The Hummingbird Dagger wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I requested it, it was much harder for me to follow and slow in the beginning.

I hope to try to read again at a later date and if I do I'll write a more in depth review.

Beth does not know who she is or much about her past except some rather frightening recurring dreams. A freak accident leaves her at the door of a rich landholder who takes her in and joins her in her search for who she is and why she has such terrible nightmares.

Others have already likened this to Jane Austen meets Jack the Ripper and I agree. But there is a strong splash of strength of character in Beth and the Ellerby family that took her in.

When I read the description of this book I thought oh how fun this sounds like something I want to check out. It was good, but it wasn’t quite as great as I wanted it to be.

I thought the plot was interesting you have someone who is in an accident and doesn’t remember who they are and there is a mystery behind it because she is actually in trouble and she has memories of what has happened but only snippets and it always leads back to a hummingbird dagger dripping with blood. The book is about trying to figure out who she is and what has happened to her and who is trying to kill her. There are some good twists in there, but I felt that they happened to quickly. I wanted there to be more suspense on who she was and what was happening to her.

I thought the characters were pretty well written. I just felt that the romance in the book happened really fast and just needed some more time to grow. I thought Beth was a good character and she was the best out of all of them. I was rooting for her to figure out who she was. James wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t a lot of backstory on him and he just kind of played the knight in shining armor role and I wanted more from his character. I thought the supporting characters were actually pretty well written, they were fun and contributed to the story.

Overall I thought the idea of the story was fun, I just think there could have been a little more to it that made it a little more intriguing and exciting. I think who Beth really was, was solved too fast and could have been drawn out a little longer. However, the writing was well done and the story flowed nicely.

A young gentlewoman is pulled from a river after her carriage crashes, and she’s taken to a nearby manor to recover. It’s 1833, and no gentlewoman should have been traveling alone. The family is unsure of her social position, but as she recovers consciousness, it’s obvious from her speech and manners that she belongs to their own class. However, she hasn’t recovered her memory. On top of that, she is plagued with terrible nightmares of a dagger shaped like a hummingbird, with a beak that drips blood–her own blood.

She remembers the name Beth although she doesn’t think it belongs to her. She and the young master and mistress of Hardwick Hall–Lord James Ellerby and his sister, Caroline–quickly become friends, as the three try to solve the mystery of who she is. No one in their set is mentioning absent family members, and there are other mysteries–her carriage driver, for instance, and where it was going. A man turns up claiming that Beth is his long-lost sister and refusing to take no for an answer. One of the household’s maids disappears, and her body is then washed up on the beach. Are these things related to Beth’s true identity?

James has only recently taken on his title, and his presence is required in the House of Lords to vote for a bill that would limit privateering, a practice which allowed what was essential pirating, taking over other ships for profit. Meanwhile his younger brother, a rapscallion named Henry, has developed a great admiration for a privateer visiting their neighbor. James soon begins to entertain romantic feelings for Beth–but then Henry, age 14, seems to have a crush on her as well.

The Hummingbird Dagger is a genre-busting blend of mystery, romance and historical fiction, and overall it succeeds. There may be a few anachronistic glitches but they did not get in the way of my overall enjoyment of the book. It’s a fun read, fairly light but with enough twists and turns along the way to keep your interest.

I love a mystery story and this was pretty good. I kind of guessed early what was happening and I think that sort of took me out of it.
I really enjoyed the writing style and I think the author could do really well. I would be glad to give it another chance and read other things by this author.

I received this via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it guys. This book was just what I wanted It to be. The world building was fun and enticing. The characters were very well flushed out. I loved the plot of this. I can not wait to read more by this author. I highly recommend this book.

As The Hummingbird Dagger opens, a near-fatal carriage accident near London in 1833 leaves a young woman with amnesia and in the care of young Lord James Ellerby of Hardwick Manor. Calling herself Beth, the girl struggles to regain her memory and is terrified by a recurring nightmare of a hummingbird with blood dripping from its steel beak. James and his sister Caroline, who were suspicious of Beth's shifty carriage companions and insist she recuperate at their home, try to help her uncover her identity, even as frightening occurrences continue to take place on and around the manor. A romance between James and Beth slowly evolves as clues to the mystery begin to help Beth reclaim her past and defy those plotting against her. Those readers, who love historical fiction filled with intrigue and suspense, will enjoy this latest book from Cindy Anstey, a master of the YA Regency Novel.

