Review - - My Best Friend's Earl

My Best Friend's Earl

by Bethany Bennett

Bluestocking Booksellers - Book 2

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: August 12, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

A bold bookseller tries to matchbreak her friend’s engagement to an earl . . . until she finds herself falling for him instead.

The one thing Constance Martin wants most to avoid is a boring life. She walks her cat with a leash in Hyde Park and even called off her wedding at the altar to stop what would have been a monotonous marriage. So when an aristocratic friend comes into the store asking for help throwing over her fiancé, Constance is both sympathetic and eager for the excitement to come. What could be more fun than plotting ways to get a stuffy—but very handsome—earl to break an engagement?

    Oliver Vincent, Earl of Southwyn, likes his orderly life of duty and logic. Everything’s falling into place; all that’s left is marrying the girl next door. Except the girl next door is increasingly reluctant. But marriage is a business deal, after all, and Oliver is determined to keep moving forward with the plan. If only he wasn’t so distracted by her friend—a stunning woman best described as chaos incarnate. She thinks marriage should be an adventure, and he views it as a transaction. But Oliver can’t seem to remember the downsides of falling when Constance is near. . .

PJ's Thoughts:

The first time Constance and Oliver hit the page together in Good Duke Gone Wild (book one), I knew they were meant for one another. Yes, they were both betrothed at the time (to other people) so I had no idea how Bennett would bring it about but I was confident it would happen. And, if it didn't I was going to be very disappointed. Fortunately, my hopes and Ms. Bennett's plans were on the same track. 

I couldn't wait to get my hands on My Best Friend's Earl. I love cross-class romance. I love opposites attract. And, I especially love the concept of a matchbreaker with deliciously devious ideas (feral cats, anyone?) for helping her friend break an unwanted betrothal, never expecting to fall for the uptight (but is he, really?) man herself. 

I loved watching Oliver unravel from a starchy, honor-bound man, resigned to marrying a young woman he doesn't love (who considers him a brother) to a salty, secret cat-loving man enthralled with a woman who crashes into his life with adventure, laughter, and chaos. He's one of the good guys, as illustrated by how he handles the dismantling of the unwanted betrothal and the wellbeing of his betrothed.

Constance is a complex character with what today would be termed ADHD who Bennett (also with ADHD) brings to life with authenticity and care, showing the numerous ways in which her daily life is impacted by it. The details make her a relatable character with whom it is easy to relate, even if the reader has no personal experience with the disorder. I adored her, her family relationships, and, especially, her evolving relationship with Oliver. 

These two had me cheering them on the entire way - even as I had no idea how they would end up together - but Bennett had one more ingenious idea up her sleeve that brought about two happy endings and one totally outsmarted villain. I do so love it when a plan comes together. 

My Best Friend's Earl can be read as a standalone but I enjoyed it much more for having read Good Duke Gone Wild first. I think reading the books in order gives readers a deeper look into Constance, in particular, and a better understanding of her character. Both books have my enthusiastic recommendation. 

Review - - Two Ruins Make a Right

Two Ruins Make a Right

by Janna MacGregor

Publisher: Janna MacGregor

Release Date: July 22, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

Lady Nellwyn “Nell” Whitton and Mr. James Richardson absolutely detest each other—and for good reason. A broken engagement (fine, let’s be blunt: a spectacular jilting) tends to sour a romance.

Eight years later, fate—or possibly a bored deity with questionable judgment—leaves Nell stranded precisely where she’d least like to be: on James’s doorstep. And because fate loves a good laugh, James is hosting a house party, determined to fulfill his spirited daughter's fondest wish, finding a new mother. In short, he’s bride-hunting, and Nell has inconveniently crashed the party.

James instantly suspects Nell of plotting revenge by sabotaging his meticulously planned party. Nell would prefer to marry a turnip and would have a more engaging conversation with it as well. Clearly, the universe delights in tormenting these two. When Nell’s sister and James’s cousin stroll into a compromising embrace, scandal becomes as inevitable as an overly sweet punch at a country gathering.

