The Bastard Heir by Harper St. George (2025)

Historical romance. American West. Book 2 of the Gilded West series. Caroline is not happy about her parents’ stipulation that she get married before going to medical school, but she’ll deal with that after her trip out West for a family wedding. Except she runs into a bit of danger on the train and gets entangled with an outlaw, who just happens to be the brother of the groom at the wedding she’s attending. Castillo wants to make sure Caroline keeps quiet about his dual-identity, and she bargains with him to snag a fake courtship so her parents will stop nagging about marriage. But of course, these two are intensely attracted to each other, despite their very different goals in life. It’s high drama and high steam in this quick read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Only a Duke Will Do by Sabrina Jeffries (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the School for Heiresses series. This one will make a little more sense if you’ve also read To Pleasure a Prince, because Simon and Louisa feature quite a bit with that book. Basically, in the previous book, Simon was courting Louisa at the King’s request in exchange for political favors; she figures out the deception and uses her influence as the King’s natural daughter to have Simon sent to India. We start this book seven years later, Simon has returned, and the King is still playing tricks with him. Simon renews his attentions on Louisa, but she’s more wary now. Plus, she has the added fear of childbirth because her half-sister Princess Charlotte died during the process. It’s mostly a redemption story for Simon here, since Louisa is already pretty awesome. Loved seeing him soften for real and learn to stand on his own morals, rather than the political jockeying that he’s accustomed to.

Ebook and audiobook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake by Fenna Edgewood (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Gardner Girls series. Claire and Thomas do not make good first impressions of each other, mostly because the stuck-up Thomas is wary of females in general. But he seems to always be coming to Claire’s rescue, even if she is irritated by him. This story takes place primarily in a small country village, so everyone is up in everyone else’s business and gossip plays a big role in the misunderstandings between Claire and Thomas. This book is a pretty close Pride and Prejudice retelling with a few little shifts on the character relationships. I liked seeing the angry banter between Claire and Thomas and him realizing he was an arse most of the time. Definitely an entertaining read.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla. Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese (2022)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Wilmot Sisters series. Everyone gets off on the wrong foot here when autistic Bea and anxious Jamie are pushed towards each other at a party. He basically says the wrong thing all the time, coming off as an arrogant jerk when he’s really just tongue-tied, and Bea is the ultimate klutz that night spilling drinks on Jamie multiple times. Despite the horrible meet-disaster, their meddling friends and family trick them into a date. So Bea proposes they fake-date and then break up as revenge for the meddling friend group. And of course, in the time they spend together, they realize they’re a perfect fit. This book had so much cute witty banter, plenty of steam, and I loved how Bea and Jamie understood each other so well once they opened up to each other.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To All the Earls I’ve Loved Before by Fenna Edgewood (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Gardner Girls series. Widowed Gwendolen is in a whole heap of trouble, being threatened by one man and being evicted by another. Luckily, a duke named Angel is ready to save the day by proposing a marriage of convenience. He’s the ultimate himbo character with a bit of a carefree foolish demeanor, but his protective instincts are spot on. He’s basically the best sort of man, offering his name and home and all his worldly resources to protect Gwendolen and her five-year-old son. Even though they’ve agreed on a marriage in name only, it’s so easy for these two to fall in love and desire more from each other. Lots of twists and turns here with the villain of Gwendolen’s story and how more information is revealed as the story proceeds. Loved this one.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla. Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan (2022)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Celestial Kingdom series. Epic fantasy told from the perspective of Xingyin, the daughter of the fabled Moon Goddess who stole the Elixir of Immortality from her husband and imprisoned on the moon. Well, apparently, in the process of drinking the elixir to save her and her daughter’s life, the moon goddess did not tell anyone of Xingyin’s existence. When the Celestial Empress comes to visit and investigate a disturbance of magic on the moon, Xingyin is forced to flee before she can be discovered. She ends up right in the heart of the Celestial Kingdom, first serving as a lady’s maid, and then becoming the friend and companion to Prince Liwei. We get to watch Xingyin’s knowledge, power, and skill grow as she navigates both political and dangerous territory. Tons of action and adventure taking place over many years, all with the goal of eventually re-uniting with and freeing her mother. There’s a love triangle afoot here as Xingyin’s relationship with Prince Liwei blossoms and a newcomer joins the scene. However, the romance is very much secondary to Xingyin’s personal growth and quest. Loved it!

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by Harper Collins via TikTok Shop.

