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

Miss Amelia’s Mistletoe Marquess by Jenni Fletcher

On By BarbaraIn Author Collaboration Series, Barb's Reviews, Christmas, Victorian Era (1837-1901)1 Comment

Miss Amelia's Mistletoe Marquess (Mills & Boon Historical) (Secrets of a Victorian Household, Book 2)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Manor Secrets of a Victorian Household #2
Publication Date: 11/28/19
Number of Pages: 368

This is the second book in a four-book collaboration series. Each book is written by a different author and features a different member of the Fairclough family. Lilian Fairclough, a widowed mother of three – Lottie, Amelia, and Silas – has continued to run the charitable foundation for indigent and needy women since her husband died ten years ago. The foundation is floundering and they may soon find themselves homeless. The first book in the series, Miss Lottie’s Christmas Protector by Sophia James, released November 1st and the next two will be following soon after this one.

Ten years ago, when her father died, the spontaneous, fun-loving Millie Fairclough ceased to exist and was replaced by prim, proper, staid, responsible Amelia Fairclough. She felt responsible for protecting the legacy her father left behind. She’s lovely, self-sacrificing and caring, but has no clue about the effect she has on others.

Amelia and her mother are visiting relatives when she has a bad experience at a gathering given by one of the local gentry. She’s never comfortable in those social situations and when she just needed to get out of the room for a while, the coach that was supposed to deliver her back to her relative’s house left her. Well, a walk home in the cold will just help to cool down her temper – at least until the temperature plummets and the snow starts. When she is near freezing, lost, and just can’t go any further, she sees smoke coming from a chimney and seeks sanctuary at the cottage.

Cassius Whitlock, Marquess of Falconmore, is a haunted man. He’s home from the wars in India and Afghanistan – scarred on the inside. His best friend died while he was saving Cassius’ life and then his cousin (close as a brother) died in an accident and left him a title he never wanted. Sometimes he just has to escape it all. One cold, blustery, snowy winter evening he was at his refuge when he heard a knocking on the door.

Cassius angrily jerks open the door to the cottage, expecting to see his cousin-in-law, when the lovelies snowman he’s ever seen stumbles in the door. They have no choice but to spend the night together in the cottage without the benefit of a chaperone. They spend the evening talking and sharing things they’ve told no one else. Early the next morning, she leaves and walks back to her relative’s home. They’ll never see each other again – except – someone saw her leaving and knew who was staying in the cottage – and they spread the rumor. Now, it is either marry or be ruined.

Millie and Cassius are both in need of love and support and somehow, they manage to give that to each other. It was lovely to watch them heal and find their happily ever.

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

The Princess Plan by Julia London

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The Princess Plan (A Royal Wedding, #1)The Princess Plan by Julia London

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: Royal Wedding, #1

Release Date: November 19, 2019

Miss Eliza Tricklebank lives a quiet life as a spinster, she fixes clocks, cares for her father who is blind and a justice for the Queen and she helps her sister with her woman’s gazette. It may not be the life she had dreamed of, but she is happy. When the opportunity arises to join her sister and their dear friend Lady Caroline Hawkes at a masquerade ball for the visiting crown prince of Alucia, she jumps at the chance.

Sebastian Charles Chartier, the Crowned Prince of Alucia is in England for two reasons, one to work out a trade deal that will help his countries economy in the event of a war with the neighboring country of Wesloria and to secure a noble English bride. But tonight, Sebastian is enjoying his anonymity and hopefully a tryst with a willing matron. He shares some rum punch in a passageway with a partygoer and then endures introductions, before finally slipping away for his tryst, on his way out his secretary Matous asks for a moment of his time, he asks it can wait and promises to meet with him in a few hours, a promise he doesn’t keep. When he returns to his rooms in the morning, he calls for Matous and learns the horrifying truth – Matous was murdered the night before. Guilt drives Sebastian to investigate the crime himself – much to his staff and his brother Leopold’s displeasure. When a story about the murder makes to the pages of the Honeycutt Gazette – nothing will stop Sebastian from tracking down the owner of the paper.

Eliza enjoyed her time at the masked ball, she danced, drank too much rum punch and met the prince – twice – once in the passageway and then again when she moved in front of him and he stepped on her foot. She also noticed his secretary Matous and wonders what upset the man so much. She was saddened to learn of his death and shocked when a note is delivered to her father stating the killer is Alucian! But the real shock comes days later when Sebastian and his brother Leopold visit and demand to see her father. Eliza doesn’t care who they are, she will not wake her dad or tolerate his rude behavior and she kicks them out of her house.

Sebastian is fuming about Eliza but knows that he needs to talk to her father, so he returns to her house and apologizes, Eliza tells him what she knows and they begin a friendship of sorts. She learns more information about the note that was sent and helps him meet the last man she say Matous talking to.

Sebastian knows he has to choose a bride and that as a commoner, Eliza is not a possibility, but how he wishes she was! Things have escalated between them and he is in love, but they both know their time together is waning and heartbreak is unavoidable or is it?

I really enjoyed this story, the writing is good, the story never drags, the characters are interesting and for the most part likable, the love scenes are warmish, there are laugh out loud moments, a bit of angst, a very well done mystery and a HEA. Almost perfect, but not quite. The hero engages in a tryst with a married woman after he means the heroine – I can’t like that, just about every single title in this book is wrong – the daughter of a Baron does not have the honorific of “Lady” and incorrect use of titles and formal address are my biggest pet peeve in historical romance and finally the solution for their HEA defies credibility and because of the incorrect assumption that a Baron’s daughter has a title, isn’t even a viable solution. But overall, I really liked the story and would happily recommend the book.

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