Dutchy's book reviews and free books (from smut to science and everthing in between) and more

Review of "The earl's courtship of Hope"

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 14:08:00 +0000

A young woman with a hefty dowry does not want tp marry but realises her single status puts her at risk.

A romance novel that caters for Christian Americans I think: lots of praying and no sex. The American influence also shows in a marriage at home. Enflish people had to marry in a church.

Ok-ish novel but I could not understand why she did not ask her loving family instead.

https://www.amazon.com/Earls-Courtship-Hope-Historical-Christian-ebook/dp/B0DKPWNK6G

Review of Rosanne E. Lortz's "An Inconvenient Journey"

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 12:40:00 +0000

Lady Helena is pregnant. The father is her fiance. But he died recently. Now unwed and pregnant she is en route to Scotland to marry his illegitimate brother and have the baby born away from too nosey eyes.

Part 1 of this novel is a regency romance set in the countryside that is well written and has realistic character developments.

Part 2 is a murder mystery in London. The setting and the plot are interesting.

I can give it 4 stars out of 5. The flaws are that while you are in Helena's head most of the time in Part 1 in the detective part many people take charge so it feels less personal.

And Helena is a blue eyed blonde so the cover is a bit off.

Review of "The surgeon's house" by Jody Cooksley

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sat, 17 May 2025 22:35:00 +0000

At the end of the 19th century, a childless couple runs a home for women and their illegitimate children. It is a large house that used to be owned by a doctor and his family who performed terrible tests on the women and killed their babies. That surgeon and his family are executed or in an asylum now and the young matron tries to educate the young women and children and provide them them with a safe and loving home. But then one night their beloved cook gets murdered on the street.

I was not sure if this was a sequel or just a book with flashbacks. But one could read it without prior knowledge. Talking of prior knowledge: I recognised the killer's method what gave the killer away.

The house is very vividly described. I applaud the worldbuilding. But is there not something amiss in the timeline of the crazy lady? You also might like to explain a bit more to us ignorants how charities in those days worked. Why is dat board so powerful while the women earn their keep?

4 stars out of 5

You will be able to buy it here from the 22nd May 2025 onwards.

Review of "His hand-me-down countess" by Sorcha Mombray

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sun, 11 May 2025 17:55:00 +0000

Sometimes it is nice to read a romance novel but when it is like a porn movie or a medical journal without a real story it bores me silly.

And spanking is not attractive to me at all.

"The colour of tea" and "in Orbit" did not get me enthousiastic

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 18:32:00 +0000

THE COLOUR OF TEA I liked the exotic setting and could relate to the infertility. While the story takes off nicely it gets repetative. And the ending is strange and a total surprise in the story but what I guessed was coming from the beginning.

IN ORBIT Way too philosofical for me.

Review Zero Day

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 16:56:00 +0000

Not a novel but a tv series. Former US president Mullen is an old man struggling to write his memoir when all of a sudden a disaster hits and he is called back to Washington.

From the beginning it is clear something dark happened in his past. What is less clear is if the man is suffering from dementia or a mental illness or if he is targetted by a neural weapon.

Very interesting series that has you hooked and that sounds realistic enough.

Review: The house of Baric part 2: a brother's defense

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 14:28:00 +0000

The family saga of Mauro, his wife and their friends in 17th century Venetian ruled Croatia continues. On the surface it is all iddylic but danger serms to be lurking.

It is a bit slow read (author had been streamlining part 1 so maybe this one in a later version as well) that has the addiction of a soap opera.

4 stars out of 5

https://a.co/d/9P3Vvvx buy there on Amazon.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1XftUdTocz/

Review of The House of Baric part one Shields down by Jilian Bald

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 21:07:00 +0000

I read the revised newer version. This novel is set in a less known time period and for me an unfamiliar area: Croatia when it was ruled by Venice halfway the 17the century. It is the end of what in Germany is refered to as the Thirty Years war.

Mauro the son of the Baron is recalled to his ancestral seat from the battlefield as his father had died. As the family promised to marry his to a Greec girl in the Ottoman empire his future wife is send for.

The story is more or less their daily life and the interaction with friends living with them.

The author mentioned shaving off part of the story and as I read the following novel in it's original state I guess it benefitted in making the story a bit faster.

I liked the story as it felt like being on a holiday in someone else's life. Good worldbuilding.

