Sarah M. Eden

This tender little story made my heart swell with joy. I teared up a few times and grew to love little Duke Adam so much. I find myself very much wanting to read Seeking Persephone again now.
It was a lot of fun seeing bits of foreshadowing in the Jonquil boys’ personalities and what they would be like as adults someday. And as much as that was true for the Jonquils, it was especially true of Adam. There is so much about that dear child that I see in him as an adult, and where it stemmed show more from. That was quite enjoyable.
Also, Sarah writes children’s speech really well. It’s not always easy to accomplish that and too often older children seem either childish or too mature for the age, but she nails the tone every time.
The blossoming romance between Robbie and Howard was sweet and cute. I loved how Howard gave Robbie hope, and she learned to love things Howard cared about. It was a beautiful relationship, and I loved watching it grow between them.
The bonus epilogue may well be my favorite part of the story. It was so beautiful! And rounded out the story quite nicely.

TW/CW: mention of parent death and sibling death, both occurring before book time period; neglectful parent show less

This is the 4th of 5 books in Ms. Eden's [[[The Dread Penny Society]]] series, which centers around a group of Victorian authors of Penny Dreadful novels who have formed a secret society to protect the poor and downtrodden of London. Their forward-facing head is author Fletcher Walker (hero of book 1, [The Lady and the Highwayman]) but behind him is the mysterious "Dread Master" who gives direction through Fletcher but keeps hidden in the shadows. The group particularly fights a ring of show more London underworld criminals that is again nominally headed by a ruthless criminal known as The Mastiff, with the real mastermind, The Tempest, working behind the scenes in secret. Each book of the series takes the criminal story arc a little deeper, and also features a romance for one of the Dread Penny Society authors. This one features Barnabas Milligan, the physician of the group. They've all believed him to be a confirmed bachelor, but actually he has a wife, who he married several years in the past to rescue her from her family of grave robbers. When she realized that he did not love her, and married her for pity, she left him, but told him she would come back if he ever realized he loved her. When the work of the society runs up against grave robbers, he summons her back to help in the investigation, but will true love flourish????? Of course it will.

The romance is done nicely in this one, and the ratcheting up of the criminal plot is done very well indeed. In preparation for the climactic showdown in the book 5 conclusion, we learn the identity of The Tempest in the last chapter, and the Dread Master on the last page. And it is actually pretty darned surprising. So I'm looking forward to the last book.

My only quibble with this series, is that the book inserts two penny dreadful stories within the main story. One is written by the DPS writer featured in the story, and one is written by Dread Penny author "Charles King", the most popular of the authors who we met in book 1. Chapters of both works are interspersed between chapters of the main narrative. I think it's supposed to be entertaining and atmospheric, but to me, they are a distraction, and they feel "faux Victorian" rather than true Victorian. I could do without them. show less

What a delightful treat it was to return to England in the late 1700s and immerse myself in another story about The Gents. Author Sarah M. Eden has once again caught my interest in this enthralling series, showing once more why she is one of my favorite go-to storytellers when I want to be swept away in a delicious historical romance. She is a master at creating engaging, and colorful characters and plopping them down in richly painted settings and intriguing situations.

Kester Barrington, show more also known as Grumpy Uncle within The Gents group, is the star of this tale, and I enjoyed getting to know him better. He likes peace and quiet and time to work on inventions and is definitely an introvert, yet he willingly gets together with his Gents in their annual gathering as long as he can isolate himself when needed. His new neighbor Violet Ridley is sunny, spunky, and sociable and delighted to meet the Gents and get to know them. It was such fun to see Kester and Violet interact with each other.

“If she spent all her time focusing on what could never be, she would never learn to find joy in what was.”
“A burden one is required to carry alone is a burden that will crush a person’s soul.”

Beautifully written and highly entertaining, this book is one for the keeper shelf. I’m anxiously awaiting more stories about The Gents. It’s such fun to see the characters reappear in each book and find out what they’ve been up to. I would recommend this to those who enjoy clean and wholesome historical fiction.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications. All opinions are my own. show less

Ahhh, the General! I’ve been highly anticipating Aldric’s story & it was even more than I’d hoped for! He’s the most stoic of the Gents & his painful childhood makes him think “Benicks ruin families.” In Love in a Mist, Sarah M. Eden weaves Lord Aldric Benick’s compelling love story amidst the backdrop of the French Revolution. With swoon worthy romance, intrigue, found family, & a touch of suspense, this story completely pulled me in!

After his father’s death, Lord Aldric show more Benick receives a mysterious letter about an inheritance his mother left for him in France. With Julia & his best friends The Gents, Aldric travels to a tumultuous France. When they arrive, they visit Henri’s sister & brother. But, all is not well in the Fortier household. Henri’s brother Jean-Francois is receiving threatening letters, & Celeste appears to be in ill health. It’s clear Celeste is under duress & completely subservient to Jean-Francois’s wishes. As tensions rise & Celeste’s life is threatened, Aldric determines to do whatever it takes to keep her & her family safe.

Though he broke her heart, Celeste Francois’ secretly been in love with Lord Aldric for seven years. When he visits her home with her brother & his friends, she’s excited to see him again, but nervous about his all too observant nature. Celeste has been pretending to be sick as a way to thwart her brother Jean-Francois’ demands. But, after discovering threatening letters, she becomes a target. Fleeing with Aldric & her niece, she hopes to escape the men after her & the looming Revolution.

I loved Celeste & Aldric! They’re the perfect match if only they’ll admit their feelings. Both are so intelligent, have complicated family relationships, & secrets they’ve only shared with each other. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing their romance bloom. Aldric has a hidden heart of gold & I loved seeing his softer side with Celeste & her cute niece Adele, “his ladies.”

Their suspenseful journey across France to England had me on pins & needles. Oh, the twists at the end! I was on the edge of my seat. Love these Gents & the found family they’ve created. I also love Stanley’s continued influence on the Gents despite his sorrowful death.

Highly recommend to wholesome historical romance fans! I received an advanced copy from the author with no expectation of a positive review, but also purchased the audiobook. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily. show less