Emily LarkinRezensionen

This one started slow, and the characterisation was clunky initially. However, as the ideas and metaphors developed, I found it more engaging. Paige's voice was much more believable than James'; I spent a lot of time disbelieving that James had the level of experience that the narrative claimed, given the undergraduate psych stuff that was coming up as 'epiphanies'. However, in a 'no tears' world, I could kind of believe that this wasn't in the psych curriculum½

Whew! This was a truly entertaining read and it was just what I needed in this very stressful year. The characters are bright, funny, entertaining, smart, and serious, and they’ll make you laugh out loud, smile, chortle, guffaw, and shake your head. You could feel the chemistry between Perry and Violet coming right off the page, and when you add an excellent mystery on top of that – well – you just won’t be able to put the book down.

Lady Violet Garland, the spinster daughter of the Duke of Sevenash, shares a secret with all of the ladies in her family. At the age of twenty-one, she and each of her sisters were given a ‘gift’ by a mean-tempered fairy godmother, Baletongue. Violet chose the ability to fly as her gift and she has loved flying over London every night for the last few years. It is exciting and exhilarating, and the majesty of the city below leaves her breathless. She is in the air one night when she sees a person she knows leaving a ball – and he is being followed by someone. Hmmm – she wonders why that is and with unbridled curiosity sets about following the follower. That works fine, but he senses her – and he traps her! Nobody has ever had a clue she was above them before – how did he know? What is he going to do?

Periander (Perry) Wintersmith was raised within the ton as the nephew of a Viscount – until his father gambled away their fortune and killed himself. The Viscount was so scandalized and disgraced that he snatched Periander and his two brothers up and put them in the military where they were immediately sent to India. Perry was the only one of them to survive and he’s only back in England because he promised his mother he’d leave the military and stay where it was safe. His mother is now deceased, he’s barely making enough money to keep the most meager roof over his head, and he’s considering joining his old military unit again.

Sir Mortimer, Bow Street Magistrate, has pulled Perry from his regular clerical duties and made him a temporary Principal Officer to handle a case brought to them by Lord Abbishaw. It appears that Lord Abbishaw collects very naughty mechanical clocks – and somebody is stealing them. Oh! My! Perry has narrowed the suspect list down and will start with the top of the list and follow him until he determines guilt or innocence – and then move on to the next. As he is following his suspect, his scalp tingles – and he keeps getting impressions of some distortion reflected in the windows. What can it be? Well – he’ll just find out by trapping whatever it is. Oops – imagine his surprise when what he catches is a beautiful woman.

Violet and Perry begin to work together – and play together. They run across roofs and develop tools to make it easier and they follow suspects. Their time together brings them together emotionally as well – but, nothing can ever come of it – after all, he is a Bow Street Runner and she is a duke’s daughter.

I loved violet’s exuberance for life and her insatiable curiosity. I also loved watching Violet and Perry learning to love and trust each other. This was a delightful read; I hope you will love it as much as I did.

Short and sweet! I know we got a lot of their story in [b:The Spinster's Secret|32861999|The Spinster's Secret (Midnight Quill, #1)|Emily Larkin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478135376l/32861999._SY75_.jpg|24194880], but I still would have really LOVED a full-length story of their romance, complete with a drawing-out of the angst that is kind of rushed through here. But I still adored this! Emily Larkin/Emily May is writing some of my favorite historical romance! (3.5 stars)

I loved this! Great heroine, engaging storyline, hero redeems himself for hurting the heroine, all kinds of elements that I enjoyed.

Spot on. Heroine has been in love with the hero for years. She is tall and freckled and considered plain, and this combined with harsh words from her Aunt and former suitors has convinced her that she is completely undesirable. The hero must marry before his birthday, and Kate, while hiding, overhears James speaking to her brother about arranging their marriage, declaring his complete lack of passion and love for her. She wants him to be happy so she decides to help him find love. Her matchmaking is quite painful for her. Of course, the hero comes to fall in love with her and she cannot believe it. This book was full of all the angst of an insecure heroine who is completely convinced the hero does not and can not have feelings for her. I felt like it was a little too easily resolved in the end but I'm not sure how else it could have been done. I really enjoyed this, is it a great example of my favorite themes.

Originally read in March of 2012. Re-read in March of 2016 and it still stands up! SUCH GREAT ANGST!

Re-read in March 2018 and I still love the angst so much! Top five favorites of the plain heroine trope.
Bumping it up to a full five stars. Will likely reread this a couple times a year.

Enjoyable but not nearly as good as the first one. I didn’t realize when I started that this was a novella and that I feel contributed to the lack I felt. Everything happened too fast insta love etc. There was little use of the fairy godmother spell which is what made he first book so wonderful.

I liked this. It used the fairy godmother gift from the beginning. I like that better than the last where she only got it at the end to save the hero. In this one the use of the gift is central to the action of the story. It was not as lighthearted as the first one which dropped my enjoyment just a bit. I liked both the hero and the heroine. The hero had PTSD and it was dealt with pretty well I thought. Continuing on with the series.

Loved the hero and the heroine. Interesting mystery and intrigue. Wish the magical abilities played more into solving them.

Nice set of stories that tell of the origins of the baleful godmother.

short story about a noblewoman who runs away to America with her groom. Fairly suspenseful.

