Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise

On By TracyIn Debut Novel, Part of a Series, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)4 Comments

Never Blow a Kiss (Secret Society of Governess Spies, #1)Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Secret Society of Governess Spies, #1

Release Date: January 23, 2023

Emily Leverton is not your typical governess, she is not a genteel lady fallen on hard times, no, she is a rough and tumble girl who was raised on the streets. But she was determined to have a better life and escaped the streets as soon as she was able. She knows she is a terrible governess, but she does her best and is shocked when she is summoned to meet the owner of the most prestigious governess agency in England – Perdita’s Governess Agency. She meets with the “Dove” and is offered a unique opportunity, she will be trained as a governess and spy. The Dove wants information on the elite upper classes who often get away with heinous crimes, she wants to make sure they pay for their crimes like anyone else, and having a spy in the household to gather information is invaluable. Emily agrees and hopes by helping the Dove bring down corrupt members of the ton she will be making amends for the sins of her past. While working for the Earl of Eastmoreland’s family she is called upon to deliver a forgotten fan to Lady Minnie, the earl’s eldest daughter at the ball she was attending. It is there that she spies a man being besieged by a marriage-minded mama and her daughters, when she catches his eye, she spontaneously blows him a kiss before exiting the ballroom, never expecting to see him again. But to her complete shock, he follows her and makes his interest known. Emily would love nothing more than to accept his attentions, but she has secrets; big secrets that would ruin them both. She tries to brush him off, but when she learns that he is working on a case for the police, she changes her mind and decides that helping him helps her too. She just needs to remember to keep her distance and guard her heart from wanting what she can never have.

Zachariah “Zach” Denholm was born and raised in Whitechapel as the son of a butcher. He made his fortune through smart investments and is now one of the richest men in London. Never one to laze about, Zach works as a Detective Constable for the Metropolitan Police and is currently working on a case involving the brutal murders of prostitutes in the Bethnal Green slums. The press has dubbed the killer the “Evangelist” and mentions Zach’s participation in the case, making him even more popular in the ton – which is the last thing he wants. When a cheeky governess blows him a kiss, he is intrigued and when he meets her, he is snared. He knows she is not what she pretends to be and that just makes him want her more. The more time they spend together, the harder he falls, and though she denies it, he is sure she is falling too. But Emily is not like any woman he has ever known and winning her will not be easy but he is sure the extra effort will be worth it. But when her big secret is revealed, Zach feels a moment of doubt, and that is all Emily needs to walk out of his life. Will he realize his mistake before it’s too late or has he lost her forever?

OMG, OMG, OMG – I LOVED this book! I am so impressed by this new-to-me author, I love her writing style and the fact that she nailed the titles and proper address was just a surprise bonus for me. Emily and Zach are wonderful characters and so easy to like, and even though there is technically adultery in the book – I didn’t even care – I KNOW, I can hardly believe it myself, but the way the author handled it was perfect and it was a complete non-issue for me. The book has so much going on but it never felt “busy”, it was close to perfect and definitely a keeper. The book has secrets, murder, witty banter, lots of emotion, great secondary characters, more than one villain, a mysterious benefactor, steamy love scenes, a bit of heartache, a couple of nail-biter scenes, a few tears, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I cannot wait for the next book and I think I might actually read her upcoming contemporary paranormal romance that is coming out this fall – If you know anything about me and the books I read, you will be floored by that statement – Needless to say, I highly recommend this title, it is the first book in a new series and in my opinion, is a must-read!

*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.*

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Always Remember by Mary Balogh

On By TracyIn Blog Tour, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

Always Remember: Ben's Story (A Ravenswood Novel)Always Remember: Ben’s Story by Mary Balogh

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Ravenswood, #3

Release Date: January 16, 2024

Ben Ellis is the illegitimate son of the late Earl of Stratton and his mistress, but when his mother died, the Earl brought Ben to Ravenswood and raised him with his other children. Ben was accepted into the family and even called the Earl’s Countess mother, but despite the love they gave him, he never felt like he quite fit in. So when he returned from the peninsular Wars, widowed and with a young daughter, he decided not to live at Ravenswood Hall and bought his own home, Penallen. And now he has finished renovating his home, he has decided that it is time to find a wife. He has three perfectly acceptable ladies in mind, all of whom would suit him and would be a good stepmother to his young daughter Joy, but for some reason, his usual decisiveness has eluded him and he just can’t seem to decide which woman to pursue. Adding to this dilemma is the letter he receives from a man he has never met which offers some unexpected news that will require Ben to decide whether he wants to learn more, or if he should just ignore it. Bothered by his sudden inability to make a decision, he decides to put off these decisions until he returns from the fete at Ravenswood. This will be the first fete since that awful day eight years ago when he learned that his father, the late Earl of Stratton was not the man Ben always believed him to be, causing Ben to leave Ravenswood with his brother Devlin, and not return for six long years. Once at Ravenswood, he once again feels out of place and out of sorts, but a chance encounter with Lady Jennifer gives him a purpose, and soon the two form an unlikely friendship, one that quickly escalates to something more…and something impossible.

Lady Jennifer Arden, the sister of Lucas, the Duke of Wilby, is at Ravenswood for the fete too. Though they are in mourning, Lucas’ wife, Philippa, is part of the Ware family, giving them leave to attend the gathering. Jennifer is delighted to be at Ravenswood and to spend time with the Ware family, but seeing everyone with their families is a stark reminder to her of what she will never have. Jennifer was left crippled by a childhood fever and is confined to a wheelchair, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to walk, and with the aid of crutches, she is somewhat successful. It is during one of these attempts that she meets Ben, well they have seen each other before, but they have never interacted, due mainly to their uncomfortable awareness of each other’s perceived deficiencies, his illegitimacy and her physical limitations. They both feel awkward, but they share a meaningful conversation that leads Ben to try and help her move beyond her current limitations, she in turn offers him suggestions on how to handle his letter. Their friendship is frowned upon by their friends and families, but they can’t seem to let it go and when feelings grow deeper, it seems likely that hearts will be left broken. But even the threat of a broken heart isn’t enough to keep them apart or from wishing things could be different.

As usual, Mary Balogh delivers a well-written story of imperfect people finding their perfect someone. This book is what my mother calls a “gentle read”, meaning it isn’t overly dramatic, it isn’t filled with angst, it is not overly passionate yet is it not devoid of these elements, they just don’t overwhelm you. This story is a sort of opposites attract / class difference / best friend’s brother, all rolled into one touching love story. It is a sweet romance filled with wonderful characters, revelations, warm love scenes, lots of secondary characters, loving family members, acceptance, cute children, a bit of humor, a dash of heartache, and finally a HEA that didn’t seem possible until it was. I liked this story and would happily recommend it to my fellow HR readers, but in all honestly, I did feel that at times Ben and Jennifer’s romance got overshadowed by all the other things/characters in the book – there are A LOT of characters in this book and a lot going on, most of which is not related to their romance, causing the story to seemingly wander off the road to HEA. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title. I finished the book delighted for Ben, Jennifer, and Joy and looking forward to the next installment.

4 stars

*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.*