Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Murder in Matrimony by Mary Winters

 

Murder in Matrimony is a wonderful Regency romance and mystery by Mary Winters and  is the fourth book in  A Lady of Letters Mystery series.   You could read this book alone, but it is truly better to read the series. 

Countess Amelia Amesbury is trying to keep everything in balance.  She is trying to plan her sister’s wedding, she is the advice columnists, Lady Agony, and someone is trying to blackmail her.  She is trying to solve a murder. When her close friend the local vicar, Mr. Cross, is murdered her world is turned upside down as she tries to find the murderer from some clues Mr. Cross left her.  Simon Bainbridge her close friend is trying to keep her safe, assist with her with her family, and help solve the murder.  Will they finally find true love?

I was so thrilled to be swept up the world of Amelia Amesbury again.  It was fascinating to walk with Amelia as she tried to solve the murder of Mr. Cross and interpret the clues he left behind.   I enjoyed how each chapter starts with a letter to Lady Agony and hearing Amelia’s interesting response to the letter.  Amelia’s double life as Lady Agony brings intrigue to the story.

It was great to connect with Amelia’s London friends and meeting Amelia’s family brought depth and humor to the story.  Simon Bainbridge is always a gentleman and I have enjoyed watching his love for Amelia grow through the series.    

Murder in Matrimony  by Mary Winters is a great read that you do not want to miss.  I enjoyed the sweet romance, the intriguing mystery, and the engaging characters.  This will be a 2025 favorite for me.  I highly recommend. 

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. 


Although I have degrees in Literature and Creative Writing, my love affair with Victorian fiction didn’t start in the classroom but with a monthly book club. I was a young eighteen years old, working a job I didn’t particularly enjoy, when I made the fortuitous decision to join a subscription service. From the moment I received my first chunky paperbacks and pink wine glass, I was hooked. I loved coming home and delving into my historical romances. They were the gateway to other historical fiction, including mysteries, like the Amelia Peabody series.

When I enrolled in college, I had already written my first novel, not surprisingly a historical romance. I saw the heroines as nonconformists, constantly challenging the conventions of the time. Their fortitude inspired my own writing a great deal.

By the time I entered graduate school, I put away my romance novel and wrote a literary novel for my thesis. Then, when I graduated, I put away my literary novel and started a mystery series with an amateur sleuth professor (see my cozy series at MaryAngelaBooks.com).

But always my love for Victorian literature remained, and in 2019, when my family and I took a trip to England, it was reignited. Seeing Regent’s Park, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Square—all those places I had first read about so many years ago—I knew I wanted to write another book, a mystery, set in the time period. That book became Murder in Postscript. I’m thrilled to see this first dream come true.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander

 

The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander is a sweet romance set near the seashore in Portneath, England.  Jules Capelthorne comes back to town to  help her Aunt Flo  run Capplethorne books which is not doing well.  Roman Montbeau returns from America to open up a bookstore across the street for the Montbeau family.  Their families have been enemies for many many years.  Can they even be friends?

This was a delightful romance for me.  It was interesting to learn about antiquated books, I found the characters very engaging, and loved the literary references to Romeo and Juliet.   I enjoyed getting to know both families through the story and was rooting for Poppy and Roman to have a happily ever after.  There were several twists that made the story fun to read and held my attention.  

This was the perfect read for me with the Shakespeare references, the bookshop setting in England, and characters I connected with.  I highly recommend The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander.  

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.