The Shopgirl’s Forbidden Love by Jenni Fletcher

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

The Shopgirl's Forbidden LoveBarbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: Regency Belles of Bath #4
Publication Date: 6/28/22
Period: Regency – Bath
Number of Pages: 188

FINALLY! I’ve been watching the interactions between Nancy MacQueen and James (Jem) Redbourne in the previous books and just couldn’t wait for their HEA. It is finally here and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I loved how the author took us back in time to their initial meeting when they were young and then showed us what was going on behind the scenes in some of the interactions we’d witnessed in those earlier books. I absolutely adored Jem and loathed how Nancy treated him, so it was nice to get some background on her and learn why she reacted the way she did. To be honest, though, I thought her reaction to her background circumstances was a bit over-the-top, but I could see why it would make her wary. Jem was every bit as perfect and honorable as we thought he would be.

The last woman standing – yep – that is Nancy. With all of her former baking partners married and off living their HEAs, Nancy is the lone remaining baker at Belle’s Biscuit Shop. She misses her friends, but she loves baking the biscuits, running the shop, and having the upstairs living quarters all to herself. At least Henrietta and Sebastian (Unexpectedly Wed to the Officer) have chosen to stay in Bath, so Nancy isn’t completely without friends.

Nancy is a red-haired, freckle-faced, short-tempered, termagant. Her temper is legendary and only the bravest would cross her. Yet, with the people she lets in, she is sweet, gentle, loyal, and loving. Nancy was raised in the slum area of Bath by a downtrodden mother and drunken, gambling stepfather. From the age of six, she watched her beautiful, loving mother change into someone she didn’t even recognize. She went from a loving mother to someone who did nothing but find fault with Nancy. Her step-father totally cowed and dominated her mother and Nancy will never, ever allow that to happen to herself. She lumps all men into the same category as her step-father and will never, ever let one get near her in any way. The only person who MIGHT be different is Jem and no matter how nice he is or how much her pulse races when he’s near, she’ll not let him get close either.

Jem first met Nancy when she was fourteen – and he never forgot her. They’d cross paths every few months or years and the attractions were still there – at least on his part. He was quite sure there was no attraction on her part because she always rang a peal over his head any time they got near each other. She said hateful, mean, awful things to him. Finally, he knew he had to give up on her – she told him flat-out there would never, ever be anything between them. With his parents wanting him to marry, he decided to go with his mother’s choice for a wife. So, he proposed and was accepted. But … then … the very next day he learned that Nancy had changed her mind. GROOOOAN – why hadn’t he waited one more day?

The tale is lovely and Jem is so honorable he’ll give up his own happiness to keep his word. Is his betrothed as honorable as Jem is? Maybe not? Maybe so? You’ll just have to read it to see. It is an excellent read, very well written and the character growth is outstanding. I loved that all of the previous couples played roles in this story, but they didn’t take over and overpower it.

I believe this is the last book in the series, and it did a very nice wrap-up for the series. The epilogue takes place 8 years later (in 1815) and shows the couples and their children. It was a very nice wrap-up and I felt I knew the ‘whole story’ for all of them and could rest easy that their HEA was a lasting one.

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

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The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, World War II Era (1939-1945)Leave a comment

The Key to Deceit (Electra McDonnell, #2)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Electra McDonnell #2
Publication Date: 6/21/22
Period: WWII – London
Number of Pages: 288

This series was off and running no-holds-barred with the first book in the series, A Peculiar Combination, and now this one is proudly carrying the torch. With strong major characters and strong supporting characters, this book (and this series) will definitely leave you with a pounding heart and fraught nerves! The mystery is excellently plotted and the book is well-written and perfectly paced.

I had wondered if there would be any movement in the quasi-love triangle that was set up in the first book – and the answer is – there is and there isn’t. While the Major’s interest in Ellie is quite obvious to the reader, it isn’t at all obvious to Ellie because she thinks he only tolerates her because he has to. Then there is her childhood friend Felix who is developing feelings for her. Or is he? I wonder if it is more to do with him being injured, etc. and he sees Electra as a solid in his life. Not that he doesn’t care for her, but I wonder if it is ‘the real thing’. I guess we’ll just have to continue to read and find out – but I hope it doesn’t drag on too long because that gets tiring to me – and seems unfair to the character who doesn’t ‘win’.

Everyone is on tenterhooks waiting for the German bombings that they know are coming. They know they are coming, but they are also in denial – until the bombs actually start dropping. Amid the tensions, Major Ramsey arrives at the McDonnell home to ask for their assistance with a lock – which happens to be on the wrist of a body at the morgue. Ellie takes a big breath and then agrees to help – little knowing that it would lead to a search for a nest of German spies who are helping to target London locations for the bombers.

There are banks to rob, suspects to follow, bodies to identify, and spymasters to catch all while London is being bombed into oblivion by the Germans. Before the search is over, the entire McDonnell clan along with Felix and an interesting new character will be involved. While they are pursuing the spies, Ellie and Felix are searching for information on Ellie’s mother (FYI – her mother died in prison after being convicted of murdering Ellie’s father – and she was pregnant with Ellie at the time she was convicted.)

I highly recommend both this book and the series. I hope you will read it and love it as much as I did.

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

View all my reviews