Category: Tracy’s Reviews

The Lady’s Deception by Susanna Craig

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

The Lady's Deception (Rogues and Rebels, #3)The Lady’s Deception by Susanna Craig

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Rogues and Rebels, #3

Release Date: October 29, 2019

Rosamund Gorse is at Kilready in Ireland with her brother Charles, Viscount Setterby while he is visiting a friend from school, the Earl of Dashfort. But when she thinks his children have played a trick on her and she runs into the earl in the hall, she realizes that her brother is planning on selling her to the earl!! Upset and angry, Rosamund runs away determined to thwart Charles, she plans to travel to Dublin and find a lawyer to help her challenge his guardianship.

Paris Burke has had a little too much to drink when Rosamund runs into him – she tells him she is looking for a lawyer – Paris is a lawyer – and he assumes she is the governess he planned to hire to take care of his younger sisters. With no money and nowhere to go, Rosamund doesn’t correct his assumption and plans to hide out until she comes of age in a few weeks. When they arrive at his house, the his family’s home, the ordeal of running away and the long walk catches up with her and she faints.

Paris is concerned and takes care of her, worried that she took ill in his care. That dredges up memories of another time he failed to take care of someone in his care. But Rosamund is fine, she is just exhausted from the walk from Kilready. She wakes the next day embarrassed and immediately begins working with the girls, Bellis & Daphne.

Paris is attracted to Rosamund and the feeling is returned, but he doesn’t feel worthy of her. He takes a case involving a boy from Kilready and hopes that he can begin atoning for what he considers a great failure. But when Rosamund learns that he was at Kilready, she is sure her brother will find her and she bolts, not realizing the girls are in hot pursuit or that Paris has discovered her secret and wants to help her.

I thought this was a good story, well written with a lot of deep seated emotion and very likable characters. The love scenes were very mild and stayed true to the characters, the villains were dealt with and our tortured hero finds comfort and begins to heal. I loved catching up with his elder sisters Camilla and Erica, as well as their husbands and the epilogue in this book was very sweet. This is the third book in the series and can easily be read as a standalone. 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 by NetGalley and the publisher.*

The Outlaw’s Heart by Amy Sandas

On By TracyIn American Historical, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Outlaw's Heart (Runaway Brides, #3)The Outlaw’s Heart by Amy Sandas

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The Runaway Brides, #3

Release Date: October 29, 2019

On the surface, it would appear that Evelyn “Evie” Perkins married well, her husband Matthew is rich, attentive and handsome. But the reality is far different, Evelyn’s husband is abusive and beats her without mercy, he controls every aspect of her life and has successfully separated her from her friends and family. Finally at the end of her rope, Evie forms a plan and escapes.

She heads west, but knows better than to go to her brother or her friends, as she is sure that is the first place Matt will check. Instead she plans to go to California and disappear into one of the large cities – but that plan is out the window when her train is stopped and boarded by outlaws clearly looking for someone – when asked her name, she lies and gives another passenger’s name and as luck would have it – that is the person they are kidnapping! She is taken without her possessions and knocked out. When she wakes, she is at the outlaw’s camp and they realize that they have taken the wrong woman. Unable to risk taking her back, they will take her to their leader, Luke and let him decide how to handle it.

One of the men, Gabe, is kind to her and sees to her comfort and is assigned to taking her to Luke. She is surprised at her attraction to him and finds that while she is wary of him, she isn’t afraid. Gabriel “Gabe” Sloane is a Cheyenne Indian who has been riding with Like for years but still feels out of place. He was taken as a boy and raised by missionaries, but when he was older and escaped, found that he no longer fit in with his family. That is when he met Luke and began “working” with him. Gabe is a quiet man of few words, he is also surprised at his immediate attraction to Evie, who tells him her name is Eve. He protects her on the trail and when he learns the extent of the abuse she endured at Matt’s hands – he knows he would lay down his life for her.

This was a very emotional story with strong abuse triggers as well as adultery that may be upsetting for some readers. I personally thought Ms. Sandas handled the physical abuse as tactfully as possible and wasn’t overly graphic in her descriptions, but nevertheless, be warned if that sort of thing is difficult for you to read. I loved Gabe and Evie, but I did have a problem with the adultery – I hated her husband and wished him a painful and slow death – but she was married to him while she was will Gabe and that sort of thing bothers ME. I also felt like the end was a whirlwind and ended too abruptly – Since this is the last book in the series, I really feel like this book should have had an epilogue to get some closure with Evie and Gabe as well as Courtney, Dean, Alex and Malcolm.

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