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Review – Veils and Vampires

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Veils and Vampires

by CEE BEE

Veils and Vampires

Series: Vampires of the Daemonverse, Book 2
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: October 14th 2023
Pages: 266
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Highlander meets Twilight with a dash of Fifty Shades of Grey in this vampire romantasy…

Caelin MacGregor is an ancient king with a new love

Ages ago, I ruled a clan of vampire raiders. We were allies to the Vikings and enemies of the Rus. That life ended when the bloodkin plague wiped out all our women, including my beloved vampire bride, Elisava. A thousand years have passed. My heart remains empty. Then I see a human woman named Lexa. For the first time in ages, I feel true desire, respect and love. Could Lexa actually be a lost bloodkin lady … or is she a horrible trick from Pyri, the ancient fire goddess of the Rus raiders?

Lexa Uznetsov has a plan

To save my sister, Sash, I took on my father’s debt to Konstantin the Rus, leader of the New York Bratva. As a result, my life became a never-ending (and incredibly illegal) stakeout for the mob. After years of scheming, I’ve finally come up with a solid escape plan: find all three pieces of the infamous Veil Pendant. Once I reassemble this magical item, I’ll have the power to cure my sister … as well as the ability to say buh-bye to Konstantin. Sure, legends warn that reforming the Veil Pendant may bring about some nastiness called Pyri’s doomsday. Yet if it saves Sash, I’m willing to risk anything.

“Veils and Vampires is amazing! It has action and adventure and a little spicy. Enough that it makes you drool and want more. Honestly a totally different take on modern day vampire soulmates. I devoured this book in one sitting.” – Teresa, Goodreads

Vampires of the Daemonverse

  1. Violins and Vampires
  2. Veils and Vampires
  3. Vixens and Vampires

Review – Violins and Vampires

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Violins and Vampires

by CEE BEE

Series: Vampires of the Daemonverse, Book 1
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Vampire
Release Date: October 13, 2022
Pages: 236
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Lexa Uznetsov is trapped
To save my sister, I take on my father’s massive debt to Konstantin the Rus, leader of the New York Bratva. My life becomes a never-ending (and incredibly illegal) stakeout for the mob. There’s barely time to sleep, let alone find love. In desperation, I approach Caelin MacGregor, the handsome Scotsman who runs Empire Investments. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

Caelin MacGregor is a lost king
Ages ago, I ruled a clan of Bloodkin vampires. My people are born to wield magic, drain humans, and live forever. That’s all over now. I’ve been alone for a thousand years. Today, I no longer care about the sunrise, let alone truly desire a woman. Then, I look upon Lexa. My world turns upside down…

Review – The Hypocrite

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The Hypocrite

by Shana Granderson, A Lady

Genres: Regency Romance, Historical Romance
Release Date: November 5, 2020
Pages: 765 pages
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

***PLEASE NOTE: This is a new and edited version of ‘The Hypocrite.’ The faulty manuscript has been corrected and replaced. I hope that you enjoy the updated and edited story.***

The Hypocrite is a low angst, sweet and clean tale about the relationship dynamics between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet after his disastrous and insult laden proposal at Hunsford. How does our heroine react to his proposal and the behaviour that she has witnessed from Darcy up to that point in the story?

The traditional villains from Pride and Prejudice that we all love to hate make an appearance in my story BUT they are not the focus. Other than Miss Bingley, whose character provides the small amount of angst in this tale, they play a very small role and are dealt with quickly. If dear reader you are looking for an angst filled tale rife with dastardly attempts to disrupt ODC then I am sorry to say, you will not find that in my book.

This story is about the consequences of the decisions made by the characters portrayed within. Along with Darcy and Elizabeth, we examine the trajectory of the supporting character’s lives around them. How are they affected by decisions taken by ODC coupled with the decisions that they make themselves? How do the decisions taken by members of the Bingley/Hurst family affect them and their lives?

The Bennets are assumed to be extremely wealthy for the purposes of my tale, the source of that wealth is explained during the telling of this story. The wealth, like so much in this story is a consequence of decisions made Thomas Bennet and Edward Gardiner.

If you like a sweet and clean, low angst story, then dear reader, sit back, pour yourself a glass of your favourite drink and read, because this book is for you.

