Nearly a Lady (2011) Alissa Johnson Set in England during the regency. Freddie Blythe and Lilly Ilestone have been barely surviving in Scotland after the death of Freddie’s father and the promise by Lord Haverston to care for his Freddie. Gideon and Lucien Haverston are trying to set their inherited estates to rights after discovering […]
Volatile Bonds (2017) Jaye Wells One of the things I like about kindle books is that you can mark typos and other errors and submit them. Does this information go anywhere? Probably not, but it makes me feel better. The editing of this book was so bad that I didn’t bother submitting errors, because I […]
Destined To Last (2010) Alissa Johnson Set in England in ~1814 Lady Kate Cole was, by most accounts, a young woman of exceptional beauty, extraordinary talent, and notable charm. She was also, by all accounts, a woman so remarkably prone to accidents that it was generally considered wise to back away if she happened to […]
McAlistair’s Fortune (2009) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1814 Evie Cole has lived with her cousins since she was a young girl. After her father’s death in a carriage accident, her mother was unwilling to care for her, so the injured child moved to Haldon Hall and remained there with her cousins. McAlistair worked […]
Tempting Fate (2009) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1813 Whittaker Cole, Earl of Thurston, and Miss Mirabelle Browning have fought and argued with each other since they were young. Whit’s mother, however, has had enough and orders him to bury the hatchet and behave themselves, for it’s possible his attitude towards Mirabelle has kept […]
As Luck Would Have It (2008) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 811 Miss Sophie Everton has spent years overseas following the death of her mother and sister, but has decided to return to London to experience the Season. Unfortunately, the cousin her father left in charge of their properties and monies has not done […]
A Study In Scarlet Women (2016) Sherry Thomas Let me be blunt: I never read Sherlock Holmes stories that were not written by ACD. I hate them. I also can’t stand having the character appropriated by other authors. Honestly, I don’t even care as much for the last couple of Sherlock Holmes stories written by […]
It Takes a Scandal (2014) Caroline Linden Set in England in 1822 Abigail Weston is the daughter of a wealthy attorney, and has a dowry to make her acceptable to society, but she wants more than someone who wants her for her father’s money. Sebastian Vane returned from war with a shattered knee and a […]
The Rogue Not Taken (2015) Sarah MacLean Set in England in 1833. Sophie Talbot is tired of being the youngest Soiled S, never truly accepted. The Talbot family was the scandal of the aristocracy. Sophie’s father was a newly minted earl, having received his title a decade earlier from the then King. Though her father […]
Her Every Wish (2016) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1866 This is a novella in the Worth Saga, and follows after Once Upon a Marquess. Daisy Whitlaw is struggling to keep herself and her mother housed and fed. Everyone tells her to let her mother go, that she can’t support the two of them, […]
Once Upon a Marquess (2015) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1866. Judith Worth has been raising her brother and sister since her father and eldest brother were convicted of treason. Since that conviction cost them their fortune, it has been a struggle–especially since they didn’t know how to do anything for themselves. Additionally, her […]
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover (2014) Sarah MacLean Set in England in 1824 Fathers’ sins never seemed to stick. It was the mother who bore the heavy weight of ruin in these situations. The mother who passed it on to the child, as though there were not two involved in the act. The […]
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (2013) Sarah MacLean Set in England in 1831 Temple is called the killer duke, accused of murdering his father fiancee. Disparaged by society he became one of the four partners of The Fallen Angel. The Angel’s founders had created a single path of redemption for these men. There was a […]
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (2013) Sarah MacLean Set in England in 1831. Cross is the fourth partner in The Fallen Angel, the one who keeps the books and all but lives in the gaming hell. He also has a past from which he attempted to escape but has been unable to forgive himself. […]
A Rogue by Any Other Name (2012) Sarah MacLean Set in England in 1831. This is the first book of the Rules of Scoundrels and possibly my least favorite of the lot. Penelope Marbury is just about a spinster, and her father wants her provided for, since she has no brothers to care for her […]
A Dangerous Deceit (2017) Alissa Johnson That was completely unexpected. In a very good way. Gabriel Arkwright is the third Gentleman Thief-taker, and like Samuel, he has a past he doesn’t talk about. He’s also glib and very good at becoming who he needs to be for each case. Jane Ballenger lives in an isolated […]
A Gift for Guile (2016) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1872 The second book in the Gentleman Thief-takers series tells Esther’s story–that of a girl who was used by her scoundrel father as dainty and surprising henchman, and who kept her secrets from everyone–including her sister. Now she is looking for her father–her true […]
