Series: Spinster’s Society #10
Publication Date: 7/31/18

Just a note:  If you want to read this book, you will not find it on any vendor, Goodreads, Bookbub, etc. until the release date.  I have no clue why the author does this, but you cannot pre-order or read the blurb — nothing before release date! 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the final book for the original ten members of the Men of Nashwood, and I had assumed the final book of the series. However, the author inducted five new members into the Nashwood group, so I assume we’ll either have five more books in this series or we’ll have a spin-off series. This author isn’t very communicative, so I have no idea of what might be next.

We’ve watched Maura and Julius bicker back-and-forth for a number of books, so we knew they’d be paired up. I’m glad we finally got to Julius’ story and I’m glad his story was the last one. The same goes for Maura. She’s been there since the beginning and they probably have the most interesting and disturbing backgrounds. We learned Julius’ big secret in the last book and now we learn Maura’s.

I’m still not sure what it is about these books that hold my attention – but they do. They are all totally improbable and totally period incorrect. These people, no matter their rank, would have been totally ostracized from polite society. I’m usually a stickler for toeing the line to be period correct – but for some mysterious reason – I just suspend my disbelief and enjoy the story. Maybe it is because they are so blatantly incorrect.

Maura has been visited by a ghost since she was eleven years old and she spent ten years in Bedlam because of it. In this book, we learn who her ghost is, how he visits her, and why. We also learn some of the horrendous ‘treatments’ she was subjected to in Bedlam – and she was treated kindly – God help those other poor souls.

After three years abroad, Maura’s father is coming home. He is the one who placed Maura in Bedlam – and as soon as he left the country, her mother went and got her. Three years of freedom has been a wonderful thing – but with her father on the way home, they all know she’ll soon be back in Bedlam. When the others find out about his return, they start looking for ways to keep her away from him and away from Bedlam.

At the same time, they are looking for ways to keep Maura out of Bedlam, they are also learning more about the Ghost. Can a man who has been dead for over ten years possibly have any bearing on the present? He sure can – read it to find out how and why.

Julius Hext, the Marquess of Darvess, had a horrible childhood that included his mother trying to murder him so that his uncle could inherit Julius’ title. Needless to say, Julius has serious, serious trust problems and he feels that he is unlovable. If his own mother couldn’t love him, who could. The ONLY people in the world he trusts are the Men of Nashwood because they saved his life and have bound themselves together to protect him and their secret ever since.

Julius is a flirt – but he’d never even think of marrying for love. Frankly, he’d never consider marrying at all. Well – unless he needed to do it to save Maura from her father. Then, he’d go for a marriage in name only with her living on her own in one residence and him in another. But then, he finds she has other options – there are other very eligible men willing to marry her. NO! He is the only one who can protect her.

There is a delightful epilogue set five-years out and I was so happy to see that. We get to catch up with all of the couples and their families and see how they are doing. We also learn that they are going to induct five new members to the Men of Nashwood.

This is a fun read and I hope you enjoy it!

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpagesweb.wordpress/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Series:  Spinster’s Society #9
Barbara’s Rating 4 of 5 Stars
Publication Date:  6/13/18

I believe this is the most exciting book of the series so far.  I have been looking forward to seeing what was going to happen with Franklin Lockwood since he decided to become a physician specializing in healing the mind.  My Goodness!  Those skills are sorely needed in this book.

London, 1815 — The opening scene takes place in a basement with Franklin, Charles Grayly (Earl of Dahl) and some thugs employed by Mr. Bancroft.  Charles Grayly has been badly beaten – he could still talk – but he won’t.  Frank has been commandeered by Mr. Bancroft to plumb the depths of the earl’s mind for clues to the location of Bancroft’s sister, whom the earl has kidnapped.  The man is completely and totally mad.  When the earl won’t talk, Frank turns to the strange poems the earl sends to his victims to see if there is a clue.  They are strangely written poems, but then . . . . then… Frank notices a pattern and determines where Diana Bann is secreted.  So, off they go to rescue her – or more likely, to find her dead body because all of the earl’s other victims are dead.

Diana Bann is a renowned ballerina and she is also the much loved secret sister to Mr. Bancroft the king of London’s underworld.  They cannot afford for the world to know of their relationship because it would make Bancroft vulnerable – and that is one thing he cannot afford to be.  Diana is near death when she senses people running toward her in the basement where she’s been kept, brutalized and tortured.  She fights them off as best she can in her weakened state, but it is no use.  Then, she sees a marble angel and quiets for him.  She forever refers to Frank as her ‘marble man’.

Diana needs to heal in both body and mind.  The body, of course, heals much quicker than the mind.  Frank works with her for months and she comes to terms with most of what happened to her, but he knows she hasn’t told him all.

I love that the story takes place over almost two years rather than the usual short periods from meeting to marrying.  However, there was one thing I just couldn’t buy – Diana almost immediately lusted after Frank.  Given what happened to her, I cannot imagine that happening.  So, that particular part of the story was pretty unbelievable.

Frank and Diana come into contact off and on and the attraction is always still there.  Frank fights it because of the doctor/patient relationship and his secret fears and Diana embraces it and does all she can to attract Frank.  Then, when Diana remembers more from her abduction, Frank realizes she is still in danger.

Frank and Bancroft have a number of run-ins that are great.  Bancroft is very, very protective of his sister and it doesn’t matter that she loves Frank.  Bancroft doesn’t approve of the gentry/aristocracy and will keep them apart – even though he really does like Frank.

Their path to their HEA isn’t easy or in a straight line, but they do finally get there.  One thing that would have made it better would have been for the book to go through the wedding and to have Bancroft yield and walk Diana down the aisle.

I thought we might see a set-up for what I assume will be the last book in the series – Julius Hext and Moira, but they didn’t even make an appearance.  Several others from the previous books were there, but not Julius and Moira.  I sure hope the last book is a whizz-bang wrap up with all the Men of Nashwood and their wives and an epilogue that takes place two or three years in the future showing all of them in their happy lives.

This was a quick and interesting read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The other books in the series are listed below:

Book #	Hero	Heroine
1	Emmett Starr, Earl of Ashwick	Lorena Cullip (Sister to Francis Cullip)
2	Calvin Lockwood, Very rich landed gentry	Alice Wilkins (Gentleman’s Club Owners Daughter)
3	Francis Cullip, Duke of Valdeston	Lady Genevieve ‘Genie’ Toft
4	Morris Kidd, Duke of Cort	Sophia Taylor
5	Rollo Kerry, Rich landed gentry	Florence Crew (a lady’s maid)
6	Hugh Vance – Marquess of Edvoy	Taygete Bellenger
7	Aaron Walsh, Earl of Jeanshire	Cristin Potter (Owner of employment agency)
8	Sir William Tift	Natalia Hext (Leah Wells)(Cousin to Julius Hext)
9	Franklin Lockwood, Very Rich Landed Gentry	Diana Bann (Ballerina and sister to crime lord Mr. Bancroft)
10	Julius Hext, Marquess of Darvess	Moira (?)

Please check out my reviews at:

Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpagesweb.wordpress/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”