Erica Vetsch: A Thieving at Carlton House

By Kelly Bridgewater

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Thieving at Carlton House
Series: Of Cloaks & Daggers #1
Author: Erica Vetsch
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: Kregel Publications
Genre: Regency Mystery Romance

Unlikely alliances form when a killer is on the loose... but who can be trusted?

The Home Office has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. And as with everything concerning the Prince Regent, discretion is paramount.

It's the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother's long shadow. Unfortunately, his superior, the Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk. In order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways.

Philippa Cashel escaped a life as one of society's best-known courtesans and now devotes her time to helping other women in dire straits. Her hope is that laboring hard enough at her charity work will allow her to feel worthy of God's forgiveness of her past. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about becoming an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. Why her? She's focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not on cloak-and-dagger skullduggery.

But when two of Philippa's rescued girls become targets, Philippa risks partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop a killer.

 

My Thoughts:

A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch is a Regency mystery with a hint of goodness for people who have been shunned by society. With heart, Vetsch dives into the characters who want to make a better life for those who can use it. Readers will enjoy seeing other characters from Vetsch other novels make an appearance and actually help the plot. The mystery drives part one of the story, and it was handled nicely. I like the way the mystery works with the other plot driving the story. Vetsch handles both story lines nicely. It was nice to see the main characters who were sidelined characters in the previous books. Really no romance in this edition, but Vetsch did leave a potential romance on the table. Similarly, I enjoyed the setting. The house that was being worked on came alive before my imagination. Vetsch does a wonderful job at crafting a story with heart and a hint of mystery that drove the storyline. I really enjoyed the story, and need to catch up with the first three books with these familiar characters. A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch features a mystery and a plot line that is driven to make life better for others. A nicely handled story. I recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch from Kregel Publishing through JustRead Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available:

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About the Author

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling author and ACFW Carol Award winner, and has been a Romantic Times top pick for her previous books. She loves Jesus, history, romance, and watching sports. This transplanted

Kansan now makes her home in Rochester, Minnesota.

Connect with Erica by visiting ericavetsch.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of A Thieving at Carlton House and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway

began at midnight September 16, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on September 23, 2024. Winner

will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture

of prize. US only. International prize ebook and egift card. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Erica Vetsch: Children of the Shadows

By Kelly Bridgewater

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Children of the Shadows
Series: Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries #3
Author: Erica Vetsch
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: October 23, 2023
Genre: Christian Regency Mystery

Detective Daniel Swann and debutante Juliette Thorndike once again team up to solve a dangerous mystery--while trying to keep their growing romance secret.

Someone is preying upon the street children of Regency London. They seem to think no one will notice when urchins go missing--and even if they are noticed, who will care?

Daniel needs to do something about the missing children. But with recent revelations about his past and an unexpected, somewhat unwelcome inheritance to deal with, this is a terrible time to dive back into the seedy underbelly of the crime world. Nevertheless, he's still a Bow Street runner, and his partner Lady Juliette is sensitive to the plight of these wayward youngsters. They're on the case, searching shadowed alleys and coal-drenched streets to find the missing.

But the tangle of expectation and the dynamics of power cannot be easily ignored, even if there are children in danger. When Daniel's past threatens to overwhelm his future, he will need a miracle and the help of his friends to both apprehend the villain and unravel his tangled family web. And it may be that his new responsibilities demand that he leave the children of the shadows to their terrible fate--or lose everything.

Erica Vetsch's popular Regency mystery series concludes with a bang, sure to satisfy readers who have hung on every page since book one.

 

My Thoughts:

Missing Children. Rightful heir to a name. Emotions running wild. These are some of the events that will happen when readers approach and dive into Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch. I enjoy the tame mystery element of the Regency era mystery. Nothing over the top, but enough of a head scratcher that readers will keep flipping through the pages to find out what is happening to the children. I love how seamless the story flows. Once I dove into the lives of Daniel and Juliette, it was like returning to friends that readers have not seen for a while. It was nice to play catch up and feel the hurt and love just alongside them. The setting is nicely handled and developed in my imagination as the characters roam through London from the wealthy to the poor side of town. Readers should definitely read the first two books in the series to help set up some of the backstory for Daniel. Not that this story cannot be read as a stand alone novel, but the first two stories give more information on what happens in this story. Vetsch does a wonderful job at crafting a couple of threads that has woven through all three stories and delivered them nicely to the readers like she promised. Overall, Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch is definitely a book that I want to own in my personal library and would recommend this story to young mystery lovers.

I received a complimentary copy of Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch from Kregel Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:   4.5 out of 5 stars

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

 

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About the Author

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling author and ACFW Carol Award winner, and has been a

Romantic Times top pick for her previous books. She loves Jesus, history, romance, and watching sports.

This transplanted Kansan now makes her home in Rochester, Minnesota.

Connect with Erica by visiting ericavetsch.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a complete paperback set of the Thorndike and Swann series, and a $10 amazon gift card

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 23, 2023 and will last through 11:59

PM EST on October 30, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48

hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Most Anticipated Historical Romance for Fall 2023

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Here are my Most Anticipated Historical Romance books that will be released from now until December 31, 2023. (All covers come from Goodreads.)

The Wings of  Poppy Pendelton by Melanie Dobson

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky

Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot

Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham

A Winter by  the Sea by Julie Klassen

What about you? Any other suggestions of novels that I should read?

