Gothic Historical Romance

A governess, she is not, but when she has the opportunity to escape her father's diabolical machinations, she jumps at the chance. What does she find in the castle on the cliffs? It will be much more than she bargained for. There will be adorable children, but there are also troubles, family secrets, and murder.

This was my first story by this author. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who like Gothic historical romance with mystery and a dash of suspense. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

A historical romance with a murder twist. We get everything in this story, a supposedly haunted castle, mysterious deaths, secrets, and of course they romance. There are also a few unusual children in the cast. Some are lovely others not so much.
Our hero is very protective, our heroine is independent and doesn't need a hero.
All in a very entertaining story to begin a new series.
Good fun.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review A Silent Accord by Kathy L Wheeler!

I'm a big fan of regency romance and this is the second book I've read by Wheeler; the first being Gaming Hell Christmas. Unfortunately, this one is 3 stars at most for me.

The book is horrifically disjointed. You go from one page to another and you're not sure what's happening with all these barely fleshed out characters. Then there is the weird way in which the murders start taking place, and for a moment the book kinda feels like the 11 year old girl is doing this. A lot of the characters don't really seem to be growing at all. Docia is probably the only one with a memorable personality and she's 11.

This first book in The Clandestine Sapphire Society was an extremely exciting and original historical romance that was filled with so many plot twists that you would have to read it to believe it. A father in debt, an arranged marriage, a strange savior, murders, mayhem, intrigue, suspense, wit, humor, mystery, and so many more emotional issues and dilemmas that kept me very engaged. I enjoyed the family, especially the children, being a huge part of this intense and very dramatic story. The love that grew despite all the chaos was delightful. I highly recommend reading!

Adored the concept and many characters,

Unfortunately much of this came across as disjointed and the romance was stilted. Other readers may love it, but this one wasn’t for me.



Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book got off to a slow start, but I ended up enjoying it!

A steamy new series that's bound to capture your attention. Take Versa, super independent. Add Sanders, super protective. Add a few kids, a mystery, family secrets on top of romance and you have a page turner of a story. I didn't put this down for a minute and suddenly found myself at the end. Book two should be exciting to read as this one was very engaging and enjoyable.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Not interested.

This book was simply amazing. I loved everything about it and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of reading it. It was a blast.

Miss Verda Fairclough’s father has placed them in dun territory yet again. Now he expects her to bail them out by casting her lure for a truly horrid man. She manages to save herself from that decrepit duke by pretending the distracting Mr. Lysander Oshea, a well-known libertine earl’s brother, is her husband. Sander is smitten by the bold Miss Fairclough and he offers her an escape in the wilds of Northumberland as governess to his young nephew Noah. There are only two problems: she’s not a governess and she has no notion of how to deal with children. However, the spectre of the dead haunt this estate—and some threats are more real than Verda initially believes.
The first book I’ve read by the author& it was slightly different. I liked both Sander & Verda but felt there wasn’t much chemistry between them. I did love Noah & My Julius as Noah saved the book for me. There’s mystery as well as romance & whilst it promised much it fell a little flat for me. Secrets are eventually revealed. I’m very much on the fence with it
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I am between 3 and 4 stars as i think this could have used a little more romance. But I FLEW through this book when I got to the end I was shocked at how fast I read this book. It’s has funny parts but also murders and really heavy topics about dv and child abuse. I like how Lysander was like f it let’s just get married from the beginning. He wanted her from the get go and I loved that. It was kind of a mess but a mess I really enjoyed. I think the swiftness that the POV swung back and forth added to that. But I really can’t wait to read the next I e Noah is all grown now I wonder how his Julius will play into it.

Oh and the epilogue didn’t really feel like, it didn’t really show the HEA.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rounding up from a 2.5 - I liked this book enough to keep me reading til the end, but it was honestly difficult to get through. There was confusing dialogue, wonky plot points, a real lack of character development, and a weird, rushed resolution. As another reviewer pointed out, I couldn't figure out why the main characters even liked each other when they hardly interacted as individuals. Overall, it has good bones but would have been a lot more enjoyable if there was more depth to the story.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Family, Mystery, Enjoyable Romance
This author is new to me and this story is hard to pin down for my honest opinion.
This is not just a romance story, but it ventures into a complex mystery story that has many elusive twists, family secrets galore, some very unusual characters throughout the pages.
Verda is escaping her father's disgusting plans for her, and she develops a plan to escape along with the help of Sander who is instantly smitten with her. Off to Northumberland to be a governess, but things don't always go as planned.
The first part of the story deals somewhat with the two starting on a new adventure where the attraction is evident.
Soon we meet the rest of the characters, and a new mystery plot emerges.
Many family secrets are exposed along with insights to some of the children that part take in this interesting story.
Their sizzling romance does return close to end which brings much joy to this reader.
Book Rating: 3.7 rounded up 4 Star

Verda needs a husband as her father is a gambler and will marry her to an unacceptable man.
Lysander takes her under his wing to be a governess to his brother’s children/wards.
As they come together to create a family, they fall in love while his difficult brother ignores them and the children.
Good idea for a story and it appears the brother is next up for a story.
Enjoyed the characters.

Verda Fairclough, the strong-willed protagonist, is no damsel waiting for salvation. Instead, she’s a pragmatic woman grappling with the fallout of her father’s gambling debts and her own societal constraints. When faced with the prospect of marrying the appalling Duke of Rathbourne, Verda’s resourcefulness and grit shine through. Her impulsive decision to enlist the help of the dashing Lysander Oshea—posing as her husband—sets the stage for a tale brimming with tension and unexpected twists.

Lysander, or Sander, emerges as a man caught between familial duty and his undeniable attraction to Verda. Their relationship is a slow burn, made all the more poignant by the atmospheric backdrop of a crumbling castle on the Northumberland cliffs. The castle’s occupants, including Sander’s troubled nephew Noah, are at turns creepy and endearing.

