It’s the differences that make us unique.

Bran and his foster family are gifted. Most people think those who are gifted are to be feared. But it’s the differences in our gifts that make us unique. When Bran is requested to Cornwall to his biological family he senses the need to go, even though he’d rather not see them at all. There he meets Merryn as he helps her escape her kidnappers.

I loved the mystery and intrigue mixed in this wonderful historical romance set in the early 19th century. I was captivated not only by the characters but the fast-paced story and the dilemma that called on their gifts. Bran’s gifted family charmed me, and I became invested not only in Bran and Merry’s story, but also in his brother Cade, and sister Tamsyn. I look forward to more of Ms. Putney’s stories in the Dangerous Gifts series. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books, and this is my honest review.

The gifted children of the Tremaines, whether natural or adopted, take their gifts and put them to work doing their best to do good for society. This included meeting the parents that threw them away and meeting the Silver Lady, who had mysterious gifts that were unknown.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and leaving a review on my own accord.

This book made me think of gifted people in a different light. Giftedness really is on the edge of magic and normal people that excel at certain areas in this book.

This book starts off with the Tremaynes rescuing and raising young Cade and Bran. They are a large family of gifted individuals which don't really fit into society. Flash forward to Bran being tracked down since he is the heir that is left in the family. Traveling to Cornwall lets Bran meet the family that rejected him, but saves a young woman (Merryn) while there.

This book has plenty of romance and action through kidnapping and local smuggling activities. Even though I liked the overall plot and characters, I struggled with the gifted part. It felt a bit witchcraft like, but I don't think that was the intention. A few of the powers led the exceptional abilities part a bit far, especially near the end (way beyond intuition and excellent social skills). I just wanted more of a clear lane one way or the other, but enjoy anyway.

Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

I've always enjoyed reading this author's books. Ms Putney writes a fantastic story from start to finish. I really like the paranormal take that the characters have on the story line. At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this type, but I kept reading and glad I did. There was a lot of mystery and intrigue within the story. I felt that each character was fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own.
Bran Tremayne was a rescued child from a horrid situation in London and brought to a loving home by his adopted parents. He now is grown and works for the Home Office in London. Now his mother has sent word about his grandfather wanting him to be an heir. Bran could care less about the idea of him being a titled man. Then he finds out that he has a mother and a sister he didn't know existed.
When Bran meets Merryn who has amnesia which makes her child like. She was being held prisoner against her will so they could use her gifts for getting money. They were mean to her but Bran helped her though this. They begin to fall in love in which was for a happy ever after.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

Upon discovering that the new series by Mary Jo Putney called Dangerous Gifts contained supernatural elements, I was so thrilled. How the author incorporated anything mystical into the storyline always seemed so conceivable, and I was kept totally immersed in how any situation would play out. When it comes to the details associated with actual historical events, Ms. Putney made any incidents that occurred come across as an event which actually took place, adding much believability to what was happening. Any characters who appear throughout the book were also very convincing with credible personalities. SILVER LADY is a fascinating start to an enchanting series.

When Bran Tremayne was just a young child, his family no longer wanted to claim him because of his special ability and he was sent away, but he is able to use his gift of insight to serve Britain as an adult. When he hears that his biological father now reluctantly needs for him to be his heir, he makes the decision to travel to Cornwell so facts about his family can be learned and perhaps also do some work for the Home Office. While walking over property that he could inherit, Bran finds evidence of smuggling. Later, another event in the area has him aiding a woman being pursued by a group of men with dogs, and he senses that incident could be even more important to him. Though she does not appear to recall much about herself, Bran will form an unexpected connection with the woman who turns out to be Merryn.

There was never a time in SILVER LADY that I was not engrossed in what Bran and Merryn had to face, as they are not only interesting individuals but also people who became entangled in a number of unusual situations. How their lives become intertwined was enthralling, and Ms. Putney came up with several episodes that were very dangerous and had me wondering how they could possibly escape unharmed. The time period for when they lived is vividly described, for them personally as well as historically. I am certainly glad this story is part of a series, as there are numerous characters whom I would love to see get their own books.

