Skip to content

Tag: Series Review

Series Review – Take Charge

Posted in Book Blogger

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

Posted in Book Blogger

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.

Series Review – The Six Lives of Henry VIII

Posted in Book Blogger

The Six Lives of Henry VIII Series

by Leigh Jenkins
Genres: Tudor England, Historical Fiction, Royalty, Alternative History

I had fond memories of reading the first three books of this series a few years ago, so I decided to reread them and finish out the series while I was on vacation. In general, the ideas are clever and many of them are supported by history. It’s always interesting to read “what if” and alternate universe stories.

Unfortunately, the series has its ups and downs, with fabulous entries and horrendous ones. However, the individual books in the series play off of real history, so you don’t need to read them all, nor do you need to read them in order.

The books are all rather short, coming in at an average of 200 pages. Also, I found enough errors throughout the books that I’m knocking off a star. So, the series as a whole earns 3 stars.