Trope Round Up: Marriage in Trouble Historical Romance Books
A Counterfeit Betrothal by Mary Balogh (1992)
Book 2 of the Waite series. So this one starts with a group of young people picnicking and one of them decides she wants to see her estranged parents get together, so she plots a betrothal with her friend (who is slightly rakish and unsuitable) so that her parents will be forced to spend time together, either to break up the engagement or to stay for the wedding planning. Most of this book does actually have to do with the parents’ relationship and only very little of the fake betrothed couple. We get to see an older couple who have been apart for over a decade, only corresponding through letters and shared custody of their daughter. We find out the cause of that estrangement and whether or not they can overcome it. This story is actually intensely emotional, with bits of lighthearted fun with the younger couple. Definitely an interesting set up using the fake engagement to further a different romance plot that you would not have expected from reading the summary alone.
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Impassions by Darcy Burke (2021)
Book 2 of the Phoenix Club series. Constantine and Sabrina have a polite arranged marriage, where they mostly live separately because Sabrina is shy and socially anxious – she stays at their country home while Constantine does business in London, and they see each other maybe twice a year. After two years of this strained marriage, Sabrina decides she wants children and demands it of Constantine. Both of these people are terrible at communicating with each other, so they each separately end up enlisting the help of younger brother Lucien and club manager Evie to help gain some skills in seduction. Lots of potential for drama here as Sabrina meets Constantine in disguise for his lessons in seduction.
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A Tryst by the Sea by Grace Burrowes (2022)
Book 1 of the Siren’s Retreat series. These two have a very cold and formal relationship, so the viscountess is planning to spend some time alone at the seaside before she tells her husband she wants to leave him. The husband has been hesitating on making any overtures for reconciliation for years and decides this year to follow her. They’ve both ended up at the seaside cottage where they spent their honeymoon and renew their affection for each other there. Except they still need to actually talk about the reason why they’ve been so distant in the first place and the reader gets to find out what this coldness is all about.
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The Devil’s Submission by Nicola Davidson (2017)
Book 2 of the Fallen series. We start with the couple being estranged and the wife not really knowing why. She had enjoyed the marital bed, but tries to tamp down her enthusiasm, thinking that she’s supposed to be proper and docile and obedient. Meanwhile her husband is hiding the fact that he’s the submissive one and wants her to take charge in the bedroom. Neither of them talk about what it is that they really want, mostly because of propriety and all that. But they’ve got to have it out at some point if they’re going to get back together.
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To Love a Scot by Jennifer Haymore (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Prequel novella of the Highland Knights series. This book is an updated edition of A Highlander’s Heart (2015). Claire and her husband Rob have been estranged for the past year after an argument following the death of their one year old son. When Claire’s informed of his position in the battle against Napoleon, she decides to go to him before it’s possible too late. They re-unite on the battlefield after it’s all over, glad for his survival, and slowly make progress towards reconciliation. However, they still have starkly contrasting communication styles and approach to emotions, so there’s much to overcome there. Additionally, this book sets up the series of Scottish soldiers turning into a group of agents working for the Home Office, bringing the group of men back to England (and onto their own separate romances).
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
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The Rakehell of Roth by Amalie Howard (2021)
Book 2 of the Regency Rogues series. At the end of the Book 1, we see Isobel and Winter get married, basically saving her from the unwanted attentions of a villain, and we’re thinking everything will be happily ever after for them. Except, it’s not. We’re three years later and Isobel has basically been left in the country by herself while her husband goes back to London to run his gaming hell and being a rake with a scandalous reputation. She decides to go and confront him and try to make a real marriage of the deal, but he’s all afraid of feelings, so he pushes her away. Until he doesn’t.
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Keep No Secrets by Charlie Lane (2021)
Book 3 of the London Secrets series. So this is an older couple who have been married for a long time and childless. And then one day the wife is pregnant and she thinks her husband will be happy about it, but he actually thinks that she cheated on him. So there’s a big huge fight because he’s basically an idiot and he retreats to the country to work with his plants. He really does need to grovel pretty hard to get his wife back after such horrible accusations.
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The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean (2017)
Book 3 of the Scandal and Scoundrel series. We meet this couple at the start of book 1, where the duke is visibly cheating on his wife at a garden party, setting off the events in that book. This book is told in a non-chronological timeline, showing how these two ended up married in the first place, and the current status of their relationship. At some point, Sera has left her husband and left the country, not to be found, and she has returned after two years to ask for a divorce. Malcolm, meanwhile has been spending that time chasing after her and looking for her and is very hesitant to give into her request. He finally does relent on the condition that she help him find a replacement wife. With the chapters from the previous timeline, we see how these two meet, fall in love, and end up in an entrapped and loveless marriage. Even though Malcolm seemed villainous before we even started this book, we start to see a bit of how things turned out the way they did. It’s definitely a twisty angsty story here that packs an emotional punch.
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Lessons from a Courtesan by Jenna Petersen (2008)
Standalone novel, but related to the Bellingham Bastards series. Justin, an earl with a secret about his brother, is blackmailed into marrying Victoria by her father. He’s not sure if she knows about the blackmail or not, so he basically leaves her alone at his country estate the day after the wedding and returns to his own life in town. Years later, Victoria is looking for a friend who has gone missing or gone to London as a courtesan, so she dresses herself up as a courtesan to enter society. Of course when her husband sees her, he recognizes her immediately and is angry at her. She’s focused on finding her friend, and he’s in the way, and she doesn’t even know why he left her in the first place. It’s all a huge mess, and eventually those family secrets Justin is holding are revealed, and tie into Book 3 of the Bellingham Bastards series.
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The Earl in My Bed by Stacy Reid (2018)
Book 2 of the Rebellious Desires series. Cold and stony marriage here because the guy was blackmailed by her father into marrying her, even though she didn’t know it. Well, now she’s fed up after all these years and wants a divorce. Just when the idiot earl decides he wants to bed her and make an heir. Lots of angst and grudgeholding in this one.
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The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe (2015)
Book 1 of the Wicked Deceptions series. This one starts with an arranged marriage where the groom is drunk and has no idea who he’s just married… he leaves her pretty much immediately and resumes his debaucherous lifestyle. Several years later, the duchess wants to solidify her claim to the money and land of the estate and decides she needs to be pregnant with the duke’s heir to do so. She comes up with a plan to seduce her own husband to get herself pregnant, without him knowing who she is. Super interesting plot here with both people keeping secrets and basically being slightly shady.
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Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas (2008)
Historical romance. Victorian England. Book 2 of the London Trilogy series. This one is an estranged marriage story told in non-chronological order. We learned in the last book that marchioness has an arrangement with her husband allowing her to dally with affairs. In this book, we learn how their marriage starts, becomes fractured, and how they might find their way back to each other. In the non-chronological storytelling, it takes awhile for the reader to uncover what happened ten years ago and all the intervening years since. When we start the story, Gigi has requested a divorce from Camden so that she can be free to marry another man. He comes back to town from abroad to demand that she gives him an heir before he’ll grant the divorce. We get to learn all the dirty angsty history of how Gigi and Camden ended up married in the first place and how they both acted immaturely along the way. In reading this book, I could tell that something terribly manipulative was going to happen and not at all looking forward to the fallout. Meanwhile, in the background, Gigi’s mother is trying to cultivate a backup plan for Gigi to meet a neighboring duke, but falls for him herself.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters (2020)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Regency Vows series. Violet and James have been married for five years, and four of them have been spent in chilly silence from an argument that none of their friends know the details about. And now suddenly Violet is feigning consumption to get James’ sympathy and attention. But he’s onto her pretty quickly. It’s basically just a comedy of errors and miscommunication all the way around and really fun to read and watch these two get back together. This book was a really nice set up for the friend group that surrounds both Violet and James and these meddlesome friends get their romances in future books of the series.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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Weekly Reads: September 25 to October 1, 2023
Rogue for the Taking by Amanda Mariel (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Also part of the Wicked Widows League series. Othelia is out of mourning for her much older late husband and is looking to regain her independence. She’s a wealthy widow and starts a flirtation with a rogue of a duke. Alister is a duke who needs to marry a wealthy woman to restore his estates, but he’s hesitant to marry a young debutante. When Othelia approaches him for an affair, he’s happy to go along with it, and plans to propose to her after their tryst. As they spend the week together at his country estate, it’s clear that they’re falling in love with each other. However, Alister is wary of love having seen it’s destructive nature in his parents, and is unwilling to admit that he loves Othelia, risking her rejection at his marriage proposal.
Ebook provided by Amanda Mariel.
