Category: Tracy’s Reviews

Lady Hannah’s Holiday by Jane Charles

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

Lady Hannah's Holiday (Spirited Storms #5) (The Spirited Storms)Lady Hannah’s Holiday (Spirited Storms #5) by Jane Charles

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Spirited Storms, #5

Release Date: February 18, 2020

Nothing seems to be working out for Ashton Grell, the newly minted Marquess of Wingate, not only has he lost his father, uncle and aunt in a horrific murder-suicide, but he has also been denied the woman he longs to court, learned his estate is nearly bankrupt and if that wasn’t enough, it now appears that the Duke of Danby wants to stick his match-making nose into Ashton’s business!! So to escape the duke’s interference and with the hope that the plantation he didn’t know his father owned can solve his money problems, Ashton sets sail for Barbados.

Lady Hannah Storm has been summoned to Danby Castle by her great-uncle Danby. Hannah is terrified that the duke has found a match for her, but soon learns that he wants her to act as companion and accompany his friend Lady Whitley to Barbados. Once she is there he suggests she stay with her brother for the holidays and he promises to help her find a match when she returns in the spring, but he makes it clear that she is not to set her sights on Wingate. Hannah will go to Barbados and looks forward to seeing her brothers and sister-in-laws, but she is not happy being told to go or to be warned away from Ashton. Ashton is the only man she has ever really been interested in and she thought he returned her regard, but other than a few chance meetings, he made no attempt to court her, much to her disappointment.

Ashton’s arrival in Barbados brings mixed feelings, he is dismayed to learn that the plantation is not habitable, disgusted to learn that his father has slaves but he is overjoyed to learn that Hannah is visiting her brothers without her mother, who discouraged Ashton’s interest in Hannah the previous season. But even though Ashton knows he is not in a position to court her now, he looks forward to getting to know her better and hopefully finding a way out of his financial mess so he can plan for a future with her.

But just when it seems like everything will work out for our lovers, Ashton learns that his father made a deal with a local businessman that could not only ruin Ashton financially, but destroy any hope of a marriage with Hannah. Ashton will have to choose between keeping his honor and following his heart and even when that choice is made, HEA may not be in the stars for them.
I thought this was a very well-written and interesting story. It flowed nicely, had great characters, an exotic locale, some jaw-dropping revelations, a lot of twists and turns, a couple sweet kisses and a very, very, very hard-won HEA. This is the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone, but if you have read the other books you will be delighted to visit will some of the previous characters! I enjoyed this story and would be happy to recommend it.

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

The Lady is Trouble by Tracy Sumner

On By TracyIn Paranormal / Fantasy, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Lady is Trouble (League of Lords, #1)The Lady is Trouble by Tracy Sumner

Tracy’s rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: League of Lords, #1

Release Date: February 18, 2020

Julian Alexander, the Viscount Beauchamp, has the gift of being able to get visions from objects, he knows how society at large treats people with “gifts” and he is the leader of a group of people with supernatural gifts. He does his best to protect and educate these people, people shunned and feared by society, he cares for them all, but none more than Elizabeth Piper Scott, the granddaughter of the man who rescued him and helped him learn about his gift and how to control it. He has not seen Piper in three years, not since her grandfather was murdered by a person trying to abduct Piper to control her gift. But he has just learned from his lover that Piper is back in town. Shunned and angry, Julian goes to find her and save her – again.

Piper seems to attract trouble, she came to London to force Julian to let her take her rightful place in the League – her grandfather started the group because of her and her gift – she wants to be a part of it!! But her plan to get Julian’s attention didn’t go as expected and she may have accidently caught the hotel room on fire – she escapes the blaze and is looking for Finn, another member of the League and Julian’s “adopted” brother when Julian finds her and whisks her away to Harbingdon – an estate he has purchased and is using to house members of the League.

Once there, they will learn that Finn has been having dreams about a woman who seeks to abduct Piper to use her gift. Piper can “read” auras and is known as a healer, it is a rare gift and many people would do anything to control it. Piper wants to use her gift to help the other members and Julian, but Julian seems hell-bent on keeping her hidden. Piper has loved Julian since she met him and she thought he might return her feelings. But that hope was shattered the night of the attack, when her grandfather died and Julian hid her away and seemingly forgot about her. Piper is done hiding and fighting her attraction to Julian. She wants to take her place in the League and claim Julian’s heart. But Julian isn’t ready to give in and may never be.

I thought the idea of this story sounded great, a steamy historical romance with paranormal undertones – how could it not be? Well, it did not quite work for me, I am sorry to say I didn’t care for the writing style, I found it wordy and vague, almost as if the author didn’t want the reader to know what was going on. I never really understood what Piper’s gift was or how she used it and as much as I tried, I was never really able to get immersed in the story. In addition to that, I was irked by the incorrect formal address (A viscount’s daughter isn’t “Lady” she is “Miss” and even if she was “Lady Elizabeth”, she is most certainly NEVER Lady Scott) and then I found the final confrontation with the villain to be extremely anticlimactic. So unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book and I am not sure I would read the next book in the series.

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