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

Daring the Duke by Lana Williams

On By TracyIn Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)1 Comment

Daring the Duke (The Seven Curses of London Book 7)Daring the Duke by Lana Williams
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Seven Curses of London, #7

Release Date: June 12, 2018

Still reeling from the death of her beloved friend, Lady Lillian Bartley goes to London with one goal in mind – to make Elijah Waters, the Duke of Burbridge pay for breaking her best friend Helena’s heart. Lillian is a sweet, loving, loyal person, she doesn’t blame Elijah completely for Helena’s death, but she feels that he was a major factor. Helena had fallen fast and hard for Elijah when he danced and flirted with her at a ball. Later she receives a letter from an “admirer” wanting to meet with her – but when he doesn’t show, she falls into a fit of despair and when she becomes ill, fails to fight for her life and dies. Lillian believes that Elijah sent Helena the letter and toyed with her affections and she will do the same to him – she will make him fall in love with her and reject him as he did Helena.

But when she meets Elijah, she has a hard time reconciling the man who so callously hurt her friend with the kind man who is obviously dealing with his own grief over the recent death of his father. Lillian’s plan begins to unravel before it even starts – she is consumed with self doubt and questions herself, her worth and her motivations.

Elijah has his own doubts and guilt to deal with, he is attracted to Lillian, but he is not ready for a wife. The death of his father hit him hard and he spent most of the previous year in a haze of alcohol and meaningless dalliances to staunch the pain. Now he has finally realized that he owes it to his father to be a better man and take up the reins of the duchy. Elijah tries to do the right things, but besides the estate, his mother is suffering. She has turned to drinking to cope with her pain and Elijah feels responsible. When Lillian saves his mother from a potentially humiliating scene, Elijah begins to wonder about her reason for being so nice to his mother. But as time passes, he realizes Lillian is a truly beautiful person and he longs to know her better. When he suggests a ride in the park, Lillian agrees, only to be hurt when he fails to show. She then begins to question her decision to not hold him liable for Helena’s pain. What Lillian doesn’t know is, Elijah’s mother is on death’s door. She consumed some doctored spirits at a party and was poisoned. Elijah was not with her at the time, because he was out looking for the man who is selling altered liquor – he believes that his mother was subjected to it the night she almost caused a scene. He was given a copy of the Seven Curses book by Lillian’s brother Viscount Frost and read that things can be added to liquor to improve potency and shelf life while cutting costs – but the true price is high – many of the additives are poisonous.

When Elijah realizes he missed his meeting with Lillian, he rushes to see her – she forgives him and promises to visit the Duchess, but her own insecurities have taken root and the budding relationship they had may never blossom as a result.

Elijah doesn’t understand the change in Lillian, but he is grateful for her attention to his mother. The Duchess is finally starting to move past her crippling grief, thanks in part to Lillian. Elijah decides that Lillian is the woman for him and sets out to court her. But Lillian can’t seem to accept his attentions, she cares for him, but doesn’t feel worthy of his attention. So when an opportunity to help him by finding the apothecary that is suppling the additives to liquor distributor, she jumps at the chance to prove herself worthy of his love.

I thought this was a well written, emotional story that did true justice to how people grieve and the harmful effects of self-doubt. Lillian and Elijah are both dealing with insecurities and both are grieving, I liked how Ms. Williams dealt with both issues and I found the storyline of the tainted/altered liquor completely fascinating. There are no love scenes in this book beyond a couple of stolen kisses, so the heat level is low, but I didn’t feel like the story suffered from the lack. I thought this was a well done story that tackled some very sensitive issues and still managed to have a HEA. And while this is the seventh book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me*

Mesmerized by Candace Camp

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)8 Comments

Mesmerized (The Mad Morelands, #1)Mesmerized by Candace Camp

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Mad Morelands #1
Publication Date: December 26th, 2017 by Harlequin Books (first published October 1st, 2003)

PHENOMENAL read!!! I have a feeling I am going to run out of superlatives before I am through reading this entire series. I read the sixth book in the series first – because I received a review copy. I was so in awe of the writing, the story and the Moreland family in that book that I just had to go back and read all of the first books. Boy am I glad I did. I can’t think of a better introduction to a series than this book! I also now have the rest of the books in my reading queue so I can get them read before the next one comes out.

Stephen St. Leger is the second son of an Earl. He never expects and certainly didn’t want to inherit the title – but he has and now he’ll have to do his best by it. He had lived in America – Colorado – for the last ten years and had made a fortune in silver mining, now he had to sell out and head back to England – something he didn’t think he’d ever do. He didn’t leave on the best of terms with his older brother and it was all over a calculating, cold, self-centered woman. Stephen met her and fell in love (at least he thought it was love) and then when he proudly introduced her to his family, she promptly went after his brother because he had the wealth and title. Stephen and Roderick had harsh, hurtful words and Stephen left for America.

Upon his return to England, he spends several months at their country estate – Blackhope – in order to familiarize himself with the running of the estate and its tenants. At the end of the season, he heads to London to pick up his mother, sister, and his brother’s widow and return them home. What he finds when he arrives is chaos. His mother has been seeing a ‘medium’ and she is totally convinced that this woman can speak to the dead – specifically to Stephen’s dead brother. She invites this woman, her daughter and their ‘sponsor’ to come back to Blackhope with them. Before that happens, Stephen decides to attend a séance just to see how they work. While there, he grabs onto a woman who he is sure is an accomplice to the charlatan medium. His whole body jolts when his hand wraps around her wrist. They are thrown out of the séance and she is absolutely and completely furious with him – but gives him her card anyway.

Olivia Moreland is the daughter of a duke. Theirs is a very large, loving, and unconventional family. That unconventionality is what has earned them the epithet of ‘The Mad Morelands’. Olivia is incensed when one of the first things out of the mouth of the stranger who dared to grab her during the séance is a referral to her family as The Mad Morelands. She sets him in his place quite thoroughly, but she hands him one of her business cards. You see – she is an investigator whose mission is to expose all of those fake mediums who have invaded London in the last few years. They both leave and she never expects to see or hear from him again. Just imagine her shock when he turns up at her office the next day and asks to hire her.

She travels to Blackhope the following week and the strange events begin immediately. She has a vision upon arrival (all of the Morelands seem to have some special ability) and she is shocked. Nothing like that has ever happened to her before. The strange occurrences just continue and they keep you riveted – turning the pages as fast as you can read them. Is the villain a real live person or a ghost? Or – is it both?

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It is an exciting page-turner – I couldn’t put it down once I started reading – and yes, that meant an all-nighter. I loved being introduced to the Moreland family and particularly liked Olivia’s Great-Uncle Bertrand as well as Stephen’s sister Belinda. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the Moreland clan in their own books!

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”