Renee Dahlia

Her Lady’s Honor by Renée Dahlia

Lady Eleanor “Nell” St. George is the daughter of a Duke’s second son. Both of her parents are well educated and have allowed Nell to study in the field of her own choice. With money and education behind her she headed off to war, with a letter from her titled relative to get her through the door, only to find that work was difficult, tedious and draining when caring for horses on the front lines. She believed she was honored for her skills but at show more times wondered if she had truly been seen as equal with the men she worked alongside of.

Beatrice Hughes, eldest daughter of Captain Hughes, the veterinarian Nell worked with on the front lines, has been relegated to female-servant status within her own home. The home is not a happy place, her father is a classist misogynist abusive sort that did not learn much good from the war.

When Nell shows up with Captain Hughes horse, Tommy, there is obvious attraction between Nell and Beatrice. The two are quite different not only in status but in outlook on life although their romantic preferences are both the same. The two have much to work through before they can achieve a HEA by the end of the book.

What I liked:
* Nell: intelligent, strong, caring and dealing with what is now known as PTSD. Being a veterinarian on the front lines was not what she had hoped it would be but she dd what needed to be done.
* Beatrice: strong, capable, able to keep the family going when left home with younger siblings, a depressed mother and not much money at hand.
* The historical references throughout the book…it made me think about what it might have been like to come home from The Great War with everything so difficult, so many men dead, few jobs at hand and the Depression and Spanish Influenza lurking in the wings
* The growth of the relationship between the two women…not an easy one and at times I became frustrated with Beatrice’s attitude toward Nell
* That hard issues were not glossed over
* Nell’s ability to “play the game” when necessary to achieve her ultimate goals for Beatrice and her family.
* Stepping into the past and thinking about what it might have been like

What I did not like:
* Being reminded that war kills and in killing leaves so many family members without loved ones and so many soldiers that survive damaged.
* Seeing the numbers of horses that died and then finding out what happened to most that survived
* Captain Hughes…despicable person though perhaps good at his job during the war
* Seeing the impact of race, class, gender on those living back then

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars show less

Lloyd is a Lord who is interested in timepieces. He spies a rare Hobart on Nobbie's watch fob and gets a closer look in the hallway while on his knees. Nobbie invites him to his home the next day for Lloyd to get a better look at it. Nobbie thinks Lloyd is running a scam. Is Lloyd? Will Nobbie allow his interest in Lloyd to be known?

I liked this tale. I liked Lloyd a lot. He is neurodivergent. He definitely has his own way of thinking. I love Lloyd's directness. When Nobbie lets him know show more what Nobbie wants, Lloyd is on with it and telling Nobbie he cannot understand why people don't just say what they want. Nobbie is enchanted with Lloyd. They spend a short time together, but Lloyd sees Nobbie as being a part of his life. Nobbie is hoping Lloyd will be a part of his lifelong term. I was glad they both got what they wanted as well as coming up with a plan to confuse society.

I look forward to reading the rest of the series. show less

Making Her Mark by Renee Dahlia
Merindah Park #2

I remember reading horse stories when I was young and loved them. I have read a few as an adult but not nearly as many as I would like to. This is not REALLY a horse story but more a story of a young woman who is a jockey and how she has chosen to live her life. She is strong, aware, focused, complex and interesting. Rachel Bassett is a woman in a profession that is predominately male and often feels passed over when jockeys are chosen based show more entirely on being a female.

When she and her girlfriend breakup publicly after a huge race in which she had a big win a friend from high school, Allira, steps in and offers her a place to stay. While there she meets Allira’s’ older brother, Jacob Mullagh, and there is instant attraction. Since both Rachel and Jacob are focused on their professional goals they do their best, for awhile, to avoid acting on the chemistry.

This book taught me more than I thought it would. I learned more about racing, jockeys, betting and how attraction works in a person who considers themselves bi. At the back of the book there was historical and other pertinent information related to the history of Australia, horses in racing, jockeys and other fascinating tidbits.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely
What would I like to see in future books of this series? Allira’s story, Rachel’s twin Serena’s story and a few others.

Thank you to Harper Collins Escapea Publishing Australia and NetGalley for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781489279354/making-her-mark-merindah-park-2/ show less

Abigail escapes her abusive husband by going to her brother's estate. Her brother asks a lady pirate, Tzippora, to the continent to keep her safe. Abigail does not expect that and asks Tzippora to do what she always does on her trips from England and the continent. Tzippora agrees and meets with her suppliers and bringing illegal goods into England. When Abigail's brother learns of this, he is not happy. Abigail's husband is on her trail. Will she be caught? Will she escape?

I enjoyed this show more book. I liked that Tzippora was independent. I also liked how she showed Abigail to stand on her own two feet. The ending was unexpected in so many ways. I liked it though. Some people got what they deserved, and you understood why others were alone.

I enjoy this author and look forward to reading more of her work. show less