Romance Two Ways

 The Valet’s Secret
By Josi Kilpack
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (March 8, 2022)
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-10: 1629729892
ISBN-13: 978-1629729893
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

York, England, 1819

 As a once happily married woman, Rebecca Parker had a good life, but now widowed, working for a living, and her only child grown, she feels invisible, tired, and lonely. That is until the day a valet speeding by on a horse nearly runs her off the road. Mr. Malcolm Henry is apologetic, gentle, and handsome. She’s instantly drawn to him, which is why, rather than stopping him from kissing her, she kisses him back, reigniting a nearly forgotten passion. But love at first sight only happens in fairy tales―never to an ordinary woman like her.

 She sees Mr. Henry again and feels the possibilities growing until, while working in the kitchens during a dinner party, she sees the valet she kissed sitting at the right hand of the baroness. Mr. Henry is not the earl’s valet; he is the heir to the earldom―Kenneth Winterton.

 Heartbroken, angry, and betrayed, Rebecca does not trust Lord Winterton and refuses to accept his apology. But when Lord Winterton proves he is as kind and gentle as “Mr. Henry” was, she finds herself willing to give him a second chance. But will he take a chance on her? He needs a wife to help him in his place in society, and nothing about Rebecca s life does that . . . except how he feels when she is with him.

 Trust, love, loneliness, and passion collide in this story about a man who will risk it all to fight for the woman he loves and a woman who does not believe in fairy tales―until she finds herself living in one.

 My Thoughts:

I. Loved. This. Book.

 If you generally trust my opinion on books and that’s all you need to know, then stop reading and go put it on hold at your library, or buy it at your favorite local bookstore.

 If you want to know more, read on.

 It was so refreshing to read a romance novel about people in their 40s, rather than their late teens/early 20s. People who were both widowed, and didn’t realize how lonely they were until they met someone like them.

 Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a book if Kenneth had been truthful from the beginning. And it wouldn’t have been much of a book if they hadn’t both had social expectations to try to live up to, which of course prevents them from thinking they could be together.

 Thank goodness for meddling old baronesses.

 Near the end, it begins to resemble the “Cinderella” fairy tale, enough that I was quite worried—there wasn’t enough time for a big plot complication and a happy resolution.

 The characters here are well drawn, the dialogue natural, and the plot complications believable. It wasn’t completely without editing issues, but it I read an ARC, so hoping they were fixed by publication time.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Deception. Loss of spouses. A fair bit of kissing. An abusive parent.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Anyone who enjoys “proper” (i.e., clean) romance, particularly of the regency period. Those who enjoy seeing mature characters fall in love.

 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

 

A Far Wilder Magic
By Allison Saft
Publisher: Wednesday Books (March 8, 2022)
Hardcover: 384 pages
ISBN-10: 1250623650
ISBN-13: 978-1250623652
Reading age: 14 - 18 years
Grade level: 7 – 9
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist―yet. He's been fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, and his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret. She begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, they soon find themselves drawn to each other. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt―if they survive that long.

In A Far Wilder Magic, Allison Saft has written an achingly tender love story set against a deadly hunt in an atmospheric, rich fantasy world that will sweep you away.

 

My Thoughts:

This is not an easy book. It starts a little slow. Several things are unexplained, and we have to do the work to infer their meanings through context. But as the plot gets rolling, the book grabs your attention and forces you to keep going.

 Set in a sort of alternate universe United States (New Albion) in some time around the 1930s-ish, this story of lonely Margaret and ambitious Wes deals with some pretty heavy issues. Wes is the equivalent of an Irish Catholic immigrant, while Margaret’s father was the equivalent of a Jew. And both of those cultures are recipients of hatred, prejudice, and injustice. The story tackles questions of bystanders failing to stand up for the oppressed, and the answers are realistic.

 Wes and Margaret have a pretty typical hate-to-love relationship. Would they have fallen for each other had they not been thrown together by circumstance? Hard to say.

 A lot is made of a traumatic experience Margaret had in her mother’s lab, but when it is revealed exactly what happened, it seems a bit overdone. I mean, I get that her mother was dabbling in some pretty hard-core alchemy, but why was it so traumatizing? That could be better developed.

I do have concerns about the suggested reading level. I teach 9th Grade English. Admittedly, I specifically teach reading intervention. But I think the complexity of the prose here might be a bit inaccessible for the lower end of the recommended demographic.

All in all, I found this a satisfying read.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Prejudice, racism, killing things, fistfights, swearing (a couple of F words), masturbation, unmarried sex. Parental abandonment. Magic (alchemy). There is a sex scene, but it is not described in detail.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Those who like magic, slow-burn romance, and people who want to change the world—especially when it comes with a dose of social justice.

 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my opinions.