The Duke’s All That by Christina Britton (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Seraphina is living in the Isle of Synne with her two sisters running the circulating library on the island. She’s got a mysterious past and a bit defensive and skittish. Turns out she was married many years ago, betrayed by her love, sent to an asylum, and then ran away with her sisters to protect them from their father. Her security is disrupted when her long-lost husband Iain shows up on the Isle to demand a divorce from Seraphina. He believes that he was betrayed by her all those years ago, then believed she was dead, and only just learned that she was alive. And now that he’s a duke, he’ll need to marry again in the future and need to be free and clear to do so. He doesn’t tell Seraphina that he’s a duke, just in case she has aspirations of being a duchess, but they do set off on a road trip to get that divorce. Along the way, they do actually start to talk to each other about what went wrong all those years ago and realize that they were both told lies by her father. He’s interested in making the marriage real, but she refuses and wants to go back to her quiet life with her sisters. It’s all a huge mess, made worse by the fact that Iain is still secretly a duke.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (2024)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. Misery is the daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman often used as a political pawn. The latest ordinance from her father is to marry the Were Alpha leader Lowe to form an alliance and prevent all-out war. She’s totally apprehensive of the whole thing, but she believes that Lowe is the key to finding her missing best friend. Of course, she thinks that Lowe hates her and is disgusted by her scent, but we’re guessing that Lowe thinks Misery smells just peachy and is trying to avoid getting his heart broken. We get all sorts of interesting political drama and maneuvering with this book, plus a slow build of trust and friendship for Misery and Lowe. Add in some phermonal mating glands, feeding lust, and knotting, and we end up with Hazelwood’s spiciest traditionally published novel to date.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

In Want of a Viscount by Lorraine Heath (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Chessmen series. Leonora is an American inventor in England with her family seeking investors in her writing machine, although her crass overbearing mother is seeking a titled husband for Leonora. She sneaks off to a ladies’ club and asks for a kiss. The club owner seems to be short-staffed in the gentlemen escort department and asks his own titled brother, Rook, to see to the kissing. Rook and Leonora don’t exchange names, but do exchange a kiss, leaving Leonora passed out from absinthe and Rook wondering what he did wrong. And of course, they cross paths later when Rook turns out to be a potential investor in the company. They flirt, they dance, they can’t seem to stay away from each other. And Rook is the only man (aside from her father) who has ever appreciated Leonora’s curiosity for machinery. However, Rook is not interested in marriage and basically a very controlled man who denies himself lustful indulgences due to his own father’s scandalous behavior. These two are fairly slow to realize they’re perfect for each other, but it’s a fun read along the way.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Serious and stern duke Alex catches Ian Eversea in bed with his fiance, so he decides to take his revenge by seducing and abandoning Ian’s sister, Genevieve. Except Genevieve is both too clever and too preoccupied to fall prey to Alex’s games. She’s spent the past few years in love with her good friend Harry, who she was hoping would propose to her during the house party her parents are hosting. Except that he tells her that he’s planning to propose to another woman. She puts up a calm facade but is most definitely heartbroken. When Alex shows up to the house party, Genevieve obeys her mother’s wishes to spend time with him, but she’s not interested in the much older man at all. Until they actually start talking to each other and getting to know each other and realize that it’s nice to talk to someone at the same intellectual level. And while Genevieve never becomes a victim to Alex’s revenge, she does end up attracted to him and conflicted about her feelings. Alex is also realizing that he’s his own victim as well, falling in love with Genevieve when she’s in love with someone else. A big huge muddle, but very entertaining to read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Chemistry of Familiar Objects by Alexandra Vasti (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novella. Emmeline and Robert share a building for their respective professions: she’s a chemist and he’s a printer. They are total opposites and do not get along at all. Except for the part where they’re inexplicably drawn to the other person. Emmeline starts the day by telling Robert that she’s purchased the building and he’s being evicted, but the end the day chasing after thieves that are stealing Emmeline’s work. We get a two or three day wild goose chase with these two grumpy outspoken people finally actually talking to each other. And more-than-talking to each other. Super fun with lots of hijinks.

Ebook available for free at author’s website.

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To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Regency Vows series. Violet and James have been married for five years, and four of them have been spent in chilly silence from an argument that none of their friends know the details about. And now suddenly Violet is feigning consumption to get James’ sympathy and attention. But he’s onto her pretty quickly. It’s basically just a comedy of errors and miscommunication all the way around and really fun to read and watch these two get back together. This book was a really nice set up for the friend group that surrounds both Violet and James and these meddlesome friends get their romances in future books of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Regency Vows series. Widowed Diana has bet marquess Jeremy that he’ll marry within the year, adding drama to their bantering bickering semi-friendship over the years. Meanwhile, his last lover has critiqued his bedroom skills and he needs some honest feedback, so he propositions Diana for the job. She accepts, but is also meanwhile trying to set Jeremy up with another eligible miss. They’re both completely stubborn about their feelings and often put up a charming and carefree facade in society; and of course are only ever open and vulnerable with each other. Another great book in the series with a nice set up for the next one.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Regency Vows series. We finally get to see the romance between Emily and Julian here in a marriage of convenience story. We start at the end of the house party from Book 2, where Julian has been sort of courting Emily and hinting to her that he would be able to save her family’s debt as her husband. We start right with a proposal in Chapter 1 and learn Julian’s motivations for marrying (he wants to improve the reputation of his scandalous theater to gain the approval of his estranged father). Emily is finally enjoying a bit of freedom away from her overbearing parents and learning to express her own opinions, instead of always being so prim and proper. The romance between these two was easy and fun to read, with an interfering kitten adding to the comedy-factor of the story. Loved this book and probably my favorite of the series so far.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Regency Vows series. Viscount Penvale (older brother to Diana, from Book 2) finally has the opportunity to purchase his family’s estate back from his uncle, but he needs to marry his uncle’s ward, Jane, as part of the deal. Jane is socially awkward and kind of sharp, so Penvale’s group of happily married friends are all skeptical of the union. After the arranged marriage takes place and Penvale and Jane are back at the estate, she starts to enact her plan of haunting the castle to drive Penvale away. Jane thinks that he’ll just go back to his life in London, leaving her alone in the seaside as she desires. This one is definitely a slow-burn towards friendship and then love, with lots of humor as Penvale figures out pretty quickly that Jane is the culprit of the haunting. And we get to see everyone back together for a house party towards the end of the book. Since I read an advanced copy of this book, there wasn’t a sneak peak of the next book that the author is working on. I’m hoping that we will finally get the romance between Sophie and West (the older brother of James from Book 1), which has been strongly hinted at through the course of four books. I was absolutely delighted by all four books in this series and looking forward to reading anything that Martha Waters writes in the future!

