Regina Jeffers
#Review Letters From Home by Regina Jeffers (@reginajeffers) – Christmas Ever After; A Clean Regency Romance Christmas Anthology. #Christmas #Historical #Anthology #LettersFromHome #ChristmasEverAfter
I have the great pleasure to share my review of ‘Letters From Home’ by Regina Jeffers, this novella is apart of the Christmas Ever After; A delightful anthology of Clean Regency Romance Christmas stories from best selling authors. Due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to review the entire anthology before Christmas as I wanted to. But I can guarantee that in the new year, I will post a review of each of the other stories within this anthology. I apologise to the other authors who I missed in this review, but please bear with me, my reviews for all in this anthology are coming.
Letters from Home by Regina Jeffers
She is the woman whose letters to another man kept his hopes alive during the war. He is the English Major who her late husband described as ‘incomparable’. Can Major Lord Simon Lanford finally step from his brother’s shadow to claim happiness with Mrs. Faith Lamont, or will his rise to the Earldom keep them apart?
I am a huge fan of Regina Jeffers work, I always know that whenever I pick up one of her books that I am going to be in for something very special. But even I must say that Ms Jeffers has out done herself with this beautiful story. I have made it no secret at how much I love a good romantic story that features a soldier, for me their journey to happily ever after are far more hard fought for and which makes their ultimate happiness all; the more special and Letters From Home has everything I look for in a historical romance.
Set at a house Christmas party hosted by Major Simon Lanford (or more accurately hosted by his aunt, who has been ruling the estate ever since his brother died) he would much rather just disappear into his rooms, away from the world and his aunt to finally take charge of his life without interference. Unfortunately he is stuck in the Christmas party from hell with various young women who are all wanting the title.
Simon never expected or wanted the title, that was always destined for his older brother, Simon is a career soldier a good officer who knows how to play the battlefield far better then how to manoeuvrer around a ballroom, but as we know life very rarely plays out how we would have expected. He isn’t interested in the gold diggers in attendance, but when he catches sight of Faith Lamont, he is instantly intrigued by her and once he finds out who she is he is taken with her all the more, especially knowing that it was this woman who kept him going through the war.
Faith is in attendance as her cousin; Claires companion, after the death of her husband she had to return to her awful family. She is bullied and manipulated by her cousin at every turn, Claire has her eyes well set on the scarred but devilishly handsome Simon and she has set her mind to do whatever she can to make sure that she becomes the next Mrs Lanford. Faith is certainly taken with Simon, not as though a man as high ranking and brilliant as Simon would ever look at her; a mere plain widow. She knows all about Simon, her late husband served with the might Major; which is where the story becomes so heart-warming, it is their unknown connection with each other that I found really beautiful.
Faith had been writing letters to her husband while he was at the front every week, unknown to her her husband George often shared her letters with his comrades and officers; which included Simon it was through her gentle and caring words or home and love that gave the men a reason to fight and reason to stay alive.
Ms Jeffers has created a very emotional, moving, heart-warming and sweet story of finding true love and moving forward, I can assure you it will pull at the heart strings. This is a wonderful and beautifully written seasonal romance, that will stay with you and one that you will re-read over and over.
A beautiful story and I am looking forward to diving into the rest of this anthology.
This was a complimentary copy via the author in exchange for an honest review, Thank you Regina!
Do check out the full Christmas Ever After Anthology which can be purchased from Amazon.
Letters from Home by Regina Jeffers – She is the woman whose letters to another man kept his hopes alive during the war. He is the English Major who her late husband described as ‘incomparable’. Can Major Lord Simon Lanford finally step from his brother’s shadow to claim happiness with Mrs. Faith Lamont, or will his rise to the Earldom keep them apart?
How the Duke Stole Christmas by Alanna Lucas – Can the magic of Christmas melt his frozen heart? Theodore Winslow, Duke of Greystone, has been betrayed too often, and has walled his heart away. Miss Patience Leybourne is spending Yuletide at Castle Greystone, with her own family gone. The Dowager Duchess is delighted. Then Patience discovers that the Duke is the mystery man she so passionately kissed at a masked ball. How will she manage to endure his company — when that fiery attraction is still burning between them?
Courting a Spinster for Christmas by Arietta Richmond – A Spinster who has lost purpose in her life, no longer a companion to the aristocracy, a Vicar who has discovered that loneliness makes everything hollow, a mystery that draws them together, a Christmas where everything changes, an unexpected love.
Kissing by the Mistletoe by Cora Lee – Everyone thinks Maddie Hayward is destined to wed Kit Mathison and expects a proposal… except neither of them wishes it. Thomas Mathison has loved Maddie for years, but hasn’t told her. When she suggests a sham courtship between them, to show she won’t marry Kit, he agrees, but she will be feigning affection and Thomas will not. Can he conceal his feelings from her? Will he have the strength to let her go when he returns to Edinburgh?
Miss Hadley’s Holly by Victoria Hinshaw – After two London seasons, Margaret Hadley has received offers only from fortune hunters, seeking her dowry. Lawrence Lannon means to devote himself to helping others as a physician, without regard to the charms of his patient’s pretty daughter. Their growing attraction seems doomed when she finds out that he is the younger son of an Earl, just the kind of match she must avoid. Can she see past her assumptions? Or is her love doomed?
