120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade

120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade. (McQuivey's Costume Shop Romance). Sian Ann Bessey. 2025. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical romance, time travel]

First sentence: Isla Crawford stared at the email on her screen and frowned.

Premise/plot: Isla was supposed to dress up as Wendy (from Peter Pan) for the costume party. However, the owner of the costume shop, Miss McQuivey, insists she tries on another costume first. She is quite insistent not taking no for an answer. As soon as the costume is on and she steps out of the dressing room, Isla finds herself in 1605 just in time to "save" England from Guy Fawkes' deadly plan. She also obviously has to fall in love. Part of saving England is pretending to be engaged to Simon Hartworth (Lord Bancroft). So obviously they have to fall in love for real.

My thoughts: I was disappointed. I will try to explain why. Time travel is one of my favorite sub-genres. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, I tend to enjoy the genre. SO my expectations were high. This is not like any time travel novel I've read. She is ALL about telling anyone/everyone that she is a time traveler from the future. She not only tells about the future in great detail, she tells about the present time (1605) in detail as well. She not only tells about the present she interferes with the present. Almost every 'rule' that accompanies time travel is broken intentionally in this one. The time travel didn't feel fleshed out as such, it seemed like a flimsy plot device. I also didn't care for how the point of view would switch to Guy Fawkes and co-conspirators randomly. I thought those were unnecessary. I did appreciate that it was clean romance. And the romance was enjoyable enough. But I didn't "need" it to be about Guy Fawkes for it to work as a romance.


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

106. Echoes of the Sea

106. Echoes of the Sea. Sarah M. Eden. 2025. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult romance, adult historical, proper romance, clean romance, time travel]

First sentence: Tennyson Lamont's death was proving increasingly inconvenient. That Kipling had lost his job as a result of that ill-timed demise was particularly annoying.

Premise/plot: Echoes of the Sea is the second novel in the Storm Tide series. Both novels are stand alone novels. They share a premise--stormy seas, green lightning, travel through time--but not characters or time periods.

Kipling Summerfield, the time-traveling hero, is an actor--an out-of-work actor, perhaps, but an actor all the same. His friend, Malcolm, points him in the direction of a new job: working as an actor at an estate as a historical re-enactor. But before he can arrive as his new job, he experiences being lost at sea--quite literally--and lost in time. Though he is SLOW, SLOW, SUPER SLOW in realizing that he's traveled from the 2020s to 1803!

Amelia Archibald, our nineteenth century heroine, is a "dependent," "poor" relation that has been "raised" by her uncle. Now that her grandfather has died, there are conditions for her inheritance, and these conditions are quite disagreeable. She'll have to stay at the family's estate on Guilford Island--an island that is surrounded by stormy seas and known for its peculiar nature. She will have to 'prove' that she can manage the estate and make considerable improvements on it. The problem? Well, she can't physically leave the island. And the island residents may number four or five--and some of those are children. So how is she to find anyone to make repairs and improvements?

When Kipling arrives in 1803, he may just be an answer to Amelia's prayers. Though both have their reservations about the future....

My thoughts: I LOVED this one. Did I love it more than the first book? NO. Did I love it less than the first book? No. Just differently. The stories are definitely unique. This one is focused more on ONE time and only one time. The drama is coming from Amelia's uncle and his chosen suitor for Amelia. This one is lighter on drama and perhaps sweeter on romance. There's also less fighting between the two main characters.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

98. Whispers of Shadowbrook House

98. Whispers of Shadowbrook House. Rebecca Anderson. 2025. 272 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction, adult historical, adult romance, 3 stars]

First sentence: The rolling River Hamble weaves through land grown think with trees.

Premise/plot: Whispers of Shadowbrook House is a clean, gothic romance set in Victorian England. Oliver Waverly, the male main character, has returned to Shadowbrook House. He's not inherited--yet. He's unsure of the welcome he'll receive from his eccentric, reclusive uncle [or great uncle?]. His childhood was not the coziest--far from it. Pearl Ellicott is governess to young Maxwell, a sickly boy not expected to live to adulthood. Maxwell, I believe, is the grandson of the 'eccentric' uncle of Oliver. (Though I think he may be illegitimate? or the son of a daughter who can't inherit?) Pearl and Oliver take a great liking to one another. Pearl, Oliver, and Maxwell are soon often in each other's company. Maxwell has several health scares. Oliver and Pearl disagree on the best treatment for him. Pearl sides with the boy's grandfather in using the local doctor. Oliver wants the boy to see a specialist from the city. There's some conflict between the two because of disagreements about what is best for Maxwell and what is best for Shadowbrook (estate). He wants to sell when he inherits. Can Oliver and Pearl work out their differences and have a happily ever after?