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Review of "Veil of Hope"

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 10:44:00 +0000

Gus is a sociologist who works for the army as a contractor making computer analyses. One day he is transported to an underground bunker as some life changing event happened. This is book 5 in a series but that does not matter for half of the novel. However at a certain moment people are introduced that I suspect already featured in an older novel. So that is a bit puzzling. Standard apocalyptic novel. Reads quite ok.

Review "The Pirate's physician" - 3 stars

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 20:52:00 +0000

It is a well written story of a young woman training to be a physician who sees her whole life uprooted.

It was quite a short read with the end coming sooner than expected.

"Charlie Reyne" reminds me of the Sharpe novels

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 19:10:00 +0000

Author Nadine from Canada but with a Dutch surname wrote a delightful novel that reminded me of the Sharpe series: the Napoleontic wars in the peninsula. That combined with a Regency setting in the English countryside.

However the heroworshipping by all the men and women of "Little Charlie" was too much unbelievable sugarcoating for me. A more realitic heroine would have scored more points. I would have gotten bloody jealous in her radius.

Charlie Reyne (The Brantford Series) https://a.co/d/aEZwqZR

Preview / review of "Lady" a marvellous book set during the War of the Roses era

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:39:00 +0000

During the early days of the War of the Roses a young noblewoman living in a remote castle is mourning the miscarriage/stillbirth of her son when her husband Baron Alexander falls ill. To make matters even worse a neighbour's son keeps attacking the castle. Uncommon in this kind of novels this is a very layered story and not a romance although there is all kind of love between the group of main characters. Our heroine survived a very traumatic event when she was still young and her warrior father knew only one way to deal with that to give his daughter confidence: he trained her to fight. She is a very androgyne tall woman with an unusual upbringing what made her very unpopular at court. Still, handsome and kind, fierce warrior Alexander marries her because he wants heirs but he has a dangerous secret to keep.

It is a story that has a genuine and realistic feel to it. It handles diversity but in a natural way. Also in the Middle Ages people fell in love with people they could not marry. And there would also have been people from far places.

The author said in her final comments "I realised in the end the story was about love" and that is exactly it. Not just sexual attraction, no hanky panky, love. In all kind of forms.

I was very impressed and went to bed late in the hope to finish the story. Failed. And then in the morning I hated reaching the end.

Keep up this quality!

SEE: Lady https://a.co/d/cqBIoxZ

Review of The Whole Truth on Netflix

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 21:08:00 +0000

This movie from 2016 features Keanu Reeves as attorney Ramsey who defends the 17 year old son of a friend who is accused of murdering his father.

I am a lawyer but not in criminal cases and not in a jury system.

1) Would you defend a friend and loose professional distance? I would hope you will not.

There is one clue that made me think the accused was innocent but trying to save someone. Pay attention when a childhood hobby is revealed. Was I correct?

To be honest not the best courtroom drama. The lawyer claimes that no witness ever tells the whole truth. The director smartly illustrates that by showing flashbacks after their testimonials.

A movie you can skip.

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Review of "The Brantford Wagers"

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:13:00 +0000

A Regency romance novel in the best Jane Austen-style. Clara the smart and observing oldest daughter of a country gentleman has already turned down several local suitors. Her father and aunt deem it smart to send her for a long visit to said aunt as maybe in that village she will meet a future husband. In a society where women cannot take initiative and where many secrets hide under the radar of small village-life she tries to fathom the true intends of the people she meets.

I enjoyed reading the book immensely.

PS there is a second book about James's brother but that is a total different style and also characters.

The Brantford Wagers (The Brantford Series) https://a.co/d/gp4Ns5p

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No Lizzy and Darcy: review of Something about Lizzy

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 23:14:00 +0000

Appearently this is the 3rd novel in a series but I only became aware due to the notes at the end of the novel. I would advise a summery at the beginning.

I am sorry but I do not see any resemblance with the Lizzy and Darcy and the novel of Jane Austen. That book is funny and a great judge of it's era. Lizzy is witty and Darcy is kind but judgemental. Here Darcy is a grump and Lizzy someone who does keep her cards to her chest and the story is serious and sometimes even boring. Why not make it it's own story without borrowing great names?

