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 Honor of an Heir by Linda Rae Sande

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

The Honor of an Heir (The Heirs of the Aristocracy Book 7)Barbara’s rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Heirs of the Aristocracy #7
Publication Date: 6/17/22
Period: Victorian London – 1839
Number of Pages: 330

Oh! You can’t help but love this witty, entertaining romance featuring more twins than you can count. Oh! Oh! 😊 This author’s stories are always fun to read because the stories are entertaining and the characters are so very likable. While we always get two romances in each book, this one is special because the two romances are between two sets of identical twins. WOOT! Oh! Did I also mention there is a ghost? Yep, and you’ll love him.

Andrew Comber and his twin brother Anthony are in trouble – big trouble. They are the heir and spare to the Aimsley earldom – and they’ve just been expelled from Cambridge. They have never, ever, taken advantage of being identical before – and this one time when they did, they were caught. Though the professor understood, the dean did not. Now, home in disgrace, they have heard their father’s punishment and it is a harsh one. Their allowances have been stopped immediately and they must both wed this season.

Dahlia and Diana Fitzwilliam are the identical twin daughters of the Earl of Norwich and much to their parents’ chagrin, they have decided they will not marry. It isn’t that they have anything against marriage or men, their objection is to the duties of the marriage bed. Oh!

When Andrew and Anthony decide that Dahlia and Diana are the women for them, they set out with determination – and the help of the girl’s dead father – to woo and wed the ladies. While there aren’t a lot of pitfalls along the way, the advice and candid ‘chats’ with the ghost could certainly go awry.

You’ll love the cameo appearances – mostly in name only – by the characters from previous books. While the Comber and Fitzwilliam families are a bit unconventional in their discussions, you’ll find them delightfully refreshing – and a whole lot of fun.

I can definitely recommend this book and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I did. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars outright is the nonchalant way the girls accepted learning that the man they thought was their father was actually their uncle. Also, I thought the boys accepted their fate a bit too easily. No push back – no exploring other options before bowing to their father’s wishes.

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

View all my reviews

Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd

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

Miss Morton and the English House Party MurderBarbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: A Miss Morton Mystery #1
Publication Date: 5/31/22
Period: Victorian – 1837
Number of Pages: 296

As a huge fan of this author’s Kurland St. Mary series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her latest mystery series. It was definitely worth the wait. The characters – especially the featured characters – were excellently done. You didn’t learn everything about them right in the beginning, it was doled out a bit at a time – and some of what you thought you knew, it turns out you didn’t. 😊 You aren’t sure who the good guys are – or who the bad guys are. You THINK you know, but do you?

Lady Caroline Morton, daughter of the deceased Earl of Morton, is penniless and without reputation, through no fault of her own. No, not her fault at all, but society tars her and her sister with the same brush as her father when he kills himself and everyone finds he is deeply in debt. Fortunately, her aunt and uncle take them in and that works fine while they are still pretty young, but children have a habit of growing up. Caroline finally realized that she could strike out on her own and seek employment – or – she could stay with her aunt and uncle and become an unappreciated, unpaid drudge within their home. Being the strong, independent, forthright, intelligent woman she was, she arranged employment as a companion to Mrs. Frogerton. Mrs. Frogerton turns out to be an adventurous lady and one who is anxious to see her daughter marry well. She has tons of money, but their background is tainted with the stench of ‘business’ and ‘work’. Caroline and Mrs. Frogrton are perfect partners in crime-solving – and goodness – do they have some crimes to solve!

A few months after Caroline leaves her Aunt Eleanor’s home, Eleanor pays a visit to Mrs. Frogerton’s home to request Caroline attend a house party being given in honor of Eleanor’s daughter for her birthday. Caroline declines, but Mrs. Frogerton is delighted to attend. It appears they are going to have an adventure after all.

Not long after Caroline, Mrs. Frogerton, and her daughter arrive, bodies begin to drop. While Lady Eleanor refuses to acknowledge that any murders occurred in her home, Caroline and the local physician, Dr. Harris, know otherwise. As they investigate, Caroline begins receiving threats – veiled and not so veiled. Clues turn up in the oddest places, and large sums of money appear in places they should not be. And what about all of those charity children in the nursery? Oh – this is going to be a handful to solve.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, it is interesting, well-plotted, well-paced, and excellently delivered. The book was, very, very busy and had a lot of characters and subplots that weren’t necessary to the story or my enjoyment of it. I will also add that I didn’t care for the punishments (or non-punishment) for the murderers. Should you choose to read the book, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

View all my reviews