Book review : A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation by Grace Burrowes

A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation
The Lord Julian Mysteries book #2
by Grace Burrowes

GENRE: Regency era cozy mystery
My rating: ★★★★☆
4 full stars !!!!

2nd installment in The Lord Julian mysteries, you can read it as a standalone, but I suggest you start from book #1 since the personal story of the main character is as fundamental as the mystery talked about in the book.

The mystery is certainly more interesting than the bland mystery covered in the first book, however, unlike normal mysteries or cozy mysteries, Lord Julian's personal events, past and present, are the real focus of the book, what made it really interesting reading and what motivates me to continue the series.

The mystery to be solved in each book is not the reason why I would recommend this series, while the feelings and emotional growth of the character, in my opinion, are the real magnet that will keep you glued to these pages.

___ THE PLOT in short ___ Regency era, England.
Lord Julian Caldicott is summoned to the family seat by his brother Arthur, the duke of Waltham, whose bachelorhood is imperiled by the very determined Lady Clarissa Valmond.

Matters take a nasty turn when Clarissa’s brother, a talented artist, goes missing shortly before his debut London exhibition. Julian must unravel conflicting motives, dishonest witnesses, confusing evidence, old lies, and the real threats facing the duke if he’s to find the errant viscount before a fate worse than ruin befalls both surviving Caldicott brothers.

_______________


__ THE MYSTERY __
As I have already said, it is much more complicated than the previous book and therefore more enjoyable for the reader who loves suspense and difficult puzzles to solve and I must admit that until the end, I had no idea whether the missing person was alive or dead and all my hypotheses about what could have really happened were cleverly diverted by the new clues that the writer introduced through Julian's investigations.
There was only a very brief moment, towards 75% through the book, in which I felt exasperated at the fact that we didn't manage to discover something truly concrete and truthful, but this is part of the game of suspense and shortly after finally the truth has begun to make its way through the different tracks followed by our hero.

__ THE NARRATION __
The book is narrated in the first person by Julian and both the touching part of his story and the witty jokes that promptly lighten the atmosphere, made me feel closer to the character to the point of perceiving him as a dear friend of mine who is telling me the his story.

In addition to the magnificent job that the author did in balancing seriousness and touching details, with funny scenes and witty dialogues, another thing that fascinated me in the narrative is the constant similarity with military life and its rules that Julian makes in considering life situations and the people around him.
In fact he has never stopped feeling like a British army officer and in particular a reconnaissance officer even though he now lives in peacetime.
You will find his similes very interesting and truthful.

___ MAIN CHARACTER and SIDE CHARACTERS ___
I really enjoyed meeting up with some of the characters from the first book and getting to know Julian's brother better, who in the previous episode was only mentioned and remembered in the thoughts of the main character who I really grew fond of.

__ LORD JULIAN is a veteran of the war against Napoleon and like all veterans he suffers not only from physical debilitation but also from emotional trauma due to the cruel battles and above all to the death of his brother (who was in the same regiment) and the psychological torture he suffered when he was a prisoner of the French.
In the first episode we saw Julian return to normal life and take the first steps towards recovering himself and who he was.
In this second episode it is really pleasant to see how he overcomes his personal limits with determination and the desire to recover personal affections, to clear his name from the shame of the accusation of betrayal which is always whispered about in aristocratic circles (but actually he had been acquitted) and how he knows how to put his reconnaissance skills, the role he held in the army, to good use in investigation.

What I love about this character is that he gives a lot of importance to family ties, friendships and feelings without being a victim of those who treat him with malevolence.
He is a young man (29 years old) with a heart of gold but who knows how to stand up to those who try to provoke or humiliate him.
I love the fact that he is a lover of books and culture and that at the same time, he is a young man of action who, despite having grown up among the comforts of the aristocracy, knows how to get by in any outdoor survival situation ready for any eventuality.

I love his generosity: in the first book he immediately tells us that he gave up his marriage to Hyperia and in the second book he explains why.
He always puts the needs of his loved ones first even if they conflict with his own feelings and this makes him a "gentleman" in the true sense of the term.
The deep friendship with Hyperia can be felt throughout the book and the reader cannot help but root for this couple who in my opinion are made to stay together.

__ SIDE CHARACTERS ___ 
The supporting characters are all well delineated, whether they play a major role or a minor role in the episode told in the book, the author manages to show us their soul and mind simply through dialogues and actions.
Among the characters met previously, Hyperia gives an affectionate attention to Julian which cannot help but warm the hearts of the reader (as well of Julian), while the godmother Ophelia and the young Atticus bring joy and "verve", completely reciprocated by Lord Julian who has a great sense of humor (another characteristic that I love about him).

The character who added something new is Arthur, Julian's older brother and Duke of Waltham.
The character surprised me, because from previous stories he seemed like a good person, but also all of a piece and a bit boring.
Instead, we discover that he is capable of deep feelings both for Julian and in his private life and the relationship between the two brothers, which is shown in the book, a little playful and a little discovering each other's travails, It's really enjoyable to read.

Of course, I'll keep on reading the following books in the series as well.

RECOMMENDED for: those who love light mysteries, but also those who want to delve deeper into the souls of the characters and the atmosphere of the Regency era, made up not only of frivolities, but also of dramas and difficulties to overcome.

THANKS FOR READING my opinion and please forgive my English since it's not my native language.

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Book review : A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times by Grace Burrowes

A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times
The Lord Julian Mysteries book #1
by Grace Burrowes

GENRE: Regency era cozy mystery
My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually it must to be read as 4.5
I liked it very much !

This has been an enjoyable read, not exactly a mystery as indicated in the tags, not in the murder-to-investigate sense at least, but I really enjoyed the main character's personal story.

The events of the present story and the events of our protagonist's past, both during the war against Napoleon and before the war, are narrated in the first person by the character himself and this is perhaps the thing that created a certain empathy in me, making me fond of to him.

____ THE PLOT ___ Regency era, 
Lord Julian Caldicott has come home from the war in ragged health. He, an English Army reconnaissance officer, Lord Julian Caldicott has come home from the war in ragged health. He, an English Army scout, was captured and tortured by the French, who then massacred hundreds of English soldiers in battle.
Considered a traitor by many people, although exonerated by the army, he desires nothing more than solitude and quiet.
Luckily his affectionate godmother sees the only healing solution as that of reacting, being among people and starting to live again.
Despite Julian's reluctance, he accompanies her to a party where he will find many enemies, but also new allies and the girl who was supposed to marry him, whose heart is still full of affection for Lord Julian.
Among many hostile attitudes, inexplicable events and thefts occur.
Julian, provoked to the extreme, will do anything to solve the puzzle and will find a new drive to appreciate life again.
________________________________

I think the cover of this book, while delightful, doesn't do it enough justice.
From the cover (as well as from the tags) we are led to think that it is just one of the numerous cozy mystery series set in the past, with some bizarre characters, a puzzle to solve and a tepid love story that takes place in parallel and which, as in all cozies, it will develop very slowly and in a barely noticeable way.
There's much more here!

