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

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Duke’s Men Historical Romance Book Series by Sabrina Jeffries

Oct 8, 2026 | Book Reviews

What the Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries (2013)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Duke’s Men series. Max and Lisette team up to track down her missing brother because he may have information about Max’s presumed dead brother. Except it’s kind of a mess because Lisette’s brother is wanted for horse-thieving in England and she doesn’t want Max, the duke, to cost him his life or job. Max and Lisette end up traveling together to France and need to pose as a married couple to save her reputation. He also thinks he cannot marry for love because he’s doomed to die of madness like his father. (Spoiler: it’s not hereditary, the dad had syphilis). Action-adventure-mystery here with a large dose of self-denial.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Libro.fm

When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Duke’s Men series. Second chance romance after everyone’s been lied to. Tragic prologue for Isa and Victor, who get caught up in some royal jewel thieving, orchestrated by Isa’s sister and brother-in-law. Ten years later, Victor has finally got a clue about his missing wife’s whereabouts in Scotland. She’s been living there under an assumed name as an imitation jeweler all these years. It’s a messy confrontation between them, but they quickly reunited once the truth of her sister’s betrayal comes to light. But they’re both hesitant to actually trust each other, and there’s still more danger ahead. Add in a bumbling baron and a country house party, and there’s loads of drama.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How the Scoundrel Seduces by Sabrina Jeffries (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Duke’s Men series. Ooh, I love a mystery here. So Lady Zoe has a family mystery to solve and hires an investigator to solve it. Except Tristan is being annoying combative and prickly, probably because he’s attracted to Zoe while hating the aristocracy. There’s fighting and flirting and kissing and loads of drama here. Especially because they’ve got a big question of inheritance on the line. Loved this addition to the series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Dorinda and the Doctor by Sabrina Jeffries (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3.5 of the Duke’s Men series. Super short novella. The duchess is playing matchmaker with widowed Dorinda and the local doctor Percy. Lucky for them, they’ve had a crush on each other the whole time. But Dorinda is struggling to get close to a man because her late husband sucked and she feels totally insecure for being barren. But you know, Percy is perfect, so they get together pretty quickly.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble

If the Viscount Falls by Sabrina Jeffries (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Duke’s Men series. Last in the series. Disinherited second son of a viscount, Dom, engineers for his fiancee, Jane, to jilt him when he’s in dire circumstances. Twelve years later, he has inherited the title, Jane is engaged to someone else, and she needs help locating her missing cousin. It’s lots of angry bickering between these two as they both misjudge each other and the missing cousin’s character. But you know, it’s a second chance romance and they’re still in love with each other. Dom just has to get over his high-handed controlling nature and actually have a discussion with Jane about their future. I love reading books where our characters have to team up to solve a mystery, and this was another excellent one.

Ebook and audiobook 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:

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

Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!

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

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

Weekly Reads: September 28 to October 4, 2026 (historical romance, paranormal romance, contemporary romance)

Oct 6, 2026 | Book Reviews

The Gilded Rose by Joanna Shupe (2026)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Standalone novel. The setup here is imagining if Belle had married Gaston before meeting the Beast and Gaston is truly an abusive husband. Caroline is carefully courted and married to the most handsome man in New York, only for things to turn ugly right after the wedding. Zane is our reclusive beast who was badly scarred in his youth, and is all sorts of grumpy and gruff. Except he has a soft spot for Caroline, especially as he gets to know her when she’s working on inventorying his library. They’re both terribly insecure and damaged by their circumstances. This book kept me reading to find out how Caroline gets herself out of danger and away from that brute of a husband.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

You’re the One That I Haunt by Katie Jung (2026)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. I kind of hate when we spend most of the book with the protagonist being attracted to the wrong person, but always glad when they turn their attention to the right person. Libby’s longtime crush and best friend Carter is engaged to be married and she somehow stumbles on his not-so-dead cousin Trip in the form of a ghost of sorts. Trip needs Libby’s help in breaking a family curse, so they’re thrown together pretty often. Plus, Libby is the only person who can see or talk to Trip. It’s all tangled up with Carter, his family history, and his fiance. I’d say Libby is the one who needs more of the emotional growth here and definitely needs to grow a backbone. I really enjoyed the family curse and mystery aspect of the book and how the curse eventually gets broken.