The Duke’s Christmas Wish by Emma Kaye – Felicity Worthington wants justice – to find the traitor who caused her husband’s death. But the evidence is in the Duke of Marberry’s study — the man she almost married, and still loves. The Duke finds his former fiancée, who he’s never stopped loving, has snuck into his home under another’s name. Why has she returned? And why is she avoiding him? A shocking betrayal once tore them apart. Can they now find a future together? Or will new treachery keep them separated forever?
The Resurrection of Regina by Janis Susan May – When Regina eloped, she ruined her life. Her father disowned her, and her husband abused her. When he was killed, Regina’s father turned her away. Rescued by Lady Howard and her son Sir Nathaniel who want to re-introduce her to Society, Regina is afraid. In spite of herself, Regina finds herself falling love with Sir Nathaniel. Will blackmail destroy her chance of happiness? Can Sir Nathaniel’s love bring about the Christmas miracle Regina needs?
Lady Eleanor’s Christmas by Becca St. John – Will a mystery unravel Lady Eleanor’s chance at marriage? A lost toy leads her to hidden truths, unveiling hearts in need of a Christmas miracle. The charming, Lord Whittington pays court to her. Lady Eleanor likes him, enough to consider the marriage. Myths haunt his estate so she investigates. A child goes missing, broken dreams are uncovered, love is in the wrong places. Can it be untangled for Christmas? Or is everyone doomed to misery?
If you love regency Christmas romance you’ll love this anthology!
#Review – Lady Joy And the Earl : A Christmas Novella by Regina Jeffers (@reginajeffers) #Christmas #Regency #Romance
They have loved each other since childhood, but life has not been kind to either of them. James Highcliffe’s arranged marriage had been everything but loving, and Lady Joy’s late husband believed a woman’s spirit was meant to be broken. Therefore, convincing Lady Jocelyn Lathrop to abandon her freedom and consider marriage to him after twenty plus years apart may be more than the Earl of Hough can manage. Only the spirit of Christmas can bring these two together when secrets mean to keep them apart.
My View
Well this is a wonderfully heart-warming and emotional seasonal story. I am a big fan of Regina Jeffers work, she has a real gift at story telling, she magically captures the readers attention with her charming stories which have some of the most wondrous characters who the reader can really get behind and cheer on. Lady Joy and The Earl is no different, I found this to be a magical story full of raw emotion and a delightful cast of character’s.
Jocelyn (or Joy) and James have been in love with each other since they were children, as their family’s estates are right next door to one and other, they often used to spend many hours and days together. They both new where they wanted their lives to go and that was to be together, unfortunately James’ father had already arranged a marriage for James ever since he was still in the cradle and it wouldn’t be with the neighbouring Marquess’ daughter. Joy was obviously devastated when hearing of James’ marriage, because she didn’t know the details of the arrangement she felt both cheated and disappointed that James would do such a thing to her after she had loved him all her life. Which into the an arranged marriage of her own, never to see each other for another twenty two years.
Both had very unhappy marriages, in different ways so twenty-two years later once widowed and past their moaning period they can both be and do what they want to be. For Joy that means she finally has her freedom, even if that freedom does come at a cost due to what happened when her husband died. She wants nothing more than to go about her life with her children and finally be able to live. For James there is only one thing that he wants, the one thing that was stolen from him; Joy! He is set on finally claiming his Joy for his own, just as he wanted in the first place. But first he must make it past her high defences, for she is far from the spirited woman he knew she has become a shell of her self and he knows that gentleness and a little Christmas magic is the only way forward for both of them to be happy.
Joy hasn’t had the best of luck, first the one man she loved with all her heart suddenly ups and marries someone else, true that it was all arranged when he was a baby, but she doesn’t know that. Her confusion and hurt is always there, even after twenty years apart her heart may do a jolt and speed up at the mere sight of this distinguished, handsome man but also present is her devastation. She was then married off to a horrible man and his treatment of her has left an imprint on her, she is such a wonderfully kind and loving woman but that sparkle tat James loved about er has been put out. But James, being the wonderfully self assure and slightly arrogant man – but in a very good way he can see that there is a flicker of the woman beneath the hurt, I love this man he really is wonderful and oh, so handsome he isn’t cruel or nasty he is utterly charming and he oozes sex appeal. Joy is an amazing woman, she is strong when it comes to her children and she is fierce yet she is vulnerable and fragile. I love the gentleness James shows her and how with his careful wooing she becomes her real self, I particular love the way he subtly flirts and cajoles her into bantering with him. So sweet and funny!
I love this book! The story is very well developed and refreshingly new for the genre, it moves from scene to scene flawlessly. But the thing that I do love about this sweet short story is the chemistry between the leads, James and Joy are a match made in heaven they have both been scarred – if emotionally scarred by the turn of the events when they were young. The feelings for each other is constant, you can feel the emotion on every page, from the rapidly beating hearts to the fact that they can’t stop gazing at one an other. It’s beautiful written, but I expected no less from talented Ms Jefffers .
Gorgeous story, just perfect!!