Now, reluctantly allied, Nell and James must confront their tangled pasts to safeguard their families’ futures. Yet house parties, full of moonlit alcoves, whispered gossip, and impulsive decisions, inevitably lead to one ruination after another.

And perhaps, if they’re lucky, this second scandal might just ruin them for anyone else...forever.

Dear reader, Two Ruins Make a Right was initially published as a novella in The Young and the Ruin anthology. I’ve added a prologue and several new scenes to make it a novel. I hope you enjoy this updated version.

PJ's Thoughts:

Are you in the mood for a second-chance, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, historical romance? That's exactly what Janna MacGregor brings to the table with her (newly revised and expanded) Two Ruins Make a Right. 

Fate was having fun the day Nell's carriage brakes down in front of widower James's home at the very moment he begins his search for a new wife and mother for his young daughter. Nell was once the woman James thought would be his forever love and mother of his children but Nell's family forced her to break his heart (without explanation). Needless to say, he is not happy to see her. Unfortunately, his beloved daughter is thrilled. Things are about to get sticky.

I love when couples are given a second chance to get things right. There's a lot of emotional baggage to sort through before these two will be ready to open their hearts again though. The feelings are still there but forgiveness, understanding, and healing will be necessary before they are able to move forward. James gets there first but the lessons Nell needs to learn take much longer. Her experiences have changed her profoundly, causing her to make decisions for herself and others that she thinks are grounded in love when they are actually made from a position of fear. It adds another layer of complexity to her character and to the eventual happy endings (yes, there are two).

The supporting cast adds another layer of humor, emotion, and conflict to the overall story. I especially enjoyed James's adorable daughter (who steals every scene she's in), his matchmaking aunt, and Nell's younger sister. They add richness and texture to the story while also smoothing Nell's rigid edges and helping her grow. 

If hard-won, second-chance historical romances are your jam, give this one a try. 

Review & Giveaway - - The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

by Alison Goodman

The Ill-Mannered Ladies - Book 2

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 6, 2025

Reviewed by Nancy

 

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

When Lord Evan—a charming escaped convict who has won Gus’s heart—needs to hide his sister, Hester, from their vindictive brother, Gus and Julia take Hester and her lover into their home. But Lord Evan’s complicated past puts them all in danger. Gus knows they must clear his name of murder if he is to survive the thieftakers who hunt him. No easy task—the fatal duel was twenty years ago and a key witness is nowhere to be found.

In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Gus, Julia, and Lord Evan must dodge their pursuers and investigate Lord Evan’s past. They will be thrust into the ugly underworld of Georgian gentlemen’s clubs, spies, and ruthless bounty hunters, not to mention the everyday threat of narrow-minded brothers. Will the truth be found in time, or will dangerous secrets from the past destroy family bonds and rip new love and lives apart?

Nancy's Thoughts: 

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin combines mystery, romance, and social commentary into an enjoyable story. Some elements of the plot carry over from the prior book, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. While this story can be read as a standalone, the character conflicts may resonate more with readers who’re familiar with the first book.

Gus and Julia are fortunate in having inherited enough money to live independently. They participate in salons, attend social functions, and ride in Hyde Park. Unfortunately for them, their brother, the Earl of Duffield, disapproves strongly of this independent lifestyle. He and his class-conscious, very traditional wife, are constantly trying to force his sisters to give up their own home and live, for all practical purposes under his thumb. The resulting tension between the siblings causes unpleasant encounters from time to time.

This difficult relationship also complicates their efforts to keep Lady Hester safe because Duffield is a friend of Lady Hester’s elder brother and guardian, the Marquess of Deele. The sisters cannot afford to have their brother learn they are sheltering—harboring, to Duffield and Deele—Lady Hester and her lover, Miss Elizabeth Grant. Deele disapproves of the relationship and has gone so far as to have Hester incarcerated in a brutal insane asylum. His attitude raises the stake in the effort to clear Lord Evan’s name. Until he was convicted of killing someone in a duel and was transported, he was Marquess of Deele. If he can clear his name and resume his title, his sister and her lover will be safe.