My thoughts: Whispers of Shadowbrook is an almost for me. I wanted to love it. I didn't quite love it.

I enjoyed the characters of Oliver and Pearl and Maxwell. These three characters by far are the most developed in the novel. I wanted Oliver and Pearl to work out their differences. I enjoyed Maxwell.

I liked but didn't love the setting. The book is aiming to be gothic, to be vaguely spooky. I think this felt a bit forced. I did LIKE the hidden tunnels and rooms. I did like the old house with secrets yet to be discovered vibes. But I didn't like the way it felt forced to make the house be somehow, someway supernatural. I didn't want hints of is this house haunted? I didn't want the house to have feelings, needs, wants, etc.

I did NOT care for the spiritualist/medium story line. I get that this was legitimately 'a thing' that was trendy at the time. It is not out of line with history. I just hated the focus being on let's talk with dead people to see if we can heal the house, heal Maxwell, heal Pearl, heal all that live in the house. If only they'd make peace with their dead relatives, their futures will be brighter and happier.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

68. The Bachelor and the Bride

The Bachelor and the Bride. (The Dread Penny Society #4) Sarah M. Eden. 2022. [September] 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: London was no place for the faint of heart. Fortunately for Barnabus Milligan, he'd stopped listening to that organ long ago. 

Premise/plot: The Bachelor and the Bride is the fourth book in the Dread Penny Society series by Sarah M. Eden. Each book in the series features characters who are also authors of penny dreadfuls. Readers are treated to two penny dreadfuls in addition to the actual romance/story. This formula also proves true for this latest novel. The two penny dreadful serials we are following are "The Bachelor and the Bride" by Mr. King and "Bodies of Light" by Dr. Barnabus Milligan. (The two serials could not be more different!) 

So throughout the series--previous three books--the Dread Penny Society have been on the case--or on the chase, if you prefer, to bringing down (unmasking) the Mastiff who has been terrorizing parts of London. In particular the weakest, most vulnerable communities of London. Each novel--four now--has been working towards this goal...the mystery element of his identity and his ultimate goal have been slow to reveal. (As has the identity of the Dread Penny Master, by the way). But the "big" reveal in this fourth book, is, well, I will never be the one to spoil a novel before it's even released. But let's just say that there is more than one villain in London.

The heroine of The Bachelor and The Bride is Gemma Kincaid, a woman with a shady family history. She's incredibly ashamed of her family--with good reason--and wants NOTHING at all to do with their evil schemes and fortunes. The man who rescued her is Dr. Barnabus Milligan; and that rescue involved saying I do. But though "rescued" in one sense, Gemma is still very lost...and her husband is in part to blame. 

My thoughts: If I had the time, I would love to read the series back to back. All four novels over the course of a month, let's say, I think my overall reaction would change. It is just plain hard to wait a year for each book and then be able to jump straight back into the action and remember WHO all the characters are and their relationships to one another. Each novel features a new romance--which is always a bonus. But still there is an interconnected story that progresses with each book. 

I definitely enjoyed the serial "The Bachelor and the Bride" by "Mr." King. I don't always love, love, love these penny dreadfuls that are bonus stories essentially. Sometimes I do. 

I would say that the pace was so-so and the story was just okay for me....until I reached a certain part in the story where the intensity was cranked up. THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS, oh my!!!!! It's like the climaxes of all four books come together in this one novel...and without warning...we've got the mystery finally beginning to pay off. Not that there is resolution...there is absolutely NO RESOLUTION. It ends on a big cliff hanger. 

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

137. Love and Lavender

Love and Lavender (Mayfield Family #4) Josi S. Kilpack. 2021. [November] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Hazel had not slept well. Her crippled foot ached, despite it having been propped on a pillow all night to help manage the swelling induced by traveling.

Premise/plot: Hazel Stillman had all but given up on marriage and children. And she was fine with this--mostly. Still her uncle's offer of an incredibly generous dowry stung a bit. Not that he was singling out her--he made generous offers to ALL his nieces and nephews including his step-nephew, Duncan Penhale.

Duncan and Hazel meet in March 1822 on the day they are both offered special arrangements by their Uncle Elliott Mayfield. Duncan is an accountant, I believe, and she teaches advanced math at an all-girls school. They have a few things in common--like a love of puzzles and numbers. The two begin a strange but steady correspondence.

