Weekly Reads: January 2 to 8, 2023

It was a crazy stormy week in Northern California with more rainstorms this upcoming week. Luckily, that means lots of time tucked under blankets for reading.

Sealed with a Yuletide Kiss by Sophie Barnes (2021)

Historical romance. Regency England. Collection of 24 short stories. Each chapter is a new sweet romance story. Super quick to read with very low angst. I loved reading these quick bursts of romance in between longer books and when I had five to ten minutes to spare. Highly recommend having this on your device to slowly savor.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Her Lessons in Persuasion by Megan Frampton (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian England. Book 1 of the School for Scoundrels series. Bram and Wilhelmina have an awkward first meeting when he thinks he’s rescuing her from jumping off a bridge, but really, she was just trying to have a better look at the stars. It’s all banter and witty remarks between these two throughout the whole book. They meet again when Bram is being auctioned off to escort someone to the opera with funds going to the boys’ orphanage where he grew up. Wilhelmina’s new stepmother is anxious to get her married off, even though Wilhelmina has no interest in marrying at all and would rather focus on being an astronomer. However, she slowly starts to realize that some of the pursuits that she always avoided because they were popular (going to the opera, reading fiction) are actually enjoyable, and she slowly starts to shift her position on these items. As Bram and Wilhelmina spend more time together, he realizes that he’s in love with her, but is unwilling to declare his intentions since he knows that her goal is to never marry. Slow build to a wonderful and open partnership here and a great found family/friend group with Bram and his other orphan friends. Looking forward to seeing the other men of the group find their own stories.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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Girls Before Earls by Anna Bennett (2021)

Historical romance. Regency England. Book 1 of the Rogues to Lovers series. Hazel is the headmistress of a new finishing school and an earl has come to drop off his 15 year old niece who was recently orphaned. The niece has been acting up (understandably) and was kicked out of two other schools recently. Although Blade is willing to pay any cost to enroll his niece and then go back to London and about his miserable existence, Hazel insists that he come back and visit his niece every two weeks. Over the course of those visits, he slowly develops a relationship with both his niece and the fetching headmistress. I enjoyed learning about Blade’s backstory and why he avoids love and heartbreak; you can sort of see the signs of it early on when he talks about his lost love and how he was also estranged from his brother, but it’s still heartbreaking when you see it all laid out plainly. Hazel has her own hurts from the past and tries to maintain her composure and resilience, but then realizes that she needs to open up and go after what she wants. It’s a fun introduction to our seaside town and characters and a nice set up for future books in the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Duke Down by Anna Bennett (2023)

Historical romance. Regency England. Book 2 of the Rogues to Lovers series. Another fun book from Anna Bennett. Fisherman’s daughter Poppy discovers an injured man washed up on shore who claims to be a duke. She trades him shelter for money while he figures out who might have attacked him. These two have instant rapport and chemistry with each other with a lot of easy teasing and flirting. However, there’s Poppy’s poor history with members of nobility, the duke Keane actually turning out to be a duke, plus the drama of Poppy’s wayward brother, and the mystery of Keane’s assault. Despite all of these obstacles, Poppy and Keane are sure of each other’s character and integrity and never once doubt the other person. Absolutely enjoyable read!

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Nice Earls Do by Susanna Craig (2022)

Historical romance. Regency England. Prequel novella to the Goode’s Guide to Misconduct series. An earl who is fairly new to the title has found out that his brother and sister-in-law died in Italy and his niece and nephew will now be his wards. His housekeeper recruits the famous housekeeping guide writer Mrs. Goode to come assist. However, we find out early on that Mrs. Goode is a pen name for a young viscount who should not be interested in housekeeping pursuits and his widowed stepmother decides to volunteer herself as Mrs. Goode to maintain the viscount’s cover. Well… turns out the earl and the widow were childhood friends who meet again and have another opportunity for love. This was a super quick novella to read and introduces the premise of Mrs. Goode’s guides. It was lovely to read about a couple in their 40s finding their chance at love.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

The Rake of Tamarix Hall by Georgina North (2023)

Historical romance. Regency England. Standalone novel. So this one is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers type of romance with an awkward first meeting. Lucius is a new marquess and on his way to his new estate, he stops in town, and already hears gossip about how horrible the old marquess is and how the new one can’t possibly be better. Of course he finds that a pretty young lady Cressida and her sister are the ones gossiping, and they most definitely get off on the wrong foot when the ladies discover who he is. The first half of the book moves pretty slowly with getting to know the family dynamics of each of our characters: Lucius has a reputation as a rake in London, but he seems to care about his tenants at his new estate; Cressida has an abusive father and three sisters who have been neglected and not considered out in society, despite their ages, plus a shady history with the previous heir to the marquessate. These two argue and bicker every time they encounter each other, until finally, they’re caught in a room together and need to marry to save both their reputations. From there, we have more arguments and misunderstandings with tons of emotional angst. Despite the slow start to the book, when you realize Lucius and Cressida are both emotionally invested in the status of their relationship, so are you.

Advance ebook provided by BooksGoSocial via NetGalley.

Get Thee Off My Lawn by Daria Vernon (2022)

Historical romance. Regency England. Standalone novella. This one is humorous and absolutely delightful. April tries to retrieve her wayward swan from the neighbor’s pond, finds herself entrenched in the muck, and needs rescuing by the handsome neighbor, Leo. The rest of their day is a carefree and fun insta-lust tryst involving sneaking into his manor to clean her up and basically enjoying each other’s company until April needs to go home. And then reality hits: April is to marry a wealthy stranger to save her household’s wealth and there’s no hope for a future with Leo, even though he’s completely smitten with her. It all gets resolved in pretty short order (since it’s a novella) in fun and surprising ways. It’s a quick read that is completely worth it.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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All They Want for Christmas by Andie J. Christopher (2020)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novella. Quick little book I heard about from the latest Fated Mates episode about people being snowed in. We start with a lady out to dinner with her boyfriend, thinking he’ll propose before they travel to her hometown for Christmas. He doesn’t and they get into a huge fight. And the only other people at the restaurant are her ex-boyfriend and his male best friend (who he hooks up with sometimes). Well, to nurse her broken heart (which isn’t really broken), the three of them leave and go to one of the guys’ townhouse to have a threesome. And when they wake up the next morning, there’s a snowstorm trapping them together. Oh, and they need to work out all these feelings. Fun times.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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House of the Dragon Fanfic: A Terrible Lack of Respect by Eliza_Cromwell

Harwin/Rhaenyra, short, 7k words. He rescues her from the fight during her wedding feast and keeps her from leaving her room. Also volunteers to serve her in a multitude of ways.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: She’ll Patch Up Your Tapestry by agirlfromthebar

Draco/Hermione, one-shot, 1600 words, Narcissa’s POV. It’s Draco’s engagement party and he’s asking to speak with Hermione instead of his fiancee. Narcissa observes their conversation and interaction.

Read this fic on Fanfiction.net

Bridgerton Fanfic: Everything I do, I do it for you by LoveIsStrong

Anthony/Kate, one-shot, 6k words. Series episode 2.7, what if Anthony and Kate cannot stay away from each other when their families see each other at the park.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Bridgerton Fanfic: I Choose You by thanksmilla

Anthony/Kate, one-shot, 2k words. Series episode 2.6, what if Anthony overhears Edwina ask Kate if she loved him and her awkward pause gives him hope that his own feelings are reciprocated.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Want more Harry Potter fanfic? Here’s a spreadsheet of my all-time favorites.

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