A Talent for Trickery (2015) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1872 Owen Renderwell is the Gentleman Thief-taker. The rescue of a kidnapped duchess made his name–and the names of his companions, who soon quit to become private investigators. Charlotte (Walker) Bales is the daughter of one of the most talented thieves and scoundrels in […]
A Dangerous Madness (2014) Michelle Diener Set in England in 1812 The third (and sadly, it seems) book in this series. Phoebe and Sheldrake’s engagment came at the insistance of their families, which is why despite her many misgivings, Phoebe acquiesced. “Sheldrake?” She peered at the man taking up most of the small space. “Good […]
Banquet of Lies (2013) Michelle Diener Set in England in 1812. Giselle Barrington has spent her life following her father around Europe, collecting folklore and working secretly for the Crown. She’s developed her own strange passion: food, recipes, and cooking. “What do you do with the recipes?” The woman looked genuinely interested now. “I’m compiling […]
The Emperor’s Conspiracy (2012) Michelle Diener Set in England in 1811. Charlotte Raven was rescued by Lady Howe from life as a chimney sweep–a life for which she had finally grown too large. Her past, and her gratitude towards Lady Howe create a young woman who will do what she can to help those in […]
Talk Sweetly to Me (2014) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1882. This is the final novella in the Brothers Sinister series, and I adore it. Rose Sweetly is a computer–she can do complex mathematics in her head, and loves working with astronomers. She’s an utter geek, long before geeks were cool. “Why is it […]
The Suffragette Scandal (2014) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1877 Free Marshall has done the things she told her brother Oliver she would, including going to college. Now she runs a women’s newspaper that calls for rights for women and points out injustices. (Free was based a bit on Nelly Bly.) She wagged a […]
Unraveled (2011) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1843. Smite Turner is known as Lord Justice–a magistrate who takes his duties very seriously. Billy Croggins licked his lips. “Lord Justice. Please. Have mercy.” The man shook his head. “The proper form of address is ‘Your Worship.’” Croggins frowned. “In any event,” Lord Justice continued, “if […]
Unclaimed (2011) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1841 Mark Turner has been knighted by the queen for his book on Chastity for men. That single event has made him a super star–despite all his best efforts not to be one. Why was it that men had to take every good principle and turn it […]
Unveiled (2011) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1837 Ash Turner has succeeded beyond what anyone might have imagined, and his final goal is taking the Dukedom from the family of his distance relative–turning the man’s children into bastards in the process. But Ash doesn’t care, because everything he does is for his family. (D)espite […]
The Countess Conspiracy (2013) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1867 And this, this is my favorite story in this series. There was nothing shameful about the figure Sebastian was pointing to, not unless one harbored an irrational hatred for bar charts. “Don’t worry,” Sebastian told Violet’s niece. “I’ll try not to seduce you on […]
The Heiress Effect (2013) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1867 Jane Fairfield has a serious problem–she has money and she is eligible, but she can’t marry–not now. So she has to do everything in her power to not marry, despite her fortune. Jane sashayed forward and took in the effect of her new gown. […]
A Kiss for Midwinter (2012) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1863. Lydia was a secondary character in The Duchess War and this is her story–how she found true love despite her past. Dr Grantham also appeared in The Duchess War, although far less than Lydia, but he is still interesting even in those brief […]
The Duchess War (2012) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1863. Minerva Lane has been hiding. Hiding from her past and her childhood, and even her name, going by another name, Wilhelmina Pursling. No one but her great aunts knows of her past, not even her best friend Lydia, whose dangerous secrets she’s held for […]
Steel’s Edge (2012) Ilona Andrews Charlotte has fled to the Edge to escape a marriage gone terribly wrong. The outrage swelled in her, mixing with hurt. Last night he’d kissed her before they fell asleep next to each other. This was the man she woke up to every morning? “Elvei, you realize, you’re telling me […]
Wildfire: A Hidden Legacy Novel (2017) Ilona Andrews This is the third book in the Hidden Legacy series. This was supposed to be a trilogy, but there are enough loose ends for at least another book. I could have done without the final bit with Victoria Tremaine, which felt more like a cliffhanger than this […]
Fate’s Edge (2011) Ilona Andrews On re-reading, this one I greatly preferred to the second book. First, although the main story is between Audrey and Kaldar (and Kaldar is a rogue, so of course I love him), they end up dealing with Gaston, and more interestingly Jack and George, and spending time with those two […]
