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 Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London

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The Viscount Who Vexed Me (A Royal Match #3)The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: A Royal Match, #3

Release Date: May 23, 2023

After attending the Iddesleigh School of Exceptional Girls as a scholarship student, Miss Harriet “Hattie” Woodchurch started working right away, she worked as a bookkeeper to a local confectioner and acted as a companion of sorts to a former classmate and friend Miss Flora Raney, daughter of Viscount Raney. Hattie’s own family is a source of annoyance and embarrassment to her, her father is a wealthy man who is cheap and refuses to spend money on his only daughter, yet her mother is a compulsive collector, who has filled their modest home with grandfather clocks, tea services, and dress forms, and cats. Her older brother Daniel is a rake with a terrible reputation and her younger twin brothers are troublemakers. She began working in hopes of one day escaping her family, but that was before she met Rupert Masterson, her secret fiancé, now she plans to marry him and leave her family to become his partner in all things, including his business. So when her friend Flora mentions the arrival of the Santiavan duke to London to claim his English grandfather’s title of Viscount Abbott and settle his estates, and most likely selecting an English wife, she is not overly interested, that is until Flora breaks some bad news to her. Rupert asked Flora to have Hattie jilt him as he can’t marry into her family. Horrified, humiliated, and hurt, Hattie tries to act as if this news hasn’t broken her heart. Now more than ever she needs to get away from her family. So when Lord Iddesleigh invites her to tea and offers her a job working as a secretary to the new Lord Abbott, she is happy to accept. But Lord Abbott is not what she was expecting, he is stoic, reserved, and drop-dead gorgeous, it is enough to make a girl wish for things that can never be. They form a friendship, which makes things harder when it becomes clear that Flora is one of the women he is courting, and Flora wants her “insider” help in winning his proposal.

Mateo “Teo” Vincente, the sovereign Duke of Santiava and now the English Viscount Abbott, is having a hard time settling his grandfather’s estate, because although his spoken English is flawless, reading the language is not that easy for him, thus the need for a scribe. But Hattie is not what was expecting, she is vibrant, intelligent, and sticks up for herself – not to mention she gets prettier each time he sees her. Socializing is torture for him, but Hattie is like a port in the storm, helping him find a bit of calm. He becomes comfortable with her and shares his interest in baking and astronomy with her and a friendship is born. But soon it is clear that the only woman he wants to marry is the one woman he can’t or can he?

This was a terrific story with very likable characters, although I have to say that I don’t think I have ever felt as bad as I did for any heroine before Hattie – how she didn’t have a breakdown is beyond me, because each time I thought, this is as bad as it is going to get, it got worse and she was handed more pain and/or humiliation. I can’t think of a heroine who deserved a HEA more than Hattie, and let me tell you, she worked for it. This story is filled with emotion and features a much-beleaguered heroine, a shy, stoic hero, truly awful relatives, a well-meaning matchmaker, good friends, bad friends, surprising betrayals, warm kisses, twists and turns aplenty, and finally, a HEA that you didn’t even see coming. The story is not perfect and to enjoy the story, I had to force myself to accept the author’s convoluted version of primogeniture in regards to inheritance through the female line, as well as ignoring the fact that he is a sovereign duke but is addressed as my lord – since he is an English Viscount and is in England – cringe. I also would have liked a bit more steam, but that’s just my preference and the story is fine without it. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title. Overall, it was an enjoyable read that I am happy to recommend, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

*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.*

His Study in Scandal by Megan Frampton

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His Study in Scandal (A School for Scoundrels #2)His Study in Scandal by Megan Frampton

Tracy’s rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: A School for Scoundrels, #2

Release Date: May 23, 2023

Alexandra “Alex”, the widowed Duchess of Chelmsworth is finally done with mourning and is more than ready to move on with her life. At 40, she is free for the first time in her life and is looking forward to enjoying that freedom, starting with destroying her widow’s weeds and attending a pleasure garden with her stepdaughter, Edith. She plans to find out what she has been missing before she slides into her role of chaperone for her daughter Harriet’s debut. And boy does she ever find pleasure! But all good things must end and Alex leaves her lover’s embrace, planning to never return. The next day her step-son William, the new Duke tells her that he has made arrangements for Harriet to marry a wealthy merchant who is looking to elevate his social status, and since the dukedom is in dire need of funds, he expects Alex to convince Harriet to marry him as quickly as possible and if she refuses, he will cut them off without a penny. Alex is not happy with this turn of events and is downright mortified when she learns her mystery lover is the man William expects Harriet to wed. Could things get any worse? Why, yes they can and they do…

Theodore “Theo” Osborne was adopted as a child by Mr. Osborne and learned a lot from his adoptive father, but it was his friends, the “Bastard Five” that taught him the most he is still close to them and they meet monthly for a book club. He has come a long way from being the orphaned boy with nothing; now at 28, he is successful, rich, handsome, and smart, he is never in want of female company and enjoys his encounters at the pleasure garden, but now he has decided to marry and will indulge one final time – but this encounter is unlike any he has ever known and he knows that he can’t marry anyone while his feelings for his mystery lover are so intense. He plans to meet the Duke of Chelmsworth’s sister, but will explain his change of heart to the Duke, and then hopefully find his lover. And find her he does, she is the mother of the woman he had considered marrying! He is delighted to find her, but that feeling is not returned and it becomes crystal clear that finding his HEA is not going to be easy.

I loved the first book in this series and when the book started so hot, I had high hopes for a repeat. But my experience with Ms. Frampton has been hit or miss, I was hoping that this series would be a grand slam of hits – but I am sad to say the series is tied at 1 – 1. The writing is great (as always) but the lighthearted banter and humor that made the first book such a delight to read was nowhere to be found in this book. This was angsty and repetitive and I didn’t like Alexandra– she wants everything to be her way or you can’t be part of her life – which OK, I get it, she has never had any freedom, but it came across as self-centered and dictatorial – and when Theo didn’t do exactly as she wanted, she cut him out of her life and if not for her problem at the very end of the book, I am not sure she would have taken him back. So despite the 12-year age gap, the abundance of steamy love scenes, wonderful secondary characters, and the setup for a possible Fenton/Harriet romance, this story was a miss for me. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series and will fervently be hoping this story was just a fluke.

*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.*