Lady Anna's Favor - Review

Lady Anna's Favor

By: Karen Tuft

Expected Publication: November 26, 2024 by Shadow Mountain

272 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--London, England, 1814

Lady Anna Clifton will stop at nothing to find her missing brother—even if it means working alongside the dashingly handsome but sometimes infuriating Mr. Jennings, who just might steal her heart.

Lady Anna Clifton has arrived in London with a purpose known only to a few. Her soldier brother has been reported wounded and missing in France, and if he is dead, his title and their family’s estate will go to a horrible distant cousin, and Lady Anna will be homeless. Desperate to find her brother alive, she contacts old family friends, the Bledsoes, who vow to help her in any way they can. However, Lord Bledsoe’s efforts come up empty, except from the Duke of Aylesham, who offers his yacht to carry her to France when Anna decides she must look for her brother there herself.

James cannot board the Duke of Aylesham’s yacht to take him to France fast enough. After his sister’s rushed marriage to the duke himself, James wants nothing more than to enjoy a relaxing journey back to Paris before rejoining England’s diplomatic war efforts against Napoleon. When he boards the ship, he cannot deny his instant attraction to the strikingly beautiful young woman who will be joining him across the sea. But when he receives only a cold reception from her, James dismisses her outright—until he learns the tragic reason she has set out on such a perilous journey. As infuriating as Lady Anna’s brash behavior and indifference to him is, her search seems much too dangerous for a young lady of the ton to undertake alone, so James reluctantly offers to assist her in her quest.

Together, they embark on a search that will take them across the sea and through France to uncover the truth all while trying to reconcile their differences and the preconceived notions they have about each other. With every step, they come closer to solving the mystery surrounding Lady Anna’s brother’s disappearance—but each step also pushes their hearts closer together.

First, I wish this book was listed as at least 3rd in a series. There could be even more prior books that I'm unaware of. But I've read The Duke Meets His Match and An Accidental Romance. These books all have connecting characters. James is the lead male character in this story. His sister Rebecca was the leading female in An Accidental Romance. And then James's sister Susan married the Duke of Aylesham in The Duke Meets His Match. I'd at least like to know all of the books that are connected to these stories. 

I've read multiple historical fiction books where a character had a family member or loved one lost during the war. But I can't say that I've ever read any Regency books where the lead female character actually left the country in search of their lost, potentially dead, sibling. I almost couldn't believe that Lady Anna actually went so far as to search for her brother in a foreign country physically. But I'm thankful that even with the help of two male companions (one a servant and one a good-hearted gentleman) the road was filled with challenges and complications. 

Anna is kind-hearted, but she puts her poor servants through it sticking to her mission to hunt down her brother who was injured or killed in the line of duty. Thankfully, James sees that Lady Anna is completely outside her abilities and will face many obstacles and potential danger if she pursues her mission. He can't let her go alone, especially because neither she nor her two servants speak any French. James takes on the mission to help her find her brother. 

There were a lot of mishaps and misfortunes along the way, and I wasn't sure if her brother would be there when they reached their final destination. Wondering if he would be there propelled me even more than wondering if Anna and James would ever acknowledge the tension between themselves. 

Favorite quote:

-"But the sight of the rising sun fills me with awe and reminds me of good days in the past and better days to come."

I can't say that Lady Anna's Favor was my favorite book. Not by far. I did enjoy it. But I probably won't remember the details in the coming days, unfortunately. Sometimes the plot can drive me more than the romance, but those don't seem to be the books I love or the ones that stick with me. Lady Anna's Favor gets 3 Stars. Have you read Lady Anna's Favor? What did you think? Let me know!

An Accidental Romance - Review

An Accidental Romance

By: Karen Tuft

Publication: December 6th 2021 by Covenant Communications

272 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Regency

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Rebecca Jennings’s first London Season has been absolutely ruined, and one person alone is responsible: Mr. Ben Fortescue. If her new neighbor hadn’t startled her, she would never have broken her ankle, leaving her bored and frustrated at home in the country while her sister enjoys the London Season alone. Although, it was rather gallant of him to carry her home.

For his part, Ben feels terrible about the role he played in Miss Rebecca Jennings’s accident. In the days that follow their first disastrous meeting, he finds himself inexorably drawn to the surprising young woman—first out of guilt and then out of a stirring affection. But Ben hides a secret: he has not been completely forthright about his identity or about the dark secrets of his past that would make it impossible for romance to blossom with Miss Jennings. Despite his love for her, he knows he must let her go. With her ankle finally healed but her heart now broken, Rebecca is left with little choice but to throw herself into the Season. With eligible men circling this late addition to the Marriage Mart, it seems that Rebecca will have no shortage of suitors. If only her heart were free to give.

