Book Reviews | Random Olive

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Weekly Reads: October 7 to 13, 2024

Oct 15, 2024

Double Apex by Josie Juniper (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Frontrunners series. Phaedra and Cosmin are antagonistic co-workers with Phaedra as the race engineer who has not succumbed to race car driver Cosmin’s unwanted flirting. And then somehow they form a truce and then a secret fling that helps distract Phaedra from the troubles of her dying father. But Cosmin’s actually invested in a real relationship between the two and is merely settling for what he can get. When a potential for scandal erupts, Phaedra’s the one to call it quits and put up emotional walls. The pacing of this book was a bit quick at first, making the romance a little less than believable. The big break-up also happens at about the halfway mark of the book, leaving quite a bit of time for Phaedra and Cosmin to each deal with their issues. I was very interested in Cosmin’s family backstory and the issues he had with his sister. There was also a nice set-up for the couple that will be featured in the next book of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

Married in Haste by Cathy Maxwell (1999)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Marriage series. Heiress Tess has been stalling on settling down since she seems to enjoy the attentions of the marriage mart, but when she starts a scandal at a ball, her brother forces her to marry the earl that offers for her. Brenn needs a wealthy heiress to rebuild the decrepit estate he’s inherited and has gotten lucky with Tess, even though he suspects she’s pregnant with another man’s child. She’s not pregnant but has just learned that her brother has lost her entire fortune, so now she’s keeping that a secret from Brenn. He also has not disclosed that he’s poor since he doesn’t want to seem like a fortune-hunter. It’s bound to be a huge mess when they both find out the truth about the other person. I enjoyed this book a lot and how the relationship develops between Brenn and Tess. I appreciated that Tess was a lot tougher than she seemed and was able to adapt to her circumstances quickly.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey (2021)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novella. It reminds me a little bit of the book Miracle on Ladies’ Mile by Joanna Shupe, but present day New York, instead of Gilded Age New York. Stella and Aiden meet on a New York City sidewalk when she scoffs at a department store window display. It turns out Aiden is the general manager of that department store and he encourages her to apply for the position of window dress. Stella is all sorts of hesitant because she recently got out of prison and doesn’t know what to do with her life. Things turn out well for her when she gets hired on a trial basis to dress one window. While a romance between Stella and Aiden is off-limits due to their working relationship, Aiden is all sorts of attracted and smitten by her. We get to see their opposite personalities balance each other out and Stella thrive in her new creative endeavor. Just the right amount of depth and emotion between these two and with their families.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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As the Earl Likes by Darcy Burke (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Rogue Rules series. We have a fun fake engagement story here between an earl and the daughter of a gambling club owner. Sheff is tired of his mother pressuring him to marry, so he has the bright idea to fake an engagement to a woman who is totally unsuitable. Jo is the manager of her mother’s gambling club and trying to figure out if she wants to take over the club, but decides to accept Sheff’s offer of fake engagement for the money that he’s willing to pay her. They’ve been friendly with each other for years, but their sudden closeness has caused their attraction to come forth. I enjoyed seeing them try and fail to resist their attraction, plus untangling some of the reasons for Sheff’s father’s behavior. Overall, a solid read.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke.

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The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Dream Harbor series. Bennett is in town to visit his sister Jeanie (owner of the Pumpkin Spice Cafe) and has somehow been appointed by the town to check in on the grumpy Christmas tree farm owner Kira. She had dreams of owning a farm and homesteading, so she bought a farm sight unseen without realizing it was the town’s beloved Christmas tree farm. She’s been a hermit for the past few months trying to prove that she can be independent and she doesn’t need anyone’s help. Until she runs out of money and needs to re-open the farm for tree buyers. Bennett is the ever-helpful rescuing type of guy who relies on his helpfulness to be wanted by his dates. He’s trying both the help and resist helping Kira, and she is definitely resisting any assistance. It’s a lot of push and pull, but they ultimately get stuck together in a snowstorm and a temporary fling develops. It was fun to revisit this quirky little town and to see Bennett and Kira integrate into a bigger friend group.