Wallflower Gone Wild by Maya Rodale (2014)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Wallflower Trilogy series. Lady Olivia has a reputation of being the ultra demure wallflower with an overbearing mother. Since she has no suitors in sight, her parents have arranged for her to marry the Mad Baron. Olivia is not interested in marrying this stranger, so she plans to behave poorly to convince him to stop his pursuit of her. Phinn would rather spend time building machines than interact with society and has no idea that the scandal of his first wife’s death still circulates among debutantes. As he meets and attempts to court Olivia, he’s baffled by her behavior and wonders what has happened to the biddable and demure young lady her parents described. It’s a comedy of errors for everyone, as Phinn tries to woo Olivia using bad advice from his friend, and Olivia is completely fearful of the man while also trying to behave scandalously. It’s the slowest of slow burns here as Phinn learns to actually listen to Olivia, and Olivia learns the truth behind the rumors and slowly trusts Phinn.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
His Mistress, His Muse, and Other Madness by Charlie Lane (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Art of Love series. The youngest son of a marquess is completely cynical of those who lead an artistic lifestyle, since he has seen the financial destruction such patronage has caused his own family. As one of the remaining loose ends of his father’s will, Theo has been finding new patrons for artists that his father supported, so that the family will finally be released from this financial burden. When he meets Cordelia, he is resentful of lush accommodations since his own siblings had to work hard and go without. He’s even more irritated to learn that she doesn’t have any artistic talent whatsoever and has no idea why she was supported at all. Cordelia fell into lonely circumstances after her father died and her fiance abandoned her, so she is grateful to the old marquess for saving her. In trying to become independent now that she’s at risk of being kicked out of her home, she aims to open an art school, but needs donations to run it. Theo and Cordelia agree to work together in attending an artistic house party so that he can collect gossip for his satirical cartoons and so that she can try to solicit donations for her school. Although Theo and Cordelia have had an antagonistic relationship so far, they need to pose as lovers to attend the party, and all their physical desires bubble up during the course of the party. We get to see these two open up to each other about their past hurts and work together in creating artwork.
Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon (2023)
Fantasy Romance. Book 1 of the Hurricane Wars series. Talasyn and Alaric fight on opposite sides of a war, each wielding a different powerful form of magic. While they haven’t yet killed each other, the yearning is there. Amidst one of their skirmishes in territory where they’re both trespassing, Talasyn learns that she might be the long lost heir, living as an orphan after being sent away during a civil war. She ignores this newfound connection and returns to her comrades at the height of war. After Alaric’s side wins the war and Talasyn is forced to retreat, she begs for sanctuary inside her homeland. In exchange, Talasyn must take her rightful place as heir and learning politics and diplomacy at her grandmother’s side. Months later, Alaric is trying to gain control of this territory and a political marriage to the heir is proposed. He has no idea that the heir in question is Talasyn, and he is both shocked and pleased to find her alive and his betrothed. We spend the rest of the book in marital and diplomatic negotiations in preparation for the wedding and alliance, with lots of angry banter and fighting. Both of these characters are insecure due to their respective upbringings and are completely unable to trust each other due to being on opposites sides of the battlefield. With them truly being enemies, glimmers of attraction and tenderness between them are all the more meaningful.
Advance ebook provided by Harper Voyager via NetGalley.
What a Wallflower Wants by Maya Rodale (2014)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Wallflower Trilogy series. The last of the wallflowers, Prudence, is lonely and sad after her two friends have fallen in love and gotten married. Not wanting to be the only unwed lady at the finishing school ball, she tries to elope with a man in a convenient arrangement. Unfortunately, travels have not gone to plan and their coach was set on by highwaymen and she managed to escape and then walk alone for miles and miles. When a handsome stranger offers her a ride, Prudence refuses as she is wary and untrusting of men. In her first season, Prudence was sexually assaulted at a ball and she has kept this secret from everyone (including her two best friends). She has attempted to make herself invisible and undesirable to men and embraced the role of a wallflower. Although she wishes to enjoy the attentions of this stranger, she cannot trust him at all, and continues on her way. John, a young viscount with a streak of good luck, senses Prudence’s wariness and accepts her decision, even though it goes against his sense of chivalry. With a rainstorm beginning, he’s glad to eventually reach an inn. Hours later, Prudence reaches the same inn and is surprised to see John again. Over the course of the next few days, they’re stuck together at this inn due to the rainstorm and begin to talk to each other. John is the ultimate considerate gentleman and Prudence slowly starts to trust him. I liked how Prudence eventually confided her secrets to John and that he was understanding and compassionate in his response. While Prudence’s emotional journey is pretty straightforward and predictable in this book, we actually find that John’s journey is more of a mystery and he’s keeping secrets that are yet to be revealed.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Dreaming of a Duke Like You by Sara Bennett (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Romancing the Dukes series. Vivienne is the sister of a young baronet who has gotten himself into a load of gambling debt after the bad influence of his friends. She tries to appeal to the gambling hell owner Gabriel for a reprieve, since they’re really very poor and unable to pay the debts. He’s a shrewd businessman and refuses, leaving her to worry over her brother’s financial situation. Gabriel soon learns that he is actually the legitimate son and heir to a duke, despite being abandoned at an orphanage after his mother’s death. He has inherited an impoverished estate, a dragon of a grandmother, and six unruly sisters. He and his sisters all need polishing in order to fit in with London society. Vivienne and her brother are still worrying over their debts to Gabriel with their stepfather’s treachery looming over them, but Gabriel hasn’t had the time to deal with that yet. Eventually, Gabriel comes to an arrangement with Vivienne where he will forgive the debt completely, if she will assist in tutoring his sisters for society. This book had a bit of a slow start as Gabriel and Vivienne deal with their circumstances separately for awhile. Their bargain and proximity to each other doesn’t really begin until halfway through the book. However, once Vivienne starts to see how Gabriel interacts with his many sisters, it’s clear that she’s falling in love with him.
Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.
Courting the Earl by Suzanna Medeiros (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Landing a Lord series. An earl and a debutante are arranged to be married by their fathers. The debutante, Lydia, is excited about it even though she would like to flirt and enjoy her first season. However, Geoffrey is completely opposed to his late father’s high-handedness and would like to get out of the engagement. Also, Geoffrey is much more intrigued by Lydia’s cousin Eleanor, who believes herself to be plain and ineligible next to her young and pretty cousin. While Eleanor is stuck chaperoning Lydia and Geoffrey’s many outings, she is trying very hard not to be attracted to Geoffrey. He’s not trying quite as hard and even encourages Lydia to entertain other suitors. This one was pretty quick and easy to read, with not too much angst in its resolution.
Advance ebook provided by Suzanna Medeiros via BookSprout.
A Scot Mess by Caroline Lee (2020)
Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 1 of the Hots for Scots series. Six brothers are told by their father that they need to marry within the year and the first to sire a son will become the next laird of the clan. Finn has no problem adhering to this decree since he has already met the love of his life, Fiona. While Finn is excited to become officially betrothed and marry, Fiona is hesitant and unsure of the commitment. We also experience a bit of mistaken identity due to both Finn and Fiona having identical twin siblings. However, it’s clear that Finn and Fiona will work things out in pretty short order. This was a quick and steamy read.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
Scot on Her Trail by Caroline Lee (2020)
Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 2 of the Hots for Scots series. Duncan has met his new sister-in-law’s twin Skye in Book 1 and has appreciated her outspoken strength ever since. However, he has no intention of following his father’s decree to seek a wife and would rather live a simple life as a goldsmith. On a journey to deliver his master’s handcrafted jewelry, he’s stopped by highwaymen and robbed. He’s shocked to learn that Skye is the ringleader of the thieves and wonders why a well-born lady needs to steal. In the tussle over the jewelry, Duncan absconds with Skye, they spend more time together on the road, and absolutely fail at resisting their attraction for each other. It’s fun to see these two bicker and argue with fiery passion. When Duncan finds out Skye’s reasons for stealing from strangers, he jumps to her defense and we get to resolve that plot pretty neatly. This was another quick and steamy read in the series.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
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Top Five Reads of September 2023 – Historical Romance Books
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (2023)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This one has all the When Harry Met Sally vibes with Ari and Josh having horribly awkward run-ins with each other over the years, then becoming friends, and then making things messy with all their feelings. There’s so many time-jumps in this book that it’s labeled with nine different parts, but it’s very clear where we are in everyone’s lives. If this turns into a movie, you’ll be able to tell what era you’re in based on Ari’s hairstyle and clothing. Ari is a stand-up comedian with all sorts of aversion to commitment and thinks Josh is an arrogant asshole (who is weirdly romantic and believes in soulmates). He’s actually a chef with big dreams and wanting to distance himself away from his famous deli-owning father. We get to see the evolution of both Ari and Josh separately in both their relationships and their careers. When they finally meet again and strike up a reluctant friendship, they’re both at all-time lows and miserable company is somehow comforting for them. They keep things totally platonic, but it’s clear they have some emotional dependence on each other, complete with late night telephone conversations while watching a movie together (separately in their own apartments). It all blows up when Josh pushes for more and Ari freaks out (as expected). We get to see both points of view in this story and the humor mixed with heartbreak hurts in a good way. I love how small little details early in the story get remembered and called back to later on, in the best sort of inside jokes between Ari and Josh. The supporting cast of friends and family rounded out the story and it was nice to see how everyone interacted with each other. An amazing book and I will definitely be reading anything in the future that Kate Goldbeck writes.
