with her brother and built a life for herself and Beatrix. She has returned to London as Lady Gresham to introduce Beatrix to society, with the hope that her father – the Duke of Ramsgate – will acknowledge her and offer to support her. She plans to steer clear of Harry, but when she learns he is looking into a fire that killed several people – including her brother – she decides to befriend him to learn who killed her brother and get revenge. But things don’t work out as she plans and she learns that her brother is not dead and happens to be the “Vicar”, the very criminal mastermind that Harry is looking for!

Selina plays a deep game, juggling her many personas and trying to keep herself from falling in love with Harry. Harry is thwarted at every turn in his investigations of Madame Sybila and the Vicar and completely smitten with Lady Gresham. Harry is falling hard for Selina and begins to think of forever, but when the truth comes out, he is shattered and any chance of HEA is gone…or is it?

I thought this was an interesting story, there was a lot going on and was not quite as cohesive as I have come to expect from Ms. Burke. I liked the characters, Harry is to die for, but I was not thrilled that Selina kept lying to Harry for so long, I understand the reasoning, but I still didn’t like it and while I didn’t hate her, I spent a good portion of the book disappointed with her. The book has a bit of everything, intrigue, shocking revelations, secrets, lies, fraud, betrayal, steamy love scenes, a kleptomaniac, a meddling yet loving family, heartache, a very forgiving hero and finally a HEA that seemed impossible.

This is the first book in a new series, but it has ties to the Spitfire Society and you will see some familiar names if you have read that series. And as there were some lingering, unanswered questions in this book, I will be looking forward to the future installments with the hope that they will be resolved in Beatrix and Rafe’s stories.

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

The Lord of the Highwaymen by Elizabeth Bramwell

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Lord of the Highwaymen (Hearts & Highways, #1)The Lord of the Highwaymen by Elizabeth Bramwell

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Hearts & Highways, #1

Release Date: July 30, 2020

The Honorable William Haddington, the heir to Viscount Haddington has loved Amelia “Amy”, Baroness Fellows for as long as he can remember and has already lost her once. Now that she is out of mourning, he doesn’t intend to let her get away again, but really has no idea how to woo her. With the help of his friends, he plans to tell her his true feelings at the masked ball they will both be attending.

Amelia has loved William since she was a girl, but her family need money and her father assured her that William’s father would never let his heir wed her and insisted that she marry Baron Fellows, a man old enough to be her grandfather. And to her surprise, she cared deeply for the Baron, who was a dear friend to her and taught her much about life. But as much as she cared for him, her heart longs for William and now that she has reentered society, she plans to let William know how she feels.

After much to-do and a nasty encounter with her step-son Archibald, they finally meet up in the conservatory at Lady Melbourne’s Masked Ball and from there William’s well thought out plan crumbles and Amelia leaves in a huff. Things don’t look good for our would-be lovers, but with the help of their friends, a wager and a highwayman – they might just find their HEA.

This was a fast paced, well written novella with likeable characters, sweet (kisses only) love scenes, interesting secondary characters and [I assume] a storyline that will continue in future installments. I would have preferred a little more steam and a bit more build up to the next novella since there were things that were not addressed in this installment that left me feeling a bit bewildered and the story incomplete. This is the first book in a new series and I assume that stories will be interconnected and have an ongoing storyline.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*