Advance ebook provided by Harlequin Books via NetGalley.

The Duke’s Guide to Winning a Lady by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. Final book in the series. Tragic prologue for Malcolm where he loses his wife and child during childbirth, but he married a woman his mother picked out and didn’t have a real relationship with her. He decides to do better the next time around. Fast forward a couple years and we have the youngest Strong sister Effie planning her debut into society at the same time as Malcolm’s younger sister is debuting. Effie and Ada become fast friends at the modiste and spend several weeks together before the Season starts, most often chaperoned by Malcolm. He’s impressed by Effie and intends to make her his duchess, but she has no idea of his feelings since he rarely speaks around her and she sees him as an older brother figure. He’s got a lot of courting and wooing to do if he plans to convince Effie of his suit. The best part here is when Effie’s brother and brothers-in-law team up to help Malcolm win Effie’s affections. It was a lovely cap to the series, seeing all the family members so happily wed and supportive of each other.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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A Scandalous Marriage by Cathy Maxwell (2000)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Marriage series. Super interesting set up here with a prologue that starts with Devon running into a pregnant Leah in the countryside unexpectedly. We then jump a year backward to their first meeting, initial flirtation and secret relationship, until it ends in a duel between Devon and Leah’s brother. We then go back to the present where Leah is having a difficult labor for her baby and things seem dire. It’s interesting to follow these two people and the mistakes they both made in their initial encounters, especially knowing the history of their family rivalry. I loved seeing Devon become the true hero of the story saving Leah from her situation and opening up to a second chance with her, even with a baby that isn’t biologically his.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Swooning Virgins Society Historical Romance Book Series by Anna Bradley

Oct 14, 2024

The Virgin Who Ruined Lord Gray by Anna Bradley (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Swooning Virgins Society series. Former Bow Street Runner and now earl Tristan follows a boy who was loitering on his neighbor’s roof, only to find a young woman who is one of the students at a school with a reputation for skirting the law. Sophia is an orphan who’s been collected by Lady Clifford at her school, now an adult, seeking answers regarding the wrongful imprisonment of her friend. Most of the book involves Tristan and Sophia completely at odds with each other, fighting their attraction for each other, and solving the crime that Sophia’s friend did not commit. Action-packed, with just the right amount of plot and mystery. Loved this intro to the series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington by Anna Bradley (2021)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 2 of the Swooning Virgins Society series. Cecilia has gone undercover, pretending to be a housemaid, to Darlington Castle to find evidence of whether the Marquess of Darlington murdered his wife (as rumors suggest). Overbearing Gideon senses that Cecilia is lying about being a housemaid, but is unsuccessful at dismissing her from service, especially when he realizes how good she is at caring for his niece. Meanwhile, there are mysterious happenings around the castle, with sightings of the ghost of the late Lady Darlington haunting the castle. As Cecilia gets closer to Gideon, she doesn’t believe that he’s capable of killing his wife, but there isn’t much evidence to prove his innocence. They’re both very much attracted to each other, but Cecilia’s keeping secrets, and Gideon’s engaged to someone else (besides also being Cecilia’s employer). This book is emotional and action-packed, especially when we find out who’s really haunting the castle.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere by Anna Bradley (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Swooning Virgins Society series. In the previous book, we’ve seen hints of some animosity between Georgiana and Lord Haslemere and we get to find out why in this one. Basically, Georgiana catches two girls from the school out at night involved in some footraces with Lord Haslemere, Benedict, and she instantly has a poor impression of him. Several months later, Benedict’s sister comes to the Clifford School to investigate the disappearance of her friend Clara, who’s been gone for six years, but has recently been sighted. We get a tangled knot of rumors when Georgiana shows up at a masquerade to investigate and Benedict eavesdrops on her conversations. He’s concerned about the rumors about his sister having an affair and basically inserts himself into Georgiana’s business. Everything is way more convoluted than we expect, and we get to see Georgiana and Benedict grow closer along the way. Super interesting and engaging plot.

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

The Virgin Who Bewitched Lord Lymington by Anna Bradley (2021)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 4 of the Swooning Virgins Society series. Emma’s in disguise as the daughter of an earl to find out more information about the mysterious disappearance of several young women in the household of a marquess. The young and charming Viscount Lovell is the prime suspect, but Emma’s not sure that he’s the sinister type. Additionally, Lovell’s cousin Lord Lymington, Samuel, is super stern and protective and tries to warn the debutante Emma away from the man. But Emma’s keeping secrets and Samuel is a bit too perceptive and they’ve got that whole instant attraction thing going on. We get a fun mix of romance and mystery here as we slowly uncover what happened to those missing women. I definitely enjoyed this one and loved seeing it all come together.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

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

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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.

Weekly Reads: September 30 to October 6, 2024

Oct 8, 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.

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.

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.

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Useful Resources:

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Drop Dead Dukes Historical Romance Book Series by Anna Bradley

Oct 7, 2024

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.

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.

The Duke’s Christmas Bride by Anna Bradley (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Drop Dead Dukes series. Grumpy duke Max swears revenge against the man who swindled his childhood home from his father in a card game, and when the man finally passes away, Max goes to reclaim the property. Except he finds that it is already occupied by the man’s adopted daughter Rose, who is in a dire financial situation, but refuses to leave what is effectively her own childhood home. And then it turns out the man’s will has left the house to both of them. Max gets the bright idea to manipulate Rose into marrying someone else so her new husband can turn over her half of the house, but Max and Rose are growing closer to each other instead. She’s definitely the sunshine to Max’s grump, and helps to thaw his icy feelings. Fluffy, easy read.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

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

Useful Resources:

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.

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

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

Weekly Reads: September 23 to 29, 2024

Oct 1, 2024

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Dream Harbor series. This book is all over my TikTok FYP and I decided to pick it up since it was one of my free audiobook copies from Libro.fm this month. It’s basically a cheesy easy-to-read romance with big city Jeanie moving to a small town to take over her aunt’s cafe. She meets local farmer Logan and they are clearly attracted to each other, but both have baggage related to finding themselves (Jeanie) and being rejected (Logan). It’s fun to learn about the whole cast of quirky town characters and get into the festive Fall spirit. If you want something that is a guaranteed low-stakes good-time, this is the book for you.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Christmas Notch series. We’re at the wedding of Bee and Nolan (from Book 1) and start with a second one night stand for adult film actor Sunny and widowed boy-band member Isaac. And then Sunny’s motel room floods and she ends up staying at Isaac’s mansion while she’s working on a screenplay. Meanwhile Isaac needs to finish writing one more album to fulfill his contract with his music studio and the dead wife card just isn’t working anymore. They peacefully cohabitate with Sunny’s cantankerous cat and try really hard not to fall in love. High steam, high chaos, and high emotion here with both Sunny and Isaac dealing with their separate feelings of grief and figuring out how to move on with their adult lives.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Taming of the Dukes series. Evangeline is a social outcast and prefers country life with her animal shelter, but her younger sister Viola is itching for a London Season. Their father insists that Viola is only allowed to go if Evangeline does too. Viola’s terrible suitor decides to use the debt he’s owed by the destitute duke, Gage, to tell him to convince and distract Evangeline. It’s a messy deal that gets even messier when Gage turns out to actually like Evangeline’s outspoken personality. Also, these two people are attracted to each other to the point of distraction, and Evangeline is the one to propose a scandalous affair. Super steamy flirty banter. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Scandal of Rose by Joanna Shupe (2024)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Standalone novella. Famous actress Rose refuses to become a man’s mistress and prides herself on being independent, but she hadn’t anticipated on being worn down by Moore. He’s a divorced tycoon who is uninterested in marriage again after the scandal of his previous divorce and is very happy to set Rose up in a townhouse and lavish her with gifts. Until he gets coerced into an engagement and loses Rose in the process. Quick read with tons of steam and angst.