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

Take a Chance, Sasha Sinclair by Ashley Herring Blake (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Clover Lake series. Loved this book so much and how Sasha and Margot uncovered a whole history of Margot’s ancestor. Let’s back up though. Sasha is all sorts of emotionally damaged after the sudden death of her parents; she’s been aimlessly wandering for years and writes a semi-intoxicated letter to the family who holds the keys to a legendary ghost story that her parents were chasing for years. Sasha gets the go ahead to start working on her documentary, but finds a total hiccup in the form of Margot, who is stodgy and combative and super protective of herself and her family. But of course, the attraction is searing and both of these people need to learn to open up. We mostly lead with a friends with benefits situation, but feelings are definitely catching. Seriously emotional and I loved it.

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

Ruined by the Wrong Earl by Tina Gabrielle (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Daughters of Scandal series. Nora is trying to get out of an engagement to a much older man, so she decides to ruin herself with a rake during a house party. Except she slips into the bed of an upstanding grumpy earl instead. Devon wants to avoid scandal due to his political aspirations, so he does the honorable thing and proposes marriage. Nora is not interested at all because she’s a biologist studying sea shells, but he’s actually both emotionally and financially supportive of her scientific pursuits. They agree to a marriage of convenience and won’t fall in love. Aside from the part where they’re attracted to each other and actually like each other. Loved seeing them be each others’ allies and spend time together after they get married. I’m curious to see what happens next in the series with Nora’s sisters. And does Devon’s best friend get a story too?

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:

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

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

Upgrade to a paid membership to get even more juicy details on all the ways I’m making content and generating income.

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

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

Monthly Income Report: September 2026

Oct 3, 2026 | Side Hustle Diaries

Here’s the September 2026 breakdown of all the pennies I’ve collected from the internet. I’ve organized the income sources into bigger categories and then provided details from each source.

Affiliate Commissions: $1,915.12

TikTok Shop Affiliate: $945.20

I have been creating TikTok Shop Affiliate videos since Sept 2024 and seeing steady sales. The process involves quick reviews or demonstrations of products that are sold within TikTok shop and linking them within the TikTok video. Results vary wildly depending on the product, the day, the month, the season, and the algorithm. This month, I’m still holding steady on felt tip pens being my best seller. (link to my TikTok account)

I’ve provided a screenshot of my top selling products on TikTok Shop this month below.

Read more about how I made over $19k in commission in the first year of doing TikTok Shop Affiliate.

Etsy Affiliate: $70.66

The primary place where I promote Etsy affiliate links is through Pinterest. I’ve had a Pinterest account since forever, so my account is already full of craft tutorial links. I post my affiliate links to crochet and quilt patterns, and these have generated the most sales for me historically. (link to my Pinterest account) However, Etsy recently changed their affiliate program provider, so it’s all of the links that I’ve generated over the past couple years no longer lead to commission. I have gotten set up on the new platform and am starting to post links on Pinterest again, but it will take some time for the new pins to generate views and clicks. From my previous experience, it takes at least two months to see any conversions from content that I post on Pinterest. It’s somewhat disconcerting to start over, but I know what seems to work with my account, so hopefully, it’ll pick back up once my pins have time to circulate. I’m mostly annoyed that my many years of building up links have stopped generating income. And losing out on what was previously about $200 per month in commission is a real downer.

Amazon Affiliate: $898.92

I’ve been an Amazon affiliate since the early days of my blog and have always recommended various supplies for art and lettering. However, the bulk of my income now comes from on-site commissions, where product review videos get added directly to the product page by Amazon. If someone watches the video on the product page and makes a purchase, then I get the affiliate commission. (link to my Amazon Storefront)

Read more about my process for making product review videos on Amazon

Benable: $0

Benable a website that has its own audience and search functionality where you can link to various products and websites in collections. The affiliate income is baked into the platform when someone clicks on your featured product and makes a purchase. Probably the lowest friction income source since you don’t need an existing audience. (link to sign up for Benable)