This was a complimentary copy via the author in exchange for an honest review.
Lady Joy and The Earl can be purchased from Amazon.
Review – The Earl Claims His Comfort by Regina Jeffers
Hurrying home to Tegen Castle from the Continent to assume guardianship of a child not his, but one who holds his countenance, Levison Davids, Earl of Remmington, is shot on the road and left to die.
The incident has Remmington chasing after a man who remains one step ahead and who claims a distinct similarity—a man who wishes to replace Remmington as the rightful earl. Rem must solve the mystery of how Frederick Troutman’s life parallels his while protecting his title, the child, and the woman he loves.
Comfort Neville has escorted Deirdre Kavanaugh from Ireland to England, in hopes that the Earl of Remmington will prove a better guardian for the girl than did the child’s father. When she discovers the earl’s body upon road backing the castle, it is she who nurses him to health. As the daughter of a minor son of an Irish baron, Comfort is impossibly removed from the earl’s sphere, but the man claims her affections. She will do anything for him, including confronting his enemies. When she is kidnapped as part of a plot for revenge against the earl, she must protect Rem’s life, while guarding her heart.
This is book two in ‘The Twins Trilogy’ we have picked up where we left off in the previous ‘Angel Comes to the Devils Keep’ this time we are focusing on Remmington – who I have to say I have been really looking forward to reading his story since we first met this intriguing man in the previous and I have to say that Ms Jeffers has not disappoint where it comes to this man and this story. This is such a fabulous story, it isn’t just your stereotypical historical romance this is something else it has so many twists and turns, assignation attempts, identity theft and the mystery of why Rem is now the guardian of a little girl that has nothing to do with him and, yet she looks like him – why is that? And what on earth is going on with this elusive Frederick Troutman?
While on an assignment as an agent to the crown, Levison Davids; Earl of Remmington – otherwise known as Rem, gets a summons from home that he is to return as soon as possible, he is needed to take guardianship of a little girl that her mother has claimed is Rem’s but who isn’t. Rem as always is driven by duty, he isn’t the sort of man to shirk his responsibilities – even though the child isn’t his he knows that he can give her a far better home than that of her worthless and harsh step-father, so he goes back, it is while making his way to his ancestral Yorkshire home he is suddenly attacked and left for dead. The following day Rem is found semi-conscious by the most mesmerizing woman he has ever seen in his life, hair life a fiery red halo with the most alluring Irish accent he has heard that in that one moment when she is arguing with him and calling him some rather interesting names he falls for this antagonising and nymph like woman.
For a long moment Comfort wondered what it would be to skim her hands over the man’s roughened body. She had never known a man’s flirtations. Nor had she ever felt a man’s kiss or experienced any sort of intimacy beyond a dance or a walk, but she expected that she could enjoy touching Lord Remmington…..
Rem is a complex man, he harbours this idea that his family is cursed, that all males in his family are doomed and so he does start thinking why bother even fighting what is evidently going to happen, so he dives into his role as a secret agent, he spends years away on one assignment after the other and there is a moment in the book when Rem reflects on that and does regret his choice to basically run away when things get hard.
But he is very loyal, and duty bound he never shirks that duty, Rem is a good man, he is exceedingly stubborn and has the blackest, foul-mouthed temper you have ever seen – which for an Earl is very funny. On the other hand, he is very caring and loving, he has got the gentlest heart when able to show his true feeling’s – which he only does with Comfort, as the story moves along through one drama to the next we see how he takes comfort in just the thought of her and those moment are sparse but very precious for him.
Comfort Neville is caring for little Deirdre until the child’s guardian; Lord Remmington turns up, Comfort has it all planned out, she was going to assess to see if this Lord Remmington was going to do the right thing by young Deirdre, and if he proves to be trustworthy Comfort plans to go and live with her cousin. After finding him near death and nursing him and his bad temper back to health again she isn’t quite sure if this man is the right guardian for her precious ward; Deirdre. Yes, he maybe gentlemanly with some of the best connections in the country with the most tantalizing grey eyes and stunning rare smile but he is a bad-tempered oath with a certain darkness about him that draws her to him like a moth to a flame.
While Rem is reluctantly resting his handler Sir Alexander Chandler and best friend Huntington Mclaughlin; Marquess of Malvern start their investigation as to what happened to Rem but what they uncover is extremely unexpected and disturbing, the attempt on Rem’s life is just the tip of the ice berk in the mystery that soon arises its head. They find out that there is an imposter who is interestingly reported to be the mirror image of the real Earl, is gallivanting around the country as though he were the Earl of Remmington himself.
“…As I am the daughter of a minor son of an Irish baron, perhaps you fear I mean to poison your English hide. That must be it! My desire to cut you open and cleanse you of the blood and pus and mud is a plot! A plot,” she said in a thick Gaelic accent, “to be rid of the English, one thick-headed pig at a time….”