Rating – 4.5 Stars

Received a copy from NetGalley, and all comments are my honest opinion

I don’t know what I had expected to find in this book, reading the synopsis I think I had imagined a story full of adventure, magic and love from an experienced and well respected writer, but what I found was not like that. The story has too many ‘deus ex machina’ moments and the almost complete absence of transitions left me thinking that the story was nothing but a rough draft. I don’t really know what to say about the book. I liked the characters and the setting but that’s it. This book has no romance, no development and little plot. There’s nothing special about the main couple’s growing feelings because these feelings don’t grow, they just exist, for no reason, as if by instinct… there is some hint at predestination, but even that is vague and convenient. It’s a pity because the premise had potential, a lot of potential. At least the adventure was fun.

This was a bit of a mixed bag, though it was largely a really smooth, readable story. I was reminded heavily of Amanda Quick's psychic and other paranormal historical romances of the early 2000s (I prefer those). I gathered from other reviews that this author's been in the game a while, so I did question the weaknesses of this book...

My main issues were with cringey dialogue, some behaviors that I found implausible in regency England even for ~societal oddballs, the way Merryn's amnesia\mental suppression was treated, and the extremely hand-wavey paranormal "gifts" some characters have.

The first two I could skim past, and the latter I could kind of roll my eyes at (powers work in mighty convenient ways at convenient times!) but the treatment of Merryn's psychically-sedated state and resulting amnesia for a lot of the book read as... Well. Squicky. Usually amnesiacs in fiction retain language skills, but Merryn's symptoms from her captors' methods presented similar to a learning disability, or a child's intellect. Meanwhile we had Bran, whose POV we are largely in for the first chunk of the book despite the title, acknowledging on-page the consent issues here but also crossing several lines and still lusting after her. It was hard to root for the romance.

That said, there was action, vivid food and historical descriptions, there's research on specific historical events that I now must wiki ‐ the setting and descriptions were well done. But - those don't make a solid romance read on their own for me.

I really enjoyed this! I received the ARC quite a while before finally diving into it, so didn't remember any of the plot description. The "gifts" of the main characters were a surprise and sets this story apart from all the other Putney novels I've read. It was a really interesting twist and allowed Putney to skip over the extended periods of uncertainty that so many authors seem to overuse to draw out their plots. I liked the characters and the plot and I hope Putney writes a sequel that gives us Cade's story.

Brothers Caden “Cade” and Branok “Bran” Tremayne were young boys when they were each abandoned by their respective families and bonded together until they could escape the “farm” they were left at. They made their way to London and were found and taken in by Lord and Lady Tremayne. The Tremaynes recognized immediately that the boys were “gifted” and welcomed them into their family with open arms, taught them about their gifts and powers, and raised them as their own, even giving them their name. Now years later, Cade and Bran both work for the Home Office and use their gifts to protect England, neither giving a thought to their old families. But the past comes calling for Bran and despite his lack of desire to be reunited with his family, he does feel the pull to return to Cornwall, he knows it is partly for the protection of England, but there is something else, he just isn’t sure what. Once he is in Cornwall, he meets with the father who sent him away for being gifted, a dying man desperate for an heir after his two elder sons die. Bran doesn’t want to inherit but is happy to be reunited with his mother and younger sister. Not wanting to stay at the castle, opts to reside in the dower house, and it is there that he begins to understand why he was so drawn to Cornwall, when he rescues a lovely young woman, with a powerful gift and no memory of who she is. He takes her in and sends for his brother Cade and his sister Lady Tamsyn, who has the gift of healing. He is powerfully attracted to her, but without her memory, he can’t act on it. But he will protect her with his life and can help but wonder what part she plays in him being drawn to Cornwall.

Merryn Penrose has been shrouded in darkness for weeks she can’t recall her name or where she is, nor can she think or speak, and is being held prisoner, she doesn’t know her captors and isn’t sure what they want from her, and she feels too weak to fight them. But slowly she starts to break free of whatever mental block the female captor placed on her. She bides her time, gleaning a bit of information as to why they took her, and when she sees an opportunity to run, she takes it. She bolts into the woods and runs for her life. All too soon she begins to tire and can hear the baying of hounds, she is ready to give up when she is saved by a man who she instantly knows is someone she can trust. Bran takes her in and makes her feel safe. She is frustrated that she can’t remember anything and is having trouble communicating. Thankfully, when his sister Tamsyn arrives, she removes the mental block, and it becomes clear that Merryn is tied to Bran in more ways than one. But before they can explore what lies between them, they will have to work together to prevent her captors from carrying out their wicked plot.

