Grace BurrowesRecensioni

Honestly, I was disappointed by this book. It is NOT bad - it is just not as good as the first part of the Windham series. This drug out with a contrived and prolonged development of the story that could have so much more easily been a novella...

This was a delightful first book in a new series by this author. Finn Cathcart is an amazingly talented sculptor, who has made a name (and fortune) for himself on the continent and in England. He’s also handsome, self-confident, and self-reliant – and has no use whatsoever for anyone in the aristocracy – except to take their money, of course. He loathes anything to do with the Huntley dukedom and would love to see it revert to the crown and cease to exist. No skin off his teeth. Except, he isn’t a bad heir and can change his mind when a small, helpless, young child (Emily) is adversely affected. It seems that the ‘finder’ they have sent to find Finn finally learns that weakness and uses it to get him to accept the honors.

Finn is Finn and doesn’t intend to be anyone or anything else. The current duchess, his Aunt Edwardia, can fall into a hole and never find her way out as far as he is concerned. She is to blame for the death of his baby sister, his mother, and him finding himself on the streets at the age of 8, totally alone to fend for himself. He cannot allow the dukedom to cause hurt to another small child.

Breaking all rules of protocol and manners, Finn arrives at the home of Wilhelmina (Willie/Mina) to introduce himself to the widow of his cousin. His cousin was the heir until he did stupid things and got himself killed. Mina was to be the next duchess, but now – what will happen to her? What will happen to Emily?

Finn and Mina are attracted to each other from the first. I loved how very honest and straightforward they were with each other. No prevarications – no “He/She won’t love me anymore if they learn xxxxx”. Nope, it was so wonderfully refreshing to see such honesty and straightforward love for each other. Even when the always-required third-act “event” happened, there was no doubt. No thinking ill of the other. Each had absolute confidence in the other. Gosh, I loved that part!

As with most of this author’s books, we get cameo appearances of characters from other series. In this case, it was Westhaven, Anselm, and the wine merchant – Fournier. We even got an honorable mention for The Duke of Moreland. Yep – love all of those visits. I thoroughly enjoyed Emily who was NOT the normally required brattish child. She was lovely and sweet-natured and very insecure because she had lost her father and her doting uncle all within a very short period. Finn picked up on that and carved her some lovely playmates – Draco the dragon and the Ursulas (Major and Minor) who are bears and are featured throughout the book.

I can recommend this book if you love a wonderful, love story with strong characters who know their minds. I would love to have a peek at Finn and Mina ten or fifteen years down the road because I absolutely know he will be a formidable duke and their love story will be held up to all on the marriage mart as an example of how things should be. Happy Reading!

I absolutely love this series. It has a unique premise in that the protagonist has come home from the Napoleonic wars as a very broken man – mentally and physically. He holed himself up in a darkened house for almost a year after his return. He was taken prisoner and tortured by the French and somehow managed to escape but wandered injured and helpless through the Pyrenees until he reached friendly territory. His hair has turned pure white, his eyesight is poor and cannot tolerate bright light, he is emaciated, and . . . worst of all . . . his fellow citizens have branded him a traitor and accused him of leaving his older brother to die in the prison camp. He is not a traitor – but the rumors persist nevertheless. I believe that you should read the whole series, in order, so you get and follow the entire background of the characters and their relationships.

Lord Julian, who has solved several mysteries lately, has been summoned to the estate of Osgood Banter to solve the disappearance of a large, prized, foxhound named Thales. Yes, we have the case of the Purloined Puppy. However, when he arrives at the estate and meets all the players, Lord Julian realizes there is much more to solve than a missing canine. Tensions are high – both on the estate and in the surrounding village. It seems the dog’s owner is not greatly esteemed by any of the residents – at home or in the village. So, if Thales's owner – Anaximander (Nax) Silforth (I know, it is a mouthful, right?) is so disliked by everyone, why is Osgood Banter leaving Nax in total charge of his vast, wealthy estate while he travels the continent? Hmmmm – you will just need to read the story to see, but it is a doozie!

In this book, we have a bit less page time with Arthur, the Duke of Waltham (Julian’s brother), Hyperia (Perry) West (Julian’s love interest), Lady Ophelia (Julian’s Godmother), and Atticus, Julian’s pint-sized outspoken Tiger. They were there but just didn’t have a lot of page time. I really love it when Julian and Perry are bouncing thoughts and ideas off each other.

Trigger warnings – the Duke of Waltham and Osgood Banter are male lovers. I love their relationship as it is longstanding, true, mature, and thoughtful – and that is what is focused on. I also love that the author depicts what a same-gender couple had to deal with during that time rather than writing like it was all buttercups, unicorns, and roses with everyone accepting and celebrating the relationship. Being in a same-gender relationship during that time often got you hanged, but if it didn’t, you were socially ostracized by all levels of society. This author shows that without being preachy about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of the others in the series. I am already anxiously awaiting the next book, A Gentleman In Search of A Wife . Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've enjoyed several books by this author, but this is my favorite to date. I need to find Axel and Abby's story, because I love him and his boys.

The men in Burrowes' stories tend to be a little more emotional around each other than most heroes of this genre, but I find I like it. It gives them a vulnerability and humanity that, while unusual, is interesting.

I loved the first book in this series so much that I was really fearful this book couldn’t live up to it. WRONG! This was an intriguing mystery filled with enough twists and turns to make it interesting. Couple that with just the right number of suspects and clues and – well, you’ve got another great entry into the series. I love seeing Julian grow and begin to come to grips with the outer and inner wounds from his captivity during the recent war. As you read the books, you can’t help but come to admire Julian for his strength of character, fortitude, self-deprecating sense of humor, and resilience. And – add to that – he’s becoming a great sleuth.

Julian has avoided the family seat as much as possible since his return from French captivity – mostly because, for him, it is haunted by his brother Harry. However, when he is summoned by his brother Arthur, the Duke of Waltham, he goes. It seems Lady Clarissa Valmond has set her cap for Arthur and he’s running scared. Lady Clarissa is one of the most exasperating and annoying females to ever be – but, is there more to her than meets the eye? What about her missing brother? Where are her parents – shouldn’t they be involved in helping to find her missing brother? Oh! My!

As readers, we made a pact with Julian to follow him through the events that unfolded during the story and to solve the mystery with him. That turned out to be an entertaining journey because the plot had plenty of twists and turns to keep us wondering and the surprising resolution bloomed before our eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I love Julian, but I also love the supporting cast members such as Hyperia (slow-burn romance there I hope), Lady Ophelia (Julian’s Godmother), and Arthur (Julian’s brother, the duke).

If you are looking for a great mystery with a wonderful cast of characters, then give this one a try. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

The titles were more interesting when read in order, as a series, than as standalone novels.½

Acquired a copy and reread. Increased my rating. Better than the average romance, even if the Michael is far too sensitive a husband than to be quite believable. Read again in 2023 in order of the series. Took the rating back down a titch; this was the least compelling title of the three.

So many things to dislike! It's 386 pages long, which I should have checked before I started. There's a gathering of the main characters from all the other books in the MacGregor series, which I haven't read. Hordes of uxorious husbands have long, pointless, arch conversations about family life. There are cute little children and small furry animals. There are plot threads that go nowhere and make no sense. I liked the hero, a self-made man widowed with two children, but the heroine behaved like an idiot.

#8 in a series, but the first one in the series I've read. This far in, there is naturally a cast of thousands but I'm not sure there's much of a loss by coming in partway.

Douglas, the Viscount Amery is sent to see Gwen Hollister's advice about buying a new house and estate - his now dead father and brothers have left him virtually alone (bar a sick mother) and the family finances in a perilous state.

It's a pretext of course, by Gwen's cousins, in an attempt to bring her out from her self imposed exile. She's been shamed by the family of the Duke of Moreland, and few people are aware of Rose, the daughter of the brief, shameful elopement.

