⭐️Murder. Mystery. Romance. ❤️‍🔥
What more could you ask for?
Cheryl Bolen writes witty, creative, easy to read romance novels. I loved the characters in this story and enjoyed their dramatic journey to HEA. As usual Dragonblade Publishing has matched this story with a beautiful cover that immediately caught my attention! 😉👀

Not only was this delightful Regency romance but there is intrigue, mystery, and murder! The plot moves along nicely and I was surprised who the murderer was--which was a nice change! I must admit, although I enjoyed this story it wasn’t written at the level I usually expect from Cheryl Bolen, seemed to be missing that extra “something” usually found in her books. Still it is an entertaining read!

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄

I found this book to be ok. Nothing really excited me about it. It was one of those books that I would put down and forget about.

Trouble just seems to find the Beresford siblings. For Henry Beresford, the Sixth Earl of Devere in came in the form of a hired companion for his youngest sister, Harriett. Although Caroline Rutherford is exactly what Lady Harriett needs, she is also not what she seems. She is in hiding from the murderer of her former employer, who thinks that she may be able to identify him. Fortunately for her, she is employed by the perfect family. Unfortunately for her, the murderer uncovers her real identify far too soon. Will they all be put in danger? The story is fast paced with Devere and Caroline falling for each other rather quickly, but it is also cruicial to the tale. Without his protection and connections, Caroline would have been toast! I love reads that have likeable but not too perfect characters, dastardly villains, a mystery, and of course romance. This one meets all my musts for a good read.

I enjoyed the romance of the book. Caroline and Devere story was pure and very sweet for me. I especially liked how the writer shared the passion and desires that the two shared with each other. It was truly sweet how Devere would do anything to take care of Caroline and would anyone or stand up to anything to protect Caroline. I really like how the writer portrayed her character as no simpleton or shrieking violet. She was very smart and intuitive. The book reads quickly, but it’s engaging for the reader. The entertainment is enjoyable and very interesting.

Great book, fascinating characters and a murder mystery! What more could you want. Loved it!
Thank you Cheryl Bolen, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When Charlotte Robinson's employer is killed in a remote Cornish home, and the murderer flees the scene, she knows that she's at risk of being killed too, unless she hides. Back in London, but now under the guise of Caroline Rutherford, she takes up a position as companion to Harriet Beresford, the sister of the Earl of Devere, and life is greater than she could've imagined for a woman in her position. However, her growing feelings for the earl, Henry, and the murderer still hunting for her lead Charlotte to have to make a choice - love, or her life?

After reading Lady Mary's Dangerous Encounter I was hoping to learn more about her family, as we only heard snippets about them, apart from the brief encounter with Henry in the first chapter. I loved the whole family dynamic of this book. Charlotte was the daughter of a middle class politician, but when her father died, she took a position as a companion, and was well placed until the murder. Now with only her former governess to help her, she is lucky to land on her feet as another companion, with Lady Harriet, and be respected and welcomed by her employer. I really loved that Henry and Harriet treated her like a member of the family, not a servant, and valued her thoughts and opinions. The feelings that grew between the couple didn't hurt either, and I honestly preferred this book, and this love story, to book 1. The mystery was great too, as was the way in which the characters really grew and developed as the story progress. A solid second book, and definitely one setting the stage for book 3!

Why did I wait so long to read this? This was such a good book and the characters were absolutely amazing. The mystery really drew me in and kept me interested. Sadly towards the end I had problems understanding what happened. But oh god I was happy that the usual miscommunication trope did not happen, but that it was fixed liked adults do

I am having a hard time believing Cheryl Bolen wrote this book. It reads as though she gave the outline of the story to an intern and the intern filled in the dialog, descriptions, and padding the bare bones of a story. And to me that was done very poorly. I found the insta-lust to be contrived and not very believable. A growing attraction based on personalities and events could have been better. The rather back-story interests in politics was just awkward to me, particularly on the part of the younger sister. I find it hard to believe someone in that day and age would consider a potential marriage partner viable or not based on whether the intended groom was a Tory or a Whig. I can't recommend this one. #NetGalley #MyLordProtector

I enjoyed this one so much more than I did the first in the series. I really connected with these characters and their journeys. This mystery really kept me guessing. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about the glimpses of the murderer's perspective but the idea really grew on me over time.

