Weekly Reads: October 2 to 8, 2023

My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine (2023)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. Cassie is an artist in Chicago working too many jobs for not enough money and comes across an apartment listing for a ridiculously low price. Having few other options, she ends up taking the apartment and finds that her new roommate Frederick is a little eccentric. His manner, dress, and penmanship are completely out of this century and he seems to have trouble navigating technology and basic errands. When Cassie eventually finds out that Frederick is a vampire, she’s horrified at first, but then agrees to tutor him in the ways of modern age since he was in a coma for the last century. While most of the text is from Cassie’s perspective, we get glimpses into Frederick’s perspective at the start of every chapter with letters, text messages, and diary entries that Frederick composes. This book is super funny and delightful to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Earl Was Wrong by Britt Belle (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Greydon series. Sebastian is trying his best to be the stuffiest earl in town, since his debaucherous parents were embarrassing and his father was incapable of being financially responsible. When he finds that his younger sister is skirting ruin, his friend advises that he take a wife. Sebastian asks his aunt for a recommendation and she points out Emmaline, the sister of a viscount who appears to be practical and responsible. Emmaline is surprised to find the handsome earl asking her to dance and then asking to court her, but she believes that he would be her only chance at marriage and children and agrees to marry him. While Emmaline tries her best to be a good wife and member of her new family, Sebastian is cold and distant. He has an underlying fear of love and passion, believing that he will turn into his flighty and irresponsible father if he gives into such emotions. Basically, Emmaline is awesome throughout this book and Sebastian is the one who needs to grow and realize the woman and family he has in front of him. This was an entertaining debut from Britt Belle and I’m looking forward to reading more about the Greydons.

Advance ebook provided by Britt Belle.

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Getting Scot and Bothered by Caroline Lee (2020)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 3 of the Hots for Scots series. Son of a laird Rocque has repeatedly asked his lover and clan healer Merewyn to marry him, but she keeps refusing and he has no idea why. It’s clear that they have a cozy domestic relationship, with Rocque spending his nights at Merewyn’s cottage more than in his assigned barracks. However, Merewyn believes that Rocque does not love her and she does not want to be in a marriage where the love is one-sided. Oh, and she’s carrying his child without having told him yet. While it takes a bit of meddling from Rocque’s aunt and sister to get Merewyn to confront Rocque with her fears, he is shocked and surprised and needs his own time to unpack his feelings. Watch out for some danger from another member of the clan, and we have dire circumstances that lead to necessary declarations.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Training the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Suddenly a Duke series. Finola is the daughter of an earl who was orphaned and then neglected by her much older sisters only to be taken in by a lonely baron. In her first Season in London, Finola was publicly humiliated by a viscount who led her to believe he was courting her. After that, she retreated back to the country where she works to train hunting dogs. Many years after that, we meet Cy who has recently left the army after an accident left him blind in one eye. Cy is the younger son of a duke, neglected by his father and older brother. When he returns home, he finds that his father has died and his brother is now the duke. His brother allows Cy to live at the hunting lodge at the edge of the property. One day when Finola is walking her dogs, the dogs discover and befriend Cy and his charge Bertie. Finola’s and the duke’s lands border each other, though Cy does not admit that he is the brother of a duke. We have a quick and easy friendship between Finola and Cy, with Bertie needing the use of Finola’s schoolroom and learning to train dogs with Finola. The romance here builds very naturally and it seems that these two are perfect for each other and will be well-situated at Finola’s home. However, we have Cy’s looming secret and the fact that his brother is quite ill. I enjoyed this book and seeing another woman in an unconventional profession.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Duke’s Heiresses series. A duke with no wife or children passes away and leaves none of his fortune to his many family members; instead, he leaves an inheritance to three strangers who the family is not acquainted with. The duke’s nephew Chase, who was previously in the army, is charged with finding these women who have been left with such a fortune. He ends up entangled with one of the heiresses, Minerva, who has never met the duke before and has a history of an abusive husband and changing her name after his death. Since the duke had died under suspicious circumstances, Minerva believes that she’ll be a suspect with motives for his death. She thinks the best way to protect herself from being accused is to find the person who was actually responsible for the duke’s death. Meanwhile, Chase is leading his own investigation into the matter, and keeps running into Minerva as they’re simultaneously separately working on the same case. I liked seeing these two continually interact and bicker with each other and slowly develop a romance. With Minerva’s terrible late husband, it was nice to see Chase be so protective and patient with her. This was a good introduction to the duke’s family dynamics and interesting set up for the mystery of his death.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke Starts a Scandal by Sophie Jordan (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Duke Hunt series. A new duke and his housekeeper have gotten off to a rocky start and now seem to have a contentious relationship. Susanna has been the housekeeper at the estate, despite her relatively young age for the role, and is peeved by the arrogance of the new duke. Lucian had lived in poverty with his younger sisters until it was discovered that he was the duke and has a scandalous secret of how he earned the money to support his family. These two don’t trust each other much, but Lucian’s irritation is mostly due to the stress of his new role and the attraction he feels for Susanna. A house party that Lucian hosts sets up more trouble as Susanna is confronted by a man who knew her when she was young. We get to find out Susanna’s secrets and what brought her to work as a maid and then housekeeper all those years ago. The romance between Lucian and Susanna is pretty straightforward once we get past the disgruntled misconceptions they have of each other, and we get to see these two become open and honest with their secrets.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

In Scot Water by Caroline Lee (2020)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 4 of the Hots for Scots series. The scientific-minded son of a laird, Malcolm, is approaching his father’s ultimatum to marry logically. He plans to seek out a relatively young widow with a track record of giving birth to sons and living in such conditions where a proposal from a laird’s son will be seen as a boon. He identifies the perfect candidate in Evelinde and is instantly attracted to her when he sees her at the market. Soon, he’s journeying to her cottage to propose marriage, but decides to get to know her and her sons while they’re all stuck inside during a rainstorm. Evelinde has been living in rough conditions caring for her two young children and is grateful to have the help and support of Malcolm. Both Evelinde and Malcolm very quickly fall in love with each other while weathering the storm and it was nice to see both of them appreciate the other person’s intellect and ingenuity. I loved how Malcolm interacted with the kiddos and it was clear that Evelinde was softened by this as well.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Christmas Notch series. Ex-boy band member turned pizza mogul Kallum is set to star in a sexy Santa movie after gaining notoriety after a sex-tape was leaked. Former child actor and all-around good girl Winnie is in a tough spot following her divorce and an illness that prevented her from starring in last year’s Christmas movie, and is now given the opportunity to rebrand herself by co-starring with Kallum. She’s super hesitant at first, but finally decides to give it a try. Upon her first meeting with Kallum and the movie’s intimacy coordinator, Winnie soon realizes she’s totally in over her head and has no idea how to portray sexual satisfaction on screen (having never experienced it off screen). She’s got plenty of homework to do there, but her super conservative purity-based upbringing is definitely creating a lot of blocks there. Kallum has his own insecurities of being the least sought after boy band member and always being looked at as a hook-up rather than relationship material. He’s totally excited to work with Winnie after having had a crush on her since they were teenagers. With Winnie’s insecurities in the bedroom, she asks Kallum to help her in that department, agreeing that it’s all for the sake of research and her performance in the movie. There’s definitely a lot of steam in this book, as Kallum takes on the role of tutor for Winnie. While the physical attraction between Winnie and Kallum definitely exists, neither of them are sure about their long-term compatibility, being total opposites in personality and in family dynamics. It’s takes a bit of emotional growth for both of them: for Winnie to learn to trust someone and for Kallum to behave a bit more responsibly. A super humorous read with tons of support from our favorite characters from Book 1 of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Devil of Drury Lane by Tracy Sumner (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Scandals and Scoundrels of Drury Lane series. Mercy is the awkward daughter of an earl who would rather draw than comport with society; she’s definitely pining after the youngest son of the duke next door and draws his picture. Many years later, Mercy has become a lady who follows all the rules of society in public while pursuing her art in secret and even taking commissions from Drury Lane. When Damien sees her artwork in a shop window, he spends more time at the theater, trying to track her down. Once these two reconnect, they share a liaison along with their stories. It’s a maddening few days where Mercy gets to indulge in her girlhood fantasies and Damien questions whether fate exists. Quick and steamy read.

Advance ebook provided by Tracy Sumner.