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 Choice Of A Cavalier by Linda Rae Sande

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Choice of a Cavalier (The Heirs of the Aristocracy Book 3)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Heirs of the Aristocracy #3
Publication Date: 9/4/2020
Number of Pages: 342

Gosh, I love this lighthearted, fun, romantic series that always gives us at least two romances in every book in the series. Who could ask for more? If you have read this author’s books, you already love the Grandby family – they are a large, loving family with connections in all levels of society. In this story, we have romances for Thomas Grandby and his friend Christopher, Earl of Haddon. You’ll love both of them and their ladies as well.

Thomas Grandby has assumed responsibility for their investment firm since his father is wanting to retire. Thomas is getting older himself (four and thirty), but hasn’t ever had any real interest in marriage – until… Thomas’s friend, Michael Cunningham, paid a visit to Thomas to ask him to help his sister – without her knowing it. Michael needed Thomas to help his sister invest her sizeable inheritance and protect it so that their older brother couldn’t, in any way, get his hands on it since their father was showing signs of senility. Their brother, Jeremiah, is a scheming scoundrel who will go to any lengths to get at his siblings’ inheritances if his own runs short – and it is going to – shortly. With Michael’s older sisters already protected by marriage, that just leaves Michael’s inheritance and his younger sister, Lady Victoria, at risk.

Lady Victoria Cunningham is living, alone, on a large estate just outside London. Her passion, vocation, and avocation is training horses. She wears breeches and rides astride while training, but transforms into a beautiful member of society when she chooses to don a dress. Victoria was injured several years earlier and has a limp, but that doesn’t keep her from training horses and she’s very, very, very good at that.

When Thomas meets Lady Victoria sparks fly. He doesn’t care that she has been injured, he doesn’t care that she trains horses, and he doesn’t care that she rides astride. He is just smitten with who she is. Now, he has to convince her that she wants to take a chance on love and marriage – with him.

Christopher Carlington, Earl of Haddon, heir to the Marquess of Morganfield, was once a friendly, admired, sought-after member of the ton. Then, about 3 years ago, just before his fortieth birthday, something changed in him. He has become a pompous, condescending, aloof, vain, arrogant ass – although he seems totally unaware of it. All of his friends have abandoned him and today, even his brother-in-law has just walked out on him because of his behavior. As Christopher is dashing out of the fencing salon to chase after his brother-in-law, he runs into a woman with the most captivating eyes he’s ever seen. As someone with a blood phobia, Christopher faints dead away at the sight (or even thought) of blood. When he pictures the injuries he could have caused this young woman, he faints and hits his head on the pavement. Oh! A huge change comes over him. He becomes the man he once was. He just needs to convince the young lady and her family that he isn’t that pompous ass anymore.

Juliet Comber is best friends with Lady Victoria and she’s as horse mad as Lady Victoria as well. Juliet is almost on-the-shelf, but that is okay with her – until a strange man runs into her – and then he pursues her and won’t take no for an answer. He says he’s changed and she hasn’t seen any evidence at all of the pompous ass he’s reputed to be. He is definitely a good bit older than her though. Will her father allow that?

I love how besotted Christopher and Thomas are with Juliet and Lady Victoria and even more, I love how accepting they are of the ladies and their quirks.

This was a really good, fun, entertaining, and very romantic read. If you are looking for a lot of steam, you won’t find it here, but there is intimacy and sweet romance.

The book is very well-written with excellent plotting and good character development. I felt as if I came to know Thomas and Christopher and liked them very much. I felt Victoria’s embarrassment over her injury and loved Thomas’s way of dealing with it. All-in-all, a lovely read.

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

View all my reviews

Book Blitz – Murder In The East End by Jennifer Ashley

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Murder in the East End (Kat Holloway Mysteries #4)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Kat Holloway Mysteries #4
Publication Date: 8/4/20
Number of Pages:320

The ONLY problem with devouring this book in one sitting – as I did – is that I now have to wait a year for the next one. I always have great intentions – of reading the books in this series slowly and savoring each word – but I’m weak and can never put them down once I start reading. The writing is excellent, the plot is tight and perfectly paced, and the characters are full and interesting. I love that we learn more and more about Kat and Daniel in each new book – and their relationship deepens. Daniel is one of the most enigmatic characters I’ve ever read and I can hardly wait to learn his full story. Then, of course, there are the returning secondary characters that we already love, but get to know better with each new book. Definitely, a wonderful ensemble cast within a compelling and exciting mystery.

Kat Holloway is a gifted cook in an aristocratic home – and she also has a soft, giving heart and a penchant for solving mysteries. When Kat learns that it is suspected that children are missing from London’s Foundling Hospital, she determines to get to the bottom of the mystery. Are the children missing, or aren’t they? If they aren’t missing, then, where are they? If they are missing, then, where are they and how did they end up missing? Kat’s greatest fear is that they’ve somehow ended up in the clutches of flesh peddlers and she’ll stop at nothing to rescue them from that fate.

Kat knows she cannot do it alone and asks for help from Daniel McAdam. Daniel has been her friend for several years and yet she still doesn’t know his full story. She knows she admires him; she knows he has some loose connection to Scotland Yard, but she knows very little of his early history. She’ll learn more in this book and even meet his ‘brother’. (It will be interesting to see in that brother has any roles in upcoming books.)

The search intensifies when a lovely nurse from the foundling home disappears. What could have happened to young Nurse Betts? Several days later, Daniel discovers that her body is in the morgue at Scotland Yard. She was literally beaten to death and Daniel’s brother, Errol Fielding, a vicar, is incensed because he had a tendresse for the young woman.

Kat and Daniel definitely have their hands full trying to keep Fielding in check and still uncover the fate of the children as well as the murderer of Nurse Betts. They’ll need all of their friends to help them – James, Bessie, Tess, Lady Cynthia, Mr. Elgin Thanos, Bobby – and new friend Miss Townsend. Of course – all of the investigating and crime-solving have to be worked around so Mrs. Bywater, Kat’s employer, is unaware of what is happening below stairs in her home.

This was an exciting, unputdownable read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. You certainly cannot go wrong when you have such engaging characters solving such intriguing mysteries. I did like that there was move movement on the romantic front between Kat and Daniel, but it is definitely moving too slowly to suit me. I can hardly believe that I now have to wait a year for the next installment!

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