eyes.2c Reviews

The Forbidden Love of an Officer  (Marlowe Family Secrets #7) by Jane Lark             ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I knew this was familiar. It’s the ebook edition of  The Lost Love of a Soldier, 2014, featuring Lady Eleanor Pembroke, daughter of the Duke of Pembroke and Captain Paul Harding. Ellen marries Paul against her father’s wishes, is cut off from her family, and follows the drum with her husband. Turning to the story though, I was at first annoyed by Ellen. She’s at Ghent before and after Waterloo. She’s seen horrific things and faced up to helping the wounded under dreadful conditions. I know she’s pregnant, tired and desolate.  Ellen ignores her feelings about her dead husband’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Hillier. When he offers to help her s he thinks he’s being nice when he offers to take care of her. In many ways she’s just so innocent and naive. Hillier’s not a good man and Ellen finds herself trapped, in his power. Given the times a...

Penric and the Bandit  (Penric & Desdemona #13) by Lois McMaster Bujold            ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This time a bandit, Rozakajin decides to rob Penric thinking he’s a hapless, wealthy merchant. Ist big mistake! Penric’s actually looking for a temple in high country, and as we know is no weakling. Then Roz’s confederates decide to join him. Things are looking decidedly dicey for a wealthy merchant, but for Penric? Well! Penric finds the treasure he’s seeking in what was once the hermitage of a saint—and possibly a new acolyte. Getting out though, that’s another question. I love the demon Desdemona’s development and the flexibility Pen allows her. The story goes on from here and is a delight.  Once again a winner from Bujold. A Subterranean Press ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author ...

A Waltz on the Wild Side  (Wild Wynchesters #6) by Erica Ridley           ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Vivian Henry is a bold, caring and highly intelligent young woman. As a child she escaped Demerara after her mother died in a slave uprising. She is guardian to her nephew Quentin and keeps house for him. Quentin is  the illegitimate son of Viscount Ayleswick. He has a small trust that enables him to rent a modest house. Vivian earns a very underwhelming amount by being an anonymous advice columnist. She has quite a following, and who would use their given name for such a column? Vivian’s true passion is writing plays. She’s sent them to every conceivable theater in London and beyond—none have been accepted. Quentin adores the Wynchesters. He and his friends form a secret society and try to emulate them. Vivian is scornful of the Wynchesters and of Quentin’s efforts. As she sees it the Wynchesters are rich and powerful, but Quentin would not be so lucky if he wer...

The Secret Book Society : A Novel by Madeline Martin           ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Three women are brought together by Clara Chambers, the Countess of Duxbury,  ostensibly for afternoon tea. In reality they are being invited to form  a  Secret Book Society, encouraged to read literature, and discuss a variety of issues. Whatever they like. As they meet the women unfurl and friendships are formed. All hide shameful secrets. Elenor Clarke has a controlling husband who tells her what to wear, forbids her from reading, monitors her time with her son and beats her. Lady Lavinia Cavendish has a passionate nature whose family are fearful she will suffer from hysteria and have to be committed to a lunatic asylum.  Rose Wharton is an American. She and her husband are in love but when her husband becomes the heir to the current Earl, he changes. Both her husband and his brother berate and belittle her. They require Rose to change, to fit into society.  A sy...

Sub-Majer's Challenge  (Saga of Recluse #25) by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.        ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Modesitt continues to intrigue with  the rise in rank of Sub-Majer Alyiakal of the Mirror Lancers, and Alyiakal’s relationship with his merchanter Lady, Saelora.  In the Sub-Majer’s Challenge Alyiakal is promoted from Lhaarat Post to a new posting as Majer and commander of Pemedra Post (his first posting) reporting directly to Mirror Lancer headquarters. That’s just the beginning! The thing I like about Alyiakal is his willingness to listen, take note, and  learn, on both the personal and work related fronts. When he  acts, it’s usually decisive, and generally planned to allow for contingencies to deal with the unexpected. However, when he hears from a healer he knew when he was sixteen, he is taken by surprise and somewhat incensed. His new post in the Pemedra hills has its puzzles. When Duke Taartryn sends Jeranyi raiders and Cerlynese armsman to harass t...

  Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club  by  Mary-Jane Riley       ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Gauloises smoking   Beattie Cavendish ostensibly drove ambulances in France during the war. In reality she was a former Secret Operations executive, working with the French Resistance and translating intelligence from Russia, amongst other things. It’s 1948 and the beginning of the Cold War. Beattie now works with the secretive  Covert Operations Service and GCHQ, the Government Communications Headquarters. Her assignment is to find out what she can about the opposition conservative cabinet minister, and Shadow Foreign Secretary, Ralph Bowen. Patrick Corrigan, is an handsome one eyed Irishman, an ex serviceman, a decorated and injured war veteran who is now eking out a living as a private detective. One of his clients is Edwina Bowen who wants him to follow her husband. It seems the Honorable Member has been frequently the decidedly raunchy and decadent White P...