I enjoyed the story. It was well paced and engaging. The characters were relatable, even if at times the plot became a little far-fetched. The story fit my need for a fun escape.

Charlotte Robinson is the only witness to a murder, and fears that the killer will come after her next. With the help of a friend in a placement agency, she changes her name and is hired as a companion for the younger sister of the Earl of Devere. While in hiding, Charlotte/Caroline attracts the attention of Devere, who is enamored of the quiet, gentile woman who has become a steadying influence on his sister. When it becomes clear that the unknown killer is aware that the witness is now ensconced in the earl's household, Charlotte/Caroline must plan to leave in order to spare the people she has grown to love. The earl has his own plans to protect her and make her part of the household forever.
I did enjoy this story, which was as 'clean' as could be without being boring. Usually, I try to figure out who the antagonist of the plot is, and this one kept me guessing. Another winner from Ms. Bolen.

This story has it all - strong characters, mystery, murder, suspense, a secret identity, nasty villains, and romance.
When Charlotte Robinson finds her employer murdered she flees, and changes her name to Caroline. She then becomes a companion to the Earl of Devere's sister.
The killer is determined to find the missing Charlotte, and thus the search is on.
Attraction builds between Charlotte/Caroline and the Earl as he makes her a member of his household.
Cheryl Bolen has written an amazing story that you will enjoy reading.

Charlotte needs to understand and remain anonymous, but she despises lies. She must keep who she is a secret.
Devere doesn't need a women and will only be shackled sometime in the future.
This mystery was excellent. She did not give away who is it. Until necessary. Wonderful writing, pleasant break, and worth the time

Little did Charlotte Robinson know that she would be witness to a brutal murder of her employer, Mrs. Wyndham. Fearing for her life she flees to London and secures a position in the Earl of Devere household as a companion to the Earl's sister. Her life becomes even more complicated when she begins to have feelings for the Earl. Is it possible for Charlotte to have a HEA with the Earl of Devere?

I enjoy Ms. Bolen's stories and this one did not disappoint. Not only was it a delightful Regency romance, but the suspense and a murder mystery elevated this book. The plot moves along nicely and I was surprised who the murderer was--that's always a good thing. I liked Charlotte for her bravery in trying to stay safe while being a companion to Harriett. Devere was an honorable gentleman and it took awhile before he and Charlotte got their HEA. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

4,5/5
My lord protector is the second book in the beresford aventures series by Cheryl Bolen. Each book follows a different couple and this one is centered around Charlotte and Devere.
This book is an historical romance with a dash of murder mystery and I became obsessed with it. HR is one of my all time favorite genres, as well as thrillers/murder mysteries.
Charlotte, our main character, is spending a few days at the Cornish manor house and she witnesses a murder. That night, she finds a mysterious letter from the wife who encourages our main heroine to ran away from the manor. Later on she arrives in London with a different name and she meets the most eligible bachelor, Devere. There's an instant connection between the two of them but also some rivalry. Charlotte was a great heroine. She was brave, smart and sassy. Devere was the perfect balance for her. He was rude but soft at the inside and the chemistry was really good. I wished we could've get more banter but other than that the relationship was perfect.
The plot was really interesting and I couldn't stop reading. I needed to find out about the killer and the mystery surrounding the manor and the wife. The romance was pretty balanced with the mystery aspect of this book and I can not wait to read the other books.
If you like HR or murder mysteries, this is literally the perfect book!

Mystery, murder, secret identity, angst, suspense and everything needed to make a brilliant story come together in the second in the series!

Finding her employer murdered, she takes a notebook that may have clues as to the villians identity. Changing her name, she becomes a companion to the Earl of Devere's sister.