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

To Woo and to Wed by Martha Waters (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Regency Vows series. West and Sophie had been courting seven years ago, until West’s disapproving father got involved and Sophie ended up married to someone else. Not only that, but West was badly injured in a curricle race that also killed his best friend, and he’s been in a rough place ever since. Now that widowed Sophie is back in West’s social sphere, they just keep running into each other at various events. He’s pretty sure that she’s not open to another courtship, so he tries his best to keep his distance. Until Sophie proposes a fake engagement to West so that her sister would be willing marry her own suitor without fear of Sophie’s loneliness. Seeing an opportunity to spend more time with Sophie and to rile up his horrible father, West agrees. And so we have a fake engagement second chance situation where these two finally talk about what went wrong all those years ago.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

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Dreaming of a Duke Like You by Sara Bennett (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Romancing the Dukes series. Vivienne is the sister of a young baronet who has gotten himself into a load of gambling debt after the bad influence of his friends. She tries to appeal to the gambling hell owner Gabriel for a reprieve, since they’re really very poor and unable to pay the debts. He’s a shrewd businessman and refuses, leaving her to worry over her brother’s financial situation. Gabriel soon learns that he is actually the legitimate son and heir to a duke, despite being abandoned at an orphanage after his mother’s death. He has inherited an impoverished estate, a dragon of a grandmother, and six unruly sisters. He and his sisters all need polishing in order to fit in with London society. Vivienne and her brother are still worrying over their debts to Gabriel with their stepfather’s treachery looming over them, but Gabriel hasn’t had the time to deal with that yet. Eventually, Gabriel comes to an arrangement with Vivienne where he will forgive the debt completely, if she will assist in tutoring his sisters for society. This book had a bit of a slow start as Gabriel and Vivienne deal with their circumstances separately for awhile. Their bargain and proximity to each other doesn’t really begin until halfway through the book. However, once Vivienne starts to see how Gabriel interacts with his many sisters, it’s clear that she’s falling in love with him.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Duchess and the Wolf by Lydia Drake (2023)

Historical Romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Debutantes of London series. Susannah is nearly engaged to a duke, but is having misgivings about it and would rather travel and see the world. While out with a friend at a gambling den, she happens to play the piano is a seemingly empty room. Rafe, the owner of the club, stumbles upon her there and is encouraged to hire her to bring more sophisticated patrons to the club so that he can secure a business deal. He offers her a large sum of money in exchange for her playing at the club. While Susannah declines at first, she soon realizes that the money would give her the opportunity to run away from her imminent engagement. Rafe and Susannah attempt to keep their relationship professional, but Rafe is an awe of her playing and Susannah sees glimpses of Rafe’s kindness towards his employees. It’s a total social mismatch here, but Susannah goes after what she wants, even at the risk of displeasing her family.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Merriwell Sisters series. Venus and Galahad have been at odds with each other since their first meeting without a real reason. However, things will probably become a lot messier when Galahad purchases the property next door to Venus’ orphanage to build his new gambling hell. With a negligent wastrel father, Venus has little tolerance for vice and believes the worst of Galahad. Add in Venus’ general distrust of men (and her own reaction to men), she is constantly wary of Galahad’s overtures of friendship. Galahad doesn’t want a potential war on his doorstep, so he aims to enter a truce with Venus before telling her about the gambling hell plans. In spending more time with her, Galahad shows his honorable nature and kindness towards the orphans and makes Venus start to question her perception of him. Of course, it all comes crashing down when she learns about the property purchase and she’ll have to figure out if he’s worth forgiving. This book was a nice wrap up of the series, showing how far the sisters have come from their desolate circumstances in Book 1. I also enjoyed reading about Galahad’s history and why he is so emotionally closed off.

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

The Rake Gets Ravished by Sophie Jordan (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Duke Hunt series. Mercy’s idiot brother has lost their home and farm in a card game, so Mercy goes to the gaming hell in London to steal back the debt voucher from Silas, the ruthless gaming hell owner. She finds the voucher but also gets caught in Silas’ rooms, so she makes the excuse of having come to seduce him. He’s resistant at first and they banter a bit, but the steam starts early in this book before Mercy flees back to her farm. Once Silas realizes what she’s done, he comes after her and finds her (and her family) on the property that he would have owned. Over the course of the book, we learn that Silas really is an upstanding guy and would do anything to protect Mercy and ease her troubles.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (1994)

Pretty much the gambling hell book everyone thinks about, with Sara, the quiet country mouse doing research for her books, and Derek, the very rough and tumble self-made man. He spends most of the book obsessed with her and thinking he’s not good enough for her, until he wises up and goes after her anyway.

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

The Rogue to Ruin by Vivienne Lorret (2019)

Book 3 of the Misadventures in Matchmaking series. The fake engagement in this story is to warn off a villainous suitor. Although Ainsley and Reed are basically enemies with opposing businesses on the same street, she declares him to be her fiancee when faced with a terrible suitor from her past. While these two have never gotten along before and always bickered with each other, Reed becomes intensely protective of Ainsley and watches over her safety. And I think somehow they make the business stuff work out too.

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

A Scoundrel of Her Own by Stacy Reid (2021)

This one has a very sweet prologue with our two kids surviving in a cottage together alone for a few days. They become friends and vow to marry each other one day. Until the girl is rescued by her noble family and the poor boy is cut off from her forever. Many many many years later, Ophelia finds out from her father that her mother was a singer (and not the noble lady her father is married to). She wants to find out more about her mother, so she sings at clubs at night in disguise to get more information. Meanwhile, that poor boy turned into one of the wealthiest men in London, owning a gambling hell. He has pined after Ophelia for many years and finally has an opportunity to provide her with assistance. The years have definitely hardened both of these characters, but it’s delightful seeing them meet again as adults.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Prince of Broadway Joanna Shupe (2019)

Book 2 of the Uptown Girls Series. Florence, younger sister of Mamie from Book 1, wants to open her own casino. In order to learn from the best, she attempts to get casino-running lessons from Clayton, the most notorious casino owner in town. While she’s busy sneaking out and hanging out in the seedy part of town, Clayton is working on some behind the scenes real estate deals that will attempt to destroy the wealthy man that ruined his own family. Unfortunately, that man is Florence’s father and the house that’s being targeted is her grandmother’s residence. As he and Florence grow closer, he has to choose between his affection for her and his quest for revenge.

