The Gentleman’s Daughter (The Gentleman Spy Series #2), By Bianca Schwarz ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Espionage, Historical Fiction, Misogyny, Mystery, Physical Abuse, Regency England, Romance, Secret Societies, Sex Trafficking, Sexual Abuse, Suspense, Trauma

Thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 6th, 2021

352 Pages

Synopsis: The Gentleman’s Daughter is the second in a darkly entertaining historical romance mystery series set in Regency London…

Sir Henry, secret agent to the crown, must marry a lady above reproach to afford his illegitimate daughter entrance into society. After narrowly escaping marriage to a highborn bigot, he takes an assignment in Brighton, leading him to an abandoned abbey full of dark whispers, and a sinister secret society, the very one Henry has been investigating for three years.

Isabella is as beautiful as she is talented, but falling in love isn’t part of her plans. She only wants to paint, forget her painful past, and keep her overbearing mother at bay. But gaining one’s independence isn’t easy for a woman in 1823, so Isabella embarks on a fake courtship with Sir Henry. Soon, love and a painting career no longer seem so utterly incompatible.

But when the man Isabella fears most kidnaps her, all appears lost. Realizing the kidnapper is part of the same organization he is investigating, Henry chases after them. Entrapped in a web of secrets, both Henry and Isabella must face old enemies, and fight for their happily ever after. (Goodreads)

The Gentleman’s Daughter is a wonderful sequel to The Inkeeper’s Daughter, that much to my delight, surpasses the first book in The Gentleman Spies series.

I was immediately pulled into the story and easily finished this in two sittings. Like its predecessor, this is not your typical frothy Regency romance, as it deals with much darker themes such as: sex trafficking, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and espionage. 

My main issue with The Innkeeper’s Daughter was that I was uncomfortable with the romance between Henry (who is in his 30s), and Eliza (who is barely 18). Thankfully the age difference between Henry and Isabella is not such a yawning chasm. Although their romance is a slow burn through much of the book, I almost immediately loved them as a couple and was rooting for them the entire time. There are some fairly steamy scenes between the two, but they’re well written and believable. While I thought the middle of the book was noticeably slower than the rest, this wasn’t a huge issue and it didn’t take long for the action to pick back up. The ending wrapped up any loose ends ends which left me quite pleased.

Although The Gentleman’s Daughter is the second book in this series, you needn’t have read the first as this does an excellent job recapping without taking away from the current storyline. What I love about this series thus far is though it maintains the Regency setting which I love, Bianca Schwarz is unafraid to go deeper and darker, which makes The Gentleman Spies series quite unlike most others of its genre.

The Innkeeper’s Daughter (The Gentlemen Spies Series #1), By Bianca Schwarz ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Sex Trafficking, Sexual Abuse, Suspense, Torture

Thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 12th, 2021

384 Pages

Synopsis: In the twilight of a November evening, Sir Henry March, a man of wealth and charm, comes across a badly beaten Eliza, desperate to escape her cruel stepfather. Realizing she has nowhere to go, Sir Henry takes her home to Mayfair.

There, as she recovers, Henry introduces the lovely Eliza to a world of art and literature she never knew existed. But Eliza’s brutal world follows her to London where the salons of the aristocratic elite co-exist with the back alleys of the criminal underground.

Thankfully Henry, a secret agent to the crown is able and willing to deal with the man Eliza’s stepfather had sold her to, and the pimp who plans to enslave her.

As romance blossoms between them, Eliza unearths an old secret that leads them into the dark sadistic world of sex trafficking, and finally allows Henry to identify the traitor responsible for selling military secrets to the French, causing the death of thousands.

A natural at the spy game, Eliza proves herself a worthy partner in their fight for truth and justice. But with time running out, and the fate of one girl hanging in the balance, Henry and Eliza must find a way to outwit a nasty pimp and eliminate a dangerous enemy agent.

The Innkeeper’s Daughter caught my eye both for the beautiful cover, and because the premise seemed reminiscent of My Fair Lady, albeit a much darker version. I sped through this in two sittings, so obviously it was fast-paced and kept me reading. Henry and Eliza are both quite affable and I enjoyed the dialogue between them. I wish Eliza had been written a little older though, even just by a couple of years. A romantic relationship between a man in his early thirties, and a girl barely eighteen, left me a little unsettled, especially given the graphic sex scenes. The secondary characters are equally well-written and had very interesting backstories which added immensely to the main plot. The best part of the story though, was the political intrigue and mystery and that’s what kept me engrossed. Although the villain was revealed fairly early on, there were enough exciting twists to keep me guessing. The ending wraps things up neatly and sets the stage perfectly for the next book, The Gentleman’s Daughter which will be released in July 2021. As you can tell, The Innkeeper’s Daughter isn’t your usual frothy Regency romp. The romance between the two main characters I could have done without, and there are some extremely dark themes here including: sex trafficking, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. In addition to the steamy romantic escapades, there are a couple of graphic sexual torture scenes that made me cringe a bit, but overall I found this to be quite unique in such a crowded genre and I found the story and characters both memorable and entertaining. I’ll definitely be reading the next book.