Review of "Rooted" - a different pirate novel

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 22:45:00 +0000

It is the start of the 17th century and a young English noble woman has just become a widow and receives a large portion of her late husbands estate. Her stepson wants to marry her but she is glad the money will bring her freedom. But her domineering father decides to take matters in his hands and before she knows it she is about to leave to France with an old aunt to look for a new arranged marriage. But then a traumatic event makes this shy mouse take a leap of faith.

A very well written story with a lot of personal growth and layering. A story that will sound logical in the ears of modern ladies with a career.

Not overly sexual and when it is very realistic. And how a real loving relationship works.

DEFINITELY NOT a romance novel! NO steamy story.

The cover makes you expect a different kind of book. CHANGE THAT. It is beautiful but has nothing to do with the story and oozes BDSM.

5 stars for sure.

SEE: https://a.co/d/05aBeGMC

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When a pandemic does not destroy humanity and you have to solve a mysterious disappearance

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 20:54:00 +0000

Imagine a society hit by a virus worse than Covid but somewhat similar. With a mortality rate of 80%. So in a classroom full with 30 students 24 will die. In a church with a congregatiom of a 100 only 20 will survive. Unlike in most dystopian stories that will not end civilization but we have seen with Covid how normal life will be effected.

Two young women are still alive: a doctor and the PA of a private investigator. Then the latter is contacted by a new client and has to solve a mystery.

I was impressed by the well created worldbuilding, the depth of the lonelyness, grief and fear of Hannah. Cleo is less detailed.

What is also refreshing is that one of the main characters is a lesbian and the other bisexual what in most of the story is just a background fact. But my gay friend Marc often talks of inclusivity.

It is a slow building, nervewracking story. Very well done!!! You deserve one of my rare 5 stars.

FOR SALE: https://a.co/d/0hjlMXF8

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Review of The Shofet by Lee Olson

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:22:00 +0000

The author of the novel writes that the idea to write this story came to him when bad weather forced him to stay indoors in a cabin with only 3 books to read. One was of Tolkien and the other the Bible. Maybe that is why this story had a very Lord of the Rings-feeling to me.

Joshua lives in a village with more sheep than people. He and his friend Dan are on the verge of adulthood. Then one day death comes to the village. Horsemen kill many people and when Joshua arrives at his house he finds it burned to the ground, a familymember dead and the others missing. An old man he has never met tells him to follow him because he is in great danger. The horsemen are never far away.

Due to the many Hebrew words and the setting a 1000 years BC it felt to me as if I was reading a fantasy novel including Mount Doom. Then realising I had been there in Syria (Mount Druse and the lava fields).

The setting is the kingdom of Salomon and when you are familiar with the Song of Songs in the Bible you will have a clue what will be coming.

The book is a glorious read. Until the end. It suddenly stops. I read somewhere plans of a trilogy. I HATE it when stories are cut in pieces. A good trilogy contains of separate stories. That causes me to downgrade the rating to 3 stars.

I cannot find it on Amazon yet. I myself got an ARC.

Review of "The Red Flag" by Julia Maiola - 5 stars

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 18:09:00 +0000

Let me start with how this novel is summarised on Goodreads:

Captain Stephen Boswell sails under the red flag, a symbol of no mercy. It’s the only reason he has lived this long. The only reason the navy has not found him yet. But they are closing in. And if they catch him, they will execute him for piracy.

Ten-year-old Alice Bradford doesn’t know why she is alive. When Captain Boswell found her hiding on his ship, she expected him to kill her, and it seemed his own crew had expected likewise. But now she is his prisoner and she fears that she will be forever. Somehow, though, it seems that the captain might be more afraid of the navy than she is of him. Something from his past has him ill at ease, Alice realizes. Even if the navy cannot bring him to his knees, his own paranoia will.

Decades ago I read a century old novel about a young boy hiding on a ship that turned out to be crewed by pirates: Jack Holborn. In that story you saw the same fascination with a charismatic but also enigmatic captain. Also here you cannot really be certain if he is good or bad. It had me days wondering.

I have to say the girl sounded a bit too mature for her age. You almost expect them to fall for each other.

And I wondered why they not just disappeared to the other side of the world and build an honest living as a trader or even leave the sea behind and start afresh in the colonies.

A book
that has you thinking about it for days afterward.

5 stars

You can buy the book here: https://amzn.to/3VoLHIe

"The narrow window" and "Adventures of an American medical student"

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sun, 12 May 2024 16:26:00 +0000

Wiley and Dave Reeves sent me two recently published books to review. Looking forward to reading in the sun.