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

The Wicked Wallflower by Tracy Sumner (2022)

Pippa (a duke’s sister) has an unhealthy attraction to her brother’s friend Xander (a rogue and ex-smuggler). After running into each other enough times, they finally give in to the attraction, even though Xander is working through feelings of not being worthy and swearing off love. A fun adventure for Pippa and Xander, they just keep staring at each other and meeting up.

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

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Damned If I Duke by Anna Bradley (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Drop Dead Dukes series. Poor Prudence has been in a tough spot since her father lost a great deal of money to a certain rakish duke in a card game and she’s putting up with her friend’s matchmaking efforts while she’s visiting. Except, Prudence dreads the idea of having to marry to secure a home even though her father is on verge of selling their home. Meanwhile, rakish duke Jasper has just recovered some scandalous earrings from a former mistress and when Prudence discovers them, she tries to blackmail him into forgiving her father’s debts. She’s comically bad at blackmail though and both of these people are feeling generally guilty about their behavior. They’re also stupidly attracted to each other, even though they don’t really like each other. It’s a bunch of chaos and comedy with these two, but at least Jasper’s stodgy grandfather approves of Prudence.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

One Scandalous Kiss by Christy Carlyle (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Accidental Heirs series. Impoverished bookshop owner Jessamin accepts payment from a marquess’ daughter to kiss a grumpy viscount in public. She ruins her reputation in the process and causes a huge scandal, thereby losing her bookshop and finding herself a complete loss. Luckily, a noblewoman takes her on as a companion and provides a healthy salary. Our grumpy viscount Lucius can’t stop thinking of the ambush kiss or the lady who bestowed it, but he’s determined to get on with his duties by marrying an heiress to replenish the family coffers and restore his estate. Except that his aunt unexpectedly brings Jessamin to his house as her companion and he only has eyes for her. It’s an ill-suited match socially and financially, but they’ve clearly got deeper feelings here. I enjoyed the support from Lucius’ aunt and seeing him finally stand up for his choices over his duties.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Making of a Highlander by Elisa Braden (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era Scotland. Book 1 of the Midnight in Scotland series. Englishman John is stuck in Scotland due to some legal clause associated with the land he inherited from an old friend. In trying to strike a deal with the neighboring landowner, he finds himself needing to train for the next set of Highland Games to win a bargain. Neighboring daughter Annie (known as Mad Annie to the townspeople) is willing to give him lessons in the games in exchange for lessons in ladylike etiquette. While Annie has always been a brash, outspoken hoyden, she’s aiming to marry a lord for various reasons and needs help in becoming a proper lady. John and Annie keep things professional for awhile there, but they are clearly attracted to each other, and then we get the loveliest slow burn romance throughout the book. There’s a lot more drama and angst when Annie’s brother is wrongfully imprisoned, but John is ready to use all of his connections to assist, although he does it without Annie knowing. If you’ve read the Rescued from Ruin series by Elisa Braden, you’ll know that John is actually the son and heir to an earl, but he has kept his title and status a secret from Annie for much of the story due to his past experiences with women. And of course, Annie’s reaction to the news (and his past experiences) is exactly as you’d expect from the fiery lady.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Bride for His Convenience by Edith Layton (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone romance. Impoverished marquis Ian needs to marry a wealthy woman to restore his estates and pay for his ailing brother’s medical care. He’s pretty upset at having to sell himself into matrimony but finds Hannah to be a quiet biddable woman to marry. Hannah has only agreed to have her father buy her a husband after her heart was broken by a neighbor who left her for another woman. Though Hannah agrees to keep things practical in her marriage to Ian, she is very much attracted to him and finds that she likes him the more she gets to know him. Of course, Ian is determined to keep his distance and avoid getting emotionally entangled, especially as his pride is wounded by having to marry for money. These two toggle between direct communication and walking on eggshells around each other, wanting not to offend or demand too much of each other. However, this makes for a delightful slow-burn when they slowly become allies, then friends, and then more.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Pennyroyal Green series. This one is a romance between a scandalous widowed countess with and the country village vicar. Evie has recently moved to Pennyroyal Green after the death of her husband and hopes to build a new quiet life for herself, except that her reputation as a former actress and courtesan has followed her and caused the townsfolk to shun her without meeting her. She pleads her case with the handsome well-liked vicar Adam in hopes that he will introduce her to the ladies of the town. Adam is struggling with way too much adoration by the young women of the town along with his unwanted feelings of desire for Evie. He’s basically a poor sad sap who is confused about his emotions. But Evie is open and honest and vulnerable around Adam and he sees that she’s truly a good person in need of support and community. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and seeing how tough Evie was in the face of all the gossip surrounding her.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Perks of Loving a Viscount by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. Lady Philippa Strong is a duke’s sister who would rather wear breeches and gallivant around her country home than become the sparkling debutante next Season. She’s not interested in becoming a wife and mother and property of a man, so would like to retain her independence. Although when she meets the handsome new viscount next door, she’s starting to question her path a little. Seth is the son of the fourth son of a viscount and never expected to inherit anything. After spending most of his life at sea, he’s shocked to find that he’s suddenly the new viscount after the death of his uncles and father. With no experience in being on land or the ways of polite society, he relies on his new neighbors for help. Especially the help of Pippa to teach him how to ride a horse. As they spend more time together, Seth is sure that Pippa will make him an excellent wife, but he’s careful not to scare her off with declarations too soon. This one was another fun look at the Strong family and how well they accept each other. I also appreciate a man who quickly knows what he wants and goes after it.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

It Happened One Midnight by Julie Anne Long (2013)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Jonathan is the youngest son of a wealthy gentleman and told he must marry appropriately within the year to retain his allowance. Except that Jonathan has no intention of marrying and is more interested in his newfound investments. When he crosses paths with Thomasina, he believes that he’s immune to her charms and is mostly irritated by her antics. Except we soon learn that Tommy has a soft heart and is secretly rescuing children from untenable situations. The soft-hearted Jonathan gets caught up in the scheme as well, and these two oh-so-slowly fall in love. We’ve got a few more of Tommy’s secrets to uncover along the way and we get to see Jonathan grow a backbone and some principle as well. This one is another excellent addition to the series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming (2021)

Paranormal Fantasy Romance. Book 1 of the Mead Mishaps series. This book was the funniest thing I’ve read so far this year and it was an absolute delight. Cinnamon is a spice farmer leading a simple life in her quiet country village. Stumbling home drunk one night, she somehow saves a demon and frees him from a spell. Now, the dark and handsome demon Fallon needs her help in a mission to destroy a fake goddess who has imprisoned all the demons. Cinnamon is extremely hesitant for any sort of quest or adventure since her sister was snatched by a water monster years ago, but he threatens her family, so off she goes. Cinnamon and Fallon spend a whole lot of time together and of course grow closer as they spend their dangerous journey together. Along the way, they pick up more allies to join the fight against the fake goddess. This book was chaos and adventure and flirty fun the whole way through.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming (2022)

Paranormal Fantasy Romance. Book 2 of the Mead Mishaps series. Brie is a farmer and cheesemonger who does not have high expectations of love, but she definitely wants to avoid her creepy neighbor Jack who cannot take a hint. When he hands her a drink, she throws it back at him and ends up hitting Felix in the back of the head instead. When Felix sets eyes on Brie, his werewolf instincts instantly imprint on her and he declares his love for his newfound mate. Unfortunately, that drink that Brie had was spiked with a love potion, so she doesn’t trust that Felix’s feelings are real. Whether his desires are due to the potion or not, he can’t stay away from her and tries very hard to impress her. It’s basically the sweetest cutest thing you’ve ever seen, and Brie eventually gives into the physical benefits of having such a vigorous mate. This whole thing gets more complicated when there have been kidnappings of single women in the village and Felix gets super protective of Brie. We get to revisit our demon friends from Book 1, who have now settled into this quiet village and band together to save the kidnapped victims. This book is just more chaos and adventure and humor and so much fun.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming (2023)

Paranormal fantasy romance. Book 3 of the Mead Mishaps series. Dante, the storm dragon, is out to find his mate after 700-something years of bachelorhood. On the way, he stops by some other dragon’s castle to let him know that the false goddess has been defeated, and ends up scenting his mate right there. Cherry was abducted and then held captive for the past five years and is wary of pretty much everything. She and Dante are not really communicating very well, since Cherry is scared of him, and Dante just has poor social skills. She ends up drugging him, he bites her and sets off their bond, and then takes her back to his own castle in a frozen wasteland before passing out cold. While she’d like to escape, she doesn’t quite know how. She is also withholding information about her name and home, in case the crazy dragon attacks her family. They do finally manage to set out into the world, mostly because Cherry wants to see a unicorn, and they slowly start to come to an accord as they travel. Nevermind the intense attraction that Cherry is feeling due to the dragon’s honeymoon magic. Tons of chaos and humor in this book, similar to the previous books in the series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Beauty and the Spy by Julie Anne Long (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Holt Sisters Trilogy. Susannah’s life is upended when her father dies and leaves her penniless and living with an aunt in the country. Meanwhile, Kit is a bored spy with nothing to do so his stern father sends him out to the country to work on a folio of the flora and fauna of the region. Susannah and Kit have a chance meeting at the pond, leaving Susannah mostly embarrassed, but Kit discovers that she’s a skilled artist. He hires her to assist him in drawing all the plant and animal life for his assignment. As if that wasn’t enough, Kit believes that Susannah’s father was murdered by a traitor and that Susannah is now at risk. With all of the times Kit has saved Susannah’s life, it’s no wonder that she grows affection towards him. They spend even more time together unraveling the secrets of Susannah’s past and parents and look for evidence to incriminate the traitor. There’s tons of action and mystery in this one, along with the romance between our two leads.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Ways to Be Wicked by Julie Anne Long (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Holt Sisters Trilogy series. Ballet dancer Sylvie has run away from her home in France to England after she sees a mysterious letter hinting at a sister who might be hers. Except the sister isn’t at home and Sylvie has no money and nowhere to go. She ends up seeking help at the White Lily, a dance theater owned by the scandalous Tom, who she met on the mail coach on the way to London. He’s a charming sort of guy who all the dancers want for themselves, but he keeps himself professional and protective of his employees. He allows her to stay on as a dancer, even though she’s appalled at the type of dancing that is performed at this little theater. These two bicker and fight and flirt, and somehow manage to fall in love through all of that.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Secret to Seduction by Julie Anne Long (2007)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Holt Sisters Trilogy series. Sabrina is a vicar’s daughter who is possibly courting a curate and bound for a house party with her friend, where she hopes to spend more time with her suitor. However, that house party is at a scandalous earl’s house and Rhys intends to play a game at seduction with Sabrina to force her out of her own piety. It’s all secretive flirting, until they get caught in a compromising situation and need to marry. And then Rhys intends for them to live separate lives after they’ve married. Except that Sabrina is used to be helpful and productive, so she spends more time in the village seeing to the needs of the tenants. We also get to tie up the loose ends of the Holt family mystery, knowing that Sabrina is the third sister and that her family is looking for her. It was also interesting to see how Rhys is involved in the mystery as well. This book served as a satisfying conclusion to the overarching series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

The Duke’s Unexpected Love by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. We start with a tragic prologue for James, who is a duke’s heir that gets abducted by sailors and forced onto a ship with limited memory of who he is. Many years later, we find that he’s the captain of a ship for a prosperous shipping line and recently landed in England for his next assignment. A drunkard who turns out to be his childhood tutor recognizes him in a tavern and insists that he’s a lord. James is pretty much shocked and surprised, but when he visits the duke’s household, he’s instantly recognized as the missing son of the duke. Meanwhile, Sophie, the owner of the shipping company is recently widowed and considering propositioning the handsome James for an affair, not knowing his newfound status or identity. James has bigger ideas (like marriage) and is actually trying to keep this all secret because he wants Sophie to accept him as a man, rather than a title. Add in the fact that James as a gaggle of sisters and cousins soon-to-debut, and we’ve got the beginnings of an interesting series.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