Forgive Me ~ By Daniel Palmer – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mysteries, Sex Trafficking, Thrillers, Witness Protection

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: At DeRose & Associates Private Investigators in Virginia, Angie DeRose strives to find and rescue endangered runaways–work that stands in stark contrast to her own safe, idyllic childhood. But in the wake of her mother’s sudden death, Angie makes a life-altering discovery. Hidden among mementos in her parents’ attic is a photograph of a little girl, with a code and the hand-written message on the back: “May God forgive me.”

Angie has no idea what it means or how to explain other questionable items among her mother’s possessions. Her father claims to know nothing. Could Angie have a sister or other relative she was never told about? Bryce Taggart, the US Marshal working with her agency, agrees to help Angie learn the fate of the girl in the photograph. But the lies she and Bryce unearth will bring her past and present together with terrifying force. And everything she cherishes will be threatened by the repercussions of one long-ago choice–and an enemy who will kill to keep a secret hidden forever.

Release Date: 5/31/16

While I don’t think Forgive Me is one of Daniel Palmer’s best novels to date, it’s still a good example of what makes this prolific author so popular. There are two plots unfolding in this novel, and I think that’s where I ran into trouble. There’s the heart-breaking story of sixteen-year-old Natalie, who runs away from home only to fall into the hands of a sex-trafficking ring. Her story is difficult to read at times, but it’s extremely compelling. As usual the author has thoroughly researched his subject and he pulls no punches. There are some scenes that will make you cringe, especially since you know similar scenes, or worse, are played out every day all over the world. There’s also Angie DeRose, who’s been hired by Natalie’s parents to find their daughter. Her story takes a backseat until about 3/4 of the way through when it becomes the central plot. It’s so sudden that I found myself wondering what had just happened. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I think Palmer is setting the stage for a series (his first). At least I hope so because otherwise there’s a plot hole to end all plot holes, as well as some loose threads that were never tied up. One of Palmers biggest strengths lie in the compelling characters he creates, and Angie and Natalie are no exception. Natalie, the daughter of divorced parents, is a an intelligent girl who is vulnerable because of a neglectful father and alcoholic mother. You can’t help but become emotionally invested in her. The same goes for Angie, who discovers that her idyllic childhood with her parents was based on a heinous secret. The truth when it’s unveiled is an explosive bombshell and one I didn’t see coming. The secondary characters are engaging and well-defined and the interaction between them is perfectly written. In the end Forgive Me is a bit like reading two books in one, and I wish that Daniel Palmer had written the two as two separate novels. But overall, just like with his previous works, I still enjoyed it and have no problem recommending it to readers who like mysteries and thrillers.

Devil and the Bluebird ~ By Jennifer Mason-Black – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Coming-of age, Domestic Abuse, LGBT, Relationships, Sex Trafficking, Supernatural, YA Fiction

Thank you NetGalley and Amulet Books for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Synopsis: Blue Riley has wrestled with her own demons ever since the loss of her mother to cancer. But when she encounters a beautiful devil at her town’s crossroads, it’s her runaway sister’s soul she fights to save. The devil steals Blues voice–inherited from her musically gifted mother–in exchange for a single shot at finding Cass.

Armed with her mother’s guitar, a knapsack of cherished mementos, and a pair of magical books, Blue journeys west in search of her sister. When the devil changes the terms of their deal, Blue must reevaluate her understanding of good and evil and open herself to finding family in unexpected places.

I have to admit that when I requested Devil And The Bluebird, it was because the synopsis with it’s mention of crossroad demons reminded me of the tv show Supernatural, which if you’ve been following me you might have noticed my slight, ahem, obsession. For those of you not familiar with crossroads demon folklore, these are the demons you can make a supernatural deal with. Unfortunately it also involves the giving up of your soul, and in Supernatural when your contract is up, you’re  brutally killed by Hellhounds, who then drag your soul to Hell. Nasty huh? So, in this instance 17-year-old Blue is desperately trying to save her sister Cass who disappeared after making a deal with a devil. Blue makes a bargain: the demon gives her six months to find Cass and if Blue fails then she can collect both sisters’ souls. Of course, as is often the case with demons, this one pulls a sneaky trick on Blue. While Blue sets off on her journey with her guitar and a pair of magical boots, she does so without her voice. Yep. No singing, no talking, nada.