Review – Entailed To Heirs Female

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Entailed To Heirs Female

by Victoria Lynn

Genres: Regency Romance
Release Date: June 21, 2022
Pages: 335
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

In this low angst, a sweet retelling of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Bennet is not just idle, he is actively cruel. And Mrs. Bennet, while still uneducated, must do whatever she can to protect her daughters from their father.

Mr. Darcy’s epiphany comes much earlier than in canon and it changes his relationships not only with the Bennets but with his sister, his cousin Anne, and Bingley.

When the Bennet matriarch moves to an estate outside of Bath with her daughters, Bingley follows and so do both Darcy siblings.

Review – Something New to Observe

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Something New to Observe

by Kimbelle Pease

Genres: Regency Romance
Release Date: September 30, 2021
Pages: 368
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

One warning, two cautions, and a note:

WARNING: In deference to a truth universally acknowledged that men do not behave the same when no women are present as they do in mixed company, this vagary does have occasional uses of profanity. The men in my life would consider it amusing but naïve to afford the same semantics of conversation for wholly different circumstances such as these, or they would should one of them choose to read it.

This vagary proposes an alternate telling of the original Pride and Prejudice and considers what may have happened should the characters have been afforded a slightly altered set of circumstances. What if Mr. Darcy had accepted quite early that he was falling in love with Elizabeth? What if Elizabeth was the least stubborn of her sisters? What if Mrs. Bennet was allowed to settle in mind and spirit? What if Mr. Bennet exerted himself on behalf of his daughters? What if Mr. Collins was in some way welcomed as the next owner of the estate? Those are only some of the twists within this tale, and while not canon, I hope I gave your favorite character a moment unto themselves that will make you smile.

CAUTION: I want to specifically state that this vagary is not for all Pride and Prejudice genre readers. If one reads to find fault in what is not canon, I’ve been most forthcoming about the fact that it is a vagary, so you should already be on your guard and perhaps pass it by. For those of you who are strict authoress-guidelines conscious, I will argue that in all time periods people spoke with the use of contractions. To that end, I was true to life rather than follow her pointed non-use of them. Outside conversation, however, you will not find them, and I hope that soothes any feathers which may be ruffled at such a bold defiance.

CAUTION: My editor also requested that I issue a point of clarification on her behalf. I confess that as an author em-dashes drive me nanabas, so in conflict with her excellent advice, I did not include many of them where she said they should be. Despise me for it if you must, but no novel, story, prose, or verse ever hinged on one’s use. The lacking or use of a comma, however, has cost millions. I promise that for those, I let her fully guide me.

NOTE: My personal pleasure in writing this book was the intent to make any who read it find themselves staying up at night; not because ODCs are near death, have been forced to do that which they despise, or are off chasing Lydia again, but because I believe I am not the only one of us who dearly loves to laugh.

Review – Elizabeth Bennet, Heiress to Rosings Park

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Elizabeth Bennet, Heiress to Rosings Park: A Pride and Prejudice Caprice

by JP Christy

Genres: Historical Fiction
Release Date: October 18, 2022
Pages: 385
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Feeling estranged from her parents because they reject the future she wants for herself, Elizabeth Bennet visits her friend, Charlotte Collins, at the estate of Rosings Park, hoping it will be a refuge. However, when an unexpected death occurs at the estate, Elizabeth steps up to assist in the ensuing crisis. Very soon, she is embraced as a friend by the estate’s owners, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter, Anne.

When Fitzwilliam Darcy visits Rosings Park, he is suspicious at first of Elizabeth’s unlikely friendship with the de Bourgh ladies, but he soon recognizes Elizabeth’s useful interventions and becomes intrigued by her—the least-romantic woman he has ever known.
A murder throws Rosings Park into turmoil, which results in Elizabeth becoming the mistress of the estate. Then, the forces behind the murder set their sights on her. Can Darcy keep Elizabeth safe and convince her they are fated to be together?

This variation is low on romantic angst, and high on desire and discovery. While there is no explicit sex, there are frank (but never vulgar) discussions between ladies and ladies, and there are conversations of flirtation and curiosity between ladies and gentleman. If you prefer an Elizabeth whose raison d’être is marriage to Darcy, you might not enjoy this Elizabeth, who wants Darcy and more.

