Tag: regency romance

Book Review: Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales #1) by Olivia Atwater

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical + Fantasy Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Olivia Atwater
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: April 5th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment – a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season – but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.

If Dora’s reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.

Bridgerton meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.

Pick up HALF A SOUL, and be stolen away into Olivia Atwater’s charming, magical version of Regency England!

PROGRESSIVELY ENCHANTING.

I do admit to this getting off to a bit of a slow start. But, gratefully, I super enjoyed this by the end.

I loved the combination of genres here! I loooove fantasy books and I loooove regency books. Why aren’t they put together more often?! I need more of this ASAP. The plot was unique to me and I loved the half a soul concept.

Dora was a great character and I loved her relationship with her cousin. Even knowing that she was missing part of herself that didn’t stop her from taking care of things that needed to be done and even falling in love. Her perseverance was inspiring.

The romance turned out to be so sweet!! Elias and Dora started from reluctant acquaintances to teammates saving children for the faeries. The ballroom scene was one of my favorites and I’m glad they had some good swoony moments too.

It turned out to be a much faster read than I thought and I did like the balance of action vs. quiet that worked well for the setting. I adored this combination and look forward to more books by this author!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical + Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping of children, brief war themes

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Book Review: The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance Retelling
Length: 244 pages
Author: Mimi Matthews
Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press
Release Date: September 19th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A PROUD BEAUTY

Society beauty Sylvia Stafford is far too pragmatic to pine. When the tragic death of her gamester father leaves her destitute and alone, she finds work as a governess in a merchant’s household in Cheapside. Isolated from the fashionable acquaintance of her youth, she resigns herself to lonely spinsterhood until a mysterious visitor convinces her to temporarily return to her former life–and her former love.

A SCARRED BEAST

Colonel Sebastian Conrad is no longer the dashing cavalry officer Sylvia once fell in love with. Badly scarred during the Sepoy Rebellion, he has withdrawn to his estate in rural Hertfordshire where he lives in near complete seclusion. Brooding and tormented, he cares nothing for the earldom he has inherited–and even less for the faithless beauty who rejected him three years before.

A SECOND CHANCE

A week together in the remote Victorian countryside is the last thing either of them ever wanted. But when fate intervenes to reunite them, will a beastly earl and an impoverished beauty finally find their happily-ever-after? Or are some fairy-tale endings simply not meant to be?

FANTASTIC RETELLING.

I had no idea this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling until I got into the story. What a pleasant surprise because these are my favorite kind! This is a super quick read that I was able to get through in a day and I continually enjoy Mimi Matthews books and this was another good one.

This was written well and I loved the set-up between these two. A good dose of second chance romance and some hidden unrequited feelings. I liked the little dash of mystery to solve what happened to the missing letters and how it led Sebastian and Sylvia back to each other.

There was a small dash of miscommunication I didn’t love, and I kind of had a hard time with the meddling sister too. Besides that things moved swiftly and there some great swoony kiss scenes and a nice HEA.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: multiple mentions of suicide and suicide ideation, loss of a parent from suicide, grief

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Book Review: Honorably Engaged (Bradwell Brothers #3) by Kasey Stockton

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 324 pages
Author: Kasey Stockton
Publisher: Golden Owl Press
Release Date: April 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Henry Bradwell has a secret, and Marianne Hutton is the only one who knows what it is.

Henry has worked hard to maintain his secret identity, keeping his occupation private from everyone, including his family. A chance encounter with a family friend, Marianne, reveals far more than he’s comfortable with. Now he’s not the only person who knows and Marianne’s discretion comes with strings attached.

Marianne needs a little help of her own and devises a scheme that will benefit both of them: her silence in exchange for Henry’s escort throughout the Season. A few months of courting, then they go their separate ways. But what happens when the secret is too much to bear and the fake relationship doesn’t feel quite as fake anymore?

BOOKISH.

I always think it’s kind of fun when a book is about books. And these two writers had me pretty smitten with their romance.

The fake dating/engagement worked well here and I liked all of the forced proximity moments it added. It was sweet seeing both Henry and Marianne realize their feelings towards one another and how the mutual pining turned into love.

It was a fantastic audiobook with dual POV narration that I loved. I’m very grateful that the author is able to have the audio release so close to the book release.

There was good tension and I loved seeing the Bradwell family again. The Pride and Prejudice references made me smile and I loved seeing Henry and Marianne work together. The whole story flowed beautifully between them.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low-moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, carriage accident, loss of life, recounting loss of a father

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ARC Book Review: Windsong Manor by Julie Wright

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 256 pages
Author: Julie Wright
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: October 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A young widow. A gentle stable master. A secret that could change everything. Will Nora dare risk her heart?

The London Countryside, 1820

Eleanora Coventry comes from a life of title and privilege, but even that isn’t enough to prevent her from being wed at sixteen to a controlling and dismissive husband. So when she finds herself a widow at only twenty-seven, the idea of choosing her own path forward both thrills and terrifies her. She knows how to be a daughter and a wife and mother, but she has no idea how to be Eleanora.

She moves her son and daughter to her late husband’s country estate, where she meets Ridley, the young stable master. He is ruggedly handsome, but also kind, and Eleanora finds herself drawn to him. There is only one problem: Eleanora has a title, and Ridley does not.

Ridley Ellis has a way with horses. Even the most spirited stallions trust his soft voice and gentle touch. He has the same effect on people, and when he first lays eyes on Eleanora, he is smitten by her beauty. But he quickly discovers it will take more than soft words to gain her trust—Lord Coventry had been cruel to people and animals alike. But the closer he gets to Eleanora, the more he is willing to share his heart, and more importantly, his secret.

In a world where title and privilege mean everything, will Eleanora and Ridley risk it all to find happiness? Or will the shadows of their pasts destroy everything they hope to build together?

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

MORE THAN A ROMANCE.

That was what a friend said to me before I read it and she was absolutely right and it warmed my heart 100x over reading this book. I LOVED IT.

I absolutely adored both main characters. Nora was passionate and incredibly strong and trying her best as a young mother to keep a hold on a situation out of her control. I felt all the emotions with Nora and looooove her as a character so much. And RIDLEY, what a swoony hero!! He made me melt many times. That man has a way with words, but also with his gentle presence. When I realized what was potentially happening with his character arc I flipped, very much a, PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN moment.

This book is filled with so much. Children growing up, a single mother doing her best, a man running from his past and antagonists with devious plots. The pacing is perfect, the romance is swoony and the larger story will squeeze your heart.

READ IT.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief physical altercations, loss of a parent

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