Category: Victorian Era (1837-1901)

In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian period, and its later half overlaps with the first part of the Belle Époque era of continental Europe.
Preceded by: Regency era
Followed by: Edwardian era
Monarch: Victoria

A Scoundrel for the Suffragist by Melissa Oliver

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A Scoundrel for the Suffragist (The Disreputable Marsden Brothers Book 2)A Scoundrel for the Suffragist by Melissa Oliver

Tracy’s Rating: 3 / 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Disreputable Marsden Brothers

Release Date: February 24, 2026

Cecily Duddlecott is not your typical Victorian heroine; she was one of the first women admitted into Oxford and is a pioneer in the suffragist movement as a founding member of the Women’s Enlightened Reform Movement (TWERM) which supports the right to education for all women. She is passionate about education, but after a scandal that forced her to leave Oxford before she earned her degree, she had to return to her brother’s home and tried to give the appearance of conformity. It isn’t until her brother marries that things become difficult and her brother pushes her to marry newspaper mogul Samuel Millington. And if that was not enough, her best friend’s annoying brother-in-law, Dominic Marsden, seems to be stalking her!

After being raised as golden boys of the ton, only to be cast out of society after their father died and the truth of his bigamist marriage to their mother came to light, Dominic “Dom” Marsden and his brothers lost everything. But instead of giving up, the brothers fought back and created an empire of their own in the form of Trium Impiorum, an exclusive and wildly successful gaming club, and Dominic enjoys his new persona of scoundrel. The last thing he expected was to be dragged into service of the Intelligence Office, Sir Algernon Pendle has commanded Dom to keep his eye on Cecily, as her brother is a known cohort of Samuel Millington, who is suspected of treason. But Dominic never anticipated developing feelings for Cecily or that she would insist on putting herself in harm’s way to help him complete his mission.

I am not sure how I feel about this story; I liked the idea of the book and found both Dominic and Cecily to be relatable and likable. But I struggled to stay immersed in the story due to the author’s use of overly descriptive explanations, for example, there is almost a whole chapter about how to play the game of Loo, while interesting, this information did nothing to move the story along and was boring. There are other instances of this throughout the book, and it made it hard for me to stay focused on the real story. This book has a bit of mystery, a bit of spice, a smart and strong heroine, a hero with a true heart of gold, a book that has been thoroughly researched, a surprise twist and finally a happily ever after. Overall, I liked the story and found some of the history to be very interesting, so while I am glad, I read the book, I don’t think I would read it again. This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*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. *

 

What Happens in Brighton by Various Authors

On By TracyIn Anthology, Author Collaboration Series, Book Publicity, Check Content Warning/Triggers, Georgian Era (1714-1837), New To Me Author, Non-Traditional Romance, Novella, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

What Happens in BrightonWhat Happens in Brighton by Anna Bradley, Tracy Brogan, Kerrigan Byrne, Gayle Callen, Christy Carlyle, Sofie Darling, Eileen Dryer, Barbara Russell & Misty Urban

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Connected to Several of the Authors Ongoing Series

Release Date: February 10, 2026

Set in the enchanting seaside town of Brighton, England, where the sun kisses the shore and dreams linger in the salty breeze, a vibrant tapestry of souls will Vicar’s daughters and country maidens striving to ascend the social ladder, widows daring to seek a second chance at joy, and heartbroken singles clinging to the fragile hope of love. I enjoyed this collection a lot, but the following novellas really stood out to me:

Queen of Hearts by Anna Bradley – 4 stars: A bit of a love at first sight trope – To give her ailing brother a chance to take treatments in Brighton, seamstress Charlotte “Lottie” Bathurst, scrims and saves to let them stay for two weeks, but when they are robbed, she will either have to cut the visit short or gamble to recoup the lost funds. She dresses up as a young man and goes to Hart’s Ace, catching the notice of the owner Armitage Hart.

The Way We Were by Gayle Callen – 5 stars: A second-chance romance after losing a child – This was a very emotional story, Lucy Lawton and her husband Captain Reginald “Reggie” Lawton have been separated for a year, she doesn’t expect him back for two weeks, but learns he is already in England and was seen with another woman on his arm! Lucy goes to Brighton to confront him and to tell him she wants to lead separate lives. Only to learn who the woman really is and that her husband isn’t willing to give up on their marriage.

A Day at the Beach by Eileen Dreyer – 4.5 stars: Another second chance romance – After 6 long years, Phillip Long, the Earl of Everleigh has returned after being sold to a press-gang by his wife. He is back and wants answers, but what he finds is more questions! Eleanor Long, grieved deeply for her husband, and has stayed in England to protect Everleigh’s estate for their son – but it has been a fight with his grasping cousin. She is shocked when Phillip returns and accuses her of having him press-ganged and makes other accusations. Can they find the truth and their way back to each other?

A Night You Won’t Remember by Barbara Russell – 4 stars: After Lady Esther accidentally meets Alexander, the Duke of Richmond and mistakes him for someone else, they form a friendship. Later she is shocked to learn that he is the duke her mother has been trying to set up with! She hates to admit it, but she likes him and when the chance to see him again in Brighton comes up, she is excited to see him again. But a wild night with her social rival may ruin any chance she has with Alexander, when she takes his prized fencing foil and can’t remember what she did with it!

This anthology contains nine never-before-published novellas, some with connections to the author’s own series and with several different tropes, ensuring that there is really something for everyone in this collection! I highly recommend this collection and will definitely be looking up some of these author’s backlists!  My overall rating is based on an average of all nine novellas

*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. *