Series Review – Take Charge

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Take Charge Series

by Shana Granderson A Lady
Genres: Regency England, Historical Fiction, Romance

Because there are six books in this series (thus far), I didn’t want to review each one separately. As a whole, the series contains the fun, lighthearted, happily ever after type of stories I love to read.

However, there are a few recurring items I’d like to mention now so I don’t have to repeat myself in each book’s review:

  • The extended families are too perfect. I can only assume this is because they are mostly of Ms. Granderson’s creation — either original characters or characters only briefly mentioned in Pride and Prejudice. But, the Fitzwilliam family, as well as extended Bennet and Fitzwilliam relations are all perfectly jolly, down-to-earth, unprejudiced people. Despite their elevated status, the parents only want their children to marry for love and are disappointed in Darcy when he forgets that his parents wanted the same for their children. They are all happy to welcome the Bennets into the extended family, without a question of their suitability, and those who are of an age with the Bennet sisters are happy to extend informality well before it would be considered appropriate given that they aren’t related.
  • Ms. Granderson doesn’t like Mr. Bingley. Most of his interpretations in this series are weak-willed and led astray — often to the point of ridiculousness — by his sisters. While he didn’t attend a finishing school — since those were for women — his time at Cambridge, as Darcy’s friend, and among the Ton should have taught him basic social rules. However, in several of the books in the Take Charge series, Mr. Bingley is either ignorant of them, or allows himself to disregard them in order to appease one, or both, of his sisters.
  • The proposals and acceptances feel fake. They are very wordy and seem perfectly thought out, even though the women’s answers, at least, are meant to be offered without much, if any, forethought. Even if I’d scripted my acceptance and practiced it regularly as a young woman, only needing to substitute in my future fiancé’s name, I don’t think I could have delivered such a long, perfectly articulate response to a marriage proposal. I also find the use of complete names — including any middle names — when proposing and accepting proposals to be odd.

Series Review – Netherfield’s Duchess

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Netherfield’s Duchess Duology

by Victoria Lynn

Genres: Literary Fiction, Romance, Literature and Fiction

Title: Netherfield’s Duchess: Book 1
Release Date: April 10, 2021
Pages: 268
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Netherfield's Duchess Book 1 Cover

After the death of her spouse, the Dowager Duchess of Felton takes up residence in her property, Netherfield Park. Having met the Bennets on her previous visit to the estate, Lady Fetton decides that taking an interest in Mr. Bennets older daughters will help give her some purpose and distraction from her personal grief. Arriving with her guest, Anne de Bourgh and her godson, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, the Duchess soon fills up her guest rooms with the Bingleys, the Hursts and Mr. Darcy and his ward and younger sibling Georgiana. Her guests, the Bennets and Mr. Collins and the newly arrived militia all combine for matchmaking, madness and matrimony in this Pride and Prejudice variation.

Title: Netherfield’s Duchess: Book 2
Release Date: June 30, 2021
Pages: 254
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★☆

The fast paced conclusion to Netherfield’s Duchess takes our beloved characters from Hertfordshire to Scotland, from Derbyshire to Kent to London as our couples are forced to deal with plotting Lady Catherine and Wickham.

Review – Mr. Darcy of Longbourn

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Mr. Darcy of Longbourn

by April Floyd

Genres: Historical British Fiction, Historical Regency Fiction, Regency Historical Romance
Release Date: March 15, 2019
Pages: 262
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

What if Darcy and Elizabeth switched places? She would be the wealthy young lady of Pemberley and he the master of Longbourn. Elizabeth’s mother, Lady Fanny Bennet, wishes for all her daughters to marry titled gentlemen. Mr. Bennet agrees to a point, but he also thinks love should play a part in any match. In Hertfordshire, Elizabeth visits Mr. and Miss Bingley at Netherfield Park and meets Mr. Darcy at the Assembly. Get ready for some of your favorite characters to be flipped and flustered by this twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice! Lady Catherine is no longer a lady and the Fitzwilliams are in trade. Can gentleman farmer Darcy win the love of the spoilt and willful Elizabeth Bennet? A rose by any other name…

Review – Unmentionable

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Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners

by Therese Oneill

Genres: 19th Century World History, Etiquette, Victorian Era
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Pages: 309
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★★

Have you ever wished you could live in an earlier, more romantic era? Ladies, welcome to the 19th century, where there’s arsenic in your face cream, a pot of cold pee sits under your bed, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (Why? Shush, dear. A lady doesn’t question.)

