A Bachelor Establishment

by Jodi Taylor

High adventure and dark mystery combine in a sparkling historical romance

Jodi Taylor writing as Isabella Barclay

Elinor Bascombe, widowed and tied to an impoverished estate, has learned to ask little of life. With no hope of leaving, the years have passed her by.

Lord Ryde, exiled abroad after a scandal, has returned to strip his estate and make a new start in America.

A chance encounter changes their plans, plunging Elinor and Lord Ryde into adventure and not a little peril until, finally, they are forced to confront the mystery of what happened on That Night, all those years ago.

Are they both so entangled in the riddles of the past that they are about to miss this one last opportunity for future happiness?

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Romance, Mystery

208 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2015

About the author

Jodi Taylor is the internationally bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary's series, the story of a bunch of disaster prone individuals who investigate major historical events in contemporary time. Do NOT call it time travel! She is also the author of the Time Police series - a St Mary's spinoff and gateway into the world of an all-powerful, international organisation who are NOTHING like St Mary's. Except, when they are.

Alongside these, Jodi is known for her gripping supernatural thrillers featuring Elizabeth Cage together with the enchanting Frogmorton Farm series - a fairy story for adults.

Born in Bristol and now living in Gloucester (facts both cities vigorously deny), she spent many years with her head somewhere else, much to the dismay of family, teachers and employers, before finally deciding to put all that daydreaming to good use and write a novel. Over twenty books later, she still has no idea what she wants to do when she grows up.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introducing Isabella Barclay, the infamous Isabella Barclay, affectionately dubbed "Bitchface" by her erstwhile friends and colleagues, turning her deft hand to Regency Romance rather than murder!

Wow. Well, everyone ought to try out different professions, if this is the normal kinds of works that come out of such attempts. :)

Seriously though, her clear style and insistent classic romance matched perfectly with floods of females and mysterious gunshots and rather misty-eyed middle-aged romance that just happened to be rather delightful and sparkling despite such a rough beginning.

Well, this is Regency, after all, so expect plenty of misogyny and walled-off opportunities, but even so, the classic wish-fulfillment is in full swing and the setting is dragged, kicking and screaming, into warmth and decent meals, so I'm certainly not going to complain.

The audio version was quite nice, so I'm quite pleased not have to worry about misspellings, as such, and so my enjoyment was never once hampered.

Um. I just read romance. Again. What the hell is happening to me?

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my passion for anything this author writes, I decided to give this historical romance a chance although I'm not much into romances. However, having loved almost all of Jane Austen's works equally (yes, I do have favourites) and considering my love for Jodi Taylor's writing, the risk was indeed minimal.

This book was penned under the name of Isabella Barclay, an infamous character of Jodi Taylor's and tells the story of Elinor Boscombe, her household, and her hard work to make a living for herself ever since she was widowed. One day she almost literally stumbles upon her neighbour, Lord Ryde, who had been exiled for a scandal for the past 20 years.

Notable about the characters is the banter. It is the one detail that sets this modern author apart from Jane Austen. Although both used wits and humour, the characters in this book are portrayed in a slightly more modern way, like when we get the scene in the library where Elinor and John spend the night together, something which Jane Austen would have never written about. Also, one of my favourite moments when Mrs. Elliot clubbed one of the intruders with the firetongues until he didn't move anymore (and then some) is something that probably would have never happened in a Jane Austen book, but which Jane Austen herself would have smiled about and enjoyed most probably.
Thus, the modern differences are not a disadvantage in the slightest. They give this look at the Regency era a fresh new air while maintaining the general feel of the time.

Again, the author proves to be able to describe surroundings as well as people in a way that makes every word spring from the page and transport the reader right into the middle of the story. While the beginning was a bit slow (compared to the action I was accustomed to thanks to St. Mary's), it didn't take long for me to fall in love with almost every person portrayed - they were unique and loyal, compassionate and just, each with his/her own elaborate background story that made them so very real. Their actions, moreover, spoke for themselves (especially in the case of Pollock and Mrs. Elliot).

