This historical romance, set in the 1840s, is somewhat unusual in that the protagonists are working-class people rather than aristocrats or members of the landed gentry. Mina Walters has spent the past several years as a teacher at her father’s school. But now her father is dying, the school is failing, and her future is…
This is one of those instances when I wish I could give out a combo grade, because deciding between a C+ and a B- was pretty difficult. Everything about Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews was fine. Not bad. Not great. Just… fine. Euphemia – Effie – Flite has been given a mission. Use her…
I ventured to the other side of the world for April’s Location, Location, Location TBR Challenge prompt, and a story set in late nineteenth century Australia. By the Currawong’s Call is a superbly written story set in 1891 in a small town in the outback, featuring two engaging, well-rounded protagonists, a beatifully developed romance and…
Narrated by Cornell Collins The Demons of Wychwood is a fairly short Victorian historical romance, coming in at a little under six hours in audio. Its protagonist is Felix Lazarus, a former soldier who now works as a clerk for the General Post Office and who has a side hustle as a kind of general…
I enjoyed the first book in this series, Never Blow a Kiss. It was wallpapery, sure, but very entertaining, with leads who sizzled and dialogue that made me laugh. This one? Still wallpapery, but missing the zing of book one. It’s not terrible, however, and, if you’re looking for fun and forgettable, this does the…
Mimi Matthews does it again with The Muse of Maiden Lane, recovering from the slight slump that was The Lily of Ludgate Hill, the third Belles of London novel. Overall, it’s been one of my favorite series from her, and this volume adds to the fun. This is a cozy romance about two people who…
Satisfyingly angsty and filled with sensuality and pulse-pounding action, The Wayward Duke was so good it’s made me want to check out the other volumes in Katrina Kendrick’s Private Arrangements series. Caroline, Duchess of Hastings, has a bum marriage but can paint like nobody’s business. She and Julian, the Duke of Hastings, have forged completely…
Looking for a well-written historical romance that also delves into Victorian-era newspaper taxes? The Finest Print offers both. You’ll also learn about penny bloods—now called penny dreadfuls—the era’s available birth control, and even how to set type. As she did in her marvelous Forever Your Rogue, Langston bolsters her fiction with a wealth of fascinating…
You’re the Problem, It’s You is the second book in Emma R. Alban’s Mischief & Matchmaking historical romance duology that began with Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend. You’re the Problem is a mostly lighthearted m/m romance that, despite being billed as enemies-to-lovers by the blurb is really about two men jumping to conclusions…
So here we are at the eighth instalment of Sherry Thomas’ Lady Sherlock series of historical mysteries, and I confess, I found A Ruse of Shadows pretty hard going to start with. I’m a fan of the author’s, the writing is excellent and the plotting is superb, but I’m… just not feeling it any more….
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