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 Return of the Duke by Lorraine Heath

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Return of the Duke (Once Upon a Dukedom, #3)Return of the Duke by Lorraine Heath

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Once Upon A Dukedom, #3

Release Date: July 26, 2022

Just over a year ago, Marcus Stanwick changed in ways he never could have imagined when his father, the Duke of Wolfford was convicted of plotting to kill the queen and hanged for treason and the Crown stripped him of his titles, and estates, leaving the family homeless, penniless, and shunned by society. Burning for vengeance and hoping to restore the honor to his family name, Marcus loses himself in London’s dark underbelly, looking for answers but after a year with no success he finally seeks out the last person he ever wanted to talk to – his father’s former mistress.

Esme Lancaster is not what she seems, she is not the loose woman she has portrayed, she is actually an agent working for the home office and the queen’s protector. She met the duke while investigating rumors of a plot to assassinate the queen and was ordered to engage with him. Even now she is still looking for answers about the plot to assassinate Queen Victoria and is surprised it has taken Marcus so long to confront her and even more surprised at her immediate attraction to him. He is rude to her and demands to know if his father confided his plans or co-conspirators to her. When she can’t provide him with any new information, he leaves, but they meet again in a few days and she believes his intentions are honorable, so she offers up a name that she says his father mentioned. She is following up on a lead given to her by her superior and isn’t really surprised when her path crosses with Marcus again but realizes her cover is blown when he saves her from being discovered. They escape, but he is injured and she takes him home to tend his wounds. The next morning the truth comes out, she was never his father’s lover, she was investigating him, she suggests they work together to figure out who was the mastermind behind the plot and stop them before they can strike again. So all they have to do is find the killer and try not to fall in love – simple right?

This was such a great read! It was well-written, nicely paced, and tied up all the loose ends from the series perfectly. This book has it all; intrigue, wonderful characters, action, great secondary characters, steamy love scenes, redemption, and finally a lovely HEA complete with an epilogue. I think this might be my favorite book in the trilogy, and while it could be read as a standalone title, I would recommend reading the books in order for the best reader experience.

*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.*

Up All Night with a Good Duke by Amy Rose Bennett

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Up All Night with a Good Duke (The Byronic Book Club, #1)Up All Night with a Good Duke by Amy Rose Bennett

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Byronic Book Club, #1

Release Date: June 28, 2022

After a disastrous first season that ended in heartbreak, Artemis Jones swore off marriage and set her site on a new goal, opening an academic college for women and she spends the next 10 years pursuing that goal by working as a teacher in a finishing school by day and writing the wildly popular gothic novels by Lydia Lovelace at night, she is close, but still doesn’t have the funds necessary to quit her jobs and open the school. But when she gets a letter begging for help from her dear friend and fellow Byronic Book Club member, Lucy, she quits her job and heads to London. She hopes to help Lucy and secure a wealthy patron to fund her school all while sidestepping her aunt’s attempts to marry her off. But never did she imagine that her first day in the city would have her crossing paths with the first man in ages to capture her interest.

Dominic Winters, the Duke of Dartmoor, is a widower raising his 15-year-old daughter, he knows she needs a mother figure, but with nasty rumors started by his late wife’s family have society calling him the Dastardly Duke and whispering that he killed his wife, he is finding that remarrying is not as simple as he had hoped, not to mention, he can’t seem to forget the intriguing woman who collided with him. Soon their paths cross again and the magic is still there, too bad she isn’t “duchess material” – or is she? When they met yet again, it is at a ball and they share a waltz and a spectacular kiss. Dominic is smitten and so when Artemis proposes a mutually beneficial arrangement, he agrees and wonders if it is possible to change her mind about marriage, but before that can even be considered, a shared foe must be dealt with otherwise, there will be no chance of a HEA for anyone.

What a great start to a new series! This well-written nicely paced love story is sure to become a fan favorite. I loved Artemis and Dominic, they aren’t perfect, but they are perfect for each other. The book has secrets, good friends, a lonely 15-year-old, a nasty villain, steamy love scenes, instant chemistry, and finally a well-deserved HEA. This is the first book in the series and I highly recommend it and am really looking forward to Lucy and Jane’s stories!

*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.*