Advance ebook provided by Random House Publishing via NetGalley.
The Scoundrel Falls Hard by Sophie Jordan (2022)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Duke Hunt series. Kellan and his father have been swindling a country village by posting as the new duke and heir. The village people are out for blood and have chased after Kellan and plan to hang him. The local blacksmith Gwen believes this to be cruel and unjust so she tries to save Kellan by declaring that she’s in love with him, despite not knowing him at all. To prove that they’re actually in love, the banns are called for a wedding between the two. In the three weeks of their engagement, Gwen and Kellan come to an agreement for a marriage of convenience where Kellan will assist Gwen around the house and smithy. While Gwen insists on keeping the marriage platonic, we’ll see how long that lasts with the ever-charming and protective Kellan.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Bed Me, Baron by Felicity Niven (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Bed Me Books series. Lady Phoebe asks her best friend George for bedding lesson since she’s newly engaged to a duke and wants to know what she’s doing in the marital bed. George has been her friend since childhood and has never noticed Phoebe in that way before, but now realizes that he’s attracted to her. The steam starts early and often in this book, but the idiotic pining that George has for Phoebe is apparent throughout the book. And all of these hints from everyone in his life that they thought he would have married Phoebe years ago grates at him. While Phoebe is trying to be content with her new fiance, she continues to seek George’s tutelage and approval every step of the way. It’s heartbreak all around as these two learn to connect with each other as adults instead of the roles they’ve played all their lives. While I was annoyed with the scheming of Phoebe’s friend and George’s sister, I was glad to see Phoebe finally stand up for herself and decide that she needed some time alone to think through her options. This book was emotional and angsty in all the best ways.
Advance ebook provided by Felicity Niven.
The Duke Gets Desperate by Diana Quincy (2023)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Sirens in Silk series. Anthony thinks he will finally get possession back of the family castle after his stepmother tragically passes away, but it turns out she left the castle to her cousin who has just arrived to visit from America. Raya doesn’t want or need a castle and is more than willing to sell it the Anthony at fair market value, but he also doesn’t have any money. These two argue their way to a truce while also ogling each other and trying to resist their simmering attraction. Add in the mystery of what has happened to Anthony’s missing relics and the suspicious nature of his stepmother’s death, and we’ve got plenty of plot to keep your attention on this book. I liked the overall set-up of the book, since I love a good property dispute trope, and I also liked the way that Anthony appreciated Raya’s financial competence. Both characters were extremely stubborn and there was maybe one too many instances of miscommunication in this story, when they should have just directly confronted the other person. Still, this was a steamy read with a nice set up of Anthony’s friends (who I’m hoping we will see in future books).
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Avon Books.
Seducing Mr. Knightly by Maya Rodale (2012)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Writing Girls series. Annabelle has been in love with the newspaper editor and owner Derek Knightly for ages, but he has not noticed her in the least. Finally tired of being overlooked, Annabelle turns to her own advice column to ask the people of London for tips on how to attract her man. Meanwhile, Derek is being influenced by a marquess who has the ability to shut down the newspaper but also wants Derek to court and marry his sister. This scheme has the benefit of protecting the newspaper as well as gain entrance into proper society by marrying the sister of a marquess. Clearly, Derek has his own hang-ups being the illegitimate and unacknowledged son of an earl, and is a complete workaholic to prove his worth. As Annabelle starts to enact her schemes of wooing Derek, he’s completely baffled by her behavior and wondering why he’s suddenly noticing her. It’s pretty heartbreaking to watch him be completely oblivious to her efforts, proving that he really is the idiot that’s mentioned in her column. He finally does wise up to Annabelle’s charms, but there’s definitely a lot of drama along the way.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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Useful Resources:
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Forgotten Princesses Series by Sophie Jordan / Historical Romance Book Series
Wicked in Your Arms by Sophie Jordan (2011)
Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Forgotten Princesses series. Grier is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy businessman and being trotted out on the marriage mart with a huge dowry. While she’s hiding behind potted plants and avoiding the gossip about her, she overhears a prince disparaging her. Sevastian is out to find an heiress to marry and bring home to his impoverished war-torn country and believes Grier to be completely unsuitable for anything except his mistress. Sev and Grier angrily flirt every time they’re together, though they’re both courting other people. They somehow end up having an affair and ultimately get caught in a compromising situation. There’s tons more drama involving some shady side characters, which definitely keeps things interesting.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Lessons from a Scandalous Bride Sophie Jordan (2012)
Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Forgotten Princesses series. Cleo is the sister of Grier and also on the marriage mart. She’s been courting a very elderly earl, much to the concern of her family. She has a good reason though: She’s looking to marry someone who will not (cannot) make demands of her in the marriage bed. Cleo has had the trauma of caring for too many siblings, watching weak ones die, carrying away stillborn siblings, and seeing her mother suffer the ills of labor. She wants very much to avoid that type of life and entrapment so avoids men who might prompt that future. Meanwhile, Logan is in London to find an heiress to marry and restore his castle in Scotland. While he is busy courting some vapid debutante, he’s more intrigued by Cleo and declares that he’d rather marry her instead. She refuses of course, but he is persistent in his pursuit. In this book, we’re mostly dealing with Cleo and her emotional issues and learning to accept the affection and passion that she has been denying herself.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
The Earl in My Bed by Sophie Jordan (2013)
Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 2.5 of the Forgotten Princesses series. Paget is the vicar’s daughter who has been longtime friends with two of the local earl’s sons, but not so friendly with the middle son, Jamie, who was always pretentious and snotty. Jamie is back as the new earl after the death of his older brother and is just as snotty as he always has been. While Paget has always had a bit of an understanding with Jamie’s younger brother, the wartime separation has dimmed her affection. With Jamie back in town, Paget is physically attracted to him, despite her distaste for his attitude. Jamie’s had his own feelings of inadequacy and loneliness with not being the preferred playmate of his own brothers and covets Paget’s attention. This one is a short novella that wraps up pretty easily and neatly.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
How to Lose a Bride in One Night by Sophie Jordan (2013)
Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Forgotten Princesses series. We start with the wedding day for Annalise where she’s marrying a handsome duke and then setting off on a honeymoon barge on the river. Except her charming duke turns out to be an attempted murderer: suffocating her with a pillow and then throwing her in the river. She washes up on shore unconscious and is rescued by Owen, an earl back in England from war with his own nightmares and demons as a former assassin. Owen is stuck with an injured, feverish, and unconscious Annalise until he finds some assistance with her care. When she regains her consciousness, she feigns amnesia so she doesn’t risk being returned to her husband by this upstanding stranger. With a broken leg, Annalise is even more vulnerable to danger, but somehow extracts some self-defense lessons from Owen, despite his hesitance to get closer to her. These two are very clearly attracted to each other, but Annalise is keeping secrets and Owen is all sorts of emotionally damaged. Still, the bonkers set up was a great way to hook me into the story immediately.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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Historical Romance Books with the Word “Duchess” in the Title
Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare (2013)
Book 4 of the Spindle Cove series. A duke is basically kidnapped by his mother and taken to Spinster cove to find a wife. He picks out the most unsuitable lady in the place, who is the barmaid. Griffin and Pauline strike up a bargain where he’ll pay for her time while she makes sure to be the most unsuitable duchess candidate that she can. They have competing goals since he just wants to be sad and wallow in some personal tragedy (that we do find out about in the book) and then she wants to save enough money to open a bookshop. But of course with all this time spent together, they do eventually fall in love, with the support of his mother, who just really really wants to be a grandmother.
