The Gentleman of Holly Street by Lottie R. James ~ Blog Tour

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

The Gentleman of Holly Street

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The Gentleman of Holly Street

Will this Christmas…Change their lives again?
When self-made gentleman Freddie Walton rescued penniless Philomena Nichols at Christmas eight years ago, he never imagined that he would build his empire with her. Yet whilst they have created a life together as friends, Freddie can’t let their special connection become more than that. Not when his dangerous past continues to haunt him… But what happens when Freddie’s feelings for Philomena refuse to stay hidden?

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The Gentleman of Holly Street - L.James.2021
Author Bio: 

Lotte James trained as an actor and theatre director but spent most of her life working day jobs crunching numbers whilst dreaming up stories of love and adventure. She’s thrilled to finally be writing those stories, and when she’s not scribbling on tiny pieces of paper, she can usually be found wandering the countryside for inspiration or nestling with coffee and a book.

Social Media Links: 

Twitter ~ Website 

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Tracy’s Review:

The Gentleman of Holly StreetThe Gentleman of Holly Street by Lotte R. James

Tracy’s rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: Gentlemen of Mystery, #3

Release Date: November 29, 2022

After years of travel, Freddie Walton has finally put down roots and purchased a building to not only open his business but also as a place to live. He is inspecting the property when he comes upon a half-starved, terrified girl. He invites her in to eat and get warm, knowing that he can’t turn her away, but not realizing how this decision will ultimately change his life.

Philomena “Mena” Nichols has come a long way from the ragamuffin that was saved that December night by Freddie. She has worked hard with Freddie to make his business a success and has also worked diligently to improve herself and despite her lingering fears, has managed to do amazing things on her own.

Freddie and Mena have a complicated relationship and are often apart from each other, they are both self-made people, and both feel inferior, even though Freddie has a circle of friends in high society and is welcomed into the ton, they both think they are unworthy. Even after their relationship changes and they become lovers, they still don’t believe they are deserving of a HEA with each other and struggle with feelings of inadequacy. Especially Freddie, whose past is coming back to haunt him.

This was an odd read for me and I wonder if it was because this is the third book in the series and I didn’t read the previous books. While the idea of the book intrigued me when I started reading it, there were things that I found offputting, such as Freddie’s relationship with Lady Mary, they were just a bit too cozy for my liking, and in this era, there is no way they could spend as much time together as they did without controversy or risk to Mary’s reputation. I also wasn’t a fan of Freddie’s resistance to committing to Mena, or the fact that he knowingly hurt her. OK – I guess, I was just not a fan of Freddie in general. Overall, I thought the book had potential but was a bit too repetitive and slow-moving, and I certainly wouldn’t classify it as a “Gothic Romance”.

*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.*

Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Gothic Historical, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone TitleLeave a comment

Midnight on the River GreyBarbara’s rating: 3.6 of 5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: 7/1/19
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: Audiobook (10 Hours) – Narrator Laura Kirman

Rebecca Hunter and her brother Jacob became wards of Mr. Lewis Browning upon their father’s death. For me, the time between the death of their father and the start of this book is ambiguous and I’m left with questions. For instance – was Browning just an unconcerned, uninvolved guardian? I wonder because Rebecca was living with an aunt in their old townhome, which seems a good choice, but – it seems her brother was running wild. While I wondered about that first period, things went well once the actual story starts.

Jacob got himself ‘into a spot of bother’ and left London to live at their guardian’s estate, Greybourne Hall. When, after several months, Jacob dies, rumors of murder abound among the villagers. Who do they blame? Lewis Browning was on the bridge that night, and his memory of the events is foggy. As the closest male relative, Lewis inherits all the entailed properties and quickly summons Rebecca from London to Greybourne Hall saying he’s selling their townhouse. Unhappily, Rebecca and her aunt arrive at the Hall – with Rebecca determined to discover Lewis’s guilt and see him brought to justice.

Strange things are happening at Greybourne Hall. There are strange, mysterious people who seem to wander into the Hall – and then, there is the strange, lone, masked rider that can be seen in the late, misty, hours of the night. You’ll wonder who is good and who is not. You’ll wonder what is going on with all of the strange and mysterious people and night rides. If you read a lot of mysteries, you’ll soon realize the answer to one of your questions. That isn’t a problem because then you’ll be reading to find out if you are right – and to find the rest of the answers.

I enjoyed the read, but I have to tell you, I found Rebecca almost TSTL. She did the riskiest things – things that would not only cause harm to herself but would/could put others at risk as well. Her reasons for doing the things she does are some of the most convoluted I’ve seen. To this reader, being strong and independent also includes being savvy and making intelligent, well-thought-out decisions. Rebecca fell far short in that department. She didn’t seem to have any impulse control at all.

I listened to the audio version and generally enjoyed the narrator. Her voice is mellow and well-modulated, and her delivery of most of the female voices is good. Her male voices leave something to be desired. The way she makes male voices is to make them more guttural and to slow them so they seem to be the English version of a Southern drawl.

I enjoyed the read and can recommend it. If you choose to read it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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