eyes.2c Reviews

The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight trilogy #1) by  Katherine Arden                              I could not put this down. I read into the night, transfixed by this medieval fantasy set in the wintery northern Russian cold. I was transfixed by the young girl Vasilisa, daughter of a local Lord, a magic bearer who is persecuted by the new,y come priest for witchly behavior as she tries to marry the old protective hearth and home ways with the teachings of the church. The honoring of the spirits and demons is a colorful background to this story of love and heart. The  story of a startling young woman, and of Morozko, the frost-demon and winter-king  and of his brother Bear. Reading Auden's author notes gives a fascinating insight into what she was trying to achieve with Russian names, history, and folklore. I'm still wondering why it took me so long to read this absolute gem. I was glued to every page, every word and every nuance. A NetGalley ARC *****

Forsaking All Other by Catherine Meyrick                                      A harrowing tale of love, duty and fear in the Elizabethan times of the 1580's. A time when fear of the Spanish and papists was rife in England, when wars were being fought to "protect both England and [the] Protestant faith." More than that though this is the story of the widowed Bess Staunton fighting for the right to decide her own future, and not that of her father's devising. As a widow without a sinecure Bess is once more a slave to her father's wishes. For the time she has escaped him, serving as a waiting woman to Lady Allingbourne. When Bess becomes a friend to Edmund Wyard, whose mother is a vile cold hearted wretch with very decided plans for her son's future, the telling of the tale becomes even more involved. Bess is drawn into a web of deceit and fear. I was enthralled by Bess's story and raced across the pages as the intensity of her journey captured me.

Missed Murder, A: A Tudor Mystery (A Bloody Mary Mystery #3)   by Michael Jecks      Let's face it, Jack Blackjack is a survivor! An ex cut purse who's risen up in the world (somewhat), always with an eye to the main chance. Luck seems to land him on his feet but the path is nearly always painful and confusing. Jack's attitudes to women leave a lot to be desired. The only saving grace is that he's frequently out smarted by some of them. Perhaps if he lifted his head from lavishing his gaze at their chests he'd have more of an inkling as to what's happening around him. Yes, Jack is your ultimate anti-hero!  Still his bumblings seem to land him on his feet, although more often than not, with a body bruised, broken and damaged. (Think a tad Blaxkadder). Jecks has us wandering through the London of Bloody Mary at the time of her marriage to King Phillip of Spain. Admittedly we visit the less salubrious parts of London--along the Thames, in very suspect aleho

More or Less a Countess (The Somerset Sisters #2) by Anna Bradley   I was charmed ...                                ...by this rather wonderful story of the proverbial bad boy, driven to action because he never measured up, and the wayward Bluestocking who despite all odds worms her way into a small corner of his heart. Nicholas Balfour, the Earl of Dare, had never met anyone like Hyacinth Somerset, but then he didn't meet Hyacinth he met her sister Violet who is certainly one of a kind. And Violet determined to teach this rake a lesson doesn't dispel Nick's understanding that he's meeting with Hyacinth. After 'all a lady didn’t marry a gentleman who mistook her for her sister.' Violet is the middle of a grand effort, producing a book about London entitled 'A Treatise on London for Bluestockings and Adventuresses,' and the Earl of Dare has arrived just in time to become a model for the chapter “Gentlemen, Rakes, and Rakes who Pose as Gentleme

Scandal Above Stairs (Kat Holloway #2) by Jennifer Ashley                             An engaging read following the exploits of seemingly mild mannered, intelligent cook for a well-to-do household, Kat Holloway and her mysterious friend Daniel McAdam. Valuables and priceless artifacts are being stolen from wealthy neighboring homes, and it seems even the British Museum is not immune. Kat and Daniel find themselves once more at the crossroads of doings above and below the stairs of the mansions of Mayfair. I still have not built a mental image of Kat, although my emotional image is that of a strong, determined woman. We find out a bit more about the enigmatic Daniel, but he's still shrouded in a veil of secrecy. The where's, why fore's, and who's are definitely up for grabs. And what is the relationship between Kat and Daniel? Another captivating murder mystery showcasing the upstairs downstairs relationships of Victorian England. A NetGalley ARC ****