Bayou Moon (2010) Ilona Andrews Following this immediately after finishing On the Edge helped clarify what bothered me about this story. I really like William in the first book. He’s odd, and he’s badly broken, but he is a good man who is fiercely protective of children. But he is definitely odd. And this book […]
On the Edge (2009) Ilona Andrews After reading their new series, I was struck with a desire to re-read The Edge series. Luckily, the eBook is available from the library, so I didn’t have to buy another copy to re-read it. Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, the area between the magical and mundane lands, […]
White Hot (2017) Ilona Andrews Guess what? I DESPISE THIS COVER TOO. It’s TERRIBLE. I tells you nothing about the story except that there is boinking. BLETCH. OK, enough. How about the story? The story is good! Things are even more complex, and not just between Nevada and Rogan. The cabal that attempted to destroy […]
Burn for Me (2014) Ilona Andrews I STILL DESPISE THIS COVER. Avon? THIS COVER IS HORRIBLE. No, really. It’s been what, three years, and I STILL HATE THIS COVER. Especially considering the proposed cover. But this review is not for me to rant. Well, not completely anyway. Nevada Baylor is owned by MII, the investigative […]
Passionate Minds: Emilie du Chatelet, Voltaire, and the Great Love Affair of the Enlightenment (2006) David Bodanis In France (and Europe) ~1706-1749 Unless you are a geek or a mathematician (or perhaps astronomer) you probably have never heard of Emilie du Chatelet. Not because she lacked achievements, but because she achieved those things as a […]
Sacred and Profane (1987) Faye Kellerman Peter Decker is trying to decide if being in love with Rina Lazarus is reason enough to take up practicing orthodox Judaism. He has become close with her sons, but chafes against the strictures and wonders if he truly has faith. There was an easy way out. He could […]
Shores of Desire (1997) Tracy Grant Set in Scotland and Europe in 1815 There are actually three primary characters in this story: Robert, Emma, and the War with Napoleon. Emma was used to dealing with everyday injuries, wounds from fights and falls and accidents. Save when Allan had been invalided home, his wounds already neatly […]
Dark Angel (1994) Tracy Grant Set in Spain and England in 1813 Still out of sorts and not sure what I’m in the mood for, I went for something completely different: historical mystery/romance. I think one of the things I particularly like about Tracy Grant’s stories is that the children are an integral part of […]
Magic Breaks (2014) Ilona Andrews Book seven of the Kate Daniels series. Yes, I did sit on this book for more than two years before getting around to reading it. Mostly because I wasn’t up to re-reading the entire series. I’ll tear through a series, one book after the other, but knowing that to really […]
Gunmetal Magic (2012) Ilona Andrews This is Andrea’s story–a continuation of “Magic Mourns” and Magic Slays and occurs parallel to events in “Magic Gifts“. It’s really book 5 1/2 of the Kate Daniels’ series. Andrea is working with Kate at Cutting Edge Investigations, and trying to avoid Raphael–the bouda who was her mate and who […]
Magic Mourns (2009) originally published in Must Love Hellhounds This is Andrea and Raphael’s story–well, the first part of it anyway. (The second part is the book Gunmetal Magic) Andrea is attempting to cover for Kate while she is recovering from events in Magic Strikes. Unfortunately, the people who call Kate don’t trust anyone else, […]
Magic Bleeds (2010) Ilona Andrews Book four finds Kate waiting for Curran, having made him dinner as he specified–except he doesn’t show up. While she’s tending to her broken heart, she gets called to deal with what sounds like a bar fight that got out of hand. Who the hell would attack the Steel Horse […]
Magic Burns (2008) Ilona Andrews A magic flare is coming, and everyone from the lowliest witch to gods is looking to take advantage of the increased magic. Kate, as an associate of The Order, is being run ragged, but when she comes upon a lost girl in search of her mother, she takes the young […]
Kitty and the Silver Bullet (2008) Carrie Vaughn Cormac is in the clink. Kitty and Ben are trying to settle into the new pack of two. Then everything comes crashing down when Rick shows up asking Kitty to help him overthrow the supernatural power structure in Denver, followed by a call from Kitty’s father that […]
A Perilous Undertaking (2017) Deanna Raybourn Set in London in 1887. The second Veronica Speedwell mystery finds Veronica and Stoker preparing for an expedition–until their benefactor breaks his leg tripping over his giant tortoise. This leaves both cranky with each other until a new mystery is dropped in their laps. Veronica is summoned to the […]
A Curious Beginning (2015) Deanna Raybourn Set in London in 1887 This had been on my wishlist for awhile, because although I found her other series vaguely annoying (both not so annoying that I didn’t read multiple books) this seemed right up my alley. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, Veronica […]
Dead Heat (2015) Patricia Briggs The fourth book in the Alpha & Omega series, and I think the end of my Patricia Briggs re-read binge. One of the things I particularly like about this story is the interaction between the kids. “Shut your piehole, punk kid,” Max said, thumping her on the head with the […]