‘A delightful but troublesome pair!’ Rosie’s #Bookreview Of #HistoricalRomance How Not to Chaperon A Lady @VirginiaHeath_ @MillsandBoon

How Not to Chaperon a Lady by Virginia Heath

5 stars

How Not to Chaperon a Lady is the third book in the Talk of the Beau Monde trilogy, a series of historical romances.

Charity Brookes is an opera singer who is following in the footsteps of her very succesful mother. Charity’s rise to stardom offers her a tour of some Northern theatres and she has asked her best friend, Dottie, to travel with her.

Charity’s reputation for mischief and spontinaity worries Dottie’s brother Griffin and he insists on chaperoning the ladies. This sparks yet another argument between Charity and Gruff Griff, as she calls him. They have sparred for almost seventeen years of family friendship and it looks like it will be a very long and tedious trip for them both.

I am not going to give away the rest of the story, except to say that these two characters must have fought with the author as well as each other all the way to the end of the book; what a delightful but troublesome pair. I was engrossed with the tale and loved every moment of the conflict, which made for a very satisfying ending.

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His childhood nemesis…

…is the woman he can’t resist!

Chaperoning Charity Brookes while she’s on a singing tour should be easy for Griffith Philpot—he’s spent his whole life sparring with her over her flighty ways! But as he discovers that she’s much more than the impetuous girl he thought he knew, a passion ignites between them… Sharing a steamy kiss leaves him torn—he’s supposed to be responsible for guarding her virtue!

From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

The Talk of the Beau Monde

Book 1: The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady
Book 2: The Marquess Next Door
Book 3: How Not to Chaperon a Lady

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Rosie’s #Bookreview Of #RegencyRomance The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady by @VirginiaHeath_

The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady by Virginia Heath

5 stars

The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady is book one of The Talk of the Beau Monde series of Regency romances.

Faith Brookes is a painter and the daughter of famous portrait artist Augustus Brookes. Faith will start the background for her father’s latest commission, a family portrait for the Earl of Writtle. Recently the Earl’s son, Piers, has been the victim of society gossip and shunned by many after a scandalous divorce. Faith already has a preconceived opinion of him, and she allows her anger about his apparent treatment of his wife to show when they meet.

However, the newspapers have only reported one side of the story and while Faith works on the canvas for her father, she begins to learn more about Piers and finds that he isn’t all that the rumour-mongers make him out to be.

Piers is fascinated by Faith; the woman creates her own dress style and has an unusual sense of wit. But he doesn’t want his heart broken again so soon after the breakdown of his marriage, while Faith has her own reasons to be cautious about forming anything more than friendship with a Lord.

I enjoyed losing myself in this story for a few hours of pure escapism; I was quite happy to be drawn into the Regency era and to forget the real world for a while. Virginia Heath always writes characters that I want to befriend, and this is another winner for me from this author. I shall look forward to reading the rest of the series.

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The notorious viscount

And the most gossiped-about lady…

After years as a diplomat in the Napoleonic Wars, Lord Eastwood is reluctant to return to London society. His scandalous divorce has made him infamous, not to mention cantankerous! To halt the rumor mill, he should marry a quiet noblewoman—instead it’s bold, vibrant artist Faith Brookes who’s caught his attention. They are the least suitable match, so why is he like a moth to a flame?

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#NewRelease Rosie’s #Bookreview Of #HistoricalRomance CHRISTMAS WITH HIS WALLFLOWER WIFE by @JaniceGPreston @MillsandBoon

Christmas with His Wallflower Wife by Janice Preston

4 stars

Christmas With His Wallflower Wife is an historical romance and part of the Beauchamp Heirs miniseries.

Alex Beauchamp cannot believe that he has just asked his childhood friend to be his wife. He did it to save her from a drunken rapist, though he’d never planned on a wife at his age.

Janey has loved Alex from afar all her life, but he has never seen her as more than a friend. But when he rescues her, saving her honour, she accepts his proposal of marriage. She’s the one person who has always understood Alex and his troubled mood swings. However, Alex becomes plagued with nightmares which he refuses to discuss; this severely tests their marriage.

When a smooth-talking relative surfaces, Janey fears she will lose Alex forever.

Fans of the Beauchamp stories will be pleased to read Alex’s story as it brings the series to a grand conclusion. Alex’s mother has hovered in the background of several of the stories and I’m glad that we discovered more about her.

I’m happy to recommend the whole series to fans of historical romance.

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A convenient bride

Can he be the groom she deserves?

Part of The Beauchamp Heirs. Lord Alexander Beauchamp has protected Lady Jane Colebrooke since childhood. So seeing she’s about to be forced to wed, he steps in with a proposal of his own! But Alex underestimated the closeness that taking Jane as his bride demands—something he expected never to give. As Christmas approaches, he knows he must confront the dark secrets that shadow their marriage…

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#NewRelease Regency #Romance From Duke Till Dawn by @EvaLeighAuthor @MillsAndBoon

From Duke Till Dawn by Eva Leigh

4 stars

From Duke Till Dawn is a regency romance set in London.

