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 Mackenzie Clan Christmas by Jennifer Ashley

On By TracyIn Anthology, Christmas, Novella, Scottish/Highlander, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Mackenzie Clan Christmas: A Mackenzie Yuletide/A Mackenzie Clan Gathering (Mackenzies & McBrides, #8.5 & 11.5)A Mackenzie Clan Christmas: A Mackenzie Yuletide/A Mackenzie Clan Gathering by Jennifer Ashley

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series:Mackenzies & McBrides, #8.5 & 11.5

Release Date: October 29, 2019

This anthology has two Mackenzie Family Novellas – A MacKenzie Yuletide (an all new MacKenzie Family novella) & A Mackenzie Clan Gathering (released in 2016 and is a XL novella

A Mackenzie Yuletide:

As usual, the MacKenzies descend on Kilmorgan Castle to celebrate the Yuletide season and Hogmanay. Mac is up in his studio painting when a noise disturbs his concentration, he goes to investigate and finds a ghost! But as he approaches her, she disappears, unconcerned, Mac goes to bed and mentions it to the family at breakfast. Some of the children, decide to build a ghost trap – no sure if the ghost is in fact a ghost or if it is another break in attempt.

Uninterested in ghosts, Ian is consumed with tracking down a necklace that he wants to give to Beth for Hogmanay, but the trail he followed has hit a wall and he calls in his half-brother Lloyd Fellows, a chief supervisor at Scotland Yard to help him.

Ian’s son Jamie is also trying to find the necklace in hopes of impressing his father. He gets his cousin Gavina and his father’s valet Curry to help him. Jamie and Gavina are pulled into the ghost hunt when Jamie sees the ghost after Gavina breaks in to Ian’s study.
With mysteries to solve and all the MacKenzies in attendance, this will turn out to be a very interesting and exciting Yuletide!!

I loved this novella, it was entertaining, well written, interesting and a lot of fun. Catching up with all the MacKenzies and seeing their children growing up was heartwarming and satisfying. And as always, I loved reading about Ian and Beth, they truly are one of my all-time favorite fictional couples and I never get tired of reading about them. This was a really wonderful read and while it is set at Christmastime, I didn’t really consider it a “holiday” read.

The Mackenzie Clan Gathering

This very long novella is the second book in this collection and it was released in 2016, the blurb reads as follows:

Ian Mackenzie is awakened at Kilmorgan Castle one night to find robbers stealing the priceless art collection of his oldest brother, Hart. Since Ian and Beth are the only ones in resident at Kilmorgan at the moment, Ian decides he must find the art and the culprits before the family shows up for Hart’s birthday gathering. With Inspector Fellows and Beth, he investigates, though Ian is somewhat worried by Beth’s late husband’s brother, a retired missionary, who decides to visit. Does John Ackerley hold the “cure” to Ian’s madness? And can Ian discover what has happened to Hart’s treasures, and who is targeting the Mackenzies before the enemy strikes again?

Return to Kilmorgan Castle to visit the Victorian branch of the Mackenzie family, and catch up on the brothers and friends, their children, and their lives.

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

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The Outlaw’s Heart by Amy Sandas

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

The Outlaw's Heart (Runaway Brides, #3)The Outlaw’s Heart by Amy Sandas

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The Runaway Brides, #3

Release Date: October 29, 2019

On the surface, it would appear that Evelyn “Evie” Perkins married well, her husband Matthew is rich, attentive and handsome. But the reality is far different, Evelyn’s husband is abusive and beats her without mercy, he controls every aspect of her life and has successfully separated her from her friends and family. Finally at the end of her rope, Evie forms a plan and escapes.

She heads west, but knows better than to go to her brother or her friends, as she is sure that is the first place Matt will check. Instead she plans to go to California and disappear into one of the large cities – but that plan is out the window when her train is stopped and boarded by outlaws clearly looking for someone – when asked her name, she lies and gives another passenger’s name and as luck would have it – that is the person they are kidnapping! She is taken without her possessions and knocked out. When she wakes, she is at the outlaw’s camp and they realize that they have taken the wrong woman. Unable to risk taking her back, they will take her to their leader, Luke and let him decide how to handle it.

One of the men, Gabe, is kind to her and sees to her comfort and is assigned to taking her to Luke. She is surprised at her attraction to him and finds that while she is wary of him, she isn’t afraid. Gabriel “Gabe” Sloane is a Cheyenne Indian who has been riding with Like for years but still feels out of place. He was taken as a boy and raised by missionaries, but when he was older and escaped, found that he no longer fit in with his family. That is when he met Luke and began “working” with him. Gabe is a quiet man of few words, he is also surprised at his immediate attraction to Evie, who tells him her name is Eve. He protects her on the trail and when he learns the extent of the abuse she endured at Matt’s hands – he knows he would lay down his life for her.

This was a very emotional story with strong abuse triggers as well as adultery that may be upsetting for some readers. I personally thought Ms. Sandas handled the physical abuse as tactfully as possible and wasn’t overly graphic in her descriptions, but nevertheless, be warned if that sort of thing is difficult for you to read. I loved Gabe and Evie, but I did have a problem with the adultery – I hated her husband and wished him a painful and slow death – but she was married to him while she was will Gabe and that sort of thing bothers ME. I also felt like the end was a whirlwind and ended too abruptly – Since this is the last book in the series, I really feel like this book should have had an epilogue to get some closure with Evie and Gabe as well as Courtney, Dean, Alex and Malcolm.

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