Tag: #PenhallowDynasty

The Redemption of Philip Thane by Lisa Berne

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

The Redemption of Philip Thane (The Penhallow Dynasty, #6)The Redemption of Philip Thane by Lisa Berne

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Penhallow Dynasty, #6

Release Date: December 28, 2021

Philip Thane is known far and wide as a rake extraordinaire, he is handsome, charming, and with very few exceptions, he is practically irresistible to the female population, a fact he knows and routinely exploits, in short Philip is a jerk. But not every woman finds him irresistible, for instance, his aunt Henrietta Penhallow, when he comes calling for the family matriarch to bail him out of his financial woes, she agrees on one condition that Philip represents the family in a small country town and deliver a speech at in Plough Day. Philip grudgingly agrees and sets out, but life as he knows it will change forever upon meeting Margaret Allen.

Unlike other women, Margaret doesn’t immediately fall at Philip’s feet, so he sets out to impress her with his lackluster speech and fails, but no worries, Margaret is not the only fish in the sea and he turns his attention elsewhere, but when he wakes up the next day and realizes he is reliving Plough Day, he wonders if he can tempt the lovely Margaret into his bed.

When I read the blurb for this book, I was excited, I love the movie Groundhog Day and couldn’t wait to dive into the Regency interpretation. But sadly, unlike most times where the book is better than the movie, that did not hold true for this tale. I found the book to be repetitive, which I did expect it to be to a certain degree, but seriously, it was way more repetitive than I thought it would be. And if that wasn’t bad enough the book has ZERO steam, it is not even mildly warm – now I have read plenty of books with only kissing that have been so good that I didn’t even miss the razzle-dazzle, but that is not the case for this story, this book needed it, desperately. Overall this book was a miss for me, I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t read it again. This is the sixth book in the series, but you can easily read it as a standalone title with no problems.

*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.*

The Worst Duke in the World by Lisa Berne

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Worst Duke in the World (The Penhallow Dynasty, #5)The Worst Duke in the World by Lisa Berne

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Penhallow Dynasty, #5

Release Date: January 12, 2021

When Jane Kent finds an old letter in a book, she has no idea how much her life is going to change. She travels to Surmont Hall to see Harriet Penhallow – the woman she believes to be her great-grandmother. Her reception at Surmont Hall is beyond her wildest dreams, the family accepts her immediately and for the first time in her life, Jane is pampered and spoiled. Old Mrs. Penhallow is ecstatic to have Jane living with her and sets out to give her the life she should have had, complete with a room of her own, a new wardrobe, and lessons with the local vicar. She is settling in and is introduced to several neighbors, including Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe. Jane has never met a duke and honestly, she is not impressed. But later when she meets his son Wakefield and visits the duke’s home – her feelings start to change and soon she is falling for him.

Anthony was born the spare to the dukedom and never thought he would inherit not only the title but his brother’s betrothed. His five-year marriage to Selina was a nightmare and the only good thing to come out of it was his son Wakefield. And despite his nasty sister Margaret’s non-stop attempts to find him a new bride, he has no plans to remarry and is content to spend his time in the country with his son, his studies, and his pig – Duchess. But then he meets Jane and for the first time in his life, he is falling in love – but as much as he enjoys Jane and her company, he holds firm to his vow to never remarry. However, when Jane leaves for a season in London he is miserable, and when he hears that she is a success and will probably marry one of the many men vying for her hand, will he finally admit his feelings and win her heart, or will it be too little, too late?

This was a quick read; it is light and fluffy and at times a bit silly. At first, I enjoyed the lightness of the book, but as the story went on, it began to annoy me. I liked Anthony and Jane and I have to agree with other reviews – they were both portrayed as very immature and almost juvenile in their interactions. I loved Wakefield and his “That’s what I said” line – truly, he was my favorite character in the book. I felt the book was going well, even with the ridiculous/annoying dialogue, until the end – then it was like the author just gave up and the last couple of chapters had a lot of narrative, but very little dialogue. I can’t say I really enjoyed the book, but I didn’t hate it, and if you are looking for a fun/silly read with likable characters, no steam love scenes, and a happy ever after – this book is for you. This is the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.

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