Other Affiliate Programs: $0.34

Working on generating links with ShopMy and made my first affiliate sale here. This platform is promising because I get to generate affiliate links with a chrome plug-in for lots of different shops. (link to join ShopMy, link to my guide to getting started with ShopMy)

Products: $380.21

Paper Goods Etsy Shop: $0

I sell bookmarks here mostly, with the occasional digital download. (link to Etsy shop)

Fiber Goods Etsy Shop: $5.94

Once upon a time, I thought I was going to make scarves and blankets while my baby napped and I could sell them online. And that kind of worked, but not profitably. Listings expired, and then I switched to smaller objects like coasters and cozies, and now I’m mostly selling digital crochet patterns. (link to Etsy shop)

PangoBooks or BooksRun: $196.89

I list used books for sale using the PangoBooks app. Sales are sporadic. (link to my PangoBooks shop) BooksRun is a new revenue stream for me. You basically just scan books to see what they will pay for it, box everything up and send it off.

Read more about how I use the PangoBooks app to quickly and easily sell used books.

Ebay: $177.01

I’ve been cross-listing books onto ebay, since I realized many of them were sitting stagnant on Pango. In the process of listing books here, I learned that the ebay app is really easy to use for filling in the listing information. I’ve started putting up more items that I received as samples from TikTok Shop. Lots of new-in-box makeup, makeup brushes, and pens. My approach here is really just to get things out of my house, as long as someone else pays the shipping. I generally list things on auction with a fairly low starting bid, and then we just see what happens. (link to my ebay store)

Digital Downloads: $9.00

Too many shops, not enough marketing. (link to crochet pattern shop, link to printables shop) I managed to sell one of my new ShopMy for Bookstagrammers guide. (link to the guide)

Print on Demand: $0.37

Once upon a time, I uploaded a ton of designs onto RedBubble. I do not nurture this revenue stream at all right now, and any sales are just a bonus surprise. (link to Redbubble shop)

Content Monetization: $45.09

Mediavine: $8.40

Clearly, this is not a very lucrative income source, since the minimum payout to transfer to a bank account is $100. However, coins are coins, so I’m leaving the ads turned on at my blog. Is it enough to offset the cost of the website hosting and domain registration? Probably not. But it hosts content that hopefully leads to other affiliate sales. (link to blog)

Instagram Bonus for Posts: $2.72

I have no idea how this was activated or why. I was previously enrolled in an Instagram Reels bonus program, but that has since been discontinued. So I realized that even if I’m only making a few cents per post, the more I post, the more cents I can make. And what’s really crazy is that I can just screenshot my audiobook player, talk about the book a little bit, and create really easy content that way. Also, the more I post about my side hustles, the more views I get. (link to my Instagram)

Facebook Monetization: $33.97

I was randomly approved for Facebook monetization on March 29, 2026, so I’m still learning how to optimize this. My follower count is still small and I have no idea how eyeballs are getting to my posts and reels. I have set up my Instagram account to automatically repost everything to Facebook, so I don’t have a dedicated content strategy here. I’m not entirely sure how to get more views, but it looks like the payment rate for reels is terrible ($0.03 per thousand qualified views) and better for photos ($0.25 per thousand qualified views), except my photos don’t seem to get many views in the first place. A few random reels went viral this month, with the highest earning video at about $12 (link to my Facebook)

Recurring Expenses

No income report is complete without factoring in expenses. I tend to pay annual subscriptions rates for things, so this will just be a recurring list of resources that I use.

Bluehost for blog hosting and domain registration $350/year (check out the blog here)
Flodesk for email marketing $209/year (affiliate link for Flodesk) – I’m planning to migrate subscribers to Beehiiv in the next couple months and cancel Flodesk, but I’m paid up until November, so no rush right now.
Beehiiv for my side hustle diaries $517/year (affiliate link for Beehiiv)
USPS PO Box $210/year
Canva Pro $120/year

Top Five Favorite Romance Books of September 2026 – paranormal romance, historical romance, contemporary romance

Oct 1, 2026 | Book Reviews

Damned If I Do by Alexandria Bellefleur (2026)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. In the same universe as The Devil She Knows. Effie is a demon, newly engaged to one of the princes of hell, but in a bit of a contractual snafu. Turns out when she married her human husband Finn about 400 years ago, they bound their souls together. So technically, she’s still married, even as a demon, and Finn has been reincarnated many times over. She’s got to find him, and get him to renounce the vows, so she can marry her fiance. Finn’s playing tough though, feeling totally drawn to Effie, and refusing to let her go. It’s messy and angsty and so much fun to read.

