Tag: Regency

Categories
Romance Science Fiction

Read The Earl and the Executive

Read The Earl and the Executive (Imperial Space Regency, #1) by Kai Butler

An impoverished earl trying to save his family’s legacy…

Tiral Oican has inherited his brother’s title, estate, and the tremendous debt his brother took out before his unexpected death. There is only one option to save the estate and all the people who are now depending on him: marry a rich heir who is willing to pay off the debt in exchange for Tiral’s title.

Now, scholarly Tiral must transform himself into a seductive fortune hunter. The only way he can see through the mess is by hiring a tutor in love. It’s too bad that Zev is so good at his job that Tiral is falling for him.

And a rich entrepreneur trying to save his heart…

To protect himself, Zev Laft has spent years fooling the ton into believing he’s no more than an entertaining flirtation. He just didn’t expect the ruse to work so well that the newest penniless earl to arrive on Lus for the season would assume him a demimonde and try to hire him to be his instructor in courtship.

Now one of richest men in the empire finds himself struggling to keep up the façade, when his own heart is being taken by a man he has no intention of marrying.

The Earl and the Executive is a slow burn stand alone 90,000 word MM Regency Romance Novel set in space with a HEA.

I liked this ok but would have liked it much better at 3/4 the length or less. Some bantery-y scenes could have been cut or merged together. Also, it’s bad enough for the MC to have to suffer through a conversation about the weather at a garden party, don’t make me live through it too 😴

The concept of regency in space was fun but a little too direct of a transfer — I would have liked to see more integration of technology into “the season” besides SF cellphones. I would have amped up the subplot earlier, it was hard to take seriously when the MC kinda shrugged instead of putting together the pieces and getting concerned.

I was disappointed that <spoiler>the heroes didn’t collab on ship stuff! The secret identity prevented it for most of the book</spoiler>.

So basically fun idea but needed more work on execution.

Categories
Romance

Read Something Fabulous

Read Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall

Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has twin problems: literally.

It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, too many novels at an impressionable age have caused her to grow up…romantic. So romantic that a marriage of convenience will not do and after Valentine’s proposal she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on him again.

Arabella’s twin brother, Mr. Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, has also grown up…romantic. And fully expects Valentine to ride out after Arabella and prove to her that he’s not the cold-hearted cad he seems to be.

Despite copious misgivings, Valentine finds himself on a pell-mell chase to Dover with Bonny by his side. Bonny is unreasonable, overdramatic, annoying, and…beautiful? And being with him makes Valentine question everything he thought he knew. About himself. About love. Even about which Tarleton he should be pursuing.

This is a fun instalove romp with plenty of over the top action. The hero does screw up a lot, and doesn’t instantly fix all his problems – though I also think some of the ways he was treated were disproportionate and mean and intentionally misconstrue his actions, reading ill intent into everything he does when in general he is following social norms, doing what is expected and usual, and generally trying to find the best outcome for everyone – he just needs to listen to others’ needs more. But, they also need to listen to him.

It bothered me that he gets accused of assaulting someone when he accidentally hits them while escaping from being tied up by them – that’s an accident and was he just supposed to be fine with being tied up for no reason? Because lbh, he’s dragged into this “chase” by Bonny, yet he’s the one blamed for continuing even when Bonny insisted they go after his sister and bring her home.

Bonny is very entertaining, his sister is a drama queen nightmare though I’m sure was fun to write. I wish Bonny had called his sister out on her bullshit instead of blaming her overreactions all on Valentine.

I love the author’s note at the beginning that’s like, everyone’s queer get over it. The sex scenes were not appealing to me but everyone’s got their own taste 😉 I was frankly surprised at the last sex scene which felt like it came quickly and moved too fast after they agree to take things slowly because Valentine is demisexual. I also dislike when one person is sexually involved with someone else in the book, even if it’s before the characters admit they want each other.

Maybe a bit of a pacing issue with the plot climax happening a little early but the emotional resolution closing out the book in just what you know is coming, in a charming way.

Categories
Romance

Read The Dare and The Doctor

Read The Dare and the Doctor (Winner Takes All, #3) by Kate Noble

Dr. Rhys Gray and Miss Margaret Babcock are friends—strictly friends. But over the course of the year, as they exchange dozens of letters, they share personal details that put them on the path to something more. When Dr. Gray helps Margaret realize her dearest dream and she comes to his defense in the uproar that follows, it seems that their connection cannot be denied. But will their relationship stand the scruples of society and jealous intendeds, or are they destined to be only friends, and nothing more?

Love the heroine’s straightforwardness, and that she’s a plant nerd 🥰 She and the hero fit well together. Loved the moment when she meets his skeleton. Plot was a little complicated but I think she pulled it off. Enjoyed the ending.

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read Half a Soul

Read Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales, #1)

It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul. Ever since a faerie cursed her, Theo…

This was charming and a lovely way to pass an evening. The ending seemed quite appropriate, although not what I had expected. I think the climax could have benefitted from one more chapter, maybe, it all happened very fast and I needed to reread a couple pages.

It was interesting to have a character like Dora who feels things less intensely, and I thought written well. I appreciated the underlying theme of tackling ill in the world where you can, even if you can’t change the harmful systems at large.