A Gentleman’s Offer by Emma Orchard

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Rom-Com, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

A Gentleman's OfferA Gentleman’s Offer by Emma Orchard

Tracy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone Title

Release Date: March 22, 2025

When Miss Margaret “Meg” Nightingale, the estranged daughter of Baron Nightingale, receives notice from her aunt that her recently betrothed identical twin sister, Maria, has gone missing, she agrees to come to London to take her place until she is found. But Meg is not one to stand idly by and let someone else take charge, she makes it her mission to find Maria. She informs her sister’s betrothed, Sir Dominic De Lacy of the situation and demands that he assist her in finding her sister. She is attracted to Dominic and he to her, but until they find Maria and learn why she bolted, they won’t be able to act on that attraction. When they found Maria and learned why she left should make it easier for them to be together, but finding Maria only makes it harder.

Sir Dominic De Lacy, known to the ton as Beau De Lacy due to his manners and personality, has been a happy-go-lucky bachelor, but when his mother tells him of a promise his late father made to Baron Nightingale, he agrees to marry Maria Nightingale, and after just two supervised meetings, he proposes, and she accepts. He is not really attracted to her, but since he never expected to marry for love, he accepts that this will be a typical arranged marriage and only hopes they will get on better than his own parents did. However, when he sees his betrothed at their engagement ball, he is stunned at his reaction to her and a bit relieved when he learns the truth. He agrees to help Meg find her sister but makes it clear that he won’t be marrying Maria. The more time he spends with Meg, the more he knows that she is the woman he never expected to find and the only Nightingale he will marry.

The blurb for this book, hooked me hard and reeled me in, but sadly, it failed to deliver the story I was expecting. The story has a lot going on including a twin swap, estranged families, secrets, lies, blackmail, slow-burn romance, and finally a HEA for almost everyone. I wanted to love the book, but I found Meg annoying and Dominic a bit too beta for my taste, add to that the ridiculous plot and the very wordy dialogue that caused the story to drag, and unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me.

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

The Apothecary’s Poison by C.J. Archer

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

The Apothecary's Poison (Glass and Steele, #3)Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Glass and Steele #3
Publication Date: 4/4/14
Period: Fantasy Victorian London
Number of Pages: 352

This third book in the Glass and Steele series has Matthew’s plight becoming more dire. The magic in his watch is failing more quickly and he has to use it more and more often to stay alive – but, even then it doesn’t fully rejuvenate him. They are desperate to find Chronos, the watchmaker who saved Matthew’s life and imbued the watch with the magic properties that keep him alive. Finding a magical physician will help as well, but those are the rarest of magicians. So, imagine their elation when they read a newspaper article talking about a medical miracle – a doctor who has brought a patient back from the dead.

When India and Matthew rush to the hospital to speak with the doctor, they find the story isn’t exactly as it was presented in the article and the doctor can be of no help to them at all. When that doctor is murdered, Matthew is Detective Inspector Brockwell’s chief suspect – and Brockwell doesn’t seem to be inclined to look any further. It is, therefore, up to India, Matthew, and the crew to uncover the actual murderer. That won’t be easy because they’ll be fighting on two fronts. One front is the number of suspects, magic, and the Guilds, and the second front is the detective who has been swayed by American Sheriff Payne, whose sole purpose in life is to end Matthew – without coming under blame himself.

I switched between reading this book and listening to the audio version. The narrator does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life with a separate and distinct voice for each character. The pacing was excellent and the presentation was so deep, rich, and immersive that I could hear the narrator’s voice even when I was reading rather than listening.

I have enjoyed the mysteries presented in each of the books, and I have enjoyed seeing India discover her magical abilities and begin to try them out. However, I fear I am going to lose patience and give up on the series long before it is finished. The romance between India and Matthew seems to be an excruciatingly slow burn. I’m already tired of it and I believe there are several more books before we see any movement. I’m also tiring of one – possibly two – of the main supporting characters. I thought Matthew’s Aunt Letitia added a nice bit of humor to the books at first, but her interfering, snobbish ways have already begun to wear thin. The second character which may or may not become tiresome is Matthew’s American cousin Wilhelmina (Willy) Johnson. Her character is just too over-the-top and outrageous. While she’s tolerable so far, I can see her becoming a detriment to my reading pleasure.

I enjoyed reading the book and can recommend it as a quick, fun read that mixes fantasy, romance, and mystery in Victorian London.