The search for a possible witness to the duel and the other party’s death leads Gus and Evan to The Exalted Brethren of Rack and Ruin, a private men’s club that makes the Hellfire Club look like an afternoon tea party. Investigating the Brethren, they discover extensive abuse of women from the streets. They also uncover what they hope is evidence. 

Their quest is complicated by a brutal thieftaker named Mulholland who is hot on Lord Evan’s trail. Gus is certain he doesn’t plan to arrest Evan but to murder him—if he can catch him.

Julia and Gus, afraid Deele or Duffield will discover that the sisters are sheltering Hester and Elizabeth, first visit a friend, who agrees to take them. They devise false identities for the two fugitives as a widow and her sister. Unfortunately, other guests create complications that force them to move on.

They then seek sanctuary with two women who live together as a couple in Wales. They hope the women will shelter Hester and Elizabeth. On arrival, they’re chagrined to learn that Beau Brummell and his friend Lord Alvanley, two leaders of the ton, are having dinner with their hostesses. Will they support Lady Hester against her brother? Or will they side with Deele?

This was also the era of the Luddite riots against the use of machines in textile mills, which put them out of their jobs. Militia in the area increase the risk to Lord Evan, who has followed Gus, Julia, and his sister to Wales. With him is a Bow Street runner, Mr. Kent, who has agreed to aid him in clearing his name and who is in love with Julia.

I was pleased to see that Julia and Gus’s relationship evolves in this book. They aren’t static characters. Nor are Lord Evan and Mr. Kent. The author presents an unusual view of Beau Brummell as involved in certain intrigues, but it works. 

I have one minor quibble with the story and one major one. The minor one is a mistranslation of the Latin phrase Ex Deo as being For God. Gus does this in an effort to throw off another character. If there had been an internal comment hoping the other wouldn’t realize she was using it incorrectly, I would’ve been fine with it. But there was nothing to that effect, which leaves the impression that Gus thinks ex translates as for. It actually translates as from or out of. This won’t bother readers who never took Latin. I did, though, and it yanked me out of the story.

The bigger quibble, which I’m hoping will change in future adventures, is that Duffield and his wife are one-dimensional characters. They’re completely adversarial and unsympathetic. Even when he does something that helps his sisters, he turns out to have done it to protect his social standing. Duffield’s greatest wish is to compel his sisters to return to their family estate and live as he wishes. He couches this in concern for them but also admits, in what is clearly his primary motive, that their independence embarrasses him and his wife.

For the most part, though, the characters are likeable. Julia’s relationship with Mr. Kent progresses, and his character has to make some life-altering decisions. Gus and Julia’s Black butler, Weatherly, is sympathetic and helps his employers. The author takes enough time with the friends who shelter Gus, Julia, Hester, and Elizabeth, to make them seem real.

The climax of the story is an action-packed confrontation with the Mulholland and his comrades in the woods at night with Lord Evan, Kent, and Gus in danger. I don’t want to spoil it, but the ending is satisfying.

The story moves at a good pace, and the social commentary is woven through the story, affecting the plot, and not dropped in as an annoying aside. As a whole, the threads of the story fit well together. I recommend this book.

4 Stars

~Nancy

Readers, have you read Alison Goodman yet?

Do you enjoy books that weave action and social commentary throughout the story?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 24 will receive a print copy of The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

 

Review & Giveaway - - Rules for Ruin

Rules for Ruin

by Mimi Matthews

The Crinoline Academy - Book 1

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Reviewed by Santa

No one betrays the Academy. But now Euphemia must decide: break the rules for her enemy, or let the rules break her heart.

On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful lord’s systematic attack on women’s rights in Parliament, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.

But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.

From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.

Santa Says:

Mimi Matthews has a new book out. Rules For Ruin is the first book in her new series revolving around The Crinoline Academy. This five star read has all the hallmarks that distinguish Matthews’ writing in a wide field of romance writers out there.