I’d give this more than 5 stars if I could. Wonderful use of the heroine masquerading as a man. Wonderful use of the fairy godmother’s spell. Good characterization and believable mystery and romantic development. Can’t wait for the rest of the series.

Meh, pretty unmemorable

I want Violet's baleful godmother gift! Loved this book. I was pleased to see the heroine use her gift frequently. I was pleased with how competent the hero was also. I spent a lot of time on the internet looking up the places they went and the cartoons they viewed. I didn't find all of them but I definitely found some of them. The plot was robust enough to carry the mystery. I was happy to see a smaller mystery. Not everything is about Napoleon and evil french plots.

Can't wait for the next one.

April 1807 and Sir Barnaby Ware is near Woodhuish Abbey, to face a man he has betrayed. Just before he turns to go back he meet Miss Anne Merryweather - a female who says and sees what others don't - he continues on to meet Marcus, Lord Cosgrove. Can Barnaby be redeemed and can he ever forgive himself.
A delightful novella, possibly my first story with a hint of magic, with likeable characters which I wanted to read more about.
A NetGalley Book

1808, and the very wealthy Letitia Trentham has a gift, she can hear when a lie is spoken and consequently at the age of 27 has refused two hundred offers of marriage.
A Major Reid on hearing of this knack asks for her help in finding a traitor - Major Icarus Reid only just survived the Battle of Vimeiro in Portugal. He is alive for only one reason - to hunt for the person who betrayed him and his scouts to the French.
Enjoyed the story a lot, with a very easy writing style, and I really liked the characters.
(Received a free copy from the author)

Charlotte Appleby is totally surprised to find on her 25th birthday that she has been granted a wish from her Faerie godmother - but can she choose wisely.
Given her current situation she becomes a man, and applies and is given the position of secretary to Lord Cosgrove. Unfortunately someone is trying to destroy Cosgrove's reputation and kill him. Can they solve the mystery of who and why.
Really enjoying this series though I have not read them in the right order. The writing style is very easy and enjoyable to read and I like the characters.

This fourth in the series is a romance between two men - so big mature content alert.
The story of Lucas Kemp and Lt Thomas Matlock which started in Book 3 continues here as their story, and as it is set in the Georgian Period they must hid their affection. Can it be possible to have a happy ending.
I enjoyed the story and found the two main characters very likable.

James Hargrave, Earl of Arden has only a few weeks before his thirtieth birthday and the deadline to be married. Unfortunately while telling his closest friend Viscount Honeycourt the logical reasons he wishes to marry the Viscount's sister Kate, she can hear every word. She makes a pack with the Earl to find him a bride. Unfortunately nothing goes right.
I really liked the story and the characters, and found it an easy and enjoyable read.

Although Arabella Knightley is a duke's grand-daughter, due to family circumstances she spent her childhood in the east end of London. Now barely tolerated by the ton, she a reluctant part of the ton, Arabella in the disguise of Tom a thiet rights what she considers wrongs.
An enjoyable story which moved along at a good pace, with some good rounded characters.

15th July 1812 and Nell Wrotham is arriving in London hoping for help from her ex-fiancee Roger but it is Mordecai Black, Roger's bastard cousin who voluntaries his help. But what are his motives and with his reputation will it be her ruination.
Although this is the fifth in the series it is not necessary to have read the previous books, though I have enjoyed them all.
Another very enjoyable read, excellently written and some lovely characters.

I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for a fair review.

It's 1814 and Georgiana Dalrymple has received her gift, the gift of finding places, objects or people. But close friend of the family is suspicious of his birth, is he really Alexander St. Clare, 7th Duke of Vickery. What he finds out leads him and Georgiana on a trip of discovery.
This next in the series is a very enjoyable story, likeable characters, well-written, and easy to read. It can certainly be read as a stand-alone story.
A NetGalley Book

1762 England and Rose has been married off by her father to the 5th Earl of Malmstoke to pay off all his debts. Trapped in a violent marriage she sees no end to her pain. But can groom Will Fenmore offer her a way out.
A sweet, well-written romance story. It is a well-paced novella with most of the scenes just between Rose and Will.

Matilda Chapple is financially dependent on her Uncle Strickland who lives at Creed Hall, but she longs for her independence and to this end she writes stories. But not stories that ladies can read. Then her Uncle is visited by Edward Kane a friend of her cousin Toby, who was killed at Waterloo. Due to a twist of fate the author of these stories is determined to live in the surrounding village and Kane offers to find the author.
I really enjoyed this well-written Regency romance. I also liked the characters, which for me is very important when it comes to reading romance stories.

Gareth Locke came back from Waterloo without his left arm, but a baronet. But this was not enough for his fiancee. Then he met Cecily Locke, poor, widow and a lady's companion. Now it is their wedding night and can it go as bad as both expect.
A very sweet and lovely, well-written novella. Easily showing the emotions that both of them felt. This is the final part to the Midnight Quill series but could easily be read as a standalone but I would recommend reading the previous two first.
Received an Advanced Reader Copy

The former Captain Oliver Dasenby has recently inherited a dukedom. Is is just coincidence that three recent deaths have elevated him to a duke or is it suspicious. Primrose Garland, a childhood friend finds him just as irritating now as then. But he is the best friend to her brother. Both are concerned for his wellbeing.
The story is a mixture of romance, mystery and the paranormal (faerie godmother).
As I would expect, a delightful read, well-written with some very likeable characters. Such an easy to read book (a good point).
I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.