Weekly Reads: September 30 to October 6, 2024

The Blacksmith’s Borrowed Bride by Ginny B Moore (2024)

Historical romance. Part of the Curves and Cravats series. Heiress and suffragist Adelaide is on her way to her own wedding when carriage trouble puts her in proximity to handsome burly blacksmith Will. This quick novella is a mix of road trip obstacles, social class differences, and a physical affair between Adelaide and Will. Super steamy and enjoyable to read.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann (2024)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. This book was my local indie bookstore’s romance book club pick for October. A haunted house is getting the reality TV treatment and Lucky is hired as the host and she’s got a bonus talent for being able to read people’s personalities. As she settles into the house, she’s trying to figure out how and why it’s haunted, and she’s also drawn to show producer Maverick, who insistently calls to check in on her. Maverick’s got a precocious ten-year-old daughter named Rebel, who is pretty much my favorite character of the book. This book moved at a fairly slow pace for me, and I’m not sure I really found the romance aspect believable. It just seemed very sudden for Maverick to be instantly obsessed with Lucky. Interesting premise, but ultimately, not for me.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

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

The Virgin Who Captured a Viscount by Anna Bradley (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Swooning Virgins Society series. We get a case of forgotten identity here when Daniel needs to be convinced that he really did grow up in a small town in Scotland and needs to go back there with childhood friend Mairi to make sure her grandmother doesn’t hang for his murder. He doesn’t remember Mairi or her grandmother, so he’s wary and skeptical throughout the road trip from London to Scotland, but she does seem to be able to convince him of her attraction to him. And when they get to the small town, there’s even more mystery to unravel regarding Daniel’s history and why someone wanted him dead twenty years ago. I enjoyed both the mystery solving and the romance aspect of this book and it was nice to see our strong and steady Daniel come to terms with his past.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novella. Viola and Jesse are video game designers who work for rival companies and are stuck together at a winter company retreat where the two companies need to bond in preparation for a joint project. Things are awkward for Viola since Jesse has pretty much been ignoring her for the past five years, but it’s really a big misunderstanding and they’re happily snowed in to work out their issues. This was a fun and quick read, with all the miscommunication, humor, and steam you should expect from Ali Hazelwood.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

When the Duke Comes to Play by Kelsey Swanson (2024)

Historical romance. Part of the Curves and Cravats series. Quick steamy novella here. Ariel is about to turn 30 years old and hires a male courtesan to take her virtue. We get a case of mistaken identity when Charles comes to the door instead. He’s at the house to buy a horse from her brother, but her brother isn’t there, and Charles decides to go through with the seduction and bedding of Ariel. He’s leaving town shortly thereafter and it won’t be a big deal. Except he’s actually a duke and she’s a proper lady and they run into each other at a ball a few days later. They decide to continue with the affair until he goes back home to America and both try really hard not to fall in love with each other. Super steamy romance!

Advance ebook provided by Kelsey Swanson.

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.

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.

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.

Voluptuous by Felicity Niven (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Curves and Cravats series. Henrietta has been pining for her father’s friend Oliver for ages and ends up marrying him when they get caught in a compromising situation. But the dour and moody Oliver feels guilty for his previous wives’ deaths and feels guilty for lusting after his friend’s daughter, so it’s a marriage in name only. We get to see a friendship and partnership develop over the first two years of the marriage, until finally Henrietta asks for a baby. And then they realize they’ve both been attracted to each other the whole time. This book was sweet and steamy, all in one, and I loved seeing Henrietta’s sunshine help to bring Oliver closer to his young son. Delightful read with some vibes that remind me of Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas.

Advance ebook provided by Felicity Niven.