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan (2022)

Fantasy romance. Book 2 of the Celestial Kingdom series. We continue where the last book left off, but peace is a fragile thing with more treachery threatening the Celestial Kingdom. I loved how we revisit so many of the beloved characters from Book 1, but there is much heartbreak as we fight the evil villain here. The love triangle is still triangulating up til the very end here, but these characters are busy fighting villains, so the romance is very much a background plotline. I loved this book as much as the first one and couldn’t put it down.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan (2024)

Fantasy romance. Book 3 of the Celestial Kingdom series. Consider this book a collection of bonus chapters and an epilogue for the Celestial Kingdom duology. We get a bunch of chapters from different characters’ perspectives, taking place before, during, and after the events of the first two books. There is a bunch of artwork embedded into the chapters, so I recommend picking up the ebook or physical book. Super fun addition to the series. And of course, the epilogue from Xingyin’s perspective ties the whole thing up.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

The Trouble with Anna by Rachel Griffiths (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. I almost missed out on reading this book because I did not realize it was a historical romance. The cover design is fresh and fun but kind of confusing for which genre the book belongs in. Anyway, we have Anna, a socially awkward daughter of an earl who lives with her maternal grandfather and pretty much hates going to balls and parties. And then her grandfather dies and turns out he only leaves her the house, horses, and stables if she marries the earl next door. Julian is doing his best to do his duty and fulfill his obligation but he certainly does not want to marry Anna and thinks that the whole thing is a trap. But then he actually spends time with her and is honestly intrigued and a little bit smitten. And he’s terrible at communicating and she thinks he’s just courting her for duty-bound reasons, even though he kisses her every chance he gets. It’s basically all chaos in a book with an inheritance clause, a somewhat arranged match, and lack of communication. I enjoyed this book a lot and couldn’t wait to see how they resolved their issues.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Topaz by Beverly Jenkins (1997)

Historical romance. Post-Civil War Old West America. Standalone novel. I love the chaos and villainy of a Beverly Jenkins book. Katherine is a newspaper woman who’s investigating a stock fraud crime, gets caught, and needs rescuing by Dix. He’s a deputy marshall who was originally looking for Katherine’s father for his crimes, but then the old swindler promises Katherine’s hand in marriage to Dix since that’s the only thing he has of value. We start pretty early with an arranged marriage for Katherine and Dix and the slow wagon trail to Indian territory as they make their way to Dix’s home, while avoiding the crooks that are after Katherine. It’s danger around every corner and a slow burn romance rolled into one. So much happening in this book and I loved all of it.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Midsummer Night’s Duke by Colleen Kelly (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novella. Steamy and emotional one-night stand romance between a duke and an actress. Basically, Bitty and Rex meet each other on the road at an inn, have a wonderful night together, and go their separate ways. But of course they can’t stop thinking about each other, even though Bitty is about to be a respectable teacher at a girls’ school and Rex needs to get on with business as a duke. Neither of them know who the other person is, so are totally shocked when Rex shows up to visit his sister at school and finds Bitty there as her teacher. Awkward. But also, fortunate because they can rekindle their relationship, despite it being a terrible idea. Full of steam and sweetness and longing. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Colleen Kelly.

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Be prepared for lots of angst here. Brooke is a ghostwriter after being unable to graduate school for reasons we will find out later in the book. She’s co-writing her mentor’s memoir and decides to go out on the hiking trail the mentor founded to get some more perspective for her next revisions. Problem is that her ex-boyfriend Jack is also on the trip as a the photographer. The book is told from both Brooke and Jack’s POV, with chapters switching between present-day and the past development (and dissolution) of their relationship. I liked reading about their adventures on the hiking trail and all the elements that they had to overcome. There was a lot of time for Brooke and Jack to each self-reflect on their goals and dreams in life and how they might be able to make a relationship work this time around. It was also interesting to read the chapters from the past and how their relationship was both fated and doomed from the start. The story also gets a bit teary as we deal with the mentor’s illness and how that is shared (or not shared) with our main characters. Great story, but you have to be in the mood for it.

