Review: Last Duke Standing by Cheryl Bolen

 Alex Haversham, the new Duke of Fordham, has a problem.  He has the unenviable task of informing Lady Georgiana Fenton that her fiance, Alex’s brother, is now deceased.  When Georgiana finds out, she insists on viewing Freddie’s body with her own eyes.  As soon as she views his corpse, she deduces that he had been smothered to death, and the duchy’s surgeon concurs with her assessment.  

Alex never wanted to become the duke.  Now that he is responsible for his family and duchy,  he is determined to find out who murdered his brother.  However, Georgiana insists on being part of the investigation, partly because of her own suspicions about Alex. In her eyes, he stands to gain the most from Freddie’s death.

As Alex and Georgiana work together to solve the mystery of who killed Freddie, an attraction develops between them.  Can Alex overcome Georgiana’s suspicions, and will the two of them be able to find the real culprit?

I did not realize that there would be a mystery in addition to the historical romance that I had expected to read.  As a mystery, I didn’t really figure out who was the guilty party until the narrative started dropping a lot of obvious hints about the identity of the villain.  Last Duke Standing is mainly a romance that explores the relationship between Alex and Georgiana.   

I’ve previously read a title by Cheryl Bolen under the faith-based Love Inspired line (i.e. Marriage of Inconvenience), but I would classify Last Duke Standing as a secular romance.  There are no x-rated interactions between the main characters, but there are allusions to the hero’s history as a rake.  There are a couple of explicit statements that appear in a letter written by the mistress of the previous duke that might be uncomfortable for a certain audience to read. The couple share a bed, but nothing happens between them beyond heart-felt conversation because the hero is conveniently injured.  This is not a steamy romance.  Generally, Alex is fairly respectful towards Georgiana.  

I’ll admit that the cover of the book appealed to me...Alex’s appearance reminded me of Rupert Penry-Jones' portrayal of Frederick Wentworth in Persuasion (2007).  

I miss the Love Inspired Historical line.  I tried my best to snap up any Regency or Georgian story that Harlequin put out through that imprint.  As I alluded to before, this was how I recognized Cheryl’s name when I was looking through the selections on Net Galley.  

Last Duke Standing is the third installment of a series titled The Lords of Eton, which include The Portrait of Lady Wycliff, The Earl, the Vow, and the Plain Jane, and One Room at the Inn.

Disclaimer:  I was given an e-copy of Last Duke Standing by Net Galley in exchange for a review.  Any opinions stated in this review are mine.  

Net Galley Update in 2024.

About three days ago, I saw an e-mail message in my inbox from Net Galley.  Apparently, I had been inactive for about 3 years or so, and because of that, a message was sent to my address to notify me that they were going to close my account.  

Because I had my notifications on, I actually read the message within a day of it being sent to me.  I had forgotten my password at this point, so I had to dig around just to reactivate my account.  To my horror, I realized that I have titles almost going back ten years that have not been reviewed.  

As I mentioned in previous posts, I created this blog so that I could read titles from Net Galley.  I also had every intention to write reviews for every book that I had signed up for.  

However, a few things in my life happened over the past six years. 

A family member's health started to decline, and this person eventually passed on.  But the impact of her decline and death affected my family greatly, and we are still in recovery mode.  Shortly after, another family member started showing marked signs of dementia.  Writing book reviews just seemed to be beyond me at that time. 

And so, I forgot about Net Galley.  I was still aware of it, and I knew that I had books to review, but the years crept past me...and when I read the notification from Net Galley about my account closing, I received quite a jolt.  I could not believe that so much time had passed by.

By some miracle, some of the titles have still not been archived yet, and so I will probably review those as quickly as possible.  I have other titles that are still available in Kindle, even though they have been archived on Net Galley.  My goal for this upcoming year is to get through as many titles through the list.  

So, to the authors of the books that I signed up for, and to Net Galley...I apologize about not holding up my end.  I hope to get reviews out as soon as I can.  

 

Review: Shadow of Suspicion by Christy Barritt

A computer expert, Lacey Ryan, is accused of child kidnapping and faces numerous attempts on her life.  Mark James,the detective investigating Lacey, moves from suspicion to a desire to prove her innocence. The novel covers the following:  deception on many levels, computer hacking, cyber-terrorism, and a complicated plan to entrap the female protagonist.  There is a bit of an Alias/Sydney Bristow/CIA/SD-6 situation going on in this story, but on a smaller scale. 

The novel takes place in the same universe as Mountain Hideaway (Trent McCabe’s and Tessa Jones’s story), and Dark Harbor (Zach Davis’ and Madelyn Sawyer’s story), which were both also written by Christy Barritt.  In fact, readers are given a look into the post-nuptial life of Trent and Tessa, however, Zach is given just a passing mention.