The Crinoline Academy is not all it appears to be - at least from the outside. While the young ladies who attend are taught the rudimentary aspects of any young lady’s curriculum, they are also trained to ultimately bring to light and discredit the patriarchy. Euphemia Flint is summoned back from her position in Paris to do just that.

Her quary is a member of Parliament who is vehemently opposed to securing women's rights. And his voice and vote carry a lot of weight. He also harbors a dark secret from his past that would ruin him. Euphemia needs only to bring this to light and her obligation and debt to the school's headmistress would be stamped paid. Setting her up for a life of independence. 

Gabriel Royce, a St. Giles betting house owner, needs Euphemia to keep her distance. Not because he has any great need to protect this particular Lord. He needs him in his corner to bring forward thinking men of influence to help secure funding for rebuilding St. Giles into a decent place for the people around him to live in. 

Initially, Euphemia and Gabriel work at cross purposes. They end up chasing after a clearer purpose which has them skirting danger and intrigue. This really was a page turner for me. I could not wait to see how Mimi Matthews would help her characters clear obstacles and come together without compromising her characters’ natures. Pick up a copy! I know you are going to enjoy it!

Readers, have you read Mimi Matthews yet?

Do you enjoy a hero and heroine at cross purposes?

One randomly chosen reader who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 23 will receive a print copy of Rules for Ruin.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review - - The Geographer's Map to Romance

The Geographer's Map to Romance

by India Holton

Love’s Academic Book 2

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: April 8, 2025

Reviewed by Nancy

 

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her—except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.

Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either—except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They’ve been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn’t stopped him from stoically pining for her.

When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of Britain, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.

Nancy’s Thoughts:

The Geographer’s Map to Romance mixes a marriage of convenience, a second

chance at love, and a grumpy-sunshine pairing with a dose of humor, including a

sendup of the academic world. The result is a delightful book. It’s set in a Victorian

England where geography (earth science) includes dealing with magic, which is a force

of the land. Instead of ley lines, we have fey lines and magic forces measured by

thaumometers.

Elodie and Gabriel Tarrant are obviously still attracted to each other, possibly even

obsessed with each other, but neither thinks the other reciprocates their feelings. As a

result they spend a lot of time trying to dodge each other and to convince themselves

they don’t feel what they plainly do. Elodie is imaginative and poetic and sees the joy in

everything. Gabriel is serious, careful, and determined to remain grounded. He’s so

stern with his students that they’ve nicknamed him Professor Tyrant.

The pair and their assistants, along with a cost-conscious fellow from the Home Office,

arrive in Wales to discover that wild magic is levitating animals, starting fires, and

transforming people and objects into plants, animals and birds. The situation escalates

as they investigate, and the combination of danger and proximity brings their feelings for

each other to the fore. For example:

He took a step closer to her. She tossed back a loose strand of hair and stared him

down (or, more accurately, up, since he was some four inches taller). The air between

them crackled with a magic considerably more potent than that which was exploding

pebbles on the road beyond.

But they both carry on trying to ignore their emotions until the situation reaches a point

where that’s impossible.

One of the things I most enjoyed about the book is Holton’s wry narrative voice. I also

enjoyed her use of internal language, sometimes with strike-throughs, to show the

feelings Elodie and Gabriel are trying to suppress. In Chapter One, they meet at the

train station, having both been dispatched to deal with the magical emergency, each

unaware the other is involved until they meet at the train station. Elodie responds this

way:

Approaching him was the hardest thing she’d done in a long while, and this was coming

from a woman with a doctorate that had required extensive knowledge of trigonometry.

She hated the coldhearted, unforgiving man. Absolutely, completely loved—wait, no,

loathed him. Arriving at his side on the platform, she offered a terse yet completely

polite greeting.

But Gabriel went on staring at the block in his hand, such a calm, somber beauty to his

face that it made Elodie’s throat ache. Ache like I’ve just swallowed poison, she

amended furiously.

That wry internal narrative also supplies humor. When a tourist drawn to the magical

mayhem in Wales blathers about the excitement of magic, Gabriel has this reaction:

Bloody hell. The fellow was either an incoherent lunatic or a humanities student.

