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 Matter of Convenience by Lana Williams

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

A Matter of Convenience (The Mayfair Literary League, #1)A Matter of Convenience by Lana Williams

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Mayfair Literary League, #1

Release Date: January 26, 2023

Lady Phoebe Fitzroy is the leader of the Mayfair Literary League, a book club made up of 6 ladies that have endured at least five seasons and remain unwed. Phoebe has turned down at least three proposals over the years and she knows that her parents are getting impatient with her, but they don’t know that Phoebe has a groom in mind, Anthony Stanhope, the Earl of Bolton, but unfortunately he doesn’t seem to see her as anything more than his sister’s friend. So Phoebe decides enough is enough, she needs to be bold and encourages her fellow league members to follow her lead and take their fate into their own hands – she calls her initiative the “For Better or Worse” agenda and promises to report her progress at their next meeting. Armed with a list of reasons they would make a good couple, Phoebe visits Bolton House to propose a marriage of convenience to Anthony.

Anthony is flabbergasted when Phoebe proposes a marriage of convenience, Anthony wants to marry for love or not at all, and even that is not something he is pursuing until he sees his younger siblings settled. He politely and gently declines her proposal, yet keeps her list. And for some reason he can’t explain, he can’t stop thinking of her. When he sees her a few days later at a ball, he asks her to dance, and later takes her for some air on the terrace, where he ends up kissing her and is shocked at the connection he feels. Did he make a mistake by not accepting her proposal? But then he remembers that she mentioned nothing of feelings for him, only practical reasons they would be good together and after witnessing his father and mother’s forced marriage, there is no way he would chance marriage without a love connection. He tells himself that he needs to leave her alone, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans…

This was a well-written, nicely paced, absolutely charming story with very likable characters and the setup for more delightful stories to follow when the other ladies from the Mayfair Literary League perform their own “bold acts”. This book has a friends-to-lovers trope, unspoken feelings, stolen kisses, compromising situations, more kissing, a villain bent on revenge, wagers, misunderstandings, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue set years later. I am happy to recommend this title, it was a great read, it is the first book in a new series and I am already counting the days until the next one releases!

*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.*

The Black Hand by Will Thomas

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

The Black Hand (Barker & Llewelyn, #5)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Barker & Llewelyn 35
Publication Date: 7/1/2008
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 289

I thoroughly enjoy this series. The stories are told from Llewelyn’s point of view – as if he is writing the stories from much later in his life. Llewelyn is a bit sarcastic and his quips are thoroughly entertaining – though they just pass right over Barker’s head. I came into the series late and read from my entry point through all of the later books and I’m now trying to read all of the earlier books. I love the main characters – Barker & Llewelyn – and the secondary characters are intriguing and fun to know.

Barker and Llewelyn are called to the docks on the Thames because a body was found floating in a barrel. It turns out that is a practice used by the Sicilian Mafia and the body belongs to a man named Serafini who is an assassin. The Mafia in London? At least one of the Mafia wants to expand their territory and they have decided to start with the London docks. Apparently, it will be up to Barker and Llewelyn to find the villain and put a stop to his plans.

It seems the villain is one step ahead and has begun causing harm to those Barker cares about. Those who stand in the villain’s way receive a note with a warning and a black hand – and that is soon followed by a violent death. The government wants Barker’s help to eliminate the threat, but they also have tied his hands with what he can and cannot do. Finding the villain and eliminating the threat will definitely stretch even Barker’s inimitable skills.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to get into some of the others I’ve missed. While the stories have a progression to them – as shown in the lives and relationships of Barker and Llewelyn – the mysteries and the meat of the stories can easily be read out of sequence. Sometimes it is even fun to be reading an earlier book and know what is going to happen several books down the line.

I can definitely recommend this book and this series. The writing is excellent with strong plots that are perfectly paced. The characters are unique, refreshing, interesting, and definitely not your run-of-the-mill supporting cast. Happy Reading!!!

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