Acquired Book By: I started hosting for Rachel’s Random Resources at the end of [2017] booking several guest features for [2018] whilst noting I had a lovely opportunity to review a novel for one of the New Year’s tours. This blog tour marks my second with this touring company, as Rachel and I met through my chat #ChocLitSaturday which has since been renewed @SatBookChat! I look forward to spotlighting her authors, conversing with them and seeing how they respond to my guest topics. I may review a book here or there, but as most of her authors are in the UK / Europe market, I mostly was excited to cheer for their stories whilst awaiting to gather their stories stateside in print or audio.
I received a complimentary copy of “The Captain’s Disgraced Lady” direct from the author Catherine Tinley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
Initially, I thought The Captain’s Disgraced Lady was the first novel in the Chadcombe Marriages series – I even checked the series list on Fantastic Fiction – however, wherever the glitch was in my research, the answer was found in the Author’s Note of this novel. Apparently, the series began with Waltzing with the Earl and it is a story I look forward to reading one day – if only to see how the stage was originally set within this series which focuses on one family’s legacy in the 19th Century where the backdrop of the Regency is countered against the wars raging in Europe and other century specific events which lead in and out of the dramas within the series itself.
I grew up reading Regencies and Victorian Romances – they were my first foray into the Romance genre itself and remain to this day my favourite entreaties therein. There is just something about the Regency itself – from the time-line of it’s era to what was occurring in the background of where the stories are set. This is why when I first learnt of this blog tour, I knew I wanted to become a part of it – the blessing of being able to read the novel was not lost on me! Especially as this also marked the first novel I’ve read by Mills & Boon! I’ve had my eye on their novels for a long time – though trying to sort out an easy way of acquiring the stories has been a bit tricky over the years as I remember it used to be a bit easier to purchase novels by UK and European authors pre-2000. I am finding a bit of renewed hope in certain online book shoppes which are giving us new opportunities to read the stories we’re interested in but evenso, I do wish it would be a bit more streamlined.
Mills & Boon is part of Harlequin Books – of whom I’ve known about for most of my life, as Harlequin made quite a name for itself back in the ‘80s. In the ‘90s and 2000s, I found myself drawn into reading Harlequin titles and even had joined a few of their mail-order book clubs, such as Mira which allowed you to new releases each month. More recently, as I started to host for Prism Book Tours, I’ve had a renewed interest in reading Harlequin releases as Prism hosts a number of their authors each year which is why I talked about why I enjoy the publisher. This time round, I was elated Rachel’s touring company was featuring the other side of Harlequin’s releases – a Mills & Boon novelist who focuses on Regency Historicals!
Speaking about the ‘changes’ in cover art design and the brand changes as well – I started to notice the changes in the book stores already before I saw them online via Mills & Boon’s webpage and Twitter account. Their not the only ones changing as I saw evidence the cover art for American Harlequin titles are different now as well. Their a bit harder to credit which title goes with which imprint as the front of the books are focused more on the cover art for the title than for disclosing the imprint’s name – which ironically is why I liked them prior to these changes as you knew what you were picking up based on the imprint you were familiar with – now however, they all have the tendency of ‘blurring’ into the recent batch of releases on the shelf. I’m unsure what prompted the changes – but I wager it will take time getting used too.
In regards to reading a series out of order – (le sigh) – yes, this is something I strive to avoid, but in this particular case, I had misleading information about the order of sequence – so I am unsure how I could have prevented reading this particular series out of order ahead of reading the second for review. One thing I liked about the note the author left for us inside her novel is there seemed to be leeway to read these out of context of the previous installments – it seems each of the installments focuses on one couple or one character in particular who has weight in the series itself of being important to see how their lives move forward in this time-line. Having said that – I still want to seek out the first and then re-read The Captain’s Disgraced Lady to see if I can pick up the nuances of the first through continuity revelations in the second.
The Captain's Disgraced Lady
by Catherine Tinley
Source: Author via Rachel's Random Resources
Who is Captain Harry Fanton?
When Juliana Milford first encounters Captain Harry Fanton, she finds him arrogant and rude. There’s no way she’ll fall for his dazzling smile! Her visit to Chadcombe House was always going to prompt questions over her scandalous family, so she’s touched when Harry defends her reputation. She’s discovering there’s more to Harry than she’d first thought...
A man so plagued by the demons of war, he’s sworn he’ll never marry, no matter how tempted...
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9780263932591
Also by this author: Interview (Catherine Tinley) about the Chadcombe Marriage Trilogy, Waltzing with the Earl
Also in this series: Waltzing with the Earl
Published by Mills & Boon
on 28th December, 2017
Format: UK Edition Paperback
Pages: 368
Published By: Mills & Boon (@MillsandBoon)
an imprint of HarperCollins UK + Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
Chadcombe Marriage series
Waltzing with the Earl | Book One
The Captain’s Disgraced Lady | Book Two
Yet to be Revealled Title (Olivia’s story, Harry’s younger sister!) | Book Three
Formats Available: Mills & Boon Historical paperback and Ebook
Converse via: #HistFict + #HistRom or #MillsAndBoon #Historical
About Catherine Tinley
Catherine Tinley writes witty, heartwarming Regency love stories. She has loved reading and writing since childhood, and has a particular fondness for love, romance, and happy endings. After a career encompassing speech and language therapy, NHS management, maternity campaigning and being President of a charity, she now works for Sure Start. She lives in Ireland with her husband, children, and dog.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
This Side of Murder
The Semper Sonnet
Marry for Love
Grand Designs