Category: Tracy’s Reviews

The Viscount Can Wait by Marie Tremayne

On By TracyIn Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)2 Comments

The Viscount Can Wait (Reluctant Brides, #2)The Viscount Can Wait by Marie Tremayne

Tracy’s rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: The Reluctant Brides, #2

Release Date: October 23, 2018

2.5 stars rounded up because there was an epilogue.

Eliza was 16 when her father arranged her marriage to Reginald Cartwick. On the night of her betrothal, Thomas, Viscount Evanston kisses her. Thomas is her brother’s best friend and a huge rake. While she will never admit it, she has always had tender feelings for him.

Five years later, Eliza is widowed with a young daughter. Her mourning is done and she needs to remarry as her husband’s heir is due to arrive from America and she has moved to her brother’s dower house. She decides to go to London for the season and Thomas will be there. Her brother warns Thomas to stay away from her. Eliza is attracted to Thomas, but he is completely unsuitable.

During their time in London, Eliza and Thomas seem to play a game of push and pull – he is jealous and flaunts his former mistress, which makes her jealous, she confronts him and accuses him of interfering with her suitors. Thomas has finally realized that he wants Eliza for his own, and he tries to court her and she shuts him down. But when her friend Caroline needs help, it is Thomas she turns to for assistance. But his aid comes at a price, he asks her not to accept any marriage offers until she returns to Kent.

She returns home and Thomas steps up his pursuit. Again she rebuffs him. Clara and Caroline decide that Thomas is worthy of Eliza and conspire to help them. But things do not go as planned and Thomas is again rejected, this time by William.

Heartbroken, Thomas returns to London and is dealt a blow by his scorned former mistress. Eliza finally decides that it is Thomas she loves and with her brother’s blessing set out to make things right, but when she gets to London, she realizes that she may have waited too long.

I was really looking forward to this book and am sorry to say, I was disappointed. The author failed to show me why Thomas was so “unsuitable” – yes, he was a rake, but he was not married or betrothed, he didn’t gamble away his fortune, didn’t force women to his bed, took care of his estates and was always ready to help William whenever asked – so I really didn’t see why William and Eliza kept harping that he was not respectable and completely unsuitable. That along with the game of push and pull, making each other jealous and her running hot and cold, just became tedious – another reviewer nailed it by saying there was a lot of drama for drama’s sake in this book – that is it exactly, it wasn’t horrible, just repetitive and contrived.

This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone and while I didn’t really care for this story, I will probably read the next book in the series.

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

Forgetting the Scot by Jennifer Trethewey

On By TracyIn Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

Forgetting the Scot (The Highlanders of Balforss)Forgetting the Scot by Jennifer Trethewey

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Highlanders of Balforss, #3

Release Date: October 22, 2018

Let me start this review with a PSA – this book contains several triggers – in the form of abuse and adultery. It is well written, but some of the content may be upsetting to some readers.

Virginia, Viscountess Langley is in a very unhappy marriage. Her husband was charming and attentive until the wedding and then his true colors began to show. He married her for her dowry and once he had it, he was cruel and abusive. Virginia has had enough, enough physical, mental and emotional abuse. Her greatest desire is to have children to love, convinced that she will never be able to have a child, she has turned her heart towards the forgotten children of London. She has a plan, she will use the trust fund her father set up for her and build a home for these children, she will live separately from Lord Langley and devote her life to orphans.

She is livid when she learns that Langley has stolen her money and plans to confront him, but everything changes when she is abducted after leaving the solicitors office. She is sold to the pirate O’Malley and held on his ship for months. She is sure all is lost when a miracle happens – they are rescued!

Magnus Sinclair never believed in love at first sight, until he saw Virginia. He saves her from certain death and wants nothing more than to always protect her. They form a bond and he believes that she is the “one”. But then the truth comes out – Virginia is married. Magnus is heartbroken, but he can’t seem to let her go. No one and nothing will keep him from her. Even the threat of his death. He will help her return to London and reclaim her fortune and ensure that her husband can never hurt her again – even if he dies in the process.

When things come to a head in London and Virginia is freed, Magnus has hope that they will have a HEA – But Virginia has her own dreams and as much as she wants Magnus, she will not forsake her dream for him or ask him to forsake his for her. A HEA for these two seems impossible, but a twist of fate may change everything.

I loved this book until about the 60% mark, up until then, I couldn’t read it fast enough, but then it hit a wall for me – in the form of adultery – I know her husband was a scumbag, I know he abused her and broke his vows, but that doesn’t change the fact that she committed adultery – this is a deal breaker for me – they shared kisses before this and while I wasn’t overly thrilled with that, I could let it go, but when they moved past kisses to an intimate relationship, I was upset and disgusted. But, I made a conscious decision to ignore my personal bias and be fair and open minded for the rest of the story. But once they got to London the story just fell apart in my opinion. Virginia just made one bad decision after another and several improbable/unbelievable things transpired. By the end of the book, I wanted Magnus to walk away and find another woman to love. Honestly, even without the adultery, I would have wanted him to wash his hands of her – she was so incredibly set on her path that she refused to even consider compromising – I just felt like she didn’t love Magnus as much as he loved her and hurt him over and over again.

This book was well written and flowed nicely, but in my opinion, the story fell apart after they got to London. I liked that this book tied all the books together, I liked revisiting characters from the previous books, I loved Lucy’s brother George, I LOVED Magnus and my heart broke for Virginia. But in the end, I felt that this was a 3 star read. The first half of this book was a easily a 5 star read, but the second half was barely 2 stars, there were so many questionable legal issues and consequences that were wrapped up too quickly and easily to be convincing and the possible legal ramifications of her pregnancy were completely ignored. If you have read the other books in this series, I would recommend this book, but caution that there are “triggers” in this book. If you haven’t read the other books, I would recommend starting with Tying the Scot and deciding for yourself.

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