This review appears in the June issue of Gumshoe Review and is exclusive to them for the month of June -- however, you can use the link to the eMagazine.

Review excerpt:
The Hummingbird Dagger. In some ways, the novel reminded me of the Gothic novels of Austen's time, only with the women being far more rational in their decisions and not fainting at every slight mention of unpleasant topics. In other words, the story stays true to the time but the females are allowed rationality and common sense.

Gas lamp fantasy, thriller, mystery, romance, anything is my aesthetic. I love the time period for it’s natural dark vibe. This book did not disappoint with that particular mood. It wasn’t the best thriller or mystery that I have read set in the period, but it was enjoyable and diverting. I think most lovers of this time period in writing will enjoy this book.

When a fatal carriage accident happens on the outskirts of an estate, we meet James who soon finds himself watching over a young lady who was injured in the crash and can't remember who she is or her family, only clue they have is the gruesome nightmare about a hummingbird dagger dripping in blood. The young lady picks the name Beth for them to call her. We, then, meet Jame's sister Caroline, who is a cleaver & sweet young land, takes Beth under her wing. Over the pages the mystery of who Beth is grows with each page; I had a blast with the authors writing style and the way she told this story. It has such a classic feel.

Caroline is my favorite characters, because, during a time when women were looked down on, she is a strong, brilliant, and understand how to be a friend and a good sister.

Cindy Anstey knows how to keep the unsureness of the plot going, the ending was also a great surprise. I thought that it was going to end differently but I had fun reading the historical mystery of powerful young women.

I love Cindy Anstey’s books! They are set in the 19th century, which is my favourite time period to read about. However, the subject matter is something that couldn’t have been written about during that time. In this story, there is a kidnapping and murder.

The cast of older teenagers have to search out the answers as to who the young lady is that was involved in an accident. She lost her memory, so they have the difficult task of finding her identity. I loved the characters. They reminded me of Jane Austen characters. Their family friend, Mrs. Thompson, especially reminded me of Mrs. Bennet in the way that she was really clueless to the things that were going on around her.

The mystery of the story kept me guessing until the end. I loved the ending. This is a great historical, YA mystery!

Thank you Swoon Reads for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Swoon Reads and Netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.



Book Series: Standalone



Rating: 1.5/5



Publication Date: April 16, 2019



Genre: Mystery Romance



Recommended Age: 15+ (lots of dialogue and a murder)



Publisher: Swoon Reads



Pages: 352



Amazon Link



Synopsis: 1833. After young Lord James Ellerby witnesses a near-fatal carriage accident on the outskirts of his estate, he doesn’t think twice about bringing the young woman injured in the wreck to his family’s manor to recuperate. But then she finally regains consciousness only to find that she has no memory of who she is or where she belongs.

Beth, as she takes to calling herself, is an enigma even to herself. She has the rough hands of a servant, but the bearing and apparent education of a lady. Her only clue to her identity is a gruesome recurring nightmare about a hummingbird dripping blood from its steel beak.

With the help of James and his sister, Caroline, Beth slowly begins to unravel the mystery behind her identity and the sinister circumstances that brought her to their door. But the dangerous secrets they discover in doing so could have deadly ramifications reaching the highest tiers of London society.



Review: I felt that the characters in this book were really interesting and the premise behind the book was interesting.



However, that was all I found interesting about the book. The book was really flat. It was a struggle to read the book and the plot wasn’t there. There was a mystery here and while it was interesting in theory, it felt like there was never anything done to it. The whole book felt like there was nothing done to it. There’s zero action in this book and I felt like there was nothing really making it special from any other regency novel. The characters are never fully developed and I feel like I didn’t retain anything that I read from the book. Also, this is yet ANOTHER book where you have to read the synopsis to under the book.