Frederick Troutman; the imposter they soon find out from their investigation is a dangerous and unhinged man who for reasons only known to himself is merrily living Rems life, he is causing trouble for Rem whenever he goes from arranging marriages and setting up mistresses to infiltrating his own home. While Rem and Malvern look deeper into this Troutman’s history and try to figure out why Troutman would want to do this to Rem, what motive has he got that he would want Rem dead? At Rem’s home a murder within Rem’s household turns their investigation on it’s head all over again and now it is a matter of time to solve this mystery as it becomes clear that this Troutman needs to be found before something else happens – or he decides to take his duplicity to another level, one that very would get him killed by Rem’s own hands.
With Rem investigating the spiders web of a mysteries, Comfort is now at her cousin; Isolde home she is helping around the house while waiting for the birth of Isolde’s little one but all the while all she can think off day and night is Remmington. Even though she knows that he must marry one day but he will never marry her – he won’t be able to marry her, she is an Irish catholic with a wild temper and idea’s that really have no place in her head.
Rem’s embrace tightened about her, edging Miss Neville closer. Her heat warmed his body from chin to abdomen. The rightness of her in his arms nearly knocked his defenses off kilter. His emotions screamed with disorientation.
Again, this is another thoroughly enjoyable read, Rem is everything that I love in a hero, brutishly handsome with a sensitive soul just waiting for the right woman to come along. The story is fast, thrilling and intriguing there are twists and turns which at times makes you stop and think ‘what just happened?’ The only thing I do have to say against it, is Comfort didn’t feature as much as I would have liked her to, she and Rem are such a cute couple and I would have liked a little bit more of the two of them together apart from that I found this to be another winner and it leaves you with such a good feeling and it is very much recommended.
This was a complimentary coy via the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Earl takes his Comfort can be purchased at Amazon.
Chicks, Rogues and Scandals Best Books of The Year, 2017
It’s that time of year again where I look back through the year and pick out my favourite books that I have featured on Chicks, Rogues and Scandals, it has been especially hard this time to pick my favourite’s as this year has been full of the most amazing books you can imagine. I have found new author’s that are now go to authors for their genre, new style books and series’ it has been an amazing year of reading. I have ditched my usual formula of best Hero/Heroine/Plot but I have still got a book of the Year – right at the bottom of the post. There are others books that I have loved this year, but if I kept adding books it would end up being my top 50 – I have already added more then I intended, as I only intended on doing my top ten, but there were some books that I couldn’t possibly leave off. So, in no particular order here are my favourite Books of 2017 followed by my Book of the Year!
💖
14 Best Books of the Year; 2017
Echo in the Wind by Regan Walker
Echo in the Wind is a beautifully written story, its thrilling and exciting but yet the love story is so tender. Jeán Donèt really steals every scene he is featured in. He is a hero who can make any woman swoon with just a smouldering look, he is an enigmatic and suave individual who has a breath-taking Gaelic confidence and charisma. A heroine, who is not a wilting wallflower she is a vibrant and strong-willed, independent woman who has her own beliefs and views on the world and she isn’t afraid of voicing them. Together these two are a force to be reckoned with, but they compliment each other too. There isn’t anything about this that I don’t like!
The Viking Warriors Bride by Harper St George
This is so sexually charged, the chemistry between Vidar and Gwendolyn is red hot, any hotter and your eyes would smoke with just reading it, they are made of the same stuff. I love when they start getting to know each other, there is a real spark between them and the respect he shows her is sweet and uplifting. As always the writing is strong and articulated as we have come to expect from St. George. When I read an historical I like the historic detailing within the story and St George doesn’t disappoint, she has got it all spot on, everything is crystalized and explained to a high degree from the smells of our characters to the actual Viking marriage ceremony – which I found absolutely enchanting, the trading of the swords is a beautiful ritual.
Angel Comes to the Devils Keep by Regina Jeffers
This is highly enjoyable read, the romance between Angelica and Hunt simmers and sizzles nicely, Ms Jeffers has done a lovely job at building up their relationship from when Hunt gets injured right to the end, you never know in which direction their story is going to take as there is so much that stands in their way. Yet, that connection that they share, that Hunt has especially, is tender and loving and at times you are just as agonised as he is. I really like how Jeffers has mixes a romance novel with a murder, kidnapping an espionage thriller, I found it exciting, romantic and one that I highly recommend.
The Unexpected Countess by Laurie Benson
This is great read, there is the perfect amount of romance and adventure with a huge, fabulous twist that is so unexpected. The Unexpected Countess is a huge success, a thrilling jaunt with an original plot. It is just so good! Benson has really out done herself with Hart and Sarah she has done such a great job with them, especially Hart who is a seriously great man to get to know I like Benson’s work her fun and charming personality just oozes off the page. But what I particularly like about her writing is that you get a real feeling of a writer who loves what she does, she puts her heart and soul into her work, her warmth is so palpable, her work is comforting as well as thrilling which I find so rare.
The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews
Now I loved this book, I do love my heroes to be trouble and vulnerable and wanting a strong women to help them back to happiness and this is just that, this is truly breath-taking and I loved every single moment of it, the plot is gorgeously written. The simplicity of the story is what gives it real back bone, there isn’t twists turns at every corner so you lose track of the initial story. The Lost Letter is a beautiful, romantic and emotionally shattering, as the writing is so well-defined that you feel every emotion and I just love it to bits. For me this is one of those books that you keep on the bookshelf for ever, you will read and re-read it and you will never tire of Sylvia and Sebastian’s love story.