Advance ebook provided by Joanna Shupe.

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Dream Harbor series. Cozy, small-town romance. Hazel is the wallflower bookshop manager who is starting to feel the stress of her unadventurous life as her thirtieth birthday comes up. When she starts to get clues hiding on her bookshelves, she decides to follow them for an adventure and recruits Noah, the newly arrived fisherman, for assistance. He’s happy to go along with her and spend more time with her, since he’s had a massive crush on Hazel for months. However, it’s a temporary arrangement for them both because Hazel thinks that Noah isn’t interested in any commitments and Noah believes himself to be a screw-up an unworthy of commitment. It’s sweet and steamy fun times between these two as they follow the adventure clues. I enjoyed seeing Noah’s personal development through the story and learning to deal with his issues. And we get the sweetest grand gesture to cap off the story.

Advance ebook provided by One More Chapter via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

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.

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

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

New Releases for September 2024 – Historical Romance Books and Contemporary Romance Books

Sep 30, 2024

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat by Lauren Appelbaum (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Rachel’s mother was all sorts of annoying, until I realized this was a Pride and Prejudice retelling and her mother is supposed to be the quintessential Mrs. Bennett. Rachel is an almost-thirty year old single woman living her best life ever with her best friends, a job she hates, and no relationship prospects in sight. Her meddling mother tries very hard to set her up with the new billionaire neighbor, Christopher, but she hates him immediately because of his tech job, his money, and the glowing recommendation from her mother. He’s basically the Darcy character here being all stern and serious and aloof. We spend most of the book with Rachel either thriving or flailing at life with misadventures in dating and various embarrassing encounters with Christopher. It’s light on the actual romance between Rachel and Christopher, since they rarely get any page time together. It leans more towards women’s fiction to me, with Rachel needing to find her footing in the world on her own, before realizing that maybe her mom was right about Christopher being perfect for her.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio via NetGalley.

The Marquess’ Quest for Love by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. Byron is the dutiful second son of a marquess who is called back home from the army when his older brother dies in a carriage race and is now the new marquess. He’s all sorts of disappointed to learn what a terrible person his brother is and vows to do better; including possibly marrying the neighbor girl that his brother was engaged to (even though she’s terrible and he won’t be happy). When visiting his aunt and uncle in the Lake District, he meets Mirella, sister of a duke, who turns his head a bit, but not enough for him to shirk his duties. She’s equally enamoured of him, but doesn’t see him as marriage material since he keeps running hot and cold. They meet again several months later in the London Season, but he’s still determined to marry the neighbor. I enjoyed seeing Byron learn to let go of his staunch feelings of duty and responsibility as he opens himself up to the possibility of love. And he fits right in with the boisterous and loving Strong family.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

The Duke’s Christmas Bride by Anna Bradley (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Drop Dead Dukes series. Grumpy duke Max swears revenge against the man who swindled his childhood home from his father in a card game, and when the man finally passes away, Max goes to reclaim the property. Except he finds that it is already occupied by the man’s adopted daughter Rose, who is in a dire financial situation, but refuses to leave what is effectively her own childhood home. And then it turns out the man’s will has left the house to both of them. Max gets the bright idea to manipulate Rose into marrying someone else so her new husband can turn over her half of the house, but Max and Rose are growing closer to each other instead. She’s definitely the sunshine to Max’s grump, and helps to thaw his icy feelings. Fluffy, easy read.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

I Will Steal You the Stars by Alivia Fleur (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Part of the Scandalous Daughters of Duke Street series. Quick novella with two former childhood friends who met at an orphanage. Enzo is the local crime boss in the slums who is visited by old friend Mina who needs help stealing her wages from the fancy house where she was dismissed. In the course of teaming up together, they reconnect and rekindle their affection for each other. Enzo is generally conflicted about rising above his current station, but also tries to encourage Mina to reach beyond her life working as a maid. It’s a quick low-angst sort of romance here and it was nice to see working class main characters.