A very worthwhile read with a little bit of a mystery. I'm tremendously happy to have read this and will give more of her Regency-era-stories a try despite the pen name Jodi Taylor chose (the author mentioned in an interview that there will probably be more). ;)

[Christina ~ Brunette Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 Stars

This book felt pretty much like a missed opportunity.
A historical romance featuring a still young though definitely more mature couple (they're both well in their forties) had all the premises for being an original take on the genre, but the uneven execution and the perfunctory characterisations half-ruined the final outcome.
The writing style harkening back to the Traditional Regency mood was spot on if too preoccupied with the imitation as to become rather wooden in several parts, while excessive interferences by secondary characters tended to disperse the narration detracting from the main storyline.
In fact, what suffered the most was the romance's arc. The hero, an embittered man coming back home after many years abroad, and the heroine, a widow who survived an abusive marriage, went from an initial disliking to an anticlimactic love scene passing through a lot of parlour-sparring and barbs-trading in the span of a handful of days without showing any real emotional connection and believable growth.
There were some sparks of enjoyable wit and a nice talent for blending the mystery in, but the disappointing romance made for a not fully satisfying read.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am such a big fan of Jodi Taylor. I just get her humour and love the way she writes. Her female characters are usually vulnerable yet feisty. In this foray into regency historical fiction, she brings all her skills. Dare I say...better than a Georgette Heyer even! I do so hope she writes some more under this pen name.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Caz said that Lord Ryde is "a hero very much in the Lord Damerel mould," how could I resist? (For those not familiar with Georgette Heyer, Lord Damerel is the sexy hero of Venetia, one of Heyer's best romances. And if you like historical romance and aren't familiar with Heyer's books, you should be!)

So, I didn't resist, and I'm very glad. This audiobook was a delightful blend of mystery and romance, helped along by a very good narration from British actress Anna Bentinck. The romance is luscious, as is the hero. Moreover, there are clever humorous interludes, my favorite being Ryde's reactions as his run-down "bachelor establishment" is taken over by females, mostly servants, sent there to take care of Elinor after she is wounded by a gunshot. The gunshot is the centerpiece of the mystery but it also serves as a vehicle for throwing Ryde and Elinor into close proximity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I'm sorry that it is the only historical romance written by this author. Under the name of Jodi Taylor, she has written a successful series of time-travel fiction (The Chronicles of St. Mary's). I don't really do time-travel, but perhaps I'll give this series a try. If Ms. Taylor ever decides to morph into Isabella Barclay again, I will definitely read the product of that endeavor.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read 2020
Having re-read another of Jodi Taylor's novels, I couldn't help myself from having a little look at this one, which proved the wrong thing to do. Indeed, I got caught in the narration and ended up rushing through it, once again :0) Now, to get back to what I had planned to read...

2015
I seem to want to read anything that is written by Jodi Taylor. Must admit I wondered what this book was going to be like, under this pseudonym (of all the characters, why 'Bitchface Barclay'?), but it proved to be a great entertaining read that I devoured in one day :O) Regency time setting, spirited characters, intrigue, humour and a touch of romance. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Ingie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review written January 10, 2018

3 1/2 Stars - Enjoying and lighthearted mystery romance

Never heard about this author (and never read any of her Jodi Taylor fantasy novels) but after checking some GR reviews (promising) I took a chance and downloaded this $3.69 Regency Romance when a Audible Daily Deal some days ago.



Easy done, quite short and much fun
Oh yes, I’m happy about this one. I giggled a lot and sincerely had a satisfied little smile in my face most time. I’m not overwhelmed about the audiobook narrators choice of character voices but in all good enough.

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Regency Romance with main characters in their 40:s...

