Andrea Penrose is a very good writer, but I lost the connection I had with her characters in the first three stories of this series. They were just weeks away from getting married, but neither Wrexford nor Lady Charlotte had evolved. By now, the chemistry and burn I was hoping for was lukewarm at best.

The Weasels loved ginger biscuits. Aunt Allison wanted more family time. McClellan continued to act more like a mother than a housekeeper and I thought Tyler needed more page-time.

Quotes in Latin and historical facts were one of Ms. Penrose’s strong suits. Another strength was maintaining a creative atmosphere in the Regency era. There were multiple plots, twists and overall subterfuge, but it was over the halfway mark before the action kicked in. Before that, it was lots of telling, not showing. I thought the author got caught up trying to maintain numerous historical facts in connection with the mystery.

My overall rating of three stars was because of the reasonable, but sober plot. The suspenseful resolution had a nice twist, but the MCs lacked the magical spark that would have made it really good.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for the opportunity to read a free ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review.

Welcome to the wonderful world of thriller, mysteries. Andrea Penrose knows how to set a scene, create a character, make you feel like you’re right there next to them solving crime. Settle in for the day or night and read this fantastic page turner.

This is the newest book in a series but it can mostly read as a stand-alone, given that the plot for this novel is somewhat separate from the previous ones. It can be difficult to remember who is who, since everyone is introduced one after another (typical in fashion for a novel late in a series). There was little description of the setting, which made it hard to get into the time and place of the novel. The dialogue helped but sometimes the novel was so full of dialogue that I had to go back a few pages to remember where the characters were or how many people were together. The mystery regarding the murder is pretty complex and solid, with a good twist and surprise reveal. I found that this novel as a whole was a good mystery but the characters themselves didn't grow or develop, which made it hard to really get invested.

My first book by the author and I throughly enjoyed the book.
Although this is book 5 of the series, the book could be read as a stand alone, but I wanted to go back to read from the start, and did exactly that. I read book 1 and onto 2 now.

The wedding plans of the Earl of Wexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane is interrupted by a murder. And thus starts the romance murder mystery.

Ms. Andrea Penrose has written a thoroughly engaging and detailed book.

I recommend the book. Absolute 5 stars.

The upcoming marriage of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane promises to be a highlight of the season, if they can first untangle—and survive—a web of intrigue and murder involving the most brilliant scientific minds in Regency London. This is the 5th Wrexford & Sloane mystery and the series is only getting stronger. A great portrayal of the regency period and all the complicated roles associated with that make the relationship between these two so fun and interesting. And the mystery aspect of this story doesn't disappoint. I am looking forward to the 6th that I hope comes soon. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens is the fifth installment in Wrexford & Sloane series. In this new book Charlotte, Wrex and the others have to face another murder while preparing for the upcoming nuptials. I enjoyed this story, even if the mystery/murder (despite being well plotted) wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I was happy to see all the characters again.

The 5th book in the Wrexford and Sloan series picks up with preparations for the wedding. Making their debut as an engaged couple at an event at the royal botanical gardens, Wrexford and Sloan are begrudgingly drawn into another murder investigation into the death of a botanist about to unveil a major medical breakthrough into the treatment of malaria. While the initially try to keep their distance, they are firmly committed to solving the murder when the evil DeVere from a previous investigation reappears and seems involved.
Another great installment into this regency era mystery series.