Weekly Reads: December 18 to 24, 2023

A Scot to the Heart by Caroline Linden (2021)

Historical romance. Georgian-era Scotland. Book 2 of the Desperately Seeking Duke series. Army captain Andrew is the nearest heir to the Duke of Carlyle and on a mission to take care of his affairs to return to Carlyle Castle for training as the heir. As he returns home to inform his mother and sisters of the news, he meets and is instantly smitten by an intriguing widow in town. Luckily for him, the widowed Ilsa is friends with his sister, so they run into each other often. The flirtation and affair between them seems ill-timed, since he’ll need to marry proper duchess material, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other. It was fun reading how their flirtation turns into a deeper emotional connection as time goes on amidst the chaos of both their families.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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How the Scot Was Won by Caroline Linden (2021)

Historical romance. Georgian-era Scotland. Book 2.5 of the Desperately Seeking Duke series. Companion to Book 2 of the series, where we follow the sister and best friend of Andrew. We’ve seen hints of the romance between Agnes and Felix in the previous book, but we get the whole story here. There’s a sweet coffee shop flirtation, that leads to a scandalous tryst at an assembly, then a somewhat insulting marriage proposal, and finally avoiding each other until forced to interact with each other again. Quick whirlwind of a relationship here and so much better once Felix actually talks to Agnes directly.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Scoundrels of St. James series. Sterling is a new duke who has been traveling for many years and newly back in England. At his sister’s wedding, he is intrigued by Frannie being surrounded by her scoundrel friends in a protective manner. Of course, he decides that he’s attracted to her and propositions her almost immediately. Meanwhile, Frannie is also intrigued by the man who looks at her with desire instead of concern and protection. She grew up in the streets, was sold into a brothel at age twelve before being rescued, and has not been interested in a man since then. While she initially rejects Sterling’s proposition, she is certainly considering it. Frannie and Sterling continue to orbit around each other in various ways, but Sterling starts to become impressed by Frannie’s selflessness and care towards orphans. Even though both know that Sterling is not willing to marry Frannie, they still slowly end up falling in love.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden (2022)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 3 of the Desperately Seeking Duke series. Philippa is the current companion to the duchess, stepdaughter to the duchess’ daughter, and all-around hostess of the castle. However, she knows that her position will likely be displaced when the duke passes away and leaves the castle to one of his heirs. When the new estate steward Will comes to the castle, she’s shocked that he’s young and handsome and has no experience as a steward. He’s just as surprised to find that Philippa is also young and beautiful, even as the duchess’ companion. They bicker and argue at first on how to approach estate improvements, but of course, eventually give into their attraction. Meanwhile, Will is hiding some secrets about his motivation for taking on the estate position and a possible connection to the ducal family. It was interesting to read how Will embraced his responsibilities to the estate and impressed everyone there, including the duke himself, who is usually unwell and isolated.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Desperately Seeking Duke: The Ultimate Epilogue by Caroline Linden (2022)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 3.5 of the Desperately Seeking Duke series. This book is a compilation of epilogues featuring all the couples we’ve met throughout the series. It’s pretty much a bunch of bonus information, especially as Andrew and Max each learn that they do not need to worry about ever inheriting the dukedom. And if you wanted more information about Will’s family history, it’s explained here too.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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A Halifax Holiday by Alexandra Vasti (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Halifax Hellions series. Super cute follow up to the series. It’s maybe a decade later and everyone is gathered together for Christmas with the next generation of hellions. It’s loud and boisterous and our Halifax spouses are all very glad to have stumbled into this loving family. Excellent holiday treat.

Ebook provided via author’s newsletter.

Snowbound with the Suffragette by Ginny B Moore (2024)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Part of the Flowers Sisters series. Quick snowstorm novella. Garrett and Sadie have been working together at the Suffrage Society, mutually pining for each other, and basically too scared to make a move. They get stuck together in a snowstorm, low on heating fuel, so they cuddle it out and actually talk to each other about their feelings. And then they more-than-cuddle.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

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Jilted in January by Cara Maxwell (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rake Review series. Shipping merchant’s son Edward breaks an engagement with duke’s daughter Persephone to protect her from society’s scorn for associating with a half-Chinese tradesman. Ten years later, Edward needs the help of a lady investigator to find his younger brother who has been kidnapped and ransomed, and that lady turns out to be Persephone. She’s hesitant to take the case, but she has a soft spot for the brother, so she agrees. Of course, Edward and Persephone find that they’re still attracted to and in love with each other, though they’re certainly more bitter and wary now. The mystery with the kidnapped brother is interesting and engaging and it was fun to see our two main characters bicker and flirt with each other.

Advance ebook provided by Cara Maxwell.