(Gabriel did not always find it easy to spot the difference.)

Then there’s this:

“What about free will?” Elodie argued, setting her hands on her hips.

“What about it?” Gabriel asked, as if free will was something he, as a university

professor, simply could not countenance.

(In the interests of full disclosure, I’ll note that I have a degree in history, grew up in a

college town, and am married to an academic. The wry references to academia are not

mean-spirited or unkind and fit the characters’ personalities.)

The supporting characters include a professor who’s supposed to deal with magical

disasters but has a knack for causing them, as when he took his class to see what he

thought were singing stalactites but were really razor-sharp, spinning stalactites. Yet

he’s likeable because he’s always willing to pitch in and do his part.

The silliness of the tourists who’ve come to see the magical disaster is so like the

onlookers who rush to see disasters today that it works extremely well in context. The

cowardice of the man from the Home Office contrasts nicely with Elodie and Gabriel’s

determination. And the villagers’ desire to capitalize on this opportunity is not only

understandable, though it’s inconvenient for Elodie and Gabriel, but often humorous.

The romantic arc progresses in a believable and satisfying way, with the magical

disaster woven through it instead of occurring parallel to it.

The worldbuilding is original, cohesive, and well explained.

By this point, readers may be wondering why, if I liked so much about this book, I gave it

4 stars instead of five. It’s because there’s one part of it that bothered me a lot. The

romantic conflict, the marital problem that sent Elodie and Gabriel in opposite directions

a year before the story starts, is based on a misunderstanding of a comment—a true

comment—that five minutes of conversation could have resolved. Yet neither pursued it.

Near the end of the book, we see Elodie developing insight into Gabriel’s personality

that leads her to look differently at that misunderstanding. He’s gaining similar

understanding of her. Those bits are written very well, with the story leading up to them

nicely. In order for me to buy that misunderstanding as the book’s main romantic

conflict, though, I needed their internal reactions in the moment the breach occurred (a

moment the story includes as a flashback) to know why they didn’t pursue that

conversation, and they aren’t there.

The relationship conflict is central to a romance, and when one doesn’t work for me, it

has to affect the way I rate the book. A lot depends on how much I enjoyed it otherwise.

Would I keep reading the book if I hadn’t committed to review it? How much did I enjoy

it apart from my issue with the conflict? In this case, I would have kept reading and

enjoyed the overall story immensely. So it gets four stars, and I highly recommend.

~Nancy

Review - - A Simple Scandal

A Simple Scandal

by Janna MacGregor

Millionaires of Mayfair - Book 3

Publisher: Janna MacGregor

Release Date: February 25, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

When Lady Grace Webster vows to avoid scandal, she doesn’t account for the irresistible Dane Ardeerton, the Duke of Pelham, when she agrees to help him find his perfect duchess. Scandal is just another word for evening entertainment in Mayfair, and no one stirs up excitement quite like the Duke of Pelham and Lady Grace Webster. In "A Simple Scandal," whispers turn into shouts when these two join forces—or rather, lock horns—in a battle of wits, wills, and romantic whispers. Amidst a backdrop of glittering balls and clandestine meetings, will their hearts comply with society's rules, or will they write their own scandalous chapter? Can the handsome duke teach the steadfast Lady Grace that sometimes, a little scandal is exactly what the heart needs? Join them for a romp through Regency London, where the only thing more sparkling than the wit is the wine!

PJ's Thoughts:

It's always fun when the tables are turned and an overly-protective older brother finds his own heart on the line. I've been eagerly waiting for Janna MacGregor's Duke of Pelham's story and am happy to say it did not disappoint. Childhood sweethearts-to-enemies-to lovers-to-happily-ever-after for the win!

I loved the chemistry between Grace and Dane (Pelham) but also the conflict. There's a lot of emotional baggage to work through between these two, not only within their own relationship but due to outside forces as well. I loved Grace's strength and determination but also her vulnerability. Dane, for all his posturing, is just a big softie when it comes to his family. I loved the two of them together even though it takes a bit of time for them to get out of their own way and realize they're fine on their own but even better together. 