Unmentionable is your hilarious, illustrated, scandalously honest (yet never crass) guide to the secrets of Victorian womanhood, giving you detailed advice on: What to wear Where to relieve yourself How to conceal your loathsome addiction to menstruating What to expect on your wedding night How to be the perfect Victorian wife Why masturbating will kill you And more!

Irresistibly charming, laugh-out-loud funny, and featuring nearly 200 images from Victorian publications, Unmentionable will inspire a whole new level of respect for Elizabeth Bennett, Scarlet O’Hara, Jane Eyre, and all of our great, great grandmothers. (And it just might leave you feeling ecstatically grateful to live in an age of pants, super absorbency tampons, epidurals, anti-depressants, and not dying of the syphilis your husband brought home.)

Review – In Default of Heirs Male

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In Default of Heirs Male

by Jann Rowland

Genres: Classic Romance, Historical Regency Fiction, Regency Historical Romance
Release Date: May 19, 2021
Pages: 366
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Longbourn estate in Hertfordshire, home of the Bennet family, is entailed. Armed with this unfortunate knowledge, the females of the family have long lived with the threat of eviction from their beloved home should Mr. Bennet pass away before his time.

When the unthinkable happens, the Bennet ladies prepare to leave their home as the heir arrives to take control of his inheritance. Salvation comes, however, by the most surprising of news: Mrs. Bennet is with child.

While waiting for the child to be born, Elizabeth takes control over the estate, determined to save as much as possible in the brief season she has been given. Fortunately, the Netherfield party arrives, and the attentions of the new master of the estate bring them all to hope that Jane, at least, will achieve her heart’s desire.

But little does Elizabeth know she is also the subject of a gentleman’s interest, for Mr. Darcy sees her as an excellent woman who is eager to uphold the trust with which her father favored her. Despite his feelings, Elizabeth is slow to understand the love that might be within her grasp, as she struggles with her duty under the specter of the heir, who believes the Bennets have cheated him of his inheritance and will do whatever he can to ensure he gets what he believes is his.

Review – Her Sisterly Love

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Her Sisterly Love

by Lucy Marin

Genres: Regency Fiction
Release Date: January 24, 2022
Pages: 188
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★☆

AT THE TENDER AGE OF TWELVE, Elizabeth Bennet vowed to protect her younger sisters from her parents’ neglect, brought on by their increasingly combative marriage. Jane is her partner in this endeavour—until her attention is diverted by the arrival of a handsome new neighbour, Mr Bingley. With him is his friend, Mr Darcy, who Elizabeth first dismisses as taciturn and rude. But as she gets to know him, other feelings arise—ones destined to end in heartbreak because of her promise to remain with her sisters.

SOON AFTER ARRIVING at Netherfield, Fitzwilliam Darcy finds himself intrigued by one of the local young ladies. There is something about Elizabeth Bennet’s kindliness that draws him to her, and as he learns more about her, his admiration grows. First determined to forget her, he soon wants more than anything to win her heart and her hand in marriage. But will the very thing that draws him to her be the thing that forever keeps them apart?

Review – Longbourn

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Longbourn

by Jo Baker

Genres: Historical Fiction, Regency Fiction
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Pages: 354
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

While Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters fuss over balls and husbands, Sarah, their orphaned housemaid, is beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When a new footman arrives at Longbourn under mysterious circumstances, the carefully choreographed world she has known all her life threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended. Mentioned only fleetingly in Jane Austen’s classic, here Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Regency England and, in doing so, uncovers the real world of the novel that has captivated readers’ hearts around the world for generations.

Review – The Other Bennet Sister

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The Other Bennet Sister

by Janice Hadlow

Genres: Literary Fiction, Regency, Romance
Release Date: March 31, 2020
Pages: 481
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★☆

What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of Janice Hadlow’s The Other Bennet Sister, a debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Jane Austen fans.