___ 3 IMPORTANT THEMES ADDRESSED IN THE BOOK and the MAIN CHARACTER ____

The plot is light, but at the same time touching, deeper and more important than what one would imagine by taking a quick look at the back cover.
In fact, in the midst of a light and cheerful plot, in which there is no shortage of ironic jokes and witty dialogues that make the reader smile, 3 important and always current themes are also addressed:

1) _  the TRAUMAS that afflict WAR VETERANS from all over the world and from all times, i.e. the pain (not only physical but also emotional) and discomfort in society experienced by many men after experiencing the horrors of battle and seeing death and destruction in its most unspeakable forms.

--------------> As Julian tells us about his present, in which he struggles to return to the superficial and flirtatious life of the peacetime aristocracy, he also tells us about his ghosts.
He tells us about the horror of the battles with the acrid smell of gunpowder that burns the throat and eyes, of the aftermath of the battle with the wounded asking for water, the flies buzzing around the lifeless bodies, of the pain for the loss of friends and especially of beloved brother.
He tells us about his imprisonment and the psychological torture that made him return home in a catatonic state.

Despite the sadness of the past, we can observe Julian's first steps towards a new beginning and it is precisely this part that manages to keep the reader glued to the text.
I rejoiced in his every improvement and couldn't wait for his redemption to arrive compared to those who labeled him as a traitor and liar.

The author managed to move me while remaining within the confines of the light novel and while through Julian's words she summarized the pain and bitterness of war, she also managed to add a touch of adventure.

In fact, Julian tells us about his role in battle: being a reconnaissance officer, how he scouted ahead, how he infiltrated enemy areas with the most varied disguises and how he traced the enemy's plans by studying clues and traces of all kinds.
In fact, Julian has not stopped being a reconnaissance officer, even now that the war is over he uses his skills to reveal the subtle deception of one of the characters and bring the truth to light.


2) _  DISCONFORT due to a CLINICAL PATHOLOGY which at times is disabling for those who suffer from it.

----------> We will discover over the course of the plot that Julian has more than one demon to fight: the physical consequences of imprisonment, the psychological trauma but also another pathology (I won't reveal what because otherwise it would be a spoiler) of which the author knows very well the symptoms and the resulting discomforts, because her father himself suffered from them.
In this context, it is also highlighted how important the support of those who love us is and how sometimes in addition to "the damage" of the disease, human beings are also forced to face "the mockery" of a society too full of prejudices and immediately ready to condemn and marginalize suffering people .

3) _ FAMILY TIES and the feelings that govern them, such as: love, respect, fear of disappointing, trust, sense of responsibility, complicity, childhood memories etc...

------------------> Julian has brothers and sisters and of course parents.
Usually the plots always include a bad or absent father or a frivolous and selfish mother or a certain antagonism with some stepbrother...
In this book I was struck by how strong the bond Julian has with his brothers ( a dead one and the elder still alive ), even though they are so different from each other.
 Also the affection for his parents and for his godmother and his former betrothed is always present in our protagonist's speeches.
Childhood memories are cheerful and full of sweetness.
I really liked seeing that this family ( and its servants staff ) creates a united front and that despite the emotional wounds and the fear of having sullied the honor of his family, Julian instead discovers that he has great emotional support among his loved ones.
________

Julian is an EXTREMELY POSITIVE CHARACTER. 
On the one hand the book begins with an apparently defeated young man  who tells us about his traumas and who would only like to be left alone in the dark, on the other hand we also see a real soldier who does not back down from a challenge.
Julian is suffering deeply, both physically and emotionally, yet he agrees to escort his godmother, complying with her requests, because his honor and kindness and affection for her come before his own needs.
Actually, helping someone else and protecting a person for whom he feels a deep affection will be the spark that will restart the engine to get back to life.
Step by step, chapter after chapter Julian challenges his own weaknesses and starts enjoying every little thing again.
The more society kicks him and orders him to leave, the more Julian will rediscover his fighting spirit, attract new allies and finally return to being proud of himself.

---> I love this character and his company was wonderful throughout the book.
I also liked the side characters and I think the author did a good job in describing their character traits through dialogues, small gestures and facial expressions.
Some of them, we can imagine from the plot, will also be present in the next books.

__ THE MYSTERY __
As I already said it's not a murder and it's not even something extremely elaborate so mystery lovers should choose this book.
It seems more like an excuse to add a pinch of curiosity to the plot on the part of the reader, while telling the personal story of Lord Julian (past and current with some anticipation for the future).
However, I didn't mind it and although the culprit was predictable, it was so predictable that every time Julian questioned someone I found myself making new and different suppositions... the author was still good at creating many diversions and also managed to insert, in the solution of the mystery, a surprise element that I wasn't expecting.

IS IT a "COZY" MYSTERY?
Yes it is, however unlike the usual "cozies" it contains some speeches with words not exactly suitable for gentlemen and ladies of good society and you will also find a funny dirty song that the soldiers usually sang.
I really liked this "a little more cheeky" but never vulgar element and it often made me laugh. The author was able to elaborate this aspect with great grace, well done!

__ WILL I READ THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES?___
Of course yes, in fact, I confess that I have already read book #2, I liked it and you will soon have my review.

Thank you for reading my opinion and if my English is not exactly correct it's because it's not my language, so please forgive me :-)

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Book review : The Smuggler's Escape by Barbara Monajem

The Smuggler's Escape
Perilous Secrets book #1
by Barbara Monajem
My rating: ★★★☆☆

I'm giving it 3 stars which may seem like a good enough rating, but it isn't becauseactually it must be read as 2.5

____ THE PLOT ____ THE BACK COVER READS:
1795, England. After escaping the guillotine, Noelle de Vallon takes refuge with her aunt in England. Determined to make her own way, she joins the local smugglers, but when their plans are uncovered, Richard, Lord Boltwood steps out of the shadows to save her. Too bad he’s the last man on earth she ever wanted to see again.

Years ago, Richard Boltwood’s plan to marry Noelle was foiled when his ruthless father shipped him to the Continent to work in espionage. But with the old man at death’s door, Richard returns to England with one final mission: to catch a spy. And Noelle is the prime suspect.

Noelle needs Richard’s help, but how can she ever trust the man who abandoned her? And how can Richard catch the real culprit while protecting the woman who stole his heart and won’t forgive him for breaking hers?

