The Duchess by Sophie Jordan

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Duchess (The Scandalous Ladies of London, #2)The Duchess by Sophie Jordan

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Scandalous Ladies of London, #2

Release Date: March 26, 2024

Once upon a time, Valencia married the man of her dreams, but not long after their wedding, her dream became a nightmare when her husband was injured in an accident and changed from the charming man she married into a mean, abusive drunk. For years she endured his abuse, both physically and verbally, until another accident finally ended his life. Now a year later, Valencia is the widowed Duchess of Dedham, and ready to live again, but things do not go as planned and instead of a fun night celebrating her birthday with friends at Vauxhall Gardens, she takes a dip in the Thames and is pulled out by a rude boor of a man and if that was not bad enough, she is awakened the next day by the arrival of the same rude boor who happens to be the new Duke, along with his mother and six unmarried sisters and is unceremoniously kicked out the house she has lived in for over a decade! But launching unmarried six sisters into London society is more than his mother can handle and Valencia sees an opportunity – she will prepare the girls for their debuts and in exchange the duke will pay her handsomely. She just has to keep her eye on the prize and ignore the attraction she feels for the new duke, because if there is one thing Valencia knows it is love is an illusion. She fell for that trick once and learned her lesson the hard way, so that won’t be a problem…

Welshman, Rhain Lloyd is a self-made man who has no interest in being the Duke of Dedham, but with no choice, he travels to London with his mother, cousin and his six unmarried sisters (he has 12). His plan is to access the dukedom and its holdings then have his cousin act as his steward, so he can return to Wales and his quiet, ordered life. He is shocked to learn that the woman he fished out of the Thames is the late duke’s widow, which makes her off-limits in his mind. And because of his attraction, he needs her gone ASAP, but when it becomes clear that his mother is not prepared to launch his sisters into society, he makes a deal with Valencia. He will pay her to present his sisters to the ton and find them husbands and then she will leave, and he will carry on with his original plan. He can control himself and there is no way he would ever fall in love with her, so that won’t be a problem…

This was a well-written, somewhat emotional story that focuses mostly on Valencia’s journey to HEA. The book is filled with emotional healing, some triggers, lots of sisters, a stuffed dog, well-meaning “ride or die” friends, secrets, low steam love scenes, betrayal, blackmail and finally a well-deserved happy ending complete with an epilogue. I liked this story, and my heart broke for Valencia, she was badly used and yet she never broke, she is a survivor who fought for her happy ending, and I was rooting for her all the way. Much like the previous book, this story didn’t “wow” me and I never really felt the romance. And am I the only one who found Poppet uber creepy? Anyway, IMO the book was not a keeper, but it was still a good read with a happy ending. This is the second book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title with no problems. Please note, this book does have content that might be upsetting to some readers, and I would suggest checking out the content warning before reading the book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

*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.*

A Governess’s Guide to Passion and Peril by Manda Collins

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

A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril (Ladies Most Scandalous Book 4)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Ladies Most Scandalous #4
Publication Date: 3/26/24
Period: 1869 – Victorian London
Number of Pages: 294

Hmm – strange things are afoot in the Foreign Office as this excellently-written, well-paced, well-plotted historical romance/mystery unfolds. The protagonists are very likable and relatable, while the antagonist is venal and vile – just the way I like it. You’ll love it all – and it will keep you on the edge of your chair wondering who did it.

Five years ago, Miss Jane Halliwell’s world crashed and burned – to a cinder. Her beloved father, who worked for the Foreign Office, committed suicide and left Jane and her mother destitute from his gambling debts. She is now governess to Margaret, the daughter of her father’s good friend, Lord Gilford. Lady Gilford is not a supporter of Jane and takes every opportunity to belittle her and assure Jane knows of her now reduced place in society. Therefore, Jane is shocked when Lady Gilford informs her that, to keep the numbers right, she must attend a dinner that is part of an international symposium sponsored by Lord Gilford.

Lord Adrian Fielding, brother of the Duke of Langham (from book three), was a new and very young Foreign Office diplomat five years ago when his mentor committed suicide. He’d befriended the man’s young daughter, but, after the suicide, he was immediately sent away from Rome to another posting without even being able to say goodbye. He’d caught a glimpse of her two years ago, but she wouldn’t speak with him and seemed very angry. Now, he’s at this symposium – and she is here – and still angry. Why? He’s tried to find her since their encounter two years ago, but it seemed there was no trace of her. He hopes to make things right with her.

Since this is a romance – with a mystery tagging along for the ride – we’ll need to know a tad about the mystery. Jane finds Lord Gilford stabbed to death in his study. Who could have done such a thing? There is no shortage of suspects as the house is full of foreign dignitaries, servants, Foreign Office representatives, and family. Detective Inspector Eversham (from book 1) is immediately called in and enlists Adrian’s assistance. They would prefer to leave Jane out of it, but she insists on helping as Lord Gilford was one of the very few to give her a helping hand after her father’s suicide. As they work through the clues – and uncover other happenings at the Foreign Office – the danger to them increases, and they grow closer. While the identity of the antagonist didn’t surprise me, the depths of his depravity did.

I can definitely recommend this book and this series. While this isn’t my favorite of the series, it was a lovely read, an exciting mystery, and provided us with a well-deserved HEA. We also got nice visits with the main characters of the previous books and a sweet epilogue. I hope you’ll give this book a try and enjoy it as much as I did. Happy Reading.

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