Seducing the Duchess

 Seducing the Duchess

Disgraceful Duchesses #1

Sara Bennett

Reviewed by Helen

At the age of nineteen Catherine was taken to London by her mother with her two younger sisters with the aim of finding them a rich husband and her mother aimed high, soon catching the Duke of Winstanton’s eye for the beautiful Catherine, sadly he was old enough to be her grandfather, but marry they did and Catherine spent a very lonely and sad ten years the only thing that bought her joy is her young son Jack, but upon the Duke’s death there were stipulations that held Catherine and her son to Wnstanton Castle.

Catherine is returning from a visit to London when caught in a snow storm she must stop at an inn till the storm clears, when the man she met many years ago arrives, she has never forgotten him could this be her chance to find out all about passion and what really happens between a man and a woman?

While on his way home for the first time in twelve years after the tragic death of his mother, Sebastian, Viscount Albury is caught in a severe snow storm and must shelter at an inn and the first person he runs into is a beautiful woman someone he vaguely remembers and his heart jumps for the first time in a long time, could this distraction be what he needs?

I am a big fan of MS Bennett's stories I love them and this one is no exception. This books steams up the pages as Sebastian shows Catherine all about the ways of passion and love, could it be what they both so very much deserve, even if it was not what they set out to find. I did love this story, and Sebastian and Catherine so much this story is moving and so very sensual and one that I would highly recommend.

My thanks to the author for my copy.

5 stars

May 31, 2024 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc

The Governor, His Wife and His mistress

 The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress

Sue Williams

Reviewed by Helen

This was a very interesting read, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the characters from this story Ann Inett, Phillip Gidley King and Anna Josepha, it is a story of hardship, strength and courage as these people start life in a totally different place that they are used to add in relationships and family and this is a compelling read.

Ann Inett is sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay for theft, she must leave behind her two young children, and never knowing if she will see them again, she sets sail with the first fleet it took eight long months to reach Botany Bay, her life of course is going to change forever.

Gidley King sets sail with the first fleet the trip is long and has many problems but many months later they arrive in Port Jackson and the work begins in setting up a new settlement there is a lot to overcome, when Governor Arthur Phillip sends Gidley to Norfolk Island to start another settlement he takes male and female convicts he has his choice of females to be his housekeeper and he chooses Ann Inett and soon she is more than his housekeeper.

Gidley and Ann get on well and soon are the parents of a son, Norfolk soon after Ann becomes pregnant again Gidley is sent back to England with letters and requests to keep the settlements going, sadly Ann does not go with him and gives birth to their second son Sydney, it is eighteen months before Gidley returns and he returns with a wife, Anna Josepha.

It takes some time but the two woman open up to each other and a friendship slowly grows and over the years it becomes very strong, Gidley becomes Governor and the pressure is on everyone to keep the new settlements going there are many hardships and this book shows what they all went through, it really was a hard life.

This is one that I recommend to any lover of Australian history, these characters are part of Australia’s history, the characters are strong and real and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them, Ann Inett and Anna Josepha are both strong and caring woman who lived through tough time’s hardship in a male dominated world but both came out the other side, this is a wonderful story.

My thanks to Allen & Unwin and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

January 7, 2025 by Allen & Unwin

The Baboon at the Ball

 The Baboon at the Ball

The Trengrouse Ball #4

Elizabeth Leydin

Reviewed by Helen

We are back at the Trengrouse Ball and this one is with a difference, yes there is a Baboon at the ball, I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely, fun romance, this time it is Kerenza’s turn to find love and it appears that it may be helped along by the Baboon when one of the guests Percival Muffett arrives with his father and the not invited Baboon.

Percival is a lovely young man well mannered, kind and courteous but alas not part of the ton he is what they call a cit and although welcome at some Ton events he will not have an invite to many more, but meeting Kerenza has him wanting more.

Kerenza is looking forward to her London season and thinking about a husband but wanting a Lord an Earl at least, this ball has been put on for her eighteenth birthday, she is soon helping Val Muffett chasing around a Baboon that she has named Genevieve, this is bringing her and Val together and soon Kerenza is re-thinking who she would want for a husband.

This really is a lovely story and lots of fun as Val and Kerenza fall in love and Genevieve gets herself into all sorts of trouble, she has a voice in this story and getting to know her was so good, I do highly recommend this one it is short, sweet and a fabulous read that is sure to leave you smiling.

My thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

January 9, 2025 by Improbable Fictions

Remember When

 Remember When

Ravenswood #2

Mary Balogh

Reviewed by Helen

This was and enjoyable fourth book in the series, second chance romance for an older couple, if you have been reading the series then you will know The Dowager Countess of Stratton, Clarissa Ware, nee Greenfield widowed for six years, mother, grandmother and she has just presented her youngest daughter to the ton, and now it is time for herself, Clarissa wants nothing more than to go home to Ravenswood and re-discover herself will that mean re-opening a friendship from years past and maybe finding love again?

Matthew Taylor is the village carpenter in Boscombe, although born a gentleman Matthew’s life changed when his best friend, Clarissa left to marry an Earl, he knew at the time that it was probably for the best but still his heart took a beating, he moved on travelled and became the wood carver and carpenter he is today never catching up with his family. Living in the village next to Ravenswood he did see Clarissa and her family through the years but now thirty three years later Clarissa has arrived at his home to request a crib.