« Elinor Bascombe, widowed and tied to an impoverished estate, has learned to ask little of life. With no hope of leaving, the years have passed her by. Lord Ryde, exiled abroad after a scandal, has returned to strip his estate and make a new start in America. »

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A Bachelor Establishment was truly a nice and entertaining listening experience.

A well-thought-out story with a interesting enough refreshing puzzle dissolution at the end. Adult feel, a spiritual language with much irony between the main characters and main characters to feel for. All in all a very lovely not too long novel with both an old crime to solve, strange new events, suspense and gunfire, at least two romantic romances to cross your fingers for, and best of all some nicely told traditional British social gatherings at castles and mansions.

I listened to the 7:25 hours audiobook, in my opinion well enough, narrated by Anna Bentinck. She does it very well but I’m sorry to say I just didn’t like her choice of voices at all times. ... Perhaps I sometimes felt that it became a bit too ridiculous female and at times a bit too exaggerated, and maybe another voice for example the heroine would have made me more convinced.

I still hesitate between three or four GR stars and just hope I'm not unfair when only clicking on three? ... Anyway, A Bachelor Establishment was a good read. Recommended when you need something quickly done and sweet heartwarming in between other more "demanding" books.

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I LIKE - romantic stories with adult MCs

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from 2016

B+ for narration; B for content.

A Bachelor Establishment was published in 2015, but harks back to the Traditional Regency, with its strong observational humour and echoes of a comedy of manners. The attributed author is Isabella Barclay, which is actually the name of one of the characters created by Jodi Taylor in her St. Mary’s Chronicles , a series of novels based around a group of historians who travel through time to investigate major historical events. I’m not sure which book(s) Isabella Barclay appears in – but I rather like the idea of Ms. Taylor turning her into the author of historical romances.

Mrs Elinor Bascome, a widow in her forties, lives on the impoverished estate that by rights belongs to her late husband’s brother, George. But following the terrible events of one fateful night years ago, George fled his brother’s house and hasn’t been heard of since. So Elinor continues to live in reduced circumstances, secure in the knowledge that while she might not have much money, she is at least no longer subject to her husband’s physical abuse and her life is her own. Always a neck-and-neck rider, she’s galloping across the neighbouring land belonging to the absent Lord Ryde when she almost mows down an unknown man, who ends up – unharmed – in a ditch. Naturally, harsh words are exchanged – and Elinor then realises that the man, who is not much older than herself, must be Lord Ryde, returned from exile abroad.

Ryde – a hero very much in the Lord Damerel mould – left England some twenty years ago when his father threw him out owing to the scandal surrounding Ryde’s affair with a married lady and the subsequent duel, and he has returned rarely in the intervening years, even though his father is long since dead. He has spent those years drinking, gambling and wenching his way around Europe with his friend Mr. Martin, and has come home now only to strip the estate of everything he can sell with a view to heading off to make a life in America.

Both Ryde and Elinor return to their respective homes seething about their encounter and are frostily polite to each other at subsequent meetings. Their paths cross one morning while both are out riding – when a shot rings out and Elinor is wounded. Ryde takes charge of the situation immediately, and insists on taking Elinor to his run-down home, as it is closest. And from here on in, he doesn’t know what’s hit him. Much of the humour in the book comes from his reaction to his Bachelor Establishment suddenly being overrun by women – Elinor’s companion, her personal maid and the other servants deemed necessary to make her stay a comfortable one for her while not inconveniencing the establishment’s owner. Suddenly the rooms are clean and habitable, the place smells of lemon and beeswax instead of damp and musty air and the food is edible and served hot. But Ryde mustn’t become accustomed to a comfortable country life, not as he has no plans to stay in England.

