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 Duke’s Got Mail by Samara Parish

On By TracyIn Historical Rom-Com, Movie / Story Retelling, Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Duke's Got Mail (England's Sweethearts, #2)The Duke’s Got Mail by Samara Parish

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: England’s Sweethearts #2

Release Date: April 28, 2026

Miss Eleanor Wright’s life is just about perfect; she is the premier compositor in London and is in high demand. Thanks to her salary, she is independent and can afford to indulge in all the books she could want, pretty gowns and a spacious apartment. She has also recently begun a new pen-pal relationship with the brother of her secret pen-pal and they have really connected. Life is good, until it isn’t… She is blindsided by the Linotype machine, a new technology that will forever change the publishing industry and will make her obsolete and costing her job and her self-worth. And the man responsible for her misery? Peter, The Duke of Strafford and the primary investor of the Linotype.

Peter, The Duke of Strafford has not been having the best year, he was jilted by the woman he planned to marry, when he was in a coma and she fell for his younger brother and now he has been roped into acting as his sister’s personal secretary as she is recovering from eye surgery. But there are bright spots, first after years of worrying about providing for his family and his estate, he has finally found an investment that will secure his finances for years to come, the Linotype and he has been corresponding with an amazing woman. Everything is going great, until it isn’t… the woman he has been falling in love with is the same woman whose life has been upended by the Linotype. He knows that there is a price to be paid for progress, but he never imagined it would cost him the love of a lifetime.

I am not a huge fan of movie adaptations, but I will give credit where credit is due – Ms. Parish didn’t just rewrite the plot of the hit 90’s Rom-Com “You’ve Got Mail” and call it a day – she took the idea of that story and made it her own. Yes, there are a lot of similarities to the movie, but there are also a lot of original ideas that give this adaptation its own flair. Unfortunately, I think one of the biggest changes was in Eleanor’s character, who is plagued with atychiphobia (the fear of failure) and is a perfectionist who is unwilling to try anything new and be deemed less than perfect, something that she has struggled with all her life, seemingly thanks to her parents. I tried to feel sorry for her, but unlike her movie counterpart, her dislike of Peter came off as nasty and shrewish, and I felt like she was being unfair to blame Peter for everything. So overall, it was a good read, but it did seem overly drawn out and the romance was bland. I did enjoy the story and appreciated the new twist as well as the cute epilogue, making it a book that I would recommend, but I probably wouldn’t read again. This is the second book in the series, but each book can easily be read as a standalone title.

*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 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. *