Weekly Reads: November 14 to 20, 2022

Lots of books this week as I finished out the last three books in Mary Balogh’s Survivors’ Club series. Remember to subscribe to get the latest reviews of everything I’ve read (even the smutty Kindle Unlimited books I don’t talk about anywhere else).

Villain I’d Like to F Anthology by Eva Leigh, Nicola Davidson, Joanna Shupe, Adriana Herrera, and Sierra Simone (2022)

Historical romance anthology. I have mixed feelings about anthologies in general. They’re both delightful and overwhelming all at once. The overwhelm is knowing that I have a huge book with multiple stories to read and it feels impossible to finish. The delight is where my favorite authors have written a quick novella that I can finish in a day. So I started to realize that I should just treat an anthology book as five distinct novellas that I should pace myself to read. And that’s what I did with this one. At this time, I’ve only read three of the five novellas in the anthology and found them all such fun to read. I enjoyed how the villain characters were completely unapologetic about their desires and that their love interests have come to appreciate them exactly as they are, without wanting to change them for the better. And as expected, the novellas I’ve read here deliver on all the spicy escapades I’ve come to expect from this group of authors.

Advance ebook provided by Nicola Davidson.

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Merry Miss by Annabelle Anders (2022)

Historical romance set in Regency-era England. Book 9 of the Regency Cocky Gents series. Novella. Delia is on the way to become an elderly lady’s companion and finds some travel difficulty, nearly becoming lost in the snow on the side of the road. While on his way to visit his family, Jack rescues a cold and shivering Delia and brings her to his room in an inn. Quick read and fun to see this rake show care and tenderness to Delia.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

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Only a Promise by Mary Balogh (2015)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Survivors’ Club series. Ralph feels terribly guilty that his three friends followed him to war and did not survive. He’s cold and emotionless and empty. As heir to a dukedom from an elderly and ailing grandfather, he knows his immediate duty is to marry. Chloe is visiting the duke and duchess as she is the daughter of the duchess’ god daughter and attempting to serve as a companion. She hears of Ralph’s plight and proposes a marriage of convenience to him, no emotional ties, and no disappointment. Chloe’s reputation is mired in scandal, with her younger sister running off with a married man years ago, and recent speculation that her acknowledged father is not her natural father. She’s looking forward to the comforts of the countryside. However, tragedy strikes soon after the wedding and they’re bound for the London Season after all. Definitely a slow burn angsty romance with all the drama you’d expect from Balogh. And you come to adore Ralph’s grandparents through the story.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Bridgerton Fanfic: The Duke & The Redhead by rayna_ray

Simon/Penelope one-shot. At Lady Danbury’s ball, Simon is bombarded with the ambitious mamas and their daughters. He singles out Penelope for a dance. Cute, short, sweet.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Bridgerton Fanfic: I’ll Keep Climbing by LightLeadingMe

Colon/Penelope smutty one-shot. After the events of Season 2 of the show, Colin is frustrated that Penelope is avoiding him. He drunkenly climbs into her bedroom through her window.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh (2015)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Survivors’ Club series. The only woman of the club, Imogen, witnessed her husband’s torture and death while at war. She now lives in the dower house of her late husband’s family estate, while her aunt-in-law lives in the main house with her cousin companion. The new earl, Percy, having gained the title two years prior, is visiting the estate for the first time. He has come mainly to see if anything needs to be addressed on the estate, establish a trustworthy steward, and return to his indolent and frivolous lifestyle in the city. Imogen and Percy start with a somewhat antagonistic relationship, with neither of them communicating clearly. However, they soon start a friendship and then an affair. Meanwhile, there’s an underlying plot in town related to the issue of smuggling and the backstory of how an earl’s heir somehow found himself going to war, with his wife in tow.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham (2022)