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

How the Scoundrel Seduces by Sabrina Jeffries (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Duke’s Men series. Ooh, I love a mystery here. So Lady Zoe has a family mystery to solve and hires an investigator to solve it. Except Tristan is being annoying combative and prickly, probably because he’s attracted to Zoe while hating the aristocracy. There’s fighting and flirting and kissing and loads of drama here. Especially because they’ve got a big question of inheritance on the line. Loved this addition to the series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Miss Beresford and the Beast by Mimi Matthews (2026)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Daughters of Somerset series. Charlotte is a bit impetuous, gets injured at a beastly earl’s decrepit castle, and has a spot of amnesia while she’s there. Magnus is scarred and injured from his naval service and has a terrible reputation in the village around the estate due to some shameful secrets of his past. But of course, Charlotte sees right through the gruffness and falls for him anyway. I love that she comes to his defense at every opportunity and tries to show him of his own worth. Third generation of our favorite Somerset families, starting with The Work of Art.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Love Felt Like This by Julia Olivia (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Loved this book so much. Definitely warm and cozy and an absolute delight. So Beverly is trying to revive her children’s puppet show, but is having a rough go of it. She meets rock star Griffin by chance at a late night variety show. And he’s also struggling with writing his next album after becoming full-time Dad to 2-year-old Ava. Basically, they’re both in a bad place, but somehow decide to team up so that Griffin can help write songs for Beverly’s show. But see, the setup is just the beginning. Because their chemistry is insane and Griffin is such a great grumpy dad, and his kid is super sweet, and we get to go back to Beverly’s small mountain town for awhile. Ugh, words cannot describe, you just have to read it.

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

See You Next Tuesday by Kate Stayman-London (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Ten years of yearning and miscommunication and misjudgment of each other. Ugh, this was such a good book. Anya and Gabe have been at odds everytime they cross paths. Someone ends up saying the wrong thing, the other one gets defensive, and they go right back to hating each other. Despite the simmering attraction between them. Oh, we get so many time jumps here and so many instances where they have a chance to get together. Loved the yearslong yearning.

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

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

Useful Resources:

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

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

Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!

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

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

Weekly Reads: September 21 to 27, 2026 (contemporary romance, paranormal romance, historical romance)

Sep 29, 2026 | Book Reviews

Blue Jean Summer by Maggie Gates (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Wilder Estate series. Modern day marriage of convenience so that Hayes can keep his inheritance. After his grandfather passes away, there’s a stipulation in the will that Hayes needs to transfer some land to his wife in order to keep the estate, but the trouble is he doesn’t have a wife. Luckily, Catherine is the perfect candidate for him, needing funds to support her proposed agricultural initiative for kids. We’ve even got an evil half-brother who wants to see Hayes fail. Loved seeing these two get to know each other and fall in love. And I love when Hayes is strong, supportive, and caretaking. Great setup of the friend group and future books in the series.

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

Damned If I Do by Alexandria Bellefleur (2026)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. In the same universe as The Devil She Knows. Effie is a demon, newly engaged to one of the princes of hell, but in a bit of a contractual snafu. Turns out when she married her human husband Finn about 400 years ago, they bound their souls together. So technically, she’s still married, even as a demon, and Finn has been reincarnated many times over. She’s got to find him, and get him to renounce the vows, so she can marry her fiance. Finn’s playing tough though, feeling totally drawn to Effie, and refusing to let her go. It’s messy and angsty and so much fun to read.

