Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: regency

  • Flames of Winter

    Flames of Winter

    If you are looking for a comfortable, cozy afternoon read this delightful Regency romance Flames of Winter fits perfectly. The heroine is delightful, the hero almost perfect and the setting just romantic enough to be entertaining and enjoyable.

    Sarah Mortensen has had enough of her parents scheming to get her married. The latest is a man she truly does not like and in desperation she confides in the Dowager Countess of Whickerton, known to one and all as Grandma Edie; a very shrewd woman, some would say sneaky and manipulative, but with a heart of gold, treasured by her family.

    Kier MacKinnear, struggling to cope with the loss of a dearly beloved sister, finds himself agreeing to a crazy plan put together by Grandma Edie, to stage a ‘fake’ kidnapping, and then to take Sarah, daughter of Baron Hartmore, to a remote, very secretive location. He considers himself completely crazy for even agreeing to such a hair brained scheme, but he has given his word.

    At the last minute Sarah has serious doubts about the entire scheme, but eventually plucks up enough courage to leave all she has ever known. She finds herself being transported through a cold winters night, to a small cottage in the country, by a very handsome young man with a definite Scottish accent. Who could he possibly be and is she safe from his advances, worry her immensely.

    One very cheeky cat, Loki, two horses, an old goat, some chickens and a handsome man form an interesting cast of characters, as Sarah begins to learn about life as a young woman rather than marriage material to pay off her father’s gambling debts.

    Flames of Winter is the first in the Flames of Winter series which does not end as expected. As the author Bree Wolf says, some stories take more telling that one book. This one certainly does, leaving a distinct desire to read the second book in the series due out in March, Shield of Fire.

  • Beneath His Silence

    Beneath His Silence

    Gothic Regency Romance is a wonderful escapist read with a sinister plot, a dark, handsome Duke and a wonderful heroine who falls in love with the dark, dastardly stranger. You know the plot lines if you are a fan, but like all good indulgences, you have to open the book to the first page and jump right in to a world that is sinister, full of mystery and intrigue to see what will eventually a happen.

    Will they fall in love or will she meet her doom? This is all unknown at Chapter One but as the pages turn it is really hard to know who is really the villain. Hannah Linden has captured this darkly enjoyable, almost addictive spirit in Beneath His Silence with a very strong story line that keeps you guessing until the very last chapter.

    Ella Pemberton is the second daughter of a Duke. After the death of her sister, she becomes embroiled in her father’s obsessive desire to find out what really happened, as her death was sudden and not of natural causes. She decides to become the governess to Lord Sedgewick’s son Peter, not that she is a governess at all, but thinks it is the only way she will be able to discover the truth about her sister’s death.

    As the days pass she realises Peter is a beautiful little boy missing his mother and Lord Sedgwick, Harry, is not at all what he has been portrayed. What is really going on in this house of dark secrets will keep the reader involved as the pages turn.

    Beneath His Silence is an excellent read as it contains all the elements required for a good Regency read. Linder has added an additional element of villainy to the plot line which keeps it strong, as well as helping to create the strong character that is Ella; determined, purposeful and almost undaunted, well almost.

    Yet another element which could be considered as a bit risky, is that of religion, with Harry as a Christian and Ella as an unbeliever. Perhaps in parts this is portrayed a little a little too heavily as a lighter touch would have been far more beneficial to the storyline in general.

    Beneath His Silence is a debut novel and as such certainly lets the readers of Gothic Romance know there is a promising new author to look out for on the bookshelves.

  • Dubious About The Duke

    Dubious About The Duke

    One definite advantage about reading Regency Romance it that it is pure escapism into a world that can be crafted to fit into reader’s expectations, based in a time where the rules of society where strict. To break them or flaunt them was surely instant discredit and definitely death to any idea of advancing through the ranks by marriage.

    So what happens when a shy beauty meets a reluctant Duke, Winston ‘Win’ Cutler, who is struggling to accept his role in Society as the Duke of Woodmont on the sudden death of his brother; a brother for whom he had who he no respect.

    Seraphina ‘Sera’ Nicolls is returning to England from Canada to visit her beloved twin sister Araminta ‘Minta’ who has married Percy, the cousin of Win, and is hopeful she may make a marriage that will see her happily settled in England as well. But as she is so shy she is doubtful she will attract anyone she may possible like to marry.

    Win has decided he will marry for convenience, follow societies rules for Dukes and live a very ordinary life safe in the country at his Estate. When he meets Sera he is intrigued as is she by him, and they chat easily together on the carriage from the docks to ride to Minta’s new home.

    But the Dukes’ very carefully created plans are about to be rapidly changed when he discovers he has two nephews, children of his brother’s Mistress, and that their mother has consumption with only has days left to live. The boys specialise in running away, getting into trouble and generally behaving badly and it is not too long before Sera finds herself volunteering to be nanny to the boys.

    Societies rules are being bent to the limit as Win, Sera and the boys will all be living in the same house, all be it a very large house. It is not long before the Sera and Win realise they have a lot of interests in common and their feelings for each other are growing into a more than polite association.  

    Nicely written with a quirky sense of humour running throughout the plot Dubious About The Duke is the fifth book in the Second Sons of London series but can be read as a stand-alone. If you are looking for a comfortable read for a little self-indulgent time out, in a time and period not all that long ago, Dubious About The Duke fits the bill nicely.