_____________________________

Reading this "romance" novel was like eating soup with a beautiful appearance, but a bland taste: the cover and the plot allowed us to imagine romance and passionate love between dangers and adventure.
None of this!
It could have been a nice novel full of adventures, feelings and some hot and sensual scenes... but instead it's just a jumble with a lot of annoying repetitions, no exciting adventure/action, no romance, but just thoughts constantly turning to sex and two protagonists who consider it "fun" to argue and insult each other, chemistry between the two perceived by the reader =0

The dialogues are mostly witty and this occasionally gave me hope that the plot could become more engaging and interesting, but there would also have been depth of feeling...
Unfortunately, the author thought she would attract more fans by focusing the entire book on the constant thought of sex and lust.
The author thought that to make the book romantic it was enough to write a couple of times that the hero "wanted to protect his beloved from hanging at any cost" (adding then that she was his and only his and he wanted her back in his bed).
... Too bad.
I have no doubt that there are readers who probably enjoy this type of romance (Seriously? This is a romance book??? yuck!).
I, on the other hand, am the classic type of person who appreciates hot and sensual scenes, but hates vulgar ones and definitely needs to read about true romance made up of deep feelings.
Yes, I'm the classic type of person who labels these types of novels as: rubbish!

The basic idea wouldn't be bad, but there are several concepts that are too repetitive, a lot of confusion and the story is more developed towards superficiality than interesting and engaging content.

In the introduction the author says that she wrote it when she was very young and then rewrote it as an adult and published it.

My thoughts: you can see that she wrote it at a very young age when she was still inexperienced. It doesn't look like he rewrote it...it looks like he edited it and changed it a little here and there but in my opinion she didn't do a good job.


__ THE 2 MAIN CHARACTERS ____ :
The main characters do nothing but argue and suspect each other, as well as feeling strongly sexually attracted to each other, recalling their sexual experience that occurred 2 and a half years earlier.

The LOVERS--> to ENEMIES--> to LOVERS cliché is nice to read if well developed and a little spice in a relationship has always made things more exciting.
BUT IN THIS BOOK it is really tiring to read the accusations that the two make towards each other without explaining the reasons for their wrong actions...SO UNTIL THE VERY LAST PAGES OF THE BOOK

The thing that I didn't like even more is that both are aristocrats but behave in a slutty and vulgar way and both (especially him) consider the love relationship fun only with insults and sex (but what was the author thinking about when she decided to publish this book ????? )


___ ADVENTURE/ACTIONS ___
So...in addition to the adventure-inspiring cover, the story goes that "our hero" worked as a British spy and is now working on one last task and "our heroine" turns to smuggling.
All the adventure and action there is is moving barrels from one place to another, continuously throughout the length of the book.
Is this a spoiler? No, but if it were I tell you: save your time for better novels!

___REPETITIONS___ :
"his disastrous plan", "bed", "he will make you very happy in bed" and "lust" are repeated over and over again.
Already 25% of the way through the book, I assure you that you will be fed up with reading these sentences/words.

___ KISSING AND LOVEMAKING ___
The thought of past kisses and the sex had by the two protagonists are two other repetitions that we find from the beginning to the end of the book.

----> The kisses stolen during the story have nothing sensual or exciting and the scene in which he kisses her, WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ gropes her and partially undresses her in the courtyard in the middle of the afternoon with people nearby, I honestly didn't like it.
It gave me no emotions and I didn't like it, not because I'm a bigot, which I'm not, but because the male character had no regard for her lover's reputation, but only thought about satisfying "his cravings" SPOILER END ___ ___

---> But the vulgarity doesn't end there, the sex scene WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ is carried out by the two main characters to escape arrest (and in the meantime they have the excuse to do what they wanted to do from the beginning of the book): it takes place in the room of an inn, knowing that the excisemen would enter and when they enter "our hero" talks to the excisemen while the sexual act continues and while she's keeping moaning because she is reaching orgasm " SPOILER END ___ ___, what a disgusting novel, it made me vomit.

__ THE SIDE CHARACTERS __
None worthy of note. A set of characters who pop up like mushrooms, here and there in the book, say a couple of lines (mostly rude) and then disappear into thin air, without really having a role in the story.
As I said, the book is a hotchpotch.

_____________________________

In the introduction the author even praises herself by saying that in her initial youth novel there was a lot of good material... yes maybe there was, but dear author, you should have developed the plot by putting a little more heart into it, instead of focusing on lust to sell more copies.

In my opinion the book lacks quality (wow, sometimes I can be a bitch, but I'm tired of being understanding in my reviews, after all, books are costing money!)

Thanks for reading my rant and my opinion on the book. English is not my native language, so please forgive me if you find errors of form or grammar in my text.

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Book review : Petteril's Corpse by Mary Lancaster

Petteril's Corpse
by Mary Lancaster
Lord Petteril Mysteries series book #2

My rating: ★★★☆☆
3.4 because it was a little better than installment #1 that I rated 3 stars, but I certainly can't round it to 4

Nice enough cozy mystery (but nothing really captivating) to read when you want something less challenging, very short and certainly better than number one in the series which didn't engage me at all.

It would almost be better to read them one after the other, because although there are 2 different mysteries to solve, the main characters have their own personal story that develops over the course of the books.
Since the books are very short, reading them days apart does not allow me to delve deeply into the stories and feel involved neither in the facts told nor the characters.

__ PLOT ___ Regency era England.
The new Lord Petteril and his new assistant April, a former thief on the streets of London, first dressed as a boy and now finally in women's clothes, find a naked corpse with a dagger in the chest, on the road to reach one of Petteril's residences.

The local magistrate, Robert Lindon, has no idea how to proceed with such a heinous crime. Of course Petteril too doesn't know how to proceed, but curiosity pushes him to help, naturally with the assistance of the enterprising April.

Identifying the body is difficult enough. Suspecting that the culprit is one of the local nobles, some of whom were Petteril's childhood friends, is even more difficult.
___________________________

MY OPINION ABOUT THIS INSTALLMENT #2

---> 😃 😃 As I already said above, this second book was more engaging than the first, not only because I now know the main characters and I am starting to be more curious and interested in the development of their personal lives, but above all here the mystery was finally more complicated and only at the end I got an idea of who the culprit could be, but I still wasn't sure.

There are at least 7 suspects and each time the events bring new clues that could incriminate one or the other.

---> ☹️ ☹️ Unfortunately, being a short book, the plot is interesting but not sufficiently developed to involve me passionately.

---> ☹️ ☹️ We also have a couple of romantic moments that are so short and flat that they didn't give me any emotion.