However, the book does falter a bit in pacing and character development. The opening chapters feel rushed, offering limited insight into Verda’s backstory or motivations. Meanwhile, the middle sections drag as the plot meanders through repetitive scenarios. Additionally, some supporting characters, such as the Earl of Pender and Verda’s father, are sketched rather than fully fleshed out.

If you’re drawn to stories reminiscent of "Jane Eyre" but with an open-door spice level and a touch of Victorian melodrama, "A Silent Accord" is worth a read. Wheeler’s vision for this trilogy hints at greater depth and development in future installments, leaving readers curious about what’s to come in the "Clandestine Sapphire Society."

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A Silent Accord
Kathy L. Wheeler

Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thank you to NetGalley, Kathy L. Wheeler, and Dragonblade Publishing for gifting me a copy of A Silent Accord in exchange for an honest review.

Book Summary (No Spoilers):

The year is 1827 and Verda Fairclough, the only child of Baron Krupt, is no stranger to hardships. The baron has a nasty habit of gambling away the family money, which has finally resulted in the possibility of him and Verda being arrested by the debt collectors - that is if she doesn’t marry a wealthy suitor at the grand ball being hosted in a fortnight. With Miss. Fairclough being nine and twenty, she finds it unrealistic that an eligible bachelor will want to pursue her. However, her father tells her to not fear as he has already chosen her future husband - the infamous and horrible Duke of Rathbourne.

Fast forward two weeks and she is at the ball, being courted by the duke in the most un-gentlemanly manner. However, across the room, the illustrious Lysander (Sander) Oshea lays eyes on Verda, whilst being handled in a brutal way, and saves her by pretending the two of them have already wed. Verda goes along with this story, and Sander being so smitten by her, asks if she would travel with him to his brother's home outside of London to become his nephew’s new governess. Sander’s brother has quite the reputation - The Earl of Pender (Damien Oshea) is known for being a womanizer and having many mistresses and affairs while his young son, Noah, is known for being difficult to work with. Despite her doubts and fears, Verda decides to take Sander up on his offer and joins him at the gloomy castle, where she ultimately learns haunting stories about the family, secrets about the lands, and battles falling in love with the second son of Pender.

My Thoughts and Review (Spoiler Warning):

I am a big lover of historical romance so I went into this novel, the first of its trilogy, with excitement. However, I soon had to double-check to make sure this wasn’t the second or third book in the series due to the semi-confusing plotline and lack of character descriptions and growth. I feel as if I didn’t get to know key characters as well as I should have, such as Verda’s father, the Duke of Rathbourne, etc. However, once I began jotting down names and taking notes, I was better able to understand relationships, family trees, and more - which could possibly just be a me problem in all honesty.

Along with this, I found the book to drag. As mentioned before, I found the exposition to be rushed without enough detail, however, the rising action seemed to take forever with too much detail and too many events. The climax of the book doesn’t happen until the last few actions, resulting in a very quick falling action and resolution. Maybe this rushed ending is due to it being the first book in the trilogy, however, I almost DNF’d the novel halfway through due to the lack of interesting topics happening. With that being said, I ended up enjoying the ending and finding out the mystery of who has been the killer, and I wish there was more evidence pointing to the lady's maid.

Lastly, as I brought up briefly before, I felt as if the characters weren’t well-rounded enough. I didn’t feel a connection to any of them in all honesty. I didn’t enjoy Sander very much and didn’t find him remotely romantic - no wonder Verda and him didn’t kiss until the last few chapters of the book. As for Verda, I enjoyed her slightly, but can I say I found her almost “too” strong and independent? It almost doesn’t make sense for her to have fallen in love with Sander due to how much of a strong and independent woman she was. A lot of the reviews mention liking Noah and “My Julian” but I found that plotline kind of odd personally. Maybe it’s because I don’t read a lot of books featuring children in them, I found all of the kids a little annoying and repetitive.

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. I liked the plot line and the female protagonist. I also really enjoyed the thriller/mystery side of the book. The imagery was great as well when describing the castle and the scenery. I would recommend this title to anyone who enjoys Bridgerton. I will be on the lookout for the next two books in this series and am excited to see how the author expands this world.

Thank you again to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this gifted book in exchange for an honest review. Make sure to purchase your copy of A Silent Accord on January 21, 2025.
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Pub. Date: Jan. 21, 2025 - Dragonblade Publishing

Historical Fiction and Romance

A Victorian Gothic Romance in the Clandestine Sapphire Society Trilogy (Book One)

#netgalley #ASilentAccord

I raced through this book which is a surprise even to me because the pacing admittedly was not great. There were parts that I loved for sure, Verda is the exact type of FMC that I love, especially within this genre. I also enjoyed the children and their banter. But overall the book felt thoroughly disjointed & with the mystery?? As the focus of the book the romance really suffered & I was super disappointed in that. They had a ton of potential to be interesting romantic leads but ultimately fell short.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The plotline definitely needs a little bit of work in the middle of the book. But for a series it was a really good start. I liked the characters and their relationship dynamic in the family. I liked Verda's relationship and how she overcame her fears. The trauma that happened in this book felt a bit much but I did like the different perspective in it. While this is targeted towards a historical romance, it's a little bit more than that.

Well done to the author and publishers and thank you for sending this book my way.

This was a strong start to the Clandestine Sapphire Society series, it had that Gothic romance element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters had that feel that I wanted and enjoyed from the description. I'm excited to read the next entry in this series and from Kathy L Wheeler.

This book was not very well written. To be honest, I was a bit confused by the plotline. It skittered, it rolled it was chaotic.

Disappointed.