This was at times a very soul searching story that dug deep into their emotions, and could be slow and a bit repetitive here and there, but overall a beautiful romance that saw an older couple find their way to a HEA, not without some opposition from family, friends and neighbours, I am looking forward to more in this series after all there are still three Ware children to find their HEA.

My thanks to the publisher Berkley and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

January 7, 2025 by Berkley

Where Fortune Lies

 Where Fortune Lies

Mary-Anne O'Connor

Reviewed by Helen

I have had this one waiting for me to read for a long time and I am glad that I finally got to it, this one is filled with adventure in the colonial days of Australia, when three young people take a chance on coming to Australia, what will they discover?

Anne Brown is a young girl growing up hard in a small village in Ireland, when on the night of Beltane her life will be forever changed, and Anne leaves the village and her family to seek a better life in Australia.

Will Worthington and his sister Mari are stunned when at the reading of their father’s will they realise that he has left his money to a woman of the night and that there is also a ticket for her to Australia, this sets Will on a path to follow and seek hopefully a better life.

Charlie Turner is an artist and Will’s best friend and he too takes the chance on moving to Australia, what will he find when they arrive.

Once in Australia Will finds his way into society after meeting a business man, Tom McIntosh he is soon falling in love with Tom’s beautiful daughter Alice and getting to know the ways of life in Australia, as for Charlie he is finding his feet as an artist and loves visiting the Victorian Alps for inspiration, it is here that he meets the love of his life an exotic dancer but it also draws him into danger with bush rangers, his life is turning around in so many ways.

This is a fabulous story, well written and exciting as I turned the pages and got to know Will and Charlie and the people that they have become friends with Harry and Ritchie McIntosh, then there is Anne and her new life, the characters are fabulous and I did love the setting, this is one that I would highly recommend to any reader who loves a good adventure.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

4 Stars

March 23, 2020 by HQ Fiction

The Youngest Son

 The Youngest Son

The Trengrouse Ball #2

Elizabeth Leydin

Reviewed by Helen

How will life change for too young people when a prank goes wrong during the annual Trengrouse Ball, it is certainly a roller coaster ride, when young Katie awakes in the carriage that was taking her home from the ball after suffering a megrim to find that she has now been compromised by a mistake and one of her longest friends the youngest Trengrouse son, Ives, there is nothing that can be done except marriage according to her brother Den.

Katie and Ives both knew that one day they would marry but not this soon, Katie has been looking forward to her first season in London and Ives, well he has to put his fun-loving ways away because now he is a married man, one thing they have is that they have been friends for a very long time, can they find love from that?

This is a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed, seeing the two young people move forward after what happened was lovely and seeing them stand up to so many people and find that love had me turning the page, this in a short, sweet and fun story, one that I do highly recommend, wonderful characters and a great setting.

My thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.

4 stars

April 1, 2024 by Improbable Fictions

The Secret Daughter

 The Secret Daughter

The Brides of Bellaire Gardens #4

Anne Gracie

Reviewed by Helen

Another gorgeous story in this fabulous series, written in true Anne Gracie style she brings the characters to life on the pages, adding humour, wit and such a beautiful romance. We met Zoe Benoit in the last installment and getting to know her was a joy as was meeting and getting to know the man that is doing his best to woo her across France and England.

Zoe has spent the last three years since her discovery in the orphanage living in Paris learning to be a lady but she does have mixed emotions about what she truly wants she is at heart an artist and although she will do anything to please her two half-sisters, Clarissa and Izzy she is not sure whether life in the ton is what she really wants, when at a house party things change for her and she gets a chance to visit the Chateau where her mother grew up dressed as a maidservant named Vita on her travels she meets a vagabond artist, Reynard travelling around the countryside, what a wonderful week she has until things change and Zoe makes her way back to Paris and London, leaving no note.

Reynard loves the life of a vagabond and when he meets the beautiful Vita and discovers that she too is an artist, a very good one at that he does his best to convince her to stay as they paint portraits for the farmers to replace old paintings that Reynard takes with him, but then and he does not know why Vita is gone one morning, he searches but cannot find her and it is now time for him to return to London and his other life.

Back in London and his life as Julian Fox, Earl of Foxton, he discovers a portrait that his grandmother has had done and instantly he knows somehow that is was done by Vita and he sets of to find her and that is not an easy task and when he does he needs to convince her that she can trust him, as for Zoe meeting up with Reynard, aka the Earl of Foxton causes many emotions to run through her because yes he is the man she fell for, can she trust him, and she is still not convinced that she is made to be a ton wife.

I loved this one so very much, it is sigh worthy as I smiled and cheered Zoe and Julian along in this absolutely gorgeous romance, there are a lot of hurdles to cross before they can find their HEA and Lady Scattergood is one of them, she is such a fabulous character and of course meeting up with the other wonderful characters I have met throughout this series added so much to the story, truly this is one book and series not to be missed, it will stay with me for a long time to come.

My thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

December 24, 2024 by Berkley