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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
This ramped up the romance following the previous two books, as well as the trust Dora and Jacob have in each other.
There's no rest for the wicked in this regency romantic suspense adventure after a search for a missing poem intersects with a murder and a missing person investigation. Our intrepid pair must battle against not only family expectations but those of society as a whole, whilst they do their best to solve the puzzle pieces that have so rudely disturbed their well-earnt getaway.
As with the other books, this left me wanting just a little more oomph when it came to the relationship between the pair. However, that does keep me coming back, so maybe it's just a very clever use of angst and anticipation.
There's no rest for the wicked in this regency romantic suspense adventure after a search for a missing poem intersects with a murder and a missing person investigation. Our intrepid pair must battle against not only family expectations but those of society as a whole, whilst they do their best to solve the puzzle pieces that have so rudely disturbed their well-earnt getaway.
As with the other books, this left me wanting just a little more oomph when it came to the relationship between the pair. However, that does keep me coming back, so maybe it's just a very clever use of angst and anticipation.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is the third book in Julia Golding's Regency Secrets series. It can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the first two books first to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the main characters.
In the previous book, Dora and Jacob had just launched their own detective agency and were investigating their first case. In this one, the agency is well established, and they are investigating several cases alongside their employees, one of which is the disappearance of William Wordsworth’s opus.
Most of the book is set in the Lakes and involves real people of the time, such as Wordsworth and Coleridge. The characters are compelling and there were enough twists to keep me happily entertained.
A recommended read for fans of Regency detective stories like Claudia Gary's Mr Darcy and Miss Tilney series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In the previous book, Dora and Jacob had just launched their own detective agency and were investigating their first case. In this one, the agency is well established, and they are investigating several cases alongside their employees, one of which is the disappearance of William Wordsworth’s opus.
Most of the book is set in the Lakes and involves real people of the time, such as Wordsworth and Coleridge. The characters are compelling and there were enough twists to keep me happily entertained.
A recommended read for fans of Regency detective stories like Claudia Gary's Mr Darcy and Miss Tilney series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another Dora and Jacob murder mystery in the books! I only wish she'd marry the man already. This novel is full of vibrant vocabulary and intrigue. The pull of the characters fell a little flat for me, meaning I just feel something was missing to make me care more about the antagonists and murder victims. Dora and Jacob are loveable as a couple, but Dora is kind of annoying me because it feels like she can't admit her own feelings. The twists and turns of the story happen fast and suddenly which is... interesting. And it's very very dialog heavy. If you enjoy reading dialog you'll love this book. I'd recommend this to people who enjoy historical mysteries and romance combined. The cliff hanger definitely got me, so I'll have to read the next. (I just want her to marry him) However, I still haven't read the first book and I feel I don't need to. So this series is definitely one where you can pick it up whereever and probably enjoy it for what it is. Oh, also. There are definitely huge historical discrepancies for the sake of the plot. Like, I'm almost sure that doctor in 1812 were not boiling their instruments before use. I wouldn't take any historical reference in the book as fact and definitely would not say it's a well researched historical fiction novel. But, whatever I guess. I feel like you can definitely tell the author is a Brit, too. Not necessarily bad, but. 🤷🏻♀️ Thanks to One More Chapter & NetGalley for an advanced ebook copy of the book. I'm not compensated for this review and I'm just in it for fun. All thoughts and opinion are my own.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
The Wordsworth Key by Julia Golding is a third person dual-POV historical mystery continuation of the Regency Secrets series. Dora and Jacob are back and make their way to Jacob’s family’s home for a rest. But when they arrive, they need to help the sister of the poet Wordsworth find his lost poem and deal with Dora and Jacob’s families making things difficult.
This was a real colliding of worlds as we spend a lot of time meeting Jacob’s family and learning more about who they are and where Jacob come from but we also have Dora’s good friend Ruby come in and she’s determined to find herself a wealthy man to take care of her and her unborn child. Even more than that, Lady Alice is a young woman who is quite interested in making Jacob her husband. Dora tries to keep Ruby from Jacob’s family but it doesn't really work so well nor can she fully hide her romantic interests in Jacob (and he has no desire to hide his intentions to marry her). There’s a lot of subtle drama that reads like a Regency version of Meet the Parents.
One thing I really appreciated was how Dora is secure in her relationship with Jacob. Lady Alice expresses her interest in Jacob to Dora as a way for Dora to say what her relationship is (which I also appreciated) and Dora told the truth that they are not engaged so Alice is free to pursue Jacob. But Dora takes it a step further and says that if Jacob chooses Alice, he was never that committed to Dora in the first place and then gets upset with Jacob when he asks if she’s jealous. There’s something very interesting about someone who is so sure about something that has no actual label and even they themselves don’t know exactly how it’s gonna end. It shows her belief in her and Jacob’s relationship, no matter which direction it goes.
I would recommend this to fans of the previous two books and readers who want a Regency mystery with a strong romantic thread
mysterious
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
1812 Dora and Jacob are holidaying in the Lake District near his family home when they are informed that a local magistrate Sir Richard Leyburn was killed in London. His team investigate. Meanwhile they are asked to find a missing manuscript of Wordsworth, while they discover that a government agent is investigating some possible Jacobin plotters.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its interesting and likeable characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its interesting and likeable characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
From the first page, I was HOOKED and I barely put the book down while I read it.