Besieged and Betrothed by Jenni Fletcher
What a terrific read, I will apologise for the amount of gushing I will most likely be doing about this book, but I have so much to say about it. Jenni Fletcher has real out done herself with this, it is such a compelling and highly charged romance that grips you from that very first page where our bulking, tank of a hero spots the fiery haired, tomboy on the battlements. I was literally hooked, and I was eager to finish and yet when I did turn the last page it was a sobering moment as that was it, done. I could’ve read this again as soon as I had finished. It’s fun, witty and at times heart-breaking, and fabulously engrossing. I just love it.
The Lions Embrace by Marie Laval
The Lions Embrace follows on from Angel Heart in the last book we met Marie-Ange and Hugo Saintclair who are the parents of our hero in this one; Lucas Saintclair and oh, my word what a man! He is simply delectable! Lava’s talent at entwining history of area and the cultures and languages, with a thrilling game of cat and mouse plus the tantalizing love story is faultless. She sprinkles The Lions Embrace with her customary Gaelic charm and she enhances your reading with detailing the sights, aromas and culture of each area we visit during the book and it enhances the reading experience. You become transported to this hot, dusty and dangerous place and it is utterly exhilarating.
The Knights Scarred Maiden by Nicole Locke
I love this, this is absolutely superb! It sticks with you and gets under your skin, but in a very good way you become absorbed in their dark and dangerous world. I have read Historical Romances that has stuck with me long after finishing the book, but this is right up there with some of the best books I have read. It’s beautiful, heart wrenching and you get tingles while reading it. I do genuinely love this book, the plot is fast, complex and thrilling. Rhain and Helissent take you on this sensual, nerve wrecking journey as they find their feet and try to survive and move on with their lives.
The Last Gamble by Anabelle Bryant
This is the third instalment of “The Bastards of London Series” and I do think this is the best one yet. I have been really looking forward to reading this one, after meeting the dark and shadowy Luke Reece in the previous book’s he intrigued me. I wanted to know his story, his past and what in the hell his happening with his lost son and Bryant doesn’t disappoint. This series caught my attention from day one and it’s gone from strength to strength, Bryant has yet again created an entertaining, thrilling and sensuously attractive story. The thing that does set this one apart from the others has to be Luke, we have had snippets of this shadowy man’s turmoil in the previous two books “The Den of Iniquity” and “Into The Hall of Vice” and to finally get to see his story unfold and see his Happy Ever After is very satisfying
No Rest for the Wicked by Cora Lee
No Rest For The Wicked is apart of the “Heart of a Hero” series and it is a series I am looking forward to reading more of. The chemistry between out estranged couple is heated, the tension just ripples as well as the distrust for each other. This is fast, fun and exciting a fabulous read. I do really like this, it is smart, sexy and so well written but the more than that it makes you think. It is really lovely watching as these two get to know each other all over again and as their defences lower and they get closer and closer. They are both very reluctant to reveal their hearts, so it’s quite sweet when they finally do.
lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress by Lara Temple
This is book one in this new series; The Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies Series by the highly talented Lara Temple, and one that I have been looking forward to reading. But nothing prepared me for the huge emotion that surges through you as you read it. I know that Temple has said that this series is her baby, this is a personal story for her and you can really understand as you are reading it just how much of herself she has put into this. I have always liked her work but this really resonates with me, this touched a cord with me more than any other book I have read before, you can feel Temple’s heart and soul running through this, it is very emotional and it packs a real punch and it stays with you long after the last page.
The Crown Spire by Catherine Curzon & Willow Winsham
On first meeting their highway men our ladies fall for their irresistable and roguish charm in a heartbeat, not unsurprising really! They are saved and taken to an inn where they meet the cheeky, charming Innkeeper Ed Hogan and the shy, gentlemanly Doctor James Dillingham. There is something irresistable and provoking about these two handsome Scotsmen, not to mention something very familiar, could it be that Alice and Beth may have met these two rogues before? I love this, the chemistry between both our couples is rich and sensual and very sexy, like all Historical Romance fan’s I do particularly like a good rogue and The Crown spire doesn’t disappoint, in fact we are spoilt as there are two highway men to get to know and adore. It’s going into the super market and getting a two for one deal. Curzon and Winsham have created two strong and charming heroes, that you are bound to fall for.
A Warriner to Rescue Her by Virginia Heath
Ms Snow is was a new to me author and I can say this is simply stunning, there is pure and honest anguish which oozes of the page, It’s raw and immensely real to the era and really shows what life in the Victorian era was like for regular, working-class people. It’s so realistic, it’s like you are in the work house and mill alongside Emma, and you are experiencing her turmoil and suffering. It is gloriously detailed and graphic, some may think that for a historical romance it is too graphic of their suffering, but for me that is what makes an historical. This is how they should be, it has real meat on the bone. I can absolutely say for certain that Ms Snow is going to go very far in this genre, her way with language and fact is mesmerizing. If you’re like me and you like grittier, brutally honest and very real historical where the romance is hard fought for genuinely deserved, than this is the book for you.