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The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (2017)
Book 1 of the Girl Meets Duke series. If you’re looking for an easy-to-read, super funny, historical romance, this is the one for you. We start with a seamstress barging into a duke’s home wearing his ex-fiancee’s ugly ass wedding dress and demanding payment for it because his ex-fiancee didn’t. And then this duke decides to propose to the woman! He needs a wife and heir, and since his last fiancee left him after he was all scarred from the war, and this new girl seems to need the money, it’s win-win. She accepts with several conditions, including saying she’ll bring her cat. (She doesn’t actually have a cat and just finds one on the street that day) Of course they’ll need to stay together in London til she gets pregnant, and then she’s going to be shipped off to his country estate to raise the kiddo. Both our main characters have past hurts in their lives, but they work through them and open up to each other. And there’s just so much humor in this story. Tessa Dare is just so great at bringing levity into her stories.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath (2021)
A duke tasks his secretary with finding him a wife after his first attempt was unsuccessful. From the very first page, I knew I was in for an angsty ride. I especially loved the longstanding quiet companionship between these two. And the fact that all the important people in the duke’s life knew how essential Penny was to him.
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Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard (2022)
Book 1 of the Taming of the Dukes series. High stakes meet-cute when running from footpads, Lysander and Neve have an instant connection. He hires her to pretend to his escort for an evening (which then turns into the rest of the season). He’s cold and doesn’t show emotion well, prioritizing business over relationships. Neve is just trying to survive and care for her injured sister, without sacrificing her integrity. The level of angst and longing and realizations of love in this book are really good in this book.
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The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean (2017)
Book 3 of the Scandal and Scoundrel series. We meet this couple at the start of book 1, where the duke is visibly cheating on his wife at a garden party, setting off the events in that book. This book is told in a non-chronological timeline, showing how these two ended up married in the first place, and the current status of their relationship. At some point, Sera has left her husband and left the country, not to be found, and she has returned after two years to ask for a divorce. Malcolm, meanwhile has been spending that time chasing after her and looking for her and is very hesitant to give into her request. He finally does relent on the condition that she help him find a replacement wife. With the chapters from the previous timeline, we see how these two meet, fall in love, and end up in an entrapped and loveless marriage. Even though Malcolm seemed villainous before we even started this book, we start to see a bit of how things turned out the way they did. It’s definitely a twisty angsty story here that packs an emotional punch.
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A Duchess a Day by Charis Michaels (2020)
This book was delightful and my favorite of the series. We start with the Snow White’s Huntsman being recruited from prison to keep guard over a duke’s flight-risk of a fiancee. (He was imprisoned for murdering the Snow White-equivalent of the story, but she really just ditched him.) When he meets his new charge, he finds her sunshine-y and addictive and the girl clearly has no interest in the duke at all. She manages to recruit the huntsman into her plan of throwing eligible ladies (seven in all) at the duke. Relatively low on the steam scale, but you can really feel the longing and pining between our two main characters.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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A Duchess by Midnight by Charis Michaels (2022)
The stepsister of Princess Cindy has her chance to atone for her mean girl ways in this book, where she is now a mentor to young debutantes. Working with a reclusive duke’s nieces, she tries to teach them the rules of propriety. And when she gets caught in a compromising situation (oops), she has to uphold those rules and marry the duke. This book is the steamiest of the set, with the compromising happening within the first half of the book and a little action outdoors in the woods. *fans self*
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Print book provided by Avon Books.
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The Portrait of a Duchess by Scarlett Peckham (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Society of Sirens series. Cornelia is the niece of a duke but has built her reputation as a scandalous painter. She and her friends are trying to raise funds to build an institute for women and she needs a place to exhibit her latest collection of paintings. One seemingly random day, her uncle’s heir, Rafe, and now the duke comes to visit to inform her of her inheritance, which hinges on her being married. The surprise is that she’s already married to Rafe himself, and he suggests they go public with the marriage so she can claim her inheritance. What follows is a non-chronological story of how these two ended up married twenty years ago and then estranged in all the time since then. I mostly kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened, but the story itself wasn’t terribly interesting to me. Rafe is a smooshy sort of fellow who falls in love too freely and scares off all his partners with his enthusiasm and Cornelia is adamant about her independence and does not want the complication (or obligation) of love. He’s an overzealous puppy for most of the book and she’s the reluctant and selfish one, protecting her own isolation. And then there’s the political stuff happening in the background that wasn’t super interesting to me. On the plus side, Rafe is unapologetically bisexual here and one of his male lovers joins in for an encounter with Cornelia. So you know, if you like that stuff, here it is in a traditionally published historical romance.
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.
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The Unclaimed Duchess by Jenna Petersen (2010)
Book 2 of the Billingham Bastards series. Anne and Rhys have been betrothed since children and even though he is super serious and cold, she is totally in love with him and willing to be the perfect duchess. After the events of the previous book, Rhys finds out a scandalous family secret that makes him question pretty much everything about himself. And since he’s being blackmailed with the information, he decides to keep his new wife at a distance. She’s having none of it though and chases after him and tries to get him to stay with her. Lots of drama and scandal here and very fun to read.
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Duchess by Day, Mistress by Night by Stacy Reid (2017)
Book 1 of the Rebellious Desires series. We have a widowed duchess asking questions about a missing maid from her household and she’s put in touch with a man who is known for solving these sorts of issues. Of course they’re also attracted to each other so they start an affair while they’re at it. It all needs to be kept pretty quiet since she needs to stay a respectable lady of society and he has such a terrible reputation.
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The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe (2015)
Book 1 of the Wicked Deceptions series. This one starts with an arranged marriage where the groom is drunk and has no idea who he’s just married… he leaves her pretty much immediately and resumes his debaucherous lifestyle. Several years later, the duchess wants to solidify her claim to the money and land of the estate and decides she needs to be pregnant with the duke’s heir to do so. She comes up with a plan to seduce her own husband to get herself pregnant, without him knowing who she is. Super interesting plot here with both people keeping secrets and basically being slightly shady.
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The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George (2023)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Gilded Age Heiresses series. We revisit the woman from our tragic prologue of Book 1, Camille, an American heiress who was married off to a much older duke. Throughout the first three books, we’ve seen bits of the cruel treatment she has endured from her husband, ultimately seeing his death in the bed of his mistress at a house party. Now a widow for the past two years, Camille is slowly trying to reclaim her identity and participating in causes her husband would have disapproved of, like the home for young women or the women’s suffrage movement. She also seeks to determine if she can find sex pleasurable and propositions a man to assist her. Jacob is the illegitimate son of an earl and half-brother to Christian from Book 2. He refuses Camille’s proposition at first, not wanting to make things awkward as their social circles overlap. He ends up needing a fake fiancee to prove his stability for a business arrangement and asks Camille to play the part; of course she only agrees in exchange for the sex lessons she wanted in the first place. We soon realize that Camille has underlying fears of the act due to the ill treatment from her husband and Jacob needs to be gentle and patient as well as allow Camille to be in control of their intimacies. We get to see our charming rakish hero slowly fall in love with Camille and help in her journey towards empowerment. Overall, this was a great way to conclude the series and see our poor Camille finally get a happy ending.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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The Ice Duchess by Tracy Sumner (2020)
Prequel novella to the Duchess Society series. We have a childhood friends-to-lovers second chance romance with this book. Our very own Ice Countess, Georgiana, does not want to marry again after she was forced into a cruel and loveless marriage to save her father’s finances. She meets her childhood crush Dex again while he’s back from his geological expeditions. He had left her many years ago before any romance could properly blossom. Now that Dex is back and promised his dying father he would wed, he realizes that he is in love with Georgiana and must convince her of his suit. I enjoyed this quick novella and love the set up for future books in the Duchess Society.
