Skip to content

Author: Rachel

Review – A Duel in Meryton

Posted in Book Blogger

A Duel in Meryton

by Renata McMann and Summer Hanford

A Duel In Meryton

Genres: Regency Romance, Historical Romance, Romance, Classical Re-write, Adult
Release Date: August 18, 2019
Pages: 233
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★★

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

With his young sister Georgiana’s reticence a constant reminder that his onetime friend, George Wickham, should not be trusted, Darcy decides a trip to rural Hertfordshire is in order, for both him and Georgiana. Darcy believes the people there are of so little consequence, Georgiana will know no fear in interacting with them. He soon learns he’s wrong about both his sister and Hertfordshire, but not about Wickham.

Even bearing the brunt of Mr. Darcy’s insult doesn’t soften Elizabeth to her husband-hunting cousin, Mr. Collins, and her first reaction is to disdain both men. As the two join forces against Meryton’s newest militia member, the charming Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth comes to see a different side to Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins. Their presence in Hertfordshire, along with Mr. Darcy’s other companions, will forever alter the lives of Elizabeth and those she cares for most.

Review – The Best Part of Love

Posted in Book Blogger

The Best Part of Love

by Amy D’Orazio

The Best Part of Love

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Classical Re-write, Adult
Release Date: June 17, 2019
Pages: 410
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

Avoiding the truth does not change the truth.

When Fitzwilliam Darcy meets Miss Elizabeth Bennet, his heart is almost immediately engaged. Seeing the pretty lady before him, a lady of no consequence or fortune, he believes he should not form an attachment to her, unsuitable as such a woman is to be his wife.

What he cannot see, however, is the truth, that the simple country girl harbours a secret. Before she meets Darcy, Elizabeth has spent two years hiding from the men who killed her beloved first husband. Feeling herself destroyed by love, Elizabeth is certain she will never love again, certainly not the arrogant man who has offended her from the first moment of their acquaintance.

In time, Elizabeth surprises herself by finding in Darcy a friend; even greater is her surprise to find herself gradually coming to love him and  even accepting an offer of marriage from him. As the newly married couple is beginning to settle into their happily-ever-after, a condemned man on his way to the gallows divulges a shattering truth, a secret that contradicts everything Elizabeth thought she knew about the tragic circumstances of her first marriage. Against the advice of everyone who loves her—including Darcy—Elizabeth begins to seek the truth, knowing she must have it even if it may destroy her newfound happiness with Darcy.

Review – A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity

Posted in Book Blogger

A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity

by Amy D’Orazio

A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Classical Re-write, Adult
Release Date: July 7, 2019
Pages: 436
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

Is not the very meaning of love that it surpasses every objection against it?

Jilted. Never did Mr. Darcy imagine it could happen to him.

But it has, and by Elizabeth Bennet, the woman who first hated and rejected him but then came to love him—he believed—and agree to be his wife. Alas, it is a short-lived, ill-fated romance that ends nearly as soon as it has begun. No reason is given.

More than a year since he last saw her—a year of anger, confusion, and despair—he receives an invitation from the Bingleys to a house party at Netherfield. Darcy is first tempted to refuse, but with the understanding that Elizabeth will not attend, he decides to accept.

When a letter arrives, confirming Elizabeth’s intention to join them, Darcy resolves to meet her with indifference. He is determined that he will not demand answers to the questions that plague him. Elizabeth is also resolved to remain silent and hold fast to the secret behind her refusal. Once they are together, however, it proves difficult to deny the intense passion that still exists. Fury, grief, and profound love prove to be a combustible mixture. But will the secrets between them be their undoing?

Review – It Started with a Kiss

Posted in Book Blogger

It Started with a Kiss

by Beth Wood

It Started With a Kiss

Genres: Regency Romance, Historical Romance, Romance, Classical Re-write, Adult
Release Date: October 1, 2015
Pages: 133
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

When Darcy finds Elizabeth touring the park around Pemberley, he assumes he is in the grips of his dreams and acts accordingly. He is incredibly surprised to discover that the woman he has taken in his arms is not only very real, but also kissing him back.

