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

All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne

On By TracyIn Scottish/Highlander, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)2 Comments

All Scot and Bothered (Devil You Know, #2)All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Devil You Know, #2

Release Date: September 29, 2020

Before she met Alexandra and Francesca and became a member of the Red Rogues, Cecelia Teague led an awful life – hated and tortured by the man she called father until she was rescued by a beautiful woman named Genny on behalf of a mysterious benefactor. Genny tells Cecelia that she is beautiful and that she should never deny herself again. Words Cecelia takes to heart. She leaves and never looks back. She goes to school and meets Alex and Francesca and her beloved Jean-Yves, she goes to college and travels the world. Never knowing who her benefactor is until they pass on. Cecelia learns her mother’s sister was the one who saved her and has left everything to her – including Miss Henrietta’s School for Cultured Young Ladies. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that the school is in fact a gaming hell and she is reunited with Genny. She is given a letter from Henrietta and learns that no only was her aunt murdered, but she has inherited a ward, Phoebe, in addition to several properties and a fortune. But she doesn’t have time to absorb this information – Genny gets word that the police are on their way to raid the club and she needs Cecelia to pose as the “Scarlet Lady” – she is quickly disguised and is stunned that her friend Alex’s brother in law – Sir Cassius Gerard Ramsay, the Lord Justice is the one conducting the raid.

Ramsay has a tip that some missing girls are being held at Miss Henrietta’s and he will stop at nothing to save them and see those responsible brought to justice. Ramsay’s life is all about justice, he has no time for vice or women, he refuses to be tempted, so he is frustrated that the Scarlet Lady is eliciting a lustful reaction – it has been years since he has been with a woman and in the space of months she is the second woman to cause his thoughts to turn to sex – her and Cecelia Teague, his sister in law’s best friend. He pushes aside his lustful thoughts and threatens hellfire to the Scarlet Lady if she doesn’t tell him where the missing girls are – Cecelia stands her ground and sends him away, shaken by the incident. After he goes, she tries to figure out what is going on and how she will be able to decode the journal her aunt left her.

It doesn’t take long for Ramsay to figure out the Cecelia and the Scarlet Lady are one in the same, he is not happy, but when he realizes her aunt’s enemies will stop at nothing to prevent Cecelia from uncovering their secrets, he whisks her away to Scotland. There they will explore the passion that is barely contained between them, but between his stubbornness and her enemies – HEA seems like just a dream.

I loved this book, it was a wonderfully well written, fast paced follow up to the Alexandra and Piers book with the same level of heat, danger and intrigue with a fresh storyline. I liked Cecelia and Ramsay in the first book and loved them in this book. Ramsay was a bit hard to warm up to, but when his painful past is revealed I was in tears. I was a bit worried that Cecelia might end up being a doormat because she is a genuinely sweet person – almost Pollyannaish – but behind that sweet, kind, empathic heart is a spine of steel. This book was just a treat to read, it has wonderful characters, cameos with the Red Rogues, action, mystery, more than one twist, a villain that wasn’t a huge surprise, but still caught me off-guard, steamy love scenes, a lovely declaration scene followed by a sigh-worthy ending. There were a couple of inconsistencies and title errors, but nothing egregious enough to disrupt the story or ruin my reading enjoyment. This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title. I am happy to recommend this title and can’t wait for Francesca’s book!!

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

Beauty Tempts The Beast by Lorraine Heath

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)5 Comments

Beauty Tempts the Beast (Sins for All Seasons, #6)Barb’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Sins for All Seasons #6
Publication Date: 9/29/20
Number of Pages: 384

It is poignant and bittersweet to bid farewell to the Trewlove clan in this, the final book in the series. This world needs more Ettie Trewloves in it. She took in six children in the stews of London – cast-off children, by-blows of the aristocrats – and she raised those children as her own. She loved them, taught them love and respect, and saw that they were educated, even though that meant teaching themselves. I’ve loved each of Ettie’s children – Mick, Gillie, Finn, Aiden, Fancy, and now Beast (Ben). I have been anxiously awaiting Beast’s story because he’s always like a shadow – secretive and in the background of each story – and he has intrigued me. All I can say is that I think it is the best story of the series. Not only is the story steamy and romantic with a hero who is one of the most generous and honorable men you’ll ever meet, but the Epilogue is absolutely to die for. It may be one of the best Epilogues I’ve ever read.

Benedict Trewlove began protecting people when he was just a young lad. He was big and gangly at the time, but he still had the nickname of Beast. That caring and protectiveness are how he came to be the owner of a brothel. He hates owning the brothel. He assures the ladies are protected. He takes no money from the ladies. He also does not partake of the ladies themselves. He has found other occupations for most of the ladies, but he still has a few for whom finding other employment has been more difficult. If he could just do something for them, he could close the place down. What he needs is someone to teach them proper ways of doing things so they can become seamstresses or whatever else they’d like to be.

Just the person he needed dropped right into his lap when he went to his sister’s pub for a drink. She was riveting and she definitely didn’t belong in this place. He was sure she had Mayfair written all over her – but she very firmly rebuffed his questions. That, of course, only piqued his interest more. When he told her that he had a proposition for her, she went ballistic and made assumptions that weren’t true, but he could see where she might leap to that conclusion since she didn’t know him.

Lady Althea Stanwick, daughter of a duke, once the darling of the ton, had her world turned upside down. Everything was stripped from her and her brothers when her father was caught and hanged for treason. They were turned out of their home with little more than the clothes on their backs. She was now just plain Miss Althea Stanwick and she and her younger brother, Griffin were living in a cold, unfurnished shack in Whitechapel. Nobody would hire her as a governess or companion, so she’d tried other jobs – like a seamstress, but she was soon dismissed because her stitching just wasn’t fine enough for quality clothing. Now, she’s working at the Mermaid and Unicorn serving drinks to customers. She tries to keep her head down in order to escape being noticed by the men, but that doesn’t always work. She’ll just have to do her best because she cannot afford to lose her position.

After overhearing a conversation between her brothers, Althea makes a life-changing decision. She will take the Beast up on his proposition and become his mistress. OH! MY! However, when she tells him she’ll be his mistress – he tells her that wasn’t his proposition. Sharp and quick thinker that she is, she makes an alternate proposal.

I absolutely loved how resolute Beast was – how protective. Althea was determined to get some ‘lessons’ for herself and Beast was determined not to give them. I loved watching them fight their attraction. When Beast loves, it is totally, deeply, and forever. He is a wonderfully sigh-worthy hero.

I hope you’ll read and enjoy this book as much as I did. Just be prepared – you’ll run the gamut of emotions right along with Beast and Althea. Joy, heartbreak, anger, shock, triumph, revenge – you’ll experience it all. Then, you’ll get to the Epilogue and OMGoodness. It is wonderful and perfectly wraps up the series.

BTW – although we’ve sadly said farewell to the Trewloves, there is a two-book series (duology?) coming and it will feature Althea’s two brothers who are trying to redeem the family name by identifying the co-conspirators in their father’s treachery. Maybe we’ll get some cameo appearances by a Trewlove or two in those.

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