Tag: historical romance

Book Review: Manor for Sale, Baron Included (A Romance of Rank #1) by Esther Hatch

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 247 pages
Author: Esther Hatch
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: February 25th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She has everything Lord Farnsworth wants, including his manor.

Lord Farnsworth would rather rot in debtor’s prison than sell the one place that feels like home to him—his mother’s manor. That is, until he meets the woman who wants to buy it. Sally Duncan is beautiful, intelligent, and as rich as a baron—a rich baron, not a cash-strapped one like Lord Farnsworth. She’s the solution to every one of his financial problems and is bewitching to boot. All he needs to do is sell her his beloved manor and then charm her to the altar, and the manor will be his again. Simple, right?

But nothing is simple when Sally starts tearing apart his ancestral home and renovating it in a way no one would consider tasteful. She is wreaking havoc on everything, but he cannot give up on owning his mother’s estate again, nor can he imagine anyone but Sally as his wife.

And so he sticks with his plan.

What a horrible mistake. 

ADORABLE & FUN

I had a good time with this one! It was a quick regency read that put me in a good mood and had me smiling throughout. The love interest, John, was ridiculously goofy, but also very endearing. I loved Sally and I thought it was amazing that she was a business owner and extremely independent. They were a great mix of opposites attract.

This was a new story in the regency world for me too. It was great having Sally purchase a house and a gentleman who had to work hard to prove himself to her. I feel like usually it’s the other way around, or at least the whole idea of everyone wants to be with a baron. This really turned it on its side and I looooved that. Not to mention, I really liked all of the boxing aspects!

Not very long, but just the right length. I thought some communication would have solved some of the problems. Yet, I do think the resolutions at the end came together. I understood why John and Sally both had to work through some things before being able to be together. Charming and sweet, I can’t wait for the next story!

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: physical altercation
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent, a neglected sibling

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Book Review: The Nabob’s Daughter by Jess Heileman

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 444 pages
Author: Jess Heileman
Publisher: Vagabond Publishing
Release Date: June 30th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’ll do anything to escape an arranged marriage. He’ll do anything to help her.

Honora Crauford relishes her life in India. So when her father informs her of his latest business transaction—marrying her off to a bankrupt nobleman in England—her only hope for returning home is to convince her betrothed, by whatever antics necessary, that a marriage to her comes at a cost that not even the greatest fortune can justify.

Graham Whitworth can hardly believe his wretched luck. It seems the only way to save his family’s insolvent estate is to comply with his father’s demands and marry the extremely wealthy, but utterly ridiculous, nabob’s daughter. But when Honora missteps, Graham discerns her farce and begins to see who she truly is—a most impressive lady. A lady likely capable of fixing his family’s financial troubles.

Realizing they both desire freedom, Graham and Honora join forces to restore the Whitworth estate and return Honora to her beloved India. But sometimes love has its own agenda, and the revoking of a once undesirable arrangement may just prove to be the greatest sacrifice of all.

DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

The hype in the regency community about this book is real, and I’m so glad it lived up to what I was hoping for.

Honora is the definition of the head-strong woman who stubbornness occasionally gets in her own way. I liked her character arc and her ability to recognize and acknowledge her faults and when she needed to apologize. Honora stood for her choices too and was a character I wanted to see get her HEA.

Graham was adorable. I loved how tender he was and how open to Honora he spoke. With a slight misstep in their first meeting to a friendship that became more, I was enraptured. He was incredibly sweet and all of Graham’s quiet moments with Honora had me swooning.

The plot was more fresh than most regencies and felt like a new rush of air as I read. My only lower point was that it felt a bit long too me. It might have been so much of the accounting commentary and scenes that took away from the main focus of the romance.

This was a wonderful read though and I look forward to Heileman’s future books. Based off of this one I think there’s more swoony romances ahead.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a mother

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Book Review: Heart in the Highlands by Heidi Kimball

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 260 pages
Author: Heidi Kimball
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: August 9th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An arranged marriage was never what Callum Darrington, future Duke of Edinbane, imagined for himself. But with the well-being of his uncle’s family hanging in the balance, Callum strikes a bargain with his father and reluctantly agrees to tie himself to a stranger. The reality of the lovely Lady Katherine is more than he could have hoped for, and their wedding heralds a bright new future for the couple—until Callum discovers his father deliberately deceived him. Callum lashes out, setting in motion heartbreak not even he could have foreseen.