This lighthearted variation explores how things might have progressed differently had Mr. Darcy left Elizabeth Bennet with no doubt concerning his continued affection upon finding her touring his beloved Pemberley. 

Review – Fitzwilliam Darcy Elopes

Posted in Book Blogger

Fitzwilliam Darcy Elopes

by Beth Wood

Fitzwilliam Darcy Elopes

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Classical Re-write, Adult
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Pages: 116
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★★

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

When Elizabeth receives the news concerning Lydia’s elopement with Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy proposes a plan to divert gossip away from Elizabeth’s younger sister in order to save her from a life as Mrs. Wickham.

This humorous variation on Pride and Prejudice follows Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet on a rather unexpected adventure.

Review – A Lady’s Reputation

Posted in Book Blogger

A Lady’s Reputation

by Amy D’Orazio

A Lady's Reputation

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Classical Re-write, Adult
Release Date: July 29, 2019
Pages: 470
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★★

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

“Mr. Darcy, I am eager to hear your explanation for the fact that quite a few people believe we are engaged.”

It starts with a bit of well-meant advice. Colonel Fitzwilliam suggests to his cousin Darcy that, before he proposes to Elizabeth Bennet in Kent, perhaps he ought to discuss his plans with their families first.

What neither man could have predicted however was that Lord Matlock would write the news to his sister, or that Viscount Saye would overhear and tell his friends, or that his friends might slip a little and let their friends know as well. The news spreads just as quickly through Hertfordshire once Mrs Bennet opens the express Mr Bennet receives from Mr Darcy, and in a matter of days, it seems like everyone knows that Mr Darcy has proposed marriage to Elizabeth Bennet.

Everyone, that is, except Elizabeth herself.

Her refusal is quick and definite—until matters of reputation, hers as well as Jane’s, are considered. Then Mr Darcy makes another offer: summer at Pemberley so that Jane can be reunited with Mr Bingley and so that he can prove to Elizabeth he is not what she thinks of him. Falling in love with him is naturally impossible…but once she knows the man he truly is, will she be able to help herself?

Review – The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen

Posted in Book Blogger

The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen

by Ada Bright and Cass Crafton

The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen

Series: Austen Adventures, Book 2
Genres: Time Travel, Romance, Friendship, Historical Fiction, Adult
Release Date: November 7, 2019
Pages: 322
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

My Rating: ★★★★★

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

Rose Wallace thought her time-travelling adventures were over. Jane Austen is about to prove her wrong.

After becoming trapped in present-day Bath due to a mishap with her time-travelling charm, Jane Austen is safe and sound back in the 1800s thanks to Rose’s help. Now, Rose is ready to focus on her fledgling romance with dreamy Dr Aiden Trevellyan.

But when Jane reappears in the present, it looks like Rose and Aiden have no choice but to follow her back to 1813…

Staying in the Austen household, Rose and Aiden are introduced to a number of interesting figures from the past, including Jane’s eccentric – and surprisingly modern – neighbour. Suddenly Rose’s life is in need of a re-write as she discovers some unexpected ties to Jane Austen’s world and her past.

Review – The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

Posted in Book Blogger

The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

by Ada Bright and Cass Crafton

The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

Series: Austen Adventures, Book 1
Genres: Time Travel, Romance, Friendship, Adult
Release Date: September 12, 2019
Pages: 366
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

My Rating: ★★★★★

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

When a time travelling Jane Austen gets stuck in modern-day Bath it’s up to avid Janeite Rose Wallace to save her… because she’s the only one who knows that Jane exists!

​Rose Wallace’s world revolves around all things Austen, and with the annual festival in Bath – and the arrival of dishy archaeologist, Dr Aiden Trevellyan – just around the corner, all is well with the world…

​But then a mysterious woman who bears more than a passing resemblance to the great author moves in upstairs, and things take a disastrous turn. Rose’s new neighbour is Jane Austen, whose time travel adventure has been sabotaged by a mischievous dog, trapping her in the twenty-first century.

​Rose’s life is instantly changed – new home, new job, new friends – but she’s the only one who seems to have noticed! To right the world around her, she will have to do whatever it takes to help Jane get back home to write Rose’s beloved novels. Because a world without Mr Darcy? It’s not worth living in!