Alex Lewis is the Duke of Greyland who has just been jilted by his fiancée The marriage proposal had been one of convenience, and although spurned, Alex is more inconvenienced than hurt.

Meanwhile, he can’t help recalling the beauty he fell in love with, two years ago, in Cheltenham, a mystery woman he named ‘The Lost Queen’, and who haunts his dreams. She was the widow Cassandra Blair, but she disappeared from his life after one night of passion.

Alex’s friends feel he needs cheering up, so they take him to a new gambling hall. To his surprise, he meets Cassandra once more. Here she is employed as a hostess. When they do get a chance to speak, she gives him a credible reason for hurriedly leaving Cheltenham.  But Cassandra is not who he thinks she is, and unfortunately he overhears her speak of her role in the world of con men and swindlers.

I liked the elements involving the underworld of London; I thought they added fresh and interesting slant to the standard regency romance.  The author balanced the underworld element with secretive dealings within the upper echelons of city life, all of which is laced with hot romantic moments. I recommend this book to lovers of the genre.

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Eva Leigh launches a seductive new series that sizzles with the dark secrets of London’s underworld…

Years ago, the Duke of Greyland gave his heart—and a princely sum of money—to a charming, destitute widow with unparalleled beauty. After one passionate night, she slipped from his bed and vanished without a trace. And just when he’s given up hope of ever seeing her again, Greyland finds her managing a gaming hell. He’s desperate to have her… until he discovers everything about his long-lost lover was a lie.

In truth, Cassandra Blake grew up on the streets, picking pockets to survive. Greyland was a mark—to be fleeced and forgotten—but her feelings for the duke became all too real. Once he learns of her deception, however, the heat in his eyes turns to ice. When her business partner absconds with the gaming hell proceeds—leaving unsavory investors out for blood—Cassandra must beg the man she betrayed for help.

Greyland wants compensation, too, and he’ll assist her under one condition: she doesn’t leave his sight until her debts are paid. But it’s not long before the real Cassandra—the smart, streetwise criminal—is stealing his heart all over again.

Eva Leigh is a romance author who has always loved the Regency era. She writes novels chock-full of smart women and sexy men. She enjoys baking, spending too much time on the Internet, and listening to music from the ’80s. Eva and her husband live in Central California.

Eva also writes in multiple romance genres as RITA-award nominated Zoë Archer.

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#NewRelease My #Bookreview of #RegencyRomance Scandal And Miss Markham by @JaniceGPreston

Scandal and Miss Markham by Janice Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scandal And Miss Markham is book #2 of the Beauchamp Brides series of Regency romances. It can be read as part of the series or as a stand-alone novel.

Fiery redhead Thea Markham is the daughter of a Worcestershire crystal glass maker. With her father left an invalid after a stroke, Thea and her brother Daniel run the business. But Daniel’s behaviour recently changed and now he’s been missing for five days with no word of his whereabouts.

A stranger arrives at Stourwell Court answering a letter sent by Daniel before his disappearance, but the stranger, Vernon Beauchamp, can see Thea is agitated; when she confesses that she cannot trouble her parents with her concerns, Vernon offers to help find her missing brother.

Thea refuses to wait patiently at home, and disguises herself so that she may follow Vernon. When Vernon discovers her subterfuge a battle of wills occurs, until he reluctantly allows Thea to continue with him as long as she stays dressed as a boy.

The pair travel to Birmingham and Worcester on Daniel’s trail, becoming friends and then discovering that they have stronger feelings for each other.

This is another delightful book in the series and ticks all the boxes of this particular genre.

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A scandalous journey… 

Glassmaker’s daughter Thea Markham is devastated when her brother Daniel goes missing. Then a mysterious lord turns up asking questions about Daniel and offers to find him. Unsure she can trust the handsome peer, Thea dresses up as a boy and follows him!
Lord Vernon Beauchamp feels his life lacks direction. Meeting Thea gives him a renewed purpose. And when they are thrown together on their scandalous adventure, friendship soon gives way to desire…
The Beauchamp Betrothals.

I grew up in Wembley, North London, with a love of reading, writing stories and animals. After leaving school at eighteen, I moved to Devon and any thoughts of writing became lost in the hectic rush of life as a farmer’s wife, with two children and many animals to care for. When my children left home for university, I discovered a love of history and of the Regency period in particular and began to write seriously for the first time since my teens.
Real life then got in the way and I didn’t write again until 2009. I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association in 2012 and my first Regency romance was accepted for publication by Harlequin Mills & Boon in late 2013.
I now live in the West Midlands with my second husband and two cats and I continue to write Regency romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon.

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