Miss Julia Hawkins and Lord Stephen Paxton must learn to work together to solve a mystery. Miss Julia Hawkins is delighted to be back in London and amongst her friends, and she longs for some excitement. An evening ball at Lord Atherton’s newly purchased townhouse throws her headlong into a deep and dark mystery. Lord Atherton is brutally attacked, rumors of a curse are brought to life once more … to life once more and Julia finds herself drawn into the puzzle of uncovering the truth.
Lord Stephen Paxton never expected to be caught up in such a whirlwind. With his brother close to death, he clings to Miss Hawkins, both challenged and grateful for her sharp wit and intelligence. Battling through difficulties together, he realizes that the thought of being separated from her is one he cannot bear. Will he be able to tell her the truth of what he feels? Or will the danger that surrounds him snatch her away at the very last moment?
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I enjoyed this Regency romance that kept me entertained and intrigued from beginning to end with captivating characters and an engaging story that included romance, mystery, emotional ups and downs. I really liked the undeniable chemistry between Miss Julia Hawkins and Lord Stephen Paxton as they seek to determine who brutally attacked his brother. Even though this is the first book I have read by Joyce Alec, it won’t be the last. I received an advance reader copy of “The Shadows” from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review.
I purchased this as part of a novella bundle the author offered called LADIES, LOVE AND MYSTERIES!
It bothered me that the h’s friends, either referred to each other as Lady this or Miss that. Because of that it was hard to see them as friends. They did this even when in their homes, just was off to me.
There is some suspense, little romance, CLEAN story with a couple kisses.
The H’s brother is an awful man with many people wanting him dead. This story is how the 5 friends form a group to solve any manner of things.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, little romance and no spice. (ljb)
Really like the characters and story. It is intense and hard to put down. Keeps you on your toes following the story. The characters are great. What a good read. Would recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was such an outstanding read with a great storyline and characters that were created with such great detail and depth that I was so totally engaged that I ended up reading this book in one sitting!
The ladies of the Shadows are all exceptional and Julia is no exception. This is a decent romance/mystery. Stephen’s brother Lord Atherton is the target of an assassin. Julia is a wonderfully smart young lady who offers to help him find the culprit. Her group of friends join her in the investigation and they are dubbed the “Shadows”. Character development could have been better but I found myself liking them and wanting the best for them. This is a nice short read and there wasn’t a cliffhanger.
I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
In an earlier part of The Shadows (when the 5 ladies had no name yet), we had already met Julia Hawkins. Her story in this book.
When she is invited to a ball, she doesn’t believe in the story about a curse about the house. That the current owner will be killed on his 1st event ….. until it almost becomes true. Together with her friends, she stands by the brother of the Marquis to find the culprit and endangers herself. Not only the physical danger but also her heart.
A wonderfully easy-to-read story, where 5 women solve a mystery in a time where women had to be invisible
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
In the series Ladies, Love, and Mysteries a group of friends – all well-off, unmarried young ladies of the ton come together to solve mysteries, calling themselves the shadows.
Finding love at the same time was not the plan, but is welcome.
In this book Julia attends a ball, where someone is nearly killed and she and her friends try to solve the who and why, while she comes closer to the victim’s brother.
The mix of regency romance with cozy mystery gives it a slightly new spin and as the stories are well-written and entertaining, make a delightful read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great entertainment. Lots of mystery, sleuthing, regency romance, secrets, scandals and more. Action abounds in this book. I highly recommend it! Happy reading!
Julia was bored with her London season and the little mysteries she and her friends had been asked to solve when the host of the party she is invited to is stabbed in his new townhouse that is said to be cursed. She works with his brother Lord Stephen to solve the mystery.
I am enjoying these stories so much….the fact that she has continued the series is so awesome I honestly can’t wait for the next book in the series. The characters are so good, I am looking forward to Stephen and Julia helping her friends with their upcoming situations.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Miss Julia Hawkins is in her Third Season and needs to find a husband soon or she will be labeled a spinster! Her bother, the Viscount Steele, does not enjoy escorting her and instead asks his cousin, Mrs. Law, to accompany Julia to the balls and parties. He wasn’t aware that Mrs. Law enjoys gin and sherry and becomes a bit unsteady on her feet by evening. If she told her brother, he might send her back to his estate rather than find someone else, so she kept quiet.