There was enough mystery and suspense for me to wonder about what was going on.  I had a bit of a Scooby Doo experience:  I wasn’t able to guess who all the culprits were before the end, and needed the debriefing to discover how deep the conspiracy against Lacey was.  

It’s also a quick read; I was able to finish the book in less than two hours in one sitting.  If you are looking for a quick mystery to occupy yourself for an afternoon, and you enjoy a touch of romance, Shadow of Suspicion might be the book for you.

And now it's May 2023...plus thoughts about the blog

It has been so long since I've written in this blog, that I just want to post something quickly to get this going again.  I've also been reading, but the things that I've been looking at have been challenging to write about. Part of the problem has been that I've been reading unfinished serials that have been posted on the web, and I haven't decided yet if I want to write about them.  

I also don't really know what I want my reviews to look like now.  Before, I wanted to write summaries of the plot and comment on my thoughts about the story lines and characters, but I can appreciate the hard work that authors put into creating their work.  So, do I have too many spoilers in what I post?  However, as a reader, sometimes I appreciate being able to read more detailed summaries posted by other reviewers so that I can decide if I truly want to take the time to read a book, perhaps to even give it a second chance if I am thinking of putting it aside.

Also, there have been works where I've had strong opinions about characters and their actions without considering whether it may be hurtful to the author, whose "baby" might have been "diced and sliced" by what I've written.  I had removed one review that I felt was too overly critical after considering the matter.  Also, for example, in the case of Betty Neels...I *love* reading her novels, but I often skewer her characters.  Although I love the escape her stories offer, I have often thought that if these characters were 'real' people, I would be tempted to actually throttle them in pure frustration over their behaviour.

As mentioned in the description, the blog was created so that I could post reviews in exchange for e-books from NetGalley.  I realize that this blog is just a blip in the internet, and that the vast majority of visits to it are actually by bots based on the statistics provided.  With it being a small insignificant entity with few actual readers, I didn't really think much before about the questions that I'm thinking about now:

a)  Are there too many spoilers in my reviews?

b)  Are the reviews too mean or critical in tone (at least for some)?  How do I write something that is fair without being malicious? 

c)  I have cross posted reviews on Goodreads.  Should I stop that, especially for non-Net Galley works that I review ?  I felt that NetGalley's purpose was to drum up publicity for their books, and Goodreads has a larger reach than my piddly little blog, and I started posting NetGalley reviews there.  When I started reviewing non-NetGalley books, I started to post those reviews on Goodreads too.

d)  What do I actually want to do with this blog?  I like having my little corner to voice what I really think about the things that I read.  

Well...this *is* a work-in-progress.  

  

Review: Hoop Dreams: Modern Hand Embroidery by Cristin Morgan

My interest in Hoop Dreams: Modern Hand Embroidery by Cristin Morgan, was initially captured by the cover.  It features an attractive sampler in an embroidery hoop, with the title stitched in the design.  Kudos to whoever designed the cover; it worked well in snagging my attention.

The book has been out for a few years; it was published in 2018 by Abrams.  It includes a short introduction by Cristin, in which she states her hopes that the book will inspire the reader.  There is a list of tools and materials that could be used, patterns for projects that can be framed in hoops, for home decor (banner, pillow, napkins, plant cozy, and framed art), and as embellishment for other articles of clothing and/or accessories.  There are about 21 projects that appear in the book. 

The book also covers some basic techniques, such as using templates and motifs, transfer techniques, stabilizers, hoops, and threads.  A beginner stitch dictionary is included, with descriptions, illustrations, and samples on how to make these stitches.  

I read this title as an e-book, so there are features that were apparently included with the hard copy version that appear differently in the e-book.  There is supposed to be an envelope with carbon transfer patterns/templates included in the hard copy version.  In the e-book, a link is included to a webpage where templates can be printed out. 

Finally, a reference is included about the brand (DMC Threads) and identity number for each type of thread that was used in the projects featured in this book.  I can see that this would be helpful and useful for crafters who would like to replicate these projects with the exact same colourways that were used.  

Because I have done a little hand sewing before, I was familiar with some of the stitches in this book’s stitch dictionary, but there were some that I didn’t know.  As I mentioned before, the author includes a sample for each type of stitch, a diagram demonstrating needle placement, and a written description, which I think will be helpful in learning these new stitches.  

I think that the author gives enough information for a crafter to strike out on their own to create their own designs.  I cannot speak about how useful experienced stitchers would find this book, but the stitch dictionary includes only 12 different stitches (straight, split, granitos, French knot, stem, long and short, satin, back, running, fern, chain, and woven wheel), and the patterns in this book feature these stitches.  My impression is that this book would be a good introduction for beginners to embroidery, although more experienced stitchers may also enjoy the book if they like the designs that are included.

