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

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

My rating: ★★★★★

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

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

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

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

_______________

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VERY NICE REGENCY ATMOSPHERE and CHRISTMAS HABITS __

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

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

***** ___ *****

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

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

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

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

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

A short and very enjoyable Christmas mystery novella.

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

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

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

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

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

________ ******** ________

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Book review : Christmas on the Home Front by Roland Moore

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

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

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

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

________ *** _______ *** ________

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Book review : The Heiress Who Dared Me by Charlie Lane

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

My rating: ★★★★★

5 FULL STARS WELL DESERVED!! :-D

A delightful read from start to finish !!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Book review : A Minor Deception by Nupur Tustin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Book review : Confessions of a Dangerous Lord by Elisa Braden

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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