Matronly Misadventures

Review of Lady Avely’s Guide to Guile and Peril by Rosalie Oaks

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Synopsis:
A widow shouldn’t infiltrate a military fort… unless she is wearing a mobcap.

When the Duke of Sargen is snatched away before her eyes, Judith knows she must follow him into Pendennis Castle before he can be stripped of his Gift and his memory. After all, she hasn’t had a chance to tell the man that she loves him yet.

But when she finds him imprisoned, Dacian has already forgotten her. Worse, his captor refuses to believe Judith’s testimony and sets her a task to prove her Truth Discernment: discover who killed a soldier found dead on the Cornwall seashore.

The body washed up near Judith’s new domain: a tidal island with a rundown castle, haunted cellars, and massive butler who is most definitely hiding something. Judith must call on all her resourcefulness—and her most trusted companions—to find the truth before the week is up… before Dacian is lost to her forever.

How does one jailbreak a duke if he can’t even remember his own name? Does a killer lurk in Judith’s own castle? And does Lanyon Isle have any drinking chocolate?

The thrilling conclusion to the Matronly Misadventures, featuring an amnesiac duke, a determined widow, and a daring jailbreak. Enjoy a slow burn, low spice second-chance romance and a twisty murder mystery in a magical version of Regency England.

Review:
“As much as one would like to be without guile, sometimes deceit is necessary.” (page 22)

“Pay attention to omissions and evasions.” (Page 138)

“Patience is a virtue, until it is not.” (Page 355)

Ah, this book was perfection! There was so much time spent wondering and worrying about Dacian but Judith shines in her ability to step in and oversee a house, even if she feels overwhelmed by all the new responsibilities. I quite liked her ability to keep her wits about her and see beyond what was obvious. In the grand mystery scheme, I had only figured out part of what was going on before it was revealed. Despite the high stakes of Dacian’s life/memory mixed with Judith caring for her family and the bats, she still kept her mind on the most important tasks at hand, even/especially when she had to involve her children. Marigold is her usual wonderful self, a true part of the family. The ending was almost perfect, and knowing that all the characters shall make an appearance in Eleanor’s book, it seems time that I start The Lady Diviner series.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Lady Avely’s Guide to Lies and Charms by Rosalie Oaks

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Synopsis:
A lady shouldn’t be seen to incite a duel… but Judith wasn’t even there when it happened.

Lady Avely doesn’t know what infuriates her more: that someone used her image to provoke the Duke of Sargen into killing a man, or that the duke actually believed it was her trysting in the maze that night.

Now she and the duke must concoct their own subterfuge to shake out the culprit. Otherwise, Dacian might be arrested for murder, or worse, the shadowy guardians of the Musing might inflict their own cruel punishment for the misuse of his Gift. Judith will need her most respectable mobcap, and unfortunately, the duke will need a false moustache.

With Judith’s ability to detect lies and Dacian’s now carefully contained power, they set out to uncover the truth – but their own hearts make them easy to manipulate. Facing a master of deception, as well as the duke’s renewed determination to win her, Judith will need a stiff drink of chocolate and the help of her cheerful, tiny vampiri companion before she can find her way out of the deadly tangle…

Can Judith and Dacian unmask the killer before more blood is shed? And how many different ways can one disguise a duke?

Review:
This book had everything; magic, sabotage, betrayal, good companions, a great mystery, and a cliffhanger ending that made me rant and rage to my poor husband! There are a slew of new characters introduced that show great depth and are quite enjoyable. Several times I found myself frustrated at the lack of communication between Judith and Dacian because you would think after all they’d been through in the past they’d know it’s best to air their grievances instead of potentially being caught up in someone else’s web of lies; especially if they are supposed to trust each other. Despite the communicative issues, I quite loved the story in whole, especially how far Judith was willing to go once she knew exactly what she wanted/cared about. I cannot wait for the next book to come out!!

*Warning that while this may be considered a “romance” it is chaste, and the biggest slow burn I’ve read to date.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Lady Avely’s Guide to Truth and Magic by Rosalie Oaks

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Synopsis:
A Regency widow shouldn’t be hunting spectres all night.

Lady Judith Avely’s magical gift for divining the truth makes her prodigiously good at lying. To absolve a guilty secret, she travels to the exiled Duke of Sargen’s estate, but the last thing she expects is to run into the duke himself, who is lamentably now even more attractive than in his volatile youth.

The duke has his own concerns: he has returned home to a haunted house, with skulls floating about and a footman apparently bashed by a book. Such vulgar circumstances are best avoided, but the duke needs Judith’s unique talents to help uncover the culprit – even if it might put her in the sights of a killer.

With the help of a tiny vampiric acquaintance and a continuous supply of drinking chocolate, Judith should be able to solve the uncanny mystery…if only the duke will stop making improper remarks about her mobcaps.

A lady who can discern lies, the duke who lied to her, and a gothic cosy mystery full of bats, skulls, and cocoa.

Lady Avely’s Guide to Truth and Magic features a mid-life heroine, a slow-burn second-chance romance, and a magical version of Regency England.

Review:
This book was absolutely amazing. I adored the mystery and the mysteries/backstories wrapped together. Throughout the book there are bits and pieces of advice and truths scattered about how lies work, can be detected, and effect others. One such tidbit is, “One lie can give rise to a cascade of untruths.” (Chapter 9, Page 95)

While there are so many bits and pieces of lies and mistruths and withheld information, it was interesting to see how Judith traversed through everything to find out what was actually happening. I quite enjoyed this mystery and how she had to work both with Dacian and on her own; for who could expect a widowed woman to be good at anything? The ending left me greatly wanting to continue with the second book, which was not yet out at the time of reading. There was both magic and realism, and I quite recommend this book to any who enjoy intrigue, mystery, and a hint of fantasy/magical powers thrown in.

“A lie can last for many years before you stumble across it.” (Chapter 33, page 356)

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