The third in a series, I've really enjoyed that each book has taken us, the readers, to very different locations in England. It allows us to see the MCs, Dora and Jacob, in different environments, interacting with different people, leveraging their strengths, and keeps things interesting.
I also enjoy how the book fuses together a fictional mystery with people who did exist; in this case, William Wordsworth.
The mystery for this one was intriguing as it started off with a few different things happening, in different parts of England, and slowly, over the investigation, it all came together to a clear, satisfying conclusion. At the same time, Dora and Jacob had to deal with Jacob's older brother, the new Viscount, coming for a visit and his attempts to break up the couple and matchmake Jacob to, in the Viscount's eyes, a more suitable partner.
The side characters in the book were a delight, especially the two young boys who provided valuable information in the course of the investigation and had key roles in the conclusion. It was also fun to read about the influence (even if fictional) of Wordsworth and other romantic poets on society, how it influenced young writers, men, etc.
This series has become one of my favourites and I look forward to the next instalment!
Thanks to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
The third in a series, I've really enjoyed that each book has taken us, the readers, to very different locations in England. It allows us to see the MCs, Dora and Jacob, in different environments, interacting with different people, leveraging their strengths, and keeps things interesting.
I also enjoy how the book fuses together a fictional mystery with people who did exist; in this case, William Wordsworth.
The mystery for this one was intriguing as it started off with a few different things happening, in different parts of England, and slowly, over the investigation, it all came together to a clear, satisfying conclusion. At the same time, Dora and Jacob had to deal with Jacob's older brother, the new Viscount, coming for a visit and his attempts to break up the couple and matchmake Jacob to, in the Viscount's eyes, a more suitable partner.
The side characters in the book were a delight, especially the two young boys who provided valuable information in the course of the investigation and had key roles in the conclusion. It was also fun to read about the influence (even if fictional) of Wordsworth and other romantic poets on society, how it influenced young writers, men, etc.
This series has become one of my favourites and I look forward to the next instalment!
Thanks to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for the eARC; all opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Who knew the Lake District could be so exciting? Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I’ve never much liked the Lake District and despite living perhaps 60/70 miles away with easy access straight up the motorway, its a place I’ve only visited a couple of times in my life and was unimpressed both times. However, the majority of this book is set there and I found it very atmospheric to the extent I could be tempted to visit again.
This is the third book in the ‘Regency Secrets’ series by Julia Golding with Dr Jacob Sandys and Dora Fitz-Pennington as the central characters in all three books. It could easily be read as a stand alone book but I think you’d be missing out on some fab adventures if you haven’t read the previous two, not to mention Jacob and Dora’s background and ever developing romance.
For myself, I enjoyed this book the most out of the three and I do think the setting, the plot and the supporting characters combined, made it the most enjoyable. Jacob and Dora are up from London, taking a break from their private investigating work, at a holiday cottage in the Lakes belonging to one of Jacob’s relatives. They’ve not been there but a day when bad news about family is brought to Jacob’s door, as well as the sister of William Wordsworth hoping Jacob and Dora might be able to locate a missing manuscript belonging to William Wordsworth which after lending it to a friend, it disappears, as does the friend.
It’s a fast paced story with many strands running through and as in all three books concludes with a tense and thrilling conclusion. As for the romance? Will Dora ever concede to Jacob’s desire to take things further and make Dora his wife? You’ll have to read it to find out.
I hope there’s a further book to come in this series, I missed their adventures when I reached the end of this book and would love to know what happens next in the Dora/Jacob saga.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Many thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the preview. All opinions are my own.
This is another fantastic addition to the Jacob and Dora mystery series. This time we take a literary turn and venture into Lake Country with Wordsworth and Coleridge.
I just love Jacob and Dora; both their relationship and how good a pair they make in solving crimes. They have such respect for each other and an appreciation for their individual talents. Plus great chemistry and a tender relationship.
As usual, I followed all the red herrings, and didn’t figure out the culprit until our dynamic duo did.
I will say I absolutely hated Jacob’s brother Arthur. There was not a single instant he was on page that I didn’t want to smack him. Dora’s friend Ruby also tried my nerves. I was rather irritated by the ending on their account.
But I will absolutely read more of these! I love these 2 and want them to get an HEA on top of successfully solving their mysteries!
This is another fantastic addition to the Jacob and Dora mystery series. This time we take a literary turn and venture into Lake Country with Wordsworth and Coleridge.
I just love Jacob and Dora; both their relationship and how good a pair they make in solving crimes. They have such respect for each other and an appreciation for their individual talents. Plus great chemistry and a tender relationship.
As usual, I followed all the red herrings, and didn’t figure out the culprit until our dynamic duo did.
I will say I absolutely hated Jacob’s brother Arthur. There was not a single instant he was on page that I didn’t want to smack him. Dora’s friend Ruby also tried my nerves. I was rather irritated by the ending on their account.
But I will absolutely read more of these! I love these 2 and want them to get an HEA on top of successfully solving their mysteries!