---> ☹️ ☹️ No ironic and funny jokes and this is another point that doesn't allow me to get excited about this series.

---> ☹️ ☹️ Another thing that disturbs me a little is that in book #1 WARNING SPOILER referring to BOOK #1 !___ we met (Ape, i.e. April disguised as a boy) and she looked 10 years old... then once identified as a girl she looked between 14 and 18 years old. In this second book, which is set a few weeks or at most a few months after the events of book #1, April looks between 16 and 20 years old.
On the cover of book #1 there is a child (Ape), on the cover of book #2 and in the following ones, there is clearly an adult girl... EXPLAIN TO ME HOW A girl dressed as a boy can look 10 years old and then 20 ?
The writer could have described a young 15 year old petty thief boy who would later turn out to be a 20 year old girl...but the way the author put the story really doesn't make much sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ) SPOILER END___ ___

I don't know if I'll read the following books in the series, I still have to decide.

Curious about BOOK #1 review ? Then read it : BOOK #1 "Petteril's Thief"

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

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Book review : Cup of Blood by Jeri Westerson

Cup of Blood
Crispin Guest Book #7
Medieval noir by Jeri Westerson
Actually a prequel of book #1

My rating: ★★★★★
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

Installment #7 in the amazing ( at least to me ) Crispin Guest medieval mystery series, which offers action, adventure, suspense, historical characters and legends and even a pinch of wisdom and good feelings.

It's actually the real episode #1, in fact it is a leap back in time, when former knight Crispin Guest first meets his future apprentice Jack Tucker in 1384 London.

However, the author immediately explains in the introduction, that this was her first novel in the series, but the publishers didn't accepted it because the same theme was already covered by another book that was highly publicized at that time and so the series began with Veil of Lies.


____ THE PLOT___ 1384, London.
Little Jack Tucker is a twelve year old, without a family, who has been living on the streets since he was only 8.
Jack sleeps wherever he can and survives thanks to his lively intelligence and by being a cutpurse.
Just when he pickpockets a handful of customers in a tavern, among them he finds one who is the classic type who "can't be fooled": Crispin Guest, a former knight, deprived of title, lands and knighthood and estranged from court for treason.
Crispin chases Jack, catches him and instead of showing himself arrogant and merciless like many others, he gives Jack the opportunity to redeem himself, returning the stolen property and promising never to do it again.
One of those robbed at the tavern turns out to be a corpse who died from poisoning.
Crispin, also known as the Tracker, the one who finds things (and/or people and unravels mysteries), begins to try to see clearly and is then hired by various people to find a legendary and very precious object connected to the dead man.
Jack, who wants nothing more than to sleep in a safe place and has never known goodness and kindness, has immediately become fond of Crispin and will insist on staying with him until even the Tracker decides within him that all in all he reciprocates the affection by Jack.

________________

I was very pleased to find Jack as a child, with all his spontaneity and desire to please the one he considers his mentor and in a certain sense his hero.
---> ACTUALLY, AFTER FINISHED READING THIS PREQUEL, I thought it was good, both for me as a reader, but also for the author's success, to start the series with Veil of Lies and the next 5 books , because this one, despite containing all the elements that I usually love in this series, is a little weaker in each of those aspects, which in the other books are more emphasized and which have a greater emotional impact on the reader (certainly on myself ).
I could therefore say: a good read, but less impressive than the other books.

If I hadn't read the previous books (which would actually be the following ones) I wouldn't have been able to appreciate this one, which in reality doesn't shed much light on the unfortunate story that led to Crispin's removal from the court of Richard II, nor on the emotional drama that he lives internally and that constantly conditions his work, his days, his relationships with other people, especially those from his past.

WHAT I LOVE IN THIS SERIES and WHAT I USUALLY FIND IN EACH BOOK is:

- The fast-paced pace at which the story unfolds, the unexpected twists that always change the perspective of things, continuously alternating the possible culprits between the various suspects, who are usually always at least four or five or even more.
I love the right mix between adventure and action scenes ( so well detailed in every shot and movement that it feels like watching a movie) and moments of inner reflection that are still valid and applicable to today's world;

I ALSO REALLY LOVE THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS:

- A 30 years old fascinating hero, but not without flaws and weaknesses, whose best quality is knowing how to make his sense of justice and honor prevail even when he would like to abandon himself to different and more convenient solutions.
The fact that he is a flawed hero, sometimes a little too self-pitying, with a penchant for wine and beautiful, winking women(who also often clouds his judgment) makes him less fictional and more real.
After all although in life experiences he can consider himself a mature man, he still has all the impetuosity and passion of a young man.

- A second main character who is none other than another hero in a small format whose genuineness and joy of living, given from a young age, manages to balance the bitterness and disillusionment that we find in the adult Crispin (due to his bad life experiences in the last 7 years ).
His witty and sometimes ironic jokes in an almost irreverent way towards Crispin and his women of the moment, lighten even the most dramatic situations and give an air of pleasant freshness.
His considerations, always made immediately and without mincing words, sometimes reverse the situation between him and Crispin: Jack becomes the wise adult and Crispin the child who has to review his behavior... It's very funny!

Crispin and Jack are like two sides of the same coin.
They live in the same world of poverty, cold and hunger, hard and heartless characters and only a few others who are charitable and yet their visions of life and the world are starkly opposite: Crispin always sees the glass half empty regretting the past and Jack always sees it half full appreciating every little good thing that comes his way.

I love their partnership because they complement each other and each of them gives something to the other: Crispin helps Jack grow with honesty and courage and teaching him a sense of honor as well as reading and writing, giving him what is most similar to a father's affection (in the course of the books) and for his part the child reciprocates with deep affection and devotion, not only getting him out of trouble more than once, but also helping him find his self-esteem, making him understand, in his naive ways and with his words of a street child, that even if the material goods in Crispin's life have changed and no longer have the same value, the value of his person has not changed at all.
As with Crispin, it is easy for all of us to fall into self-pity and consider ourselves failures. People like Jack help us look at ourselves in the mirror with more forgiving eyes, rediscovering the desire to start from scratch, with the means we have and what we are, in that moment.


___ THE MYSTERY TO SOLVE ____
Usually the mystery in each book concerns both a historical or legendary object (usually sacred relics to which particular powers are attributed or parchments whose lines can evoke monsters of ancient popular beliefs) and one or more murders that occur in relation to the wanted object.

Everything always starts out quite simply, but the more Crispin searches for the truth the more complicated things become, involving many characters, including real-life characters.

Except for book 3, the details of the murders are never described in a gruesome way, but they are certainly more detailed than in this first book and have much more weight on the whole story.
:-) Every time the culprit is unexpected!