When circumstances change for the both of them--roughly around the same time--it seems a marriage of convenience may be the way to make the best of a bad situation. But will their uncle agree to them marrying each other solely to get their inheritance and meet his conditions?

My thoughts: Love and Lavender is a unique and original historical romance--a Regency. You might think, how could it possibly be original and unique when marriages of convenience are an established trope--something that you either love or hate. The answer is that Hazel and Duncan are well-developed, unique characters. Their story IS all theirs. Not one scene, not one line, could be cut and pasted into another romance novel. And not one scene from another romance novel could be cut and pasted into this one. The characters and story are memorable.

I really loved, loved, loved, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I did. I love Duncan Penhale. I do. I love Hazel too. They are perfect for one another. And not because either one is perfect...or "perfect." It was so WONDERFUL to read a romance novel with a hero and heroine like Duncan and Hazel. There was something so human about the story.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

136. The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart

The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart. Nancy Campbell Allen. 2021. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: My dear Miss Franklin, I can only imagine the despondency you must feel at your mother's insistence that you entertain Mr. B's suit. Of course you may continue writing to me for advice or commiseration! You and I know of your desire to marry for love, but your mother is clearly of the elder generation who prefer to err on the side of practicality. Perhaps you might consider a blunt approach, as the elderly often require direct speaking, whether due to hearing loss or lack of compassion brought on by age, one can only speculate...Letter from Miss A. Hampton

Premise/plot: Miss Amelie Hampton, our heroine, works for her aunt's paper, The Marriage Gazette. Detective Michael Baker is still haunted by the death of a young woman. He suspects her husband, Mr. Harold Radcliffe, of murder. But there wasn't enough evidence--at least without an autopsy--to continue the investigation let alone bring charges against him. But Detective Baker has his eyes on Mr. Radcliffe...which leads him directly to Miss Amelie Hampton.

Miss Hampton met Mr. Radcliffe at a book club. She's more than a little smitten with his dashing ways. But she had no idea he was "Mr. Dashing" (if memory serves) who has written into The Marriage Gazette looking for love. It is only when she is spying on Miss Franklin's first meeting with her new match (Mr. Dashing) that she recognizes him and realizes his true identity.

His date with Miss Franklin was a failure, but his interests soon turn to Amelie herself. But she's surrounded by doubters--including Detective Baker--who feel that here is a man with many, many secrets. Perhaps deadly secrets. As she grows closer to Mr. Radcliffe, she's also growing closer to Detective Baker. Soon she'll have to decide whom she trusts...

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! It's a blend of history, mystery, and romance. It's a straight forward story. There aren't many twists and turns; few--if any--red herrings. At least in terms of WHO is guilty of murder. There are a few surprises not related to the identity of the murderer.

I think what I enjoyed most about this one was that while the heroine was strong and feisty, she wasn't obnoxiously, over-the-top, intentionally stupid sort of strong and feisty. There were always reasons for the whys and hows of her dangerous situations. Her decisions lined up with her inner motivations and character. I did yell at her in a few places NO, DON'T DO IT. I suppose everything is relative. I've read so many books with heroines that annoy me to no end because they seem to go to all extremes to put themselves in danger. They seem incapable of making a logical, rational, common sense decision. They exist for the sole purpose of being saved by others. Amelie wasn't like that. 

 I also appreciated the unfolding of the romance.  

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

100. The Merchant and the Rogue

The Merchant and the Rogue. (The Dread Penny Society #3) Sarah M. Eden. 2021. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: If laughter truly were the best medicine, Brogan Donnelly would have been the healthiest Irishman in all of England. Jests came as easy to him as breathing, and that was more-or-less all anyone knew of him. He preferred it that way.

Premise/plot: The Merchant and The Rogue is the third in Sarah M. Eden's Dread Penny Society historical romance series. Each title focuses on a particular member of the Dread Penny Society. (Characters from other books do make appearances.) This third title focuses on Brogan Donnelly. He's hard at work UNDERCOVER investigating a case surrounding Russian immigrants--it's a political case. His undercover work brings him into close contact with Vera Sorokina and her father--who owns and operates a print/book shop. Vera loves, loves, loves to sell penny dreadfuls. She has no idea she has just hired someone who writes penny dreadfuls.

There are at least two (maybe up to three) sub-stories that add mystery, suspense, and danger to the novel. Some of these stories--or rather their villains--have carried over from previous books.

