Honeycotes Series by Anne Barton: Way more scandal than you’d expect / Historical Romance Book Series

A historical romance series with plenty of drama, but told in a low-angst sort of way. When I started the series, I thought I was reading a new-to-me author, until I went back to the Instagram post from corsetreads recommending the series to me, and realized that Anna Bennett (who I have read and adored before) was the author using a different pen name. I recommend reading this series in order because each one builds upon the previous one.

When She Was Wicked by Anne Barton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Honeycotes series. Annabelle Honeycote is an impoverished seamstress with a deathly ill mother and younger sister to support. While working at the dress shop, she overhears various gossip and uses the information to extort money. One of her victims, Owen Sherbourne, a handsome duke, catches her at the drop point and threatens to expose her, but he feels bad for her instead, and brings her home as an indentured servant to make dresses for his sisters. There’s a bunch of miscommunication and secrecy between this couple, mixed with a healthy dose of social class difference, but the insta-lust is such fun to read and this book is a great set up to the Honeycote/Sherbourne family series to come.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To All the Rakes I’ve Loved Before by Anne Barton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 1.5 of the Honeycotes series. Novella connected to the Honeycotes, but can be read as standalone. Amelia is the daughter of a tradesperson who hides away at home after a huge embarrassment years ago at a ball. The man she was courting had eloped with someone else, and now is at her home, bringing in tow his injured friend. The friend, Stephen, had shown Amelia kindness in those trying days and now needs some nursing back to health. As a novella, this one was a pretty quick read with a very quick falling in love, but it was fun to read. I adore a cute sickbed romance.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Once She Was Tempted by Anne Barton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Honeycotes series. This one makes a bit more sense after having read Book 1, but still fine as a standalone. Daphne, the younger sister of Annabelle from Book 1, is enjoying her first Season and the attentions of a kind viscount. However, that viscount’s mentor, Ben (a curmudgeonly earl who was injured at war) disapproves of the connection and wants to warn her off. He has a scandalous portrait of her in his possession and questions her morals. Daphne is shocked and worried for her reputation and seeks to find that portrait’s partner. When she was younger and desperate for funds, she had posed for these scandalous portraits and split the money with her artist friend. Now that she’s moving in fancier circles, she stands to be ruined if people find out. As Ben helps in her mission to locate the other painting, he revisits his opinion of her. And the kind and beautiful Daphne sees beyond the grumpy exterior Ben shows to the world.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Scandalous Summer Nights by Anne Barton (2014)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Honeycotes series. Duke’s sister Olivia has been pining for her brother’s solicitor friend for the past decade. When she learns that he is planning to leave for a two-year expedition to Egypt, she finally declares her feelings for him and sets out to convince him of her affections. However, her impulsive nature and lack of caution land them in a series of disastrous events. While this book had its humorous moments, Olivia’s chaotic energy was awkward for me to read. Also, whenever James seemed to have something serious to talk about, they kept getting interrupted (either by external circumstances or Olivia’s distractions). It was still an enjoyable read and added more drama to the Honeycotes series, but not my fave of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Wild Winter’s Eve by Anne Barton (2014)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Honeycotes series. Lady Rose and Charles, the estate’s stable master, have had a connection since Book 1 of the series. We start with a sweet prologue between the two, and then jump several years later. Rose is accompanying an older lady to visit another woman’s estate. While Rose claims to want to avoid the social bustle of the city, she really wants to find out information about her wayward and scandalous mother, hoping that the person they’re visiting will have more information. While there, she finds that the estate’s steward is Charles, her long ago love. They reconnect and catch up on each other’s lives a bit and begin a romance. However, the lady of the estate has designs on the young and handsome Charles as well and doesn’t take his rejection well. There’s a whole load of drama with an accusation of larceny, imprisonment, plus what we find out about Rose’s mother. This one was a lot of fun and I liked seeing Rose and Charles helping each other and acting as partners.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.