The Reece Family Trilogy Series by Caroline Linden / Historical Romance Book Series

What a Gentleman Wants by Caroline Linden (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Reece Family series. Marcus, Duke of Exeter, is always getting his brother out of scrapes, but this one is pretty bad. Younger twin David gets into a carriage accident and ends up in the care of a vicar’s widow; he offers her a marriage of convenience, but at the last moment, forges his twin brother’s name on the marriage register instead. Hannah has agreed to marry David since she has little other alternative after the death of her husband, and brings her daughter with her to London where they’ll set up house while David is away on business. Of course, Hannah doesn’t know that David is the brother to a duke and that he signed Marcus’ name on the marriage. When Marcus finds out and confronts Hannah, he at first wants to pay her off, but then convinces her to stay with him temporarily to appease his overexcited sister and stepmother. It’s a tangle of lies, but Marcus and Hannah are attracted to each other under all that stubborn bickering. Add in a counterfeit money plot in the background, and we have some potential for danger.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

What a Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden (2007)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Reece Family series. Younger twin brother to a duke, David, is charged with overseeing the estate while the duke is on his wedding trip with his wife. He is robbed by highwaymen on his way to London, somehow catches one of the thieves trying to pawn off his signet ring, and then imprisons her in his house. Vivian has worked with a band of thieves to survive and in trying to sell off some goods, get captured by David. They’re both stubborn and argue and she’s basically trapped in his house for weeks because he’s unscrupulous thief-mate kept the ring that David wants. Over time though, these two start talking and spending time together and eventually start an affair. It was fun to read these two start to open up to each other about their pasts and then team up against a common enemy later on in the book. This one has a pretty believable transformation of David’s character, with him starting as a guilt-ridden repentant scoundrel who slowly realizes that he can try to reform himself.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Rake’s Guide to Seduction by Caroline Linden (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Reece Family Trilogy series. Celia is the younger sister of a duke in her first Season and enjoying the balls and parties and suitors; she is rescued from a proposal by her brother’s scandalous friend Anthony and is somewhat intrigued by him. Anthony is heir to an earl who had cast him out and cut off any financial support, so he is forced to gamble and make investments for his living. Anthony seems to believe that he is an unworthy suitor for Celia, but still takes a chance and asks the duke for permission to court her. Unfortunately, he’s too late, and Celia is already engaged to someone else. We learn more about Celia’s engagement and marriage through her diary entries up until her husband’s death four years later. We pick up the story again when Celia is out of mourning and her mother has arranged a house party to lift her spirits. There, Anthony and Celia slowly reconnect, as much as he tries to avoid her due to his scandalous reputation.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.