Tag: Charis Michaels

You May Kiss the Duke by Charis Michaels

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

You May Kiss the Duke (The Brides of Belgravia, #3)You May Kiss the Duke by Charis Michaels
Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The Brides of Belgravia, #3

Release Date: May 21, 2019

After going along with her friends idea of placing an advert in the Times looking for grooms, Sabine Noble never expected or wanted to find love, she just wanted escape. So when Sabine married Jon Stoker, it was strictly a marriage of convenience, she believed he needed her dowry for a shipping venture and she needed to rescued from her abusive uncle, it seemed like the perfect arrangement. They strike a bargain and agree to marry and part ways. It seemed that these two would never find the kind of happiness her friends have with their convenient grooms, but that is fine, she is happy in London and if she happens to think of her handsome husband and wonder what he is doing from time to time, that is to be expected – right?

Sabine moved to London four years ago after marrying and parting ways with Jon. She has a very satisfying life writing travel guides. Her life is calm and predictable until she discovers that her vile uncle might be up to no good and sets out to investigate. It is on one of her investigative outings that she finds her husband left for dead on board a hospital ship. Unable to leave him, she brings him back to her rooms and sees to his care. She doesn’t want him in her home, but there is no one else to care for him or so she tells herself.

When Jon wakes, he is confused, what happened to him? He is surprised to see Sabine, the girl he rescued by marrying her and then sailed away from. Jon has a history of rescuing women, born to a prostitute and raised in a brothel, Jon has experienced the absolute worst of mankind and has some very odd ideas of what is and is not acceptable – very odd – he is (and always has been) attracted to Sabine and insists on leaving her apartments, but when the doctor says he has to stay, he reluctantly agrees and slowly Sabine begins to peel away the layers that make up this complex man. The longer they are together, the more they dread their inevitable parting, but maybe it doesn’t have to end… But before they can consider their options, they must find out who tried to kill Jon and Sabine must figure out what her uncle is up to and find a way to regain everything he stole from her.

This was a very interesting story with incredibly complexed characters, warmish love scenes, surprising revelations, witty and entertaining banter, a heroine who knows what she wants and a hero that thinks he knows more than he actually does. I enjoyed reading the book, but felt like a lot was left out and the ending left me with a lot of unanswered questions and feeling a bit unsatisfied. This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*

All Dressed in White by Charis Michaels

On By TracyIn Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)1 Comment

All Dressed in White (The Brides of Belgravia, #2)All Dressed in White by Charis Michaels

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Brides of Belgravia, #2

Release Date: August 21, 2018

This book was nothing like I imagined it would be, the blurb cannot fully prepare the reader for the intense and emotional story contained within this book.

Tessa St. Croix is in trouble, the kind of trouble only a quick marriage can solve. Violated and left pregnant, Tessa and her friends form a plan. The three girls all have reasons to marry quickly, they take out an advert for husbands, offering their dowries as an investment, they all plan to have white marriages and live their own lives. But when Tessa meets Joseph Chance, she wonders if she can go through with her plan to marry him and pass her unborn child off as his. She quickly comes to care for Joseph and wants to marry him and have a real marriage. But guilt and shame weigh on her and in the end, she cannot deceive him.

On their wedding night, she tells him the truth, not of her rape, but of her pregnancy. Joseph is devastated, he had fallen in love with Tessa and thought she loved him too, despite his humble origins. He is angry, hurt and lashes out verbally before leaving her in Belgravia and sailing off to Barbados.

When he returns almost a year later, he has no plans to seek out his wife, until he learns that she has cancelled his docking arrangements. Forced to see her again, he is angry that he is still attracted to her. But this Tessa is not the same woman he left behind. This Tessa is a pale imitation of the woman he thought he loved and he doesn’t understand what changed. He doesn’t want to care about her or be involved with her, but his entire business venture hangs in the balance and she has the solution.

This was a beautiful story, filled with a lot of emotion, yes, there is fear, pain, betrayal and heartbreak but that is tempered by witty banter, tender moments, patience and kindness. Be aware, this book does have certain triggers that may be incredibly upsetting for some readers. But in my opinion, it was handled delicately and the reader is not subjected to the actual rape, only the heroine’s recounting – if this sort of thing upsets you, this book may not be for you. But if you like second chance love stories, wonderful characters, villains who get what they deserve and happy endings – READ THIS BOOK!

This was the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title. I happily recommend this book and am looking forward to Sabine and Jon Stoker’s book!!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*