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Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Weekly Reads: September 18 to 24, 2023
Seducing Mr. Knightly by Maya Rodale (2012)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Writing Girls series. Annabelle has been in love with the newspaper editor and owner Derek Knightly for ages, but he has not noticed her in the least. Finally tired of being overlooked, Annabelle turns to her own advice column to ask the people of London for tips on how to attract her man. Meanwhile, Derek is being influenced by a marquess who has the ability to shut down the newspaper but also wants Derek to court and marry his sister. This scheme has the benefit of protecting the newspaper as well as gain entrance into proper society by marrying the sister of a marquess. Clearly, Derek has his own hang-ups being the illegitimate and unacknowledged son of an earl, and is a complete workaholic to prove his worth. As Annabelle starts to enact her schemes of wooing Derek, he’s completely baffled by her behavior and wondering why he’s suddenly noticing her. It’s pretty heartbreaking to watch him be completely oblivious to her efforts, proving that he really is the idiot that’s mentioned in her column. He finally does wise up to Annabelle’s charms, but there’s definitely a lot of drama along the way.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
One Night in London by Caroline Linden (2011)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of The Truth About the Duke series. Three sons of a duke are forced to deal with a sixty year old scandal after their father’s death when it turns out that the duke had legally married a woman (and never divorced her) before marrying their mother. That woman had disappeared and it’s unknown if the duke’s second marriage was bigamous or not, which may make his sons illegitimate. Second son Edward is the responsible and industrious one set on hiring the best solicitor to resolve the situation. Unfortunately, he has stolen away that best solicitor from Francesca, who needed legal assistance in seeking custody of her niece. While agitated and upset, Francesca confronts Edward and insists upon his help in securing a new solicitor. He reluctantly agrees and the rest of the book is focused on Edward helping with Francesca’s problems in locating and gaining custody of her niece.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Blame It on Bath by Caroline Linden (2012)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of The Truth About the Duke series. This book follows the youngest son of the duke Gerard who was an army officer on leave from his duties after his father’s death. With the rumors surrounding his father’s secret wife, Gerard is contemplating marrying an heiress to secure his finances. Luckily for him, he has been proposed to by a quiet and unassuming widow, Katherine, who seeks to free herself from marrying her late husband’s nephew. Gerard agrees to the proposal and also tries to gain Katherine’s affections in the process. After a hasty wedding, they’re off to Bath where Gerard attempts to find the person who was blackmailing his father with knowledge of the long-ago secret marriage. While Gerard is good-natured and easy-going with his new wife, she is insecure and wary of his motives. She’s had a history of being brow-beaten by her social climbing mother and poor treatment by her late husband. It takes quite a bit of effort on both Gerard and Katherine’s parts for her to trust him.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
The Way to a Duke’s Heart by Caroline Linden (2012)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of The Truth About the Duke series. It’s the eldest son Charlie’s turn to take up the fight for his family’s legacy. We start with a prologue which explains the rift between Charlie and his father and the descent into his rakehell ways. As we start Chapter 1, we overlap a bit in time with the previous book and Charlie’s appearance in Bath to assist Gerard with his search. While checking into the hotel, a young widow Tessa seems to be aggrieved by him and callously mentions him being indolent. Tessa and her companion are in town to discuss an investment opportunity with a local mill owner. That mill owner is the man that Charlie seeks as a suspect for the blackmailing, so Charlie arranges an introduction via Tessa. Charlie is the ever-charming and rakish aristocrat he has always been, but this demeanor causes Tessa to be suspicious, since she once had her heart broken by a man who seemed to charm her. Tessa is analytical and unladylike and not used to having this type of attention. With all the time that Charlie and Tessa are spending together, she realizes that he has more depth than she originally thought and he realizes that he likes her prickly directness. We do also learn about what happened to the duke’s first secret wife and who was responsible for the blackmailing.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
One Fateful May Day by Amanda Mariel (2020)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Emma is begrudgingly out at the village May Day festival with her friends. When a handsome stranger kisses her out of nowhere, she’s outraged and upset at him, especially as she’s lost sight of her friends in the distraction. Archer is glad to have done it as he’s had a longstanding admiration for Emma, but now he’s spending the day with her as she searches for her friends. They end up having a lovely time together at the festival and it quickly turns into a proposal of marriage when they’re caught together without a chaperone. This one was a quick, fluffy, low-angst novella.
Ebook provided by Amanda Mariel.
The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale (2013)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Wallflower Trilogy series. A trio of wallflower friends are lamenting their fourth season as unwed ladies. While Emma has been courted by a quiet unassuming gentlemen for many years, he has yet to propose due to the financial constraints of both their families. Emma’s friends drunkenly write a fictitious newspaper announcement of a betrothal, thinking it would force the man’s hand to propose, but also aim for a very handsome and eligible duke in a separate announcement. The announcement somehow gets printed in the newspaper and Emma now finds herself the center of attention of sociable ladies hoping to catch her in the lie. Blake is a rogue of a duke who is seeking investors for a machine he’s working on, but his rakish reputation is unhelpful. When he sees the newspaper announcement declaring his engagement to a mild, unscandalous, wallflower, he decides to continue the charade to improve his own reputation. Emma and Blake agree to the fake engagement while at Blake’s aunt’s house party, attempting to win the family fortune. While Emma tries to resist Blake’s advances, he sees her as an adorable challenge and slowly starts to appreciate her wit and humor. She can hardly believe that his feelings are true, so she clings onto her love for her other suitor for as long as possible.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Fate Gave Me a Duke by Amanda Mariel (2021)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Juliet is bored and lonely at a ball, so she goes to find a book in the library. Giles is also bored at this ball and sets up an assignation with a widow in the library. When he gets there, he finds Juliet instead and decides to kiss her. While Juliet knows that their behavior is risky, she’s enjoying the attentions of a handsome man. Unfortunately, they end up getting caught and having to announce an engagement at this ball. Juliet is worried that Giles will continue his rakish ways and not be faithful to her, while Giles is looking forward to the opportunity to marry someone he finds attractive and intriguing. As they get to know each other more leading up to their wedding and beyond, they slowly start to truly fall in love. Another relatively low-angst story in this series, though Giles has a bit of a painful backstory witnessing his parents’ volatile relationship.
Ebook provided by Amanda Mariel.
Earl of Stone by Amanda Mariel (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Louisa catches her betrothed with his former mistress and realizes that their courtship did not lead to a love match, as she thought it did. Stephen chases after her trying to mend their engagement, but they both end up being kidnapped for ransom. As they’re trapped together and in their escape, they have the chance to talk and understand the other person a bit better. Louisa is still adamant that they do not marry, since he isn’t in love with her and she requires that in a husband. However, as Stephen spends more time with Louisa in this situation, he learns that she’s not a shallow debutante and has more backbone than he initially expected. He needs to work pretty hard at convincing her that he’s suddenly fallen in love with her in order to maintain the betrothal.
Ebook provided by Amanda Mariel.
Revealing the Viscount by Lexi Post (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Marrying a Mabry series. Mariel is the eldest Mabry sister whose beloved fiancee had died in the war, married a much older man to restore her family’s finances, and is now a widow. She’s just learned that her once-fiancee is not dead after all and is forced out of hiding to become a viscount after his brother’s death. Marcus has indeed been hiding from Mariel, at first because he believed she betrayed him by marrying so soon after his supposed death and then because he believed himself incapable of siring children after witnessing atrocities during the war. When Mariel comes to confront Marcus over his deception, they both observe that the other person is changed from the person they knew all those years ago. They ultimately agree to a fake betrothal to preserve Mariel’s reputation and to keep away all the debutantes vying for Marcus’s hand. As these two spend more time together, it’s clear that they’re both still in love, but very damaged from their separate experiences. They definitely need to talk through their issues and attempt to overcome them before being able to be together.
Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke (2023)
Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Prequel novella to the Matchmaking Chronicles series. Cecilia and John dislike each other because of some mishaps that happened five years ago while they were young and immature. Now they’re at a house party where their parents are trying to set them up together. Both insist that the other will not suit, but they end up stranded together in a snowstorm. With the forced proximity, they talk out their issues and anger at each other, discovering that they can get along and that they’re attracted to each other. It’s a pretty quick turnaround there from hate to love, but still fun to read.
Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke.
Who Needs a Duke by Amanda Mariel (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Catherine is the sister of a duke who does not want to marry because she likes her independence and wants to continue her charity work with orphans. She believes that she needs to do this secretly and any future husband of hers would forbid her from continuing. Charles is tired of the title-hungry mothers and debutantes and would like to avoid being targeted for matrimony this season; when he hears that his friend’s sister would also like to avoid marriage, he develops a plan that will hopefully satisfy them both. Catherine and Charles then spend the rest of the season in a fake courtship, then fake engagement, and with all the time they’re spending together, they actually fall in love. Loved this low-angst read.
Advance ebook provided by Amanda Mariel via BookSprout.
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
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Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
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Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
New Releases for September 2023 – Historical Romance Books
The Duke and the Dressmaker by Eva Devon (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Once Upon a Wallflower series. Newly inherited duke James attempts to rescue a young woman at a tavern and finds out that she’s the sister of his missing ward. Lily and Violet are granddaughters of the old duke but not part of society due to their mother’s scandalous marriage to a French painter. Now orphaned and impoverished, Lily works as a dressmaker’s seamstress while caring for her young sister. James insists that they both move into the ducal townhouse and after a bit of a disagreement, they do. However, James and Lily are starting to stir up a scandal with all the time they spend together unchaperoned, as much as they try to keep things proper. They do ultimately get married, since Lily is so good at managing James’ household, but conflict looms ahead as James plans to leave England without having mentioned his plans to Lily. I liked how well Lily and James worked together and started to soften towards each other, even though both have been disappointed by their own parents in the past.
Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.
