“Oh my gosh!!! I am absolutely in love with this book!”~ NetGalley reviewerWho is the Duke of Vickery? At the age of four Alexander St. Clare was stolen by gypsies and sold to a chimney sweep. At the age of five he was reunited with his father, the Duke of Vickery. His history is no secret—everyone in the ton knows of his miraculous rescue.But when Alexander finds his father’s diaries, he … miraculous rescue.
But when Alexander finds his father’s diaries, he discovers that there may be a secret buried in his past.
Georgiana Dalrymple knows all about secrets. She has several herself—and one of those secrets is her ability to find missing people.
When Alexander turns to her for help, Georgiana sets out to discover just who he actually is…
“I was taken on a roller coaster of emotions. Had me laughing then had me in tears.”
~ NetGalley reviewer
Length: A short novel of 40,000 words
Sensuality level: A Regency romance with a steamy love scene
Q & A with the author
How would you describe this series?
It’s Regency England with a dash of magic. I hope to take readers on a journey from the glittering ballrooms of the aristocracy to the dark underbelly of Regency England – with passion, danger, adventure, romance, and a little magic thrown into the mix.
I think the series could also be labelled Regency Noir, because it falls on the darker, grittier side of the romance fence, although each book contains humor, too. The stories are emotional, but not sweet (there’s sex, violence, and my heroes do swear rather badly at times!).
Why did you write this series?
I wanted to get my well-bred heroines out of the drawing rooms and put them in the way of adventure and romance. But I didn’t want to write a series where magic is common; I wanted to write a series where only a few characters have magic, and it’s a deep, dark secret, and no one else knows.
But … do magic and Regency England go together?
Definitely! Many, many years ago I read Sorcery and Cecelia (or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot) by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, and totally loved it and ever since then I’ve thought that Regency England and magic go very well together.
What was the catalyst for this series?
A magazine article I read in which celebrities were asked what magic power they’d choose and why. That got me thinking! (I’d choose shapeshifting, by the way.)
How would you describe your writing?
Several reviewers have likened my writing to Georgette Heyer, which is the hugest compliment ever. I adore Georgette Heyer! She’s why I write historical romance, and I reread her books over and over. (If you’ve not read The Grand Sophy, please do so!) I’ve also had readers compare my writing to Courtney Milan and Mary Balogh, which are also massive compliments.
Who would like this series?
This series will appeal to readers who enjoy the historical backdrop of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, the dark and sensual ‘noir’ feel of Anna Campbell, the emotion of Mary Balogh or Courtney Milan, and the magic of Patricia Rice and Mary Robinette Kowal. Quite a broad range, really!
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4 1/2 STARS****
Finding his father’s diaries after his death, Alexander, Duke of Vickery, questions his identity. Is he really the old Duke’s son? Geogiana’s gift is finding things. She can’t refuse to help the man she loves discover his past. Only confronting his past will give them a future, except Alexander has a secret! How sad and sweet.
This is the mildest of the series so far. This does not have the suspense incorporated in the other stories of the series, but having Miss Dalrymple’s father accompanying the two travelers was a nice change. I love traveling around England with the heroines of this series! This paper chase takes us to Cornwall. I liked how they could access Georgie’s magical sense by posing “where?” questions. It seemed so rational, despite the “magical” gift. The use of “pishpash” as a code word made me smile. As an acrophobe, the scene at the cliffs kept me on tenterhooks. Alex’s doubts regarding his position were nicely brought out.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Oh my gosh!!! I am absolutely in love with this book!
Alexander St. Clare, the Duke of Vickery has been in love with Georgiana Dalrymple for the last six years. Unfortunately, that was at the same time she was betrothed to his best friend. When Hubert went missing for so many years everyone’s life ceased to move forward until miraculously Georgiana had a dream that showed where Hubert was buried. It has now been over a year and Vic hungers to proclaim his feelings toward Georgie but uncertainty holds him back.
Now that he’s got himself in hand and is ready to step forward, he is hit with a tumultuous dilemma. Turning to Georgie for help, he learns she has a special gift. Unbelievably, that gift has brought him the greatest pain and confusion of his life. Together, they set out on a journey to uncover what further secrets have been hidden and the truth behind Alexander St. Clare.
First and foremost, I cannot say how much I absolutely loved Vic! His point of view is beautiful, strong, heartfelt, and so darn angsty I felt absolutely shattered by it at times. His character is made up of all the little imperfections that makes a person real. His struggles are true and his transformation from uncertainty to determined, confused to broken to shredded and then stronger than before was a beautiful thing to read.
Georgiana was the perfect heroine to Vic’s hero. She was determined to give him the truth despite what the result might be. She trusted him and trusted their relationship enough to know that anything else would only tarnish what she hoped they would one day have together. Her ability to hold strong for Vic while his world crumbled around him made me love her all the more. The fact that she wouldn’t take “No” from him or allow him to turn away from what she was offering proved her strength.
This author has the ability to shake me up, toss me out, scoop me up and bring me back together again all within a few well-chosen words. Her writing talent is extraordinary. I can’t describe it except to say I have never read another style like it. And I love it!
Please, please, please check this one out if you like some angst with your historical romance as well as a broken hero that you just want to wrap your arms around. It’s a beautiful story!
This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley, Emily Larkin and Red Adept Publishing
Dual POV
Safe
No apparent triggers
Emily Larkin is pretty much a must-buy for me, so being able to review and advance copy is a treat. I have loved the entire Baleful Godmothers books and this novella is no exception — with a few quibbles. The title, I thought, is misleading since the discovery really is about the hero, Alexander St. Clare, the Duke of Vickery. He is the one who must discover his past. Miss Dalrymple, the neighbor who he has loved, is there to provide support, love and a little bit of magic. Georgiana has the power to find lost things, and so she does, connecting Alexander with another side of himself. Like all of Ms. Larkin’s books, the story is compelling, with characters you wish were your friends. Another winner, although the novella format necessarily is more compressed. Who wouldn’t want to know more about the distance of the Duke’s father early in his life, or about Georgiana’s first love? A little more tension to get to the HEA would have been welcome, too, especially considering the obstacles the couple faced. Still, I enjoyed it and will re-read. (I received a NetGalley ARC in return for an honest review.