Tag Archives: Charlotte Stone

Barbara’s Rating:  4 of 5 stars
Series: Spinster’s Society #2
Publication Date: 9/13/17

Another awesome pairing between the Spinster’s Society and the Men of Nashwood. The first book in the series, Lady Lorena’s Spinster’s Society, introduced us to the spinsters and the Men of Nashwood. The Spinster’s Society is growing in number – and their newest member, Alice Wilkins, is our heroine in this book. The story is fast-paced and a real page-turner. You won’t be able to put it down because you’ll just have to see what is going to happen next.

Alice Wilkins’ father is the owner of a gentleman’s club named Wilkins. He is a widower and has raised Alice alone for many years. Alice’s aunt, who is in society, decides that Alice should marry – and marry well – so she has been chaperoning her at a number of balls. Alice doesn’t care for the balls but attends to please her aunt and also to spend time with her cousin Rose who is also out in society.

Alice has been in love with Calvin Lockwood since the first time he walked into her father’s gentleman’s club. He notices her as well but doesn’t let on that he does.

Calvin and his brother Frank have a very low opinion of women and marriage since their mother had many paramours and often left them for long periods of time. Calvin appreciates women for the bed-sport they provide and he’s worked his way through most of the ton – but – things change drastically on the night Alice discovers him in bed with her cousin. Just after that, Alice is shot while trying to protect him.

On the same night Alice is shot, her father goes missing. You’ll love solving the mystery of who tried to kill Calvin and what happened to Alice’s father. You’ll also love watching Alice and Calvin dance around each other on their way to a commitment.

The gentlemen who make up Men of Nashwood are:
Hugh Vance, Marquess of Edvoy;
Sir William Tift
Aaron Walsh, Earl of Jeanshire;
Emmett Starr, Earl of Ashwick and hero of the first book
Julius Hext, Marquess of Darvess;
Francis Cullip, Duke of Valdeston;
Morris Kidd, Duke of Cort;
Rollo Kerry, rich landed gentry;
Franklin Lockwood, very rich landed gentry and older brother to Calvin;
Calvin Lockwood, very rich landed gentry and our hero in this book

“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.”

Lady Lorena’s Spinster’s Society

Barbara’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Series:  Spinster’s Society

Publication Date:  08/07/17

A lovely, entertaining book by a new-to-me author.  I actually believe she is a fairly new author as well and you can see that in the polish and flow of the book and some of the societal norms she missed for the time period.  That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

The main characters are like pyrotechnics – every time they are in the vicinity of one another some disaster or another happens and the sparks fly.  Yes, disasters from the mundane falling flat to burning an entire townhouse down.  There are no dull times when these two are around.

I believe this will be part of a series, and I’m not clear what the series will be about – I assume that it will include either the Spinster’s Society ladies or the group of ten gentlemen known as the Men of Nashwood.  Nashwood was a tavern, close to Oxford, that the young men had more or less taken over when they moved to Oxford to complete their education.  I believe this book may only be available on Amazon.

Emmett Starr is the Earl of Ashwick and a member of the Men of Nashwood.  His early life was a very sad one.  Both parents were cold and uncaring and his mother even actively disliked him.  No reason for it – it was just who they were.  So, when he became a member of the Men of Nashwood, it became his family.  He felt especially welcomed and at home when he visited the family of Francis Cullip, heir to the Duke of Valdeston.  They were a warm and loving family who welcomed Emmett with open arms.  The very first time Emmett saw the daughter of the house, he was totally besotted and from that point on, in his mind she belonged to him.

Lady Lorena Cullip was raised in a warm and loving home – though it was nearly penniless.  She was a sweet and caring young lady who always wanted to make others feel safe and comfortable and she was very gifted at doing that.  She was also very curious and mischievous.  Around Emmett, she seems to trip over her own feet – she burns him with coffee, sticks him with a toga pin and – oh yes – she burns his house down.

I won’t give you a twist-by-turn description of the book because you can get that from the book blurb.  I will tell you that I did enjoy the story itself, but if you are a historical fan, some of the details will make you cringe.  For instance – Lorena is living alone in her own townhouse (she’s maybe 19-20 years old) with no chaperone or even any servants.  That just isn’t done.

“I received this 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.”