The Duke’s Best Friend by Jane Ashford (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Duke’s Estates series. Henry and Kate met under different circumstances at the end of Book 4 and reconnect here in London. Henry is the eldest son of a gentleman horse breeder who is starting his new career as a diplomat. He runs into Kate sneaking her way into receptions and events and learns that she is the granddaughter of a well-known diplomat. She offers to introduce him to important people in their field in exchange for his escort at these events. When they spot a villain out in the world and no longer in police custody, they follow the lead and investigate on their own. Kate is resistant to forming any connection to Henry or pursuing marriage of any sort, but Henry is accepting of his growing feelings for Kate. While Henry usually tries to maintain order and propriety, he seizes the opportunity to be daring and go after what he wants.
Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.
Not Another Duke by Jess Michaels (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Kent’s Row Duchesses series. Widowed duchess Flora has horribly cruel stepchildren who recruit their own impoverished cousin Roarke to spy on Flora and determine if she’s breaking the terms of an additional clause of her late husband’s inheritance. Roarke barely has any funds to support himself and his ill mother, so needs to rely on the charity of his cousins. When he meets Flora, he finds that she is attractive and kind and not at all the seductress that his cousins described. Flora had genuinely loved her much older husband and had no intention of entertaining future suitors. However, when she meets Roarke, she’s surprised to find that she is attracted to him. These two start up a friendship which may lead to more, but Roarke’s feelings of guilt are attached to everything he does. It seems like the reveal of Roarke’s betrayal may cause the couple to split before they’ve even begun, and they still need to deal with the dangers of Flora’s stepchildren. I liked how Roarke was a reluctant villain here, being torn between his obligations towards his mother and his growing feelings for Flora.
Advance ebook provided by Jess Michaels via NetGalley.
Bed Me, Baron by Felicity Niven (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Bed Me Books series. Lady Phoebe asks her best friend George for bedding lesson since she’s newly engaged to a duke and wants to know what she’s doing in the marital bed. George has been her friend since childhood and has never noticed Phoebe in that way before, but now realizes that he’s attracted to her. The steam starts early and often in this book, but the idiotic pining that George has for Phoebe is apparent throughout the book. And all of these hints from everyone in his life that they thought he would have married Phoebe years ago grates at him. While Phoebe is trying to be content with her new fiance, she continues to seek George’s tutelage and approval every step of the way. It’s heartbreak all around as these two learn to connect with each other as adults instead of the roles they’ve played all their lives. While I was annoyed with the scheming of Phoebe’s friend and George’s sister, I was glad to see Phoebe finally stand up for herself and decide that she needed some time alone to think through her options. This book was emotional and angsty in all the best ways.
Advance ebook provided by Felicity Niven.
Despising the Duke by Stevie Sparks (2023)
Historical romance. Interwar-era England. Book 2 of the Lords of Desire series. Angsty second chance romance with the sister of a duke and her brother’s best friend. Lady Annabelle is a suffragist completely uninterested in marriage but is charmed by the rakish best friend of her brother, Kit. Over a few months of flirtation, they engage in a liaison and promise each other they’ll wait for Kit’s return from a years-long expedition to Antarctica to marry. Circumstances force Annabelle to marry someone else while Kit is away, so he’s hurt and betrayed when he returns. We jump sixteen years and Kit has publicly humiliated and ruined Annabelle (now a widow) and she’s run off to a remote estate in Scotland. After learning some critical information about Annabelle, Kit tracks her down and confront the truth about what happened all those years ago. We then have these two trying to work out their issues (in a pretty steamy fashion) and try to move on with their future. I was glad to see these two have a pretty direct conversation with each other about the past and work together.
Advance ebook provided by Stevie Sparks.
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (2023)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This one has all the When Harry Met Sally vibes with Ari and Josh having horribly awkward run-ins with each other over the years, then becoming friends, and then making things messy with all their feelings. There’s so many time-jumps in this book that it’s labeled with nine different parts, but it’s very clear where we are in everyone’s lives. If this turns into a movie, you’ll be able to tell what era you’re in based on Ari’s hairstyle and clothing. Ari is a stand-up comedian with all sorts of aversion to commitment and thinks Josh is an arrogant asshole (who is weirdly romantic and believes in soulmates). He’s actually a chef with big dreams and wanting to distance himself away from his famous deli-owning father. We get to see the evolution of both Ari and Josh separately in both their relationships and their careers. When they finally meet again and strike up a reluctant friendship, they’re both at all-time lows and miserable company is somehow comforting for them. They keep things totally platonic, but it’s clear they have some emotional dependence on each other, complete with late night telephone conversations while watching a movie together (separately in their own apartments). It all blows up when Josh pushes for more and Ari freaks out (as expected). We get to see both points of view in this story and the humor mixed with heartbreak hurts in a good way. I love how small little details early in the story get remembered and called back to later on, in the best sort of inside jokes between Ari and Josh. The supporting cast of friends and family rounded out the story and it was nice to see how everyone interacted with each other. An amazing book and I will definitely be reading anything in the future that Kate Goldbeck writes.
Advance ebook provided by Random House Publishing via NetGalley.
The Lyon Who Loved Me by Tracy Sumner (2023)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Part of the Lyon’s Den series. Wilhelmina has been left at the altar by her arranged groom on her wedding day, but she’s got the support of her sponsor to set up a new match. Meanwhile, Griffin has missed the wedding because he’s been kidnapped and tied up due to his brother’s debts and finds himself making a new deal to get himself freed. Seven months later, Griffin is horribly injured and somehow gets sent to recover at Wilhelmina’s lodgings. Since they’re thrown together again, Griffin wants to renew his attentions towards Wilhelmina, especially now that he isn’t just in it for the money. It’s a fast-moving novella here with relatively low-angst (except that initial jilting). Quick and steamy and fun to see these two team up.
Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.
The Duchess and the Wolf by Lydia Drake (2023)
Historical Romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Debutantes of London series. Susannah is nearly engaged to a duke, but is having misgivings about it and would rather travel and see the world. While out with a friend at a gambling den, she happens to play the piano is a seemingly empty room. Rafe, the owner of the club, stumbles upon her there and is encouraged to hire her to bring more sophisticated patrons to the club so that he can secure a business deal. He offers her a large sum of money in exchange for her playing at the club. While Susannah declines at first, she soon realizes that the money would give her the opportunity to run away from her imminent engagement. Rafe and Susannah attempt to keep their relationship professional, but Rafe is an awe of her playing and Susannah sees glimpses of Rafe’s kindness towards his employees. It’s a total social mismatch here, but Susannah goes after what she wants, even at the risk of displeasing her family.
Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.
Earl of My Dreams by Sylvie Sinclair (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Romancing the Rogue series. Sophie once had a childhood crush on James, but hasn’t seen him in years and believes herself to outgrown her interest in him. When the now widowed James shows up at a house party with intent to court Sophie’s cousin Olivia, she tries to deter him since he’s outspokenly against a love match, while Sophie believes Olivia to be in love with someone else. This leads to Sophie and James arguing and getting in each other’s way, while still somewhat flirting and admiring each other. Sophie is so preoccupied with protecting Olivia’s interests that she doesn’t realize her own merit as someone to be romantically pursued. James has his own tragic past with his prior wife that cause him to avoid any sort of love or emotional entanglement. We don’t find out the details of this relationship until later in the book, but we know that this motivates him to avoid his feelings for Sophie. The thwarted matchmaking plot from the house party finishes up in the first half of the book, and then we move onto the London Season for the second half of the book and meet a new villain to complicate the story. I enjoyed seeing how protective James was of Sophie even though he was slow to realize his own feelings towards her. I liked that they had a shared history and a shared social circle, providing a nice set up for future books in the series.
Advance ebook provided by Sylvie Sinclair via NetGalley.
Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Light and funny low-steam romance here. Socially awkward duke, Michael, would rather be at home working on his chemistry experiments but finds himself caring for his aunt’s beloved poodle while she is out of town. While out walking the dog in the park, he meets Elizabeth, a popular debutante who has her own menace of a poodle. When the two dogs get into a tussle at the park, somehow Michael and Elizabeth each go home with the wrong dog. Michael is forced to go out in public to correct the mistake, but ends up in even more drama when it’s discovered that Elizabeth’s home has been broken into and the dog has been stolen. This book gives us multiple points of view, so we know early on who is responsible for the dognapping, but we get to see Michael and Elizabeth work together to recover the missing dog. While these two are seemingly total opposites, we get to see them start to slowly recognize and appreciate the other person’s unique qualities. Plus, we have Michael’s complete dedication to the dog search. There are lots of humorous moments in the book, mostly due to Michael’s plain-speaking and social awkwardness. And we eventually get to see the villain get his comeuppance.
Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.
The Duke Gets Desperate by Diana Quincy (2023)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Sirens in Silk series. Anthony thinks he will finally get possession back of the family castle after his stepmother tragically passes away, but it turns out she left the castle to her cousin who has just arrived to visit from America. Raya doesn’t want or need a castle and is more than willing to sell it the Anthony at fair market value, but he also doesn’t have any money. These two argue their way to a truce while also ogling each other and trying to resist their simmering attraction. Add in the mystery of what has happened to Anthony’s missing relics and the suspicious nature of his stepmother’s death, and we’ve got plenty of plot to keep your attention on this book. I liked the overall set-up of the book, since I love a good property dispute trope, and I also liked the way that Anthony appreciated Raya’s financial competence. Both characters were extremely stubborn and there was maybe one too many instances of miscommunication in this story, when they should have just directly confronted the other person. Still, this was a steamy read with a nice set up of Anthony’s friends (who I’m hoping we will see in future books).
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Avon Books.
A Duke’s Introduction to Courtship by Sophie Barnes (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Gentlemen Authors series. Brody is an impoverished duke who has secretly written a romance novel with two of his friends, but is strapped for immediate cash when a debt collector comes calling for his younger brother’s debts. While out for a walk, he happens across a job opening at a print shop and thinks that he’ll be able to collect a small bit of money while also sneaking in his own manuscript for consideration. While there, he runs into a young man who works as a compositor in the print shop and doesn’t know why he’s drawn to the lad. Harry is actually Harriet and dresses up as a young man to gain employment to care for herself and her younger sister. She has successfully maintained the disguise for several years, but her attraction for Brody might give her away. This book had a slow progression of friendship, caretaking, and a relatively low-angst romance. We also get to revisit the couple from Book 1 of the series, as both Brody and Harriet are friends with the duke and duchess, respectively.
Advance ebook provided by Sophie Barnes via NetGalley.
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Those Kilted Bastards Series by Caroline Lee / Historical Romance Book Series
The Duke’s Virgin Sister by Caroline Lee (2021)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Those Kilted Bastards series. Keith, the illegitimate son of an earl, is tasked with escorting Carlotta, the duke’s sister to Scotland for her sister-in-law’s birthday celebration. Carlotta is engaged to a baron who is an arrogant pompous asshole and we all just want to see him go away; he does make for some comedic lines with everyone around him calling him names behind his back. Keith is a boxer and now owner of his very own castle in Scotland and doesn’t really want to play escort here, but the duke offers him the money he will need to repair his castle. Keith and Carlotta fall for each other pretty quickly here, but he pushes her away, thinking that he will never be good enough for her due to their differences in social station. We get a little bit of road trip hijinks here with travel delays and bandits, and we do eventually learn the reason why Carlotta cannot take the train. Humor and steam in a quick and easy read.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
The Earl’s Brazen Widow by Caroline Lee (2022)
Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 2 of the Those Kilted Bastards series. Malcolm is the illegitimate son of an earl who once had a relationship with his late father’s widow, Violet. He’s ignored her letters for the past ten years but happens to open the one where she says that his home and farm is going to be sold. Malcolm travels to the earl’s estate to confront Violet and somehow strikes a bargain where he’ll tutor her son in exchange for the deed to his house. (But I thought Violet needed the money from selling that house, so why can she just give it away right now?) As Violet and Malcolm spend more time together, it’s clear they’re still in love, but need to talk through what went wrong all those years ago and how she ended up married to his father. And of course the age of her son is a bit suspicious, even though Malcolm hasn’t put the pieces together yet. Quick read, steamy, and humorous, especially the kid’s fascination with animal waste.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
The Rake’s Insatiable Bride by Caroline Lee (2022)
Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 3 of the Those Kilted Bastards series. Jade seeks a night with a courtesan so she can lose her virginity on her own terms before her guardian/uncle forces her to marry. Cameron is a charming rake of a man who plays up his debauched reputation by giving women pleasure. Both are victims of a marriage-by-proxy scheme that surprisingly brings them back together and then forces them to stay in the same cottage in a rainstorm. While Jade had no intention of getting married, she’s slowly falling in love with Cam as they spend more time together. It’s an isolated little vacation for them, until the storm breaks and we have to clear up the mess.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
The Sinner’s Tempting Captor by Caroline Lee (2022)
Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 4 of the Those Kilted Bastards series. We start here with a kidnapping from prison, where Honoria has bribed a warden to let her take Crowe with her. We’ve learned about Crowe in the previous books, where his friends believed him to have murdered their other friend James (who is also Honoria’s brother). While we do eventually find out why Crowe went to prison and who actually killed James, this book introduces us to Honoria’s crazy family dynamics and allows the potential reconciliation between Honoria and Crowe. The standout star of the book is younger brother Bull for all his comic relief. Things definitely get dramatic in this book, setting up the events that lead to the Surprise! Dukes series.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
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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.
Trope Round Up: Second Chance Romance in Historical Romance Books
Nobody’s Lady by Annabelle Anders (2018)
We have a missed connection here with Lilly and Michael falling in love in their youth, but tragic circumstances kept Michael away from offering for Lilly’s hand. Her father forced her to marry her sister’s widower and care for her niece/stepdaughter. Many years later, Lilly is on her way to London for her stepdaughter’s debut and runs into Michael at an inn where he needs assistance. At this point, he’s a powerful duke and betrothed to someone else. Their paths continue to cross during the London Season, but Michael is determined to stay on the honorable course, so he cannot break his engagement. Super angsty drama in this one.
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Any Rogue Will Do by Bethany Bennett (2020)
Seven years ago, it seemed like Ethan and Charlotte were courting, but then one day Ethan publicly disparaged her and basically ruined her reputation that season. (We do find out why he does that later in the book). Now, they cross paths again, and she’s trying to avoid an unwanted suitor, so recruits him as a fake fiancee. Obviously, they’re still attracted to each other, but still need to work out all the reasons why he ruined her all those years ago.
Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm
Have You Any Rogues by Elizabeth Boyle (2013)
Henrietta and Crispin are from rival families and somehow locked in a wine cellar together. This novella is told in a series of flashbacks throughout their relationship and rivalry with many instances of coming together and being thwarted by outside resources. This one is quick to read, but heavy on the pining and lost love throughout the years.
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Courting Trouble by Kerrigan Byrne (2020)
As a child, the coal boy of a fancy house falls for the eldest daughter. As a young man, he has an affair with the girl and makes plans to run away with her. When her father catches them, the man’s career is threatened, so the girl cruelly pushes him away and marries another. The beginning of this one is very similar to Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. Many years later, widowed and suffering from a gunshot wound, the lady is brought to the man who is now a renowned doctor.
Click here to get the book on KU
A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett (2023)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Secret Scientists of London series. The previous book hinted at a history between George and Margaret and we get the full story here. This book takes place about a year and a half after the events of Book 2. George and Margaret (and Violet, the main character of Book 1) were childhood friends out in the country where George was not part of the aristocracy at all. One summer, when it seemed that a romance was developing between George and Margaret, heartbreak occurred instead (we get to learn what it was at some point during the book when they finally talk it out). After they parted ways, George joined the army and somehow ended up an earl, while Margaret found an engineering mentor in Paris, got married, and became widowed. Now Margaret is back in England to start her own engineering company and is undertaking a huge project…. that is unfortunately funded by the nemesis of the female scientists at Athena’s Retreat and of George’s. While George and Margaret are growing closer again and working out their heartbreaking pasts, Margaret’s still holding secrets about her employer’s funding and causing discourse among the female scientists. George ends up being the more emotionally mature and politically progressive one in the relationship, supporting Margaret’s ambitions, providing her comfort and humor and safety. And there’s a scene in here that was hinted at earlier with one person’s awkwardness in the bedroom, with deliciously delightful payoff when the truth finally comes out… it was so good, I sent a screenshot of the scene to my friend immediately via text.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm
The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath (2023)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Chessmen series. There’s a scandalous book written anonymously about the seductive exploits of a Lord K and the ton suspects that the Earl of Knightly, known as Knight, is the man in the story. In reality, he is the subject of the story which is written by Regina, the illegitimate daughter of an earl whom Knight jilted on their wedding day five years prior. We see a few chapters told from the past interspersed with present day chapters and learn more about the past and present relationship between Knight and Regina. He basically left her heartbroken and ruined all those years ago and she has been trying to rebuild her life since then. The notoriety of this book has drawn them back together, but there is still a lot of resentment on Regina’s side of things and lots of guilt from Knight’s. It’s interesting to see how they ultimately overcome the issues that kept them apart all those years ago and learning the truth about Knight’s betrayal.