___ HISTORICAL CHARACTERS, HISTORY AND LEGENDS ___
In all the books I read before this one, together with the fictional characters we find various historical figures who are not merely mentioned, but are cleverly inserted into the story with actions and dialogues and sometimes even participating in the investigations or being suspected of being the culprits.

Even with regards to historical details and popular beliefs regarding certain myths and objects, the author provides us with many interesting notions, both during the course of the story and in the afterword.


___ MEDIEVAL LONDON'S ATMOSPHERE___
The dark descriptions of medieval London are so vivid , almost real with its bad smells near the River Thames, its infamous neighborhoods in contrast with the pomp of the court, the terror that the cells of Newgate, the prison, aroused in Jack and also in Crispin who had been tortured there, the continuous humidity of the air and the cold that penetrates mercilessly through the layers of worn and patched clothes....
I ALWAYS FELT LIKE DIRECTLY TRANSPORTED TO THE PLACE!


:-( WHAT WORKED A LITTLE LESS IN THIS BOOK:

----> MYSTERY: not only did I understand who the murderer was before Crispin did, but sometimes it almost seems that the murder takes a back seat and the emphasis is more on the reappearance of the Templars (while the history books tell us that they had been massacred and the order eliminated 75 years before), on the search for the Holy Grail and above all on the hunger for power and greed of the various characters (as well as Crispin's gluttony due to the effect of women on him).

---> BACKGROUND : Although here too the busy comings and goings of the traders are described, the smoky and dark atmosphere of the tavern, the biting cold... in the books written later (but published previously) the author dedicates herself a little more meticulously to the surroundings and atmosphere descriptions.

---> HISTORICAL PART AND LEGENDS ___ in this episode we have a fiction within fiction: we return to the pursuit of the Holy Grail inspired by the poem Parzival by the German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach.
The return of the Templars thanks to the trick of a "secret and never made public pardon" by Pope Clement V (which, thanks to the Vatican's discoveries in 2002, seems to have actually happened) is certainly interesting, but unlike the other books, here we go less in depth regarding the historical facts and also the myth of the Holy Grail, not much is said, as I have already said, the story focuses more on the lust for power and the corruptibility of people, even those animated by the best resolutions.

---> TIME INCONSISTENCY : Considering book #1 Veil of Lies is set in 1383 and that this episode is the prequel to that book, it cannot be set in 1384 as stated in the first line of the first chapter.
For me it's not a problem, because I give more value to the content of books than to an oversight... but for the most fussy it can be strange.

CONCLUSION:

__ Did I enjoy reading the book? YES very much,
every time I read a book in this series it's like meeting two dear friends that I adore, in fact I consider the sexy Crispin my medieval boyfriend.
Once I have finished all 15 books, I will happily reread them a second and third time.

However the books written later (but published before) have a stronger and more engaging emotional impact in all aspects and book #1 Veil of Lies deserves to be in place #1 because it is the one that best defines the characters, their soul and the whole situation.

__ Readable as a standalone? Yes, there are no cliffhangers,
but the story is certainly more enjoyable if you read at least numbers 1 and 2 first.

__ Clean language.

__ Crispin spends the night with a woman and then there are a couple of kisses, but no descriptions.

__ No gruesome details about the deaths.

Considering the last 3 points, this is (so far) the only Crispin mystery that isn't a cozy mystery, but comes close.

Thank you for reading my opinion and please be patient with my English, it is not my native language.

------> Each book is readable as a standalone, but if you read them in order your enjoyment will be doubled !

If you want to know more about PREVIOUS BOOKS, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies"

BOOK #2 "Serpent in the Thorns"

BOOK #3 "The Demon's Parchment"

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones"

BOOK #5 "Blood Lance"

BOOK #6 "Shadow of the Alchemist"


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Book review : Vienna Wolfe by Mary Lancaster

Vienna Dawn
by Mary Lancaster
The Imperial Season book #4

My rating: ★★★★★
Actually 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

Very short story but very nice clean romance.

____ THE PLOT ___ 1814, Vienna.
Colonel Francis Wolfe, military hero and unexpectedly new Earl of Warenton after the recent death of his brother, is ready to do his duty and marry a woman, his equal, who would be the perfect Countess of Warenton to present to the world.
Too bad that the beautiful Sylvia Renleigh is also a cold and calculating girl that he would never want in his bed, in any case not after meeting the sweet, lively and spontaneous French refugee Elise.
Elise de Sancerre, like many French nobles, now finds herself in a situation of extreme poverty, tyrannized by Sylvia and her mother.
Thanks to a rescue from an injury and a masquerade ball, the flame of true love will prevail over every convention and hypocrisy of the aristocracy.
_________________

This is installment #4 in a series named "The Imperial Season".
I adored the first 3 books in the series ( all rated 5 stars by me ), all with a usual book length , all readable as standalone but all connected one to each other not only by the setting but also through the characters, so they're more enjoyable if you read them starting with book 1.

----> This is definitely a STANDALONE .

When I saw this one was only a short story, with the same setting ( 1814 Congress of Vienna ), but not linked to the others, I don't know why, but I felt so disappointed that I put it aside.
I also decided not to read it at all... until yesterday, when I needed something short to read, something not very demanding but which made me dream a little.
WELL, I LOVED IT !!
SO BAD IT'S TOO SHORT !! (That's why I consider it only 4.5 and not really 5 full stars )


____ THE HEROINE, Elise, 26 years old, is dreamy and spontaneous, just like many of us, when we imagine that the man of our dreams will finally come to take us away on his white horse.
She says what she thinks before even considering that perhaps it is not covered by the rules of etiquette and is so humble that she doesn't think for a moment that her dream could really come true.
... Do you know? It sometimes happens that the heroines of novels are too sweet, too beautiful and desired by everyone, too humble, too good, too this and too that... I LIKE ELISE, I find her pleasant in everything, and she deserves to be happy!

____ THE HERO, Francis is the soldier who never thought about marriage, he enjoyed the good life with women, he always held the military corps in high regard and less the civilian world, but he is a kind, intelligent and sometimes playful man.
Maybe now, at 38, he finally wants to settle down, but not out of calculation... he realizes that he wants a bond made of love.

___ KISSING AND ROMANTIC SCENES ___
This is a short story, so there isn't enough, but the two scenes (the central one and the final one) with kisses first stolen, then sweet, then passionate, their making love and the words he says to her, they are very beautiful and very sweet.

Dear Mrs. Lancaster, why didn't you write a book instead of a short story?
I loved it but it's too short!
Dear writer, you are one of my favourites, so I ask you:
Please, could you write a series with these two characters together, who, even if they are now married, have wonderful adventures (and perhaps investigations) in every book of the series?
A bit similar to Crime and Passion series, but without changing couples every time, focus on the love story of these two! I would be so happy !
... I know you won't read the review, I know you won't please me, but I tried anyway!