Advance ebook provided by Harlequin Books via NetGalley.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Our Dear Miss H. Is on the Case by Violet Marsh (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Connected to the previous historical romance by Violet Marsh. Loved this caper of a romance. Georgiana is the sister of an earl and spinster who is an antiquarian who digs for artefacts. Her cousin Percy usually takes the credit for all the work, since she won’t be taken seriously as a woman. But when she overhears her brother trying to broker a marriage for her to an unknown marquess, she’ll do her best to escape the situation. On top of that, her cousin has gone missing and she needs help figuring out what happened to him. Alexander is one of Percy’s friends, so he quickly volunteers to help, and we get a load of adventure as these two take on the town and beyond. Oh, and Alexander also happens to be the marquess that Georgiana is trying to avoid. He has his own problems with a father who hates him and tries to dictate his life, so he’s also trying to avoid an unwanted marriage. But of course, these two complement each other quite well, so it’s only a matter of time before they fall in love.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio via NetGalley.

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 4 of the Dream Harbor series. Loved this super cute and steamy single dad-nanny romance. Archer has just found out that he’s the father to a five year old girl whose mother had recently passed away. He’s way out of his depth as a father since he needed to uproot his life as a chef in Paris to move to the small town of Dream Harbor. And he has no idea what he’s doing with the kid. He hires Iris as the new live-in nanny, and she also has no idea what she’s doing with the kid. She basically has zero experience but she’s needs the money and a free place to live. And of course, the physical attraction and tension between Iris and Archer is high. Though they’re both starting to catch real feelings, especially as a built-in family unit. Iris is the skittish one here and needs to overcome her fears of commitment, while Archer has done a fairly good job of warming up to his new life. Loved this addition to the series.

Advance ebook provided by Harper360 via NetGalley.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent (2023)

Fantasy romance. Part of the Crowns of Nyaxia series. If you’re looking for a true enemies-to-lovers romance, this one is it. Basically, Sylina is sent to assassinate Atrius, the vampire who’s leading an army to take over the continent. But she has to infiltrate his camp and serve as a seer to do that. And then she basically hesitates anytime she has the chance to kill him because she’s learning more about him, his background, and why he’s on this mission. It’s full of tension plus action-adventure. Super entertaining to read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited. Audiobook accessed from Audible.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

An Unexpected Kiss by Alexa Aston (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Captivating Kisses series. Believing himself to be the illegitimate son of a seamstress, Julian is shocked to learn that he is the legitimate son and heir to the marquess. His life takes a very different turn when he inherits and takes on the title and wealth. He’s lucky to meet his neighbor, Lady Ariadne in their shared garden, who tasks her brother to assist Julian on his entry into society. Ariadne is the daughter of a duke making her debut this season and is a bit stifled by her parents’ expectations. She would much rather do some good in the world by caring for the less fortunate. She’s hoping to find a match that would support her goals. It seems that Julian and Ariadne are well-suited to each other and even share a scorching kiss one day, but he needs to get over his fear of being inferior to her. Quick read and a fun set-up for a whole cast of siblings and cousins that will be featured in this series.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Big Shots series. Hockey player Sig meets his dream girl Chloe when his car breaks down at a country club. After a steamy kiss, they make plans to meet up again after he has dinner with his father. And then it all goes downhill when he finds out that Chloe is meant to be his future stepsister. Somehow, he’s quickly entangled in her life as he helps her set up her own apartment away from her mother and they become the best of friends. It’s pretty much insta-love for these two, with every interaction between them filled with longing, but they’re both doing their best to keep things platonic since they’re soon-to-be=stepsiblings. This whole book is chaotic and messy and hilarious. And when we start getting steamy, it’s well worth the payoff. Chloe is the ultimate manic pixie dream girl character and so much fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Heartstrings series. Super cute and fluffy and had me laughing throughout the book. We have a Sleepless in Seattle retelling here with single mom Lucie finding that her pre-teen daughter has called into the radio station’s romance hotline to help her find a date. While the flailing radio show doesn’t have much of an audience, Lucie’s segment goes viral and somehow she’s roped into joining Aiden in the recording booth. Aiden is the ultimate grump who doesn’t believe in love (or rather, avoiding it altogether to prevent any heartbreak), but the chemistry between him and Lucie has got listeners tuning into the radio show in droves. They’re absolutely adorable together and the flirting is top-notch. I love Lucie’s whole support system who is rooting for her happiness. This book is the slowest of slow-burns, but the payoff is worth it. Loved it so much.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Devil’s Charm by Megan Frampton (2025)