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

If the Viscount Falls by Sabrina Jeffries (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Duke’s Men series. Last in the series. Disinherited second son of a viscount, Dom, engineers for his fiancee, Jane, to jilt him when he’s in dire circumstances. Twelve years later, he has inherited the title, Jane is engaged to someone else, and she needs help locating her missing cousin. It’s lots of angry bickering between these two as they both misjudge each other and the missing cousin’s character. But you know, it’s a second chance romance and they’re still in love with each other. Dom just has to get over his high-handed controlling nature and actually have a discussion with Jane about their future. I love reading books where our characters have to team up to solve a mystery, and this was another excellent one.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Isn’t He Romantic? by Adib Khorram (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Love on the Vine series. Arya is getting older, his friends are coupled up, and his work and parents are a mess. His life gets more complicated when he ghosts a one-night-stand Ben, and then runs into him a few weeks later. Ben has his own issues with a slightly stalkery ex-boyfriend, so he asks Arya to pretend to be his boyfriend. What could possibly go wrong? Except everyone catches feelings but doesn’t know what to do with them. Arya because he’s had a poor example of love growing up, and Ben because he’s insecure after his ex-boyfriend’s mistreatment. It all goes exactly how you think it would, in all the best ways.

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

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

Useful Resources:

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

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

Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!

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

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

Weekly Reads: September 14 to 20, 2026 (contemporary romance, historical romance)

Sep 22, 2026 | Book Reviews

Love Felt Like This by Julia Olivia (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Loved this book so much. Definitely warm and cozy and an absolute delight. So Beverly is trying to revive her children’s puppet show, but is having a rough go of it. She meets rock star Griffin by chance at a late night variety show. And he’s also struggling with writing his next album after becoming full-time Dad to 2-year-old Ava. Basically, they’re both in a bad place, but somehow decide to team up so that Griffin can help write songs for Beverly’s show. But see, the setup is just the beginning. Because their chemistry is insane and Griffin is such a great grumpy dad, and his kid is super sweet, and we get to go back to Beverly’s small mountain town for awhile. Ugh, words cannot describe, you just have to read it.

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

Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Beach town second chance romance here. Sam is back at her parents’ beach house with her new fiance to check out a wedding venue, but her ex-boyfriend Wyatt from a decade ago is staying at the house next door and distracting her. We get a bunch of time jumps here as we learn how those two got together and fell apart and how it plays into Sam’s life in the present. And how her city personality with her fiance is very different from her personality as a kid and teen and at the beach with her free-spirited parents. It’s messy and emotional and I really enjoyed it.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Thank You for Remembering by Emily Harding (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Amnesia romance. Marnie wakes up in the hospital after having hit her head and has no memory of the past year. Turns out her boyfriend is her ex-boyfriend and she lives in a new apartment that she doesn’t recognize at all. Helpful neighbor Ben helps her find her way around the city and revisit some landmarks from where she’s got some mementos. But like, we can totally see where this story is going right? Neighbor Ben definitely means more the Marnie than she realizes, but the stress of not knowing for sure is still lingering. I enjoyed all the wandering around Boston, since I went to college there, and now I want a lobster tail.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How the Scoundrel Seduces by Sabrina Jeffries (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Duke’s Men series. Ooh, I love a mystery here. So Lady Zoe has a family mystery to solve and hires an investigator to solve it. Except Tristan is being annoying combative and prickly, probably because he’s attracted to Zoe while hating the aristocracy. There’s fighting and flirting and kissing and loads of drama here. Especially because they’ve got a big question of inheritance on the line. Loved this addition to the series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Dorinda and the Doctor by Sabrina Jeffries (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3.5 of the Duke’s Men series. Super short novella. The duchess is playing matchmaker with widowed Dorinda and the local doctor Percy. Lucky for them, they’ve had a crush on each other the whole time. But Dorinda is struggling to get close to a man because her late husband sucked and she feels totally insecure for being barren. But you know, Percy is perfect, so they get together pretty quickly.

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:

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

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

Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!

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

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

Debutante Diaries Historical Romance Book Series by Anna Bennett

Sep 20, 2026 | Book Reviews

First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennett (2018)

I love a great marriage of convenience story. Our heroine here is being blackmailed and needs access to her dowry money, so she proposes to a destitute lord who needs his share of the money too. He’s worried she’ll regret it, so he invites her to visit his broken down manor. Hilarious.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke Is But a Dream by Anna Bennett (2019)

The younger sister of Book 1’s heroine somehow gets into a bar fight and gets knocked in the head and loses her memory. A stern and stuffy duke rescues her and brings her home. Amnesia isn’t my favorite trope because we’re usually just waiting for some calamity to happen when the person regains their memory, but I do love a cold starchy duke.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

When You Wish Upon a Rogue by Anna Bennett (2020)

This book is my fave of the series. We have the third friend of our little friend group looking for a place to host meetings and so she breaks into a vacant shop. The shop ends up not being very vacant and the owner is an insomniac who realizes the young lady is oh-so-very soothing for his sleep. They make a bargain to help him sleep and of course they fall in love and it is absolutely delightful.

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:

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

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

Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!

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

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

Weekly Reads: September 7 to 13, 2026 (contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance)

Sep 15, 2026 | Book Reviews

A Study in Sparkling by Jodi McAlister (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Literary Lovers series. You’d think this would be just a simple steamy friends with benefits romance, but basically the emotionally injured Fiona keeps breaking Satoshi’s heart. Satoshi runs the wine bar/bookstore that Fiona frequents and is totally in love with her. Fiona’s husband turns out to have had a secret family in another town and he leaves her and the kids for them. She’s been the center of small town gossip and is basically all sorts of insecure because of her husband’s desertion. When she starts a physical relationship with Satoshi, she’s reluctant to trust that he’ll stick around, especially since he’s younger and more handsome than she thinks she deserves. And Satoshi is taking what he can get and afraid to spook her away. Makes for poor communication and heartbreak all the way around.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Duke’s Men series. Second chance romance after everyone’s been lied to. Tragic prologue for Isa and Victor, who get caught up in some royal jewel thieving, orchestrated by Isa’s sister and brother-in-law. Ten years later, Victor has finally got a clue about his missing wife’s whereabouts in Scotland. She’s been living there under an assumed name as an imitation jeweler all these years. It’s a messy confrontation between them, but they quickly reunited once the truth of her sister’s betrayal comes to light. But they’re both hesitant to actually trust each other, and there’s still more danger ahead. Add in a bumbling baron and a country house party, and there’s loads of drama.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

See You Next Tuesday by Kate Stayman-London (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Ten years of yearning and miscommunication and misjudgment of each other. Ugh, this was such a good book. Anya and Gabe have been at odds everytime they cross paths. Someone ends up saying the wrong thing, the other one gets defensive, and they go right back to hating each other. Despite the simmering attraction between them. Oh, we get so many time jumps here and so many instances where they have a chance to get together. Loved the yearslong yearning.

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

Miss Beresford and the Beast by Mimi Matthews (2026)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Daughters of Somerset series. Charlotte is a bit impetuous, gets injured at a beastly earl’s decrepit castle, and has a spot of amnesia while she’s there. Magnus is scarred and injured from his naval service and has a terrible reputation in the village around the estate due to some shameful secrets of his past. But of course, Charlotte sees right through the gruffness and falls for him anyway. I love that she comes to his defense at every opportunity and tries to show him of his own worth. Third generation of our favorite Somerset families, starting with The Work of Art.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Grim Tidings by BK Borison (2026)

Paranormal romance. Book 2 of the Ghosted series. Reaper Darcy is pretty sick of being the symbol of death and wants to maybe try something new. Upon arrival at her new assignment location, she flirts and then fights with Gabriel, a Guardian, who is wary of her scheming. Sworn enemies until they fall for each other and all sorts of swirly emotions abound. But you can’t really cheat death in this world and the big death boss is going to come looking for the insubordinate reaper. Complicated and angsty in all the best ways.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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Gunslinger Historical Romance Book Series by Michelle McLean

Sep 13, 2026 | Book Reviews

Hitched to the Gunslinger (2021)

From fake engagement to a marriage of convenience, this book has pretty great communication between our two main characters. And I love how the town has basically adopted our hero as the town sheriff (even though he’s an outlaw).

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by Entangled Books.

The Gunslinger’s Guide to Avoiding Matrimony (2022)

It’s a rare case to see an accidental marriage in a historical, but that’s what we have here during a mass wedding ceremony in the town square. Hilarious setup, plus we get to see our guy being a walking disaster throughout the town.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Books via NetGalley.

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

Useful Resources:

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

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