A Silence in Belgrave Square  (A Below Staies Mystery #8) by Jennifer Ashley              ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Daniel McAdam has called on Kat Holloway to tell her he’d be gone for some time investigating on the orders of the despicable Mr Monaghan. Monaghan blames Daniel for the death of a colleague and gives him the most dangerous assignments. Daniel  is to enter the Belgrave household of Viscount Peyton to replace his secretary who has disappeared.  He gives Kat strict instructions to not look for him, try to contact him, or acknowledge him should they pass each other in the street. Of course that’s not going to happen! Before Daniel’s even settled into his new position Kat has asked an old acquaintance, Hannah Dunnett, to install herself in the same household. Concurrently Lady Cynthia has notified Kat that someone is blackmailing the women of the ton, including her aunt! What? Strange and dangerous doings to do with the Irish Home Rule quest...

My Best Friend's Earl  (Bluestocking Booksellers #2) by Bethany Bennett              ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When Althea Thompson talks Constance Martin, a feisty bookseller, into becoming her ‘match breaker’, Althea’s fiancé,  Oliver Vincent,  the Earl of Southwyn little knew what he was in for!  Oliver and Althea’s sister Dorcas had been betrothed by their respective fathers since they were in their cradles.  After Dorcas died, that honor moved down to sister number two, Althea! Oliver’s not moving onto cancelling the engagement for several reasons. He has his eye on a piece of land that the river that runs through. Land his father had lost in a card game with Althea’s.  Crops are failing all over England and Oliver is looking for another way to support his estate and his tenants.  The land is part of Althea’s dowry. Besides Oliver has known Althea since childhood and doesn’t trust Althea’s father not to force Althea into a mar...

Five Found Dead : A Novel   by Sulari Gentill           ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not just any train but the Orient Express! Sulari Gentill has done it again. Produced a mystery novel that travels known ground and casts a different shadow. Twins, Joe and Meredith Penvale, are brother and sister, a pair of Australians who are taking a trip on the Orient Express as a celebration. Joe is a mystery writer who’s been battling cancer. He’s on the mend. Meredith his sister has supported him through his long and arduous treatment. Two important things happen.  A man appears to have been murdered in the compartment next door to theirs. There’s a great deal of blood, yet his body has disappeared from the locked compartment.  There are no windows big enough to climb in or  out  of. Passengers have contacted a new virulent strain of Covid, called the Paris strain. Two carriages have been set aside and locked down, containing the infected passengers and people they...

Blood Vengeance  (Warsaw Quartet #3 ) by Douglas Jackson         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Investigator Jan Lalisz is surprised to find himself secretly taken from occupied Poland and dropped into a SOE and Commando training camp in Arisaig in the northwest Scottish highlands. It’s December, 1943. Why’s he here? It’s political. All about keeping the London Polish Resistance and their Warsaw counterpart on side. Churchill wants a Polish detective to investigate the death of the Polish resistance officer Krystina Kowolska, known as the Raven. Krystina’s been found hanging from a tree. Nothing really to see here but…? What Jan uncovers is not one but two murders, rumors, gossip and groups of people who have had free rein and are none too pleased to be called to account for anything. Blood vengeance is a complicated miasma of agents, of strong feelings and beliefs. Jan is deliberately lead away from the truth for many different reasons. He’s on a very tight timeline trying to solv...

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure : A Novel   by Rhys Bowen              ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ellie Endicott is stunned when her staid husband of thirty years, who must have his boiled eggs just so, asks for a divorce—over breakfast. It seems he has met a younger woman, intelligent, smart, pleasant…and it turns out pregnant! Lionel’s plan is to shuffle Ellie off to his small apartment in London, or a workman’s  cottage in the village, give Ellie a pittance. Et voila his problem is solved. Game over! They currently live in a lovely large house that Ellie has over the years completely redecorated, and a stunning garden she’s established. Fortunately wiser heads prevail, including her cleaning lady Maud Moss, who encourages Ellie to consult with the local solicitor. Ellie realizes that her life has been controlled by Lionel. She decides to do something completely different, involving the South of France and the Riviera. She has what she wants from the di...

A Cold Heart  (DS Malkie McCulloch #4) by Doug Sinclair         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The love a mother has for her bullied daughter results in actions and  outcome no-one foresees. A stolen jumper worth £350, a shopping center security guard killed in the  illegal pursuit of a shoplifter! The situation spirals out of control when the relatives of the security guard are known viscous drug dealers. The love a seemingly aloof and detached detective is growing into for  recovering,  scarred burn victim,Flight Lieutenant Deborah Fleming, who’s undergoing treatment at a special unit. The developing love of a father for a child he didn’t know existed until she’s an adult. The care shown for and by fellow workers. The discovery that his mother’s death may not have been his fault. The relationship of a father and son following the harrowing details about their wife/mother’s death. The hate a daughter holds for her father, her mother’s rapist. I was glued to th...