Historical Romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Heirs & Spares series. Super cute and fairly lighthearted read here. Total opposites, Diantha and Lucien meet at a ball and have instant sparks. Too bad their parents hate each other. And then they both get thrown together to work on an issue of a co-owned factory, and they’ve got to spend more time with the person their crushing on, even though it’s ill-advised. This book gets points for having the fun-loving and reportedly rakish Lucien falling first and hard. He even impresses Diantha by acknowledging her intelligence and asking her thoughtful questions. I loved how supportive Diantha’s wacky family is of her, even though they’re a bit chaotic. Overall, a fun book to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This book starts right away with an author’s note letting you know that there’s kink exploration here. Collegiate diver Scarlett has ongoing issues of perfectionism and a mental block at the diving board following a nearly career-ending injury over a year ago. She’s basically doing her best to juggle all her responsibilities and keep her head down. And then somehow, she gets entangled into her teammate Penelope’s drama with her boyfriend Lukas, a swimmer at the same university. Pen and Lukas have broken up over sexual incompatibility reasons, which somehow leads to Scarlett revealing her own preferences, which just coincidentally match Lukas’. It all starts as a Pen-endorsed fling, but clearly, Lukas has had stronger feelings for Scarlett for awhile (and is really good at the caretaking aspect of this relationship). The characters are realistically messy for having so many competing responsibilities and I enjoyed reading about Scarlett’s improved confidence throughout the book. Watch out for cameos from our beloved Olive and Adam from The Love Hypothesis. Also, the whole book is told from Scarlett’s POV, but the audiobook is a duet narration.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Paris. Book 3 of the Las Leonas series. Our grumpy stuffy doctor friend Aurora gets her romance here with Apollo, the half-brother of Evan from Book 1 of the series. The set-up here is mostly a no-strings attached affair, since Aurora is busy running her illegal women’s clinics and Apollo is trying to cement his place into the English aristocracy. Except they catch all sorts of feelings and are insanely protective of each other. We get all sorts of drama in the form of Aurora’s traumatic past and Apollo’s political ambitions, which is interesting to read about. The book is super steamy, and I especially loved Apollo’s caretaking of Aurora. Great conclusion to the Las Leonas series.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley.

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming (2025)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Cosmic Chaos series. Super funny and spicy, as expected from Kimberly Lemming. Dory is a wildlife biologist who gets attacked by a lion, then abducted by aliens, and then dropped on an alien planet with the dudes are horned and tailed, and dinosaurs roam free. It’s a fun series of discoveries here as we slowly learn why Dory is on this planet at all. It’s an insta-lust type of romance between Dory and her two alien suitors, Sol and Lok. Plus everyone is running from a pink T. Rex. It’s super funny and fast-paced and you really just need to read it to believe what chaotic things happen here.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Secret Society of Governess Spies series. Frankie is the outspoken and socially awkward governess sent to spy on gambling hell owner Jasper, who has a 15 year old niece living with him after his brother passed away. Everyone here is pure chaos and delight. Frankie is a mathematician and a terrible spy, so she keeps getting into trouble with Jasper. And Jasper cannot help but be totally intrigued by his new governess. Throw in the mischievous teenager, and we’ve got a really fun book.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio. Print book provided by Forever Books.

A Simple Scandal by Janna MacGregor (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Millionaires of Mayfair series. Second chance romance here between Dane and Grace, a duke and an earl’s daughter who were childhood friends and previously betrothed. We get flashbacks throughout this book to let us know what happened between these two nine years ago to break their engagement. And we finally see these two talk through those issues are try to figure out how to make things work in the present day. After getting both his sisters married off to his best friends (in book 1 and 2 of the series), Dane is feeling lonely and wants to rekindle his association with Grace. Except he hires her to find him a suitable bride and it’s not clear if it’s just a plot to get close enough to her so that she will end up marrying him. Grace is in all sorts of financial insecurity after the death of her father, so she’s stuck taking the job, even though she doesn’t want to. We get some external players here with Grace’s matchmaking job, but really, I was just reading to uncover how Dane and Grace work out their issues. Overall, a solid second chance romance book.

Advance ebook provided by Janna MacGregor.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This one was a really good slow-burn missed connection story. Leigh and Will were in the same high school writing class and Will had given Leigh hypercritical feedback during class, basically derailing her crush on him. We fast forward ten years later and they’ve just started the same Masters of Fine Arts program together and it’s a pretty small cohort. Things are awkward between them, as expected, especially when we learn that they had seen each other once six years ago (also ending badly). It was interesting to see these two people continuing to skirt around their feelings for each other and not quite communicate directly. Everything is sort of hiding in their poetry and creative work and they’re both deeply insecure. It was fun seeing the dynamic with all their classmates and working through their career aspirations. Overall, the book kept me hooked, even if all the poetry went over my head.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio via NetGalley.