In addition to the main story--a romance between Vera and Brogan--there are two penny dreadfuls shared throughout. One being The Merchant and the Rogue and the other being The Dead Zoo.

My thoughts: The Merchant and the Rogue was a BUSY novel. I would almost recommend reading all three books in the series close together so that they stay fresh in your mind. I would also recommend reading this one is as few sittings as possible. I think if I could have found the time to read it in one to two sittings, I would have enjoyed it more. As a romance it worked for me. I just think I lost some of the mystery/suspense elements by taking two weeks to read it! It was especially hard--and this is all on me--to keep up with the penny dreadful sections. But the last third of the book I read all at once, and I did find myself swept up in the story. That's why I think it's mostly my fault.

I do recommend the series. This wasn't my favorite and best from the series. But again I think that might have been a timing issue. My advice is to read this one when you're in the just right mood for it. Perhaps one day--maybe before the fourth installment releases--I'll treat myself to a reread of all three books!

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

44. Isabelle and Alexander

Isabelle and Alexander. Rebecca Anderson. 2021. [May] 324 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Isabelle Rackham stood in the morning parlor staring into the mirror, grateful to be alone for a moment; that nobody was fidgeting with buttons, bows, fasteners, or pins. She took as deep a breath as her corseting allowed and ran her hands down the waist of her bridal gown, allowing herself a little shiver of delight.

Premise/plot: Isabelle and Alexander have an arranged marriage, a bit of marriage of convenience. The two certainly aren't madly in love with each other at the start. Living side by side as strangers, the two face quite a challenge when Alexander is thrown from a horse and suffers severe injuries. Will his injury (and his recovery) bring them closer together or drive them further apart?

This one is set in 1850 in northern England. The two mainly live in a manufacturing town (Manchester) and he is a mill owner. Her husband also owns a country estate.

My thoughts: Isabelle and Alexander isn't your typical romance novel. For better or worse. This one isn't all about the swoon-y falling-in-love moments that happen before saying I do and making vows before God. This one is about marriage and the testing of marriage. For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. They face challenges both together--as a couple--and as individuals.

I would say this one is more about the knitting together of two souls than focusing on the physical lusts. True it's a proper romance title so it wouldn't get too smutty anyway.

I believe this is my second title in my nearly thirty years of reading romance novels where one of the leads is in a wheel chair and is differently abled. (The other I read was an Amish romance.)

I also loved getting to know the Kenworthy family. I loved, loved, loved the character of Glory.

I have seen other reviewers comparing this one to North and South. I don't know that I'd stretch it that far. There are some surface similarities for sure: the manufacturing town setting, the owning of a mill, the awkwardness of a couple who barely know how to communicate with one another. But really the two are quite different. 

This one doesn't really focus in on class differences nor does it focus in on unions, strikes, and disagreements between owners and workers. There's a tension in North and South that just isn't there in Isabelle and Alexander.

I would say upon further thought that this one is about Isabelle reorienting herself to her new circumstances. She's newly married, newly moved, adjusting to a new house that doesn't yet feel like a home. She doesn't have friends in the neighborhood--at least not at first. She is hoping that her husband will soon start to feel like a husband instead of a stranger.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

1. Georgana's Secret

Georgana's Secret. Arlem Hawks. 2021. [January] Shadow Mountain. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Footsteps, firm and steady, sounded on the stairs. Each one tore at Georgana Woodall’s young heart as she waited in the hall outside the nursery because they brought Papa’s goodbye closer and closer. She brushed her tears away quickly, in case Grandmother was following Papa. Grandmother had no tolerance for tears—from girls of seven or their mothers. 

Premise/plot: Georgana's Secret is a Regency romance set at sea on board the HMS Deborah. Georgana Woodall, our heroine, is masquerading as a cabin boy, "George Taylor," on her father's ship. She's picked on but making the best of it until a new lieutenant comes on board. Lieutenant Dominic Peyton is new to the Deborah and serving under Captain Woodall, but he's not new to the naval life. His heart belongs to two women: the sea and his mother. His mother may dream of him getting married and starting a family. But how can he take care of a family AND still sail the seas? Would it be fair to leave a wife and mother behind? 

Dominic and George begin a strange friendship of sorts. He sees George as a small boy who is picked on by just about everybody but the captain. Surely George doesn't belong in the navy--no matter who his father was. Perhaps when the ship returns to England he can help George find a more suitable future. Meanwhile he's looking for a few clues as to what became of the captain's daughter who hasn't been seen by society in years. 