Thanks to all for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors you can find in my text, English is not my mother language.

READ ALSO "The Imperial Season" BOOK #1 - BOOK #2 - BOOK #3:
#1 Vienna Waltz
#2 Vienna Woods
#3 Vienna Dawn

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Book review : Petteril's Thief by Mary Lancaster

Petteril's Thief
by Mary Lancaster
Lord Petteril Mysteries series book #1

My rating: ★★★☆☆
3 full stars, which bodes well for the next books in the series

I couldn't get into it until after 50% through the book.

This is a long short-story ( only 157 pages ) and I know that I always find short story unsatisfying ( except those by Agatha Christie ), because there's no enough time to develop characters making them impressive and then the topic ( be it a mystery or a romance ) is always solved very fast without many details.

However after the first half of the book there has been an unexpected twist that finally took my attention and being this the book #1 in a series, I suppose all characters and events will get more interesting and captivating in the following short books.

____ THE PLOT ____  
In the spring of 1812, Piers Withan is dragged from his beloved Oxford to be the new Viscount Petteril.
Burdened by responsibilities he doesn’t want and the remnants of a family who don’t want him, he is saved from an irredeemable mistake by Ape, the small thief burgling his house.

The former Viscountess Petteril, Piers' aunt and wife of the late Lord, is now looking for an important family heirloom, a gold necklace with rubies that has disappeared.
However, the necklace was not among Ape's stolen goods, so who was it?
Are the culprits other criminals or someone within the greedy and indebted family?

---->  clean language
---->  suitable for cozy mystery lovers and young adult mystery lovers

_____________________________


____ ABOUT THE MYSTERY ____
the mystery is really light and not at all challenging, which is obvious in a short story, however there could have been a little suspense at least for two or three pages.
Usually this disappoints me, but the writer concentrated a pinch of suspense on another topic:
the private sphere of the characters and therefore I never thought of abandoning the book, I wanted to know the solution to "their problem"!

____ ABOUT THE CHARACTERS ____ 
I suspect Mary Lancaster was inspired by a classical mystery, none other than "These Old Shades" by Georgette Heyer, but while I didn't like that book, I've found the same topic here interesting, but I need to use a spoiler to better explain :
___ WARNING: SPOILER____ As in Heyer's book, a rich nobleman finds a boy living on the streets, takes him home and takes care of him by giving him a job on his staff.
In the course of the story the boy turns out to be a young woman, who, having lived for many years as someone of the male sex, no longer wants to go back to living with a feminine lifestyle, made up of clothes with petticoats and a bodice and behaviors more suited to the female sex (as well as different types of tasks within a staff of servants).
-----> While in Heyer's book I couldn't stand the girl, because she was in love and obsessed with her savior and I couldn't stand the fact that despite the huge age difference, they eventually became a couple, in Lancaster's book the girl feels grateful and attracted to her savior , but not in an obsessive and mean way towards the other characters.
Furthermore, the age difference here is acceptable, given that Petteril is also a young man and above all he is a lovable and kind-hearted guy. ___SPOILER END ____

As I have already said, the characters do not have much chance of being well developed in short stories, but Mrs. Lancaster, the author, managed to define each of them so well with just a few descriptive traits (of their way of being and thinking). This is what convinced me to continue with the story, also wanting to read the next books...
I have read several books by Mary Lancaster, I usually love her writing style and I know she will manage to develop the characters and their backgrounds, book by book, making them more and more interesting.

__ THE MAIN CHARACTER ____ Piers Withan, the knew LORD PETTERIL:
what I like about him is the fact that not being destined to inherit the title, he was able to follow his nature as a lover of books, dedicating himself to study and teaching.
However we discover that he is not just a bookworm, but having grown up with a brother and two older cousins, he has learned to defend himself both verbally and physically.

He is an intelligent and kind young man ( handsome too ) and relates to his new staff in a very friendly way, offering to help them with "a certain thing" in which humble people at that time were usually lacking (find out by reading the book!)

___ THE SECOND MAIN CHARACTER __ APE, the young thief and street urchin:
despite having to look after himself from an early age, stealing under the directives of dangerous criminals, we immediately see his desire to have an honest life.
This character immediately won me over for his inner wisdom despite his young age and will be the character who will give you the most surprises in this first book and in the next one and perhaps even the ones after (yes, I have already peeked into the plots of the back covers !! )

___THE OTHER SIDE CHARACTERS __
some amiable and some unbearable, but I'll be happy to meet them all again in the next Petteril's adventures.
humor and ironic jokes !
What I usually like in cozy mysteries, where obviously the mystery is light and the suspense is minimal, is the humorous atmosphere that usually permeates the whole story: funny moments, ironic jokes every now and then... that playfulness , which makes the reader smile and laugh and keeps him glued to the book because he is having fun, even though there is no complicated puzzle and no love story.
So: no complicated mysteries, no love stories (but who knows in the future...), no humour.
This explains my miserable 3 star-rating.
I'm confident though, the series will improve.

THANKS FOR READING my opinion and please be lenient with my English, it's not my mother tongue.

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Book review : A Hussar's Promise by Griffin Brady

A Hussar's Promise
The Winged Warrior #2
by Griffin Brady

GENRE: Historical adventure romance My rating: ★★★★★
💖🏰⚔ Again 5 full stars really well deserved !

This is book 2 in The Winged Warrior series and just like the first one, it has been a wonderful gripping reading !

____ THE PLOT IN SHORT ___ Kingdom of Poland, about 1614.
The story of book #2 begins with Jacek Dąbrowski, captain of winged hussars, guarding a fortress on the border of the Kingdom of Poland, in a place that seems forgotten by God.
The truth is that Lord Eryk, once his commander, mentor and friend, married, under coercion, the woman Jacek loves and exiled him to keep him away.
Lady Oliwia is now the lady of the castle and lives among luxury and privileges, but far from the only man she has always loved, she feels deeply unhappy.
Fate, with the work of some very evil people, shuffles the cards... Jacek and Oliwia seem to have another chance... but here mocking fate and the wickedness of the villains come back into play...
_____________________________

While sequels sometimes prove disappointing, approaching this one, I had full faith in the author's abilities.
I was already completely invested in the story of the two main characters ( after "THE HEART OF A HUSSAR", read my REVIEW HERE) and I couldn't wait to see how it continued, as the first book ends on a huge cliffhanger.