Verdict: If you like light action and lots and lots and lots of dialogue, this is your book.

This book was pretty good. My only complaint was it felt a tad slow compared to Cindy's previous works. Overall I enjoyed reading Beth and James and seeing their relationship and how they supported one another. The central plot was fascinating and did draw me in initially, however like i mentioned before the story just seemed to be overly drawn out.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review, this has not altered my opinion of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Historical fiction has been very hit-and-miss in the past for me especially since I am a history buff of sorts. This was a very cute story, which surprised me because I had completely expected it to be a darker kidnapping story from Victorian England. However, this ended up being more of a romance than I had thought it would be. That being said, it was still quite enjoyable and I will probably read it again as a relaxing read that did make me laugh.

The characters were alright and interesting. I think that there was some room for improvement, but I did think that they were individuals and I could for sure see the people interacting as they did in the real world. They did seem to be much more modern than the time period that the book was set it, which while making the book easier to read, also confused me a touch.

The plot was something different. It really felt a bit all over the place for me and unfortunately made it difficult for me to keep track of the timeline and how many days or weeks had gone past between scenes. I found myself skimming a bit when it came to Walter’s scenes and learned that I didn’t miss much, which was unfortunate. When I read this book again, I’m curious to see if this changed.

I know this review sounds a bit more like I didn’t enjoy the book, but it really was a quick read and I did enjoy reading it. While maybe not the most well written in points, it was enjoyable and I do plan to read it again. 4 out of 5 from me.

I didn't really enjoy this book. I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters, and the mystery seemed kind of predictable to me. I don't think there was a lot of research done on the time period. Even from the beginning, I just wasn't interested in any of the characters or the plot.

I received this in return for a fair review.

Aristocrat hero rescues damsel in distress with amnesia. . . Very formulaic. And I don't necessarily care about that if the book is well written and engaging. But it just goes downhill from there.

There are so many problems with this book. Characters so flat I wouldn't even call them two-dimensional at times. The timeline goes forward, then jumps back a few days, then forward again all within the same sentence or paragraph. I was never sure how long it had been between parts of the story. While the mystery itself was reasonable, the timing just never worked out for me.

This is the first book by this author I've read. I was hoping for something of much higher quality. This isn't it.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

The title of this book, The Hummingbird Dagger, is what prompted me to read it. I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue with a touch of romance throughout this Regency set in the early 1830's. The storytelling was superb! This is the first book by Cindy Anstey that I have read, and I will be looking for some more to add to my TBR list.

Whenever I hear an announcement for a new Cindy Anstey book, I get excited. She usually has the perfect blend of mystery, intrigue, and YA regency romance. Unfortunately, The Hummingbird Dagger missed the mark for me.

Plot-wise, this book was kind of all over the place. The first half seemed to drag on, alternating between Beth being in danger and the characters trying to conduct a surreptitious search to figure out her identity. Overall, it felt repetitive. The ending was my favorite part, everything came together nicely and the action flowed smoothly. But it all happened rather quickly. I would have preferred the reveals to have been spread out a bit more to increase the tension in the rest of the book.

I also found it hard to connect with the characters. I liked Beth, Caroline, and James but never really felt like I knew them. They just didn’t jump off the page like Anstey’s characters usually do. Plus the dialogue wasn’t quite as witty or funny.

I think The Hummingbird Dagger had an intriguing premise but ultimately didn’t quite live up to it. I’m definitely still going to pick up Anstey’s books in the future though!

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After seeing the cover and synopsis on NetGalley, I couldn't request the book fast enough. Despite the interesting beginning, the rest of the book fell flat. The storyline itself was slow paced and uneventful. Furthermore, I found myself mostly unattached to any of the characters. The constant abrupt changes in scene/time was never denoted and proved confusing and eventually frustrating. (Even if this was due to early review status, it should not have been presented this way.)

Sadly, this isn't one I'd recommend to my historical mystery friends. If this hadn't been a review copy, I probably would have DNFed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swoon Reads for my advanced review copy.