Naturally the devil has other tricks up her sleeves as well, but I’m going to let you discover them on your own if you choose to read this. Blue is a picture-perfect tragically flawed character. She’s smart, loyal and stubbornly determined. She has more love in her heart than she realizes. Mourning her mother deeply, Blue will do whatever it takes to reunite with her sister which gets her into some pretty awful situations. As she makes friends and allies on her journey, she also learns some of different types of evil that are out there, and I’m not talking about the paranormal kind. Throughout the book Mason-Black does a beautiful job with Blue’s voice which rings with clarity and sincerity. The secondary characters, of which there are quite a few, are richly drawn. Each one, no matter how brief their role, is a fully realized person. I fully believed that all these characters who walk in and out of Blue’s life, also have lives of their own. While some of them show that greed, selfishness, indifference and cruelty can take many forms, they also show the same for kindness, compassion and love. It’s these last three that allow Blue to continue on her quest. Alongside the paranormal elements that are in the story, there are also many real-life issues explored including: loss of a parent, teen runaways, transgender teens, drug abuse, homelessness, domestic abuse, and sex trafficking. It amazes me that the author was able to include all of this in a 336 page novel without once slowing the pace down. Devil And The Bluebird is a lyrical and poignant debut that despite its touching on some of the uglier parts of life, still manages to be a beautiful redemption tale. Because of the mature themes I recommend this to older teens and adults. I also think it would be a perfect novel for a book discussion group. And now for some reason I’m feeling an overwhelming need to binge- watch the Winchesters.

The Guest Room ~ By Chris Bohjalian -4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Relationships, Sex Trafficking, Suspense

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for providing an e-book in exchange for an honest review.

When Kristin Chapman agrees to let her husband, Richard, host his brother’s bachelor party, she expects a certain amount of debauchery. She brings their young daughter to Manhattan for the evening, leaving her Westchester home to the men and their entertainment. What she does not expect is this: bacchanalian drunkeness, her husband sharing a dangerously intimate moment in the guest bedroom, and two naked women stabbing and killing their Russian bodyguards before driving off into the night. In the aftermath, Kristin and Richard’s life rapidly spirals into a nightmare. The police throw them out of their home, which is now a crime scene, Richard’s investment banking firm puts him on indefinite leave, and Kristin is unsure if she can forgive her husband for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in the guest room. But the dark-haired girl, Alexandra, faces a much graver danger. In one breathless, violent night, she is free, running to escape the police who will arrest her and the gangsters who will kill her in a heartbeat.

Sex trafficking is an increasing human rights problem here in the U.S., and in his latest book Chris Bohjalian takes this true life horror and spins a compelling fictional tale around it.

The story is told in the third person and chapters alternate primarily between Richard and Alexandra, one of the girls brought in to “entertain” at the bachelor party. Interspersed are a few chapters focusing on Richard’s wife Kristin, and their nine-year-old daughter Melissa. 

I actually wound up feeling more sympathy toward Richard than I thought I would. Yes he shows a lamentable lack of judgement at times throughout the novel, but believe it or not, he’s actually a pretty honorable man who loves his wife and daughter and is fiercely protective of them. Having no idea that the two girls are sex slaves, not the strippers he and his wife had expected would be hired by his brother’s friends, he quickly finds himself over his head, and no matter what he does, he can’t seem to extricate himself from the quagmire he’s in. Some of the decisions he makes, particularly the ones in the final moments of the story, didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but given that this is a man who has had his world torn apart and is just trying to do the right thing at this point, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The chapters that focus on Richard’s wife Kristin, are interesting in that they explore her feelings regarding her husband and what has happened, but the real gut-wrenching chapters are those that shine the spotlight on Melissa and Alexandra. Melissa’s are compelling as the little girl struggles to understand what has happened and how it’s affected her feelings towards her father. On top of that she’s anxious over whether this will split up her parents. The author saves the most powerful passages for Alexandra whose story is told in the first person. Through her eyes you are taken on a tragic journey that begins in Armenia with a young girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina, only to be betrayed in the worst way by someone she trusted. You see the ugly world of sex trafficking through her eyes, and it makes this story difficult to read at times, though no less compelling. 

Despite a few flaws, The Guest Room is a novel that successfully tackles a sad and under-reported topic and combines it with an intimate look at the fragility of relationships and how one bad decision can have a domino effect. By turns poignant and suspenseful, it’s a timely story that you’ll have a difficult time forgetting.