Weekly Reads: June 10 to 16, 2024

Silk Is for Seduction by Loretta Chase (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Dressmakers series. Marcelline is the oldest sister and ambitious dress designer who wants to catch a future duchess as a client. In order to do this, she kind of almost maybe seduces the Duke of Clevedon who’ll be footing the bills, but he’s more intrigued by Marcelline and not interested in rushing to the altar with the woman he’s had an understanding with since childhood. As much as Marcelline tries to resist Clevedon’s advances and prioritize the interests of her business, she keeps slipping up and ends up in his arms. It’s rough going when she realizes he’s in love with this guy, while also becoming friendly with his almost-fiancee. I enjoyed seeing both of their struggles between propriety, duty, and their actual feelings for each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (2024)

Fantasy. Standalone novel. Picked this one up because it was the June Romantasy Book Club pick for my local indie bookstore. I would categorize is as fantasy with some romantic elements. We have an interesting story that takes place in Spain where a servant girl, Luzia, shows signs of magic. And then her employer decides to make her a dinner spectacle, and then they all catch the attention of some patron who’s going to enter Luzia into some magic showcase to win political favor. There’s a huge cast of characters here and it’s all very complicated, but kind of interesting to see all the political maneuvering. Luzia’s love interest in the story is Santangel, who has his own brand of magic and is somehow tied to his master. There’s a backstory there too, which was interesting to discover. This book started pretty slow for me since I had to learn who all the key players were and why they were important, but the pace picked up around halfway through the book. It ultimately gave me similar vibes to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, even though the plot and setting were entirely different.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Viscount’s Marriage of Inconvenience by Barbara Russell (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Victorian Outcasts series. Keith and Violante meet when she injures him in the snow with her sled and then brings him home to be cared for by her physician father. He was a malnourished servant from the neighboring escape, but pretty much rescued by Violante’s father when allowed to stay and recuperate, and then join the servants there. Over the next year or so, Keith and Violante develop a strong friendship and a crush on each other, despite their differences in social station. Everything comes crashing down when Keith discovers the father’s terrorist plot and goes to the police. From here, the paths diverge greatly and Violante ends up a pickpocket and Keith is a wealthy businessman recently awarded a viscount title. When they run into each other again, Keith wants very much to care for Violante, even though her pride will not accept his charity. For business reasons, they end up in a fake marriage at a country house party, and of course things get all sorts of messy. This was another high-drama addition to this series and I enjoyed reading it.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via BookSprout.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute and fun rom-com about an author who fakes her identity to get a chance at a book deal. Daphne is in a whole lot of trouble when she realizes that her teenage zombie fighter book has sold under the pen name and fake biography of Zane Remington. Luckily, her best friend and lawyer has an actor lined up to play Zane for photo ops and interviews. Except Chris is not actually even an actor, he’s actually a nerdy accountant who needs a break. Chris and Daphne are adorable together and definitely each have a crush on the other, even as they try to keep things professional. It’s nice to see them team up together as the book gets even more popular and they end up on book tour. It’s a whole lot of mess as they navigate their respective fake identities.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

In Scandal with the Duke by Stacy Reid (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Sins and Sensibilities series. American heiress Elizabeth would rather stay unmarried than be stuck with a suitor who prefers her money, so she tries to keep her wealth quiet, until her meddlesome aunt blabs about it. Also, she keeps running into this super arrogant and pretentious duke who is friends with her brother. James finds Elizabeth refreshingly honest and he can’t get her out of his mind, even though he doesn’t mess with marriage-hunting innocents. They start a little affair, knowing that Elizabeth is planning to go home to New York and she just wants to experience a bit of fun before she goes. We get a very steamy book here with weeks and weeks of trysting, only to be interrupted by the development of real feelings and that meddlesome aunt again.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shop this book via Amazon // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Dressmakers series. Lots of bickering, flirting, plus a road trip in this book. Sophy is a dressmaker and secret newspaper informant, often in disguise as a maid at various social events. The Earl of Longmore doesn’t understand why no one notices Sophy everywhere they go, but he’s mostly an oblivious male here not knowing that dressmakers are treated as overlooked servants. Clearly, he’s biased by his own attraction for her. We get into some drama around Longmore’s sister, who is publicly compromised at a ball, engaged to a dowry-seeking scoundrel, and who runs off and needs chasing. Longmore and Sophy end up on the road together to find his sister, and make the most of the trip by starting a physical affair. It’s fun and chaotic and flirty, even though it seems like there’s no hope for an actual future.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Night Song by Beverly Jenkins (1994)

Historical romance. 1880s Kansas. Standalone novel. Slow burn high steam romance here between a Kansas schoolteacher and a handsome army sergeant. We start with a tragic prologue for Cara as she loses her grandfather to Union soldiers and then jump to present day where she’s a teacher in small-town Kansas. There, she re-meets Chase, an arrogantly handsome army man passing through town temporarily. He flirts, she refuses, until she doesn’t. But he’s planning on leaving, so it’s all just a temporary fling. Except deeper feelings are taking root, amidst the drama of small town life. We get lots of time jumps here as they part ways and reconnect multiple times over the next year. Super romantic and sweet, along with steamy.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Earl and the Country Girl by Eva Devon (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Felix is doing such a terrible job at pretending to be a stablemaster that local apothecary’s daughter Alice realizes that he’s a fraud pretty quickly. Felix is actually the earl who owns to village and estate and he’s trying to find out if his estate manager is embezzling funds. In exchange for Alice’s help in learning how to play his part, he promises to set her up as a perfumer’s apprentice in London. The books is split pretty much into two parts, with the first being all the village happenings and catching the villain there; then when we go to London, Alice gets to learn the trade she’s so interested in. Plus, we get Felix and Alice start an affair with each other, knowing that neither are interested in marrying each other. Alice is afraid that having a husband will derail her dreams and plans, while Felix is afraid of any attachment at all because he doesn’t want to cause or feel loss or grief. But you know they’ll fall in love with each other anyway, and at least they’re having a good time along the way.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.