Choices (Tales of Valdemar #12) by Mercedes Lackey                                 I always love stepping into the world of Valdemar! This collection of tales from such a magical place, always full of adventure is the equivalent of a chocolate lover's guilty pleasure. Here be stories that encompass the known lands that are part of the Valdemar experience. Written by a league of talented authors who love this universe Mercedes has created, 'Choices' brings those of us who have a long time relationship with Valdemar fresh new voices to enjoy. If however you're dabbling for the first time this is a portal into a startlingly different world. A NetGalley ARC *****

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke (The Cavensham Heiresses #4)   by Janna MacGregor                                    Lady Daphne Hallworth finds herself left behind when her mother and brother depart for different locations before joining forces for the upcoming Christmas celebrations. Each thinks that Daphne has gone with the other. Her brother's ex best friend, now worst enemy, Paul Barstowe, Duke of Southart, along with the family's delightful under butler, come to her rescue. (Both in different ways.) I adored both these leading characters, along with some delightful and some dastardly supporting personalities. These are two people who find themselves encouraged by each other. Barstowe is the proverbial bad boy with the damaged heart, Daphne is a hellion who has learned to effectively efface herself so as not to make trouble. Now, at Christmas time their world becomes larger and for Daphne more daring. A stolen journal with scandalous secrets is the key that sta

I'll Always Love You (The Worthingtons #5.5) by Ella Quinn                               A most enjoyable novella that focuses on Gerald, Earl Elliott. We've met him as the secondary character in previous Worthington novels. Lady Lucinda Hughlot, sister to Lord Elliott's friend the Duke of Rothwell, is to have a season, not that her mother agrees or wants her to for various reasons. Elliott falls in with Rothwell's request to keep an eye on Lucinda and watch out for any suitors not up to snuff. Of course you don't have to be a soothsayer to guess what happens. The getting to the happening though is rather fun. Lucinda is quite a talented woman and Elliott finds himself in an unexpected position. What no-one knows is that Lucinda's mother has already made plans for whom Lucinda should marry, the Marquis of Quorndon, a friend's son. I rather like Quorndon, even more so when Lucinda lends him a hand towards a different result. Thankfully Lucinda is no

Heyer Society - Essays on the Literary Genius of Georgette Heyer  by Rachel Hyland (Editor)      Kudos to Rachel Hyland for putting together these fabulous essays that really stretch our thinking and engage our reminiscences with all things Heyer! I spent my whole time going Yes! That's so right! And underlining copious amounts of texts. Hyland has brought together proven modern Regency romance writers, leading personalities of the Austen society, fans, and those who have made serious doctoral contributions regarding Heyer's influence. Many of my favorite Heyer books are mentioned and discussed from various angles: Kissing cousins, Favorite fathers, The Grand Sophy: Matchmaker or Master Manipulator, Bath in Heyer's Books, and in various guises one of my faves, Cotillion. Hyland gives Venetia such a wrap I must go and re read it--again! Then when you have Cheryl Bolen, Anna Bradley, and Kathleen Baldwin amongst the luminaries who have contributed, well, 'the c

Someone to Trust (Wescotts #5) by Mary Balogh                                 Decidedly a romance with a difference!  Widowed Elizabeth, Lady Overfield's story is a breath of fresh air in the regency romance genre. Elizabeth is nine years older than the man she becomes involved with in a plot that engenders several twists and where love blooms unexpectedly. This is a romance that could / should never be. (Yet, if the sexes were reversed and the age differences even greater, no one would even raise an eyebrow! I love the irony!) The subject of Elizabeth's reluctant feelings is Colin Handrich, Lord Hodges, recently come into his title. Colin has no trouble with their age difference. Elizabeth however is undone by her feelings, her problems with trust, and her and Colin's age difference! What can I say? Love in the afternoon comes calling. The action started off slowly in a pleasurable white Christmas environment, gradually filling out the back stories of Elizabeth an