💖
So Chicks, Rogues and Scandals all time Book of the Year, 2017 is…
The Captains Disgraced Lady by Catherine Tinley
Tinley has captured the mixed emotions of Waterloo war is mesmerizing. You feel the sadness and despondency of the men and the civilians. Those chapters that cover the battle are superb, the detailing of what was going on and how everyone was coping and the actual battle scenes where Harry is in hand to hand combat is brutal and engrossing. This is atmospheric and so beautifully written and from reading this, I do think Tinley has a gift for capturing those little nuances in human thought and feeling and placing on the page. I had been looking forward to this story and it was so much more than I expected, you’ve probably guessed by my gushing how much I love this book and that I cannot recommend this enough, this is a must read! If you like your charming yet fragile heroes, feisty independent heroines all brought together with a stonking good plot and tied off with some beautiful romantic scenes and moments then this is the book for you.
So there you have my favourite books of 2017, have you read any of them and if so what you think? I’d love to know what your favourite’s have been from the past year.
New Review – Angel comes to the Devils Keep by Regina Jeffers
Huntington McLaughlin, the Marquess of Malvern, wakes in a farmhouse, after a head injury, being tended by an ethereal “angel,” who claims to be his wife. However, reality is often deceptive, and Angelica Lovelace is far from innocent in Hunt’s difficulties. Yet, there is something about the woman that calls to him as no other ever has. When she attends his mother’s annual summer house party, their lives are intertwined in a series of mistaken identities, assaults, kidnappings, overlapping relations, and murders, which will either bring them together forever or tear them irretrievably apart.
As Hunt attempts to right his world from problems caused by the head injury that has robbed him of parts of his memory, his best friend, the Earl of Remmington, makes it clear that he intends to claim Angelica as his wife. Hunt must decide whether to permit her to align herself with the earldom or claim the only woman who stirs his heart—and if he does the latter, can he still serve the dukedom with a hoydenish American heiress at his side
Firstly, what a fabulous book! I haven’t read any of Ms Jeffers work before, but I have been an avid follower of her highly interesting and educational blog, so even before I read this, I knew that I would be in store for something good. But this is really something special, its exciting and equally enchanting, the story line of destiny has brought Hunt and Angelica together through the most difficult things people could experience, really pulls at the heartstrings.
Huntington McLaughlin isn’t no ordinary Marquess, he is a secret agent for the crown. He is a man who despite having a huge responsibility on his wide shoulders cannot think of anything worse than settling down and marrying the ditzy young woman who his father has arranged for him to meet. Hunt is never happier than putting on a disguise and being someone else, just a while.
Hunt has got a lot of pent-up tension coursing through him, you get a sense that he wants to branch out do thing’s his own way. He is an intelligent man how feels that while doing his Marquess duties he is restrained and controlled, he loves the freedom that being an agent gives him. He also has a deep darkness within him, he was taken prisoner by the French and it was only due to his father paying his hefty ransom that he was released so obviously Hunt owes the Duke his very life, and his sanity which is why he agrees to go through with what his father wants. But the memories of his capture still cling to him like dust.
The beautiful, American Angelica Lovelace has been brought back to her parent’s homeland so that she can forefull her mother’s dying wish; to make her society debut and make a good a good marriage. But that is so far easier said than actually done, as our Angelica is very picky she want’s what her parents; a proper love match and not just an arranged marriage like so many of the Ton have to endure and then there is the fact that she already has the ideal man, the man who sends her heart a flutter and who she trusts inexplicably. The problem is, her ideal man, her soul mate is nothing more than a figment of her over active imagination, that is until one day in Regent’s park she spies a man with the face of her hero.
Angel opened her eyes to look upon the sharp angles of his ruggedly handsome countenance. “You are my world,” she whispered as their gazes met and held….
Angelica is a passionate and loyal young woman, she wants to please her father by doing as he and her late mother want, but she has a wild stubborn side that won’t allow any man to bend her to his will. She knows her own mind and she is proud of that. So, when she meets Hunt, she amazes herself to have fallen for him. She sees real pain in his eyes and she will try to do whatever she can to ease that pain. I really like Angelica, she is bright and she knows what she wants, she won’t be pushed into something she doesn’t want.
On her way north to attend a house party, during the storm that is raging her carriage get in trouble and ends up crashing killing her driver and servants leaving her stranded at the side of the road. That is until she comes across a rider who has a suffered an accident himself, he is unconscious with a head and shoulder wound, with a bit of ingenuity Angelica manages to get herself and the unconscious stranger to a little farm where they take refuge.
To protect her reputation and that of the stranger’s she states that they are a newly married couple, so that the farmer and his wife will take them in. She tends to his wounds and looks after him until he wakes, only for when that happens he wakes not knowing who he is or unable to remember a thing about his life. Hunt wakes to a beautiful Angel tending him, an angel who claims is his wife. He is in the dark he cannot remember anything the only real, tangible thing he knows is what this beautiful woman has told him. Hunt feels an instant connection towards her, she is the lightness he needs to bring him from the dark.
“I am gladdened by your progress.” Hunt said in a teasing tone. “I move as if I am a man many years Wendt’s senior, but my wife approves. I am a blessed man.” She blushed, an action quite hard for him to resist in its appeal. If he were well, Hunt would kiss her thoroughly to keep that touch of color upon her cheeks.