Nonfiction/Memoir. I have been a fan of the show Gilmore Girls since it originally aired in the early 2000s back on the now-defunct WB network. While I was practically the same age as Rory Gilmore (I’m a mere year older than the character was during the original airing), I was equally invested in the story and plot of Lorelai Gilmore, portrayed by actress Lauren Graham. After the series ended, I didn’t keep up with the actors from the show and moved along to other entertainment pursuits. When the Gilmore Girls revival, A Year in the Life, premiered on Netflix, I binge-watched it in a weekend. After that, the very smart Netflix algorithm suggested that I watch Parenthood (another show that starred Lauren Graham), so I watched that too. Shortly after that, I read and enjoyed Graham’s first memoir, Talking as Fast as I Can (2016). Knowing that I’d been a fan of Graham’s acting and writing, I picked up the current book when I saw it was available as an influencer audiobook listening copy from Libro.fm. This year’s offering is self-narrated in audiobook format and shares even more essays and insights into Graham’s life as an early actress, adjusting to the body image and health fads in Hollywood, and aging as a female person in the industry. I appreciated her witty humor and ability for storytelling in this book. In audiobook format, it’s like having a conversation with a friend.

Audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

Only Beloved by Mary Balogh (2016)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Survivors’ Club series. Last and final book of the series. As the Duke of Stanbrook, George had opened his home to wounded soldiers of war after the death of his son and the suicide of his distraught wife. After all six weddings in the past two years of all his fellow Survivors, George realizes he is lonely and in want of companionship. He thinks back to a woman he met over a year ago, a music teacher to one of his fellow Survivors (he met the lady in Book 4) and returns to her town to propose marriage. Dora is a 39-year old spinster, having given up her debut after her mother ran off with another man to care for her young sister Agnes (the heroine of Book 4). George and Dora agree on a marriage of companionship, friendship, and comfort. All of this is settled probably within the first quarter of the book, and then we move onto a quick engagement period, then a wedding, and then the journey to George’s estate in Cornwall. While these two are contented with each other, there’s still a lingering issue of George’s unwillingness to speak of the past and an ugly incident during their wedding with his late wife’s half-brother. We start to see hints of the reality (and misery) of George’s first marriage, but we have a long wait until he finally reveals himself to Dora. Meanwhile, Dora is wrestling with her own hurts related to her mother’s abandonment and it was sweet to see them make strides toward reconciliation. Overall, this was a great cap to this emotionally wrought series and a good reminder of why I love Mary Balogh’s books so much.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Daring Done Right by Charlie Lane (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-ish era England. Book 6 of the Debutante Dares series. The younger sister of the lady from Book 1 of the series has been risking her reputation for a series of bets and dares among the gentleman of the ton. She’s seeking out funds to secretly support a financially unstable medical clinic. Her best friend’s older brother had a previous reputation for being daring, but has turned into a serious and overbearing sort of fellow after the death of his mother. He seeks to discourage the lady’s brash behavior, but she brings out the daring and fiery side to himself. Loved reading the banter between these two!

Advance ebook provided by Wolf Publishing via NetGalley.

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Lonely Beard by Cassie Mint (2022)

Contemporary romance, novella. Book 2 of the Mail Order Mountain series. Our guy has struck out three times with the mail order soulmate service, so he’s finally quitting the matchmaking program. A lady from the company has flown out to meet him in-person to find out more about him to improve her matchmaking skills. She gets stuck outside his cabin when her car won’t start in a storm and she needs to spend the night. Super quick insta-love novella to read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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How to Be a Wallflower by Eloisa James (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Would-Be Wallflowers series. Cleo is interested in being a wallflower and plans to order a drab wardrobe. When she visits a costumer, the company has been purchased by an American businessman who wants to move the company out of England. She gets into a confrontation with Jake, the businessman, and declares that she’s purchased the company instead. These two start a competition, and then strike a bargain, and then he starts to court her in earnest. It’s definitely a case of him falling first and changing all his plans, while trying to break down her defenses with her late mother’s fickle behavior and her previous fortune-hunting fiancee. Fun to read and pretty light on the drama and angst.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.