Review: Winter Of Change by Betty Neels

I sped through another Betty Neels novel.  This time, I read Winter of Change, which was originally published in 1973.  

Protagonists:

Heroine:  Mary Jane Pettigrew, a plain looking 22 year-old nurse who inherits her grandfather's estate, which includes a house and a substantial amount of money.  However, her grandfather has also arranged for her to have a guardian who would oversee her finances, along with vetting any prospective candidates who wish to marry Mary Jane.  

Hero:  Fabian van der Blocq, a handsome Dutch surgeon who gets the lucky task of being Mary Jane's guardian.

Plot:

Mary Jane doesn't want to have a guardian because she thinks that she is mature enough to take control of her inheritance.   Negativity flies between Fabian and Mary Jane whenever they meet to discuss matters arising from their situation.  Fabian tries to carry out his duty as Mary Jane's guardian, but meets with resistance from her every step of the way throughout their relationship. Our protagonists are supposed to fall in love, but will it happen?

Antagonist of note:

Mervyn Pettigrew:  Mary Jane's gold-digging, scam-artist of a cousin who appears on her doorstep and sweet talks himself into her life.  I am seriously chagrined to know that he is a Canadian, because I'm Canadian.  I like to think of us as being Nice People, but Mervyn is a snake.

Stuff that this novel has:

Fabian speaks silkily three times:  two times to Mary Jane while they are duking things out verbally, and once to Mervyn when he's calling Mervyn out on scam-like behaviour.  I usually get annoyed when I see the hero say something silkily, but Fabian dressed Mervyn down very nicely and put him in his place. 

So, did I like this novel?

Ummm...not really.  

The chemistry between this couple is rather toxic.  BN heroes tend to be overbearing, bossy, and non-communicative, but Mary Jane is so antagonistic towards Fabian, it's a wonder they get around to falling in love.  As Mary Jane succinctly summarizes their relationship while talking to Fabian, "What a pity we don't get on."  

The prickly behaviour and negativity drags on for most of the book, and in my opinion, most of this is Mary Jane's fault. I'm not going to bother including examples of her behaviour to back this up. I don't feel like hunting them down, but there is a lot to pick from.  Fabian bitterly tells Mary Jane midway through the book, "You are not only a tiresome girl, you are also a very ungrateful one."  When she says that she doesn't remember being tiresome, and asks what particular occasion that she behaved as such, Fabian tells her wearily, " You are tiresome all the time."  

I agree with him.  Being Mary Jane's guardian is a thankless task.   I almost included Mary Jane, herself, under the, "Antagonist of Note," section.  

The backstory of the heroine in A Winter Love Story (also written by Betty Neels), which I reviewed on June 16th, 2021, is similar to that of the heroine in Winter of Change.  Both heroines have elderly family members who die, and the heroes are brought into their lives because of their connection through these elderly relatives.  However, I enjoyed reading A Winter Love Story more than Winter of Change.  The heroine of A Winter Love Story had some snarky moments with the hero in the beginning of that book, but their relationship was more amicable, and they developed a genuine friendship.  Winter of Change follows a trope of enemies to lovers, but the overall negativity was definitely "tiresome" for me.  

If Fabian were my friend, I'd be tempted to tell him to consider another girl with less shrewish tendencies.

Review: A Winter Love Story by Betty Neels

I meant to post a review of a Susan May Warren novel, but I feel a bit of a writer's block over writing it.

In the meantime, I finished reading Betty Neels' A Winter Love Story.  Neels' category romances are usually about nine chapters long, and are quick to finish.  A Winter Love Story, originally released in 1998, was republished in 2019 as a Special Release, along with A Christmas Wish, for which I posted a review on June 3, 2021.  

Shall I use a template again, as I did for the last Betty Neels' novel I reviewed?

Protagonists:

Heroine:  Claudia Ramsay, a "nearly 27" year old, "shapely girl with a lovely face and shining copper hair."  Along with her mother, they are dependents of her great-uncle, Colonel Ramsay.  She is untrained for any profession.

Hero:  Dr. Thomas Tait-Bullen.  He's an English (not Dutch) "surgeon of some fame" who has been called upon to form a second opinion about the health of Colonel Ramsay.  He's determined that he will never fall in love again because of a failed romance in his youth.  He's 39, and true to form as with other BN heroes, he could learn to become a better communicator of his thoughts and feelings.

Plot:

Claudia and her mother face eviction from their home when Colonel Ramsay passes away, as his estate comes into the possession of an unpleasant distant cousin.  Although her mother remarries, Claudia must make her own way, and finds a job as a general assistant at a geriatric hospital.  However, it is a difficult life to what Claudia had previously known while the Colonel was alive.  Claudia lives on site at the hospital, wishing to give her mother and new step-father privacy for their fledgling marriage.  