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I did. I don't often read books with this naval setting, but it worked for me. I liked the alternating narrative and how we get both George's perspective and Dominic's perspective. Most of all I appreciate that it is a clean romance. It is one of the books in the Proper Romance series. 

This one may pair well with Persuasion by Jane Austen. 

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

128. The Gentleman and the Thief

The Gentleman and the Thief. Sarah M. Eden. November 2020. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Hollis Darby learned two things at the knee of his not-so-dear, long-departed, low-life, scoundrel of a father: how to gamble beyond what was advisable and how to be an utter disappointment to his family.

 Premise/plot: Hollis Darby, our hero, is a member of the Dread Penny Society, a secret society consisting of authors of penny dreadfuls. These authors are on a mission to do good--they are social justice reformers, if you will, intent on "saving" and "rescuing" the least of these. And in this second book, they are trying to solve a couple of mysteries...

One of the mysteries they are trying to solve is the identity of a thief...turns out there are many, many, many thieves in London. But there's one thief in particular that is hiding in plain sight. 

Ana Newport, our heroine, is a music teacher by day and a thief by night...but she's not your ordinary thief. She just wants to track down all her family's belongings that were wrongfully taken...and if she just so happens to fall in love with a gentleman like Hollis Darby...well...that would be quite unexpected and lovely. 

 But that's just the barest fraction of the plot in this newest Victorian Proper Romance. There is a BIGGER mystery to solve--which I think in part began in the first book--and I think this bigger mystery may take more than a couple books to solve. 

One of the highlights for me, however, is the inclusion of TWO serial penny dreadfuls. One serial series is Higglebottom's School for the Dead written by "Lafayette Jones" and The Gentleman and the Thief by "Mr. King." 

The Gentleman and the Thief is the sequel to The Lady and the Highwayman. 

My thoughts: I love, love, love, love, LOVE this series. I expected to love it of course. I adored the first book in the series. Both books are just fantastic. Highly recommended. 

I really love the framework of the novel. It alternates narrators between Hollis and Ana. Both fabulous narrators, by the way, I love getting romance from both a his/her perspective. And this romance had just the right amount of challenges. It also alternates chapters or installments of the two penny dreadful series. I honest LOVED both of these. So well written. So enjoyable. So satisfying. I never once got annoyed that the plot was getting interrupted. Everything was delightful.

 

© 2020 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

103. Miracle Creek Christmas

Miracle Creek Christmas. Krista Jensen. 2020. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: In another life, Mark Rivers would've focused on the woman who'd just entered the bakery and nodded in her direction with a smile of appreciation.

Premise/plot: Mark Rivers is a former fire fighter and current town hero. He sustained severe burns while helping to save three boys and another firemen from a fire. He's been reluctant to rejoin society since then. But the new art teacher in town, Riley Madigan, may just change his mind about what life could be. Riley isn't looking for love, a Mister Right or Mister Right-Now. She rarely stays in one place long, and she's been hurt by men in the past. Art makes her happy. She came to teach art and to flip a house, not to find her happily ever after...

But in the small town of Miracle Creek, she may just have found more than she was looking for. Mark goes to Riley with a simple-not-so-simple request, to recreate his mom's nativity set. (Think wooden stand-up figures for a yard not tiny nativity pieces for the mantel.) The problem? She's not the biggest fan of Christmas. But Mark is very skilled and handy...so something might work out after all.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! I never know what to rate romance novels--and sometimes other genre fiction. If I rate in the moment as I'm reading it, probably most of what I'd read would rate a four or five stars. I usually get caught up in the story and want to see it through to the end. I usually have characters I'm cheering for. I want that happy ending and just smile when it's handed to me tied with a bow. But only time will tell if this is a story that I would want to reread every Christmas season or every other Christmas season. You see, I'm a big rereader. And if I really, truly love, love, love a book I'm going to be thinking about rereading it.

But I will say that I feel confident recommending this one. I especially think those that love romantic Christmas movies--you know who you are--would definitely enjoy reading this one. It is a satisfying read. I'm glad these books are published as happy escapes.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

59. Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts. (Steampunk Proper Romance #4) Nancy Campbell Allen. 2020. [April] Shadow Mountain. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy] [alternate history; vampires; shape shifters; romance]

First sentence: Emmeline Castle O’Shea stood at a podium in the balcony of the Municipal Hall for Citizen Affairs and looked out with satisfaction at the murmuring crowd, feeling the energy build in the large room as she finished speaking.

