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

The Governess’s Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses by Amy Rose Bennett

On By TracyIn Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Historical Rom-Com, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Governess's Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses (The Parasol Academy, #2)The Governess’s Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses by Amy Rose Bennett

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Parasol Academy #2

Release Date: March 31, 2026

As a graduate of the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses, Hermina “Mina” Davenport will never let harm come to her charge, especially after making a deathbed promise to his godmother. So, when Christopher, the orphaned 7-year-old Viscount Fitzwilliam is being taken to the North Pole by his possibly bewitched guardian, Sir Bedivere Ponsonby, against his will, Mina has no choice but to intervene. She “te-ley-ports” onto the ship and they make their escape, but that is where things go terribly wrong. Instead of ending up in her room at her mother’s house, they end up on another ship – owned by an incredibly large and handsome Irish nobleman, Phineas “Phinn” O’Connell, the newly-minted Marquess of Kinsale. He kindly offers to take them back to Bristol and they part ways. After settling Christopher in her mother’s home, Mina returns to the Academy for a new assignment. Imagine her surprise when Phineas is her new employer!

Phinn O’Connell is not a typical nobleman, raised in Ireland he survived the Great Famine by becoming a prizefighter, but even that was not enough to save his family, who perished from a typhoid outbreak. He is large, scarred, uncouth and speaks with not just an Irish accent, but he also has a speech impediment, which makes him very self-conscious and something of a joke to his peers. He desperately wants to pass laws in parliament to help his people in Ireland, but no one takes him seriously. He needs help, he needs Mina! But as his friend Viscount Hartwell, points out he has no child in need of a governess, and he doubts the academy would allow her to work for him. So, when he catches a young boy trying to pick his pocket, he sees a way to hire Mina and help a young boy at the same time. What could go wrong?

I think I actually liked this story better than the first book, which is saying a lot because I LOVED the first book. Mina and Phinn are both wonderful characters and their story is filled with witty banter, flawed yet lovable characters, a cursed ring, wonderful secondary characters, an irascible pug, cameos from Emma and Xaiver, lots of magic, secrets, snarky servants, opposing Fae Queens, slow-burn romance, and finally a happy ending with the promise of more magic to come! This is the second book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title without any problem. I am happy to recommend both titles in this fun, magical, Victorian-era series!

*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. *

 

The Sinister Deception by Lana Williams

On By TracyIn Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Sinister Deception (Field & Greystone #6)The Sinister Deception by Lana Williams

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Field & Greystone, #6

Release Date: March 24, 2026

Once again Henry Field and Amelia Greystone find themselves embroiled in a new mystery, this one involving a close friend of Amelia’s Aunt and her stay at Hollowgate Heights, an exclusive clinic that boasts alternative treatments and possible cures for people that traditional medicine has deemed hopeless. But Amelia’s friend is not the only reason Henry has taken an interest in this case. His good friend Arthur Taylor, the surgeon who performs the postmortems for Scotland Yard has also brought up some concerns about a recent postmortem he performed on a former guest of the clinic. Unfortunately, their visit to the clinic does nothing to relieve their concerns and only raises more questions.

As usual, Henry also has other cases and while following up with an informant, he is caught in an explosion that results in serious injuries to not only his body, but to his memory. He is concerned that he can’t remember why he was speaking to his informant and wonders what else he has forgotten. Upon learning of his injury, Amelia is beside herself with fear, and wonders about the future of their relationship, as she has already known loss and isn’t sure she can endure losing another person she loves. Thankfully, Henry does recover his memories, but his investigations don’t seem to be progressing, and even more concerns arise about the clinic as well as the increasing number of bombings around London, especially when Amelia is unwittingly caught up in the investigation.

This was another well-written, nicely paced story with a great mystery and a bit of intrigue. I love the relationship between Amelia and Henry is progressing and giving them both a well-deserved chance at a happy life. This book has more than one mystery, a very slow burn romance, interesting historical facts, wonderful secondary characters, a satisfying resolution to at least one case and the promise of more intrigue to follow. Overall, I highly recommend this series and am looking forward to the next installment. This is the sixth book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone title, I would recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*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. *