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 Duke Starts a Scandal by Sophie Jordan

On By TracyIn Part of a Series, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Duke Starts a Scandal (The Duke Hunt, #4)The Duke Starts a Scandal by Sophie Jordan

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Duke Hunt, #4

Release Date: October 24, 2023

Susanna Lockhart is the housekeeper for the Duke of Penning, and so far, it has been interesting, especially when the old duke died and his son, the new duke was deemed illegitimate, and a new duke and his son moved in. Everything was going great, but Susanna soon learns that he is an imposter, and now the newest new duke is less than pleased with her and makes it clear that he will be looking to replace her at some point, but first, he wants to throw a house party. The man is completely insufferable, arrogant, and much too handsome for her peace of mind. For eleven years, Susanna has kept a secret and has not had the slightest interest in any man, so why does this man affect her? It is clear that the primary purpose of his house party is to find a bride for himself and husbands for his two sisters, something that should make her happy, since she will be able to do her job and won’t have to interact with him, but for some reason irks her. Determined to prove herself, she sets out to impress the duke and his guests, but once the party is underway, Susanna’s past rears its ugly head and threatens to destroy everything she has worked so hard to accomplish.

Lucian Ross had no idea he was related to a duke, much less an heir! Lucian was raised as a gentleman, but upon the death of his father, he learned that his father had lost the family fortune to gambling and despite a job with the Home Office, his family was left penniless, forcing his mother to make some hard choices, choices that broke her. With his mother incapacitated, it falls on Lucian to care for her and his younger sisters. Thanks to a neighbor, Lucian finds an occupation that enables him to earn more than enough to support them all, but he is careful to make sure no one ever learns how exactly he makes his living. But once he learns of his elevation to the peerage, he knows that his past could destroy his sisters’ chances for good marriages, thus his desire to get them all married as soon as possible, and what better way to do that than to host a house party! But upon meeting Susanna, he has a problem, he wants her, badly. Since he would never take advantage of an employee and he is not sure he can resist her, so she will have to go, right after the house party. But a kiss changes everything and this duke may just cause his own scandal!

What a great end to the series! I will be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, especially when I learned his secret and found out he was looking for a bride, but I was wrong, I loved it! The entire book was a delight to read, and I LOVE how the villain is dealt with, OMG, I was actually laughing out loud! This book has secrets, class differences, blackmail, great secondary characters, meddling family members, steamy love scenes, a little heartache, a secondary romance, some amusing scenes, and finally a happily ever after that left me smiling. This is the fourth book in the series, and even though I highly recommend all the books in this series, this book could easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Lost Lover by Mary Lancaster

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

Lost Lover (Crime & Passion Book 4)

Barbara’s rating: 4.5
Series: Crime & Passion #4
Publication Date: 10/10/23
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 270

I was thrilled when I saw there was a new addition to the Crime & Passion series! We got three books – one right after the other – in 2021 and then they stopped, so I was afraid there wouldn’t be any more of them. Since I really loved our sleuths, Grizelda (Griz) and Tizsa, I didn’t want the series to be over! Well, now they are back and this time they are helping Lord James Andover and Elizabeth Barker – and believe me – those two really need help!

Lord James Andover, youngest son of a marquess, has just been released from Newgate prison after serving three years. Now, he is out for revenge and to be sure that whoever was responsible for his wrongful conviction is the one in Newgate. The person who committed the crime isn’t a secret – everybody knows who did it – yet there is no proof. James wants that person – and he wants everyone who conspired with him. To that end, he is following the man’s wife in hopes she will lead him to the stolen diamonds and the proof he needs. Though her home is modest on the outside, he’s quite sure the inside will be sumptuous – after all – well – stolen diamonds. And . . . why isn’t she living with her husband?

Elizabeth Barker was just seventeen years old when Joshua Jarman wooed her into sneaking off to marry him. He put on a false front and made her believe that he loved her and that he was undoubtedly a better alternative than those staid old bankers her father was trying to marry her off to. That was the worst mistake of her young life and she’s paid for it ever since. As soon as she could, she ran away from him and had only just returned to London. She knows nothing about a diamond robbery and certainly doesn’t have access to any diamonds – but she lives in constant fear that Jarman will find her.

When Jarman is found dead – in Elizabeth’s bedroom – she or James should be the prime suspect, but our amateur sleuths don’t believe either of them are guilty and set about helping them find the guilty party. They’ll have their work cut out because Jarman is not a popular fellow – even among his fellow criminals. With a suspect list a mile long, can they actually manage to identify the real culprit(s)?

Goodness, it was fun to watch Griz and Tizsa help guide the investigation through the lowest and highest parts of London where we encounter mightier-than-thou Lords and lowlier-than-the-low criminal elements. Of course, it was also great fun to watch Elizabeth and James come to trust and love each other as they worked through the case. That said, I would have appreciated it being just a tad longer because I wanted more of a wrap-up for family matters – like James’s sister and her outcome, etc. Plus – I NEVER want a story to end before the wedding.

From the spooky beginning through the harrowing end, this was an exciting read. The main characters were relatable and interesting and the supporting characters were such an eclectic mix that I hope to see more of them in future additions to the series. I recommend this book and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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

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