Premise/plot: Emme, our feminist heroine, is forced to spend company with a detective, Oliver Reed, when her life is threatened by a Bad Letter. Her new body guard becomes quite caught up in her life and causes. Emme is quite involved in the cause for Shifter Rights.

The book is labeled as a steampunk retelling of Cinderella. It is the fourth in a series of retelling. Supposedly each can stand alone.

My thoughts: Would I have enjoyed this one more if I was familiar with other titles in the series?!?! Probably. I do think this steampunk world has a good deal of world building to it, character building. Other reviews indicate that characters from other books appear in this one.

How much Cinderella is there to this retelling? Not much in my opinion. The connection is faint if present at all. I will say her new friend Gus (a good vampire) is one of the more memorable characters.

I do like the relationship of Oliver and Emme. If this wasn’t labeled a retelling of Cinderella would I have enjoyed it more?! 

© 2020 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

55. Rakes and Roses

Rakes and Roses. (Mayfield Family #3) Josi S. Kilpack. 2020 [May] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] [romance; Regency romance; historical]

First sentence: Harry Stillman swirled the set of dice within the cup and would have prayed if he were that sort of man.

Premise/plot: Rakes and Roses is the third novel in the Mayfield Family historical romance series by Josi S. Kilpack. Harry Stillman, our hero, is down on his luck and out of chances....or is he?!?! This gambler might just get an undeserved second chance from a mystery benefactor...

Lady Sabrina, our heroine, is not a gambler. The last thing she’d ever gamble on is giving love and marriage a second try. But when she stumbles upon a downtrodden Harry—he’s been beaten and left for dead—she finds herself playing nurse and caretaker.

My thoughts: I love, love, love this series. I think each book could stand alone. Each is a complete love story on its own, just focusing on different members of an extended family. Harry is the family member in this book.

I love Lady Sabrina and Harry. I do. Josi Kilpack has created lovely characters with flaws. Flaws are definitely important. If you enjoy character driven stories, especially with a romantic element, I would recommend this series.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

54. Lakeshire Park

Lakeshire Park. Megan Walker. 2020. [April] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult fiction; adult romance; historical fiction; historical romance]

First sentence: My fingers held the last chord on the pianoforte a beat longer than necessary.

Premise/plot: Imagine this scenario: You must find a husband within two weeks. Ready. Set. Go. Fortunately, you’re living in a Regency Romance and have just been invited to a house party with a few eligible men. There will be competition, you’re not the only woman there looking to marry. Are you up to the challenge?

Amelia (19) and her younger sister, Clara, have been invited to a house party. Their stepfather is dying. Their inheritance is nonexistent. It would be one thing if it was a matter of it being entailed, but their stepfather and his family despise them. This party is their best hope—only hope—to secure a future.

Who will they meet? Will either sister fall in love?

Amelia has placed her hope in her sister, Clara, finding a match. She’ll do just about anything—anything still respectable—to help her sister stay in the game. Even if it means agreeing to spend time with Peter Wood.

Peter Wood finds Amelia delightful. But is she spending time with him for the right reasons? Can he get Amelia to actually fall in love with him in just a week or two?

My thoughts: I would give it a hundred stars if I could. I just loved, loved, loved it. I am slightly biased. I adore Regency romances, historical fiction, clean romances. This one was absolutely delightful. I would not change even one thing about it.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

27. Promised

Promised. Leah Garriott. 2020. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy] [Proper Romance; Clean Romance; Regency Romance; Adult Fiction]

First sentence: Mrs. Hickmore shuffled our party of hopeful strangers into her lavish dining room.

Premise/plot: Margaret Brinton has lost in love before. Having decided that once was enough to last a lifetime, she vows to never fall in love again. This might make choosing a husband a tad tricky. She’s looking for a potential husband whom she could never ever love. He must be willing to marry her—for convenience. But love is off the table...or is it? Could Margaret fall in love with the pesky gentleman who keeps standing in the way of her match with a rake?! Could Lord Williams surprise her after all? Did she judge him too quickly?

My thoughts: I love, love, love Regency romances. More, more, more! I can never get enough. Especially if they are CLEAN and PROPER romances. I enjoyed Margaret’s story. If you enjoy romance—even if slightly predictable and contrived—you might enjoy this one. Here’s the thing, when it comes to romance I know exactly what I like, what I want. I don’t mind a bit of predictability and formula. I really don’t. The characters were nicely drawn. There were some very sweet scenes.