As Elinor recovers, the pair begins to spend time together and find themselves opening up to one another in a way they have never done with anyone else. Even though the story takes place across little more than a week, the relationship that develops between them is nicely done and quite believable, as they reassess each other and fall into a genuine friendship. Elinor and Ryde are a more mature couple – he’s forty-five, she’s a bit younger – and both of them have been dealt a poor hand in life. They’ve made mistakes and suffered much, but they’re obviously both survivors, and there’s absolutely no question that they’re perfect for each other. There are moments of intense poignancy between them – such as when Elinor bitterly talks about how even her minimal choices were taken away from her – but there is humour, tenderness and affection, too, all conveyed with wit and subtlety. My one quibble about the romance is with the inclusion of the single (not explicit) sex scene which happens quite early on in their relationship and feels a little out of place; but otherwise, the love story is quite charming.

A Bachelor Establishment is probably best described as a romantic mystery because while the love story between Elinor and Ryde is central to the novel, the mystery elements – who shot Elinor and why? What if she wasn’t the intended target? What happened “That Night” when George Bascome was forced to flee? – are what propel the story forward and I can’t deny that I was as eager to uncover the answer to each of those questions as I was for Elinor and Ryde to declare the truth of their feelings. The story is written with a very secure touch and strong feel for the period, and the humour is wry and perfectly judged. But that said, the mystery is a bit predictable and some aspects of the dénouement are perhaps just a little too convenient.

Anna Bentinck is a British actress whose name I recognised on the cover, but about whom I knew nothing otherwise. Her performance here is a strong one and her softly modulated tone and manner of expression are perfectly suited to this sort of story, which relies more on clever humour and wit than it does upon mental lusting and raunchy sex scenes. I could imagine her narrating a Georgette Heyer book, for instance – I think she’d make a good job of it. Her narration is well-paced, her diction and enunciation are clear and she differentiates well between all the characters – especially the female ones, of which there are quite a few. Her male voices are decent, although she sometimes adds a slightly unattractive nasal tone to Ryde’s voice – but as the story progressed I noted that it disappears in his more intimate conversations with Elinor and only returns when he is being “lordly” or speaking to others. The supporting cast of secondary characters is well delineated, too, from Elinor’s no-nonsense companion, Alice, to Ryde’s friend Charles Martin who, I have to say sounds like he has a bit of a sore throat!; and her surly – and lazy – manservant, Munch, whose accent has a distinctly South African twang.

In spite of the slight reservations I’ve expressed, I enjoyed A Bachelor Establishment very much, and would certainly recommend it to others. If “Isabella Barclay” is inclined to write any more historical romances, I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking them up.

[Olga Godim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isabella Barclay is a pen name of Jodi Taylor, the author of several well-known time travel books, but this novel is a straight regency romance. The only deviation from the genre is that the lead couple in this story are older than in a traditional romance novel. The hero is 45, and the heroine a few years younger, which was actually a bonus for me.
I like older characters. They’re usually wiser and more experienced than teenagers in currently proliferating YA fiction. Their problems are real, not made up out of thin air and teenage angst. In this book, both the hero and the heroine have lived through pain, tragedy, and mistakes. Both are single at the moment they meet. Their love story is engrossing, their banter amusing, and the obstacles in their way serious enough to engage my compassion. And of course, there is a mystery subplot with a twist, which complicates the main romantic line.
All in all, it would’ve been a very good book, if the technical aspect of writing didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the tale. It felt like the book lacked an editor, or even a proofreader. Typos abounded. Grammatical mistakes and incorrect sentence structure made me wince again and again. I itched to put on my editor’s hat and start fixing the problems. Some passages were so convoluted, I had to re-read them several times to grasp their meaning. If not for that, I’d have given this novel a higher rating. It was really a good story.

[Tgarfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's all about the snarky British humor. The mystery was ok, but this one is all about the dialog between the characters, particularly the main couple. The hero and heroine are older- mid 40's - and I gratefully enjoyed a historical romance that did not involve a virgin 18 year old and a 30 year old rake ready to turn into a sappy dishrag for the right girl.