Favorite Books of 2022

 By Kelly Bridgewater

One of my favorite posts of the year. I love being able to share of the 144 books that I read this year which ones are my favorite. I hope that you have read them and possibly own them. 

Here they are: (All covers come from Goodreads!)

Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

In Love's Time by Kate Breslin

Madness in Wonderland by Tabitha Bouldin

Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

RJ and York Trilogy (Out of the Night, I Will Find You, and No Matter the Cost) by Susan May Warren

Milestone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch

The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch

What about you? Did any of these hit your favorites this year? Any that I missed?

Erica Vetsch: Millstone of Doubt

By Kelly Bridgewater

Regency London's detective duo is back on a new case--and this one is going to be a killer

Caught in the explosion of the Hammersmith Mill in London, Bow Street Runner Daniel Swann rushes to help any survivors only to find the mill's owner dead of an apparent gunshot.

Even though the owner's daughter, Agatha Montgomery, mourns his death, it seems there are more than a few people with motive for murder. But Daniel can't take this investigation slow and steady. Instead, he must dig through all the suspects as quickly as he can, because the clock is ticking until his mysterious patronage--and his job as a runner--comes to an abrupt and painful end. It seems to Daniel that, like his earthly father, his heavenly Father has abandoned him to the fates.

Lady Juliette Thorndike is Agatha's bosom friend and has the inside knowledge of the wealthy London ton to be invaluable to Daniel. She should be in a perfect position to help with the case. Still, her instructor in the art of spy craft orders her to stay out of the investigation. But circumstances intervene, dropping her into the middle of the deadly pursuit.

When a dreadful accident ends in another death on the mill floor, Daniel discovers a connection to his murder case--and to his own secret past. Now he and Juliette are in a race to find the killer before his time runs out.

 

My Thoughts:

Millstone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch is a stunning historical mystery surrounding a dead body and a blown-up mill. From the first chapter, readers are thrown into the world of the mystery and the time period without hesitation. Vetsch does a wonderful job at capturing the time period and immersing her audience into the world. The interaction between Daniel Swann and Juliette Thorndike are necessary, and I love seeing how well-prepared they are to work together. They are fine tune machine. Even though the solving of the mystery is during the Regency era, and the detectives did not have all the equipment as current detectives do, they did a skillful job at capturing the villain and putting them away. The romance is a little more than the first one. Nothing really over the top. Novels where the romance builds over two to three novels are my favorite. It makes their romance a little more realistic and relatable. Overall, Milestone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch is a thrilling Regency murder mystery where the detectives have to actually solve the mystery with clues and initiation. I hope there is a third book because readers need to know what happens to Daniel and Juliette.

I received a complimentary copy of Millstone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch from Kregel Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Millstone of Doubt

Joy to the World

 By Kelly Bridgewater

In Joy to the World, three popular romance authors come together to offer a heartwarming collection of holiday Regency romance. Based on lines from a beloved Christmas carol, these three novellas have depth, faith, and satisfying stories all packed into the perfect length for readers to curl up and take a brief break from their holiday busyness.

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller
Two music lovers, deeply devoted to each other, were on the brink of engagement when family circumstances drove them apart. How can they ever overcome both their obligations and their fears to find their way back into each other's arms?

"Far as the Curse Is Found" by Amanda Barratt
One winter night, a woman struggling to provide for her illegitimate child encounters a scarred veteran of the Napoleonic Wars on the streets of London. Can love conquer the darkness of two broken pasts?

"Wonders of His Love" by Erica Vetsch
A Scots portrait painter finds work at a noble manor house over the holidays. He never imagined he'd fall in love with the emotionally frozen widow there. Now he wants nothing more than to thaw her heart.

 

My Thoughts:

I love the cover for Joy to the World: A Regency Christmas Collection. What a great delightful introduction to what Christmas should look like. Snow and greenery. Just the sights and smells of Christmas.

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller

This novella wasn't my favorite of the three. Not because Carolyn Miller couldn't write. That is not the issue at all. Miller is a wonderful writer who really dives into the time period and brought Christmas of the old to life for the readers. I think the plot because the hero and heroine already had a past didn't strike me as something interesting. It has been done a number of times, and it was old news. I did enjoy the attention to detail that Miler gave to her stories. I have read other stories by her and enjoyed her stories.

"Far as the Curse is Found" by Amanda Barratt

I enjoyed this the most. If readers are fans of Beauty and the Beast, then this is definitely a novella up their alley. Barratt does a wonderful job at crafting a story where the heroine needs to look past the mask and look into the heart of the hero's character. I love how the hero took in a woman with her nine-month-old daughter without any question. It was a sweet romance and made me happy to see them fall in love and have a memorable Christmas.

"Wonders of His Love by Erica Vetsch

This is my second favorite story. I enjoyed who the hero, who is a painter, looks past the dull, dreary world around him and can add colors to it. I loved how the hero was there for a job, but her brought so much more to the home. The heroine transforms by the end of the novel, and I liked to see her transformation too. The romance was sweet, yet a little sappy at times too. This was a delightful way to end the book. I liked how Vetsch shows a little further in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of Joy to the World by Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt, and Eric Vetsch from Kregel Publications, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Joy to the World