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The Twenty Dates by Ko Porteous #Review #EmptyNesters

It is good to return to The Empty Nesters series by Ko Porteous. The Twenty Dates was published by All Ways Publishing Ltd on October 8th. You can read my review of Book 1, The Freshman Parents   here The kids have left, assuming love endures. But can yours? Book #2 in The Empty Nesters Series   Claire’s marriage is in (total!) crisis. Her husband, Mark, is distracted, presumptuous, and utterly clueless - smart scales for their 19th wedding anniversary? Really? Perhaps she'd be better off alone. At least there'd be less laundry.   When Claire suggests separating, Mark panics. He asks for one last chance: twenty dates, one for each year of their marriage, to prove they're better off together than apart. What follows is a series of adventures Claire never saw coming - some mortifying, some exhilarating, and some that make her question everything she thought she knew. About Mark. About marriage. And about the woman she's quietly become while she wasn't payin...
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The Marquess of Yew Park House by Lotte R James #Review

 

Having just watched a re-run of Bridgerton, I thought I'd read an historical romance and I wasn't disappointed. The Marquess of Yew Park House by Lotte R James was published by  Harlequin / Mills & Boon and is published on 17th February. 

 
A brooding marquess

And a mysterious widow

On the outside Henry Spencer, Marquess of Clairborne, has it all: title, fortune and dashing good looks. Inside he’s haunted by nightmares. Seeking sanctuary at his Scottish estate, his peace is disturbed by a new tenant, widow Genevieve de l’Omont. Her beauty and spirit lead to a growing desire that distracts him from his troubles, but as he unravels a mystery from his past, he discovers Genevieve has secrets of her own…


 My Thoughts

I found this to be a truly escapist read for anyone wanting to disappear into a Regency Romance novel. As the action takes place out of London and therefore away from English Society, you see the characters in a more naturalistic setting, where they can behave outside the confines of the strict social hierarchy of Regency London. Nevertheless, it is quite shocking to realise how little autonomy women had at the time if they were to operate within social respectability. Marriage was not, for some, a path to independence but to a life at the mercy of bullies and cruelly sadistic husbands. Their children could also be used as pawns against them.

    As a love story, this has all the ingredients you'd look for. The Highlands setting is gorgeous and the Marquess' life there has a certain style. There central characters are both sympathetic but have so much baggage from their previous lives. There is also a mystery which is to be solved as to past family events. The Marquess' friendships and his reaction to the life which is mapped out for him as a leader of society, shows you that despite his past life he has integrity and empathy. The facade he has shown to the world has been for him like wearing a mask, not his true self. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit back to Regency Britain.

In short: An escapist Regency romance.

About the Author


Lotte James trained as an actor and theatre director, but spent most of her life working day jobs crunching numbers whilst dreaming up stories of love and adventure. She’s thrilled to finally be writing those stories, and when she's not scribbling on tiny pieces of paper, she can usually be found wandering the countryside for inspiration, or nestling with coffee and a book.

You can follow Lotte here:  Twitter

Book links: Books2Read

Thanks to Lotte R James , Harlequin/ Mills & Boon and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.  

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