Category: Tracy’s Reviews

The Christmas Husband Hunt by Kate Moore

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

The Christmas Husband Hunt (Husband Hunters, #4)The Christmas Husband Hunt by Kate Moore
Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Husband Hunters #4

Release Date: November 5, 2019

Charles Davenham, Viscount Wynford is one of Goldworthy’s newest recruits in his spy club. He has tasked Charles with unmasking Isabelle Delatour who claims to be the Marchioness de Tonnelier a very distant cousin of Charles mother, but whom they suspect is actually a Russian spy. He is perfecting his disguise with his friend Peregrine “Perry” Pilkington when his young sister Octavia arrives from the country very upset, clutching a copy of The Husband Hunter’s Guide to London and insisting that she needs to find a husband by Christmas. Charles is at a loss until Perry suggests that he ask Lady Harriet “Harry” Swanley for help.

Harry is the sister of the Earl of Danraven, but she left home at 16 when she refused to marry the man her brother choose for her. She moved in with a cousin, Lady Luxbough and has been governess to her children for the last 10 years. When Charles calls upon her, she immediately knows who he is and prays that he doesn’t remember meeting her. She agrees to introduce Octavia to some young people and help her settle into society, but she is sure there is more going on with Charles than just taking care of his sister. Especially when she meets the Marchioness and sees a marked difference in his behavior.

This was a good mystery, but in my opinion, there was zero romance – I don’t know when or why Charles and Harriet fell in love and never felt any connection between them and there was certainly no heat. They don’t even really work together to solve the mystery. I also don’t know why Isabelle was called the “Marchioness” – she is supposed to be French and has a French title, so she should have been the Marquise de Tonnelier – it is a stupid little detail, but it annoyed me to no end. I did enjoy the mystery in the story and if this had been a historical fiction, I would have rated it 4 stars, but as a romance it was a fail for me.

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

Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh

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

Someone to Remember (Westcott #7)Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Westcott, #7

Release Date: November 05, 2019

If you have been following the Westcott series, you know that at the end of Someone to Honor, Lady Matilda Westcott – Abigail’s maiden aunt, goes to see Charles Sawyer, Viscount Dirkson and asks him to help Gilbert get custody of his daughter. In that book, it is clear to the reader that Charles and Matilda share a past and did not part on the best of terms, but the reader is never enlightened about what transpired and when.

Lady Matilda acts as caregiver/companion to her mother, the dowager Countess of Riverdale, she is fifty-six and has never married, but that doesn’t mean she was never in love or never wanted to marry, truth is, she was in love and wanted to marry Charles Sawyer, but her parents forbid the match and Matilda sent him away. Looking back, she believes it was the right choice, Charles went on to father an illegitimate child (Gilbert) and became a renowned rake, even after he married and sired 3 children. Matilda will admit to herself that she never stopped loving Charles, but wonders if he ever really loved her. It took all her courage to seek him out to help Abigail’s husband Gilbert and talking to him stirred up old feelings she has tried hard to bury. She was sure the worst was over, but now she has been invited to a family dinner honoring him for his assistance.

Charles doesn’t want to go to dinner any more than Matilda wants him there, but a small part of him needs to know why he has never forgotten her and why she is the only woman he has ever loved. At dinner he is annoyed about how she is treated by her mother and how her family largely ignores her, he tries to talk to her, but she brushes him off. Later when some of the young adult children want to visit Kew Gardens, Charles volunteers to chaperon and asks Matilda to help.
She goes to the gardens and is assaulted by memories of her courtship with Charles, later at the top of pagoda, he kisses her – just like he did 36 years ago. Thus begins a sweet courtship of two people who made mistakes years ago and are lucky enough to be granted a second chance at love.

This was a very sweet read, no real conflict, no drama and no villains, just two older people recapturing a love they shared 36 years ago. It is short, but well written and paced nicely, the love scenes are limited to kisses and the “courtship” does move rather quickly, but I felt considering their shared past, it was believable and I was rooting for their HEA.

This is the seventh book in the series, but it can easily be a stand-alone, however, if you read Someone to Honor – you will definitely want to read this book too, because it will answer the lingering questions you might have had at the end of that story. Either way, it is a very sweet read and I am happy to recommend it.

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