The Outlaw and the Lady by Lorraine Heath (2001)
Historical romance. 1890s Texas. Book 1 of the Daughters of Fortune series. Second generation of characters from the Rogues in Texas series. Angela is out for a midnight stroll in Fortune, TX, when she accidentally interrupts a bank robbery. The robbers believe she’s seen their faces and can identify them, so they kidnap her, not realizing until they’re too far away that she’s blind. Lee Raven is the ringleader of the robberies, seeking revenge on a single man who ruined his family, and gaining a reputation as a wanted murderer. As Lee and Angela are stuck together, she starts to realize that he isn’t as cruel as she thought he would be, and it sounds as though he has the admiration of his brothers who ride with him. This was a book with so much plot going on and so much mystery to unravel that I had to keep reading to find out if my hunch was correct. And it was delightfully satisfying to know that I read all those clues correctly throughout. It was angsty and tragic and amazing to see it all tie together.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
To Marry an Heiress by Lorraine Heath (2002)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Daughters of Fortune series. We’re in England for this story, with Georgina visiting her friend Lauren (stepdaughter to the Earl of Ravenleigh) for the Season and her wealthy father setting up a match for her with Devon, another earl and cousin to Ravenleigh. Devon’s impoverished estate needs the cash and he agrees to Georgina’s father’s terms for courtship and the appearance of a love match. Upon meeting Georgina at a ball, she sees through him immediately and insists that he not lie to her if they are to marry. We see a quick wedding very early on in the book, followed by a surprising tragedy that sets off resentment and animosity between Devon and Georgina through the rest of the book. It was most interesting to see how Georgina could be sweet and accommodating, but also have strength in her convictions throughout the book. Devon thought he would be getting himself a demure and grateful wife, but instead finds a strong courageous partner worth falling in love with.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Say Yes to the Princess by Charis Michaels (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Hidden Royals series. Elise is an exiled French princess being housed by the royal family and being redirected and managed after asking too many questions about a possible sighting of her lost younger brother. The royal family has hired Killian, the second son of an earl and all-around fixer, to distract Elise from her goals and to keep her from being nosy. While Elise and Killian start off at odds, they are instantly attracted to each other and want to know more about the other person’s background. Elise has her own issues of loneliness and despair, while Killian has also suffered from ostracism due to his mother’s background. It was so interesting to find out more about Killian’s backstory, especially in meeting his family at the estate where he grew up. And just like Elise, we start to fall in love with Killian in seeing his kindness towards his nephew. With all the mysteries to unravel, this book will keep the pages turning. The structure reminds me a lot of Michaels’ other work, A Duchess a Day, with a noblewoman falling in love a fixer/huntsman type of fellow who she recruits to assist with her own goals, which is also a wonderful book.
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.
Bed Me, Duke by Felicity Niven (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Bed Me Books series. The action starts in chapter 1 with our countess (in her own right) Helen asking Jack for lessons in seduction so that she can somehow convince the new duke to marry her. Although we find out that the plain old Jack, retired ship captain, is actually the new duke but he has been a commoner in disguise as he gets the lay of the land. We rewind to three weeks prior when Jack finds out that he has inherited after his cousin dies, and learns a bit more of his backstory and why he treats women with such distrust. Loved the character build of Jack and you definitely understand why he is the way he is. When he goes to visit his new estate in Scotland, he uses his common name and does not let anyone know he’s the duke, when he meets Helen, the neighboring countess. She has had her own share of struggles with an impoverished estate and sees marriage to the new duke as a solution to her troubles. She’s also terribly unsure of herself as a woman and lack of sensual appeal, even if she’s a strong and effective leader. Helen is loud and brash and forthright and somehow all of these things appeal very much to Jack, who is the most appealing and desirable man that Helen has ever seen. We get to see Helen and Jack slowly fall in love, but really cannot commit to each other, since Helen needs to snare the duke despite her ugly appearance, and Jack feels guilty for deceiving Helen about his identity. It’s a horrible muddle that will keep you reading to find out how it resolves.
Advance ebook provided by Felicity Niven.
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto (2023)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Debut novel from one of my favorite fanfiction authors (known as LovesBitca8 on AO3). This one is a second-chance romance between Ama, a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in commitment, and Elliot, a florist who took over his father’s shop. The present-day chapters are told from Ama’s perspective, with past timeline chapters told from Elliot’s. In the present timeline, Ama has booked a high profile wedding that could elevate her career but has to work with Elliot on the florals, even though they haven’t spoken in about two years. In the past timeline, we get to see how they meet and get together, and it’s absolutely delightful reading Elliot’s self-deprecating awkwardness and internal monologue. In both timelines, we get to see Elliot’s gruff, but caring nature, and that he’s a total sap. (Think Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls, but younger and hotter, but still wearing plaid). This book had all the best emotionally written lines and you can feel Ama’s angst in the present day even if you don’t quite understand where it all went wrong. Amazing book and I’m super excited for more people to read it.
Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Forever Books. Advance audiobook provided via Libro.fm.
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
