Weekly Reads: February 27 to March 5, 2023

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Union of the Rakes series. Our duke friend, Noel, from Book 1 is back this time and he meets an intriguing woman who has a head for business, doesn’t fuss at him for his title, and is entirely attractive. However, Jess is merely a farmer’s daughter hoping to find investors for her family’s soap-making business. When she tries to sneak her way into a business exposition, she’s nearly halted at the door, and ends up pretending to be widowed to a baronet to gain entrance. While there, she tries hard to focus on finding ways to subtly promote the soap business and to avoid the attentions of the duke, but can’t seem to help being drawn to him. I spent the whole book anxious about the impending heartache because I just knew that Noel would be upset at the idea of being used for his connections and money, even though Jess was trying to avoid his involvement at all. I really enjoyed this book though and looking forward to the next one that was hinted at here.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

A Day Until Forever by Erin Langston (2022)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Prequel novella to Langston’s debut novel. We have neighbors who haven’t seen each other in years, stuck together the day of the autumn festival. Raymond is the ultra-responsible son of a negligent earl, aiming to improve his lands and take care of his siblings, who gets tasked with chaperoning Rosalie, a baron’s daughter with a penchant for trouble. Rosalie is coming from an unsuccessful season with the goal of snaring her long-time crush and tries to shake off her chaperone throughout the day. Over the course of a single day, these two fight a growing attraction to each other, give into it, and then pretty much fall in love. It’s a quick read for when you need a low-angst pick-me-up.

Two Weeks Notice by Amy Porterfield (2023)

Nonfiction. Amy Porterfield is an expert in the online marketing space and I’ve been following her on and off for many years. She hosts a podcast about marketing and has a course about how to sell your own courses. She recently published her first book with all the advice she can pack in about setting off on your own as an entrepreneur and gives a framework and timeline for building your own business. Having observed the online business space for nearly a decade, I’ve found that the most frustrating part is that almost everyone who is teaching you how to make money online has demonstrated that the most lucrative way to make money online is to teach people how to make money online. If that sounds confusing, it totally is. Even Amy Porterfield herself, while teaching you how to build a business, bases her entire income stream on teaching people how to market and monetize online courses. Business owners who start by teaching a craft often ultimately end up selling their business knowledge instead of their craft knowledge (because it’s honestly way more profitable that way). I’ll admit that I’m in the same category there too, but it still makes me question whether it’s possible to make a full-time living from the craft/artist side of the business, rather than the business-to-business side. Overall though, I did appreciate Porterfield’s book in reminding me why I enjoy online marketing and business so much. This book reminded me that I do know at least 10 percent more than someone else and I can be helpful in providing a service and sharing my knowledge.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Waiting for a Scot Like You by Eva Leigh (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Union of the Rakes series. Beatrice, the widowed Lady Farris, and Major Duncan McCameron had met in Book 2 of the series, and there was a hint of exasperation on Duncan’s part with Beatrice’s antics. We find them here on a road trip together: Beatrice is en route to a debaucherous house party while Duncan has been tasked by his duke friend to protect her. They’re also complete opposites in personality: Beatrice is out of mourning and plans to enjoy her freedom and widowhood, grasping at every opportunity to enjoy life and learn more about her surroundings; Duncan is the second son of nobleman, war veteran, and a serious rule-follower. As these two grow closer together, it’s exciting to see Duncan soften and skirt away from the rules bit by bit. I loved this book and the whole series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Heiress at Sea by Christi Caldwell (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone, but tied to The Duke Alone, as we are following the older sister of the main character from that book. Cassia, the often invisible eldest daughter of an earl, is setting off an adventure, dressing as a boy and sneaking onto her brother’s best friend’s ship so she can see the world. Turns out she’s on the wrong ship and ends up on Nathaniel’s boat, which is aimed to intercept a French war ship. Nathaniel is the second son of a duke, but recently became the heir after his brother fell off a horse. With his father’s demands in mind, this mission is likely to be his last. With everyone trapped on a ship, there’s plenty of drama to go around: Cassia is still pretending to be a boy, but she’s so terribly naive and sensitive that the other men mock her work; when they discover she’s actually a lady, there’s most definitely potential for scandal; and she cannot stop talking and chattering and also cannot detect sarcasm. It makes for annoying and infuriating conversation every time Nathaniel has to deal with her. But it’s a romance novel after all, and he starts to see her as someone brave (though naive) and also someone he wants to care for a protect. It was definitely a fun read and I enjoyed how all the conflict got resolved.

Advance ebook provided by Montlake Books via NetGalley.

Bridgerton Fanfic: Ten Minutes Closer by WaterlilyRose

Anthony/Kate, 5k words. Anthony rescues Kate after she falls from her horse and brings her to Bridgerton House instead of back to Lady Danbury’s.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

House of the Dragon Fanfic: Days on Dragonstone by readunpublished

Daemon/Rhaenyra, 1k words. Quiet moments after their marriage. Possibly canon-compliant.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

The Christmas Courtesan by Victoria Vale (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Widows Four series. Widowed Miranda seeks a gentleman courtesan for the only part of her marriage that she missed: the bedroom activities. Roger, the younger brother to a financially reckless viscount, seeks funds to repair his sister’s dowry. This was a pretty straightforward smutty novella, with a confident widow and a stammering virgin courtesan. Quick and steamy, with just the right dose of emotion for a novella.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon

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

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