Family is also at the heart of this story, in both good and bad ways. MacGregor does a fine job of weaving them into Dane and Grace's romantic journey, including humorous meddling on the part of Dane's sisters and their husbands as well as layering the emotional aspects of Grace's evolution due to the actions of her family. 

This is the third book of a trilogy but stands well on its own. However, I enthusiastically recommend all three books. 

Review & Giveaway - -The Secret Daughter

The Secret Daughter

by Anne Gracie

The Brides of Bellaire Gardens - Book 4

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: December 24, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

Orphaned Zoë Benoît has spent the last three years in Paris learning how to be a lady. But Zoë is torn—as an independent spirit and a talented artist, she cannot help but want more than the tightly controlled life of a society lady.

On an impulsive visit to the château where her mother lived, Zoë, disguised as a maidservant named Vita, meets a handsome wandering artist, known simply as Reynard. One blissful week with the charming Reynard convinces Zoë that this is the man and the life for her—until she discovers what he’s been hiding from her, and she flees, heartbroken.

Longing for the chance to redeem himself, Reynard searches far and wide for the woman he knows as Vita, to no avail. Disheartened, he returns to England to reluctantly resume his role as Julian Fox, the Earl of Foxton. However, when he sees one of Zoë’s paintings, he realizes she’s in London, and becomes desperate to find her before it’s too late. But even if they reunite, can he convince Zoë he’s worthy of her trust and prove to her that, with him, she can be a free-spirited artist and a countess?

PJ's Thoughts:

It was Anne Gracie's characters who first drew me to her books almost twenty years ago and it's her characters who bring me back with each new book she writes. Each one - whether main or secondary - is brought to life on the page with Gracie's deft hand. 

In this fourth and final book of The Brides of Bellaire Gardens series, we finally get Zoë's story and it's a delight. This former orphan, born in the London slums but with a French aristocratic heritage, is one of my favorite Gracie heroines, right up there with George (Georgiana), heroine of Marry in Scarlet (book four - Marriage of Convenience). I love her layers, her loyalty, her forthright manner, and her determination to carve her own path. I also love her vulnerability. She's quite a complex character.

Reynard/Julian has layers of his own. I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship, both as Vita and Reynard then as Zoë and Julian. Their banter is electric with each holding their own. I also appreciate how he isn't threatened by Zoë's artistic skill but supports and encourages it. There's plenty of humor between these two but also deep, heart-tugging emotion. They are a good match and I rooted for them to find their way back to one another. 

The Secret Daughter can stand on its own but it's the final book in a four-book series. As such, overarching secondary storylines are wrapped up and main characters from the first three books are instrumental in this story. Julian isn't introduced until book four but for a better understanding of Zoë and the rest of the characters I recommend reading the series in order. 