This was a very gripping read, and not at all what I was expecting, but a story I immensely enjoyed nonetheless! I was pulled into the world of the “gifted” and adored not only Bran and Merryn but the Tremayne family too. This story is filled with intrigue, unusual gifts, great secondary characters, steamyish love scenes, shocking revelations, life-or-death moments, as well as two HEAs and an epilogue. This is the first book in a new series and Ms. Putney did a wonderful job of setting up the series without taking attention away from Bran and Merryn’s romance. I am delighted to recommend this title to readers who enjoy a dash of supernatural in their Historical Romance and will definitely be looking forward to the next installment of this series.

4.5 stars.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

It’s quite exciting to be in on the beginning of a book series, especially when the characters come together from elsewhere to be a cohesive group. The Silver Lady is such an origin story for Tremayne and Penhaligon families to begin Mary Jo Putney’s new romance. The families are partly made up of people with special sensing abilities and living in the early 1800’s. The abilities are what caused me to try out a historical romance but the fast paced writing is what kept me interested in the adventurous back story. There are big estates with unknown heirs, mysterious ladies, smugglers, horses, secret lovers and all in Cornwall. The characters are clear and believable and I enjoyed spending time with them. Though at some times, I felt the conversations were a bit juvenile for the situations. However the overall novel reminded me of a spicy Victoria Holt novel. I enjoyed this starter of the series by Putney, but I believe the next books will be better if more complex. Thank you to Netgalley for a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review.

This was a very nice historical fiction story. It’s a quick story that flows nicely.
It has some romance, mystery and intrigue.
It’s book one in a series and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Thank you to Kensington Books & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own.

I've enjoyed Mary Jo Putney's novels since college. Her characters are always written with depth and sincerity. None of the characters ever make roll my eyes in annoyance due to their dumb choices. Silver Lady was no different. Bran and Merryn share an instant attraction love for each other. The mystery and suspense comes into play of what 'gifts' does Merryn actually posses? How can Bran keep her safe? What does her evil uncle have in store for her?

I would consider this a historical romance with a bit of magic. The romance and intrigue is also mixed within the time period of 1780 and the increasing tension between Great Britain and France, strategically placed naval yards, smuggling, and the Navy.

I most enjoyed reading about the Tremayne family! Learning how gifts in this series are more of premonitions and feelings sounds very intriguing. I look forward to reading the other two siblings Cade and Tamsyn's stories!

This is the first book in a new series, Dangerous Gifts, about Regency-era men and women with paranormal abilities. I was enthralled with the story from the first pages, and I look forward to the rest of the series.

The book opens with Lord and Lady Tremayne discovering two young boys hiding in an alley in London. Their families had rejected Bran and Cade because they exhibited strange abilities. Taken in and raised by the Tremaynes, who also possess similar abilities, Bran and Cade learned to control and use their gifts for good. Both now work for the Home Office, doing what they can to protect their country. Bran's gifts lean towards investigation and being able to connect events to form an accurate picture of looming trouble.

Bran is shocked to return home one day and find a lawyer from Cornwall wanting to see him. It appears that the father who rejected him so cruelly years earlier now needs to find the only son he has left. Bran is not interested in Penhaligon's title, lands, or fortune, but his intuition tells him he must go to Cornwall. With another war with France looming, the Cornwall coast is a prime location for smugglers and spies.

Bran's arrival in Cornwall is just as awkward as he expected. While his mother and sister are welcoming and kind, his father is as dismissive and arrogant as Bran remembered. I loved Bran's ability to keep his cool, which riled his father more. Additionally, Bran feels a growing sense of danger as he spends time in the village and meets various people. There is also a sense that something else has drawn him there, but he doesn't yet know what it is.

Meanwhile, we meet a young woman simply called "Girl." She is being held captive by two people who appear to have nefarious intentions. One of her captors, Starling, has a gift for putting a mind block on Girl, keeping her subdued. But Girl has retained enough of a sense of self that she knows she must escape. I loved seeing her determination and how she worked to regain some of her control, eventually taking advantage of an opportunity to escape. My heart pounded as I followed her flight and how it led her straight to Bran.