Advance ebook provided by Alivia Fleur via BookSirens.

The Viscount’s Curvy Prize by Viola Grey (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Curves and Cravats series. Quick and steamy novella. Painter’s daughter Emmaline is tasked with painting the portrait of the serious and stern viscount, Benedict. He’s pretty much distracted by his attraction to her from Day 1 and hesitant to do anything about it because of the power imbalance between them. She has no idea that he’s feeling all these things and is all sorts of confused when he kisses her one day, and then is cold and cordial the next day. And despite the struggle the serious Benedict seems to be facing, he does the right and honorable thing once he realizes he loves Emmaline.

Advance ebook provided by Viola Grey.

The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Taming of the Dukes series. Evangeline is a social outcast and prefers country life with her animal shelter, but her younger sister Viola is itching for a London Season. Their father insists that Viola is only allowed to go if Evangeline does too. Viola’s terrible suitor decides to use the debt he’s owed by the destitute duke, Gage, to tell him to convince and distract Evangeline. It’s a messy deal that gets even messier when Gage turns out to actually like Evangeline’s outspoken personality. Also, these two people are attracted to each other to the point of distraction, and Evangeline is the one to propose a scandalous affair. Super steamy flirty banter. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Finest Print by Erin Langston (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novel. We get the next generation of Sinclairs here, with Belle, the daughter of Gavin and Emilia (from Some Winter’s Evening). Belle is a writer of a gory novels and has become somewhat of a spinster after breaking her engagement to a Scotland Yard inspector several years ago. She has a chance meeting with Ethan, newly from America, who has inherited his uncle’s indebted print shop. It’s a perfect fit because she has stories and he has the equipment to print it. They start a weekly printing of Belle’s writing, hoping to recoup the money to pay off Ethan’s uncle’s debts. I loved the fated meeting of these two, how perfectly they suit each other’s needs, and the respect that Ethan has for Belle’s work. The romance here was soft and sensible and soothing in all the best ways. It’s clear these two have an equal partnership and make a great team. Belle’s family is strong and supportive, just as we would expect them to be, and I also enjoyed the found family of the print shop crew. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Erin Langston.

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine (2024)

Paranormal romance. Book 2 of the My Vampires series. Fun and hilarious story. Please don’t take this book too seriously. Amelia’s got a very pushy family that has made her resort to making up a fake boyfriend to bring to her cousin’s wedding. Luckily, she has just happened to run into a random stranger who owes her a favor. Reginald has major golden retriever vibes and he’s basically the best fake boyfriend ever, while Amelia totally thought he was joking about being a vampire. There’s a lot of comedic miscommunication here, but Amelia soon warms up to the idea of real-dating a real-vampire. We also get to revisit Frederick and Cassie from Book 1 and see where they are relationship-wise. Oh, and Reginald is sort of on the run from a group who is seeking vengeance for something that Reginald didn’t even do a hundred years ago.

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

The Trouble with Inventing a Viscount by Vivienne Lorret (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Liars’ Club series. Gambling swindler pretends to be a viscount in order to blackmail his fake fiancee. A year ago, Honoria won the money in a card game that Oscar needed to pay off his violent creditor and runs off. Oscar tracks her down in her tiny country village and pretends to be the man that she’s betrothed to until he can convince her to give him the money. There’s all sorts of chaos and drama because Honoria’s family is quirky and meddlesome and Oscar’s not-family is not convinced of his identity and wants to get rid of him. But Oscar and Honoria spend more time together and are very much attracted to each other, and maybe Oscar is actually a good guy underneath all of the swindling behavior. Things get messier when it seems that someone is out to endanger Oscar’s life and Honoria is trying her best to protect him and get rid of him. Aside from all the chaos are the little clues that maybe Oscar might actually have a connection to the family that he’s pretending to be a part of, which I always love to see.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Christmas Notch series. We’re at the wedding of Bee and Nolan (from Book 1) and start with a second one night stand for adult film actor Sunny and widowed boy-band member Isaac. And then Sunny’s motel room floods and she ends up staying at Isaac’s mansion while she’s working on a screenplay. Meanwhile Isaac needs to finish writing one more album to fulfill his contract with his music studio and the dead wife card just isn’t working anymore. They peacefully cohabitate with Sunny’s cantankerous cat and try really hard not to fall in love. High steam, high chaos, and high emotion here with both Sunny and Isaac dealing with their separate feelings of grief and figuring out how to move on with their adult lives.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The One With the Duke’s Curvy Bride by Eliana Piers (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Curves and Cravats series. Super quick little tiny novella with childhood friends Philomena and Henry. They’re all at a house party that Henry’s mother is throwing to find him a wife, and Philomena is not one of the selections. When Philomena and Henry are stuck in the library together, he starts to see her in a new and attractive light, but she doesn’t believe that he returns her longstanding feelings. It all wraps up fairly quickly when he declares his intentions for her. Bonus, they get stuck in a cottage together during a rainstorm.

Advance ebook provided by Eliana Piers.

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super fun mashup on Pleasantville and Dawson’s Creek with tons and tons of Easter eggs and references to teen dramas of yesteryear. Brynn is having a rough time of things being recently divorced, having shallow friendships, and going on the worst first dates ever. She’d rather be sitting at home on the couch re-watching her favorite TV show, even though it ended on a cliffhanger and the main character did not end up with the dreamboat crush. And somehow, she and her roommate Josh wake up in the fictional TV world and are tasked with settings things to rights. Except the dreamboat crush is not what he seems and Brynn ends up growing feelings for Josh instead, changing the narrative of the fictional town. It’s fun and steamy and chaotic in all the best ways. I had so much fun listening to this audiobook and loved all the little callouts to the teen shows I used to love.

Advance ebook provided by Dial Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

How Her Curves Won the West by Wynter Ryan (2024)

Historical romance. American West. Part of the Curves and Cravats series. Super quick novella. Like, a super small snack you can read in an hour. Annabelle runs the local boarding house with three of her friends (are they getting their own books?) and the town is trying to deter a criminal from hanging around. They decide to ask the local exiled grumpy duke for help and send Annabelle as the messenger. Sin’s been attracted to Annabelle since she arrived in town so he agrees to help her in exchange for three nights in bed with him. Well, that’s no sacrifice for her since she’s attracted to him too. It’s all a low-angst, quick resolution to the thug problem, followed by true love’s happily ever after.

Advance ebook provided by Wynter Ryan.

The Deed with the Duke by Sri Savita (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Cards of Passions series. Novella-length story of a property dispute that gets resolved fairly quickly. Raaz is looking for the deed to a beloved family cottage, shows up there, and finds it occupied by Camelia, who won the cottage in a card game. It all looks legal, so he concedes, but also sticks around to help her fix up the place. In doing so, they also decide on a temporary affair with each other, since they know anything more permanent won’t work since he’s a duke and she’s not duchess material. But they clearly connect on a much deeper level than just physical attraction, so they’re got to figure out how to make it work. For being such a short book, the connection and softness between the characters is impressive. Plus we get a delightful bathtub scene where they bare their secrets.

Advance ebook provided by Sri Savita.

No One Does It Like You by Katie Shepard (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Second chance romance with lots of comedy. Tom and Rose have been divorced for about ten years, and he leaves her a voicemail before heroically rescuing a man from a flood during a hurricane. She does not receive that voicemail until about three months after that hurricane and decides she’ll take him up on the offer to make things up to her when she needs help fixing up her aunt’s inn on Martha’s Vineyard. He thinks she wants to get back together; she really just wanted help fixing the inn. It’s a slew of miscommunication and mixed signals, and then Tom’s famous co-star comes to help and brings with him a bunch of fans and groupies. Somehow this wacky group of people come together and are surprisingly very productive. But Tom and Rose still have terrible communication skills, with Rose not being clear with what she wants, and Tom being generally oblivious to her feelings. It’s kind of a mess and I’m not sure their core issues are resolved, but the friends and fans are fun to read and make for funny moments.

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

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Curves and Cravats series. Quick steamy novella. Widow Sophie is ready to rejoin society and look for an affair. She’s staying with her best friend and her husband for the season, and the husband’s best friend Sin is also back in town after an extended stay away. It’s lust at first sight for Sophie and Sin, even though her friend is trying to warn her away because of Sin’s rakish reputation. But he’s totally serious about her since he’s the heir to a marquess and needs to start settling down. This whole book is fun and quick and steamy and perfect for when you just need a couple of hours of fluff.

Advance ebook provided by Steffy Smith.

Three Sins and a Scoundrel by Tracy Sumner (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Duchess Society series. We finally get the backstory for the suspiciously proper Jasper Noble. We first met Jasper in an earlier book in the series, where it seemed like he was a low-born rookery thug, but has suspicious slips of etiquette, suggesting that he may have a higher class upbringing. We find out here that he is actually Crispin Sinclair, the son of a lowly baron who had his heart broken when his childhood friend and neighbor, Cece, marries a decrepit old earl. Crispin re-invents himself when he’s working as a spy for the crown and becomes Jasper in the process, leaving his old life completely behind. It’s almost twenty years later now, Cece is widowed, and she’s coming to London to get her man back. Except she’s fumbling all over the place and even I’m not sure what it is that she wants. Jasper’s doing his best to protect his heart and feelings and Cece is saying she’s asking for an affair, but she might also be amenable to more. I enjoyed seeing the bickering and flirting and steam between these two, plus all the advice Jasper’s friends are trying to give him. Excellent conclusion to the series.

Advance ebook provided by Tracy Sumner.

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Weekly Reads: September 16 to 22, 2024

Sep 24, 2024

The Trouble with Inventing a Viscount by Vivienne Lorret (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Liars’ Club series. Gambling swindler pretends to be a viscount in order to blackmail his fake fiancee. A year ago, Honoria won the money in a card game that Oscar needed to pay off his violent creditor and runs off. Oscar tracks her down in her tiny country village and pretends to be the man that she’s betrothed to until he can convince her to give him the money. There’s all sorts of chaos and drama because Honoria’s family is quirky and meddlesome and Oscar’s not-family is not convinced of his identity and wants to get rid of him. But Oscar and Honoria spend more time together and are very much attracted to each other, and maybe Oscar is actually a good guy underneath all of the swindling behavior. Things get messier when it seems that someone is out to endanger Oscar’s life and Honoria is trying her best to protect him and get rid of him. Aside from all the chaos are the little clues that maybe Oscar might actually have a connection to the family that he’s pretending to be a part of, which I always love to see.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Virgin Who Bewitched Lord Lymington by Anna Bradley (2021)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 4 of the Swooning Virgins Society series. Emma’s in disguise as the daughter of an earl to find out more information about the mysterious disappearance of several young women in the household of a marquess. The young and charming Viscount Lovell is the prime suspect, but Emma’s not sure that he’s the sinister type. Additionally, Lovell’s cousin Lord Lymington, Samuel, is super stern and protective and tries to warn the debutante Emma away from the man. But Emma’s keeping secrets and Samuel is a bit too perceptive and they’ve got that whole instant attraction thing going on. We get a fun mix of romance and mystery here as we slowly uncover what happened to those missing women. I definitely enjoyed this one and loved seeing it all come together.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine (2024)

Paranormal romance. Book 2 of the My Vampires series. Fun and hilarious story. Please don’t take this book too seriously. Amelia’s got a very pushy family that has made her resort to making up a fake boyfriend to bring to her cousin’s wedding. Luckily, she has just happened to run into a random stranger who owes her a favor. Reginald has major golden retriever vibes and he’s basically the best fake boyfriend ever, while Amelia totally thought he was joking about being a vampire. There’s a lot of comedic miscommunication here, but Amelia soon warms up to the idea of real-dating a real-vampire. We also get to revisit Frederick and Cassie from Book 1 and see where they are relationship-wise. Oh, and Reginald is sort of on the run from a group who is seeking vengeance for something that Reginald didn’t even do a hundred years ago.

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

Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli (2024)

Fantasy romance. Book 3 of the Artefacts of Ouranos series. Lor and Nadir and all their merry band of siblings are on the move back to the Sun Palace to try to access the mirror there. This book tells us way more about the history of the Artefacts and how the goddess came to be. We also learn more about Atlas’ history and get to read a bunch of chapters from his head warder’s point of view. It’s a tangled mess of relationships and history and family through this book and super interesting. This one ends on a cliffhanger, so get prepared to have the fourth book ready.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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How Her Curves Won the West by Wynter Ryan (2024)

Historical romance. American West. Part of the Curves and Cravats series. Super quick novella. Like, a super small snack you can read in an hour. Annabelle runs the local boarding house with three of her friends (are they getting their own books?) and the town is trying to deter a criminal from hanging around. They decide to ask the local exiled grumpy duke for help and send Annabelle as the messenger. Sin’s been attracted to Annabelle since she arrived in town so he agrees to help her in exchange for three nights in bed with him. Well, that’s no sacrifice for her since she’s attracted to him too. It’s all a low-angst, quick resolution to the thug problem, followed by true love’s happily ever after.

Advance ebook provided by Wynter Ryan.

The Deed with the Duke by Sri Savita (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Cards of Passions series. Novella-length story of a property dispute that gets resolved fairly quickly. Raaz is looking for the deed to a beloved family cottage, shows up there, and finds it occupied by Camelia, who won the cottage in a card game. It all looks legal, so he concedes, but also sticks around to help her fix up the place. In doing so, they also decide on a temporary affair with each other, since they know anything more permanent won’t work since he’s a duke and she’s not duchess material. But they clearly connect on a much deeper level than just physical attraction, so they’re got to figure out how to make it work. For being such a short book, the connection and softness between the characters is impressive. Plus we get a delightful bathtub scene where they bare their secrets.

Advance ebook provided by Sri Savita.

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

Useful Resources:

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.

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

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

Stolen Harlots Historical Fantasy Romance Series by Caroline Lee / Veronika Kane

Sep 23, 2024

Bred by the Orc by Veronika Kane (2024)

Historical fantasy romance. Medieval Scotland. Super short steamy novella. Drakolt is an orc who’s out to find his mate, so he goes to kidnap some laird’s daughter, Sorcha, with the help of his clanmates. Sorcha is indignant and resistant at first, but she feels the pull of attraction towards Drakolt and he seems to be treating her well through their horseback journey back to his village. And he definitely seems to be prioritizing her wellbeing and pleasure, unlike the human men she’s familiar with. Light, easy, steamy read.

Advance ebook provided by Veronika Kane.

Running from the Orc by Veronika Kane (2024)

Historical fantasy romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 2 of the Stolen Harlots series. Human woman Roxanna gets escorted to an orc village by Varkaan, the brother of the chief who has kidnapped Roxanna’s sister. While Roxanna struggles to run away, Varkaan gives chase. He tries his best to be gentlemanly and careful with Roxanna, but he’s pretty quick to be overcome with lust. Luckily for him, Roxanna is totally on board. Quick and steamy, low-angst novella.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee

Wagered to the Orc by Veronika Kane (2024)

Historical fantasy romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 3 of the Stolen Harlots series. Another quick and steamy novella in this series. Effie’s cousin is said to be the mate of the orc chief, so a band of orcs come to kidnap her, and end up with Effie as a bonus. She ends up being escorted by Korvak, the chief’s brother, who is generally insecure about his own appearance since he’s heavily scarred and not as handsome as his twin brother. We spend most of this book alone at Korvak’s cottage where Effie tries very hard to earn her keep, even though Korvak is super sweet and does not want to take advantage of her. Super quick easy snack of a read.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

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

Useful Resources:

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.