I don't know what Gracie has in store for readers next but whatever it is, I'll be happily buying it. 

~~~~~~~~~

Have you read any Anne Gracie books yet?

The Secret Daughter is set in both rural France and London. Do you enjoy books that have multiple settings?

Do you have books on your Christmas list? What titles are you hoping to get?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 27 will receive a print copy of The Secret Daughter.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review - - Duchess Material

Duchess Material

by Emily Sullivan

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: November 19, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

Phoebe Atkinson is what society might call unconventional. Instead of marrying well like other women born to wealth, she chose to be a schoolteacher. Not to mention she lives in a leaky flat in an unfashionable part of town rather than stay in her parents’ mansion. But when her most promising pupil goes missing she has only one option: beg her sister’s best friend, the powerful Duke of Ellis, for help. 

The last thing William Margrave ever expected was to inherit a dukedom. But now that he has it, he’s determined to act the part perfectly—and that includes marrying the perfect duchess. A bluestocking Bohemian schoolteacher is decidedly not duchess material. But he can’t resist her plea for help regarding her missing student. 

As they fall further into the mystery, William discovers that he never got over his childhood crush on Phoebe, and he doesn’t really want to.

PJ's Thoughts:

Emily Sullivan is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for fresh, entertaining, hard-to-put-down, Victorian romance. Duchess Material is the newest addition to her list of books that have kept me eagerly reading late into the night, unwilling to stop until the final page is turned with a swoon-worthy HEA secured. 

Let me start by saying I adore Phoebe Atkinson. She checks so many of my Victorian heroine boxes: independent, engaged, kind, inquisitive, focused; a social and educational activist determined to provide opportunities for all women and girls, regardless of financial or social standing. I enjoyed her journey, her growth, and the lessons she learned, especially pertaining to her family, society, career, and, of course, her relationship with Will.

Did I mention growth? Boy howdy, does Will ever have one doozy of a growth arc. It's understandable that he feels duty bound to the dukedom he unexpectedly inherited at the age of eighteen. It's been the totality of his life for the past decade and he's determined to do right by it, including choosing a wife who is perfect duchess material. How fun it was to watch his entire plan be knocked sideways by one request for help from his best friend's little sister, the now grown woman who had fascinated him as a teen and, unfortunately for his duchess hunt, still does. 

The relationship journey Will and Phoebe embark upon is filled with steam, snappy banter, a bit of a mystery, hijinks in disguise, family dynamics, self discovery, a vibrantly depicted secondary cast of characters, and a hard-earned happy ending. I enjoyed every bit of it. 

I have my fingers crossed that Sullivan has more books planned for this family. I'm thoroughly invested in the lives of Phoebe's two sisters, Alex and Freddie, who both deserve books of their own. 

Review - - The Worst Duke in London

The Worst Duke in London

by Amalie Howard

Taming of the Dukes - Book 3

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: September 24, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

Lady Evangeline Raine prefers animals to people and has no interest in marriage­--much to the dismay of her flirty younger sister, Viola. Because their father has one rule: Viola may be courted, only if Effie has a suitor as well.

Saddled with debt, Gage Croft, Duke of Vale, is determined to rebuild his estates. When the owner of his vowels offers him a fortune to charm the impervious Lady Evangeline for the season so Lady Viola can be courted, the game is on, even if it means pretending to seduce an unconventional wallflower.

But Gage gets much more than he bargains for in an adversary who wants to make her own scandalous arrangement. Effie will go to London for the season, but only if Gage agrees to be her lover. Yet when their fake courtship leads to passionate feelings, will their indecent proposal end with the season or be the start of something real?

PJ's Thoughts:

If you enjoy spicy historical romance with a modern feel, Amalie Howard’s The Worst Duke in London may be a good book for you. It’s the third book in Howard’s Taming of the Dukes series and while it features cameos by other couples in the series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone (though I enjoyed reading them order). 

Evangeline (Effie) is a woman who knows what she wants. She’s fiercely independent, well read (erotic novels, anyone?), devoted to her animal rescue efforts, and ready for a man…if not marriage. I like the way she goes after what she wants if, at times, I took issue with her attitude with Gage. Howard gives her a good growth arc though that satisfyingly develops her character as well as her relationships. I love how her friends support her, challenge her, and also hold her accountable. 

Gage is a total sweetheart. He’s big, muscular, an underground boxer, and a handsome but insolvent duke with a delicious Scottish brogue. Yes, he takes a wager that involves seducing Evangeline but he does so for honorable reasons…before he meets her. I like that his plans change once he gets to know her (alas, she has her own plans) and, also, as he begins to unveil his adversary’s true character. I like that he struggles with the ethics of what he’s doing - even though the physical relationship between him and Evangeline is consensual on both parts - especially as unexpected feelings begin to develop and then deepen (he falls first and hard). 

Supporting characters (including four-legged ones) add complexity and richness to the overall story. I especially appreciated the evolution of Evangeline’s sister, Viola as well as their sibling relationship. If you’re reading the series, we also get more information in this book about a couple of intriguing side characters whose stories I am eagerly anticipating. Will they - or won’t they - be a couple? And just who is running things at the Earl of Lushing’s club, Lethe? I can’t wait to find out.