Review & Giveaway: Not an Ordinary Baronet by G.G. Vandagriff

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

One morning, along the wild Dorset coast, Sir Bertie is bewitched by Lady Catherine Redmayne. Smugglers intervene, and soon her life is in danger. Of course, Bertie feels compelled to protect her, but initially, Catherine believes him to be the menace. It doesn’t help that she is heartbroken and the subject of a scandal.

First, Bertie must convince Catherine of his innocence, then uncover the real threat. Will she yield her injured heart to him? Several forces are at work to separate them, and, after all, he is only an ordinary baronet and she is a marquess’s daughter.

My Review

I love a good Regency romance with some intrigue thrown in! It took me a bit to get into this book and the author's style, there are a lot of details that I felt slowed the pace. Catherine doesn't know what to think of Bertie at first, but as he consistently supports and defends her, her eyes are opened to his true character. The restrictions of class comes into play as Bertie's lower station prevents him from pursuing her, and she is confused by his hot and cold demeanor. I thought more could have been done to protect Catherine when they knew she was in danger, and it felt like the investigation into the smugglers was neglected- I would have liked to see a more proactive plot, instead of waiting for bad things to happen. Toward the end the romance increased which I liked of course ;) and I was gratified to see the happy ending and resolution of the threats toward Catherine.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Tour schedule

January 22 - Wishful Endings / Min Reads and Reviews

January 23 - Heidi Reads...

January 24 - Katie’s Clean Book Collection / My Book a Day

January 25 - Peggy Urry / Singing Librarian Books

January 26 - Among the Reads

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Review: Spring in Hyde Park (Timeless Regency Collection) by Jennifer Moore, G.G. Vandagriff, Nichole Van

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

A HAPPY ACCIDENT by Jennifer Moore
Jonathan Burles father has just died, making him the new Marquess of Spencer and the most sought after bachelor in London. An unfortunate accident leads to a forced marriage to Maryann Croft, a young woman who possesses no title, and an unexpected secret. With the unstable beginning to their marriage, finding love together seems impossible.

THE DISDAINFUL DUKE by G. G. Vandagriff
Lady Saphronia Huffington has always thought of herself as plain next to the beauty of her sister, Lady Lavinia. So when her sister becomes engaged to Lord Gilbert Caldwell and Saphronia is paired for wedding events with his brother, the granite-faced Duke of Mayfield, who is known to prefer beauties, she sharpens her wit. Thus begins a lengthy sparring contest during which the Duke realizes Saphronia is anything but plain.

AN INVISIBLE HEIRESS by Nichole Van
Miss Belle Heartstone has everything money can buy—houses, servants, carriages, clothing, jewels. A husband, however, is proving much harder to, ehr . . . purchase. Colin Radcliffe, the newly minted Marquess of Blake, is in desperate need of funds—preferably of the wife-free variety. When circumstances draw the two together, Blake might be the only man able to see beyond the Belle’s outer façade, and fall in love with the woman inside.

My Review

Regency novellas are my favorite! There's something about the setting, the manners and society rules of the time period that I find fascinating. I enjoyed Jennifer Moore's story of an unexpected marriage, and the way Jonathan and Maryann struggled through miscommunication to learn to trust each other. G.G. Vandagriff's story was a bit wordy for my taste, the plot was fine but the writing style isn't one that resonated with me. I was happy to finish the collection with Nichole Van's delightful tale of looking past one's circumstances to appreciate the true character of a person. These novellas are ones I can see myself re-reading in the future.

(Thank you to Ebooks for Review for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)