Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake (2024)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Gah, the angst. This one is a second chance romance that involves one person having left the other at the altar. And we do get a flashback to the wedding day and it is absolutely heart-breaking. Charlotte believes her Decembers are cursed, between her absentee mother and a fiancee that left her at the altar during a December wedding. She ends up on Christmas vacation with her quartet of holiday loners at a very cheery queery mountain town in Colorado. Only to find out that her ex-fiancee, Brighton, is also there, being dragged there by a different family member. It’s totally awkward, Brighton is all sorts of guilty, Charlotte wants to pretend they don’t know each other, and their hostess’ mom is trying to set everyone up on this matchmaking activity. We get all sorts of small town small group chaos along with angst oozing out of every interaction. Even when you think that Charlotte and Brighton can’t reconcile their issues, we get to see how it all plays out. Loved it.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
Love Story by Lindsey Kelk (2024)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Sophie has secretly written a best-selling romance novel, but has not told her pretentious family about it. And the smug and charming Joe is somehow involved in the process and knows her secret. They’re all at her family home for her dad’s big birthday bash and Sophie and Joe keep getting thrown together at various circumstances. They’ve got loads of bickering and bantering and flirting, which is really fun to read. Plus, I loved all the references to the romance genre and its media criticism. Sophie’s family was chaotic and hilarious and just what you would expect in a rom-com situation with a big event that everyone’s gathered at. If you’re a regular romance-reader, I highly recommend this book.
Advance ebook provided by Harper360 via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne Long (2024)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Palace of Rogues series. Alexandra and Magnus have been estranged the entire five years of their marriage but reconnect when Magnus is back in England and needs to spring Alexandra out of jail. He insists that they make some strategic public appearances to maintain their reputations and then separate permanently. We slowly learn about how they came to be married in the first place and what caused their estrangement, but these two are essentially strangers to each other. I enjoyed seeing these two get to know each other in the present and realize that they have a simmering attraction to each other. The setting of our favorite boarding house also provided moments of levity and humor to balance the heartbreak and angst of our main couple. Another great book in this series.
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.
A Scandalous Marriage by Cathy Maxwell (2000)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Marriage series. Super interesting set up here with a prologue that starts with Devon running into a pregnant Leah in the countryside unexpectedly. We then jump a year backward to their first meeting, initial flirtation and secret relationship, until it ends in a duel between Devon and Leah’s brother. We then go back to the present where Leah is having a difficult labor for her baby and things seem dire. It’s interesting to follow these two people and the mistakes they both made in their initial encounters, especially knowing the history of their family rivalry. I loved seeing Devon become the true hero of the story saving Leah from her situation and opening up to a second chance with her, even with a baby that isn’t biologically his.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Silver Lady by Mary Jo Putney (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Dangerous Gifts series. Historical romance with a little bit of paranormal magic. Bran is one of the adopted sons of an earl and countess known for working with gifted children. These gifts encompass a wide variety of powers, like heightened intuition or healing or foretelling. Oftentimes, this society shuns those with these gifts, like Bran’s father did. As an adult working for the Home Office, Bran is approached by a baron’s solicitor with speculation that Bran is the heir to the title. He decides to visit the family and learn more about the estate, guided by his intuition. While in Cornwall, he ends up rescuing a young woman who had been kidnapped and held against her will. These two have a strong connection to each other, but her mind needs to be healed before anything further can occur. This book was packed with so much action and plot and I was intrigued by the world of these special gifts and powers. I enjoyed watching Bran and Merryn grow closer together and then work together to thwart a bigger villain.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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