Ultimately, Mary’s journey is like that taken by every Austen heroine. She learns that she can only expect joy when she has accepted who she really is. She must throw off the false expectations and wrong ideas that have combined to obscure her true nature and prevented her from what makes her happy. Only when she undergoes this evolution does she have a chance at finding fulfillment; only then does she have the clarity to recognize her partner when he presents himself—and only at that moment is she genuinely worthy of love.

Mary’s destiny diverges from that of her sisters. It does not involve broad acres or landed gentry. But it does include a man; and, as in all Austen novels, Mary must decide whether he is the truly the one for her. In The Other Bennet Sister, Mary is a fully rounded character—complex, conflicted, and often uncertain; but also vulnerable, supremely sympathetic, and ultimately the protagonist of an uncommonly satisfying debut novel.

Review – Condescension and Condemnation

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Condescension and Condemnation

by Perpetua Langley

Series: The Sweet Regency Romance Series, Book 8
Genres: Regency, Romance, Literary Fiction
Release Date: October 15, 2016
Pages: 320
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Lizzy and Jane visit the Gardiners in London and receive an extraordinary introduction to Mr. Charles Bingley while attending the theater. Bingley is taken with Jane and invites Elizabeth, Jane and the Gardiners to a ball at his residence. Mr. Darcy, handsome, but too serious for Elizabeth, insists on claiming the first. Jane’s attention is wholly engaged by Mr. Bingley. All looks promising until Lady Catherine de Bourgh discovers she has just been introduced to a man in trade. Insulted, the Gardiners take Jane and Lizzy from the house.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bennet has received an extraordinary communication from Mrs. Polly Merriweather and Mr. Archibald Merriweather, recently of New York and currently residing in Berkeley Square. The Merriweathers claim relation to Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner is asked to investigate.

Lizzy and Jane return to Longbourn, dispirited from their adventure with Lady Catherine, only to find that the house will host the Merriweathers and Mr. Collins, the regiment has taken up residence in Meryton and somebody has taken Netherfield.

Review – Understanding Elizabeth

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Understanding Elizabeth

by Robin M. Helm

Understanding Elizabeth cover

Genres: Literary Fiction, Regency, Romance
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Pages: 293
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Mr. Darcy is tempted beyond what he can endure when Elizabeth Bennet leaves her private journal entries in the parlour of Netherfield. Upon reading her writing, he is appalled to find that she overheard his unflattering remarks at the Meryton Assembly and despises him for his thoughtless comments. He wishes with all his heart that he could undo the damage.

During a restless sleep, he dreams of two powerful beings who can give him his heart’s desire – Elizabeth’s admiration, respect, and love.

Will he take the offer to change the past so that he never makes the offensive statement? Will he make a deal with the Devil, or is the price too dear?

What would you do to get exactly what you want? How much would you be willing to pay?

Review – The Earl’s Granddaughter

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The Earl’s Granddaughter

by Ola Wegner

The Earl's Granddaughter

Genres: Romance, Regency, Pride & Prejudice Variation
Release Date: June 7, 2021
Pages: 147
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Pride and Prejudice variation.

What- if scenario of the most beloved novel. Elizabeth, an orphan raised at Longbourn, is not the daughter of Mr. Bennet but his niece. Shortly after Hunsford proposal Elizabeth learns that her late mother was the daughter of the earl. With her life circumstances suddenly changed Elizabeth has to learn how to handle herself as a wealthy young woman with noble connections.

Series Review – The Denton Connection

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As I mentioned previously, because I’ve read so many of Sydney Salier’s books, I’m grouping my reviews of their works. This post covers The Denton Connection series. Be aware, there are spoilers in some of these reviews. There is a note at the beginning of each review that contains spoilers, as well as an asterisk on the links below.

Multi-Review – Books by Sydney Salier

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I recently read through nearly the entirety of Sydney Salier’s oeuvre. Because I read so many books, and because I don’t want to dedicate my blog to just book reviews for the next couple of months, I’m going to group my reviews of Sydney Salier’s works. This post covers all of their “one-off” books. There will be separate posts for The Denton Connection series and the Unconventional Education diptych — or duology, depending on how you want to look at it. Be aware, there are spoilers in some of these reviews. There is a note at the beginning of each review that contains spoilers, as well as an asterisk on the links below.