Book review : A Fowl Christmastide by Sandra Sookoo

A Fowl Christmastide
12 Days of Christmas Book #3
by Sandra Sookoo
GENRE : #Regency-Christmas-romance #novella

My rating: ★★★★★

Such a lovely and sweet short story!
My rating is 5 full stars !!

It's a clean romance which includes a short kiss under the mistletoe and another longer and more conscious, but still very tender kiss.

The emotion of the story lies above all in the expectation and anticipation of the arrival of love for two people who by now almost no longer dared to hope for the radiance of a future with a life partner (wife/husband) and in the possibility of having children.

The happy ending is very nice and satisfying in all respects.

__NOT ONLY ROMANCE ___ This is a cheerful story that talks about budding love and the courage to take up the challenge, but also about brotherly love and unreserved sacrifice, acceptance, generosity and sharing.


__ THE PLOT IN SHORT __ England, regency era.
Miss Isabelle Fletcher and Evan Nicholas Radcliff, Baron of Hastings, have been neighbors for some years.
They meet almost every day because her chickens leave their henhouse and invade his garden. He usually reacts gruffly but actually lives for those brief meetings.

Belle also feels attracted to him, but is always put off by the fact that he speaks to her in a surly way.
Until one day, on Christmas Eve the little rebellious hens unknowingly unleash a small (but great) miracle...
___________________

The plot could suggest the usual romantic regency story, but in a delicate and light way it also addresses a very important theme: the difficulties that families of children with particular needs often encounter when they find themselves faced with a superficial and hypocritical society that does not accept the differences or the different emotional sensitivity of other people and who does not make the slightest effort to help these children integrate into the world.

In the Regency era, obviously there was no talk of autism, but the character description of Freddy, Nick's younger brother, closely resembles that type of mental and emotional condition.
So the story was very sweet and delicate in this sense too, giving relevance to the infinite affection and dedication that Nick has for his young brother.

The CHRISTMAS MAGIC of the story is completed with Nick's altruistic gesture for children without families and Belle's sincere admiration and her equally sincere desire to help.

The two MAIN CHARACTERS are both positive and pleasant to read.
Even though the story is short and the possibilities of description are few, through the vivid dialogues the two characters came to life in a believable way and the lively scenes kept me entertained with fun.

There are 2 SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:
Belle's father, a vicar who with faith and sweetness encourages his daughter not to stop hoping and Nick's joyful brother, who with the spontaneity of a child (despite already being an adult) immediately conquers not only Belle's heart, but also that of the reader.

*****_________ ******

This is book #3 in a series of Christmas stories (12 Days of Christmas Series) by different authors and therefore each book is a standalone story.

This is the first time I've read anything by Sandra Sookoo and I can't wait to read something else by her.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors in my text, English is a foreign language to me.

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Book review : Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas
Being a Jane Austen Mystery Book #12
by Stephanie Barron
GENRE : #Regency-Christmas #Historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★★

A delightful immersion in the world of Jane Austen and an engaging historical cozy mystery from start to finish!

I had it on my shelf for a few years and I always put off reading it, perhaps for fear of disappointment, after all, as we know, it's not easy to combine fiction with real-life historical characters, mixing them in an intelligent and intriguing way, especially when writing about figures much loved and known throughout the world.

Stephanie Barron did it very well and I think Jane Austen herself would enjoy reading this mystery series starring herself not only as an esteemed author but also as an amateur detective.

__ PLOT IN SHORT ___ Christmas Eve, England 1814.
Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holidays with family and friends at The Vyne, the splendid Tudor mansion, now belonging to the wealthy and politically important Chute family. As the year comes to an end and friends begin to gather under the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Jane's books are popular and she enjoys a good reputation; Napoleon is in exile on the island of Elba; British forces have captured Washington, D.C. and the Treaty of Ghent has been signed, ending a war that no one in England really wanted.
However, when a messenger arrives with a written copy of the treaty and also brings personal news for some guests, tragedy strikes: shortly after his departure he is found dead in the snow... the scene and some clues reveal that it is a crime ...political or for private matters?
The previous day's snowstorm also makes it clear that the killer is necessarily one of The Vyne's guests, some of whom hide dark secrets.
Except for her immediate family, Jane doesn't know who to trust...

_______________

To tell the truth, I wanted to start from book #1, but since we are in Christmastime , I started with this one straight away, (it's number #12 in the series ), but each book can be read as a standalone, even if obviously they have been written with a chronological order of Jane's life and historical facts.
Of course, if you are a reader who knows nothing about Jane Austen, you will probably have a clearer picture of the times in which she lived, the events that influenced her existence and emotions and therefore also her literature, and the family and friends she she felt deeply connected, reading all the books in the right order.

__ INTRIGUING MURDER MYSTERY __
If I have to analyze the part concerning the mystery of the murders and the investigation I must admit that I liked it because it was well blended with the whole story in a curious and intriguing way, but it may not fully satisfy those who instead focus mainly on the difficulty of solving the mystery and on the capture of the guilty.

Initially we had several suspects, but then following the clues and going through obvious exclusions (clearly Jane's family and all the real-life characters couldn't be the culprits), the suspects for me were reduced to 3 people.
While reading, some conjectures came to me spontaneously, but you will be happy to know that while I thought I had already understood everything, actually I had only intuited a few small things and not the entirety of the facts which therefore managed to surprise me.
What disappointed me a little and what I usually don't forgive authors is the punishment reserved for the villains of the story.

IF YOU DON'T MIND SPOILERS READ DOWN BELOW a better explication :

___WARNING SPOILER __ [ I have to put this in the spoiler tag, but I can't help but say it: in reality there are 2 murderers and both remain UNPUNISHED!!!
One manages to escape and for the other there is no tangible evidence to present in court.
I can't stand this.

Usually I remove a star in my rating for this type of ending... I can't stand reading and watching crime films where I wait anxiously to know the truth, only to find myself with the culprit who gets away with it!!

In this case I still gave 5 stars, because the tale told is so rich in Jane Austen and her world and satisfied me so much that not catching the murderers didn't ruin my enjoyment. ] __SPOILER END__

INTERESTING HISTORICAL NOTIONS about FACTS and CHARACTERS _
Most of the characters in this book actually existed:
-- Jane's family: the mother and the beloved sister Cassandra, the slightly bigoted brother the vicar James and the unbearable and complaining wife, the two nice and lively nephews. Jane does not fail to speak proudly of her two brothers in the navy Frank and Charles, her brother Henry and her brother Edward, she even mentions her childhood flirt, her sister's dead boyfriend and other dear friends
-- acquaintances and friends whose homes she frequented even in real life
-- the son of a famous painter who in this book will join Jane in the investigations

The author respects the true personality of those people and manages to insert them into an invented plot, placing them alongside other invented characters, in a fluid manner, making everything appear absolutely plausible and therefore credible.
No cracks and no discordance.

Stephanie Barron also gives us descriptions of places and buildings that can still be visited today.
I read Austen's books when I was young and I loved each of them. I also read various articles about her life, but as I said it was a long time ago and I have never read a biography of her so this was an opportunity to get interested in her private life and I felt so involved that I felt like I was there, in Jane's world at her side.