The ladies in this story do what I've always wanted to see in a historical romance: when their men are getting beat up by a gang of bad guys, instead of watching helplessly these women grab the nearest fireplace tools and...hmmm, better stop there before I spoil it, but their men were quite thoughtful about unobtrusively removing sharp implements from their paths for the rest of the book, particularly when the gentlemen suspected they might have displeased their delicate ladies.

Go for the audio version! This narrator took the humor and dialed it up a notch with just the right tone to make sure even a yank will catch every drop of sarcasm, snootiness, and saucy repartee. Anna Bentinck is her name and I will definitely be watching for her again.

Goodreads doesn't make clear that Isabella Barclay is really Jodi Taylor so I am off to buy the first book of the St Mary's Chronicals in hopes it will be as funny.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly quick read that was reasonably engaging, but I didn't love it enough to want to read more by this author. A sweet Regency mystery-romance between a forty-five year old man and a woman in (I think) her late thirties. There was also a secondary romance, also between two older characters. I quite liked the MCs, and there was some witty banter.

It was written kind of in the style of the matchless Georgette Heyer, so I was surprised when a brief sex scene was included, as I had been expecting a clean read. It was kind of an odd thing to include. The ending, for example, clearly included a kissing scene, but it was quite euphemistic in the style of the ending of Heyer's books. Why the sex scene in the middle then? *shrugs* I think I would have liked the book just as much without it. It didn't add a lot IMO.

The mystery was reasonably compelling. There were a few clues, but I'm terrible at guessing mysteries, and I ended up looking forward to seeing how it was all resolved. So the later part of the book moved quite quickly for me and I wanted to read on.

I did like having older MCs, but I didn't get terribly involved in their story. Their characters remained a little flat for me.

Overall, a decent read, but not terribly memorable.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up reluctantly, lazily, fretfully, in need of a light read to break up the dead bodies, space ships, and serious non-fiction.

I’ve enjoyed a few other titles by this author, who seemed to be just trying her hand in this genre with this book (a genre I’ve only ever enjoyed or tolerated when written by Georgette Heyer).

One scene near the end had me laughing out loud despite myself. That made me feel more generous about the book that is probably worth a bit more in its genre.

Also, I didn’t give up on it, something I’m prone to do when dabbling outside my genres. That’s another complimentary sign, since I’m not a compulsive finisher any longer.

It did its job of getting me primed to go back to more serious or darker reads, which are my natural territory.

[Bonnie Shores · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC 😊

[Darbella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elinor and John. Both in their 40's with her being younger than John. Well written. However, for me the romance was lacking. Since my thing is historical romances I do prefer both the main hero and main heroine to be younger. I did not remove any stars for them being older though. I just wish I had known it was more of a mystery to solve, an estate to get back in shape, etc. book than a romance.

Jodi Taylor is aka Isabella Barclay

[Yara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bachelor Establishment by Jodi Taylor writing under the pseudonym Isabella Barclay is a regency romance written to mimic (more or less) the writing style of the time.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and while I found it witty and generally entertaining I thought it was a bit slow at times. The characters were quirky and at times delightful, though a bit two-dimensional even with knowing their background story.

I think that perhaps the author was trying to write both a romantic comedy but also a romantic drama and was unable to successfully achieved either. You have the romance with the two protagonists while also an attempted murder mystery, with an additional mystery thrown in the mix. It was trying to do too much at the same time in a short number of pages. Trying to be light and deep at the same time rarely works. You have to be a very skilled writer to pull that off.

Generally, I enjoyed the book and would be happy to try another of the author’s books. I hope her next attempt at this genre is more successful as I believe she has written very successfully in another genre (sci-fi/fantasy).

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Elinor's husband died she found herself free from an abusive relationship but impoverished and running his estate which he had neglected. With her few loyal servants and friends she manages to get by but it's not been an easy life for her.