This book could perhaps also be read as a standalone, it is fully enjoyable equally, BUT I ADVISE YOU, OR BETTER I BEG YOU TO READ BOOK 1 FIRST, not only because this will give you the opportunity to have a broader vision of the whole story and understand better every ongoing situation, but because you will be able to enjoy a thousand times more all the beautiful moments and all the wonderful love scenes that this sequel offers.

__THE ROMANTIC PART AND LOVEMAKING SCENES __
The first part of the book, in fact, is largely dedicated to the feeling of love, passion, devotion and making love.
The descriptions are extensive, but never vulgar and give the reader all the intensity that two lovers experience in their intimacy.
Everything is written so well that we can feel the heartbeat of Jacek and Oliwia, the thrill of their passion and the happiness that explodes inside their soul.
I admit that I never wanted to leave those chapters and I put many bookmarks, to reread those pages in the next few days!

Reading book 1 will also allow you to understand how strong Jacek's will is to overcome the thousand vicissitudes and adventures that will involve him in the second half of this book.

When I say that the story is "compelling", I am not exaggerating at all, the pace of the book is fast, at times almost frenetic and will drag you into a vortex of twists and turns that will keep you in suspense: bloody battles, ravenous plots on the part of greedy enemies, traitors and murderers and a psychopath killer, daring escapes and a long journey worthy of Ulysses' Odyssey.
With each chapter I longed for the solution to all the problems, I turned the pages reading avidly and just when I glimpsed the light at the end of the tunnel, the author managed to make me jump again.

___ ACTION, ADVENTURE and SCENES SO VIVID THEY APPEAR REAL ___ 
I don't know how, living in our times and not using images from a film, an author manages to describe fight scenes in such a vivid and detailed way, complete with all the thoughts and emotions that the characters are going through at that moment.
I believe that in addition to in-depth historical knowledge, it takes a great talent to be able to convey to the reader not only the scene, but all the sensations, positive and negative, that derive from it and I can say with certainty that the author, Mrs. Griffin Brady possesses both qualities (historical knowledge and talent in writing), because now I feel not as if I had seen a film at the cinema, but more: as if I myself had experienced every situation together with Jacek, savoring the fatigue, the fear , anguish, resilience, strength, anger, hope, jealousy, uncertainty and finally happiness.
Oliwia is no exception, she too will have to overcome unexpected and very difficult tests, which will bring out the strong woman within her and which, instead of sinking her, will make her increasingly combative and resolute.

Even the background where the scenes take place are described in an excellent manner with details that not only help us reconstruct the scene in our mind's eye, but we are able to perceive the smells, the sounds, the contact with the body, the lights, the shadows and all the sensations that come from them.
I have sometimes read books in which the overly long and detailed descriptions bored me or exasperated me, well, this is not the case.
---> The writer's style is fluent and engaging, to the point that now that I have finished the book, I already feel nostalgic for the characters and their adventures.


_____ CHARACTERS___ 
Book #1 begins with 22-year-old Jacek and 15-year-old Oliwia.
The story takes place over 4 years in which the protagonists grow not only in age but also through difficult experiences and sacrifices.
In this book we find them decidedly matured, more aware of their feelings and their goals.
Now both have the chance to take control of their destiny, but nothing will be easy and within reach, in fact evil people and traps continually hinder their happiness.
Only great willpower and the deep love that unites them will lead to a happy ending.
Of course there are also light moments, in which I love the exchanges halfway between jealousy and playfulness.

I love the 2 main characters and I love their friends too:

_ Henryk, Jacek's best friend, charming and a great lover of all women, but with a heart of gold.
I laughed every time he gets too close to Oliwia and Jacek wants to strangle him and yes, a couple of times I wanted to strangle him too, but in the end he always proves to be a deeply devoted and sincere friend.

_ Jacek's soldier-brothers, who make us breathe feelings of brotherhood, loyalty, camaraderie with funny teasing and laughter, but also sharing pain and mutual help in hard times.

_ I also really liked other supporting characters such as Oliwia's brother, who can't wait to grow up and become a soldier.
The faithful cook with a soft spot for Jacek, the good priest, Oliwia's personal maid... each of them contributes to creating a welcoming atmosphere in stark contrast to the villains always lurking and ready to strike treacherously.

__ A FICTION SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE? ___
Connecting to the villains just mentioned, it must be said that we are dealing with a disgusting slime-ball and a psychopathic serial killer.
There are not only deaths in battle, but a real premeditated murder and other perverse attitudes, which, although described without going into exaggeratedly gruesome details, could perhaps trouble the most sensitive souls.
So I would say readable for ages 16 and up.
_ The language is clean, the author manages to convey the idea of the contemptuous attitudes of rough and nasty big men, without actually using vulgar swear words.
I really appreciated it !!


___ The WINGED HUSSARS and the HISTORICAL PART ___
The main characters and their story are naturally the fruit of the author's imagination, but the wonderful heavy cavalry of the Winged Hussars really existed.
They were all nobles, trained in the use of many weapons since they were children. Many battles mentioned by the author and some character names were equally real.



----> THE LAYOUT OF BIASKA CASTLE is inspired by real castles (of which the ruins remain) Castle in the Eagles' Nest and Bobolice Castle ( look at the pictures below ).
---> At the end of the book you will find a small guide to real events and historical figures, castles and places.





---> You will also find a small dictionary for the weapons and type of clothing of the time and a small guide to the pronunciation of names and words in the original language.
---> ON THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE (www.griffin-brady.com) you will also find a blog with many interesting articles about the glorious history of the Kingdom of Poland in the 17th century, the historical events that made it powerful and about the Hussars.
____________

Thanks for reading my opinion. English is not my mother tongue so I hope I have still managed to express my thoughts effectively and have done justice to both the beautiful novel and the talented writer.
I will definitely also read book #3 of the series, even if I will take a short break of about ten days to enjoy the happy ending a little longer, before diving back into the obstacle-filled adventures of our two favorites.

THE PREQUEL :
BOOK #1 "THE HEART OF A HUSSAR", read my REVIEW HERE

Follow me if you also want to read the review of book #3.
And here is the beautiful Jacek of my mind ( the beauty of books is also being able to imagine the faces of the characters ;-), none other than the handsome Henry Cavill (here very young in The Tudors)




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Book review : The Heart of a Hussar by Griffin Brady

The Heart of a Hussar
The Winged Warrior #1
by Griffin Brady

My rating: ★★★★★
😃A wonderful read: 5 full stars so well deserved !

It's an amazing historical fiction. An adventure romance so very compelling and I really think it's the best novel I read so far this year.