It soon comes to light that they aren’t married and she has made it all up, but for good reasons. His brother Harry and best friend Lord Remmington take him back to his ancestral home – The Devils Keep – where things take an unexpected and frightening turn that brings Hunt and his Angel back together again, only for his friend to take a keen interest in his Angel. Hunt soon finds out that because of his title, he must marry well. Can an out-spoken American really be the woman for him?
Now I do like Remmington, he is an intriguing man. A complex one, but he’s super smooth and has defiantly got the gift of the gab when he decides to charm Angelica, she doesn’t even realise what he’s doing. But that’s not surprising, with him being a spy.
With a murderer on the loose, dark secrets coming out of the wood work at every corner, the spy master hovering about with knowledge that Hunt needs to know and his so-called best friend and fellow agent; Remmington making a move on the only woman who has caught Hunt’s heart.
Over all it is a highly enjoyable read, the romance between Angelica and Hunt simmers and sizzles nicely, Ms Jeffers has done a lovely job at building up their relationship from when Hunt gets injured right to the end, you never know in which direction their story is going to take as there is so much that stands in their way. Yet, that connection that they share, that Hunt has especially, is tender and loving and at times you are just as agonised as he is. I really like how Jeffers has mixes a romance novel with a murder, kidnapping an espionage thriller, I found it exciting, romantic and one that I highly recommend.
This was a complimentary copy via the author in exchange for an honest review.
Angel comes to the Devils Keep is out now and can be found at Amazon.
A Chat With…Author Interview With Regina Jeffers
I have the great privilege of chatting with Award Winning author Regina Jeffers, so take a seat and lets lets get to know a little about Regina…
Regina Jeffers is an award-winning author of Austenesque, Regency, historical mysteries, and contemporary novels. She is a retired English teacher and an often sought after consultant for media literacy and language arts
Frankie Reviews : Hi Regina, Welcome to Chicks, Rogues and Scandals! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. First, what five words would you use to describe yourself?
Regina : Independent, loyal, hardworking, practical, overly critical of self, intelligent (Oops! That is more than five words.)
Frankie Reviews : If you could live in any era and place, when and where would it be? And Why?
Regina : As I have published 30 books which feature the Regency era (1811-1820 England), most people would think that I would choose that period. In reality, as much as I love all things Regency, I doubt that I would want to time travel to the era of the Napoleonic Wars. I admit it: I have grown soft in my old age, for I enjoy air conditioning and indoor plumbing and modern medicine. I would wish for a bit more manners among the general populace and for the joy of a long walk or afternoon tea, but I am not willing to give up my modern conveniences unless Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is part of the equation. (sighs heavily in amusement)
Frankie Reviews : Very Interesting, Who was your childhood hero?
Regina : I grew up in the 1950s. We were not so keen on naming movie stars and singers and sports stars and the like as “heroes” in those days. I liked a few of the politicians and world leaders, but that was more from hearing my family speak of them. My personal hero was my mother. She was a single mother living in a time when women did not separate from their husbands. She had the courage to carve out a life where I was the first one of my family to attend college. I hold a B.A., M.A., and a Ph.D. We were never rich, but we survived chastisements and misunderstandings and society’s censor together. Above, one can note that the first word I chose to describe me was “independent.” I learned that quality and many more at my mother’s hand.
Frankie Reviews : What a wonderful hero to have! What is your favourite time of the year?
Regina : Autumn has always been my favourite time of the year. While others look upon the fall/autumn as a time that the earth is preparing for winter, I think of the season as a time to shed summer’s blazing sun while avoiding winter’s chill. It is the time for long walks, football games, leaves changing color, harvest celebrations, prayers of thanksgiving, and most importantly, my birthday. As George Eliot said, “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns.”
Frankie Reviews : Out of all your work, who is your favourite character and why?
Regina : As my career started with a retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy’s point of view, Fitzwilliam Darcy is my favourite character, but he is not MY creation. Back in 2011, I wrote The Phantom of Pemberley, a cozy mystery set at Darcy’s home. In that book, I gave life to one Adam Lawrence. Lawrence (Viscount Stafford) was the son and heir to the Earl of Greenwall, a rake, and a thoroughly charming man about town. Readers enjoyed him so much that they began to ask for more of the gentleman.
In his own words from a previous interview, Adam Lawrence explains, “I first appeared in Jeffers’s cozy mystery, The Phantom of Pemberley. In it, I begged shelter at Pemberley House during a raging snow storm. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Austen’s most famous hero, would have preferred to turn me away for I was traveling with my mistress, and Darcy wished not to expose his wife and sister to such a woman. However, as I am an intimate acquaintance of his cousin, Darcy relented. Later, he was glad of my attendance in what turned out to be an impromptu house party because I aided in his attempts in locating a killer at the grand manor.