Still it's much better than what was before, that is until she nearly rides down her neighbour Lord Ryde. He has returned to his estate to strip whatever assets he can so he can once again head abroad but when Elinor Bascombe nearly kills him he finds himself both infuriated by her and drawn to her.

Then a gun shot rings out and Elinor falls to the ground.

In order to save her life they take her to his manor house. And before long his house and his life is over-run by Elinor's servants and friends. All the while the shooter is still at large.


A Bachelor Establishment was a quick, entertaining read which was fun even if it wasn't outstanding. So not the greatest book ever written, I wouldn't even put it in my top 10 Historical Romances but I enjoyed it.

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful tongue-in-cheek Regency romance, notable for superior snark and the pseudonymous pen of Jodi Taylor.

The heroine (Elinor Bascombe) gets all the best lines:-
‘Are you going to brood? I believe that is the accepted form of behaviour for the badly dressed, melancholy hero who broods on dark disappointments, previous crimes, and nameless passions as he stalks his desolate acres. I’ve never seen anyone brood before. Do you mind if I watch?’

But she does have a hero up to her weight:-
"[Well]," said Lord Ryde, thoughtfully. ‘Am I alone in thinking Mrs Bascombe’s murder could be quite helpful?’
‘Yes,’ said Mrs Bascombe, shortly.

Thoroughly good fun.

[Maine Colonial · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not normally a reader of Regency Romance, but I like Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St. Mary’s time travel adventure books, so I thought I’d give this a try. To me, it seemed like a little like a Jane Austen book, though with the cheekiness of Elizabeth Bennet cranked up to 11, as with the female characters in the St. Mary’s books. It was an enjoyable way to spend a few audiobook hours.

[K.J. Charles]

A fun historical romance with a very likeable pair of MCs (widow and rake). Pretty modern sensibilities and all very tongue in cheek, but classily written and very readable, if not particularly unusual.

[Heidi (MinxyD14)]

**Originally published under the pseudonym Isabella Barclay

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elinor Bascombe, widowed and living on the impoverished estate that now belongs to her long-absent brother-in-law, George, has worked hard to restore it and make it at least somewhat profitable. She's out riding her horse, Rufus, when she accidentally nearly rides down Lord Ryde--returned to his neighboring estate after twenty years following a scandal.

Lord Ryde is there to strip his estate of all possible resources, and then leave for a new life in America. In addition to their unfortunate first meeting, it's another point of conflict between Mrs. Bascombe and Lord Ryde that he believes George Bascombe, who had saved Elinor's life, also caused the elder Lord Ryde's death while robbing the safe in which much of the Ryde wealth was stored.

Their determination to coolly ignore each other is thwarted when Elinor Bascombe is shot, and due to distance needs to be brought to Lord Ryde's Rushford estate rather than the Bascombe estate.

It all becomes much more alarming when it becomes clear that Mrs. Bascombe wasn't an accidental victim. What happened the night Elinor was nearly killed and George Bascombe left, and stopped at Rushford when the elder Lord Ryde died, becomes a mystery that has to be solved.

Elinor Bascombe, John Ryde, and their friends, neighbors, and servants are great characters, likable and interesting. It's a pleasure to listen to their story. If you like Regencies and like mature characters, go for it.

Recommended.

I bought this audiobook.

[OLT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabella Barclay is Jodi Taylor, whose THE CHRONICLES OF ST. MARY'S books, a kind of time-travel series, are rather popular, although I've never read them. This book, however, is a straightforward historical romance and I took a chance on it, in spite of it being slightly higher in price than I usually pay for a book by an unknown (to me) author.

Well, it was worth the money. It's quite enjoyable. Well written, humorous, with snappy, fun dialogue, H and h in their 40s instead of the usual 20- or 30-somethings, nuanced characters, some poignant moments, and there's a mystery that's relatively entertaining. After reading several slow and rather plodding books lately, I found this one to be a breezy, pleasant change of pace. I'll be on the lookout for more HRs by Barclay.