Dr. Tait-Bullen, who has been attracted to Claudia from page 1 (page 201 in my edition), proposes a marriage of convenience.  He's her knight in shining armour, swooping in to rescue her from a life of drudgery, and likely, a dead-end job with little hope of advancement, unless she is able to save enough to train for something else.  

And she no longer needs to worry about this, as the good doctor marries her, convincing her that they would do nicely together, as they appear to like each other.  However, he is quite clear that he does not love her, but is looking for a life companion.  He believes that she would be able to fill this role well. 

Claudia is ushered into a lifestyle that is characterized by shopping, mulitple homes, and a busy social life (hospital balls, tea times with other doctors' wives, etc.).  She also gets welcomed into the warmth of Thomas' large family.  In a few short weeks, Claudia realizes that she wants more than friendship with Thomas; she wants his heart.  Will she get what she is hoping for?

Antagonists:

Mr. Ramsay, the unpleasant and uncaring distant cousin who casts Claudia and her mother out of their home.  He sounds like he has taken lessons from Mrs. John Dashwood, from Sense and Sensibility, as he doesn't care to make any provision for his poor relations, even though it is within his means to do so.  However, he and his wife are quickly forgotten, as they serve plotwise to put Claudia and her mom in the situation of needing to find a better living situation.

Honor Thompson is the woman who had hoped to marry Dr. Tait-Bullen, and sticks a spoke to damage the trust between Claudia and Thomas.  

Stuff that this novel also has:

A husband who is happy to wait patiently while his wife goes shopping for a brand new and expensive wardrobe...and he tells her to buy more after previewing what she has already selected.

Adopting a woe-be-gone puppy that becomes the beloved family pet.

A marriage by a special license in relatively modern times.  This was interesting to me.  I thought that this happened historically (as in the Regency Era) and was no longer used.  

So...did I like this novel?

Thomas gets brownie points for not talking silkily to Claudia.

I liked Thomas, and he seemed to be warmer and more pleasant than most BN heroes.   The interesting thing about Thomas is that he seemed to be quite perceptive of what Claudia was thinking when it came to her insecurities.  He always seemed to recognize when to reassure her when she felt self conscious about her looks and abilities. An additional plus was that he liked Claudia from the start, and recognized that she would make a good wife for him.  However, they got married rather quickly.  They definitely didn't know each other well enough to communicate effectively.  In my opinion, in real life, those would present "proceed with caution" signs.  Taking the time to get to know each other would have taken care of this, especially if Thomas' assessment about Claudia's suitability as a wife is true.  

I was also mildly horrified by Claudia's rationalization on getting married quickly.  On page 276 (in my edition), she says,  "Yes, Thomas.  It's a bit unusual, isn't it?  Getting married like this.  But if we're sure, and it's what we want, there's no point in mulling it over for months, is there?  And I don't suppose that if we were engaged for a long time we'd see much of each other-I mean, get to know each other better-for you would be working and I'd be bogged down in plans for the wedding."

His answer:  "What a sensible girl you are, Claudia."

My response:  !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not a marriage counselor, and I know of some people who have gotten married quickly and have had successful marriages.  However, from my perspective, I can't believe that he said that, because I don't think that it's sensible at all.  I think that getting to know each other is more important than planning the wedding, because we're talking about a relationship that is supposed to last for a very long time.  In my opinion, it would be better to invest time and energy in things that would help in the success of the marriage.  If it's important to you, you'll make the time for it.  C'mon...priorities, Thomas and Claudia!  I'm of the opinion that it's wiser to find out important, possibly deal-breaking facts before marriage.  

This particular novel also reminded me a lot of the regencies in which the plot involves a marriage of convenience where the couple eventually get their love match.  As I mentioned before, there was the special license, and the separate bedrooms, even after the marriage which took place in Chapter 4.  Thomas says on page 293, "Let us give ourselves time to get to know and understand each other."  In other words, for the first little while of their marriage (and for the rest of the time readers spend with these two), they will live as flatmates.  As this is a BN novel, there is no mention of any hanky panky, except for allusions to becoming a father, and having a handful of sons and daughters, which by the way, I repeat, would have been good things to discuss before they got married.  

Personality-wise, I liked the hero better than most BN heroes.  I didn't care for the protagonists' rationalizations for their quick marriage.  Maybe Thomas' decision was driven by lust to some degree, and not sense.  However, that is conjecture, and even so, he didn't press for marital relations at the start.  I can understand Claudia's desperation rushing her decision making processes, but...wow.  This novel required some suspension of belief for me.