I would recommend it.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me

Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me. Julie Wright. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: My fairy godmother was all talk and no action. Like the tooth fairy, she was definitely not someone I could depend on. I had a sneaking suspicion the two had run off together a long time ago and were now downing drinks with umbrellas while they lounged on a beach somewhere exotic and peaceful.

Premise/plot: Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me is a light-hearted romance novel. The heroine, Charlotte Kingsley, is a writer. Her dream is to be PUBLISHED of course. But after yet another brutal rejection (all rejections are brutal no matter how civil the wording), she writes a NONFICTION self-help book instead of another fairy-tale romance. That book, the "rant" as her neighbor believes it to be, is NOT rejected. But the terms under which it is published leave a little to be desired. For Charlotte will have to BECOME the person people expect her to be. Her Swedish neighbor, Anders, is NOT pleased that his absolute best friend (and possible love of his life) is changing EVERYTHING about herself in order to fit a mold that the publisher dictates. Everything from who she can friend or follow on social media, what she can post, what she can share, how she dresses, who she can be seen with, the furnishings of her apartment. It is all so EXTREME. Is she losing herself to get the happily ever after ending that she's always wanted?

My thoughts: I am Team Anders on this one. I don't know if I was supposed to be. Oh, it's fairly obvious that Anders is the love interest. But when it comes to all the changes they are demanding of her--from her--I am Team Anders. It seemed all kinds of WRONG that a writer would have to essentially change everything about herself in order to be liked by potential readers. I hope this aspect of the story is pure FICTION. I would hate to think that this kind of thing happens in the real world.

As for the romance, I definitely enjoyed this one. 

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Lady and the Highwayman

The Lady and the Highwayman. Sarah M. Eden. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Rumor had it, Fletcher Walker wasn’t born but had simply appeared one day, swaggering down the streets of London.

Premise/plot: Elizabeth Black and Fletcher Walker are both authors living in Victorian London. He writes penny dreadfuls. She writes silver-forks. He is the “king” of his genre until another King starts outselling him, a Mr. Charles King to be exact. Walker fears that King may not be a kindred spirit—one who will do just about anything, legal or not, to help the down and out children. Who is this man? Can he be trusted? Should he be invited to join the Dreadful Penny Society? Will he help their cause or hurt it? Does he want to see the poorest, dirtiest children get off the streets and receive an education?

Fletcher Walker asks Miss Black for assistance. Does she have any idea who this Charles King is?! Could she help him follow the clues and solve a mystery?! All indications point to her keeping his identity secret—but why? Likewise it seems Walker has his own secrets he keeps close. Will love bloom between these two authors?!

My thoughts: I absolutely love Sarah Eden’s romances. This one is not an exception. I loved that we get excerpts from each of their serial novels. It is a fun play on a genre that has not truly survived into this century. (Though one could argue that cheap, formulaic non-literature for the masses has. One could also dive into the topic of what makes a book worth reading...what makes a book “good.”) I loved the hero and heroine. I loved them individually and as a couple. I also cared for the fictional heroes and heroines within the story—the characters created by Walker and King. Granted I’m not sure that outside the framework I would want to spend hours with them. But maybe I would?! A novella length perhaps! Eden’s writing kept me turning pages. Turning pages and sometimes grinning from ear to ear.

I would recommend this one if you enjoy clean romance or historical romance. I loved the setting of Victorian London. It was romance packed with adventure.



© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Lady of the Lakes

The Lady of the Lakes: The True Love Story of Sir Walter Scott. Josi S. Kilpack. 2017. Shadow Mountain. 336 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence from the prologue: I believe in God and Christ and long-suffering, but I do not feel that all three must be so densely mashed together as they are for a Calvinist Sunday sermon.

First sentence from chapter one: Walter did not try to hide the fact that he watched the door with focused attention. Mina--his muse and his future--would be entering at any moment, and he was determined to be the first set of eyes she saw.

Premise/plot: This historical romance novel stars SIR WALTER SCOTT. The prologue is set in 1791 when Sir Walter Scott first meets the lovely Mina. The first chapter is set four years later, 1795.

For Walter Scott, it was LOVE at first sight. He wooed the young Miss Stuart with words, words, and more words. Their meetings were infrequent--private meetings especially--but his letters to her, well, they were something special. Was it love at first sight for Mina? Decidedly not. She fell for his words and perhaps not his person. After all, he couldn't dance. And Mina, well, she loved to be the belle of the ball. She loved to dance every dance. But his words, well, they captivated her....at least until they didn't.

