Weekly Reads: January 20 to 26, 2025

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Big Shots series. Burly grumpy single dad hockey player Burgess has just hired marine biology grad student Tallulah to be his live-in au pair for his pre-teen daughter. And Tallulah has some trauma from her past that makes her wary of moving on with the oversized athlete. Nevermind the tingles she feels when she’s with him. Burgess of course tries his best to make her feel comfortable, but ends up needing her help desperately when dealing with his daughter. Burgess thinks he’s way too old for Tallulah and feels a bit creepy for hitting on her, but there’s definitely a mutual attraction. Super steamy, even if both of these people are totally unsure of themselves. Definitely a fun read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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To Pleasure a Prince by Sabrina Jeffries (2005)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Royal Brotherhood series. Marcus is a reclusive viscount who detests society and all its pretense, but he’s worried about his sister Louisa’s entry into society. He’s also highly suspicious of the duke that’s courting her, believing it to be a scheme from the Prince Regent. That duke’s sister Regina comes to call on Marcus ask him to allow a courtship, but they end up in a bargain of their own instead. The duke can court Louisa, if Marcus can court Regina. And then we begin a game where they test each other’s boundaries with flirting and scheming. Regina’s also hiding some big secret about herself and doesn’t want Marcus to find out and use it against her. Loads of drama and intrigue here and very entertaining to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Widowed Juliana is re-entering the workforce after years of being a stay-at-home mom and of course she overhears Ben disparaging her lack of experience and need to accommodate her kids. This sets off a rivalry with lots of bickering and maybe a little workplace sabotage for the next two years. It’s probably more than a little unprofessional, considering Juliana is part of the Human Resources department. But then they get stuck together on a work project and need to learn to work together. Oh, and there’s some simmering attraction along with the bickering and rivalry. The romance here follows fairly typical angry flirting and kissing tropes, and when they finally do get together, Juliana wants to keep things quiet so it doesn’t upset her kids or threaten her standing at work. It’s all sorts of messy and while it wasn’t my favorite combination of trope and setting, the book was funny and steamy.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillian Audio.

A Dangerous Kind of Lady by Mia Vincy (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Longhope Abbey series. This one is the messiest fake engagement books I’ve read. Arabella and Guy were betrothed as children, but Guy is bucking against everything his father has ever commanded, so he refuses to marry her. Arabella is just trying to stall her own father’s control and wants a fake engagement with Guy until her other neighbor can return to the country for a marriage of convenience. But Guy is stubborn and not listening, so he refuses and Arabella ends up engaged to someone much more lecherous and dangerous. There’s also some background plotting with Guy’s sisters and their guardian and him slowly realizing that Arabella almost always knows best. There’s scandal and intrigue and definitely group of strong defiant women. I loved this book so much and loved how Guy and Arabella slowly learned to be honest and vulnerable with each other.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook accessed from Audible.

One Night with a Prince by Sabrina Jeffries (2005)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Royal Brotherhood series. Widowed marchioness Christabel needs assistance recovering some incriminating letters that her late husband had stolen and sold to pay off his gambling debts. Somehow, Gavin, the unacknowledged illegitimate son of the Prince Regent is recruited for the job in exchange for a barony. In order to gain entrance to a house party, Christabel needs to pose as Gavin’s mistress and learn to play an impressive game of cards. She thinks it’ll just be a ruse, but Gavin is determined to make it a true liaison. There’s a lot of push and pull here with Christabel’s steadfast refusal, and she’s generally confused by her newfound lustful thoughts. We get some added intrigue with all the scandalous card players at the party and we get to see Gavin soften and truly care for Christabel. Loved seeing the strong-willed nature of Christabel and how she was able to adapt to her new environment.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke’s Guide to Fake Courtship by Jade Lee (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Daring Debutantes series. Declan is a stuffy duke with a history of angry outbursts and he’s just trying to keep his emotions in check. Somehow his meddling mother is trying to get him to stop his cousin from marrying an unsuitable illegitimate daughter of an Englishman, so he goes to meet the girl. Grace is half-English and half-Chinese about the launch into English society after living as an outcast in China. She immediately intrigues Declan and he’s protective of her, especially in light of his own cousin’s scheming for her dowry. Circumstances push them into a fake courtship to preserve her reputation, but there’s definitely a deeper connection simmering. Quick read and nice to see some diversity in our stuffy English settings.

Advance ebook provided by Harlequin Books via NetGalley.