Weekly Reads: November 28 to December 4, 2022

Total mishmash of different books this week, mostly holiday historical novellas.

A Little Christmas Magic by Chasity Bowlin (2022)

Historical romance, Regency/Victorian-era England. Novella. A dastardly cousin is trying to evict a young woman from her home, saying that her brother has died overseas and that he has now inherited the manor. A solicitor from the evil cousin’s law firm has come to town to assist in the eviction, but a romance begins between the lawyer and the young woman instead. The young woman has the gift of sight and has predicted the romance between herself and the lawyer, but isn’t sure whether to believe it true or just wishful thinking. Also, there’s her belief that her brother hasn’t died at all. We have a fun insta-love, trapped in a snowstorm, novella here.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Ruthless Rivals series. The Davies and Montgomery families have been rivals for centuries. But it’s a friendly sort of rivalry where the kids played together growing up and mostly just bickered with each other. When Morgan is ready to go out to sea, Harriet gives him a reason to come back, by allowing him three kisses if he survives and returns. A few years later, he survives torture and imprisonment and wants only one thing when he returns: Harriet’s hand in marriage. However, with their history of fighting and dares, he knows that she won’t believe him if he proposes outright, so he plans to seduce her and wear her down. This book was fun and low-angst between our two rivals, aside from a few little brushes with dastardly villains. Overall, I loved seeing Morgan scheme to bring Harriet into his arms and her trying to resist him. And I loved that both of their families were supportive and knew that these two loved each other even before they did.

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

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An Improper Proposition by Amy Rose Bennett (2014)

Historical romance, Regency-ish era England. Novella. Short and smutty encounter between a widowed countess and her younger and handsome footman. Super quick read.

Ebook provided free from the author via Amazon.

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Bridgerton Fanfic: a night at the opera by blondie1010

Anthony/Kate, years after Season 2. They go to the opera and see Siena on stage and then have an honest conversation about Anthony’s past. Quick little one-shot and nice seeing Anthony’s character growth.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Bridgerton Fanfic: closer to heaven above and closer to you by alljustrunaways

Anthony/Kate, after Season 2. Five open honest conversations they need to have. Similar to the idea of the fic I linked above. It’s just two people having mature conversations.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

No Marriage of Convenience by Elizabeth Boyle (2000)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Standalone novel. I had read a previous series by Elizabeth Boyle that I enjoyed, so I happened across this standalone novel and figured I’d give it a try. The plot here doesn’t fit the typical sort of tropes. We have a new earl who has inherited a lot of debt from his older brother, he’s got three very brash and ill-mannered nieces to bring out to society, a meddlesome kooky older cousin, and all he wants to do is go back to being a professor at Oxford. Meanwhile, we have a famous actress who owes this earl money, but she’s got her own backstory (being abandoned as a child) and possibly a stalker/murderer afoot. And these two are attracted to each other, but can’t really do anything about it, or shouldn’t do anything about it. It was a slow start, but once the nieces started behaving a bit more and interacting with other people in town, it got more entertaining. This one is just kind of awkward chaos in a book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant (2011)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Book 1 of the Blackshear Family series. The blurb on the back tells a story of a desperate widow (Martha) in need of an heir to protect her household from the man who stands to inherit and that she propositions a scoundrel of a man (Theo) to assist her. Going into this book, I expected it to jump straight into high steam, but I surprisingly found a rather cold and industrious woman completely uninterested in the pleasure that her partner could (and is willing to) provide. I started to feel pretty bad for the guy around the 30% mark since it cannot be any fun at all to have an indifferent partner in bed. Our guy has been exiled to this lesser property of his baronet father’s so that he can make some use of himself, rather than be a wastrel in town. And so we have our two very opposite personalities in a business arrangement involving coldly intimate relations. But somehow this book makes it all work… it is a delightful slow burn, with Theo slowly learning to care for the well-being of the laborers on his land, conversing with Martha about land management and his good works, and Martha slowly coming to admire him.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Maid Under the Mistletoe by Annabelle Anders (2020)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Novella. Eligible earl is courting a neighboring viscount’s daughter and expects to announce their engagement at their Christmas house party. However, he finds himself attracted to the girl’s maid instead, who was a vicar’s daughter now in service. Sweet and funny quick read!

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett (2022)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Novella. Young lady breaks into an earl’s apartments to steal back her father’s pocket watch. The earl has a grudge against her father since his own father’s intended eloped with him and left the jilted man heartbroken. However, he has been telling his grandmother that he is courting a girl and will give back the watch in exchange for a fake fiancee. And of course, these two grow closer together, despite the antagonistic start.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-ish era England. Julia is the Cinderella in the story, escorting her younger stepsister to a ball while her stepmother is ill. This is Julia’s one chance to find a husband, since her stepmother refuses to let Julia go to any balls. While protecting a rake from being compromised by a lady and called out in a duel by her husband, she kisses him and then runs away, thinking that she’s ruined. When the rake, our duke Gregory, comes to call the next day with her lost slipper, she proposes a marriage of convenience to him: He helps her get out from under her stepmother’s control and she helps him avoid the lecherous women of the ton. Both of these people are deeply insecure and play an emotionally detached role to protect themselves from being hurt. However, they have great chemistry together and enjoy each other’s company. I really enjoyed this debut novel from this author and am looking forward to reading more.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

An Improper Christmas by Amy Rose Bennett (2018)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Smutty novella. Young lady catches her fiancee with another woman and runs away from a house party. She ends up riding in a carriage with a notorious rake and then spends the night in his home. Quick and smutty, with a nice little change of heart for our rake.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

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A Gentleman Undone by Cecilia Grant (2012)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Book 2 of the Blackshear Family series. Younger brother, Will has returned from his time at war feeling guilty over the death of one of his soldiers. He aims to fulfill a promise to care for the man’s widow and child. In order to do that, he has been gambling to earn some extra cash. While at a gambling party, he meets another man’s mistress, Lydia, who has seemingly swindled him out of money, and he confronts her. Eventually, these two team up to improve their odds of winning. This one is another slow burn from this author, with these two having an antagonistic relationship, moving on to being partners in crime, and fighting their attraction for each other.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.