The relationship between Douglas and Gwen is threatened by the arrival of the Moreland clan, whose various members become aware of Rose and Gwen. The Duke of Moreland, a bully used to getting his own way, and with 4 sons unmarried, threatens and blackmails Gwen into a marriage no other party wants to take part in, purely to ensure access to his granddaughter.

Big cast of characters, lots of angst (perhaps a bit too much, which resulted in me skim reading sections), some medium spicy scenes (not like she has a reputation to keep, after all). Reading other reviews of this book has led me to realise that this is only one of a massive set of books - approximately 30 - by the same author, focussing on various characters in the same world. So whilst this is #8 in the "Lords" series, it could also be counted as #1 in the Windham series - apparently.

Not sure I'd take this series any further though I believe other people adore this author

Enjoyable romance. The characters faced serious issues, but they talked to each other and worked together to solve those issues. There's none of that conflict-because-of-a-simple-misunderstanding that can plague other novels, which is refreshing to read.

Hecate Brompton agrees to help her friend Philip Vincent brave the world of the Ton and learn its rules, changing him from a gentleman farmer to a gentleman of the world. Truthfully, Philip is not as interested in a transformation as in Hecate. She sets up the house party from Hell to allow him a chance to practice his gentlemanly arts.
Ms. Burrowes is one of my favorite authors. I admire her ability to show the best of people quietly while dealing with Regency society's perils. No big drama, just kindness and respect between the couples. Hecate has way more patience than I would ever be able to dredge up, and Philip is a gentleman, no matter what society may think. I doubted that the Brompton family could be redeemed, but the author manages to do that for the most part. Another great read in this fun series.

2 stars.

Sigh. Seems I only liked the first book in the series. I liked the hero here, but something about the book fell very flat and dull for me.

I have long been a fan of Grace Burrowes, and have always eagerly awaited her next release. While I was not a fan of her previous mystery series, The Lady Violet Mysteries, I definitely wanted to try this new offering. I was not disappointed. This book had everything I had hoped it would – except for an out-and-out romance, but I hope that will come soon. It is a wonderful blend of suspense, mystery, and historical detail – with a hint of possible romance in the future. It was a wonderful, page-flipping, couldn’t-put-it-down, what will happen next, edge-of-your-chair kind of read! To tell you how engrossing it was, at midnight on release day, the eBook dropped onto my Kindle. I thought I’d just take a quick peek. Mistake? Maybe. I started reading and couldn’t stop – I read it in one sitting – starting at midnight. I guess it is a good thing I am retired!

The story follows Lord Julian Caldicott, heir to a duchy, gifted intelligence officer, and former prisoner of the famed French torturer, Girard. Julian has returned home wounded in both mind and body - under a cloud of suspicion that he is a traitor. Did he break under torture and tell Girard anything? Since his memory fails him, he doesn’t know and it tortures him throughout the book. Julian has lived as a recluse since his return to England – in a dark house with closed curtains. Part of that is to protect himself from the cruel taunts of the ton and part is to accommodate his injured eyesight.

So, how did the reclusive, sunlight-averse, people-avoiding, former soldier end up at a house party attended by very unfriendly (to him) guests? Well, he has a very sly and wily Godmother who thinks it is time for him to stick his nose out the door. Julian knows she’s up to something, but he thinks he can just agree to escort her to the door, drop her off, and then return to London. Silly boy!

Julian is hoodwinked into spending the night – a single night – and heading back to London the next day. When untoward things begin to happen, and the fingers point to Julian, he knows he has to slink back to London labeled a coward as well as a traitor or he can stay and challenge those who want to further damage him and his reputation. Fight or flight? You’ll just have to read the book to see!

I’ve always loved the way this author writes her characters because they are always realistic, engaging, complex, and vulnerable. Julian struggles with so many guilts; so many unknowns. Is he the traitor the ton believes him to be? The guilt about not being able to save his brother, Harry, is enough to bring him to his knees, but when you add the physical suffering, the memory flashbacks, and the traitor label, it is a miracle he can function at all.