The Duke’s All That by Christina Britton (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Seraphina is living in the Isle of Synne with her two sisters running the circulating library on the island. She’s got a mysterious past and a bit defensive and skittish. Turns out she was married many years ago, betrayed by her love, sent to an asylum, and then ran away with her sisters to protect them from their father. Her security is disrupted when her long-lost husband Iain shows up on the Isle to demand a divorce from Seraphina. He believes that he was betrayed by her all those years ago, then believed she was dead, and only just learned that she was alive. And now that he’s a duke, he’ll need to marry again in the future and need to be free and clear to do so. He doesn’t tell Seraphina that he’s a duke, just in case she has aspirations of being a duchess, but they do set off on a road trip to get that divorce. Along the way, they do actually start to talk to each other about what went wrong all those years ago and realize that they were both told lies by her father. He’s interested in making the marriage real, but she refuses and wants to go back to her quiet life with her sisters. It’s all a huge mess, made worse by the fact that Iain is still secretly a duke.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Duchess Takes a Lover by Jillian Eaton (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Ladies of Seduction series. Lonely and abandoned duchess, Mara, is rumored to be planning on taking a lover this season, much to the anger and dismay of her husband Ambrose. He comes back to the castle where he left her alone to confront her on the issue and finds a stern and outspoken wife instead of the meek and quiet woman he’d known before. We get to see bits of flashbacks to their courtship, knowing that Ambrose purposely sought to marry a woman he would not love so that he can stay in control of his placid emotions. But of course, he’s been in love with her this whole time without realizing it and he’s intensely jealous of the idea that she might take another lover. Both of these people are unwilling to risk their own emotions due to past trauma and heartache, but it’s clear that they actually just want each other and not anyone else.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

The True Heir by Merry Farmer (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Secrets of Nedworth Hall series. This book will make the most sense after reading the rest of the series because it has to do with the overarching mystery of a secret heir to a fortune. Millie is a farmer’s daughter who has been sponsored by a countess to attend the house party as a lady’s maid. A brief introduction to a helpful David has her believing that he’s a valet, but it is soon apparent that he’s a duke and very much out of her league. David is kind and thoughtful and really has very little tolerance for the chaos and mayhem of the house party. He’s disappointed to find that the only woman he’s drawn to (Millie) is a lady’s maid and very much below his station. However, we find out pretty quickly that they’re better suited than they think and we get to see a lot of secrets revealed in this story. Quick read and nice way to tie up the whole series.

Advance ebook provided by Merry Farmer via BookSprout

How Not to Hate a Duke by Jennifer Haymore (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Georgiana is a wealthy merchant’s daughter completely tired of the fortune hunters seeking her attention. She’s convinced by her good friend to attend a house party in the country to avoid some of those terrible suitors. Meanwhile, a certain dastardly duke is also invited to the same house party. Theo has recently inherited the title from his depraved father but is believed to be of the same ilk, leaving him emotionally exhausted by all the hatred by his neighbors and tenants. It doesn’t help that Georgiana’s family is the main opponent to Theo’s endeavors due to a long-standing family rivalry. When Georgiana and Theo realize they’re at the same house party, they first try to avoid each other, and then end up antagonizing (and then flirting with) each other. But you know that open communication does wonders, so they start to actually get along (and maybe even fall in love). The drama with Georgiana’s family is still looming though and Theo has a lot of work to do to fix his reputation on his estate.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (2024)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. Misery is the daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman often used as a political pawn. The latest ordinance from her father is to marry the Were Alpha leader Lowe to form an alliance and prevent all-out war. She’s totally apprehensive of the whole thing, but she believes that Lowe is the key to finding her missing best friend. Of course, she thinks that Lowe hates her and is disgusted by her scent, but we’re guessing that Lowe thinks Misery smells just peachy and is trying to avoid getting his heart broken. We get all sorts of interesting political drama and maneuvering with this book, plus a slow build of trust and friendship for Misery and Lowe. Add in some phermonal mating glands, feeding lust, and knotting, and we end up with Hazelwood’s spiciest traditionally published novel to date.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

In Want of a Viscount by Lorraine Heath (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Chessmen series. Leonora is an American inventor in England with her family seeking investors in her writing machine, although her crass overbearing mother is seeking a titled husband for Leonora. She sneaks off to a ladies’ club and asks for a kiss. The club owner seems to be short-staffed in the gentlemen escort department and asks his own titled brother, Rook, to see to the kissing. Rook and Leonora don’t exchange names, but do exchange a kiss, leaving Leonora passed out from absinthe and Rook wondering what he did wrong. And of course, they cross paths later when Rook turns out to be a potential investor in the company. They flirt, they dance, they can’t seem to stay away from each other. And Rook is the only man (aside from her father) who has ever appreciated Leonora’s curiosity for machinery. However, Rook is not interested in marriage and basically a very controlled man who denies himself lustful indulgences due to his own father’s scandalous behavior. These two are fairly slow to realize they’re perfect for each other, but it’s a fun read along the way.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Fake February Rake by Charlie Lane (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Rake Review series. Hades is a respectable doctor in London, until his greatcoat goes missing and is sighted on a man escorting women away at night time. This all gets reported upon in the gossip columns, ruining Hades’ reputation and causing his patients to seek medical care elsewhere. He’s out to confront the coat thief and reclaim his coat and finds Lady Ophelia wearing it to escort women away from their abusive situations and guide them to safety. They argue a bit and he eventually reports her actions to her father; who suggests that they marry each other to restore the good doctor’s reputation. Ophelia refuses at first since she’s totally untrusting of men, but he decides he’ll convince her to come around. As they spend more time together, she starts to see that Hades is not at all like the other men in her acquaintance and starts to admire him. In turn, he supports her acts in rescuing women in horrible conditions and admires her even more because of it. The romance here is relatively straightforward, with both parties communicating pretty directly about their stance and objectives.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

