The Last Lady B by Eloise James: a review by Kayne

Eloisa James is one of my favorite historical romance authors and this story has ghosts! This is a lighthearted, gothic romance and other than a slowdown in the third act, I really enjoyed it.

Genevieve’s (Evie’s) father has a title but very little money and after three seasons in London, Evie is desperate and decides to marry Lord Burnsby, a seventy-year-old widower. He seems kind and can provide a dowry for her younger sister, but he has been married three times before! After they marry, he takes her and her pet piglet to his abbey in the Scottish Highlands in the middle of winter and this is where the ghost story begins.

When they get to the abbey, there are lots of quirky characters including Burnsby’s illegitimate daughter, Ophelia, who is snarky and sweet, his son, Lance, and his new bride, a lovely dark-skinned French Countess, who Burnsby despises because of her race There is also Lance’s best friend, Sir Godric Everley, who has come to meet Lance’s new bride and Aunt Mimi, who lives on apple tarts and has memory loss. Another character shows up who is shocking and causes DRAMA – but I can’t say more! When someone tries to kill Evie, there are lots of suspects!

Godric used to spend his Christmas breaks with Burnsby, who became his guardian after his parents died and Godric loathes him. While Evie originally thought Burnsby was a nice guy, she is beginning to realize he is not and his constant singing of Christmas carols is annoying. She suspects that  Burnsby is keeping secrets! Godric is a gorgeous and grumpy solicitor and as the suspense builds in the story, Evie thinks he may be the only one she can trust. At first, Godric thinks Evie is a gold digger until he gets to know her, and then he thinks she is loyal, loving and true. Evie is glad to have him as her ally to help protect her from danger. There are secret passageways, ghost sightings, romance and mysteries to solve!

This story is lighter on romance and heavier on mystery, which I enjoyed. There was a bit of a slowdown in the third act, but the twists and turns towards the end had me quickly turning the pages and the witty humor kept me smiling throughout. I highly recommend this gothic romance in the Scottish Highlands!