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 Princess by Christmas by Julia London

On By TracyIn Christmas, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Princess by Christmas (A Royal Wedding, #3)A Princess by Christmas by Julia London

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: A Royal Wedding, #3

Release Date: October 13, 2020

When owner of Honeycutt’s Gazette of Fashion & Domesticity for Ladies, widow Hollis Honeycutt, overhears a rumor concerning the peace accord between the counties of Alucia and Wesloria – she is immediately intrigued. Hollis’ sister Eliza is married to Prince Sebastian, the heir to the throne of Alucia. She is sure there is more to the story and won’t stop digging. She is pondering how to get information from the Weslorian delegation, when purely by chance she meets Marek Brendan, an advisor to the Minister of Trade for Wesloria.

Marek has secrets which make his life very solitary, he is a loner and straddles two worlds. He is deaf in one ear and so when he meets Hollis, he has a hard time understanding her and isn’t sure what to make of her! He tries to keep her at arm’s length, but she isn’t having it, she pulls him in to her investigation and by extension; her life. At first, he thinks she is crazy, but soon realizes she may be on to something – something that could not only destroy peace between Alucia and Wesloria, but could be a plot to assassinate his King!

This book was not at all what I was expecting, the romance is a very slow burn and almost secondary to the mystery. Hollis truly loved her first husband and has felt like life is beginning to pass her by, slowly she lets go of her mourning and opens her heart to the possibility of loving again. Marek is a subdued character, he is clearly overwhelmed by Hollis at first, but they soon discover a shared love of Shakespeare and as they work together, she discovers his secret and he begins to realize that she is what has been missing in his life. The book is the final installment in the series and it does nicely wrap up several ongoing plot points from the previous books. I felt the book did drag a bit, there are still title errors and mistakes (that may – fingers crossed – be corrected prior to publication) and the romance is on the back burner until almost the end of the book – but it was a nice read and the ending was very romantic and the epilogue was very sweet. While I would suggest reading the series in order, this could be read as a standalone title without a problem.

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

Murder On Cold Street by Sherry Thomas

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Murder on Cold Street (Lady Sherlock, #5)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Lady Sherlock #5
Publication Date: 10/6/20
Number of Pages: 304

I love this series and this book is a wonderful addition to it. I’d like to start by saying that it is my opinion that you need to read this entire series, in order, from beginning to end because Charlotte is a very complex character and her relationships are just as complex – if you don’t read from the beginning you won’t understand her or what drives her. If you start in the middle, you’ll definitely have a different view of her than you would had you begun at the beginning. I believe I have read somewhere that this is to be a ten-book series and this is book five, so we are right in the middle. Each book has an individual mystery which is solved within that book, but there is an overarching mystery with Moriarty – I can’t wait to see that solution, but then the series will be over and I’ll be very sad about that.

Inspector Robert Treadles is definitely a man of his time and place – Victorian England. He firmly believes that it is the role of the male to be the breadwinner, the one in charge – and it is the woman’s role to care for the home and to follow the male’s lead. Those beliefs have been sorely challenged since his association with Charlotte Holmes and his wife’s inheritance of a large manufacturing company. Even in the beginning of their relationship, he was never comfortable with his wife’s higher social standing and wealth – but when she inherited the company – and then decided to actively manage it – well, he wasn’t exactly as supportive as he could have been. Then, several months ago, he started trying to be more supportive. What happened to change his mind and attitude?

This fast-paced, well-written, and exciting mystery begins with Mrs. Treadles paying a visit to the home of Mrs. Watson to speak with Charlotte Holmes – sister to the famed detective Sherlock Holmes. Mrs. Treadles needs Sherlock’s assistance to prove her husband’s innocence because he’s been found in a locked room with two murdered men – and his service revolver. Inspector Treadles won’t explain what happened, not even to his wife. She’s sure he’s innocent – but the evidence is overwhelming. Can Holmes find the evidence to prove him innocent? Or – is he guilty?

The investigation involves the entire cast of recurring characters and unearths things from the past that will haunt Mrs. Treadles, Inspector Treadles and the families of the victims for a very long time. Then, there is Moriarty. Did he have a hand in what happened? Is Holmes any closer to unmasking him?

I loved the growth in the relationship between Charlotte and Lord Ingram. It seems that they are both finally coming to grips with it. I also loved that Charlotte is becoming more caring – more human, rather than totally dispassionate. I can’t wait to see where she goes in the remaining books of the series. What bothered me with the book was the end was just there – suddenly – out of the blue – WHAM – and that solution was so totally improbable. It didn’t keep me from enjoying the book, it just seemed a bit convoluted.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope you will as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.