This is a relatively clean romance. There's only one love scene and it lacks much explicitness. However, that love scene is probably the least polished writing in the whole book. I found it to be awkward, as though the author felt she needed to put it in but didn't quite know how to write it. The writing of the rest of the story was good so I didn't care. I don't read HRs for the sexual content anyway.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, how did I miss Jodie Taylor writing as her alter-ego Isabella Barclay (and didn't I snigger when I realised where her nom-de-plume came from)?

This was lovely, an historical romance between a mature widow and a jaded 45 year old single man. Their dialogues are so funny and I want my own Lord Ryde!

John, Lord Ryde was banished from his home many years ago after a duel. His father has since died but Ryde has never returned, preferring to drink and gamble his way around Europe with his friend Mr Martin. He reluctantly returned to England to try to squeeze more money out of the dilapidated estate. Whilst touring the overgrown land and witnessing the absence of stewardship he is almost killed by a woman on a spirited horse jumping over the hedge - forcing him into the wet and muddy ditch below. Words are spoken, both feel aggrieved, Mrs Bascombe doesn't at first realise that this is Lord Ryde and accuses him of trespassing. He accuses her of many things and says if she was his wife he would beat her. Both retire to their respective homes to recount the tale to all and sundry.

When next they meet, both trying to decide whether to ignore each other or greet each other with icy politeness, a shot is fired and suddenly they are pitched together.

John Ryde is exactly what I want my heroes to be. Dark, brooding, humorous, calm in a crisis and sarcastic, very sarcastic. Elinor is also what we all want to be, quick-witted, witty and competent.

I wondered how a writer of mad-cap time travelling humour could write historical fiction - the answer is, extremely well!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It pains me a bit that I can't give this book five stars as I've done with all of Jodi Taylor's other novels and short stories.

A Bachelor Establishment is well-written- secure in its voice, plot, characters, and pacing. Whereas many contemporaries writing Regency period fiction misstep by having an element or two slightly too modern, Taylor has a firm grasp on not only the story elements, but also how Regency period novels were written. Which is to say, this didn't feel like a period novel written by a modern author, so I applaud and hail Taylor's ability.

What makes me give this novel four stars instead of five is that it lacked the sharp with and fast humor that stars prominently in Taylor's other work. There are humorous exchanges in this book, but fewer than I've become accustomed to from the author. But reflecting on how the inclusion of more humor would alter the story, and how it fits as a Regency story, I have no real complaint about it. I wouldn't change a thing about this book. It's not meant to be comedic, it's a whodunit with a dash of romance, and it succeeds marvelously as such.

TL;DR: if you want a Regency novel without the trappings of (possibly) intimidating prose or heavy padding, this book is for you. It reads like it was written in the 19th century, but stripped down a bit for modern time (as in the leisure time one has for reading) sensibilities.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book on BookBub because a reviewer compared the main character to Lord Damerel. (So strong is the my attachment to Georgette Heyer, lol).
It did not turn out as I imagined, nevertheless I enjoyed the book mainly for its humor throughout.
The plot was, in my opinion overdone and we never learned who fired the shots and why. But it did not matter, because "all was well in England".....

[Sydney Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm back on a Jodi Taylor kick. This one takes awhile to hit its stride but it's very witty in the end.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Is it the Story or is it the Narrator Stars

I have enjoyed Jodi Taylor's writing and almost all of the Chronicle's of St Mary's and Time Police books. She has this fun whit and banter that is hilarious and keeps the story fresh and flowing. Zara Ramm narrated all of those books and she just captured the humor and delivery so well that the books are even better because of her.

New pen name for Jodi and new narrator Anna Bentinck for this new endeavor into a new genre. I just didn't think that Anna captured the delivery of the writing in this. It felt a little dull and like so many work play opportunities were missed. But I can't tell if the writing didn't quite work for me or the narration was just a little off.