The description of this book sums things up nicely. Rebecca is preparing for her first London Season. She should have had one a few years ago, but it keeps getting put off for one valid reason or other. Rebecca is crossing her neighbor's property when she is startled, trips, and falls, breaking her ankle in the process. She won't be able to walk or dance. And traveling in a carriage to London with a broken ankle is out of the question. So her Season is delayed again. And she is heartbroken. Pretty much everyone can relate to disappointment and hopes deferred. Rebecca begs her older sister to still go to London without her so that she can share the excitement and experiences with her.

Ben feels guilty for causing Rebecca to miss another season. He resolves to visit her every day to appease his guilt and entertain her for a small portion of the day. Sometimes he reads to her. But often, the two find opportunities to talk. Ben shares some of his past and his situation with her. But his past isn't exactly what I would call dark. Full of pain? Sure. But dark implies something else, I think.

An Accidental Romance was surprisingly complex and layered. And I appreciate that for the depth. The main characters, particularly Ben, had much behind their initial stories. The side characters popped off the page, especially given Rebecca's large family. I would like to know more about the side characters, which is almost always a good sign. I have more to say about An Accidental Romance, but I waited too long to write my review. I will tell you that An Accidental Romance gets 4 Stars. Have you read An Accidental Romance? What did you think? Let me know!

The Duke Meets His Match - Review

The Duke Meets His Match

By: Karen Tuft

Expected Publication: December 1st 2020 by Covenant Communications

pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--At thirty years of age, Susan Jennings has long been considered a spinster. Exceptionally intelligent, she has little tolerance for London and the dreaded Season—if that’s how one is expected to find love, it’s not for her. But when an invitation arrives that cannot be ignored, Susan leaves her comfortable life in the country and enters the fashion and frivolity she most despises. She quickly discovers, however, that there is more to loathe in London—and his name is George Kendall.

George, Duke of Aylesham, has learned to keep his distance from cloying females chasing the title of duchess. Susan Jennings, however, proves an entirely different challenge—a woman who has pushed him to the limit of his patience with their every encounter. But their simmering hostility is disrupted by a thoughtless slip-up: to avoid a marriage of political strategy, George claims he is already betrothed. And when pressed for the name of the lucky woman, only one name comes to mind: Susan’s. Their forced betrothal proves advantageous, but when their verbal sparring must change in order to be convincing, the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred by something neither expected: love.

The Duke Meets His Match started off a little slow for me. But once things picked up, I didn't want to put it down. I read most of the story in one day.

The description is again right yet gives the wrong impression. Susan and George meet at a wedding a year before the events of the main part of the story. Susan sought solitude in the back of a library with a good book. George used the same library for a private conversation concerning efforts to help the crown in ending the war with Napoleon Bonaparte without checking to see if the library was unoccupied. The two verbally spar after George catches Susan, although she couldn't help to overhear and was not attempting to eavesdrop. George since references her as "the harpy" in his mind while she in turn thinks of him as "His Loftiness."

Susan was to accompany her sister, Rebecca, to London for her coming out Season. Susan herself had three seasons in London and then has spent the rest of her time in the country. But Rebecca breaks her leg and is unable to make the journey. Rebecca pleads for Susan to go without her and she reluctantly decides to do just that. Lady Walmsley, affectionately called Aunt Margaret, is happy to focus her attention on Susan and ensure she has everything she needs for a proper London season.

Susan runs into George at her first London ball when her brother James introduces them. James works with George in his attempts at securing peace with the war effort. The two have as cantankerous of a 2nd meeting as they did the first. Yet George still finds himself claiming an engagement to Susan when pressed by the Prince Regent into a different marriage alliance that isn't to George's liking at all. He then has to convince Susan of the merits of marriage to him. As the description states, when the two join causes in an alliance feelings begin to blossom.

I didn't highlight any particular quotes, but The Duke Meets His Match was exactly what I needed. I devoured it. The characters were easy to root for, and thankfully none of the conflict caused me to roll my eyes as sometimes happens because none of it felt forced even though I spotted a few moments when perhaps other authors would have gone in the direction of forced eye-roll-worthy conflict. I'll definitely keep my eyes out for other books by Karen Tuft in the future. The Duke Meets His Match gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Duke Meets His Match? What did you think? Let me know!