She came highly recommended and he needed his sister to be brought under control and find a man to marry. Having her as a chaperone would be perfect.

Then the journey begins! Danger rears it's head when the killer is on the trail of our heroine and he has to keep her safe! Attraction blooms and well, the rest is history! Loved this book!

A Regency Romance with Suspense and Mystery

After her employer was killed, Charlotte had to flee in the night and hide her identity, but the past followed her, putting her and those she loved in danger. Who killed her employer, and why? Little did Charlotte know that she would find love when she fled for her life. Could she hold onto that love? After all, she was a commoner, and the man she loved was a nobleman. Then, there was the matter of a killer chasing her. The story started out exciting, slowed down a bit, and then, it reached a crescendo. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like Regency romance with suspense and mystery.

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥
💋💋

A woman embroiled in a murder mystery and a Lord who falls for her at first sight.
The makings of a great story come to life, and one that keep you hooked beginning to end.

Very enjoyable with plenty of twists and secrets, I have to say I was fully engaged in the whole process of this story.
Great characters and plot.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

An Enjoyably Authentic, Almost Proper Romance

This was my first Cheryl Bolen book and it was very enjoyable. Her approach to Regencies is distinctly traditional. The book was full of historical detail and the dialogue was very proper and formal much of the time.

The book begins as our heroine, Charlotte Rutherford, finds herself in a dangerous situation and must rename herself Caroline Robinson as she becomes the new owner of a book of secrets and the target of a murderer. Taking up a position as chaperone to the Earl of Devere's younger sister, Caroline (this is what she is called for most of the book) quickly becomes as one of the family and a growing tendre develops between her and the earl.

Caroline is a very Anne-Elliot-from-Persuasion-type of heroine. She is modest, sedate, and proper. She considers herself "wanton" when she delights in a stolen kiss. She enjoys gently correcting the earl's younger sister, Harriett's behavior when she makes faux pas. What she is very much not is a modern young woman placed in a historical romance novel backdrop.

Bolen stays true to the time period and this includes the sexism and classism prevalent. For those who desire historical romance that is more on the authentic side with a bit of suspense thrown in, and less on the fun-but-implausible/steamy side of the spectrum, I recommend My Lord Protector to you.

The book is almost a clean romance. Bolen does not include any modern obscenities, only mild exclamations / slang from the period. There is one extremely tame love scene in the book, but it is not described in detail.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early review / ARC copy of this book!

Steam Level: 1/5

My Lord Protector by Cheryl Bolen is a different sort of book in that it is about a woman running from a crime, a crime she witnessed (sort of) but did not commit. Charlotte Robinson loved her position as companion to Mrs. Wyndham. Mrs. Wyndham was no longer young, but she was still beautiful. She had her quirks. One was that she owned a cottage a ways away to which she would send all her servants to spend the night, now and then. She had done so on this night, all but Charlotte, but Charlotte's room was in a different wing and she'd been asked to remain in it which she had done until she heard a noise. Upon following the noise she saw a form fleeing and moments later she found Mrs. Wyndham's dead body. She had instructions contained in a package she had been left to open in case of her mistress' death. She did so now and it told her to leave immediately and take the enclosed book with her. She did and fled to London where she accepted a position as the companion to a young woman who was making her come out and took up this position in the home of Henry Beresford, the Sixth Earl of Devere.

One would think that it would be easy to disappear in 19th century London, but apparently not so as the killer stalked Charlotte, despite the fact she had changed her name and gotten a position in a wealthy household as little more than a servant. The sad news was that a very open-minded man who instantly liked his sister's new companion headed the house. He didn't, however, trust her and the author did an amazing job of keeping everyone witting on fence tops, never knowing one way or the other what to think. The characters were charming and interesting. The plot was good. The pacing was perfect. This was everything a 19th century mystery/romance should be. Good work, Ms. Bolen.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of My Lord Protector by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dragonblade #mylordprotector #cherylbolen