I would like to start by saying that I usually choose shorter novels (around 300 pages or a little more), but the setting, different from the usual, immediately attracted me and if at the beginning I started reading the first sentences, with the fear that I would bored because it was too long and too different from my usual readings ( historical mysteries and clean romances), I have to tell you that I was involved in the story from the very first page to the last one!

____ THE PLOT IN SHORT __ Muscovy, 1610.
Jacek Dąbrowski is a twenty-two-year-old Polish nobleman, cavalry officer of the legendary Winged Hussars, who dreams of gaining land possessions thanks to his valor and military merits.
One day, during a military campaign on Muscovite soil, then an enemy of Poland, he saves fifteen-year-old Oliwia and her little brother from the clutches of soldiers who were looting and razing a village to the ground.

Since the two young people are without parents and relatives, Lord Eryk, the commander, decides to take them to his castle where he will make them his proteges.

The return journey is long and Jacek and Oliwia, traveling on the same horse, begin to get to know each other and without knowing it, they lay the foundations of what will be a strong bond.

Between military campaigns and life at the castle, obvious rivalries and dangerous enemies hidden in the shadows, parties and courtships, passionate kisses, dreams and disappointments, this gripping story takes place over 4 years, until the moment Jacek realizes that the his dream has changed, but just at that moment fate plays a bad joke...

_________________________

__NOT A STANDALONE__
WARNING : FINAL CLIFFHANGER
__THERE IS A SEQUEL____
Before starting to read the novel, I read some reviews (all enthusiastic, but this sometimes turns out to be a trap because then I create too many expectations).
Thanks to the reviews I understood that the book would end with a cliffhanger__ something that I usually don't like at all__ but here I wanted to take a leap into the dark, because the setting and the subjects of the story, the legendary winged Hussars of Poland in the 17th century, intrigued me too much !
If we add that there was the tag #romance, my heart was already kidnapped.

(In the author's defense I must admit that she wrote this in the first pages of the book and the sequel was published only a month after the release of the first volume, because it was supposed to be a duology)
In my case I consider myself lucky to have already found a third volume which the author has decided to write in 2023.

___ ABOUT WINGED HUSSARS ____
They were a heavy cavalry formation active in Poland and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1503 to 1702.
A distinctive feature of the Husaria were the "wings", wooden supports decorated with feathers, secured to their saddles or to the rear plates of their armour, which were intended to demoralize the enemy during a charge.
The hussars ranked as the elite of Polish cavalry, in fact they were all from noble families and they were raised since childhood to ride and to the use of many different weapons.

It has been very interesting to learn all these things about that military body and on a European territory of which I know little or nothing and of which I only know the fate of the post-war period of the 20th century.
I really didn't imagine that the Kingdom of Poland would be so powerful at that time.




___ BATTLES , SOLDIERS and TACTICS, ARMOUR and WEAPONRY __
What I didn't expect were the descriptions of battles, actions and military strategies, descriptions of weapons and traditional outfits of the time (both for soldiers and civilians) and I certainly didn't expect that they would fascinate me so much and that I would have found it very stimulating, really impressive.



I've read other books with battles and only the author Stella Riley managed to fascinate me, while other authors bored me deeply and if I had known before that there were so many battles described, I probably wouldn't have read the book... but I'm glad I didn't know BECAUSE THE AUTHOR DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB!!
Griffin Brady managed to combine all her historical and technical knowledge with the magic of fiction, creating within me great suspense, emotions and full participation in the scenes I was reading, as if a time machine had teleported me exactly there, in that place, at that time and with those people!

Each weapon, outfit and noble and military hierarchy was written with its original name and explained already during the story, BUT DON'T BE AFRAID OF GETTING CONFUSED,
for the reader's convenience, the author has also included a small dictionary for each word cited in Polish.
You will even find another chapter that will help you pronounce the names (after the first ten pages, everything will become very easy).

____ THE CHARACTERS __
Both the two main characters and the side ones are developed excellently.

We are able to see not only the physical appearance of each one, but also their character traits, their emotions, their thoughts, their aspirations and fears, their will to resist adversity and to conquer what they dream of.
The author managed to make them so intense that they seem real.

The dialogues are brilliant, often interspersed with short thoughts written in italics, which have the advantage of completing the dialogues and making the scene that the characters are experiencing vivid.

Some ironic banter between Jacek and his best friend Henryk or between the soldiers or between Jacek and Oliwia... give a light touch from time to time and entertains the reader.

___THE LOVE STORY___
as regards the romantic part, it appears just after 50% of the book, while in the first half some romantic premises are created, but the main characters are not exactly aware of it.

I admit that in the first half of the book, I was constantly wondering when the protagonists would fall in love and at a certain point I thought that the tag #romance was not appropriate for this fiction.
This was only for 5 seconds, because as soon as the two protagonists began to realize that they were attracted to each other, I was rewarded for all the waiting and the second part of the book is largely dedicated to the feelings of love of the two young people.
BUT NO BOREDOM, you will in fact find funny scenes, exciting scenes, you will suffer together with them and even more you will hope together with them.

___ JEALOUSY, INTRIGUE AND CONSPIRACY ___
In addition to the enemies in battle, the protagonists find themselves involved in difficult events, due to jealousy and presumption, envy and the desire for power and revenge, the arrogance and selfishness of some characters.

These situations create a lot of tension during the story, until reaching a climax that will determine definitive (or almost definitive) turning points not only for Jacek and Oliwia, but also for other main characters.

So the novel is compelling not only for what concerns the action and the romantic aspect, but also thanks to other elements cleverly inserted as a subplot.


---> Historical fiction SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE, even teenagers. ---> Despite the time period and the theme, the author managed to write the novel with: _ Clean language (or at most swear words which nowadays are not swear words) _ Sweet and romantic kisses _ Battles and deaths without gruesome descriptions


___ DO I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? ___ yes, I recommend it 100% if you love historical fiction.

Don't be scared by the fact that you also have to read the sequel to feel completely satisfied, you will turn the pages one after the other, completely fascinated by everything that is told by the author and experienced by the characters!

I've already started reading book #2 and I can't wait to read #3 too.

___ THANKS FOR READING MY OPINION, I hope that my English, full of flaws (it is not my mother tongue), has not ruined too much of what was intended to be praise for this novel and my thanks to the writer.

THE SEQUEL :
BOOK #2 "A Hussar's Promise": read my review

_______________ A little off-topic:
while I was reading, my Jacek had the features of a young Henry Cavill ( picture from the Tudors ), because his description corresponds to dark hair, sapphire blue eyes and a frown in his gaze.
with the qualities of a great warrior and a man of sound principles that the writer gave him and the appearance of Henry Cavill, how could I not fall in love with him? 😉





...But those pictures below are my favorites, that's how I imagine Jacek when he turns lovely to Oliwia :

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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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