Top Five Reads of October 2022

In the month of October, I finished reading 21 books (17 historical romance, 1 contemporary romance, 2 paranormal romance, and 1 nonfiction). Here are my five favorite books from the month! (listed in alphabetical order by author last name)

The Arrangement by Mary Balogh (2013)

Historical romance in Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Survivors’ Club Series. We have our charming and beautiful viscount who was blinded in the war. He’s escaped his meddling family members and off on his own. A quiet young lady rescues him from being compromised into marriage by her cousin and her guardians toss her out. When our charming viscount learns this, he offers her a marriage of convenience with the knowledge that they’d someday follow their separate independent dreams. This one starts slow, as most Balogh novels do, but sometimes I enjoy reading this slow pace of falling in love and all the character-driven emotion behind it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 1 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Odd-girl Bronwyn aspires to be a published entomologist, much to the dismay of her social-climbing parents. They push her to marry a titled gentleman and are even more abrasive after a past heartbreak and a recently lost chance at courtship by a duke. Meanwhile, Ash is trying to recover his runaway wards and shield them from his own dukedom’s cruel reputation. They literally bump into each other in the street, and unexpectedly meet again at his manor when she visits his playful and inquisitive wards. Ash gets the bright idea to marry a woman who will care for the wards and proposes to Bronwyn. We have a delightful marriage of convenience, where they do participate in the marriage bed, and a supportive friendship between the two. Loved seeing these two slowly learn to trust each other, but they’re both still hanging on the past hurts and betrayals. I love how quick Ash is to defend Bronwyn’s intelligence. Basically, any support of a partners’s aspirations as an A+ in my book.

Advance ebook provided by Forever via NetGalley. Print book provided by Forever.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath (2021)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Merriwell Sisters series. A carefree and jovial earl prevents his mother’s matchmaking from America by writing to her about a fictional fiancee and her tragic tales that have prevented them from marrying. When his mother comes to visit, he hires a woman to pretend to be his fiancee. This book is full of far-fetched tales and silliness and it totally works. Expect a light-hearted and humorous story here. Though there is actually heartbreak in both characters’ pasts, those experiences have made them stronger and most of the book contains witty banter and calamity.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Lovelocks of London series. I pretty much picked this up because Julia Quinn (author of the Bridgertons series) posted about it on Instagram. We have a neurodivergent heroine in this one who aims to solve a missing mathematics proof (tbh, the math in this book went over my head and I skimmed it) but her stepmother insists she participates in society. Our hero is a destitute earl who needs to marry rich to salvage his estate. It takes probably 25% of the book for them to meet and contrive a chaste marriage of convenience (which the heroine proposes). Once they start interacting and get married, we’re off to their country estate and we get to see the sweetest slow burn ever with caretaking galore. It was absolutely delightful to watch these two people slowly fall in love. And the heartbreak when they each think the other isn’t interested. The last third will have you tearing up from the longing. Such a great read. (Also, sets up the future couples in Book 2 and 3 nicely as well).

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Fortune Favors the Duke by Kristin Vayden (2021)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Cambridge Brotherhood series. When I read the blurb on this book, I knew it was going to be younger brother inherits a dukedom, befriends his brother’s fiancee, and then there’d be a bit of a forbidden romance involved. But this book really punched you in the gut with the prologue of a carefree bunch of guys going on a bachelor hunting trip and then tragedy happening. Also, the older brother was really likeable! So you can feel the grief that our hero Quin and the not-quite-widow Catherine are feeling. I really liked this book! Though, I didn’t realize until I was 90% done that it’s closed-door and smut-free. Not my usual type of romance, but the story was compelling and kept me reading, so I didn’t even notice there wasn’t any smut until I was done with the book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.