I loved how Bran immediately recognized that Girl (who he calls Lady) is gifted. His protectiveness, patience, and kindness were balm to her soul as he helped her recover from her ordeal. The sparks between them are immediately noticeable. Bran has his work cut out to remember he's an honorable man, especially as she begins to recover her memories, such as her name, Merryn. There are some terrific scenes of them together as they get to know each other. Bran sends for Cade and his sister, Tamsyn, a healer, to help investigate the sense of danger and help Merryn. Seeing Bran struggle to resist Merryn's wiles while awaiting her complete recovery was fun. I especially enjoyed watching Bran attempt to explain the depth and reality of their connection to Merryn. The ending was great, and the epilogue was a perfect wrap-up for the book.

As the four of them delve deeper into the danger they feel, the twists and turns of discoveries and revelations kept them (and me) guessing about where and how the trouble would occur. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something would happen to complicate the situation. I never expected the particular gift that made Merryn so vital to the bad guys' plans and the danger it put her in. I was glued to the pages as everything came together, and they raced to prevent disaster. The resolution was well done.

The secondary characters were terrific and added extra depth to the story. I like the relationship between Cade and Bran, who have maintained their closeness into adulthood. Their love and respect for each other is evident throughout the book. I enjoyed seeing Cade confront part of his past. The surprise he discovered showed a little-known side of him, and I look forward to the possibility of seeing more of it. I loved their sister, Tamsyn, one of the three biological children of the Tremaynes. She is strong, independent, and gifted, and loves her family. The interactions between her and her brothers were fun. It was also evident that they respected her intelligence and abilities. I suspect that Cade and she will be the subjects of the next books in the series.

A secondary romance was going on between Bran's Penhaligon sister, Glynis, and the estate's lawyer, Matthew Davey. Her father forbids it, but she and Matthew find ways to be together. Matthew was a terrific man who loved her but wouldn't do anything that could hurt her. I liked Matthew's friendship with Bran and his willingness to assist with their investigations. Glynis was initially sweet and quiet, but her genuine personality began to show through as the book progressed. I loved her burgeoning friendship with Merryn and Tamsyn. I loved the twist at the end.

A sense of duty sends Bran Tremayne to Cornwall to confront his heritage of British nobility he was abandoned at birth, Bran wants nothing to do with his family. But as a special agent for the Home Office, he senses trouble brewing along the coast. And he can’t turn away from the vulnerable woman he encounters in the Cornish countryside. Merryn’s amnesia makes her past a mystery to them both, but with her life in danger
I always look forward to a new book by the author & this was another very well written romance, the characters have beautiful depth, the pace never lags & I found the pages flying by. A lovely mix of adventure, action & romance. I loved both Bran & Merryn & thoroughly enjoyed their journey to a HEA.
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Different than the usual MJP books, this time she has drawn us into the world of gifted characters during a time when people feared them. Bran and his brother Cade were disposed of by their fathers to a baby farm at a very young age. They escaped to London and was found and rescued by the Tremayne’s who also are gifted and in the habit of saving discarded children. Now as adults working for the Home Office their gifts are of help defending and protecting Britain. Bran has an unexpected visitor one day, his father lawyer looking for his heir. He wants nothing to do with the man who disposed of him, but he senses a need to go.
Merryn is held captive and seems to be drugged, but there is more in play. Trying to wake up enough to escape captivity she has her chance and runs into Bran, Who when he sees her realizes that she is in part of the reason he was drawn to this part of Britain. There is more mysteries and danger that follows them on their journey to their HEA.
At times almost a cozy mystery, parts were a bit unrealistic but overall enjoyable read. The Tremayne who foster about a dozen such children will make for several different and interesting stories. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #SilverLady

So Perfect!