Review – Pride, Prejudice & Wicked Pleasure

Posted in Book Blogger

Pride, Prejudice & Wicked Pleasure

by Em Brown

Pride, Prejudice and Wicked Pleasure

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Classical Re-write, Erotica, Adult
Release Date: October 12, 2017
Pages: 430
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

When Lizzy Bennett arrives at Hunsford Parsonage, she’s unacquainted with the less civilized side of pleasure. But Lizzy isn’t someone who’s easily intimidated. At the encouragement of her new friend, she ventures into a decadent realm where proper etiquette succumbs to primal passions. Little does she know that the masked mentor responsible for her sexual awakening is the arrogant Mr. Darcy, the very scoundrel she blames for her sister’s unhappiness…

Mr. Darcy is relieved to train a new sexual partner. Despite her distaste toward him, he’s unable to take his mind off the clever, captivating Ms. Bennett. He can’t help but think of her likeness in his new protege. When he finds out his student and his obsession are one in the same, Darcy is torn between fulfilling his own fantasies and risking everything for a distant chance at something more…

Pride, Prejudice & Wicked Pleasure is a steamy historical romance that dares to imagine the kinkier side of literature’s most famous couple. If you like sultry chemistry, Regency trappings, and new takes on classic characters, then you’ll love Em Brown’s erotic reimagining.

Review – Harry Potter Chibi Playing Cards

Posted in Non-Stationery Reviews

I received the absolutely adorable chibi playing cards from a friend for Christmas. As I like card games, and I adore Harry Potter, it was certainly a welcome gift. Before I dive into my review, I would like to point out that my thoughts on the cards in no way diminishes my opinion of the thought put into the gift. I appreciate and love it all the same.

The Box

Harry Potter Chibi Deck Box

The box is fabulous. The box features elements of the Daily Prophet, a hint of the card designs, the Hogwarts crest, and points out that the cards are officially licensed. Keep that in mind. These aren’t just thrown together by someone wanting to make some money.

Year in Review – 2019 Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Non-Fountain Pens

DISCLAIMER UPDATE (6/24/22): TWSBI and Narwhal have released a joint statement which I cover in my most recent TWSBIgate post. While not completely satisfied with TWSBI’s response to the situation, I no longer feel the need to dissuade people from purchasing their products.

DISCLAIMER (5/1/22): Since writing this post, TWSBI has been involved in some unsavory actions, and I am currently boycotting them. For more information, refer to the #twsbigate tag page.

I purchased a great deal of pens in 2019. More than I should have. I’m a little embarrassed, actually. Some I adore, others I seriously regret. However, despite regretting some of them later, they have all helped me on my fountain pen journey; they’ve all taught me more about what I do or don’t like.

I figure there isn’t much better a way to welcome a new year than to have a retrospective look at the previous. I’d originally planned to go through all the pens I acquired this past year, including some information about each.

But, after some thought, I don’t think it’s really necessary. Instead, join me in a look back at a selection of my pen purchases of 2019, including my biggest regrets, my favorites, and my best new discoveries.

25 Days of Dupes Wrap-Up

Posted in Ink

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series. If you were unable to purchase the Inkvent Calendar, then I hope this settled your mind about experiencing the colors. If you fell in love with a color (or a few) from the Inkvent Calendar, then I hope this freed you to use them since you can get color dupes.

I want to provide an easy reference post so you don’t have to click through 25 separate blog posts to find the dupe names. I’m only listing the ink that I feel is the best overall dupe. If you want to see the comparison swabs or the other dupe options, you can click through to the corresponding post.

25 Days of Dupes – Day 25

Posted in Ink

This the last day of ink dupes, although I will include a wrap-up post tomorrow with suggestions I received through comments. I hope you’ve enjoyed 25 Days of Dupes. Share this page with your friends, to help them find some new inks.

Day 25 is Happy Holidays, a sheening and shimmer ink. Of the inks I swabbed, Blue Pearl is the best color dupe.

Comparative swatches for Inkvent Day 25 ink Happy Holidays

The photo below is provided to showcase the sheen.

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that I can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to this website and helping me to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side.

This information is provided in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).