While reading the book I also read a lot of letters between Jane and Cassandra and between Jane and the brothers and between the brothers themselves, to better understand the bond that united them. Also on the web I visited the ancient Tudor mansion "The Vyne" ( where the mystery takes place ) and took a look at Steventon Parsonage and the town of Chawton. I loved it.

The author has done a masterful job in harmoniously blending fiction and real characters and just like Austen did in her books, she manages to outline the essence of each character through their dialogues.

VERY NICE REGENCY ATMOSPHERE and CHRISTMAS HABITS __

When I choose a Christmas book, it is important for me that the Christmas atmosphere is really felt and is not just a word mentioned in the title.

Even from this point of view I was fully satisfied.
In Regency era, as many probably know, the customs and traditions for celebrating Christmas came from ancient Celtic traditions, very different therefore from the Germanic ones which were introduced later by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Then the author, through Jane's voice, told us about the 12 days of Christmas, about the Yule log, which burned in the fireplace for all those days, about the decorations made of holly, ivy and rosemary, about the masquerade ball at Twelfth Night in which various particular characters are represented by the guests and in which the world literally turns upside down: those who command and are high on the social ladder find themselves obeying, commanded by those who are usually among the humblest.
The part dedicated to Jane and Cassandra's gift for their granddaughter was also beautiful, a gift that was enriched every morning of the 12 days.

***** ___ *****

I loved this book and I recommend it not only to anyone who loves Jane Austen, but to any lover of a good cozy mystery and historical sets.

Thanks for reading my opinion, I hope it could be useful to you without revealing too much.
Please forgive any errors in my text, English is not my native language.

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Book review : Mrs. Holloway's Christmas Pudding by Jennifer Ashley

Mrs. Holloway's Christmas Pudding
A Below Stairs Mystery Novella #6.7
by Jennifer Ashley
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery #historical-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3.8 rounded up to 4 stars

A short and very enjoyable Christmas mystery novella.

This short story is part of a mystery series ( indeed book #6.7 ) set in England at the end of 19th century, but it's perfectly readable as a standalone.

The peculiarity of the series is that the main character is not part of the rich and noble society, but is the cook in an aristocratic house, which is why the title of the series is:
" A Below Stairs Mystery Series".

___PLOT__ December 1882
When Cook Kat Holloway is blamed when a dinner guest mysteriously takes ill after eating one of her meals, she sets out to prove she had nothing to do with the gentleman’s sickness.

Helped by her closest friends, she investigates the patient's family and acquaintances, thus discovering that there are many who have a valid motive to kill.

In the meantime, Kat must also manage to prepare an impeccable Christmas meal and who knows what Christmas Day will hold for her together with her daughter and Daniel who cares so much about her...

________ ******** ________

Even though I hadn't read the previous books (which were mostly longer novels), I still managed to enjoy the story and understand the role of each character. The author was in fact very good at describing their personality and what binds them to the protagonist.

As I already said, the story is short and can be read in a couple of afternoons, but it is intriguing enough to make you want to read all the other books and find out more about the various CHARACTERS:
- Kat, a skilled cook, single mother with a great love for her daughter who is raised by another family.
- Daniel, her friend and lover, skilled in disguises and undercover operations and her young son James, affectionate and kind, skilled and cunning like his father.
- The terrible, grumpy and overbearing landlady and Lady Cinthia, her niece, modern, friend of Kat and kind to the servants, loves dressing as a man and is reckless.
- The rest of the staff under the stairs and other friends who never fail to help Kat in the investigation.

The final part of the story is reserved not only for the solution of the case but also for a sweet and convivial Christmas atmosphere, thus giving the reader that touch of goodness and magic that each of us seeks when approaching a story set at Christmas.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please be lenient with my English as it is not my native language.

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Book review : The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning by P.J. Fitzsimmons

The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning
Anty Boisjoly Mysteries Book #2
by P.J. Fitzsimmons
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,8 stars rounded up to 4.

Very nice "Whodunit" set in 1920s England and written in a bit of Wodehouse's style.
Overall I liked it "a lot", actually very much!

_____PLOT__ 1928, England.
Anthony ( Anty) Boisjoly goes to spend the Christmas holidays with his shy aunt Azalea in the small, picturesque village of Graze Hill, Hertfordshire.

Unfortunately, Christmas day immediately begins in a negative way: Aunt Azalea visits a friend in the village, a well-known war hero, and finds him dead, stabbed, under the Christmas tree.
The village policeman immediately insinuates that the only probable culprit is Anty's aunt and the commissioner sent by Scotland Yard will do the same.
Anty has nothing left but to work hard to find the real culprit in order to clear her aunt.
____________________

It took me a little while to appreciate this book, but once I got over my initial difficulty to get into it I began to grow fond of the main character and started to laugh at his way of telling the story: with irony and humor.
The entire story, the events, the mystery and its solution are in fact told in first person by the protagonist and while in the first part the MYSTERY didn't look so enthralling ( and I also felt a little annoyed by the constant humorous jokes), in the second part it became very engaging and wittily thought out by the author.

I really liked how the protagonist put together all the pieces of the puzzle (which was really complicated) and the final explanation of the murders solution, the ending indeed was beautiful and very satisfying!!

The DIALOGUES are witty and lively, with some really funny scenes, to the point that sometimes I found myself laughing out loud!.
I think this character and the book series would be a great idea for a BBC miniseries.

There aren't many CHARACTERS, but they aren't few either and in the first part I found myself a little confused and none of them stood out in a particular way among the others.
As the story gradually got to the heart of the mystery, however, everyone's bizarre personality was finally highlighted and that was the point where everything became more interesting and I hoped that none of the good guys (or supposedly good guys) would die and that none of those I liked were the culprit.

...And talking about the CULPRIT:
I was never able to guess until it was revealed by Anty!!
Therefore the ENDING WAS EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE and the writer, in addition to the mystery's solution, added a personal happy ending to each character.

__ CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE __
There are many books of various genres with the word "Christmas" in the title (or Yuletide or Mistletoe or similar), but there are very few of these that offer a Christmas atmosphere.
This fun "whodunit" didn't fail me!
I enjoyed immersing myself in the welcoming atmosphere of the snow-covered English village, magical and cozy like the one on the postcards.
The author was very good at the descriptions and the mulled wine in the pub, the typical church of the small village, the singing of the carol dedicated to Saint Stephen (although a little bizarre and hilarious) and the preparations for the final party help the reader to breathe a festive atmosphere

This is book #2 in a series (of which I will read the following books and maybe even the first), BUT IT IS PERFECTLY READABLE AS A STANDALONE.

RECOMMENDED TO all those who love reading the classics of the Golden Age
(even if this is written by a contemporary author) and to all those who want a well-conceived puzzle made more tantalizing by the addition of irony and humor.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors in my text, English is not my native language.

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Book review : Christmas on the Home Front by Roland Moore

Christmas on the Home Front
Land Girls book #3
by Roland Moore
GENRE : #Christmas-war-time-fiction

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Actually 3.5 is my rating.

Looking for a historical romance? Then skip to another book!
Looking for a fiction with strong and stubborn women and a bit of suspense ? Then it could be the book for you.

__PLOT IN SHORT ___ England. Christmas 1944
All the land girls of Pasture Farm, Connie Carter, Joyce Fisher and Esther Reeves hope this could be the last Christmas of this dreaded war.
But as the day approaches, word spreads in sleepy Helmstead that two German Airmen are on the run.
With everyone on alert, the atmosphere is tense and at a certain point the situation becomes really heated because the girls will find themselves face to face with the enemy...

________ *** _______ *** ________

Usually this kind of book/series offers passionate love stories with a little drama, set in times of war... It was what I expected together with a Christmas atmosphere made of simple things, deep feelings and emotions and touching moments involving not only the couple protagonist, but also the other side characters.

None of this!
Unexpectedly, this book led me to experience an adventure made up of reckless women, suspense and danger alternating with a little action, two villains, one of whom is declared and the other sneaky and hidden in the shadows and a nice (and absolutely unexpected) surprise in the happy ending.
All of this made it an ENGAGING and exciting READ.

__ MAIN CHARACTERS ___ the protagonists of this book are 3 girls who work on a farm during the war, they were in fact "Land Girls" (those girls and women, coming from all social classes, who replaced male farm workers who had gone to war.)

I really liked the atmosphere of camaraderie that formed between these women and girls, of different ages, who found themselves united in a common effort to help their country.
I liked the atmosphere of sacrifice mixed with the anxiety of the uncertainty of the future, because nowadays (at least in Western countries and not at war) we take everything for granted and we complain about every little thing and every little lack, not thinking that life is just a flutter of wings.
I liked seeing how these women, despite everything, were animated by tenacity, good will and resilience and I liked seeing how they took the position head on, but always thinking first of not endangering the people they loved.

__ WHY ONLY 3 (actually 3.5 rounded down to 3 ) STARS THEN ? __
Some things that I didn't like :

1) If I choose to read a book with the word "Christmas" in the title, I expect to be enveloped in a warm Christmas atmosphere.
In this book the only Christmassy thing is the countdown of how many days until Christmas.
Each chapter begins with: 8 days until Christmas, 7 days until Christmas, 6 days until Christmas etc...
Then there is a scene in which characters talk about where everyone will spend Christmas, but there is nothing Christmassy here.

2) The writer while describing/narrating a certain scene, suddenly makes the characters go into their past memories and this even lasts for pages, which led me to forget what was happening in the current scene.
A very confusing writing style.

In the same way, the author goes from scenes on the farm with the girls to scenes of the German airmen or the doctor in the hospital, suddenly and without pauses between one topic and another.
The author divided the chapters according to the days left until Christmas, but in my opinion it would have been better to divide the chapters according to the two realities that were being told in the story (the one of the girls and that one of the pilots, at least until the moment which all these characters found themselves on the same scene).

3) I would have liked the author to delve more deeply into the characters, but probably, having dedicated each of the past books in the series to each girl, he didn't consider it necessary.
I think that giving more depth to the characters in each book, even if they are part of a series, is important, because each book is readable as a standalone (including this one) and it is obvious that not all readers read all the books in the same series (otherwise we wouldn't have time to explore other genres and authors).

Thanks for reading my opinion and for your patience with my text, I'm sorry for any errors but English isn't my native language.

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Book review : The Heiress Who Dared Me by Charlie Lane

The Heiress Who Dared Me: A Christmas novella
The Debutante Dares Book 8
by Charlie Lane
GENRE : #Regency-romance #Christmas-short-story

My rating: ★★★★★

5 FULL STARS WELL DESERVED!! :-D

A delightful read from start to finish !!!!

____ HERE THE PLOT IN SHORT___ Regency era, England.
A London heiress, Lady Georgiana Hunt, and the younger brother of an heir to the Earldom, Josiah Evans, meet at his family's party.

She is beautiful and he is enchanted by watching her while she eats a cake in a very sensual way.
Unfortunately Lady Georgiana is very bitter towards every man, she was taught by the aunt who raised her that suitors only chase her money and that it is better to keep it all away.

For his part, Josiah, although aristocrats usually don't work, has decided to dedicate himself to managing the lands that will be inherited by his brother and building every possible improvement for the villagers... therefore, he doesn't have time for a possible wife.

So when she addresses him harshly, he is not offended and responds in an ironic but also friendly and kind manner.
Georgiana, taken aback, laughs and as they continue to chat, teasing each other with irony, they lay the foundations for a solid friendship.
However, they don't see each other for a year and only in the following December will they meet again and make a pact: a sincere friendship through which they will make everyone believe they are courting each other, in this way she will be free from gold hunters and he from mothers, which will feature daughters looking for husbands.

******--------******

What follows is a nice and sweet story of friendship that slowly turns into love.

----> The FIRST PART of the novel could be defined as a CLEAN ROMANCE,
---> while in the SECOND PART there are more daring scenes and a LOVEMAKING SCENE, very sensual but NEVER ANYTHING VULGAR and that's one of the reason I really liked the story ( in fact I hate scenes that tell all the details of sex, mechanically without leaving room for emotions and true romance, turning only into a vulgar chronicle)

Another reason I like reading this little book:
Josiah and Gerogiana's relationship evolves progressively from friendship to love and every kiss and every love scene is described in the right way to make the reader dream.
Nothing too saccharine or far-fetched, on the contrary: every situation and every word is completely plausible even in reality.

The passion that slowly envelops them and the small jealousy that at a certain point touches Georgiana is completely normal in every person in love.

I hate when falling in love is described in a ridiculous way as if the couple has seen nothing else on this planet (the romance I read previously was like this and it was ridiculous!), I hate the ultra-possessive and jealous hero who takes it out on anyone who looks at the heroine.

I LOVED THIS ROMANCE BECAUSE THE CHARACTERS ARE NICE, SENSITIVE AND INTELLIGENT!!!

Yes, I really liked this couple!
Although it is not a long novel, the author was very good at making us get to know the characters in depth through dialogues and their small spontaneous gestures dictated by the heart.

OUR HEROINE : Lady Georgiana may seem cold at first sight, but in reality she hides the soul of a child wounded by her family and she's in need of sincere affection and to experience holidays and entertainment like any other person surrounded by a real family.

OUR HERO : Josiah is a good guy, willing, generous and enterprising, this can be seen immediately.
What prevents him from dedicating himself to the search for his own happiness is his sense of duty and the awareness that he loves living in the countryside and dedicating himself to work while Lady Georgiana is a city girl accustomed to every luxury and comfort.

Sometimes, however, it is enough to share small joys to understand that reaching compromises to enjoy happiness is not so impossible.

___SIDE CHARACTERS __
In the story we find other family characters, some of whom are protagonists in previous books, but this novella CAN ALSO BE READ AS A STANDALONE and I assure you that you will equally enjoy it.

The author's cunning was to complete the scenes with supporting characters, but without making them too intrusive in the story, so that the few pages available could give enough space to delve deeper into the protagonist couple and their feelings (doubts, hopes , old memories, dreams for the future and of course a new feeling that transports them more and more towards each other).

__CONCLUSION ___
Recommended for all those who love sweet and fun romances with a guaranteed happy ending.

This is the first time I've read a Charlie Lane romance and I'll happily read many more.

Thanks for reading my opinion, I hope it can be useful.
Please forgive any errors you may find in my text, I'm from Italy and English isn't my native language.

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Book review : A Minor Deception by Nupur Tustin

A Minor Deception
Joseph Haydn Mystery book #1
by Nupur Tustin
My rating: ★★★☆☆

I love mysteries that revolve around the most famous composers of the 18th century in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and around the great Habsburg dynasty.

That period fascinates me and if in addition to the mystery I also find historical notions and the setting is so well described that it's able to transport me to that place in that time, then the book is really good to me and I rate it 5 stars, especially if I become attached to the characters and miss them after finishing the story.

But this is not the case ! :-(  :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

I had great expectations with this cozy mystery:
- to start it has an amazing cover, one of the best among the mysteries I've read starring great composers of the 18th century and with a similar setting.....
And THE PLOT IS SO PROMISING:
- the plot involving one of the greatest Austrian composers (Franz Joseph Haydn) and his family (wife and brother), the rich and sumptuous court of Prince Esterházy and the preparation of a musical event on the occasion of the visit of the great empress Maria Theresa. - the synopsis of the mystery also seemed very interesting: the disappearance of a very gifted but very grumpy violinist and with him the disappearance of a precious violin.

_____ WHAT I LIKED :
The only thing I appreciated about this "historical whodunit" is the author's initial introduction of the many characters who actually existed in the story.

For each of them, not only is the name written in full and with a real noble title (if they were aristocrats), but it is also explained what role they played in history and some character characteristics that distinguished them.

In addition to this, the author has added a short, but still interesting final HISTORICAL NOTE, which explains some things regarding the creation of the mystery, which is naturally purely fictional, but inspired by a real character and events that actually happened.

___ What I LIKED LESS and dampened my enthusiasm (hence 3 stars):

- THE CHARACTERS: although well introduced by the author in a long (but interesting) initial list, none of them were developed in the book.

Of each character I can understand who has a good nature and who doesn't, just through that list, while the dialogues they pronounce are only sterile phrases that do not convey any emotion to the reader nor are they able to give him the perception, in an in-depth manner, of the the soul of each character.

I know that Haydn's wife is an ungrateful shrew and that one of Haydn's brothers always tries to mediate between them and this is clear from the dialogues only because previously the author explained this in the list of characters...
The dialogues are always the same, very repetitive, the same sentences and the same situations.

- THE SCENES: the story is set in Eisenbach in 1766, but it could be anywhere and at any time... I didn't breathe the atmosphere of that place and that time as I did in many other good books.

- REPETITIVENESS and FLAT PLOT: the first 25% of the book took place between the rehearsal room where the violinist behaved rudely and at Haydn's house where he told about this and everyone wondered why.

The second 25% is Haydn's constant thinking about what he could have done differently and what he must do now that the violinist is gone...

When a kind, charming but mysterious character appeared 40% of the way through the book, I thought things were finally getting interesting but they didn't. It's all very boring. The characters always ask themselves the same questions and cannot find answers.

- SOME BIG MISTAKES that an author should pay more attention to when writing about historical settings.
I'll mention just one:
at a certain point the writer says that Haydn takes his pen out of his jacket pocket and corrects the score...
OH MY GOD!!!
Even the chickens know that in 1700 THEY WROTE WITH A NIB AND INK POT, they certainly couldn't keep it in their pocket.
------------------
IN CONCLUSION: Perhaps the series could be nice for young adults, but I don't recommend the series to adults who are fans of mystery books because they would be disappointed.
I have read many series of cozy mysteries with historical settings that are much more captivating and engaging and from which I have even learned historical notions that I didn't know.

Many thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive my English since it's not my native language. :-)

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Book review : Confessions of a Dangerous Lord by Elisa Braden

Confessions of a Dangerous Lord
Rescued from Ruin series book #6
by Elisa Braden
GENRE : #Regency-mystery-romance

My rating: ★★★★☆
Real rating : 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

A regency mystery-romance, book #6 in a family saga, but perfectly readable as a standalone.

I rate the mystery part with 4 stars and while many readers who are passionate about regency romance would also be happy with the romantic part (lots of spicy kisses and hot sex scenes) I only rate it with 2.5 stars because it bored me to read continuously: "she loves him" ", "he loves her", "she needed his lips and tongue" etc... and how much they both were aroused by each other and to see them having sex everywhere.
My personal opinion: too much is unbearable !

__ THE PLOT IN SHORT __ Regency England.
Henry Thorpe, Earl of Dunston and Lady Maureen Huxley have been in love with each other for two years, but while she has openly declared herself, he remains ambiguous and plays the role of best friend, always joking and frivolous and not at all interested in marrying her.

Maureen is therefore on the hunt for a husband, but internally she continues to yearn for Henry.
Henry suffers because he cannot declare his love due to his secret life: he has been hunting his father's killer for 10 long years. A perverse and dangerous killer, who would surely harm Maureen just to get revenge on Henry.

However, love is too strong and at a certain point telling the truth becomes necessary.
Happiness is one step away but Maureen's whole world is turned upside down and everything is at stake: their love, their life and that of the people around them...

-------------****-------------

The book started out as a real mystery and I loved it straight away.
Action, murder, mystery, false identities, unstoppable good guys and elusive bad guys... Everything involved me so much that I was super excited.
Being a romance novel, I thought I would rate it 5 stars.
I love the suspense of mystery combined with the sweet emotions of romance.

The romantic past started in a fun and cute way, but then in my opinion it went on too long with Maureen's insistence... I can't stand it when women persistently run after men who don't want them (in reality he wanted her , but she doesn't know it and I don't like her way).

---> The first 50% of the book starts with action and mystery, but then the story focuses on romance.
Unlike other novels, here there is no part dedicated to conquest, because the two main characters are already mutually in love.
---> There are spicy kisses and hot scenes that last many pages, but the writer's style failed to excite me, on the contrary the continuous declaration of their love and their desire to have sex tired me.

At one point I was so tired of this saccharine, sex-hungry couple that I decided to abandon the book. I was already at 50%.

Two days later I decided to continue reading to the end:
----> luckily the second 50% of the book is mostly dedicated to the mystery, Henry's secrets, the new reality that Maureen finds herself facing and the action and discovery of new shocking truths.

---->You romantics and those eager for sex, don't worry, you will also have a good dose of sensual love-making in the second 50%.

In the book we met two interesting male characters who will be protagonists in the books following this one in the series.
Part of me would have liked to read them, but I find the author's style unbearable as far as the romantic part is concerned: everything is over-emphasized: Henry's jealousy, his desire to kill anyone who harms a hair of his wife's hair, Maureen's adoration for him, their mutual desire for sex even in the most unexpected and delicate moments when there are other important things at stake... and then certain Americanisms in the books set in the Regency era in England are unbearable.

I'm happy I managed to get to the end of the book, but I won't read the others in the series because it's not for me (I've been reading mysteries all my life, despising romances, only 2 years ago I started to appreciate reading them), but I recommend it warmly to all the passionate lovers of regency romances.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors in my text since English is not my language.

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Book review : Ghostly Lover by Mary Lancaster

Ghostly Lover
Crime and Passion Book #4.5
by Mary Lancaster
GENRE : #historical-mystery-romance
#Halloween-read
My rating: ★★★☆☆


Real rating : 2.5 rounded up to 3.

A short story, included in the Passion & Crime series (of which I really liked books #1 and #2 and  I will soon also read #3 + the short Christmas story) written by the author exclusively for Halloween.

The protagonist couple is the common thread throughout the series, Griz and Dragan in fact met in book #1 and after falling in love and getting married they continue to be present as a couple of amateur detectives.

In this short story they will have to shed light on a suicide that they suspect to be a murder and put a ghost to rest.

--PLOT IN SHORT---
Late 1800s, England.
  Dragan finds himself a guest with an aristocratic friend, whose stately home is built right next to an old ruined castle (belonging to the friend's family), which is said to be haunted by a female ghost.

The reason why Dragan was invited is to shed light on the death of his friend's girlfriend, but the only suspects are the family and the servants.

Unable to unravel the mystery on his own, Dragan invites his wife Grizelda to join him and she also brings their recently born child with her.

To complicate matters, the presence of the ghost in love with Dragan.

---------*******----------
The premises for a good Halloween story are all there but for many reasons the story didn't engage me and I didn't like the Dragan and Griz couple as much as in past books.

Since it is a short story I will be concise and essential in my personal opinion on the story:

1) I usually like the Dragan and Griz couple both as a romantic couple and as characters considered individually: both do not like conventions, they are in love and used to sharing everything but without being nauseatingly saccharine or ridiculous.

Unfortunately in this story the writer has transformed Griz into a clingy, petulant, jealous wife and in my opinion also rude in her manners and in asking investigative questions.
I didn't like it at all.

2) The plot is weak and this is obviously also due to the fact that it is a short story and not a novel, so there is no time to delve into situations, characters and investigations.

But the problem isn't just this, there are many things that don't make sense at all:

- Dragan is called to investigate and then once on site, the whole family is hostile to him and everyone insists that it was a suicide or an accident (BUT THEN WHY DID YOU CALL HIM?????)

- There is no investigation except a couple of questions asked rudely by Griz.

- The ghost seems to be included in the story only to make a connection with the Halloween holiday but seems to have nothing to do with everything else in the plot.
The ghost is seen at the beginning of the story, then at the end and is sent away in the blink of an eye in a very simple, easy and ridiculous way for a story.

The motivation for the murder doesn't make much sense, the motive and the culprit are ridiculous.

It's all very hasty, full of contradictions and not at all engaging.
All the supporting characters are unlikable and don't even seem to be part of the story itself.
They are extras who are given dialogue without content and without meaning.

The only reason why I gave 2.5 rounded to 3 stars (which for me means passable but not among those I would reread or recommend) is that I like the Dragan and Griz couple in the novels and the novels in the series are well written and very satisfying underneath all points of view (mystery, romance, ending).
If I had read this story without first reading the other books, my actual rating would have been 2 stars.

I 100% recommend the novels in the series, but don't waste your time with this short story.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive my English since it's not my language.

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Book review : An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James

An Inquiry into Love and Death
by Simone St. James
GENRE : #gothic-mystery-romance
#Halloween-read

My rating: ★★★★★
5 FULL STARS WELL DESERVED!! :-D

An engaging and wonderful historical fiction ( especially in Halloween time ) from the first page to the last... and I loved it so much that I would re-start to read it again right now!

To me it has been a satisfying read from all points of view and while Goodreads allows me to give a full 5 stars rating, actually my rating is a 6 out of 5 stars!! :-D

I only give the 6th star to books that I thought about continuously even when I was at work and couldn't dedicate myself to reading and of which I reread all the salient points and the final chapter last night, because I just can't tear myself away from the characters and their story.

__ A GREAT MIX OF THEMES ALL WELL DEVELOPED __

This novel is a n amazing mix of mystery and suspense (ghost stories, strange phenomena in an isolated English village, a murder and investigation, old secrets and dark shadows of war, possible espionage) and a tender and sensual love story.

In my opinion, each of the themes mentioned above has been well developed without going to the detriment of the others.

Sometimes too many themes mean that the author is unable to develop any of them well enough, but this is not the case, I discovered an author I didn't know, Simone St. James and I think her narration is simply magnificent: her words created images and characters so real and vivid in my mind that I felt like I was watching a movie. I felt and still feel fully and pleasantly captivated by this novel.

But let's start with the _____ PLOT IN BRIEF:

1924 England.
Jillian Leigh, a brilliant Oxford student, receives the news of the death of her uncle whom she had not seen for many years. For work reasons, her parents refuse to go and recognize the body and leave the burdensome task to their daughter.

Just 22 years old and still inexperienced in life, Jillian finds herself having to drive alone to a remote village on the English coast, where her uncle was hunting for ghosts...because it is said that the village is haunted by many dark presences including the angry and restless soul of an old smuggler.

Initially skeptical about paranormal phenomena and her uncle's profession, Jillian suddenly finds herself immersed in the investigation of an alleged murder and in an aura of mystery and secrets, which hovers throughout the village.

The attractive and equally mysterious young inspector of Scotland Yard, former RAF pilot in the great war, Drew Merriken, will add further thrills to Jillian's heart and life.
While together they will try to unravel the tangle of intrigues, lies and murders and attempted murders present and past, they will also have to decide if it is even worth opening their hearts to each other.

_______**______**_______


__GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN DARKNESS AND LIGHT ___

Generally speaking, as I said above, mystery and love are intertwined in several aspects, each of which was well developed and had a satisfying resolution.

Another important thing that I want to add is that all the dramatic elements (such as the death of some people and the war) and dark elements (such as the malevolent presences, the mysterious and frightening noises) are perfectly balanced by other pleasant elements (such as the attraction and exciting intimate scenes between Drew and Jillian; friendly conversations with some characters in the village and moments of student life) and comforting elements (such as the friendly presence of the cat and also the dog, which give relief to both the characters and the reader on occasions of anguish and fear and of course the happy ending for all the good ones).

I'm not the type of person who loves horror or even overly gloomy themes, so this balance between darkness and light allowed me to fully enjoy the suspense without being saddened or depressed by it (as happens to me with books that only contain drama and which I avoid like the plague) and remaining with the desire to reread the book in the future.


____ THE 2 MAIN CHARACTERS ______

I loved the two main characters and while I hoped with all my heart that true love would blossom between them, I didn't know how it would actually go.
Indeed we often approach novels already knowing that they contain a love story that will have a happy ending, but here, despite the title, I was only expecting a mystery to be solved, some ghost that would turn out to be just a setup (seriously, I was really convinced it was a set up ) and just a hint of romantic interest (as in the old golden-age mysteries).

The two characters reflect real people so much, with strengths, weaknesses and internal fears (and consequent behaviors), in fact, that managing the attraction wasn't exactly easy and at a certain point it took a turn that almost made me think the worst.


---> DREW : Drew is charming, but like many guys I've met in my real life, he avoids serious emotional connections and bonds, plus he lives in 1924, he was a pilot in the war and the traumatic experience had a huge impact on his attitude towards life and people.
However, he is not one to give up on women or sex... he takes what he can while giving the minimum... all to the detriment of Jillian who is young, sensitive and easily hurt.

Like Jillian, I also felt attracted to Drew while reading, but not being Jillian, but the reader, I also occasionally thought: what an asshole he is!
Off course he also knows how to be very sweet and eventually how to correct his foolishness.

--> JILLIAN : Jillian was amazing.
So young, yet she didn't back down from any challenge: she faced unpleasant situations such as recognizing her uncle's body, in an unknown place, completely alone and without any emotional support, she spent days in a house where she spent traumatic experiences, she followed the emotions of her heart despite being afraid of them and managed to close a wrong situation with courage, when she would have liked to do the opposite.
She managed to be generous even when she suffered wrongs and extended a hand and a good word to everyone around her.

She faced a life upheaval with great intelligence and firmness, without feeling sorry for herself and without seeking pity from those around her.
An intelligent heroine, modern without being exalted or presumptuous, sensitive towards others and with the desire to find solutions where they are needed and offer forgiveness instead of definitively closing doors as people dear to her have done in the past.

I loved her sensitivity and affection for cats and dogs, I really liked this aspect included by the author, because I love all animals.

----> If you too are among those who, watching a film, are often exclaiming: "Oh God, what will happen to the cat/dog/horse/piglet etc..."?
Don't worry, in this novel the author has well underlined the happy ending for pets too.

___ SIDE CHARACTERS __
Although the supporting characters have minor roles, I found them all well drawn and essential to give the idea of the type of daily life you breathe in a small village where everyone knows everyone since early childhood and is aware of joys and misfortunes of others, where a stranger is noticed a mile away and where distrust towards strangers is the rule.

The writer was good at the deception that some of them perpetuate. For some, the friendly facade is just a mask under which the murderer or murderers hide.

I liked that the author, after solving the mystery, told a personalized ending for each of them.

___ SETTING and MYSTERY ___

The setting is perfect for Halloween, plus the mystery that unites the paranormal with the real human wickedness of the living takes place in autumn, in the month of October and the culminating event regarding the supernatural takes place on a stormy night on October 31st.

Dark places, mysterious sounds and noises, unexpected and shocking events are described so well that every sensation and emotion that arises goes straight to the reader's heart.
The same happens for the positive emotions given to us by Drew's touch and kisses for Jillian.

The mystery initially seems to only concern ghosts or the "supposedly suspicious" death of Jillian's uncle, but there is much more behind it.
The mystery is multi-layered and as the story unfolds, it deepens, confusing the shadows of the past with those of the present, both regarding the personal stories of the characters and something larger that could impact the entire nation.

The twists and heart-pounding terror alternate pleasantly with moments of sweetness and if the culprit is suspected at a certain point, it is actually difficult to understand if he/she/they is/are really guilty.
The ambiguity of some characters persists to the end and the culmination of the culprit's madness results in a truly breathtaking chapter.

:-) WHO DO I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO?

--> To those who love golden-age detective stories, because this one, despite being written in modern times, is similar in style and much better in certain points (more emotional impact, less slow pace, more romance).

--> To those who love clean romances (but who know how to excite the reader) made more intriguing by the aura of mystery.

--> To those who love suspense and tension, but who hate horror books and bloody scenes and prefer a type of clean and polite language (therefore also recommended for readers of cozy mystery).

--> ... Ultimately I'm so enthusiastic about it that I recommend it to everyone!

___**___**____

I will definitely try to read other novels by this author (Simone St. James)

Thanks for reading my opinion (too long perhaps, but I would continue to talk about this book for hours and hours... :-D ) and sorry for my English, it is not my native language.

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Book review : The Secrets of Wycliffe Manor by Patricia Rice

The Secrets of Wycliffe Manor
Gravesyde Priory Mysteries Book #1
by Patricia Rice
GENRE: slightly gothic #regency-mystery-romance

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,8 stars rounded up to 4.

An ancient, decaying manor received as an inheritance, a group of characters unknown to each other and with their own secrets, old diaries that have disappeared, a strange essence of jasmine in the air...

Set in the regency era the story has all the conditions to be a Gothic fiction, but overall the story gave me a feeling of a "cozy" atmosphere thanks to the emotional bond and mutual support that is created between the various characters and I liked it for this very reason.

___ PLOT___ 1815, England.
Orphaned 23-year-old Clarissa Knightley lives in London alone with her nephew, the son of her sister who died years before, in the company of a friend who was the victim of a violent husband and has now become pregnant.
When she receives a letter saying that she is among the heirs of an old manor, she sees a new opportunity for herself, her nephew and her friend for a new start in life.
She also needs to find new inspiration to write the novels she earns a living from.

The letter was sent by Captain Alastair Huntley, an American surveyor (whose mother is English and is among the descendants of the manor family) who was left limping and injured in one eye fighting in the war. With him is his best friend, a black young man who is also a surveyor.

The letter was sent by 30-year-old Captain Alastair Huntley, an American surveyor (whose mother is English and is among the descendants of the manor's family) who was left limping and injured in one eye fighting in the war. Together with him is his best friend and peer, a black boy who is also a surveyor.

The first meeting is quite chilling for Clare (Clarissa), but in the course of events, which also include the arrival of other strange (at least initially) characters, the collaboration between them, to find the means of subsistence and give new vigor to everything the village, gives rise to a feeling of esteem and affection.
---------------- * ------------- * ----------

IS IT AN ENGAGING STORY?
Secrets and suspicions overlap each other during the reading of the book and the dose of suspense both to know the name or names of the villains, and to see a romantic feeling flourish between the two main characters is so high that I was literally left glued to the pages of the book (or rather to the screen of my device).

At the end of the book we have a happy ending for the main plot, but we need to read the following books in the series to be able to see developed and resolved all the subplots cleverly inserted throughout the story and thus have full satisfaction by this read.

__ THE CHARACTERS __
I liked them all, but there are many of them and this did not give the author the opportunity to develop them in depth, who was instead able to trace only the main features and tell us, in alternating phases, the private thoughts of Clare and Hunt.
We get to know the other co-protagonist characters only superficially, while the supporting characters barely have a face and a name and a few lines of dialogue.

I therefore repeat that it will be necessary to read the next books to have a broader vision of their lives and their way of being.

__ MYSTERIES TO BE SOLVED ___ what I wrote above also applies to this theme: there are several things that need to be shed light on and if book #1 finds the solution to some questions, there are many other "whys and whos" that remain unsolved and which the reader will discover only by continuing to read the series.

This is why my rating isn't very high despite it being an enjoyable read that I couldn't wait to return to every time I had to break away.

IT IS DIFFICULT TO TAG THIS BOOK:
#romance? #mystery? #gothic? #historical ?

What is certain is that it is a fiction, for the rest we find a hint of everything but nothing so impressive as to be able to include it in that specific category, but I liked it very much.

It's a hybrid that will keep you in good company if you want a light but at the same time engaging read that helps your mood enter Halloween mode.

-- I can't recommend it to romance lovers, because although the attraction between the 2 main characters is palpable on almost every page, in reality the kisses that the two exchange are barely mentioned (so much so that in comparison a clean romance would appear hot), exactly as happens in cozy mysteries with a romantic subplot.

-- I can't even recommend it to "whodunit" fans, because in reality although our characters ask questions and go through old books in search of answers and although there is a dead person, there is no real investigation and the plot digresses towards many themes.

-- We are in the regency era and although this type of novel is called "historical fiction", here except for the mention of the era and fashion, there are no historical references or historical characters.

-- I can't even recommend the book to lovers of gothic readings because as I already explained at the beginning, despite creaks, dust and cobwebs, old cellars, dark corridors and crazy old women, the mutual support and affection that is created within the manor, among the characters is so cute and beautiful to read that it was really comfortable.

BUT I REPEAT : OVERALL I LIKED IT VERY MUCH!!!!

WILL I READ THE NEXT BOOKS IN THE SERIES? I really think so.
This was like eating a little spoon of a cake that I would like to eat a big slice of..I hope it doesn't disappoint me.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any error in my text, since English is not my native language. :-)

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Book review : A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander

A Cold Highland Wind
Lady Emily Mysteries book 17
by Tasha Alexander
GENRE : #historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,8 stars rounded up to 4.

An old castle in Scotland, an ancient Celtic festival and a murder!
In parallel, a story dating back 200 years earlier, when people were afraid of witches and every woman was at risk of being accused of witchcraft!

Since the month of October is the month of Halloween and I'm too weak to read anything horror, this seemed like the right read to get into the right spirit, while remaining in my comfort zone.

___PLOT___ Lady Emily, her husband Colin Hargreaves and their three children are on holiday at Cairnfarn Castle in Scotland, guests of Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, Emily's dear childhood friend.The atmosphere is cheerful and lively, also thanks to a folklore event of Celtic origin that is being celebrated. Music, dancing, rum punch...everything is going well until Jeremy's gamekeeper is found dead and horribly disfigured.

In the same village approximately 200 years earlier, ancient rituals, phrases that could seem like magic formulas and people foreign to the village were not welcome and the risk of being accused of witchcraft was around every corner or rather behind every slothful and manipulative person.

____********_______********____


EMILY and COLIN _ the 2 MAIN CHARACTERS __ 
Reading a book in this series every now and then is like meeting up with a couple of my old friends.
I like them both either considered separately or as a couple.

COLIN: handsome and charming, intelligent and always loving and with great consideration for his wife, but also always responsible, thoughtful and realistic.

EMILY: always loving and admired towards her husband, but also independent in her choices and stubborn in pursuing her goals, beautiful and sweet with her husband, but sometimes a little too reckless and not inclined to follow his judicious advice.

Parents of 2 biological children and one of their wards, always careful in raising them, leaving them free to follow their passions but not without a certain discipline. Despite having been married for a decade, this couple does not lack romance and sentimental outpourings.

I love the fact that although the series is titled Lady Emily, in reality, the investigation is the work of both of them and there is great chemistry between them.

In the first books of the series, they acted separately and Lady Emily was always in the foreground and her husband was more of a secondary character, as time passed and the series grew, I can say that both are protagonists and I like this a lot.

__ ALREADY KNOWN SIDE CHARACTERS __ 

Bainbridge's two quirky aunts add a humorous touch to the story.
They are two spinster sisters, very old but with a lively brain and an adventurous spirit, they know everything about everyone and don't mince their words.

Jeremy is a loving nephew, a loyal friend and a duke who, despite self-deprecatingly calling himself useless, actually cares for the people of the village and does his duty with great sensitivity.

I like all these characters because together with Emily and Colin's 3 children, they help create a "cozy" atmosphere and bring more than a smile to the reader's face.

__ SETTING AND OTHER CHARACTERS ___ 
I haven't read all the books in the Lady Emily series, but I've read 11 of them including this one and I have to say that unlike the others, the setting here is barely intuitive.

There are usually detailed descriptions of both the location where the story takes place and historically important buildings and monuments, as well as the atmosphere.
Here, apart from the wind from the moors, you can't really breathe the air of the Highlands and the small Scottish village... nothing evocative or suggestive in my opinion and  this is one of the two things that lowered my rating for the book .

____MYSTERY___

----> In 1905 : Halfway through the book I thought I was so clever and had guessed the truth, but it wasn't like that and above all the culprit was really really unexpected!!I had a lot of fun making conjectures and hypotheses and until the end I was on tenterhooks, I couldn't wait to find out who the murderer was and several times I was tempted to go and peek at the back of the book, but I resisted!

Well done Tasha Alexander, the solution to the mystery was truly something I never expected.
A little more disappointing and hasty was the solution to a parallel mystery, also in 1905, connected to the murder.

----> In 1676: Up to 70% of the book, the protagonist of the story, set in the 18th century, kept me in suspense: her first-person narrative is full of suspense, the characters around her are ambiguous in their speeches, mysterious in their arguments and I really feared that the story would end in a dramatic way.

So the writer achieved her aim here too (to create an atmosphere of uncertainty, anxiety and deep emotion... but then without revealing the details everything was resolved in a way that was perhaps a little too easy, I don't know how to explain... .
I was expecting something more impressive and  this is the second thing that lowered my rating for the book.
Anyway, I was happy with the happy ending for the characters in this story.

__ HISTORICAL PART  ___ 
Unlike the other books I read in the series, here there are no historical notions or real-life historical characters except for the fact that the character of the mystery set in 1676 is inspired by two real-life black women, about whom the writer talks to us briefly in his notes at the end of the book.

Another historical reference is the witch hunt and the witch hunters who, in order to prove the fake, invented and falsified the evidence, you will also find a brief mention of this in the author's notes.

*****
This is one of the few series that I usually read in no particular order, each book in the series can be read as a standalone, but if you read them starting from the first one you will be able to enjoy better Emily's personal story (her engagement , marriage, children and all the recurring characters who contribute to creating a cheerful and pleasant atmosphere).

Thanks for reading my opinion and as always I ask you to be lenient with my English since it's not my native language.



If you want to know more about OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES, you can read some reviews here :

BOOK #2 : A Poisoned Season

BOOK #3 : A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

BOOK #4: Tears of Pearl

BOOK #5: Dangerous to Know

BOOK #13.5 : Upon the Midnight Clear ( Christmas novella )

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Book review : Once Upon A Wallflower by Wendy Lyn Watson

Once Upon A Wallflower
by Wendy Lyn Watson
GENRE : #regency-gothic-romance

My rating: ★★★★★
5 FULL STARS !! :-D

I LOVED IT FROM THE VERY FIRST PAGE TO THE LAST ONE !!!!!!!!!!
5 full stars well deserved!!

If you like love stories set in the Regency era with an undercurrent of suspense and mystery, then this book is a suitable read for you.

__ THE PLOT __ London.
Mirabelle Fitzhenry was betrothed, by her uncle, her guardian, to Nicholas, Viscount Ashfield, not a lover of society, considered by all to be strange, dark and believed responsible for the death of 3 young women.

So why did "Mira"'s uncle (as she is called by everyone) do this? Simply to honor a gambling debt and by making Nicholas' father, the famous libertine Lord Blackwell, believe that the bride was his beautiful daughter, also named Mirabelle Fitzhenry, but called "Belle" by everyone.

Mira is not too worried because she thinks that as soon as the viscount and her father realize that it is the wrong Mirabelle, they will back off and not accept the marriage. In fact, Mira has never had a season, she is not fashionable, she is not devoid of curves as the current fashion requires and she has red hair.

Nicholas Ashfield is not interested in getting married to a blond goose with ribbons (this is the Mirabelle he believes he should marry) and thinks that she will back down because she is scared of his height, grandeur and above all of the chatter that considers him a killer.

Actually, when Nicholas and Mira meet for the first time, they immediately like each other not only physically, but also because they spend a little time together, complicity is created and both decide to wait to let the other escape.
But there are unsolved murders that complicate the situation and Mira decides to find out who the real culprit is.

For his part, Nicholas is attracted to Mira, a spontaneous courtship ensues with sweet and passionate kisses, he wishes to marry her, but remains ambiguous regarding the murders and the possibility of investigating... He is truly innocent as Mira's instincts initially tell her ? Should she follow her heart or logic?

As things become more complicated and dangerous, the truth becomes confused with the killer's cunning machinations and the passionate love that is being born between Nicholas and Mira risks being destroyed before it can blossom openly in the sunlight.
______________

The story is well written, the part is narrated in the third person and the dialogues change in a pleasant way and the reading is always smooth.
I never encountered a dull moment, and while I longed to find out more about the mystery I enjoyed the moments of sensual romance with which Nicholas slowly won Mira's heart.

___ ROMANCE & MYSTERY ___ Both elements are well developed by the author and I felt engaged by the story from start to end.
The sexual tension and the longing that Nicholas and Mira feel for one another is palpable, just as the suspense and hypotheses about who the real culprit could be will make you turn the pages faster and faster.

THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS are both, even if for different reasons, outcasts from aristocratic society, but this is not the only thing they have in common, they find in each other sensitivity of soul, spontaneity and a tenderness that until then had been missed to them.
They also like each other physically and the chemistry is perfect, despite the odds to the contrary, they are made for each other.

CARESSES, KISSES AND LOVEMAKING:
Barely touched kisses, passionate kisses, languid caresses, intense looks, whispered words and a long making-love scene (but clean and without anything vulgar) are expertly distributed throughout the course of the story and in my opinion this makes reading more enjoyable for those who want to read a love story.

INVESTIGATION _ Basically the story is a romance and Mira is not an investigator, so her questions and research are not those of an amateur detective that we usually find in "whodunits", but there are still many clues, phrases, attitudes and sudden discoveries that they will divert your hypotheses.
When you'll understand who the culprit is, you will probably be 70% of the way through the book (even if my suspicions had already begun before), however the author is good at making you doubt your hypotheses so much so that at a certain point, perhaps for a short while, for a very brief moment, you will wonder if Nicholas is really innocent (he is the protagonist and therefore we readers already know that he is innocent, but how often do unexpected twists happen in films???)
But don't panic, happy ending guaranteed.

I already miss this couple that I liked so much, it's really a shame that the author hasn't written other historical-suspense-romances, I like her style !

Thank you for reading my opinion and sorry for any English error in my text, it is not my native language.

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Book review : The Turncoat's Widow by Mally Becker

The Turncoat's Widow
Revolutionary War Mysteries #1
by Mally Becker
GENRE : #historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,5 rounded up to 4 of 5 stars is my real rating

I chose this book because I like spy stories, I love historical fiction and if there is also a touch of romance, then it is the perfect mix for me.

Unfortunately it took me the entire first half of the book to get into the story, there were no twists and the characters weren't developed enough to win me over.
-----> What saved the book's rating was the second half where action and twists finally engaged me and made me turn the pages with more interest than the first part.

___ THE PLOT ___ Set during the darkest days of the American Revolution.
1780. It's been a year since Daniel Alloway escaped from the British prison ship in New York City harbor.
Now he needs money and remembers that another prisoner confessed to him that he had left an important list of spies' names to his wife Rebecca Parcell who lives in Morristown, New Jersey. By selling the list to General Washinton it is possible to get a nice reward.

Unfortunately Rebecca knows nothing about it and is branded by the village minister as a traitor and accused of having handed her husband over to the British.

Despite being two strangers, Daniel and Rebecca find themselves entangled together in a dangerous mission imposed on them by General Washington, to find the precious list, otherwise they will both be left completely broke and without a future.

_________________

__HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CHARACTERS WHO REALLY LIVED __ as I have already said, we are in the years of the American Revolution in which the British colonies in America want to become independent from the empire.
The war has lasted longer than expected, food is scarce and people are at the end of their strength and endurance.
There are no great historical notions in the book and not even historical notes from the author, but it was fun to see two great characters actively participate in the story: General Washington and his right-hand man Alexander Hamilton.
A few final jokes are also reserved for Washington's wife.

One thing I particularly liked was that the author highlighted how in the revolution (in this one and all revolutions and wars), although they fought for freedom, in truth both sides were oppressors:
--> The British would have taken everything from those who were not loyal and even Washington had no qualms about taking away lands and possessions from those who did business with the British or worse collaborated with them.
Every revolution, even if moved by a just ideal, then imposed the same arrogance of the previous oppressor in order to achieve its goal, therefore also using an iron fist and blackmail (for example like the French revolution and also the Russian one...).

___ SPY AND MYSTERY ___ perhaps the first part served more to introduce events and characters, I understand this, but for me it was too boring, while finally from 50% onwards the action moments and the plot between the suspects and the suspenseful scenes finally made me enjoy the story.
One of the culprits is quite predictable, but there are 3 others that I really never would have imagined!

___ CHARACTERS AND ROMANCE ___ in my opinion the author could have done a better job in developing the two main characters and should have dedicated a little more time to their interaction and the romantic story.
Otherwise she could have avoided the romantic hint altogether, to me it was the worst part of the book.

The impression I had was that a romantic part was not foreseen and that halfway through the book the author decided to add attraction and a future love story between the two characters.
While reading it seemed to me that the author had inserted, here and there and only at a later time, sentences that were supposed to foreshadow a love interest between Daniel and Rebecca, but these sentences were totally disconnected from the rest of the plot and did not evoke any emotion in me.

I use read several clean romances and even the description of a touch of a hand or a sweet thought from the other person can evoke butterflies in the stomach and give goosebumps if well described, but this was not the case.

After 50% of the book, the romance seemed to improve, it was described more believably, but then it was neglected again.
The reader has his "happy ending" but nothing really satisfying from a romantic point of view, just the premise of another spy adventure in book #2 of the series and the premise of other romantic attempts.

This is this author's debut book and so perhaps she can be forgiven, hoping that the following books will be developed satisfactorily.

WOULD I RECOMMEND IT? I don't know...maybe only to someone used to read cozy mysteries where neither the mysteries nor the love stories are explored in detail.

WILL I GET THE NEXT BOOKS IN THE SERIES? I would like it, but I confess that I am undecided, I don't want to be disappointed again or waste precious time since I have so many books on my list.

THANKS for reading my opinion and please forgive my English, it's not my native language.

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