Loving adventure, when Lady Haddington suggested that the highly intelligent ladies in her little group should offer a service to others, namely solving peculiar mysteries, Julia was very receptive. They created The Shadows for this purpose. So at a party, when Julia has a run-in with the wealthy Lord Atherton, a Marquess, and is invited to a ball at his new rumored-to-be-haunted townhouse, she senses an adventure there. It was said that every Lord who has hosted his first ball there has been known to die that evening. Is the curse real or an opportunity for murder? And when Lord Atherton — the brother of Lord Stephen Paxton who has caught Julia’s attention (in a good way) — is brutally attacked with a knife, will The Shadows be ready to investigate? Will working the clues bring Julia closer to Lord Stephen?
This mystery was done very well, holding the reader’s interest and injecting humor as we watch the actions of the ladies and their new group! They definitely are not the typical wallflower types! Will they solve the crime, or get into more trouble?
Another fascinating Regency romance by Joyce Alec filled with surprises, twists, turns, mystery, intrigue and love. You won’t want to miss this story about Julia Hawkins and her shadows.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Another great story in the Ladies, Love, and Mysteries series this is Miss Julia Hawkins and Lord Stephen Paxton’s story. Julia, Stephen and Julia’s friends who are part of “The Shadows” a group of women who like to solve mysteries, they will look into who stabbed Lord Atherton, Stephen’s brother. I hope there is more to come in this series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Spend a day with this second family-friendly tale of the debutante sleuths in Regency London. Last seen in A Lady’s Mystery, the friends are again on the job.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fantastic mystery and romance that will kept reading until the last line…
Wonderful characters… surprises… and plot…
A curse or other villain/mystery at the work…
A young lady… that loves to solve mystery with her friends…
A young lord caught up in a whirlwind…
A story for all!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
ONE ENTHRALLING STORYLINE!!!
Skidaddle! Joyce is kicking up dust, directing the wind and lowering boom, racking up the shenanigans, powering through chaos and roping all the mayhem blowing this baby wide open. This is one jaw dropping, mind blowing, thrilling piece to grace the space and expand the genre. Producing well rounded scenario’s, revving up the anticipation and adrenaline, with such intensity and precision, blazing this bad boy to life spectacularly. Sparks fly as drama, intrigue, danger and mounting suspense as tension spirals, melding this jewel together fluidly. Throw in distress and turmoil and you have the recipe for one incredible experience. Trudging through the trials and tribulations along with a multitude of plot twists that leave you breathless craving more. The chemistry builds as each layer is peeled back exposing an undeniable bond and amplifying affections, launching this gem to a whole new level. The personalities are well matched and blended with just enough flaws for diversity. The characters and scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and colorful descriptions so rich and lively, they blend and flow beautifully. Fantastic job Joyce, thanks for sharing this little jewel with us.
Lady Haddington is back from her honeymoon and has happily called the young ladies together who had helped make her marriage possible. Without the help of her friends, Lord Haddington would never have uncovered the plot keeping him away from the woman he loves, now he and his wife want the young ladies to help other people with their problems also. At first, they have very dull cases to solve not worth the effort, then Julia catches the eye of Lord Atherton he corners into going to a ball at his new home along with with the Haddington’s. It is said that the past owners of the house have died when their first ball was held, Atherton loves the attention this has given him and intends to play it for all he can. His brother Stephen doesn’t like his brother much but he is family so he was at the ball. Lord Haddington introduced Stephen to Julia and they had a dance when it ended they were talking of the rumor of the house when a scream was heard rushing forward together they found Lord Atherton on the floor with a knife in his back. Stephen thought his brother was play-acting for the attention until Julia spotted the blood. Now, this is the exciting case the girls were hoping for it was also how they got the name Shadows.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Heartwarming Regency romances filled with mystery that keeps you on the edge of your chair, intrigue, surprising twists, and of course, love. The characters are believeable
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.