Mary Lancaster

Do you remember Lord Petteril’s snobbish, privileged, rakeish cousin – Major Albert (Bertie) Withan? Well, he’s missing – in Lisbon, Portugal and Petteril and April have gone to find him. Of course, they have to pose as man and wife so they can travel together – and we all know how well those sorts of things work out don’t we? 😊

Bertie arrived in Lisbon on time, but never made it to his regiment on the front lines. Bertie may not be Petteril’s favorite relative, but he’s still a relative and needs to be found. The Portuguese and military authorities have done little to locate him. Petteril takes on the identity of a minor government clerk sent to Lisbon to discover the major's location because the Major’s rich and powerful cousin is making waves. As a lowly, unassuming clerk Petteril can ask more questions of more people than he could as a Viscount. Bertie made several significant acquaintances and conquests in his short time in the city. Is he in hiding somewhere? Is he lying dead somewhere?

While this book has an excellent mystery, it also continues the blossoming romance between Petteril and April. From the title, I had hoped we’d have a wedding, but – not yet. I’m hoping for the next book. I really like both characters whose quirky characters perfectly match.

If you are looking for a quick, fun, interesting read with a nice mystery, grab a cup of tea and your favorite reading chair and enjoy this book.… (meer)

Romance and tension!

I wanted some light historical romantic reading. This was just the ticket!
A soldier, a survivor of Waterloo, Major Roderick Vale, is plagued by dreams and strong reactions to loud noises. He meets one of the daughter’s of their neighbor, the Earl of Braithwaire, Lady Helen Conway, at the local Blackhaven Assembly Rooms Ball.
Vale’s just ended an affair with a wealthy widow, Meg Maven (from trade). She’s been planning on using marriage to Roderick as her entree into high society. That’s nowhere on the Major’s radar. He’s already ended the relationship.
Meg won’t take no for an answer.
She sets her sights on Helen who has helped Roderick.
There is more to Helen than meets the eye. One shouldn’t underestimate her.
Suffice it to say we have the evil widow making trouble, the young innocent exploring her feelings, the injured soldier trying to heal, families concerned about their siblings, and so much more.
An intriguing romance that does more than satisfy .

A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.… (meer)

I loved this latest addition to the Lord Petteril Mysteries series. The characters are very likable and quirky and the mysteries (yes, more than one) are interesting and the resolution is surprising. I will mention that I believe you should read the books in this series in the order they are published rather than starting in the middle. There are character developments you need to follow as they happen to fully understand the characters.

Piers Withan, newly elevated Viscount Petteril, has spent the first few months in his new title dealing with family issues and visiting the various properties – and solving mysteries along the way. He and his assistant April are on their way to one of those properties, Sillitrees, but first, they will stop by the home of his good friend Sir Peter Haggard (Haggs) because there is a small mystery to solve.

A portrait of Haggs’s father has been defaced and Haggs has asked Lord Peteril to discover who did it. Luckily, the artist who painted the portrait, a Frenchman named Claude St. Etienne, is also there to paint a portrait of Haggs. The artist can repair the picture, but why would anyone deface and damage the portrait in the first place since Haggs’s father was beloved by all who were in attendance?

Solving the mystery of the portrait doesn’t take long at all – but then there is a murder. Oops! Did the person who defaced the portrait also commit the murder? Surely not! If not, who else might it have been and were the two things related?

This was a fun, entertaining read with two lovely mysteries and equally lovely characters. I would have liked to see more progress in April’s language skills after several months, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot happening there nor in her ladylike behavior. So, it will be interesting to see what happens in the next book, Petteril’s Wife, which will be released later this spring.… (meer)

The Captain’s Old Love by Mary Lancaster
One night in Blackhaven #1

Introduction to a new series that has the potential for nine books or more just based on the siblings of one family. This was an easy, quick, somewhat predictable, feel-good, second chance romance that provides a happily ever after for the main characters.

What I liked:
* Antonia: widow, lady’s companion, loving mother to six-year-old Edward, never stopped loving Julius though she was upset he jilted her
* Julius: retired naval captain, war hero, scarred, loving brother, intelligent, knows the area, has brought his family together and is settling in, never stopped loving Antonia but hurt and wonders why Antonia jilted him
* Edward: young, precocious, bright, fun, active, likes Julius
* Julius’s siblings: there are eight of them that I won’t name but I have a feeling they will each have a book of their own
* Lord Linfield and his sister Miss Talbot: he is a diplomat that knew Julius’s father and she travels with him
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* That it was an easy read without any major insurmountable obstacles

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about what Antonia put up with from her parents, husband, brother-in-law and Dunnet

Did I like this book? It was okay
Would I read more in the series? Maybe

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars… (meer)