“In other of Ms. Jeffers’s books, my role varies. I had a “walk through” role in A Touch of Velvet, greeting the Duke of Thornhill and Miss Velvet Aldridge at the infamous Vauxhall Gardens. In A Touch of Grace, I was the foil to Gabriel Crowden, the Marquis of Godown, for he and I often vied for the same women. I again came to the aid of the heroes of A Touch of Mercy, A Touch of Love, and A Touch of Honor by providing transportation, advice, and a bit of “pretense.” I attended the house party in His American Heartsong and persuaded Lawrence Lowery to seek out an American hoyden, Miss Arabella Tilney, as his lady love, as well as protecting the reputation of both Lowery and the lady. In Ms. Jeffers’s Austen-inspired novel, Mr. Darcy’s Bargain, I assist Darcy in capturing Mr. Wickham and foiling the authorities.
“My dear Ms. Jeffers has been kind enough to bring me from the shadows and into a starring role. I am greatly in her debt and that of her loyal readers who kept asking for me to have my own tale. His Irish Eve takes place some six years after I released my mistress to a return to her family after that debacle at Pemberley House. Little did I know at the time that Cathleen Donnel was with child. It was only after Cathleen’s cousin contacted my father for financial assistance that I learned of my ‘bastard.’ When I arrived to claim the child, I found not only a son, but also two daughters. As I am certain you readily suspect, they are triplets.
“This encounter brought me into the life of not only the children, but also their cousin, Miss Aoife Kennice, who assumed the children’s care when Cathleen passed. Miss Kennice is the type of woman to demand that a man be a better person. She rejected my flirtations, while enticing me to learn more of my responsibilities as the future Earl of Greenwall, a task I have avoided for years. Plainly, we were meant to be together for she is ‘Aoife,’ the Anglicized name for ‘Eve.’ I am very impressed when Ms. Jeffers adds these little details to a story, for Aoife and I are quite happy to be ‘Adam and Eve.’”
Frankie Reviews : Wow! Great answer and thank you for joining us Adam. Where does your inspiration for your books come from?
Regina : Inspiration to write comes from my need to express myself creatively. Despite that analytical mind I mentioned earlier, I possess a creative streak that is my passion. I have taught dance and danced on Broadway. I have performed in professional and community theatre. Writing is just the next phase in my life. I am one of those people who is rarely seen without a book in my hands. I read daily, as did my mother. I write the type of stories I wish to read—stories of people overcoming obstacles to know a bit of happiness in life.
As to writing historicals, I admit that I am a research geek. When I find some unique bit of history, I cannot wait to add it to my next story. Sometimes, the story develops around the history and sometimes the history simply embellishes the story, but the two are closely tied together.
Frankie Reviews : What three tips would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Regina : Trust your instincts, but do not fall in love with what you write. There is always a need for editing and revision. Listen to your Beta readers and your editors. Sometimes they see what you cannot. There is a time to stand your ground and a time to bow to others’ opinions.
Write daily, even it is only a few paragraphs. It is difficult to keep the flow of the story fresh in your mind if there are long gaps between your thought processes and putting pen to paper.
Keep some sort of “history of” the story as you write it. List character names, brief descriptions of the characters, places used within the story line, some sort of timeline that indicates the number of days that passed between event A and event B, etc., and perhaps a bulleted chapter summary. Readers despise when the character’s name in the early part of the book is “Edgar” and later he is “James.” This often happens with secondary characters. Remember they are important to the plot. Bulleted chapters help in locating a particular scene when you are in the midst of deep edits, and a timeline keeps the events plausible. I write historicals. It was not possible for a couple in the early 1800s to elope to Gretna Green in Scotland and be back in London within a week. A timeline would indicate that to an author.
Frankie Reviews : Thank you very much, those are seriously great tips. If you were hosting a dinner party what three people would you invite? (They can be real/fictional, from any era)
Regina : I have been asked this often, and my answer has not varied. I would invite Ernest Hemingway and the now-not-so-politically-correct General George Custer. Then I would ask Miss Jane Austen to join me in fending off the gentlemen’s opinions. I have always thought that both men were flawed and very complex personalities, for each could find poetry and romance and hope even in disaster. I believe Miss Austen would appreciate their tales and would not be “shocked” by them, for Austen’s letters reveal a sharp-witted and acid-tongued woman, who was discerning and sometimes critical and very worldly in many ways.
Moreover, Austen’s books were used in the fever chart that the War Office drew up to treat shell-shocked soldiers in World War I. Her works were considered therapeutic to those most seriously wounded and in need to be read to, mainly because even though one knows what will occur at the end of an Austen novel, she manages to keep the reader in suspense—a characteristic all three dinner mates share.
Frankie Reviews : I never knew that about Jane Austen’s work being used to help WW1 soldiers, thank you for those very interesting facts. Thank you, Regina for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me today
I have just one more cheeky question, just for fun . . . What is your all-time favourite naughty but nice food?
Regina : Whether one pronounces the word as /pəˈkän/ orˈ/pēˌkan/, I am a Southern girl at heart. I would choose anything with pecans: Pecan Sandies, Toasted Pecan Turtle Clusters, Butter Pecan Cookies, Southern Pecan Butterballs, or Pecan pie. You name it, and I am all in.
Sounds good to me, Thank you Regina!
If you want to learn more about Regina and her work or connect with her, why not check out the links below.
Every Woman Dreams Blog / Website / Austen Authors / Facebook / Amazon / Twitter