Never Woo the Wrong Lady by Charlie Lane (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Gentleman’s Guide to Courtship series. A duke with eight sisters is intent on marrying them off in short order, but those of marriageable age are uninterested in the task. This is mostly because they’re busy running a lending library of naughty books that their mother owned before she died. Andromeda believes herself to be safe from the task because of her secret fake fiancee who is actually a rare book supplier. Except that her brother’s friend Tristan is seeking a wife and has singled Andromeda out as his desired partner, regardless of her absent fiancee. Tristan is the older illegitimate son of an earl who now has guardianship of his thirteen-year old lordling brother, but the boy’s aunt continues to threaten the status of that guardianship. He needs a respectable wife to provide a maternal influence on the wayward teen and hopes that a duke’s sister will provide it. We have instant sparks between Tristan and Andromeda, despite her denials and reluctance. She’s mostly worried that her secret project will come to light and cause a scandal, especially since Tristan is a clever newspaperman. However, Tristan is oh so attentive to Andromeda and is very good at convincing her that they make good partners. This was a really great introduction to this series and I loved seeing their two families integrate together.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Mortgage of Convenience by Dani McLean (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Ghostwriter Bee is secretly working on her own novel but has hit a creative block and moved back to her hometown. On an impromptu trip to the bank with her brother’s best friend Sebastian, she offers herself up to him as a co-owner of the house he wants to buy so that he can qualify for the loan. She’s got a long-time crush on him, but can totally handle being a quiet unobtrusive housemate. Except that Sebastian also has a crush on Bee and doesn’t stand for her hiding in her room all day long. He tries very hard to break her out of her comfort zone, including maybe starting a physical relationship, which he wants to be the real deal and she wants to keep secret in case it doesn’t work out. Bee has a lot of growing to do within this book to get to the “settled down” phase that Sebastian is looking for. Flirty, steamy, funny story with Sebastian being the most supportive partner ever.

Advance ebook provided by Dani McLean via NetGalley.

The Earl’s Red Hot Wedding by Barbara Russell (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Victorian Outcasts series. Brandon and Emily meet as young adults on the train and quickly form a bond when they’re both injured in a tragic train accident. Despite promising to keep in touch, they’ve lost contact with each other for many years. Ten years after the accident, Emily is London with her aunt and cousin seeking employment as a governess, but is having difficulty doing so with her fear of carriages and enclosed spaces. Meanwhile Brandon has been the hermit earl for all these years, battling back pain from his train injuries as well as an opium addiction. When they finally cross paths again after all those years, Brandon seeks to make amends and recover their friendship. He soon learns that Emily’s aunt is about to steal her inheritance and proposes a quick marriage of convenience to save it. It’s a mad dash to Scotland to elope, further complicated by Emily’s fear of the train, but Brandon is determined to protect and soothe Emily along the way. I enjoyed reading about these two who are bound by tragedy, reconnect after all these years, and thwart their villains along the way to falling in love.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via BookSprout.

Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle (2024)

Contemporary Romance. Standalone novel. Dahlia is in a small mountain town looking for her missing sister and enlists the help of local grumpy hermit Winston. He’s apparently skilled at survival while hiking, so he helps her through the mountains. These two are full of banter and shy flirty glances, and apparently Winston is a stealth cinnamon roll. The forced proximity of the hike and huddling in the tent for warmth turns into huddling for more than just warmth. As we get closer to possibly finding Dahlia’s sister, we get to see some crazypants out-of-nowhere plot when we we’ve just been quietly hiking through the woods thus far. Super fun and sweet and we get some third-act adventure too.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.

Highland Heartbreaker by Steffy Smith (2024)

Historical romance. 14th Century Scotland. Book 2 of the Highland Hearts series. We have an arranged marriage here between the son of a Scottish laird and an English lady. Everyone is apprehensive of the match, but Alex is instantly attracted to Grace when he sets eyes on her. She generally has a nervous disposition but likes how welcoming Alex and his sister are to her. When Alex’s father shows up after the wedding, things are tense because of his prejudices against the English, and Grace is also wary of Alex’s womanizing reputation. It’s pretty clear that he’s smitten with Grace though and the drama there resolves rather quickly. This book was a relatively quick read and plenty steamy.

Advance ebook provided by Steffy Smith.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Mabel is a ghostwriter assigned to work on the memoirs of former footballer Alfie. They have a terrible first impression, mostly because Alfie is extremely gruff and Mabel is insecure and awkward. They continue to have awkward meetings with each other, mostly due to Alfie’s complete and total lack of social skills. And then somehow, they settle on a truce of sorts, only to be photographed together and assumed to be in a relationship. They end up leaning into the rumors and starting a fake relationship with each other. Both of these people are deeply insecure about their looks and personality and really cannot believe that the other person could truly like them, so it makes for a lot of awkwardness overall. However, Alfie is a total softie and caring and protective and Mabel is embarrassingly smitten with him, even though she’s self conscious that she’s not as beautiful as his former girlfriends. We get a lot of really funny banter here with a lot of accidental lusting after each other, but the deep-seated insecurity is going to be a tough one to overcome.

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

A Collision of Stars by Georgia Stone (2024)

Contemporary Romance. Standalone novel. Humorous, grumpy-sunshine, friends-to-lovers romance. Ava is a grumpy barista who is basically just getting by and the overcharming overeager overly chatty Finn is a regular customer at the coffee shop. Ava’s looking for casual hook-ups as a way to pass the time before she goes home for some intense introverting, but her roommate/best friend is worried about her. In order to seem less lonely and pathetic, she tells her best friend that she even made a new platonic friend recently and lies that it’s Finn. After Finn catches her in the lie, he leverages it to his advantage to have Ava help him with his London bucket list. Finn seems to bounce around from continent to continent and does not seem to be good at setting down roots, but he sure is charming, in that nerdy adorkable sort of way. We get these total opposites spending time together, bantering like crazy, and slowly developing real feelings, which Ava is clearly afraid of. This book is so charming and delightful and I had so much fun reading it.

Advance ebook provided by Georgia Stone.

Betting Against the Scoundrel by Mariah Stone (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Dukes and Secrets series. Former duke Spencer is back from his involuntary stint in the Navy, now with a limp, nightmares, and lack of direction. His brother and heir Preston is irrevocably the new duke and also married to the woman Spencer had loved and wanted to marry. Although everyone is glad to see Spencer alive, he’s broody and isolated and set on revenge against the corrupt duke who sent him to sea. Meanwhile, the overlooked and ignored Joanna is attempting to rescue her own family from ruin by that same duke (and her uncle) by searching for blackmail material. She and Spencer cross paths with their common enemy, but they have opposing purposes. There’s some bickering between the two, but the attraction between them is undeniable. Although Spencer tries to seduce Joanna, he’s also unwilling to start any sort of proper courtship, even as he starts to realize he cares for her.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSprout.