Things I liked:

I did enjoy that the couple in this is in their forties. They have had disappointments in their lives and are now at a time that they can relate to one another and probably have a few things in common. There is some tension between them as Elenor's brother in law is thought to have stolen a great sum of money from Lord Ryde's estate the night his father had a stroke. She has only the fondest memories of him as he saved her from an abusive husband, while Lord Ryde blames him for his impoverished state.

When Elenore is shot a place that was once thought of a a bachelor's establishment is inodiated with women and lady's maids as she recovers. A house left to collect dust by men and a small staff is revitalized by their new guests and all the servants who came along for the ride. Some parts of this inundation were pretty funny.

The ending was cute.

Things I didn't Like:

We were not at St. Mary's. Yes...I know that isn't fair, but I guess I expected that same kind of humor and some shenanigans. The beginning was really slow and in their chance first meeting Lord Ryde did threaten to beat Elenore. Sure she almost killed him, accidentally, with her horse but it just didn't sit right with me.

The plot was a little lackluster compared to what I expect from Jodi Taylor. It had it's moments but I expected a little more substance.

Overall:

This probably wouldn't be my go to for historical romance and while it was okay I don't know that I'll remember it in a week.

[flajol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Bachelor Establishment isn't perfect, but it is fun, and I can easily forgive its transgressions. It's almost like my favourite author decided to write a slightly tongue-in-cheek regency romance.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so much more than a simple romance. Yes, there is romance and love between human beings, but there is more. There is sincere friendship, there is a mystery in the past and there are mysteries as the story progresses.

Elinor Bascombe is a widow who lives an existence that is just on the upper edge of poverty. Because of events in her past, she has devoted most of her life to trying to save her estate and has led a very insulated and limited life.

John (Lord Ryde) has been gone from the area for many years. When he left it was under a cloud and his father had been relieved to see him leave. John has been out of the country and has no happy memories of his past here in his home.

The dialog between these Elinor and John is absolutely entertaining on every level. That alone is worth the trip to this rural corner of England. They are equals in all levels of their characters.

There are shots fired and a break in and there is mystery. The unknown colors much of what happens in the here and now.

John and Elinor are wonderful characters. Each of them have inner turmoil and each of them are strong enough to overcome difficulties as they come along. Most of all, they are both so witty and quick with repartee that they entertain at every turn.

The secondary characters are endearing and all of them add wonderfully to the depth of the story. They are illustrations of “small town” life and the caring which develops in such a community.

The plot is well developed and holds the reader's interest from beginning to end. There are questions which are answered as the story progresses. At every turn, we are drawn along to see what will happen next.

I hope that Isabella Barclay makes many more appearances on book shelves. I intend to read the next book she writes. And I hope Jodi Taylor allows her to come out and write again and again.

[Michael Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, I love Jodi Taylor. She's an adorable history/literary nerd who hit it big with a very clever and well written series(The Chronicles of St. Marys).

She's a great writer, incredibly clever, and she puts her heart into her writing. While reading this book, I kept being reminded of a quote by Terry Pratchett, whom both I and her admire. "If you are going to write, say, fantasy - stop reading fantasy. You've already read too much. Read other things; read westerns, read history, read anything that seems interesting, because if you only read fantasy and then you start to write fantasy, all you're going to do is recycle the same old stuff and move it around a bit."

That's the vibe I got from this novel. I would say she loves her some Brontë and Austen and thought she'd try her hand at it. The entire book just fell a bit flat for me. The writing was good, and she really knows her history.

It all just felt, bland. The two main characters had some interesting dialogue but fell for each other too easily and conveniently and took the only really interesting plot device away.

There's a mystery of sorts that I never really felt any intrigue to know the answer to. All of the supporting characters were a bit too typical of the genre. I just felt a big "meh" reading this novel.

Also, I don't really like that she related it to St. Mary's when it has absolutely nothing to do with that series. Overall, I'm disappointed but will continue reading her all the same!