Tag: Shana Galen

I Want You to Want Me by Shana Galen

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

I Want You to Want Me (The Survivors, #12)Barbara’s rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Survivors #12
Publication Date: 3/8/22
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 326

The last of our Survivors from Draven’s Dozen has finally found his HEA. Nicholas St. Clare lived for horses before the war. He rode them, he trained them, he groomed them – he just loved them. Then, during the heat of battle, he lost it all. He nearly died when his beloved warhorse fell on him, but his fellow survivors found him and saved him – at least they saved most of him. His legs were horribly crushed and the doctors were sure he’d never walk again. He did manage to walk again – very slowly and very painfully – but walk he did. What he cannot do – and will never be able to do is ride again. He’s ashamed of his horrible scars and deformed legs, so he thinks everyone pities him and would run in horror if they ever saw his scars. He doesn’t ever want to marry, but his mother is on a crusade and she’s wanting to parade all of those typical ton misses before him. He can’t do it – he just can’t do it – and then, he doesn’t have to because he inadvertently compromises a local gently born lady. Hmmm – so he finds himself presented with the opportunity for a marriage in name only that will perfectly suit both the lady and himself. Yep – we all know how well that is going to work.

Amelia Blackstock has spent her life nursing one ill family member or another. She’s loving, dutiful, and finally has at least a little freedom since her father’s death. Well, maybe a tad too much freedom or maybe it is a bit of poor judgment. Now, she’s in a spot of bother, and being compromised by Lord Nicholas might not be a bad thing at all.

I really liked Amelia and I loved how she saw Nicholas as more than his injuries. From the very beginning, she defended him and protected him – and that was before she even really knew him at all. I liked Nicholas as well and I could understand his insecurities – but I thought they went on a bit too long.

I loved the house party with all of the survivors and their wives. It was great to catch up with them and see them all with their families. Rafe Beaumont was particularly entertaining, but I would have liked to see some grand epiphany that allowed him and his family to live in England.

All-in-all, it was a lovely read and a sweet farewell to the Survivors. Nicholas’s sister Fortensia could certainly use her own HEA, so maybe we’ll get that in another series. I really liked her and how well she cared for Nicholas.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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From Rags to Kisses by Shana Galen

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

From Rags to Kisses (The Survivors, #11)From Rags to Kisses by Shana Galen

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The Survivors, #11

Release Date: September 14, 2021

Aiden Sterling met Jenny Tate, the love of his life when he was only 12 years old. Against her better judgment, Jenny saved Aiden’s life when she found him left for dead in one of London’s rookeries, and the two formed a bond. For years they watched over each other and became the best of friends, later when they grew older, they became lovers, and words of love were spoken and promises of forever were made. But not long after those words were spoken everything changed. Aiden’s birth father’s family found him and Aiden left the rookery, promising to return for her. He left and joined the army and was soon part of Draven’s troop. He fought in the war and by some miracle survived. But when he returned to England and went looking for Jenny, he couldn’t find her and assumed she was dead. Heartbroken, he turned his passion to making money and was soon one of the richest men in England. Now thirteen years after he left her, Jenny is back in his life and he is desperate to find a way to keep her there. But it won’t be easy because one she hates him and two she is betrothed…

Jenny loved Aiden and when he left was heartbroken, but life goes on she refused to let his betrayal break her. About a year after he left, she was breaking into a house and was caught, but instead of calling the authorities, Roland, Viscount Chamberlayne instead offers her a job as his assistant. A job she takes and spends the next twelve years learning to appraise antiquities and to be a lady. She and Roland become friends and when whispers about Roland’s choice of lovers sets the ton against him, Jenny steps in and suggests they marry to save his reputation. It is not long after that while attending a ball, she comes face to face with Aiden. She would happily give him the cut direct, but Roland wants to investigate some artifacts that were found in Aiden’s house and is delighted to learn that Jenny and Aiden know each other. Aiden agrees to let them view the artifacts and sets his plan in motion to woo Jenny by proposing a wager – if he wins, she will help him find Harley, a street urchin who saved one of his friend’s wife and if she wins, he will have the artifacts sent to Roland’s house and won’t bother her anymore. But winning the wager isn’t enough to win Jenny’s love again, for that Aiden will have to prove to Jenny that not only does he love her, but that she is worthy of love…

This was a very well-written, nicely paced story with wonderful characters and a lot of emotion. The book is set in two parts, the first part is the past when Aiden and Jenny meet and their struggles growing up in the rookery, the second part is years later when they are both grown and successful. The book is filled with emotion, great secondary characters, cameos from previous survivors (including a cameo from Gideon of the Covent Street Cubs), steamy love scenes, homing pigeons, a secondary romance of forbidden love, and finally a HEA. I did feel like not enough attention was given to Aiden’s time with Draven’s troop or how he became so rich in such a short time and I had a real problem with Jenny getting physical with Aiden while she was engaged to Roland – yes, their’s was to be a MOC and he supported her having lovers after they married, but by carrying on with Aiden before they wed, she put Roland and his lover in danger and in my mind, not only cheated on him, she betrayed him. I am mentioning this because, while I know this doesn’t bother everyone, it bothers me and might be a trigger for some readers. Those points aside, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to people who are following the series. This is the eleventh book in the series, but it can be read as a stand-alone title without any issues.

*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.*