I highly recommend this book filled with honorable, strong characters as well as dastardly characters who care about nothing except themselves and their own gain. You’ll be parsing through those characters and figuring out which camp each fits into while also trying to figure out who the true villain of the piece is. You’ll also meet Miss Hyperia (Perry) West who had an ‘understanding’ with Julian before he left for the war. Julian ended that understanding when he returned – for her own good, of course. She didn’t need to be tainted by association with him.

Just a BTW. Girard is featured in the Captive Hearts series – The Traitor. You’ll also get a short visit with Devlin St. James at a time prior to the setting of his book, The Soldier, from the Windham series. No, you don’t have to have read those books, this is a totally stand-alone book. I just thought you’d enjoy knowing they had cameos in this book (along with the Duchess of Windham) if you have already read them.

I couldn't get into this.

This book is very slow and methodical, but then the characters are slow and methodical. The plot unfolds slowly, the backstory piecemeal. Since we are within the characters’ points of view, I wanted to know more sooner. Withholding some of the information felt like cheating the reader and slowed my reading pace considerably. At the end of the day, the “chess game” was interesting, if you’re willing to invest the time.

skimmed 90% of this book.

I enjoy this author, and I love dogs, but I just had such a struggle sticking with this one, and caring about the characters and events. It's not terrible, it just did not grab me at all.

I love this series, and right now, I think this might be my favorite story (though I'm pretty sure I will love Stephen's story more). Anyway, Trevor Vincent, Marquis of Tavistock, goes undercover to scout his properties, wondering why his lawyers say he's having financial troubles. He meets Miss Amaryllis DeWitt, one of his leasees, and the two begin a friendship as she takes him around the area. She has her own financial difficulties, despite being an heiress, and it's all tied back to the despicable lawyer who runs Trevor's affairs.
Ms Burrowes's books are among my favorite historical romances, and I love how she incorporates characters from her previous books. Trevor and Amaryllis are made for each other, despite some misunderstandings. The rest of the usual squad, assorted Dornings and other friends and relatives, are brought in to resolve the issues from the greedy lawyer in a very satisfactory manner. Another good book in this series, though I'm looking forward to the next one.

I pre-ordered this as The Captive Duke and found I had already read it back in 2017 under a slightly different title, but I loved it, so I reread it.
The French captured Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, while on a campaign in Spain. For a year, he was tortured, highly unusual for a high-status prisoner, until Napoleon was captured and he was released. Now home, he finds his wife and son have died, and his daughter doesn't speak. Gillian, a recent widow and his wife's cousin, comes to help him and his daughter, but there is more at work here than the French.
Both Christian and Gillian have suffered and it's lovely to see how they help each other recover from their wounds, both physical and emotional. The story concentrates on their building romance, and the mystery, while important, is almost peripheral and resolved at the end of the book. Christian and Gilly are a lovely couple, complementing each other, and I loved how they deal with Margaret, Christian's daughter. Of course, I'm always happy to get more of the Windham family, and Devlin St Just appears here as Christian's friend. Well worth the reread.

Tropes
Low Steam, Historical Romance, Titled Hero, Damaged Heroine, Politician, Miscarriage/Death of a Child, Angst Romance, Second Chance Romance, Redemption

The Plot
Oh boy, this was a hard book to read; it was sad and, personally, very relatable. Penelope and Vergilius spent a better part of nine years not communicating at all. I really wished that one of them would have seen reason. Nine years seems like such a long time to suffer with what they went through and with his family.

The Heroine
Penelope broke my heart. I can’t imagine being a new bride, dealing with overbearing in laws, a husband having new responsibilities thrust upon him, and suffering the death of a child. I was hoping she would have seen reason before he left the cottage, but it was even sweeter when she was finally able to read his letters. I wish she would have spoken up more for herself to him and his family.

