A Most Unusual Duke by Susanna Allen

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

A Most Unusual Duke (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde, #2)A Most Unusual Duke by Susanna Allen

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde, #2

Release Date: December 28, 2021

When Beatrice, the widow of the Marquess of Castleton sought to secure her independence by blackmailing the Prince Regent of England, things did not go as planned. Not only did she find herself married again, but her reluctant groom is also a Shifter. But unlike her first husband, Arthur Humphries, the Duke of Osborn is not a decrepit old man and neither is he a wolf.

When Arthur’s father was challenged and lost his life to the challenger, Arthur vowed to never claim his position as Alpha in his bear sleuth. But his cousin, Prince George (also a bear Shifter) demands that Arthur do his duty, if not he will make sure that Arthur’s brother and his young family will suffer. With no choice, Arthur agrees to marry Beatrice but insists theirs will be a white marriage. At the prince’s command, they retire to Arthur’s family estate, a place that Arthur hasn’t seen since the night he lost his father. He manages to keep his feelings for the sleuth and his new bride in check, that is until his brother and his family show up, making him long for things he has sworn to never have.

This was a very interesting, well-plotted, thoughtful story about second chances, love, and acceptance. Beatrice and Arthur are wonderful characters, both with painful pasts, yet they haven’t lost themselves to bitterness. I enjoyed watching their slow-burn romance unfold and loved the secondary characters who added lightness and levity to the story. I liked the story, but the reading was slow-going, the author has and utilizes an amazing (if somewhat obscure) vocabulary, which did break the flow for me, as I had to continually stop to look up a word, or foreign language phrase (which were not italicized) to understand the story and many times the author chose to use a very archaic/obscure word instead of a common word, and while I love to learn new words, I don’t need to learn one on just about every page. Overall, it was entertaining to read with a somewhat anti-climatic ending but did manage to set up the next book rather nicely. This is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone title with no issue.

*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.*

Desperate Daughters: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends by Bluestocking Belles

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

Desperate Daughters: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With FriendsBarbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends
Publication Date: 5/8/22
Period: Regency York

If you read the book synopsis, you know that the Earl of Seahaven desperately wanted an heir, but after 5 wives and nine daughters, he died without that heir. The stories in this anthology show the struggle they went through when they were left practically penniless and how each of them – including his young countess – found their HEAs. Each of the stories is very well written and I think you will like all of them. With this book, as with all books with this premise, I have to wonder how Seahaven, who loved his family but was old, could leave his family with NO protection. Yes, titles are entailed as are major properties, but there is also bound to be some associated wealth and/or properties that are unentailed. Anyway – that aside, the stories are great and I love how each of the ladies used their unique talents to contribute to the welfare of them all.

You’ll find each story unique and special:

Caroline Warfield’s hotel employee, Lady Dorothea (Doro), and her curate Mr. Clark find their future in Lady Dorothea’s Curate.
Mary Lancaster’s musician, Lady Barbara, and Jack Sutton play a merry tune in Concerto
Rue Allyn’s historian, Elizabeth (Bess), and Malcolm K. Marr discover hidden identities in The Butler and the Bluestocking.
Elizabeth Ellen Carter’s artistic twins Ivy and Iris, who have vowed to only marry brothers, race to find that cousins can be as close as brothers in The Four-to-One Fancy.
Jude Knight’s Chloe (A cousin to the sisters) isn’t fashionable in any way but finds that she fits very nicely with Dom Finchley in Lord Cuckoo Comes Home.
Ella Quinn’s Miss Harriett Staunton and Lord Sextus (don’t you love it) Trevor, go to great lengths to out-maneuver the Duke of Somerset in I’ll Always Be Yours
Alina K. Fields’s Lady Honoria Twisden and Major August Kellborn stirs your heart in Lady Twisden’s Picture
Meara Platt’s botanist, Lady Josefina, and the Duke of Bourne find the cure for their lonely hearts in A Duke for Josefina
Sherry Ewing’s young dowager countess, Patience Bigglesworth, and Richard, Viscount Cranfield finally succumb to fate and find their HEA in A Countess To Remember.

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