Golden Lord by Mary Jo Putney

Golden Lord (Dangerous Gifts, #2)Golden Lord by Mary Jo Putney

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars (I’m being generous)

Series: Dangerous Gifts, #2

Release Date: November 26, 2024

When Caden “Cade” Tremayne, an agent for the crown and the eldest of Rhys & Gwen Tremayne’s foster children was informed of his new mission, he knew that this was going to be a mission unlike any before. He is “gifted” and has a strong sense of foreboding and feels anger directed at him specifically. But with England and France on the brink of war, it is imperative to get the English ambassador and him family out of Paris as quickly as possible. He is delighted to learn that his foster sister Lady Tamsyn will be his partner, as they have a close bond and work extremely well together. They set out and both feel the gathering danger, but it isn’t until they are almost ready to board a ship back to England that the danger he had sensed is manifested. Cade is captured by a French agent who is also gifted, and his mind is blocked causing him to forget who and what he is, but Tamsyn manages to mentally connect with him and promises to save him. He believes that she is his wife and when they are finally reunited and his mind is cleared, he is horrified to realize that now Tamsyn knows his secret. A secret that could either be downfall of the “Tribe of Tremayne” or one that could bond them in ways they never imagined.

Lady Tamsyn “Tam” Tremayne is the eldest child and heir to the Tremayne earldom, she is also powerfully gifted and an agent for the home office. Her gift is primarily healing of the mind and body, but she also has a strong gift of intuition. She too senses danger in the upcoming mission and great change, but nothing prepares her for Cade’s secret. She isn’t sure if she can accept the change, but soon knows her heart is with Cade and hopes she will not have to choose between him and her family. But before she can worry about that, she senses that their mission is far from over, they need to get back to England in one piece and thwart Napoleon’s plans!

WARNING: The rest of this review might be a little “Spoilerish” and is definitely opinionated.

I will be honest, this book was not for me, I LOVED the first book but this one… I could not get past the brother/sister thing – I grew up in a family that took in foster children and adopted children, for me they were (and still are) my brothers and sisters – the idea of romantic love between two people who have been raised as brother and sister since they were very young children, is repulsive to me – maybe if they hadn’t met until they were young adults, I could get past it, but the story is clear, they met as very young children and have always considered each other as siblings – in fact most of the book they call each other brother/sister – I just can’t pretend that I am all right with that. That said, yes, I am aware that I have a personal bias – so, please make up your own mind, there are lots of rave reviews for this book and I will not deny that it is an interesting story with very likable characters. And the author makes a good attempt to explain that Cade never really considered her as a sister and always loved her (it just didn’t matter to me – it still felt wrong) the gifted part of the story is good and if they hadn’t been siblings, I probably would have enjoyed it. This is the second book in the series, and I would strongly recommend reading this series in order.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library by Angelina Jameson

Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library (The Rogue's Alliance Book 1)Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library by Angelina Jameson

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Rogue’s Alliance, #1

Release Date: November 19, 2024

When it becomes clear that Thorne’s Lending Library is in danger of closing, Lady Charlotte Beaumont and her friends Ladies Louisa and Edith, set out to save “their place”. In an attempt to learn what makes a place exclusive, Charlotte decides to don a disguise and investigate the famous bow window at White’s, it is there that she crosses paths with Benedict Grey, the Marquess of Ashford. She thinks she has escaped with her anonymity intact, but she isn’t that lucky, when Benedict quickly learns her identity and tries to discourage her improper behavior. But Charlotte has no intention of giving up her quest and when it becomes clear that there are darker forces at play, she turns to Benedict for help and can’t seem to stop herself from falling for him, despite the fact that he clearly believes that she would never make an appropriate wife for him.

Benedict has his own problems, his sister Diana, grieving the loss of her fiancé, has been acting out of character and may have insulted Lady Caroline Lamb, who is rumored to have written a book exposing members of the ton. He is desperately trying to learn if Diana is mentioned and doesn’t have time to be sidetracked by the intriguing, yet inappropriate Lady Charlotte! But it soon becomes clear that there is something sinister about the library’s current problems, and with the help of his friends, they uncover the reason for the library’s difficulties. Once he learns that the criminal group known as the Rouge’s Alliance is behind the sabotage to the library, nothing will stop him from protecting Charlotte. But saving Charlotte doesn’t change the fact that she isn’t an appropriate choice for his wife. Will Benedict be able to let go of his prejudices or is he doomed to lose the only woman he has ever loved?

I thought this was a cute story, yet it was nothing like the other books I have read by this author. This book read more like a young adult historical mystery than a romance. I have no idea how or why they fell in love, there is very little interaction between them throughout the story and absolutely no intimacy, they don’t even share a kiss until the very end of the book. So, I guess if you prefer an “Austen-like” story with no love scenes or sexual tension, this book will make you very happy. I was intrigued by the “Rouge’s Alliance” and would probably read future installments just for that story line.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *