Weekly Reads: February 19 to 25, 2024

Damned If I Duke by Anna Bradley (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Drop Dead Dukes series. Poor Prudence has been in a tough spot since her father lost a great deal of money to a certain rakish duke in a card game and she’s putting up with her friend’s matchmaking efforts while she’s visiting. Except, Prudence dreads the idea of having to marry to secure a home even though her father is on verge of selling their home. Meanwhile, rakish duke Jasper has just recovered some scandalous earrings from a former mistress and when Prudence discovers them, she tries to blackmail him into forgiving her father’s debts. She’s comically bad at blackmail though and both of these people are feeling generally guilty about their behavior. They’re also stupidly attracted to each other, even though they don’t really like each other. It’s a bunch of chaos and comedy with these two, but at least Jasper’s stodgy grandfather approves of Prudence.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

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One Scandalous Kiss by Christy Carlyle (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Accidental Heirs series. Impoverished bookshop owner Jessamin accepts payment from a marquess’ daughter to kiss a grumpy viscount in public. She ruins her reputation in the process and causes a huge scandal, thereby losing her bookshop and finding herself a complete loss. Luckily, a noblewoman takes her on as a companion and provides a healthy salary. Our grumpy viscount Lucius can’t stop thinking of the ambush kiss or the lady who bestowed it, but he’s determined to get on with his duties by marrying an heiress to replenish the family coffers and restore his estate. Except that his aunt unexpectedly brings Jessamin to his house as her companion and he only has eyes for her. It’s an ill-suited match socially and financially, but they’ve clearly got deeper feelings here. I enjoyed the support from Lucius’ aunt and seeing him finally stand up for his choices over his duties.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Making of a Highlander by Elisa Braden (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era Scotland. Book 1 of the Midnight in Scotland series. Englishman John is stuck in Scotland due to some legal clause associated with the land he inherited from an old friend. In trying to strike a deal with the neighboring landowner, he finds himself needing to train for the next set of Highland Games to win a bargain. Neighboring daughter Annie (known as Mad Annie to the townspeople) is willing to give him lessons in the games in exchange for lessons in ladylike etiquette. While Annie has always been a brash, outspoken hoyden, she’s aiming to marry a lord for various reasons and needs help in becoming a proper lady. John and Annie keep things professional for awhile there, but they are clearly attracted to each other, and then we get the loveliest slow burn romance throughout the book. There’s a lot more drama and angst when Annie’s brother is wrongfully imprisoned, but John is ready to use all of his connections to assist, although he does it without Annie knowing. If you’ve read the Rescued from Ruin series by Elisa Braden, you’ll know that John is actually the son and heir to an earl, but he has kept his title and status a secret from Annie for much of the story due to his past experiences with women. And of course, Annie’s reaction to the news (and his past experiences) is exactly as you’d expect from the fiery lady.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Bride for His Convenience by Edith Layton (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone romance. Impoverished marquis Ian needs to marry a wealthy woman to restore his estates and pay for his ailing brother’s medical care. He’s pretty upset at having to sell himself into matrimony but finds Hannah to be a quiet biddable woman to marry. Hannah has only agreed to have her father buy her a husband after her heart was broken by a neighbor who left her for another woman. Though Hannah agrees to keep things practical in her marriage to Ian, she is very much attracted to him and finds that she likes him the more she gets to know him. Of course, Ian is determined to keep his distance and avoid getting emotionally entangled, especially as his pride is wounded by having to marry for money. These two toggle between direct communication and walking on eggshells around each other, wanting not to offend or demand too much of each other. However, this makes for a delightful slow-burn when they slowly become allies, then friends, and then more.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Pennyroyal Green series. This one is a romance between a scandalous widowed countess with and the country village vicar. Evie has recently moved to Pennyroyal Green after the death of her husband and hopes to build a new quiet life for herself, except that her reputation as a former actress and courtesan has followed her and caused the townsfolk to shun her without meeting her. She pleads her case with the handsome well-liked vicar Adam in hopes that he will introduce her to the ladies of the town. Adam is struggling with way too much adoration by the young women of the town along with his unwanted feelings of desire for Evie. He’s basically a poor sad sap who is confused about his emotions. But Evie is open and honest and vulnerable around Adam and he sees that she’s truly a good person in need of support and community. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and seeing how tough Evie was in the face of all the gossip surrounding her.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Perks of Loving a Viscount by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. Lady Philippa Strong is a duke’s sister who would rather wear breeches and gallivant around her country home than become the sparkling debutante next Season. She’s not interested in becoming a wife and mother and property of a man, so would like to retain her independence. Although when she meets the handsome new viscount next door, she’s starting to question her path a little. Seth is the son of the fourth son of a viscount and never expected to inherit anything. After spending most of his life at sea, he’s shocked to find that he’s suddenly the new viscount after the death of his uncles and father. With no experience in being on land or the ways of polite society, he relies on his new neighbors for help. Especially the help of Pippa to teach him how to ride a horse. As they spend more time together, Seth is sure that Pippa will make him an excellent wife, but he’s careful not to scare her off with declarations too soon. This one was another fun look at the Strong family and how well they accept each other. I also appreciate a man who quickly knows what he wants and goes after it.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

It Happened One Midnight by Julie Anne Long (2013)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Jonathan is the youngest son of a wealthy gentleman and told he must marry appropriately within the year to retain his allowance. Except that Jonathan has no intention of marrying and is more interested in his newfound investments. When he crosses paths with Thomasina, he believes that he’s immune to her charms and is mostly irritated by her antics. Except we soon learn that Tommy has a soft heart and is secretly rescuing children from untenable situations. The soft-hearted Jonathan gets caught up in the scheme as well, and these two oh-so-slowly fall in love. We’ve got a few more of Tommy’s secrets to uncover along the way and we get to see Jonathan grow a backbone and some principle as well. This one is another excellent addition to the series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.