Four years later, Callum is ready to piece together the marriage he so carelessly destroyed. But their years apart have hardened Kate: she is not the naive and trusting young woman she once was, and she has no intention of allowing Callum a foothold in her life or her heart. Despite her coldness, Callum works to regain her trust and rebuild their marriage, not realizing Kate harbors a secret that could change everything—and this time, there is much more at stake than just her heart. 

ROMANTIC SECOND-CHANCE

First, lets acknowledge that absolutely BEAUTIFUL cover that I can’t stop staring at as I’m writing this review.

Secondly, lets acknowledge the absolutely BEUATIFUL story this book holds.

Callum and Kate are these flawed souls who have hardened hearts from a mistake Callum made and grief Kate had to go through alone. Within the first few chapters I found myself captivated and completely upset at what was already happening. When things moved a few years later, I got to read a story full of raw and real commitment to fixing what was a charming beginning.

“I’d come to expect that if I waited to love someone until they were perfect. I’d never love anyone at all”

I couldn’t get enough of either of these characters and am so grateful that there’s points of view from both of them. There were many moments I loved having both sides from. My heart ached, leaped for joy, and made me feel every emotion across the spectrum. Along with the romance this was a story of forgiveness. Of a willingness to see someone at their lowest and rising together with a tighter bond. If you want to be transported to Scotland without ever stepping on a plane, if you want a romance that is engaging and tender, this is the book you need in your hands.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses to closed door scene
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: spousal abandonment, stillborn child

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Book Review: An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7) by Diana Gabaldon

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Historical fiction romance
Length: 830 pages
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Publisher: Bantam
Release Date: June 22nd, 2010
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this new epic of imagination, time travel, and adventure, Diana Gabaldon continues the riveting story begun in Outlander.

Jamie Fraser is an eighteenth-century Highlander, an ex-Jacobite traitor, and a reluctant rebel in the American Revolution. His wife, Claire Randall Fraser, is a surgeon—from the twentieth century. What she knows of the future compels him to fight. What she doesn’t know may kill them both.

With one foot in America and one foot in Scotland, Jamie and Claire’s adventure spans the Revolution, from sea battles to printshops, as their paths cross with historical figures from Benjamin Franklin to Benedict Arnold.

Meanwhile, in the relative safety of the twentieth century, their daughter, Brianna, and her husband experience the unfolding drama of the Revolutionary War through Claire’s letters. But the letters can’t warn them of the threat that’s rising out of the past to overshadow their family.

Diana Gabaldon’s sweeping Outlander saga reaches new heights in An Echo in the Bone.

ENJOYING THE RIDE.

If you haven’t noticed this already, the Outlander series is a slow-burn type of read. There’s power in the mundane things Gabaldon writes about and the high action scenes. It really feels like a true story of Claire and Jamie’s lives. Every little tid-bit. And I love every little tid-bit.

One of the things I noticed here was that a lot of the travelling was cut out. Not upset with that at all. I like that they quickly crossed an ocean or land. It made the story move a bit better and consistently.

I yet again love everyone here. Claire and Jamie (especially Jamie) have my heart. They really have a romance that stand the test of time. I love Bri and Roger. And really liked having two timelines again. Lord John Grey was also in here a lot more and I love his story too. I’m just smitten all around with this cast.

I’ve been mostly listening to these on audio and have really liked the narrator. She does an amazing job to where even when I’m reading a physical copy I can hear the voices of characters in my head. It’s really brought to life and I can’t wait to be caught up on this series soon!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses to open scenes
  • Violence: depictions of war (Revolutionary War), physical, depictions of Claire acting as a surgeon (removal of body parts, lots of blood/gore)
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: I say this for every Outlander book, I apologize if I may miss some of the warnings because they’re generally many: PTSD from war, kidnapping, child endangerment, slavery, murder, animal attacks, loss of loved ones, accidental manslaughter, remembrance of stillborn child and miscarriages, and potentially more

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