Book Review: Matronly Misadventures Series

A Romp into the Regency Era

Today I will be focusing on Lady Avely's Guide to Guile and Peril, the third book in the Matronly Misadventures Series by Rosalie Oaks. I read the first two books over a year ago, and only picked up the third recently. Each book in the series is a delight, but I hit a really horrific reading slump that I am only now coming out of.

I believe that Lady Avely's Guide to Guile and Peril must be read with a British accent (in your mind at least) while enjoying a cup of cocoa, or tea if you must. If you have mob cap, you might want to put it on. (Did you know that mob caps can be titillating?)

This is the perfect read for someone who enjoys the occasional dip into regency romance. Add to that an intelligent, somewhat saucy, middle-aged widow who recently became a marchioness, and it suited my desire for more mature protagonists. The cast of characters is fun, as many of them have unique musor (magic) powers that, if overused, make them silly and bemused.

To counteract their bemusement, they sometimes make agreements with vampiri, in a mutually beneficial relationship. These are not the vampires you imagine. They are tiny bats who take on human forms to support their agreements. They come in all types, including prudish fops and temptresses that have no fear of flaunting their nudity. It's difficult to fly with a cape after all.

In a time period when sexuality was controlled, and same sex relationships would be frowned upon, the vampiri live according to their own desires, as do many of the characters in this series. Love always finds a way.

The story itself takes twists and turns. Lady Avely has a murder to solve, a lover to rescue, a castle to revitalize, political intrigue to confront, a family to heal, and spies to uncover, all under the rising threat of the war with France.

Somehow, though, she manages to do it all while keeping her mob cap in place. This all leads to a truly satisfying (and somewhat spicy) ending of the entire series.

Let's Talk Book Series

I'm very picky about book series. There are two many series out there where the goal is not to tell a good story, but to make more money off of the first books success They often fail (in my opinion).

I can't tell you how many books I've read that either cut off, and don't complete the story, just so there can be another book in the series. Or, they finish the story and then add the first chapter of the next book. I really dislike those approaches. Rosalie Oaks does not do this. Each book in the series works on its own, while the series itself is still a delightful whole.

I love a well-planned series, where each book tells a complete satisfying story. Each book in the Matronly Misadventures Series is complete, while leaving a few threads hanging to keep you reading. I wanted to keep reading, not to tie up the loose ends, but because I enjoyed the characters, the descriptions, the exploration into gender norms during the regency era, and the total immersion in the world. I look forward to reading more books by this author.