To Woo and to Wed by Martha Waters (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Regency Vows series. West and Sophie had been courting seven years ago, until West’s disapproving father got involved and Sophie ended up married to someone else. Not only that, but West was badly injured in a curricle race that also killed his best friend, and he’s been in a rough place ever since. Now that widowed Sophie is back in West’s social sphere, they just keep running into each other at various events. He’s pretty sure that she’s not open to another courtship, so he tries his best to keep his distance. Until Sophie proposes a fake engagement to West so that her sister would be willing marry her own suitor without fear of Sophie’s loneliness. Seeing an opportunity to spend more time with Sophie and to rile up his horrible father, West agrees. And so we have a fake engagement second chance situation where these two finally talk about what went wrong all those years ago.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

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Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Give the Devil His Duke by Anna Bradley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Drop Dead Dukes series. After a huge scandal that killed her father and cast out her mother many years ago, Lady Francesca is back in London for the Season, looking to convince her uncle to give her some money so that she and her mother can buy coal and food for the winter. She somehow catches the attention of Giles, the handsome duke who intends to marry her cousin and is also the son of the man who ruined her family. With all sorts of gossip stirring in the scandal sheets, Giles tries to make amends by showing politeness and courtesy to Francesca. She’s not really interested though, even if he is rather handsome. This story had more unexpected twists with the manipulations of Francesca’s cousin and horrible aunt and uncle, but luckily Giles has a supportive friend group and family.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Serious and stern duke Alex catches Ian Eversea in bed with his fiance, so he decides to take his revenge by seducing and abandoning Ian’s sister, Genevieve. Except Genevieve is both too clever and too preoccupied to fall prey to Alex’s games. She’s spent the past few years in love with her good friend Harry, who she was hoping would propose to her during the house party her parents are hosting. Except that he tells her that he’s planning to propose to another woman. She puts up a calm facade but is most definitely heartbroken. When Alex shows up to the house party, Genevieve obeys her mother’s wishes to spend time with him, but she’s not interested in the much older man at all. Until they actually start talking to each other and getting to know each other and realize that it’s nice to talk to someone at the same intellectual level. And while Genevieve never becomes a victim to Alex’s revenge, she does end up attracted to him and conflicted about her feelings. Alex is also realizing that he’s his own victim as well, falling in love with Genevieve when she’s in love with someone else. A big huge muddle, but very entertaining to read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Mortgage of Convenience by Dani McLean (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Ghostwriter Bee is secretly working on her own novel but has hit a creative block and moved back to her hometown. On an impromptu trip to the bank with her brother’s best friend Sebastian, she offers herself up to him as a co-owner of the house he wants to buy so that he can qualify for the loan. She’s got a long-time crush on him, but can totally handle being a quiet unobtrusive housemate. Except that Sebastian also has a crush on Bee and doesn’t stand for her hiding in her room all day long. He tries very hard to break her out of her comfort zone, including maybe starting a physical relationship, which he wants to be the real deal and she wants to keep secret in case it doesn’t work out. Bee has a lot of growing to do within this book to get to the “settled down” phase that Sebastian is looking for. Flirty, steamy, funny story with Sebastian being the most supportive partner ever.

Advance ebook provided by Dani McLean via NetGalley.

How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Pennyroyal Green series. This one is another angsty heartbreaker in the Pennyroyal Green series. We start off with a marquess who has been shot stumbling his way into the pub for help, and then we go backward in time six weeks to find out what happened to him. Jules is known as the Lord of Ice by reputation and known for both his command of emotion and his callousness with feelings. He’s in Pennyroyal Green for the Redmond house party, where he’ll be courting the family niece Lisbeth so that he can secure the last of his lost property in her dowry. Except he also meets schoolteacher Phoebe, who has been invited to the same house party as Lisbeth’s companion, and he’s much more intrigued and entertained by her. They talk and banter and flirt and know that there is no future for them, but still, Jules becomes more open and communicative when he’s with Phoebe. And she gets the opportunity to use her wit and intellect and be appreciated for it. Despite the strength of their attraction (and clearly much more), she refuses his offer to be his mistress, both hurting his pride and his heart. And while they both try very hard to forget each other, it’s not very successful.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Earl’s Red Hot Wedding by Barbara Russell (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Victorian Outcasts series. Brandon and Emily meet as young adults on the train and quickly form a bond when they’re both injured in a tragic train accident. Despite promising to keep in touch, they’ve lost contact with each other for many years. Ten years after the accident, Emily is London with her aunt and cousin seeking employment as a governess, but is having difficulty doing so with her fear of carriages and enclosed spaces. Meanwhile Brandon has been the hermit earl for all these years, battling back pain from his train injuries as well as an opium addiction. When they finally cross paths again after all those years, Brandon seeks to make amends and recover their friendship. He soon learns that Emily’s aunt is about to steal her inheritance and proposes a quick marriage of convenience to save it. It’s a mad dash to Scotland to elope, further complicated by Emily’s fear of the train, but Brandon is determined to protect and soothe Emily along the way. I enjoyed reading about these two who are bound by tragedy, reconnect after all these years, and thwart their villains along the way to falling in love.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via BookSprout.

Never Woo the Wrong Lady by Charlie Lane (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Gentleman’s Guide to Courtship series. A duke with eight sisters is intent on marrying them off in short order, but those of marriageable age are uninterested in the task. This is mostly because they’re busy running a lending library of naughty books that their mother owned before she died. Andromeda believes herself to be safe from the task because of her secret fake fiancee who is actually a rare book supplier. Except that her brother’s friend Tristan is seeking a wife and has singled Andromeda out as his desired partner, regardless of her absent fiancee. Tristan is the older illegitimate son of an earl who now has guardianship of his thirteen-year old lordling brother, but the boy’s aunt continues to threaten the status of that guardianship. He needs a respectable wife to provide a maternal influence on the wayward teen and hopes that a duke’s sister will provide it. We have instant sparks between Tristan and Andromeda, despite her denials and reluctance. She’s mostly worried that her secret project will come to light and cause a scandal, especially since Tristan is a clever newspaperman. However, Tristan is oh so attentive to Andromeda and is very good at convincing her that they make good partners. This was a really great introduction to this series and I loved seeing their two families integrate together.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

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Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 1 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Odd-girl Bronwyn aspires to be a published entomologist, much to the dismay of her social-climbing parents. They push her to marry a titled gentleman and are even more abrasive after a past heartbreak and a recently lost chance at courtship by a duke. Meanwhile, Ash is trying to recover his runaway wards and shield them from his own dukedom’s cruel reputation. They literally bump into each other in the street, and unexpectedly meet again at his manor when she visits his playful and inquisitive wards. Ash gets the bright idea to marry a woman who will care for the wards and proposes to Bronwyn. We have a delightful marriage of convenience, where they do participate in the marriage bed, and a supportive friendship between the two. Loved seeing these two slowly learn to trust each other, but they’re both still hanging on the past hurts and betrayals. I love how quick Ash is to defend Bronwyn’s intelligence. Basically, any support of a partners’s aspirations as an A+ in my book.

