Kate is the oldest daughter in her slightly untraditional family. She and her siblings are all named after Shakespeare characters, something she can blame on her actress mother. Her father was the second born son of an earl, and his family disinherited and broke off all contact when he married so far below his station. While the rest of the family doesn’t care about the loss of status they never enjoyed, Kate dreams of reuniting the two branches of the family, being accepted as a […]
Got To Know When to Hold ’em, Know When to Fold ’em
In the second Blackshear novel, Grant shifts her focus to one of the unmarried brothers of the family, Will. A recently returned veteran, he is in need of money for several reasons he does not like to share. Having already sold his commission, he is currently gambling to get the rest of the amount he needs. While at a club, he notices Lydia, who is a kept woman currently being provided for by Roanoke. Lydia also has a goal in mind. While Roanoke may not […]
If Austen Had Included Sex Scenes, This May Have Been the Result
After seeing several glowing reviews of this novel on the Cannonball blog, and being in need of a new romance author, I ended up picking this one up and quickly following it up with the other two novels of the trilogy. Despite that, I couldn’t quite figure out how to review this one, because every time I thought of certain things to say, I felt like I was insulting other romance novels which wasn’t my intent. Several other authors also add complexity to their characters, […]
Friends to lovers
This is book three and the last installment in the Blackshear series, with the focus on Nick. First of all I have to agree with Narfna – the cover model is so far removed from what I imagine Nick would look like. As a barrister in London, he would definitely not be the bronzed weight lifter type! Once again, Ms Grant has written a rather unlikeable heroine in Kate Westbrook; a young woman not as experienced in the ways of the world as Martha and […]
You’ve got sin in your blood
This is book two in the Blackshear Family series, and follows shortly after the ending of the first book. Once again, Ms Grant has ventured into unconventional territory with the heroine of the story who is a courtesan and former prostitute. I know that Loretta Chase has written one book with a courtesan, but that character wasn’t still involved with another man the way Lydia Slaughter is here. Lydia is a young woman who had to make her own way in the world, which meant […]
A slow burn romance that is worth the wait
I’ve read a lot of historical romance over the years, and this book was so much more than I was expecting! It’s not the typical tale, and maybe the romance doesn’t fit the mold of the traditional genre but I devoured this in very short order and wanted more. Thank you narfna for your wonderful reviews of this series that prompted me to pick this up. This is book one in the Blackshear family saga, and tells the tale of Martha Russell, who is newly […]