A tale that sweeps you away to Regency times. Romance linked with treason and treachery!
Rhys and Gwyn Tremayne have been rescuing children from the depths of the London stews forever. Bran Tremayne and his companion Cade were two of these. Although it seems they are somewhat different. Like Lady Tremayne they’re gifted, although many see them as from the devil. Gwyn is a finder. Cade can sense trouble. Bran has a strong intuition that senses lines connecting to the truth of a situation.
Twenty-three years later Bran works for the London Home Office.
He receives unwelcome news from his mother Lady Tremayne. A solicitor from Plymouth is looking for a child from that time. A child with a dragon tattoo on his shoulder.
Once an undesirable, his grandfather is reluctantly forced to seek Bran out to come under his auspices. He wants Bran to be trained as his heir. You can imagine what Bran thinks about that!
What Bran discovers is a mother, a sister and later a strange girl unwilling enthralled to a twisted mind, Starling.
The bravery of Girl is startling, her ethereal beauty and and her bravery call to Bran. She is of course gifted.
I’m so looking forward to more in this paranormal regency series.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Silver Lady is the first in a new series from Mary Jo Putney and is set in a lightly magical version of Regency Britain where some people are “gifted” – which means they have special skills that border on magic. Bran Tremayne is one of this – his powers of perception have made him an excellent investigator for the Home Office. But he finds himself drawn to Cornwall, where he was born before he was abandoned by his birth parents. When he is there he meets a mysterious woman who has had her memories suppressed. As she recovers her memories in his care, Bran discovers that Merryn is at the centre of a dangerous plot – can they survive the danger to get to a happy ending?

I mean it’s a romance novel, so I think you know the answer to that, but this is a fun read – it’s got some peril and adventure and the world building is pretty good – the “dangerous gifts” of the title are explained very well and naturally as part of the plot of the book . I’m not usually a lover of amnesia storylines, but this one makes sense within the framework that you’re given for the world and Merryn is less of a damsel in distress than I was expecting her to be. I’ve had a bit of a mixed record with Putney before, but I enjoyed this and will look out for the sequels when they come along.

Silver Lady is a paranormal historical romance that reads like the 1st book in a series because it introduces a whole family of 'gifted' people, with two side characters actually playing important roles in Bran and Merryn's story. The plot is an interesting one, combining some historical events with fiction. The romance between the main characters is of the 'fated', insta-love variety. It's an entertaining read, with wonderful descriptions of the Cornish countryside and a HEA for the leading couple.

I love Mary Jo Putney's books. I've read all of the Fallen Angels Series, The Lost Lords, and Rogues Redeemed. This is the start to a new series. Although there have been some mild hints at paranormal in some of her stories, this is truly a fantasy historical world with 'gifted' people. That threw me off a little at first, but then I got into it.

Bran was a wonderful hero. He was smart and kind and good. I appreciated his honor and how well he took care of Merryn without being condescending. Merryn was his perfect match: strong, resilient, and passionate. As I would expect, there were also wonderful secondary characters, villains, and intrigue. I am looking forward to continuing the series and would recommend for any fan of Mary Jo Putney or realistic historical fantasy.

This story begins a series about a lovely family formed of biological and foster children, all of whom are gifted. They have sixth senses, amazing abilities, one of which is being just lovely people who support one another and have charming conversations over copious amounts of tea. Our hero for the first book in this series, Bran, has headed to Cornwall to meet his (awful) biological father and potentially accept his inheritance, but realizes there is far more for him in these lands. One night, he realizes the most important thing that's been pulling him to Cornwall: love. Merryn, another gifted person, emerges from the woods being chased by horrible people who mean to use her powers for evil. Bran saves her just in time and together they discover what's happened to her and what it means for the future of their entire country. Their easy friendship quickly develops into love. But will the danger that's looming stop them from their happily ever after?

I found Putney's writing to be very charming. Reading her pages is like sipping a mug of hot tea on a fall evening. Elements of this story could certainly be characterized as "cozy" historical romance. The scenes describing food and drink were numerous and very satisfying. The love affair between our main characters was incredibly sweet with a hint of spice. Putney knows how to write an emotional love scene while leaving most of the details to the imagination. I found myself becoming very fond of practically every character! The ending was exciting and surprising!

I did enjoy this story, but I found that I often wanted a bit more. The characters didn't always feel super fleshed out to me. The supernatural elements, namely their gifts/powers, felt like they needed to be outlined far more than they were. In a way, this book reminded me of chapter books I read as a child/tween, in which the plot moved along well but felt a bit surface-level in terms of depth of characters' feelings. Putney's writing feels very classic, which could be a perfect antidote to the type of romance seen frequently today: with rat-a-tat dialogue, disrespectful characters, and explicit sex scenes.

Bottom Line: If you prefer classic historical romance with a touch of magic, you'll enjoy this book!

I'd like to thank Kensington Books and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.