The Hero
Vergilius broke my heart too! He lost his child and his dad shortly after, thus inheriting a TON of responsibilities. I only wish he had been more assertive with getting Penelope to come to him instead of just waiting for letters from her.

The Steam
This more of a heartbreaker than a love maker, but there was one scene which was just so so special.

Stand Out Moment
There were so many sweet moments between Penelope and Vergilius while they try to rekindle there marriage.

I might have liked this one the best in this delightful series. Psyche is a widow and an artist who must hide her artistic aspirations in Regency England. She first meets Michael, an ex-curate who works at Lambeth Palace for the church, when he's a nude model in her art class(he needs the money). This is a slow-burn romance, one of my favorite tropes, as Psyche and Michael get to know each other and fall in love, despite all the reasons they shouldn't.
Ms. Burrowes is a favorite romance writer of mine for a reason. She writes compelling stories about realistic people with all their foibles and kindnesses. Michael made mistakes in his youth but has corrected them and tends to overdo his penances now. Psyche also over-compensates for a mistake in her youth, but not as bad as Michael, and she helps him realize that he doesn't have to do everything on his own and can get help from others.
It's a gentle and lovely story in a very good series.

This was decent, but I wasn't very drawn in emotionally, and I'm not sure how memorable it'll be for me. I liked that the hero was in business though, and that the heroine was a healer. It gave them a bit more to do than just the usual carriage rides and afternoon teas.

The first half was more interesting to me than the second. The main characters are thrown together under unusual circumstances, and I was interested to see how things would play out. Content Warning for cheating if you're particular about it. The heroine is married and has an affair with the hero at her husband's request. The second half was a lot of frittering about and pining and worrying over (mostly) nothing, and my attention started wanting to wander. There's a very obvious solution right in front of them, but they're both entirely blind to it. It would be off-putting for them to spend a lot of time plotting their future before her elderly husband even shuffles off, but he could hardly be more blatant in his approval of their relationship, and still they don't even acknowledge the possibility until the very end, after she's considered an absolutely horrible fate instead. Open your eyes! lol. The villains are all super villainy. It's not one of the better books by this author in my opinion, but I was entertained decently.

I liked this just okay, the scheming of (multiple) other characters seemed a bit more complex than it needed to be. But overall it just didn't make that much of an impression.

If you have strong feelings about infertility you might want to read this spoiler- BOTH main characters believe they're infertile, but then conceive *almost immediately*. It's not even some sort of 'miracle baby' though, because the story jumps forward in time at the end of the book and apparently they have a brood of *five* biological children. If you're dealing with *actual* infertility in real life, this may cheer you, or enrage you! lol, so just a heads up.

Carino ma manca di sprint e risulta, nel complesso, un po’ lento.
Si fa leggere ma ti lascia spesso con la sensazione che stia per succedere qualcosa e invece tutto continua a scorrere abbastanza normalmente e colpi di scena ce ne sono veramente pochi.
Tanti personaggi che si affollano sin dall’inizio, tanto che ci vuole un po’ per inquadrarli per bene e, del resto, la famiglia del Conte di Bellefonte è composta da un bel numero di fratelli e sorelle.
Questo libro ruota principalmente intorno alla vicenda di lady Nita Haddonfield e del facoltoso commerciante di lana Tremaine St. Michael, inizialmente interessato soprattutto al nutrito gregge di pecore del fratello. Intorno a loro altri personaggi che si affiancano con le loro storie ma, più che altro, il libro sembra volerci far conoscere un po’ per volta i vari componenti della famiglia che dovranno essere via via, i protagonisti dei prossimi volumi.
Abbastanza ben inquadrato nel periodo storico, si distinguono per carattere le quattro sorelle Nita, Kirsten, Della e Susanna, ciascuna ben definita e caratterizzata anche nella loro autonomia e determinazione, qualità queste che contrastano però notevolmente con la realtà del periodo.
Effettive tre stelle e mezzo.