The Marquess's Masked Archer is a Charming Romance

 

Abbey Downey is a new-to-me author, and I was excited to be on her influencer team for The Marquess's Masked Archer part of her new series Headliners and Heartstrings. The vibrant green and red caught my eye and that fact that both the hero and heroine are on the cover. It made me want to read the book before I knew anything about it. That's the power of an intriguing cover!

Sylvie Bryce longs for a life of her own. She'd rather be the mysterious Lady Robin a trick-shot archer who wows audiences than be paraded about Cleveland society balls.

Miles Wentworth, Marquess came to Ohio to study insects, to avoid scandal and prove that a man can build life on his own terms. What he didn't expect was the fall in love.

I was reminded of fellow Gilded Age author Jen Turano when I read The Marquess' Masked Archer. There's a similar combination of historical charm, humor, memorable characters, and a romance that kept me turning pages. 

My favorite part of the story was how the author built the romance between Sylvie and Miles. Their relationship developed naturally and I enjoyed watching them get to know each other while figuring out what they wanted from life. Watching these characters that didn't fit into the mold of society at the time find their way to each other was such a fun part of the story.

If you enjoy historical romances with mystery, characters with plenty of personality The Marquess' Masked Archer is definitely one to add to your TBR list. 

I'd rate this story a solid 4 stars out of 5 and am looking forward to seeing what this author has in store for the rest of the Headliners and Heartstrings series. 

The Heiress and the Woodsman Falls Flat

 

I was impressed and enjoyed Christine Hill Sunz's debut The Laundress and the Lawyer, I had high expectations for her second standalone novel The Heiress and the Woodsman. 

The slow pacing of this novel made it hard for me to get into. Each time I'd pick up the book it felt like a chore to continue reading which was disappointing because I liked this author's debut novel so well. I kept hoping the story would eventually pull me in, but I never found myself as invested as I wanted to be.

Set in 1830's Canada, Christine's latest story follows Charlotte Carruthers and Joshua Robertson as they search for their missing siblings. There were some interesting moments between the characters and readers who prefer a slower more character driven historical romance may enjoy this read.

For me, the pacing ultimately overshadowed parts of the story I liked. I think my expectations coming off The Laundress and the Lawyer may have also played a part. I went into this story hoping for the same feeling of being completely drawn into the story and connect with the characters. Sadly, this didn't happen for me. 

While The Heiress and the Woodsman wasn't a great fit for me, I wouldn't hesitate to give future Christine Hill Sunz books a try. Her writing has a beautiful lyrical cadence. One book not working for me doesn't erase how much I enjoyed her debut.

I'd rate this story as 3 1/2 out of 5 stars because of the slow pacing. It is a clean and wholesome historical romance for readers who enjoy a gentle love story.