Duke of Pryde by Mariah Stone (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Seven Dukes of Sin series. Loved this marriage of convenience story with a healthy dose of blackmail. Constantine is always looking over his shoulder and a total stickler for propriety because he’s the result of an affair between the duchess and a commoner. So the Duke of Pryde is ever-prideful and suspicious of anyone who could be the person blackmailing him with evidence of his illegitimacy. Somehow, he’s entangled with Modesty, a vicar’s daughter, who is the guardian of an infant that she believes to be Constantine’s natural child. It’s all a bit convoluted, but in order to protect his secrets, Constantine proposes to take custody of the child and a marriage of convenience to Modesty. I enjoyed Constantine’s instant attraction to Modesty, even though he’s always saying the wrong thing. I also enjoyed the blackmail plot of the story and seeing all the dukes band together to solve the case.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSprout.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett (2025)

Historical Romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Damsels of Discovery series. Combine an emotionally traumatized exiled scientist with an upbeat and fairly emotionally happy kind of guy, and we get this absolute gem of a book. Phoebe is back in the country to deal with her late father’s estate, after having been exiled off to America for inventing a bomb that killed someone. She’s all sorts of detached and cold to everyone around her, and we learn that it’s because of her horribly abusive father. Somehow, the wealthy shop owner and newspaper owner Sam gets involved in her affairs, first by offering to buy her house and second by trying to court her sister. Sam’s just trying to improve his overall station in life and thinks a titled wife is the way to do it. But of course, Sam is more interested in Phoebe than anything else and wants to soothe all of her hurts. Tons of emotional angst here as we dig up all of Phoebe’s traumas and come to some resolution. Excellent read.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Devil’s Charm by Megan Frampton (2025)

Historical Romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Heirs & Spares series. Super cute and fairly lighthearted read here. Total opposites, Diantha and Lucien meet at a ball and have instant sparks. Too bad their parents hate each other. And then they both get thrown together to work on an issue of a co-owned factory, and they’ve got to spend more time with the person their crushing on, even though it’s ill-advised. This book gets points for having the fun-loving and reportedly rakish Lucien falling first and hard. He even impresses Diantha by acknowledging her intelligence and asking her thoughtful questions. I loved how supportive Diantha’s wacky family is of her, even though they’re a bit chaotic. Overall, a fun book to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Masks of Desire by Fenna Edgewood (2021)

Historical Romance. Victorian-era England. Book 0 of the Gardner Girls series. This book was crazypants in all the best ways. We start off with Caroline’s cruel and villainous father telling her to break her longtime engagement to childhood friend Henry since he’s gotten his mistress pregnant, left her to die, and refusing to care for the baby. And then dear old Dad brings the baby into the room to show Caroline, and a very unique birthmark convinces her that her beloved has betrayed her. On the flip side of this, Henry is being told by his parents that Caroline has broken their engagement and will soon be engaged to someone of higher rank and social status. Basically, these two innocent people are being manipulated and lied to and torn apart by Caroline’s father. It’ll take a lot of maneuvering to get these two in the same room again and actually figure out the truth. There’s way more drama with Henry’s scapegrace brother and Caroline’s new fiance, so this book was very fun to read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

The Copper Heir by Harper St. George (2025)

Historical romance. American West. Book 1 of the the Gilded West series. Emmaline is the stepdaughter of an outlaw who gets kidnapped by a rival outlaw gang as revenge. Although Hunter is no ordinary outlaw, since he’s also a wealthy miner and incredibly kind to Emmaline. But you know, she can’t really trust him, so she escapes and then somehow ends up at a brothel auction for her virginity so she can get enough money to run away with her sisters. And of course, Hunter finds her. Lots of action and adventure and shoot outs here with Emmaline and Hunter falling in love despite their impossible circumstances.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Earl’s Gamble by Stevie Sparks (2025)

Historical romance. Interwar-era England. Book 1 of the Lovers’ Arch series. Quick and steamy novella. Widowed Rose is at the workhouse after falling into some tough circumstances after the death of her husband and her brother. While at the garden to honor what would be her brother’s birthday, she meets Griff, who served in the war with her brother and also there to pay tribute to the fallen man. And it turns out he’s an earl with plenty of money and power to help Rose get back on her feet. So he brings her home and almost certainly falls in love with her, despite the differences in their social station. We get a scheming butler thrown in the mix for some drama, but it’s still a quick read.

Advance ebook provided by Stevie Sparks.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.