Charlotte Carpenter is a French immigrant, an orphan, a spinster. She's "on the shelf" or "over the hill" at age twenty-five. She's under the care of a kind guardian--but kindness only goes so far when his wife is pressuring him to find her a match or else. Miss Carpenter rejects--perhaps rightfully so--the one match that is arranged for her. What she would like is to be an independent woman who has her own house/household, manages her own money/budget. She's not exactly penniless, but she's far from an heiress. No man is going to be hunting her down and marrying her for her fortune.

Charlotte and Walter Scott meet in 1797, one year after his heart has been crushed, obliterated by Mina. He is NOT looking for love. I repeat, he is NOT looking for love. Scott is convinced that LOVE has done him wrong. That he'll go down to the grave loving Mina and only Mina. That chapter in his life is over and done with. Woe to the friend, the companion, the brother that tries to "fix" or "mend" his heart. BEWARE. But Charlotte is unlike any woman he's ever met before. She's honest, genuine, forthright...true to herself. She isn't wearing a mask. Scott is CLUELESS, ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS, that he feels anything until the day she's set to leave town--her vacation being ended.

Scott follows her--of course, he does. But what he proposes next...well...it's a bit unconventional.

Will Walter and Charlotte make a match of it and get married?

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I tolerated Mina, I suppose. But I never saw Mina through Walter's eyes--never saw her as being the dazzling, oh-so-perfect, only-one-in-the-world-worth-having woman. I loved Charlotte. From the moment Charlotte is introduced in this one--and it's several years before they meet--I loved her. I loved her character and her sense. I loved her spirit or attitude. The scenes with Walter and Charlotte were my absolute favorite. I adored the last half of this one. It was enjoyable and satisfying.

I would definitely recommend this one. It is a clean read being in the "proper romance" publishing line. Though there is quite a steamy hand-holding scene when he removes a glove while they're listening to a musical concert.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Daisies and Devotion

Daisies and Devotion (Mayfield Family #2) Josi S. Kilpack. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: After two minutes of sitting, Timothy was on his feet, walking the perimeter of the drawing room and looking over each of the excellent paintings on the wall. He'd never been one to sit still very long.

Premise/plot: Timothy Mayfield fears that circumstances will force him to marry an heiress or not at all. He admits his such to Miss Maryann Morrington when she asks if he's courting her because of her money. His honesty is refreshing--except for when it isn't.

Miss Morrington fears that every single suitor is after her money. Before it became known that she was an heiress, she had few--if any. She's a little too old to be having her first season in London. If she doesn't receive a proposal this year--will she ever?

When Timothy's circumstances change--thanks to his uncle's promise--will he keep Maryann in mind now that he's looking for someone tall, blonde, thin, graceful, musical, fluent in two or three languages, etc.? (His exact list is too long to quote!)

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, LOVED this one. I think I loved this one even more than the first book in the series, Promises and Primroses. (I honestly didn't think that was possible since I absolutely loved it.) If you like your romances to be giddy-making, I'd definitely recommend this one. I love the characters, the dialogue, the relationships, the pacing, the setting. (I love Regency romances). There isn't anything I didn't love about this one.



© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Healing Hearts

Healing Hearts. Sarah M. Eden. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Miriam Bricks sat in the cramped and rancid interior of a rickety stagecoach and contemplated for the hundredth time how fortunate she was to be there.

Premise/plot: The hero of Healing Hearts, Dr. Gideon MacNamara needs a wife and a nurse. Neither are easy to come by in Savage Wells, Wyoming. He's sent away--mail order--for a woman who's willing to be both. Miriam Bricks is a qualified, experienced nurse. She's more than willing to be his nurse--even to cook his meals--but she's not prepared to marry him--or anyone. Will Dr. MacNamara make the best of a bad situation? YES, yes he will. What he learns about Miriam is that she's a FANTASTIC nurse. She's just as skilled treating patients as she evading questions about her past. What is she hiding from him? from everyone? Will her past come back to threaten her?

My thoughts: I really LOVED this one. It is set in Wyoming in 1876. It definitely has an Old West vibe to it--which I adored. I loved the getting-to-know-one-another aspect of their relationship. As much fun as it would be to have a marriage of convenience turn into the real deal story...this one was oh-so-satisfying. This pacing makes complete sense for Miriam. And it just felt completely right. I also enjoyed meeting the other residents of Savage Wells. And some of the visitors as well!  (I know this is book two in a series, but I never once felt lost.)

I would definitely recommend this one. I was thrilled to be a part of the blog tour for this one!

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews