Book review : The Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen

The Secret of the India Orchid
Regency Proper Romance series book #2
by Nancy Campbell Allen

GENRE: Regency clean romance with a hint of mystery
My rating: ★★★★☆

I have to start saying that the intriguing title is a bit misleading.
While the story unfolds in India among members of the British aristocracy, there is no actual secret surrounding an orchid. Orchids are mentioned only as beautiful local flowers, and the central mystery revolves around stolen documents.
Though a more accurate title might have been something like "The Disappeared Document", I admit the chosen title sounds certainly more exciting. Having said that, I can say that I enjoyed the book from start to finish.

___ THE PLOT IN SHORT ____
Anthony Blake is smitten with Sophia Elliot, his best friend’s sister, but his chance to pursue her is cut short when he’s pulled back into his secret life as a spy for the Crown. After a sensitive list naming British agents—including himself—is stolen, Anthony distances himself from Sophia, trading his noble reputation for the guise of a carefree playboy to keep her safe.

Heartbroken, Sophia heads to India seeking solace, only to get caught up in a tangled mystery involving a missing sea captain, a possible murder, and whispers of royal intrigue.
When Anthony arrives at the British Residency, cautious and distant, Sophia is torn.
She still loves him and believes he feels the same, but with his secrets between them, can their love survive under the scorching Indian sun?

Their story unfolds amid danger and longing, testing whether trust and love can be rebuilt from the shadows.

________________________

This novel offers a refreshing take on the romance genre, standing out as a “clean romance” where the emotional connection between the protagonists takes center stage. Unlike many novels that lean heavily on physical intimacy, this story highlights feelings and subtle emotional exchanges, creating a tender and heartfelt love story without relying on sex scenes or kisses.

What makes this novel especially compelling is its clever blend of romance and murder mystery.
The plot skillfully balances the blossoming relationship of the two main characters with the suspense and intrigue of a whodunit, keeping readers engaged on multiple levels.

___ MAIN CHARACTERS _____
Anthony and Sophia possess a rare blend of charm and intelligence, their moral compasses unwavering.
They are not merely characters, but souls yearning to rekindle a love threatened by circumstance and deception. Their earnest desire to rebuild what was broken is deeply compelling, making it remarkably easy to become invested in their individual journeys and, more importantly, in the fate of their intertwined hearts.
One cannot help but be drawn to their noble spirits and the palpable hope they carry for a future together, a future you desperately want them to achieve.

___ SIDE CHARACTERS ____
Beyond the leads, the story also weaves in the lives of several supporting characters, exploring their private stories, hopes, fears, and dreams. While these side plots are treated with a lighter touch, they add depth and texture to the narrative, enriching the overall reading experience. One of Allen’s strengths lies in her emotional portrayal of characters. Each individual, from main to minor roles, is vividly brought to life through their feelings and inner conflicts. Interestingly, physical descriptions are minimal; the author simply notes that the young characters are beautiful and charming, letting their personalities and emotions paint the true picture.

The writing style is fluid and easy to read, which allows readers to fully enjoy both the suspenseful and joyful moments of the story.

The plot is well thought out and consistent, making the novel a strong candidate for a family-friendly film adaptation suitable for both adults and children. The pacing is excellent, gradually building tension until about 75% through the book, when the action reaches a thrilling peak. A daring, time-sensitive sequence followed by a heart-pounding climax fills the final part of the story with intense emotion.

___ WHY I DIDN'T RATE IT 5 FULL STARS ___
Overall, I found myself fully engaged from beginning to end.
That said, I would have appreciated some sensual, well-described kisses.
Many “clean” romances compensate for the absence of sex scenes with moments of charged closeness—a lingering touch, a meaningful look—that create palpable sexual tension.
This subtle intimacy was something I missed in The Secret of the India Orchid.

___ IS IT READABLE AS A STANDALONE ? ___
Yes, the book is readable as a standalone novel, even though the main couple first appeared as side characters in book 1 of her “Proper Regency Romance” series.

I also enjoyed that first book, despite some reviewers pointing out inaccuracies regarding the aristocratic rules of the Regency era. Not being an expert myself, I found the story well written and captivating.

It’s a shame the series only comprises two books because The Secret of the India Orchid lays a solid foundation and introduces characters ripe for at least three more installments.

___ RECOMMENDED TO ____
For readers seeking a Regency-era romance infused with mystery, adventure, and heartfelt sentiment—but without explicit physical scenes—this book comes highly recommended.
----> However, those who crave romances filled with passionate kisses and steamy encounters may want to look elsewhere.

If you would like to read my review about BOOK #1 inthe series: just click down below:

BOOK #1 "My Fair Gentleman"

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my point of view. I hope it will be useful for your next reading choice :-)

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Book review : My Fair Gentleman by Nancy Campbell Allen

My Fair Gentleman
Regency Proper Romance series book #1
by Nancy Campbell Allen

GENRE: Regency clean romance
My rating: ★★★★★

I loved it !

Engaging read from start to finish.
Not suitable for readers who prefer romance novels with passionate kisses and strong sexual tension.

This is a sweet and funny novel set in the Regency era, with a plot different from the usual (already read a thousand times) and far from the clichés of frivolous Regency romances.

____ PLOT IN SHORT ____

Set in England during the Regency era, the story follows Jack, the grandson of the Earl of Stansworth. However, Jack was raised in poverty because his father was disinherited for marrying a commoner.
His father died from the hardships of working in the port, leaving behind a wife and two children. Jack began working at just twelve years old to support his mother and sister, and now that he has a stable job, he's on the verge of being promoted to captain.
However, when the Earl is dying, and wishes to avoid leaving his inheritance to an inept nephew, he sends for Jack.

Jack is uninterested in the world of the aristocracy and despises it, just as he despises his grandfather. However, for the sake of his mother, whose health is precarious, and his sister, who is a mistreated maid in the homes of nobles, he accepts becoming the heir. To do this, he must be educated in the ways of high society.

Ivy Carlisle, the granddaughter of a lady friend of Jack's grandmother, is hired as a tutor to help transform Jack into a gentleman.
This might seem like a daunting but doable task, if Jack weren't prejudiced against the aristocracy, sometimes letting his rebellious nature get the better of him... However, Ivy also suffers from a secret and is aware of the injustices to which the noble world inevitably condemns others.
Spending so much time with a handsome, passionate, and heartfelt man can only transport her into a world of feeling, one she previously considered improbable and foolish.

_________ ********** _______

The title and Goodreads introduction to the general plot, may suggest something like "My Fair Lady" musical comedy drama (based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 stage play Pygmalion), but it's misleading.
Here, we don't have a rude boy, and there are no strange or extreme teaching methods.

It's a clean romance where the plot focuses more on substantive content that solidifies the story, rather than on explicit kisses and physical sensations.

I won't deny that I would have liked a longer and warmer description of the kisses (only two or three in the book), but the mix of drama, light-heartedness, and fun was so well-balanced, and the plot was so compelling that I have no choice but to give it a full five stars.


___ THE CHARACTERS ___

The characters are wonderful and emotionally well-developed.
Except for the hateful grandfather and the cousin eager to inherit (equally hateful and slimy, as is his wife), the two main characters, their family, and new friends have all won my affection and sympathy.

JACK: He is a young man, confident but with a raw wound from witnessing his family's rejection and abandonment by his cold grandfather.
He grew up working hard, yet his tenderness for his mother and sister is unmatched. While he initially judges Ivy as a snob, his sensitivity allows him to understand her fears and encourages her to find the courage to live that great love.

What I appreciated in Jack is that he didn't take his newfound fortune for granted. He generously worked to provide well-paid jobs to a new friend and to the staff, improving the well-being of those who suffered because of others' greed.

IVY: If at first glance she seems a little presumptuous, even to the reader, that feeling quickly disappears.
Ivy takes her commitment seriously, and despite educating three people who have lived in squalor (Jack, his mother, and his sister), she never judges from a pedestal. Her innate goodness allows her, through getting to know these people deeply, to view her own fortunes and misfortunes differently and to accept certain parts of her life with serenity and without shame.

Ivy's GRANDMOTHER is sweet and loving, but also intelligent and modern.

Jack's MOTHER is sweet and was strong enough to raise two children alone after being widowed and abandoned. Now, however, she is fragile, both in health and when faced with this new world of rich and haughty people. Luckily, Ivy and her grandmother know how to help her.

Jack's SISTER, Sophia, suffered not only from hunger but also from the vulgar advances of her employers and the envy and wickedness of the wives and other women in the houses where she worked due to her great beauty. Sophia is proud, intelligent, and ready to fight anyone who challenges her, but she also has a big heart, like her brother, and she finds fantastic ideas for using her new wealth, also involving her new best friend.

DYLAN: A noble, charming man about to inherit great wealth, he detests convention and acts according to his heart and mind. He is a true friend to Jack and the protagonist of the next book in the series, along with the beautiful Sophia.

CLARENCE FUDDLESTON: The old Earl's solicitor, then Jack's right-hand man and new good friend. I loved him too!


___ LOVE STORY ___

It's a slow-burn romance, well-developed through lively and plausible dialogues.
There's never a dull moment; on the contrary, the reader can fully enjoy the unfolding romance of Jack and Ivy.

They didn't know each other before, and despite Jack's aversion to society and its habits, he respects Ivy, so it's not an enemies-to-lovers story.
They simply confront the fears that every lover has when they realize how immense a feeling of love can be and how equally immense the pain can be in losing that person.

Despite the absence of explicit love scenes and in-depth descriptions of kisses, I felt the passion and the desire to live that feeling to the fullest by the two main characters.

There is no shortage of moments of suspense and twists that keep the pages turning. A little mystery and good deeds enrich the overall plot.

The writing style is fluid, making the reading light, fun, and full of deep emotion.
It was a satisfying read from start to finish!
I remember when I was at work, I would often stop to think: "I can't wait to finish so I can get back to reading that story!"

READABLE AS A STANDALONE: No unresolved plot points and a happy ending guaranteed.

This is my first time reading something by Nancy Campbell Allen, and I loved her ability to write a story, going into great detail without ever being boring.
I am ready to read book 2 of the series, featuring two supporting characters from this story! 😃

Thanks for stopping by and reading my review.

Read also my review about BOOK #2 inthe series: just click down below:

BOOK #2 "The Secret of the India Orchid"

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Book review : A Revolution of Hearts by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

A Revolution of Hearts
by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

My rating: ★★★★☆
This must be read as 4.5 stars

--- I loved it and after finished it I feel like I'm missing the charaters.----

It's a lovely clean adventure-romance set between France and England in the late 18th century and related to the well known "Scarlet Pimpernel" ( by Emma Ocrzy / Emmuska Orczy ).
I read and appreciated E. Orczy fiction novels, so this is one thing that made me choose to read this book.

Despite the awful cover ( too dull colors,too much grey color in the background and not at all charming people ) that is suggesting something very dramatic, this is a lively romantic novel with a hint of adventure and of course a happy ending.

__THE PLOT__ Early 1789. Paris
Mademoiselle Dacia de Prideaux and her brother Marcel, from a rich and aristocratic family, are going to the theater.
While she only thinks about love and can't wait to meet her boyfriend again, her brother is taken by the new political currents, led by Robespierre, who would like to see the monarchs deposed and would like equality between the social classes.
That same night, 2 shocking events happen: her lover will marry someone else and Marcel will be killed by someone of his own political persuasion (this is not a spoiler, we know this right away).
Witnessing the murder and accused by the murderer of being the murderer, Dacia has to flee France and thus begins her adventure in England.
An adventure that is anything but easy, made up of physical effort, disguises, false identities and dangers... But in all this another aristocrat with a heart of gold, an adventurous soul and broad views will help her in her new path: Master Richard Harris, a close associate of Sir Percy Blakeney, the famous Scarlet Pimpernel.

__________________________________________

While in the start the story looked a little bit dull to me ( the chapters at the theater, while she was looking for her loved one ) after the murder ( about 20% through the book) all became interesting.


_ THE SETTING __
This is not a challenging novel (we can compare it to the usual regency romances), but the author has managed to give the reader a precise idea of the time and background in which the story took place, making the atmosphere alive and real, thus how the feelings and emotions of all the characters are fully perceptible.

Talking about the background in which the events take place and the atmosphere that the story gives us, the book can be divided into various sections:

__ Pre-revolutionary France and the first troubles shaking the country: the leaflets circulating with the new anti-monarchist ideas, the secret meetings of those who want to change history, the police and the first skirmishes and revolts underway.

__ The escape to England, Dacia's fear and anguish of being captured, the pain of her brother's death and the flashbacks of those moments, the fear of the unknown in an unknown world, the adventure together with strange characters that others they are simply men dedicated, by choice, to saving people in danger of their lives.

__ Life at Master Harris' estate, a bit of Downton Abbey set in the late 1700s, with servants, haughty aristocrats, balls and theatrical rehearsals of a Shakespeare comedy.

__ Imminent danger and action including rescue and total reversal of current situations.

__ Finally declarations of love and the only kiss of this slow-burn (very slow, too slow) romance and happy ending.

__ THE 2 MAIN CHARACTERS _
I liked both although in my opinion there is too little interaction between the two in the book.

😀 🌷The first half of the book focuses more on DACIA:
and it can be said that she is the only protagonist.
---> I liked her because as a wealthy and privileged person she found herself forced to take on the role of a very humble person and to take on all the hardships, pains and sacrifices of that type of life.
First she worked as a waitress and then as a scullery maid, but despite the humiliation she didn't complain, on the contrary, she learned the meaning of sacrifice and understood how she too, in her previous life, without realizing it, had been haughty and very demanding with her their servants, without taking their feelings and self-love into consideration.
The author focuses several times on these considerations and between the lines invites the reader to reflect 8 and I liked it ), because if it is true that today we (or should) all have the same rights, there is still a big gap between very wealthy people and poor and humble workers who often suffer the arrogance, arrogance and boastfulness of those who have more money and more power (even in our normal daily lives).

😀 🌷 When RICHARD (Master Harris) finally enters the scene
we still have too few scenes to know him well and the interactions between the two are few and devoid of the warm emotions that should instead constitute the romantic and sweet part of the story.
So, even after meeting the character, it was initially difficult for me, the reader, to fall in love with him and if the plot on the back cover had not revealed to me the name of the male protagonist of the couple, up to 75% I would not have even known who he was, since courtship was absent.
Richard has another girlfriend, not out of love, but imposed by his father and so for a good part of the time he tries to find points in common with her.
He behaves ambiguously with Dacia, as if he had a soft spot for her, but didn't realize it... but I would have liked the author to accentuate this unconscious attraction more.
When "falling in love" finally begins, I loved it but we are quite far into the book and so for me it wasn't enough.
The author inserts glances between Dacia and Richard during the story, but they are not enough to create an expectation complete with butterflies in the stomach for the reader, it all arrives later ( so that's why it is "too" slow-burn to me )
This is the main reason why I didn't give 5 stars, but since the whole story as a whole involved me and I liked it, I sincerely think that the book deserves a full 4.5

__ A PINCE OF HISTORY____ Have you ever heard of the "Cagots" in France?
I didn't and I learned, from this book, that the Cagots are pariahs (people of the lowest social status, living in isolation from the majority), that in the Middle Ages they lived on both sides of the Pyrenees and that popular superstition saw them as object of contempt and horror, partly inspired by the visceral fear felt by populations exposed to leprosy.
I LOVE TO LEARN THINGS by reading historical fiction !!!!


---> RECOMMENDED for those who love clean romances that are sweet and adventurous at the same time.
---> NOT RECOMMENDED for those looking only for romance and hot scenes

__I WOULD LIKE __ to read a series of book with this couple as main characters about their adventures rescuing people along with Walter ( Richard's brother ), Mr. Carter ( Richard's former valet and aid in his adventures), Marguerite ( Dacia's french best friend ) e of course Sir Percy Blackney.

FREE DOWNLOAD: you can download a free ebook of a short sequel-novella of this story ( named "Sergeant Jake and his Lady "), by subscribing to the author's newsletter on her website ( https://www.rondahinrichsen.com/ ---> click on FREE BOOK ).
I did it and of course I've already read it ( nothing very amazing but nice to read, so many thanks to the author for the giveaway )

THANK YOU all for reading my opinion and please forgive my English since it's not my language 😉

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