Advance ebook provided by Forever via NetGalley. Print book provided by Forever.

What’s a Duke Got to Do With It by Christina Britton (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Synneful Spinsters series. We start with a tragic prologue for Katrina, who is the sister of a baronet, enjoying her first flirtatious season. Just as it seems like her flirtation with a young lord might be headed somewhere, he’s called away from a ball unexpectedly. What follows is another lord sneaking into her window uninvited, being caught by her brother, and imminent scandal. Years later, Katrina is resigned to living as a companion to a stern dowager viscountess. And that idiot lord has attempted again to climb into her window, this time falling to his death, and causing tons more scandal for Katrina. Meanwhile, Sebastian (the man called away from that last ball) has been digging his way out of his father’s debts and is on the cusp of marrying a wealthy heiress. He just needs to fulfill one assignment for her father, which is to distract her brother from marrying an actress. Sebastian and his charge find themselves hosted by the dowager viscountess. Sebastian and Katrina have the opportunity to meet again and reconnect, even though both of their circumstances have changed, and for very practical reasons, they don’t have a future together. It was still fun to read how much Sebastian has been pining for Katrina all these years and how Katrina’s odd group of friends rally behind her. And the matchmaking dowager is also the best.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Duke’s All That by Christina Britton (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Seraphina is living in the Isle of Synne with her two sisters running the circulating library on the island. She’s got a mysterious past and a bit defensive and skittish. Turns out she was married many years ago, betrayed by her love, sent to an asylum, and then ran away with her sisters to protect them from their father. Her security is disrupted when her long-lost husband Iain shows up on the Isle to demand a divorce from Seraphina. He believes that he was betrayed by her all those years ago, then believed she was dead, and only just learned that she was alive. And now that he’s a duke, he’ll need to marry again in the future and need to be free and clear to do so. He doesn’t tell Seraphina that he’s a duke, just in case she has aspirations of being a duchess, but they do set off on a road trip to get that divorce. Along the way, they do actually start to talk to each other about what went wrong all those years ago and realize that they were both told lies by her father. He’s interested in making the marriage real, but she refuses and wants to go back to her quiet life with her sisters. It’s all a huge mess, made worse by the fact that Iain is still secretly a duke.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

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Claiming the Duchess by Sherry Thomas (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Prequel to the Fitzhugh Trilogy. Clarissa is a widowed duchess throwing a house party to find herself a new husband when she’s out of mourning. She invites one of her late husband’s friends Mr. Kingston to join since she’s had a fascination with him for years. He’s shy and awkward and might also have held an admiration for Clarissa all these years as well. Super quick short story.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

Beguiling the Beauty by Sherry Thomas (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. Young duke Christian has been infatuated with the beautiful Venetia from afar when he first sets eyes on her. After many years of this obsession, he says some terribly disparaging things about her at a scientific lecture in America, not realizing that she’s in the audience. Venetia is a widow twice-over, enjoying her unmarried life, and was in America to chaperone her younger sister. After hearing Christian’s assault on her character, she’s both outraged and despondent. Under the protection of a veiled hat, she encounters Christian again on their ship going back to England and she aims to seduce him and then break his heart. It all goes wrong when she actually falls in love with him, but also cannot reveal her true identity. It’s an emotional and angsty journey for them both.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. Millie and Fitz have been married platonically for eight years and soon to embark on their agreement to try to have children. Except that Fitz is distracted and excited by the fact that his first love is recently widowed and on her way back to England. This book is told over two timelines, showing the progress through Millie and Fitz’ eight year marriage and showing their present day friendship. Fitz had inherited an impoverished earldom, necessitating his marriage to a wealthy heiress even though he had hopes of marrying someone else. Millie has been in love with Fitz for all this time, but she has not given him any clues about her feelings and maintained quiet dignity and strength while he has been heartbroken over his lost love. However, over the years, we get to see Fitz become a strong and steady presence in Millie’s life and ever-so-slowly becoming her closest friend. This whole book is the slowest of slow burns and heartbreaking in all the best ways.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Bride of Larkspear by Sherry Thomas (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2.5 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. This story is the fictional book written by David and given to Helena in the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. David writes the tale of Lord Larkspear who has rescued a woman from scandal by marrying her, except that she despises her new husband. He tries to seduce her into submission without letting her know that he is secretly in love with her. While this is mostly a smutty novella, it’s told entirely from Lord Larkspear’s heartbreaking point of view.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Tempting the Bride by Sherry Thomas (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. Helena is nearly caught in a compromising situation with a married man and forced to marry her brother’s best friend and actual enemy, David. What she doesn’t know is that David has been in love with her for decades and catches her attention by antagonizing her. She shortly gets into an accident where she’s gravely injured and wakes up with no memory of her supposed husband. Now that David has a second chance to make a first impression, he’s kind and solicitous, even though he fears the day that Helena gets her memory back. It’s the worst sort of pining that David has for Helena, with his own self-destructive behavior. Bonus points for the kindness and caring he has for his young daughter.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Dance in Moonlight by Sherry Thomas (2013)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. After Isabelle is rejected by Fitz, she’s heartbroken and somewhat distraught. She mistakes her new neighbor Ralston for Fitz, since they look so much alike and propositions him. However, things take a turn towards an open and honest friendship between these two and a relationship develops in spite of Ralston’s appearance. This one was a quick novella that gives a happy ending to the “other woman”.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.