"The narrow window" by Gary D. Wilson about two American teachers in 1960 Africa and a crime that has them to confront issues of motivation, culture and belonging.

"Adventures of an American medical student" by James Champion is set in rural Kentucky where James encounteres a mothly cast of patients and doctors.

Legendary LGBTQ+ Women in the 19th and 20th Centuries: A Collection of the Stories of Queer Women in History, Their Heroism, and How They Lived

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 16:01:00 +0000

Representation matters says my gay friend M. In a world where the majority is hetero he likes to read books with homosexual leading men. So that made me pick up this book to write a review on.

First of all it felt like making a selection on Wikipedia. What I did miss were pictures. In general very USA centred. I missed people like Chopin's girlfriend who always dressed like a man. And Berlin in Germany had a varied gay scene. In some cases I wondered. Like Florence Nightingale who lived in days women wrote each other very flowery letters and marriage ended independence 21st century people might draw the wrong conclusion.

You can order your own copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Legendary-LGBTQ-Women-19th-Centuries-ebook/dp/B09FYHQRM7?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=tulip68-20&linkId=0108d8f0cc0a95598a9af89f0dc33baa&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

The belle of London by Nicola Italia

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 17:54:00 +0000

I have read earlier novels of this author before and most are quite good. One was very steamy. This one is not. A young adult Englishwoman, daughter of an architect, in Victorian London looses both parents. To have income she needs a job. The only thing she is quite good at is music so she joins a theatre group what is quite scandalous.

The novel is a love story but not a two dimensional romance novel as it also navigates the thin line between mistresses and women with virtue in a more liberal working environment and where to draw a line. Of needing income and not depending on a man. Of fitting in in a different social group. As a modern woman with a job you can relate.

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 15:13:00 +0000

Some of Colin's novels are leaving a lasting impression, some have a bit two dimensional characters. This one is one of the very good. People motivated by loge, enduring terrible odds, having to travel half the globe before Marco Polo did that. Only thing I would loved to have seen is how or if the tribune would have been able to reclaim his social position.

WOW WOW WOW This is what you call worldbuilding -The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 20:10:00 +0000

Mankind is dwindling in a world where is hardly any water available. (due to a devastating war, environmental problems??? Too far in the past to be mentioned) On the arid land some small human settlements try to survive. Lark a young woman has fled those settlements and is now standing at the entrance to a large bridge that spans a deep and dark canyon and is the route towards the ruined city of the humans of old. But when she tries to cross the bridge she is captured by the mortal enemies of mankind the trolls who have build a city hanging under the bridge as a kind of giant waspsnest.

Lark however has a secret weapon what made the Troll council decide to spare her. Also the trolls are hindered by the drought but as they can tap into the river they can survive as long as they can fight the monsters lurking in the canyon. But they cannot travel to other troll towns anymore. The trollis as is their own name for their species is a martial society but not that different from humans apart from size and skincolour. They seem more civilised in a medieval Japanese way.

Lark is desperate to find a family to call her own and tries her best to fit in.

The author is extremely good in worldbuilding. You feel like seeing the novel as if it is a movie.

There is one BUT: the ending. I can see the point the writer is making but one would expect a different reaction because of all the work done.

Definitely a 5+ star.

Return of the Knight by Elizabeth Johns - could we call him a nerd?

noreply@blogger.com (vreemdelingenrecht.com) — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 19:02:00 +0000

Gabriel returns from the Napoleontic war with Napoleon removed to St Helena. His father died and he is now the earl. During the war he worked with men and did a lot of spying. But he is not good at social events and entertaining the ton. A bit of a shy nerd. So how to find a woman to marry and settle down with. In his first week back but still incognito he barges into the vicar's niece he knew in the past. She would do.

In the story we see two people who have to make arrangements for their future slowly becoming friends.

It is quite a nice story that has a refreshing anti-hero as a hero.

There is one BUT.... in the beginning it is often mentioned that he would rather face a column of French soldiers than a room full of debutantes. That is UTTERLY silly to write. No one would prefer mortal peril. It would have been easy to say something as "send to join the British army overseas" or something.

What makes me still give it 4 stars out of 5 is the sympathetic and realistic person Gabriel is.