By Kelly Bridgewater
Book Title: A Duel For Christmas
Author: Rosanne E. Lortz
Genre: Regency Romance, Romantic Suspense
Release date: October 1, 2019
After seven long years
in Devon, Lady Maud Worlington returns to London to reclaim life on her
own terms, but a nefarious shadow and the prospect of financial ruin dog
her steps. An impulsive and unforgettable kiss under the mistletoe
creates a connection with Geoffrey, the handsome, young Duke of Tilbury.
Yet as pleasant as it is to have a suitor, Maud is not sure how a boy
of one-and-twenty can prove an equal partner in life and the equal of
all the forces mounted against her.
The Duke of Tilbury considers himself as adept at managing matters as he is at swordplay, but his beautiful new acquaintance Lady Worlington has other ideas about how to manage her complicated life. Intrigued by their stolen kiss, Geoffrey pursues Lady Worlington's affections, only to be foiled by the lady's own doubts, by rivals for her hand, and by a sudden death that affects both their families. When Jacob Pevensey, the investigator from Bow Street enters the scene, the duke becomes a prime suspect in the murder case. Truths are unearthed that Geoffrey would rather keep hidden, and the twelve days of Christmas race toward a perilous end.
This novel takes the medieval events surrounding the sinking of the White Ship and transposes them to Regency London. It is the third book in the Pevensey series, but can be read as a standalone.
The Duke of Tilbury considers himself as adept at managing matters as he is at swordplay, but his beautiful new acquaintance Lady Worlington has other ideas about how to manage her complicated life. Intrigued by their stolen kiss, Geoffrey pursues Lady Worlington's affections, only to be foiled by the lady's own doubts, by rivals for her hand, and by a sudden death that affects both their families. When Jacob Pevensey, the investigator from Bow Street enters the scene, the duke becomes a prime suspect in the murder case. Truths are unearthed that Geoffrey would rather keep hidden, and the twelve days of Christmas race toward a perilous end.
This novel takes the medieval events surrounding the sinking of the White Ship and transposes them to Regency London. It is the third book in the Pevensey series, but can be read as a standalone.
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| From Goodreads |
My Thoughts:
I have never heard of the author Rosanne E. Lortz, but her
novel, A Duel for Christmas' synopsis
sounded interesting, so I couldn't wait to try out the novel. London. Mystery.
Regency. Christmas. Sounded right up my alley. I took a chance on a new author
in a genre I have read. Some aspects of the novel stick out while some didn't
work quite so well for me.
First, I really enjoyed how Lortz took a historical element
and event and brought into life in a Regency novel, so I could enjoy the historical
event. I didn't know about the past event, so it was nice to see it come to
life in this story. Lortz has a good handle on the mechanics of writing a
novel. Her use of Deep Point of View is well-done. I enjoyed how she dove into
the characters emotions and thoughts, allowing me to understand and empathize
with the characters.
As for the spiritual element of the novel, there really
isn't any. The characters don't attend church or pray to God for help when they
are struggling. It is a clean read occurring in the Regency era. There is
moments of drunkenness, gambling, and some high passion, but nothing that any
reader should turn away their nose at.
The characters, in my opinion, were pretty static
characters. The characters I met at the beginning is the same characters at the
end of the novel. No one changed for the better. A couple of emotions were
spiked and heighted toward a member of the opposite sex. Some characters had
things occur to them that I didn't see at the beginning of the novel but came
to light by the end of the novel.
The plot didn't wow me like a mystery should. The first
fifty-five percent of the novel sets up the characters and allowing me to see
who they are internally and externally while the twelve days of Christmas pass.
All of the characters, but one, are introduced in the first half of the book.
The mystery happens about fifty-seven percent into the book and then enters the
Detective the series is named after. After a character is found dead, the story
picks up as the detective hunts for clues and tries to find out who killed the
poor person. I just like more action from the beginning and to carry throughout
the entire novel.
Overall, A Duel for
Christmas by Rosanne E. Lortz is an interesting take on a historical event
and placed into a Regency setting. I wish the characters had more of a
transformation and the mystery occurred earlier in the novel. But fans of
Joanna Davidson Politano, Julie Klassen, and Sarah E. Ladd might really enjoy
this novel.
I received a complimentary copy of A Duel for Christmas by Rosanne E. Lortz through the Celebrate Lit
Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.
About the Author:
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| From Goodreads |
Rosanne E. Lortz ("Rose") loves the blend of
history, fiction, romance, and mystery. She lives near Portland, Oregon with
her husband and four boys. When she's not writing, she teaches Latin and
English composition and works as an editor at Madison Street Publishing.
(Taken from Goodreads.)
GIVEAWAY
To celebrate her tour, Rosanne is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d434/a-duel-for-christmas-celebration-tour-giveaway
Sounds like a great read, this is a new author to me. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Julie for stopping by!! Good luck on entering the giveaway!
DeleteKelly, Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDelete