Book Reviews | Random Olive

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Weekly Reads: February 3 to 9, 2025

Feb 11, 2025

A Scandalous Kind of Duke by Mia Vincy (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Longhope Abbey series. Former childhood friends finally talk about their missed connection in this book of the series. Juno and Leo have an ill-fated connection, since Leo was the heir to a duke and Juno was basically abandoned by her artist parents. After a kiss in the woods as teens, Leo starts sputtering nonsense about family and duty and she pretty much writes him off completely. When they meet again a few years later, Juno emphasizes that they’re just friends and that he shouldn’t be worried that she’s obsessed with him or anything. Clearly, she’s protecting her own heart, but doesn’t realize that he’s come to chase after her. We jump even more years in the future and Leo is officially the duke, divorced to his first wife, and looking for a second wife. Juno is a famous artist, who Leo has been warned to stop seeing (even though they’re just friends). And so the friendship-breakup is stirring up all these old/existing feelings between the two and they finally have to work through it. If you like pining and longing and self-defensive communication, this one is for you.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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A Christmas Affair to Remember by Mia Vincy (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3.5 of the Longhope Abbey series. Fairly quick read here with an affair between a widow and a former Navy officer. Sylvia is at a Christmas house party enjoying the good food and cheer for a bit before she commits to her fiance out in the country. While she’s there, she starts an affair with Isaac, the young man who is looking to find a bride soon, but totally unsure of himself in terms of physical intimacy. So he helps himself to some lessons with the good widow, and of course they fall in love. Quick and steamy read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Matrimony Trap by Louisa Darling (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Drake Family series. Cute little novella and a great introduction to this author. Somewhat socially awkward Caroline is trying to get the attention of Fitzwilliam, but he’s not interested in being caught in matrimony. Except she’s not trying to catch a husband for herself; she wants his widowed father to pursue her widowed mother. They all end up at a house party together and Caroline and Fitz get thrown together quite often in their matchmaking scheme. The joke is on them though since they pretty quickly fall for each other. Quick read and totally worth it.

Ebook provided by signing up for author’s email newsletter.

Falling Into Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Heath (2015)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Hellions of Havisham series. Tragic prologue for a group of young boys orphaned by a train accident and sent to live with a mad marquess. As the boys grow up, they’re known as the Hellions, giving the name to this series. Minerva (daughter of a former gambling hell owner) and the Duke of Ashebury end up meeting at a scandalous club where ladies attend to find trysts. She figures she’s an outspoken overlooked spinster who refuses to marry a fortune-hunter and she wants to feel desired for once in her life. There, she encounters Ashe, who does actually want her, without knowing who she is. When they encounter each other in society, Ashe starts suspecting Minerva of being the masked woman he met at the club and is completely intrigued by her. I loved how he appreciates her outspokenness and candor and how he comes to her defense when he overhears people speaking ill of her. There’s a lot of insecurity for Minerva to overcome though, so Ashe has his work cut out for him in his pursuit of her. As I do with most books by Lorraine Heath, I loved it.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This book starts right away with an author’s note letting you know that there’s kink exploration here. Collegiate diver Scarlett has ongoing issues of perfectionism and a mental block at the diving board following a nearly career-ending injury over a year ago. She’s basically doing her best to juggle all her responsibilities and keep her head down. And then somehow, she gets entangled into her teammate Penelope’s drama with her boyfriend Lukas, a swimmer at the same university. Pen and Lukas have broken up over sexual incompatibility reasons, which somehow leads to Scarlett revealing her own preferences, which just coincidentally match Lukas’. It all starts as a Pen-endorsed fling, but clearly, Lukas has had stronger feelings for Scarlett for awhile (and is really good at the caretaking aspect of this relationship). The characters are realistically messy for having so many competing responsibilities and I enjoyed reading about Scarlett’s improved confidence throughout the book. Watch out for cameos from our beloved Olive and Adam from The Love Hypothesis. Also, the whole book is told from Scarlett’s POV, but the audiobook is a duet narration.

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

The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath (2016)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Hellions of Havisham series. This book is a reputation in the historical romance space and with good reason. Twin brothers Albert and Edward were orphaned as children, making Albert the earl at age 7. When they go on a safari together, Albert is tragically killed by a gorilla and he extracts a deathbed promise from Edward to pretend to be him so that his pregnant wife Julia waiting at home does not suffer a miscarriage. We start the book pretty much at the funeral of “Edward” and the countess worrying over how distant her husband has been since his return. It’s all sorts of angsty here right off the bat, since she doesn’t know her actual husband has died, she’s feeling insecure about her changed appearance during pregnancy, and her husband is acting strange. Edward is basically scared of any wrong move harming Julia and the baby and fighting his attraction for her. Huge mess of confusing emotions throughout the entire book and such a great read. This one is required reading for all historical romance fans.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Don’t Let Your Dukes Grow Up To Be Scoundrels by Louisa Darling (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Dukes in Disguise series. Lady Gemma is a duke’s daughter who’s been kicked out of her home by her half-brother after their father’s death. Gemma along with her mother and younger sister are on their own and have found that their own possession is a pub in a country village. Gemma’s grand plan is to find a wealthy husband to marry, so she can support her family and restore their place in society. What she doesn’t realize is that the barman Hal is actually the impoverished duke that owns to local manor. He detests the aristocracy and believes Gemma to be a spoiled fortune-hunter, so of course he hides his true identity from her. And then they fight and flirt their way into an impossible relationship. Loved the fish out of water vibes for Gemma and watching her learn to fend for herself and the value of hard work.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Duke of Pryde by Mariah Stone (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Seven Dukes of Sin series. Loved this marriage of convenience story with a healthy dose of blackmail. Constantine is always looking over his shoulder and a total stickler for propriety because he’s the result of an affair between the duchess and a commoner. So the Duke of Pryde is ever-prideful and suspicious of anyone who could be the person blackmailing him with evidence of his illegitimacy. Somehow, he’s entangled with Modesty, a vicar’s daughter, who is the guardian of an infant that she believes to be Constantine’s natural child. It’s all a bit convoluted, but in order to protect his secrets, Constantine proposes to take custody of the child and a marriage of convenience to Modesty. I enjoyed Constantine’s instant attraction to Modesty, even though he’s always saying the wrong thing. I also enjoyed the blackmail plot of the story and seeing all the dukes band together to solve the case.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSprout.

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Weekly Reads: January 27 to February 2, 2025

Feb 4, 2025

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Big Shots series. Hockey player Sig meets his dream girl Chloe when his car breaks down at a country club. After a steamy kiss, they make plans to meet up again after he has dinner with his father. And then it all goes downhill when he finds out that Chloe is meant to be his future stepsister. Somehow, he’s quickly entangled in her life as he helps her set up her own apartment away from her mother and they become the best of friends. It’s pretty much insta-love for these two, with every interaction between them filled with longing, but they’re both doing their best to keep things platonic since they’re soon-to-be=stepsiblings. This whole book is chaotic and messy and hilarious. And when we start getting steamy, it’s well worth the payoff. Chloe is the ultimate manic pixie dream girl character and so much fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute fake dating romance between an herbalist who is cursed in love and a rock cello player with a reputation of being a heartbreaker. Chryssy has pretty much sworn off relationships since she has been dumped so many times and chalks it up to the family curse of never having lasting love. A chance encounter with a rock cello player, Vin, at a kid’s birthday party, causes all sorts of public speculation. Vin needs the gossip to help him sell concert tickets, so he asks Chryssy for help. She also gets more business at her family’s inn as a side benefit, so she agrees to the fake dating scheme. Of course, these two end up super compatible with each other and a slow and sweet romance develops. I liked seeing these two work as partners with their respective struggles and really communicate well with each other. The story totally sucked me in and I read it in a day. Fade to black on the intimate encounters and no third-act break-up.

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

A Wicked Kind of Husband by Mia Vincy (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Longhope Abbey series. Cassandra and Joshua only met once on their wedding day and have been estranged the entire two years of their marriage. When Cassandra goes to London to make arrangements for her sister’s debut into society, Joshua doesn’t even recognize her when they run into each other in the park. He just wants her to leave so he can be alone and focus on his business, but she’s got a task to do to take care of her family. There’s a lot of bickering and argument between these two, even though they’re terribly attracted to each other. They both have their individual traumas and burdens, which prevent them from wanting to get emotionally involved with each other. This book was delightfully angsty and steamy and I enjoyed watching these two slowly fall in love.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan (2022)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Celestial Kingdom series. Epic fantasy told from the perspective of Xingyin, the daughter of the fabled Moon Goddess who stole the Elixir of Immortality from her husband and imprisoned on the moon. Well, apparently, in the process of drinking the elixir to save her and her daughter’s life, the moon goddess did not tell anyone of Xingyin’s existence. When the Celestial Empress comes to visit and investigate a disturbance of magic on the moon, Xingyin is forced to flee before she can be discovered. She ends up right in the heart of the Celestial Kingdom, first serving as a lady’s maid, and then becoming the friend and companion to Prince Liwei. We get to watch Xingyin’s knowledge, power, and skill grow as she navigates both political and dangerous territory. Tons of action and adventure taking place over many years, all with the goal of eventually re-uniting with and freeing her mother. There’s a love triangle afoot here as Xingyin’s relationship with Prince Liwei blossoms and a newcomer joins the scene. However, the romance is very much secondary to Xingyin’s personal growth and quest. Loved it!

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by Harper Collins via TikTok Shop.

An Unexpected Kiss by Alexa Aston (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Captivating Kisses series. Believing himself to be the illegitimate son of a seamstress, Julian is shocked to learn that he is the legitimate son and heir to the marquess. His life takes a very different turn when he inherits and takes on the title and wealth. He’s lucky to meet his neighbor, Lady Ariadne in their shared garden, who tasks her brother to assist Julian on his entry into society. Ariadne is the daughter of a duke making her debut this season and is a bit stifled by her parents’ expectations. She would much rather do some good in the world by caring for the less fortunate. She’s hoping to find a match that would support her goals. It seems that Julian and Ariadne are well-suited to each other and even share a scorching kiss one day, but he needs to get over his fear of being inferior to her. Quick read and a fun set-up for a whole cast of siblings and cousins that will be featured in this series.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan (2022)

Fantasy romance. Book 2 of the Celestial Kingdom series. We continue where the last book left off, but peace is a fragile thing with more treachery threatening the Celestial Kingdom. I loved how we revisit so many of the beloved characters from Book 1, but there is much heartbreak as we fight the evil villain here. The love triangle is still triangulating up til the very end here, but these characters are busy fighting villains, so the romance is very much a background plotline. I loved this book as much as the first one and couldn’t put it down.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan (2024)

Fantasy romance. Book 3 of the Celestial Kingdom series. Consider this book a collection of bonus chapters and an epilogue for the Celestial Kingdom duology. We get a bunch of chapters from different characters’ perspectives, taking place before, during, and after the events of the first two books. There is a bunch of artwork embedded into the chapters, so I recommend picking up the ebook or physical book. Super fun addition to the series. And of course, the epilogue from Xingyin’s perspective ties the whole thing up.

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!

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.

Royal Brotherhood Historical Romance Book Series by Sabrina Jeffries

Jan 29, 2025

In the Prince’s Bed by Sabrina Jeffries (2004)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Royal Brotherhood series. Recently inherited earl Alec needs to marry an heiress and decides to seduce Katherine into marrying him. Alec has a semi-tragic backstory being the bastard son of a countess and the Prince Regent, but his mother was married to an earl, so Alec is legitimately the earl’s heir. His “father” hated him his whole life, so Alec has spent most of his time abroad. Upon his return, he finds his estate totally impoverished and he needs some money fast. He enlists the help of his two half-brothers (also sons of the Prince) so that he can woo his way to an advantageous marriage. Katherine is set to inherit a fortune of her own upon her marriage, but she’s hung up on her friend and almost-but-not-quite fiance. Alec tries to convince Katherine to spend more time with him by saying they can scheme to make this other guy jealous. She goes for the ruse, but the whole thing is a mess of lying and deception, and then they fall in love for real (except for all that lying that’s hanging over their heads). The friend and not-fiancee has his own little side story too, and hopefully we get to see that resolved in a later book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Pleasure a Prince by Sabrina Jeffries (2005)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Royal Brotherhood series. Marcus is a reclusive viscount who detests society and all its pretense, but he’s worried about his sister Louisa’s entry into society. He’s also highly suspicious of the duke that’s courting her, believing it to be a scheme from the Prince Regent. That duke’s sister Regina comes to call on Marcus ask him to allow a courtship, but they end up in a bargain of their own instead. The duke can court Louisa, if Marcus can court Regina. And then we begin a game where they test each other’s boundaries with flirting and scheming. Regina’s also hiding some big secret about herself and doesn’t want Marcus to find out and use it against her. Loads of drama and intrigue here and very entertaining to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night with a Prince by Sabrina Jeffries (2005)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Royal Brotherhood series. Widowed marchioness Christabel needs assistance recovering some incriminating letters that her late husband had stolen and sold to pay off his gambling debts. Somehow, Gavin, the unacknowledged illegitimate son of the Prince Regent is recruited for the job in exchange for a barony. In order to gain entrance to a house party, Christabel needs to pose as Gavin’s mistress and learn to play an impressive game of cards. She thinks it’ll just be a ruse, but Gavin is determined to make it a true liaison. There’s a lot of push and pull here with Christabel’s steadfast refusal, and she’s generally confused by her newfound lustful thoughts. We get some added intrigue with all the scandalous card players at the party and we get to see Gavin soften and truly care for Christabel. Loved seeing the strong-willed nature of Christabel and how she was able to adapt to her new environment.

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!

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: January 20 to 26, 2025

Jan 28, 2025

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Big Shots series. Burly grumpy single dad hockey player Burgess has just hired marine biology grad student Tallulah to be his live-in au pair for his pre-teen daughter. And Tallulah has some trauma from her past that makes her wary of moving on with the oversized athlete. Nevermind the tingles she feels when she’s with him. Burgess of course tries his best to make her feel comfortable, but ends up needing her help desperately when dealing with his daughter. Burgess thinks he’s way too old for Tallulah and feels a bit creepy for hitting on her, but there’s definitely a mutual attraction. Super steamy, even if both of these people are totally unsure of themselves. Definitely a fun read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Pleasure a Prince by Sabrina Jeffries (2005)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Royal Brotherhood series. Marcus is a reclusive viscount who detests society and all its pretense, but he’s worried about his sister Louisa’s entry into society. He’s also highly suspicious of the duke that’s courting her, believing it to be a scheme from the Prince Regent. That duke’s sister Regina comes to call on Marcus ask him to allow a courtship, but they end up in a bargain of their own instead. The duke can court Louisa, if Marcus can court Regina. And then we begin a game where they test each other’s boundaries with flirting and scheming. Regina’s also hiding some big secret about herself and doesn’t want Marcus to find out and use it against her. Loads of drama and intrigue here and very entertaining to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Widowed Juliana is re-entering the workforce after years of being a stay-at-home mom and of course she overhears Ben disparaging her lack of experience and need to accommodate her kids. This sets off a rivalry with lots of bickering and maybe a little workplace sabotage for the next two years. It’s probably more than a little unprofessional, considering Juliana is part of the Human Resources department. But then they get stuck together on a work project and need to learn to work together. Oh, and there’s some simmering attraction along with the bickering and rivalry. The romance here follows fairly typical angry flirting and kissing tropes, and when they finally do get together, Juliana wants to keep things quiet so it doesn’t upset her kids or threaten her standing at work. It’s all sorts of messy and while it wasn’t my favorite combination of trope and setting, the book was funny and steamy.

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

A Dangerous Kind of Lady by Mia Vincy (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Longhope Abbey series. This one is the messiest fake engagement books I’ve read. Arabella and Guy were betrothed as children, but Guy is bucking against everything his father has ever commanded, so he refuses to marry her. Arabella is just trying to stall her own father’s control and wants a fake engagement with Guy until her other neighbor can return to the country for a marriage of convenience. But Guy is stubborn and not listening, so he refuses and Arabella ends up engaged to someone much more lecherous and dangerous. There’s also some background plotting with Guy’s sisters and their guardian and him slowly realizing that Arabella almost always knows best. There’s scandal and intrigue and definitely group of strong defiant women. I loved this book so much and loved how Guy and Arabella slowly learned to be honest and vulnerable with each other.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook accessed from Audible.

One Night with a Prince by Sabrina Jeffries (2005)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Royal Brotherhood series. Widowed marchioness Christabel needs assistance recovering some incriminating letters that her late husband had stolen and sold to pay off his gambling debts. Somehow, Gavin, the unacknowledged illegitimate son of the Prince Regent is recruited for the job in exchange for a barony. In order to gain entrance to a house party, Christabel needs to pose as Gavin’s mistress and learn to play an impressive game of cards. She thinks it’ll just be a ruse, but Gavin is determined to make it a true liaison. There’s a lot of push and pull here with Christabel’s steadfast refusal, and she’s generally confused by her newfound lustful thoughts. We get some added intrigue with all the scandalous card players at the party and we get to see Gavin soften and truly care for Christabel. Loved seeing the strong-willed nature of Christabel and how she was able to adapt to her new environment.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke’s Guide to Fake Courtship by Jade Lee (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Daring Debutantes series. Declan is a stuffy duke with a history of angry outbursts and he’s just trying to keep his emotions in check. Somehow his meddling mother is trying to get him to stop his cousin from marrying an unsuitable illegitimate daughter of an Englishman, so he goes to meet the girl. Grace is half-English and half-Chinese about the launch into English society after living as an outcast in China. She immediately intrigues Declan and he’s protective of her, especially in light of his own cousin’s scheming for her dowry. Circumstances push them into a fake courtship to preserve her reputation, but there’s definitely a deeper connection simmering. Quick read and nice to see some diversity in our stuffy English settings.

Advance ebook provided by Harlequin 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.

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Las Leonas Historical Romance Book Series by Adriana Herrera

Jan 27, 2025

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era France and Scotland. Book 1 of the Las Leonas series. Luz Alana is the daughter and heiress to a rum distillery and trying to expand her business during the World’s Fair in Paris. She exchanges barbs with Evan, a whiskey distiller, who is sharing her space at the exposition. Luz has prioritized her responsibilities to her younger sister and her rum business, and has little to no time for frivolity, despite Evan’s handsomeness. Evan is the heir apparent to a cruel and horrible duke and is working on seeking revenge and the proper ownership of the deed to his own whiskey distillery. When they both realize that their inheritances are tied up in marriage stipulations, they enter into a marriage of convenience (with benefits). This book was steamy and emotional, and we all love Evan’s support of Luz’ business endeavors. Excellent read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Paris. Book 2 of the Las Leonas series. Manuela is trying to have one last scandalous Summer before she has to marry a man for money. And she’s trying her best to find debauchery in Paris. When a meeting with a stuffy widowed duchess turns out to be a meeting with a woman she met at a club the previous evening, Manuela turns the tables and coerces Cora to show her a good time in Paris in exchange for the opportunity to buy some land she owns in South America. Cora is actually pretty emotionally repressed after a scandalous incident with a former flame forced her to flee London and rebuild her reputation. We get to see the grumpy Cora melt under the sunshine Manuela’s persuasions. Loved seeing the interaction between these two and them getting to know each other. Standout side character is Cora’s super supportive stepson.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Paris. Book 3 of the Las Leonas series. Our grumpy stuffy doctor friend Aurora gets her romance here with Apollo, the half-brother of Evan from Book 1 of the series. The set-up here is mostly a no-strings attached affair, since Aurora is busy running her illegal women’s clinics and Apollo is trying to cement his place into the English aristocracy. Except they catch all sorts of feelings and are insanely protective of each other. We get all sorts of drama in the form of Aurora’s traumatic past and Apollo’s political ambitions, which is interesting to read about. The book is super steamy, and I especially loved Apollo’s caretaking of Aurora. Great conclusion to the Las Leonas series.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins 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.

New Releases for January 2025 – Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance Books

Jan 23, 2025

Remember When by Mary Balogh (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Ravenswood series. We have another slow and sweet character-driven romance from Mary Balogh. We start with a not-very-tragic prologue for childhood friends Clarissa and Matthew, who have been friends and neighbors for years, but their lives are about to change because Clarissa is expecting a proposal the next day from a handsome and charming earl. And despite Matthew’s feelings for Clarissa, he knows that he is not a suitable match for her as a second son with no income. And so, they must part ways. Jump forward 33 years and Clarissa is widowed with grown children and re-evaluating her purpose in life. She’s decided to spend the summer alone at the family estate to find some solitude to think and plan. One of those plans involves renewing her friendship with Matthew, who just so happens to be the village carpenter for the past 20 years. They’ve interacted briefly and casually throughout the years, but maintaining their distance since their social stations are so different now. But of course, once they start truly talking again, the friendship sparks back to life, along with something more. Such a lovely comforting story to read. There’s still plenty of drama with Matthew’s backstory and his family, but in true Balogh fashion, everything resolves neatly.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Sarah and Caleb were high school sweethearts and have been married since the age of 19. And Sarah is feeling all sorts of aimless as a wealthy housewife, wanting to build some independence and something of herself to be proud of. And as sweet and caring as Caleb is, he’s always swooping in to save the day, making Sarah continue to feel inadequate. Things come to a head at a charity event that does not go well, and it turns into a huge fight with all sorts of resentment and unhappiness bubbling up to the surface. And so, Sarah and Caleb are on a couples retreat in the woods to work out their relationship and communication issues. The humor factor here is that they’re both indoor people with no physical endurance whatsoever. But the emotional angst is ever-present. We get some flashback chapters to the past with how their relationship developed and how it intertwined with Sarah’s mom being ill and her career ambitions. This whole book is a heart punch and I enjoyed the supportive cast of characters present during the retreat. Loved it.

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

My Inconvenient Duke by Loretta Chase (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Difficult Dukes series. We start with Alice being terrified that her idiot brother will be killed sometime soon, so she sets off to find a husband this season, to make sure she’s never at the mercy of her cruel cousin. Her brother’s best friend, the Duke of Blackwood, is all sorts of distressed at the thought of Alice marrying anyone else, even though he has no claim to her. He clearly is nursing a long time affection for her, despite having chosen a lifetime of debauchery with his friends instead of the upstanding life he could have had with her. And when Blackwood hears that Alice’s terrible cousin is in town, he tries his best to protect her. We end up with a wild goose chase in the middle of the book that have Blackwood and Alice in a compromising circumstance and needing to marry. While this seems like the beginning of a happily ever after for them, they get pulled in different directions due to their competing responsibilities. As a standalone read, this book was fine. As a follow-up after the first two books, it fell a little flat because all the hints from the first two books suggest that these two are officially estranged. We learn more about this so-called estrangement in this book and do eventually end up with a happily ever after, but it was much less dramatic than I expected.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Unromance by Erin Connor (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We start with a bang here with an elevator meet-cute and a one-night-stand for Sawyer and Mason. And then we find out that Mason is a famous actor who is being maligned in the press for a string of break-ups (none of which were his fault) and Sawyer is a romance novelist who is having major writers’ block. When they run into each other again, they decide to strike a deal where they hang out with each other doing cheesy romantic things so that Mason can desensitize himself from being a total romantic and so that Sawyer can find inspiration for their writing. And of course, they have a list of rules to go with their deal. The rules are clearly going to go out the window as these two people spend time together and get all emotionally entangled (on top of the physical attraction that started this whole thing). This book was both emotional and super funny and steamy all at once. The flirty witty banter was so much fun to read, plus all their meddlesome friends made a great supporting cast.

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

The Sapphire Heiress by Ella Leon (2025)

Historical Fantasy Romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Silver Order series. Mae was the daughter of a wealthy ship merchant, until her family loses all their money, her father and brother pass away, and now she’s the governess to the new occupants who bought her family’s house. And somehow she gets tangled up in a treasure hunt that her neighbor (who mysteriously has not aged in thirty years) and some other villain is undertaking at her home. Ethan was a pirate who sailed with Mae’s father until they became enemies once upon a time and he’s trying to reclaim a sapphire that he believes that her father had hidden in his vaults. Ethan and Mae have an instant attraction for each other, though she is definitely wary of him. I’d say this book is a lot more action-adventure than romance, with the treasure hunt and running from danger taking forefront of the story. Still, really enjoyable read.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Lord Ravenscroft Is Not a Gentleman by Barbara Russell (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 6 of the Victorian Outcasts series. We get another tragic set-up in this series when Edith and Perry meet at a garden, then their ship crashes into the Thames, they both nearly die, and then grow closer during their recovery. Edith used to be a bookish gal with aims of becoming a doctor, and Perry used to be a fun-loving younger brother of an earl with no ambition whatsoever. We catch up to them five years later when Perry returns to London after an extended recovery period at fancy hospitals and doctors in Switzerland and find out that Edith has lied to Perry all these years in her letters and making him believe she went to medical school and is now a doctor. But she is now totally aimless and getting into all sorts of scandals, much to the dismay of her family. Perry is somehow now the earl because his older brother gave up the title and married an actress. And so he’s the noble one trying to save her from her latest scrape of posing nearly nude for a painting. I enjoyed reading all the drama and twists and how these two people are so connected to each other, despite their new circumstances.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via BookSprout.

Duke of Luhst by Mariah Stone (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Seven Dukes of Sin series. Fairly typical brother’s best friend romance here between Lucien and Chastity. Lucien is a terrible rake who seeks to comfort his own loneliness with willing bed partners. He’s always had a soft spot for his best friend’s sister Chastity, but has been adamantly warned away by her brother. Chastity seeks to stay a plain and unremarkable spinster scientist, but she’s trying to get her research acknowledged by the local hospital. Somehow Lucien and Chastity end up in a wager with each other during a house party, where he has to maintain celibacy and she needs to be more sociable. Clearly, these two are headed for a romance of their own, but their very different goals and personalities may become a hindrance. This was a quick read for me, with the house party moving swiftly, and lots of drama from external players.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

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A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novel. For having a brightly colored illustrated cover, we sure do start the story in lots of tragedy. Jasper is an earl who has been in mourning for over a year because his village was ravaged by scarlet fever and he lost his fiancee, parents, and older brother to the illness. He’s doing his best to keep it all together, even if that means he’s a stern and grumpy bastard to his remaining family. And then they find an injured and unconscious woman down the lane and bring her to the safety of their manor house. Waking up with no memory of herself or how she was injured, the family have named the woman Jane. And Jasper and Jane have almost instant chemistry with some flirty bickering. It’s a bit of a mystery to figure out her identity, and we mostly spend the book with a push-and-pull of Jasper’s emotions. See, he’s trying his best to stay away from Jane, but it’s not working, so then he feels conflicted and guilty. I did enjoy his slew of meddling sisters and how they instantly become attached to Jane during her stay. A nice mix of angst and drama here.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Belvoir’s Library series. We get to mix a little bit of road trip with a little bit of fake identity and throw in a bit of fake marriage in this romp! The social awkward and painfully shy Lydia has shown up at an earl’s castle in Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience after three years of secret correspondence with the man. Except Arthur the earl is not who she had been writing to, it was his younger brother pretending to be the earl. And then the brother might be in some sort of scheme with a rifle part and Arthur needs Lydia’s help to track him down. It was so fun reading these two work together to solve the case and Arthur was just so impressed by Lydia’s cleverness. All the best kind of chaos, yearning, and steam.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Dreamscape Media via NetGalley and Libro.fm.

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

Useful Resources:

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Weekly Reads: January 13 to 19, 2025

Jan 21, 2025

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Paris. Book 3 of the Las Leonas series. Our grumpy stuffy doctor friend Aurora gets her romance here with Apollo, the half-brother of Evan from Book 1 of the series. The set-up here is mostly a no-strings attached affair, since Aurora is busy running her illegal women’s clinics and Apollo is trying to cement his place into the English aristocracy. Except they catch all sorts of feelings and are insanely protective of each other. We get all sorts of drama in the form of Aurora’s traumatic past and Apollo’s political ambitions, which is interesting to read about. The book is super steamy, and I especially loved Apollo’s caretaking of Aurora. Great conclusion to the Las Leonas series.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley.

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Big Shots series. Super fun golfer-fangirl/caddy romance here. Josephine is Wells’ biggest fan. Even though he’s been terrible at the game for years. And she’s really the only reason why he’s been hanging on, even though he really wants to quit. He finally does get fed up and quit, but two weeks later, there’s a hurricane that blows through Florida and he’s concerned about Josephine’s well-being and somehow he ends up back playing golf with her as his caddy. Josephine really does love golf and has been running her family’s pro shop, but the hurricane devastated the place and she doesn’t have the money (or insurance) to fix it up. She won’t take charity from Wells, but she will take that high-paying job. The flirting and banter and steam here is top-notch, even though they try to resist each other due to their workplace relationship. It’s funny and emotional and such a good book.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Sapphire Heiress by Ella Leon (2025)

Historical Fantasy Romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Silver Order series. Mae was the daughter of a wealthy ship merchant, until her family loses all their money, her father and brother pass away, and now she’s the governess to the new occupants who bought her family’s house. And somehow she gets tangled up in a treasure hunt that her neighbor (who mysteriously has not aged in thirty years) and some other villain is undertaking at her home. Ethan was a pirate who sailed with Mae’s father until they became enemies once upon a time and he’s trying to reclaim a sapphire that he believes that her father had hidden in his vaults. Ethan and Mae have an instant attraction for each other, though she is definitely wary of him. I’d say this book is a lot more action-adventure than romance, with the treasure hunt and running from danger taking forefront of the story. Still, really enjoyable read.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Unromance by Erin Connor (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We start with a bang here with an elevator meet-cute and a one-night-stand for Sawyer and Mason. And then we find out that Mason is a famous actor who is being maligned in the press for a string of break-ups (none of which were his fault) and Sawyer is a romance novelist who is having major writers’ block. When they run into each other again, they decide to strike a deal where they hang out with each other doing cheesy romantic things so that Mason can desensitize himself from being a total romantic and so that Sawyer can find inspiration for their writing. And of course, they have a list of rules to go with their deal. The rules are clearly going to go out the window as these two people spend time together and get all emotionally entangled (on top of the physical attraction that started this whole thing). This book was both emotional and super funny and steamy all at once. The flirty witty banter was so much fun to read, plus all their meddlesome friends made a great supporting cast.

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

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins (1996)

Historical romance. Pre-Civil War Michigan. Standalone novel. If you haven’t read this book before, you need to. It’s heavy and emotional and romantic all at once. Hester is a former slave who now lives in Michigan and provides shelter for runaways headed north to Canada. She helps treat the injured Galen (a well-known and wanted conductor known as the Black Daniel) when he is nearly stabbed and beaten to death. As she tends to him, their relationship changes from a tenuous friendship to something more. It’s definitely a slow-burn romance layered on top of the fight against slavery. We get loads more drama and danger in the form of a cruel slave catcher and a potential traitor in town. I appreciated how Galen wanted so much to protect Hester, make her smile, and then provide safety and security for her. Learning both Hester and Galen’s backstories were heartbreaking, but I loved seeing him fall for her so hard.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Duke of Luhst by Mariah Stone (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Seven Dukes of Sin series. Fairly typical brother’s best friend romance here between Lucien and Chastity. Lucien is a terrible rake who seeks to comfort his own loneliness with willing bed partners. He’s always had a soft spot for his best friend’s sister Chastity, but has been adamantly warned away by her brother. Chastity seeks to stay a plain and unremarkable spinster scientist, but she’s trying to get her research acknowledged by the local hospital. Somehow Lucien and Chastity end up in a wager with each other during a house party, where he has to maintain celibacy and she needs to be more sociable. Clearly, these two are headed for a romance of their own, but their very different goals and personalities may become a hindrance. This was a quick read for me, with the house party moving swiftly, and lots of drama from external players.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

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.

Vine Mess Contemporary Romance Book Series by Tessa Bailey

Jan 20, 2025

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Vine Mess series. Hallie is the local florist in a vineyard town in Napa who’s basically walking catastrophe. And when her childhood crush Julian is back in town to write his novel, she’s out there planting flowers in his front yard. He’s totally drawn to her at first sighting, even though he forgot that he met her once before in high school. They’re total opposites who really need to avoid each other, but the insta-lust/crush/obsession is taking up all their brainspace. Julian has his own issues of anxiety to work on, but he ends up enjoying all the chaotic time he spends with Hallie. The book was funny and steamy and emotional all in one. A great read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by HarperCollins via TikTokShop.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Vine Mess series. Natalie and August have been at odds upon first meeting, most likely because he said something boneheaded to thwart a potential one night stand. Now, a couple months later, August has run out of money trying to make his late best friend’s vineyard dreams come true. As he’s about to leave town, Natalie comes to him with a proposition. She needs access to her trust fund and her father has put an archaic clause that requires that she be married. She proposes a marriage of convenience to August so she can get the money she needs to start her own investment company and August will look like an upstanding stable guy to get a small business loan for his vineyard. Of course, the underlying burning attraction between them leads to all sorts of angry flirting and seductive games. August is basically your bumbling golden retriever, but when he goes into Navy SEAL mode, it’s all sorts of appealing for Natalie (and the reader). Emotional, funny, flirty, and steamy.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by HarperCollins via TikTokShop.

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.