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.
Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm
The Princess Stakes by Amalie Howard (2021)
After her father’s murder, and Indian princess stows away on a ship headed to England. When she’s caught by the ship captain, she realizes that this man is someone she had rejected once before who is now a duke. The captain’s obviously got a terrible grudge because of the heartbreak the lady had caused him, so he makes her do all sorts of chores on his ship to earn her keep. We do eventually learn why they were kept apart all those years ago and work towards reconciliation. However, there is still the issue of the interracial relationship that will likely be looked down upon by the ton.
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Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas (2004)
Aline Marsden has been in love with the stable boy, John McKenna, since they were young. When her father, Earl of Westcliff, finds out about their relationship, he forbids them to see each other and sends McKenna away. Twelve years later, the old earl has died, Marcus is the new Lord Westcliff, and his sisters Aline and Livia are unmarried and living at the estate. A group of wealthy Americans has arrived for a hunting party and to gain Lord Westcliff’s business partnership. One of those wealthy visitors? McKenna. He’s been haunted by Aline all these years, believing that she had used him and had never loved him. He comes to take his revenge by bedding her and getting her out of his system. Aline has her own issues; not long after McKenna left, she was in a fire that left her legs scarred and disfigured. Believing that she’ll never be able to find love in her scarred state, she continues to let McKenna believe that she’s only interested in a physical relationship and that she doesn’t love him. Meanwhile, another wealthy man, Gideon Shaw, has caught the attention of Livia, who hasn’t been out in society since the death of her fiance a couple years ago and the related scandal afterward. Gideon’s got his own problems with being an alcoholic, but since this is a secondary romance in the story, they deal with that pretty neatly.
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A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Last Chance Scoundrels series. It’s been nearly a year since Dom abandoned Willa at the altar, and his friends and her brothers Kieran and Finn have conspired to bring them both the same isolated island house party in Scotland. Dom and Willa have to finally talk out their issues if they have any hope of moving on. We quickly see that while they were courting and engaged, each were playing a bit of a role and enjoyed the shock value of the other person’s status, rather than the person they truly were. From dockworker to wealthy son of a shipping magnate, Dom has been considered an outsider to the aristocracy. Willa, daughter of an earl, has been brash and outrageous, and delighted in shocking the ton with her brutish suitor. Likewise, Dom viewed Willa as an unattainable prize, who he first felt proud to court, and then felt guilty that he was so far below her standing… ultimately leading to his abandonment. Now that they’re in the same place again, they start to realize that they treated each other superficially in their courtship and engagement and a marriage at that time would have been unhappy. But the spark and attraction continues to exist between them and now that they’re being more honest with each other, they’re starting to give into those desires, even if they’re not quite willing to risk their hearts yet.
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.
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When a Marquess Loves a Woman by Vivienne Lorret (2016)
Juliet and Max get caught in a scandalous kiss, which results in her being married off to a much older man before Max even has a chance to offer for her. Years later, Juliet is now a widow, Max is somehow entangled in her same friend group, and they’ve got a bickering and contentious relationship. They’ve decided to create a bet this season to see if they can predict this year’s incomparable debutante. While they are at odds every step of the way, of course, they slowly start to fall in love again.
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How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Widow Rules series. The prologue consists of a very charming proposal from Julian to Beth, but things didn’t quite turn out the way they expected. Eight years later, Beth is now one of three widows of a duke’s younger brother, and was not in fact married to the scoundrel at all. In a quest to recover her lost dowry and get away from her older brother’s influence, she seeks out the destitute Julian, now a marquess, for assistance, offering him half the money in payment. We follow with a road trip and second chance romance, though Beth is adamant that she never marry and she knows that her reputation will be detrimental to the honorable Julian’s reputation. Julian however just wants to convince Beth that he’s sorry for walking away all those years ago when her brother denied his proposal and that he’s still in love with her. I mostly empathized with poor Julian there who just can’t catch a break. And of course all of those road trip adventures are a fun read as well.
Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.
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The Mistake by Lily Maxton (2015)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Sisters of Scandal series. This one is actually a full-length novel from this series, following the romance of Julia, the high-profile courtesan that we met briefly in Book 1 and heard about with her memoir in Book 2. She is currently pregnant with a marquess’s child and is under contract to remain his mistress in exchange for his monetary and social support of the child. Feeling disgusted with him (and herself), she feigns illness and ends up being housed at his country estate temporarily. While there, she reconnects with the head gardener, Adam, who was her childhood friend. A tragic prologue will tell you that Adam has been in love with Julia for years, but their paths diverged when she became a courtesan. It’s all sorts of emotional angst in this second chance romance.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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The Baron’s Return by Suzanna Medeiros (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Landing a Lord series. The third of the friend group from Book 5 and 6 is a baron who has had his heart broken when a lady cruelly rejects him and marries another. After the heartbreak, Gideon joins the army, becomes a rake, and is distrustful of women. Abigail is finally out of mourning from the much-older husband that her father forced her to marry. With Gideon back in England, she tells him that they have a daughter together, and then he declares that they’ll marry. He’s got no intention of falling in love again, but she’s determined to win him back.
Advance ebook provided by Suzanna Medeiros via BookSprout.
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How to Deceive a Duke by Samara Parish (2022)
Edward and Fiona had a weeklong affair once upon a time, and she didn’t know he was a duke, and he thought he could marry her. But when he told his mother, she made him break it off. And so these two dummies have been heartbroken for years and years. Edward was engaged to Amelia from the previous book, but that obviously didn’t work out, and now he’s single and just sort of taking care of his estate or something. Fiona gets arrested dressed as a boy at some point and Edward goes to rescue her from jail, but has to promise to keep her at his house. And of course the forced proximity causes them to finally talk out their issues, but they’re really just still on totally different social planes. Fiona’s trying to sell her inventions, but has to dress up as a boy to do so… and there’s some political drama or danger with her father being the ringleader or something like it.
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Mogul by Joanna Shupe (2017)
It’s five years after Lily and Calvin have parted ways and Lily has a threatening note about her brother written in Chinese. She seeks out Calvin for assistance because his name is also on the note. This book has all sorts of plot happening, but basically, Lily and Calvin were briefly married when they eloped, but were tracked down by her father to dissolve the marriage since Calvin is technically married to someone else. He’s not really married to someone else, but trying to bring his servant’s wife to American from China and thought his name would be more effective in the government. Fast forward five years later, and Lily’s brother is in trouble with gang lord in Chinatown and seems to have run off with the man’s daughter. There’s a mystery to solve there to protect everyone involved and over the course of the book Lily and Calvin grow closer. This book is heavy on the history lesson and politics of immigration in the US, so it was interesting to read.
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The Hellion and the Hero by Emily Sullivan (2022)
Second chance romance between a widow and a supposed war hero. Georgiana has been running her business after her husband’s death and providing factory reform for the workers, but she’s suddenly being threatened by a competitor. Her brother has hired a retired Navy Captain to help protect her, but that captain was a former suitor who she passed over to marry her late husband. These two are stuck together despite being resentful of their history with each other and somehow find their way to common ground.
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Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
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Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
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Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Weekly Reads: September 11 to 17, 2023
Just Wicked Enough by Lorraine Heath (2007)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Rogues and Roses series. An impoverished marquess holds an auction with the wealthiest American fathers to sell himself in matrimony to the highest bidder. We end up with an arranged marriage between Kate, the younger daughter of an American banker, with Michael, a cold and unemotional marquess. They’re both keeping secrets from each other, but still try to very slowly get to know each other after the wedding. Michael is lonely and unloved, mostly because his mother can’t remember him with her dementia and is kept in an asylum. Kate is pining over her lost love, who her parents accused of being a fortune hunter and has now married someone else. That leaves both Michael and Kate terribly unsure of themselves and in a bit of an animosity-filled relationship. Even with the physical attraction that’s apparent from the beginning, this one is a slow-burn relationship with each person slowly learning to trust the other.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Nobody’s Darling by Teresa Medeiros (1998)
Historical romance. 1880s New Mexico. Standalone novel. Esmeralda seeks revenge against the outlaw who murdered her brother and confronts him in a saloon in New Mexico. Billy Darling has never seen or heard of her brother and is innocent of the crime. With a faint chance that Esmeralda’s brother might be alive, she hires Billy to help track him down. This book is split into three parts, with loads of action and danger throughout. While Esmeralda and Billy start as adversaries, they need to trust each other to effectively work together. We also get to meet Billy’s outlaw brother gang along the way, as well as see Esmeralda and Billy share about their tragic pasts with each other. The book felt a bit long, especially as it had three distinct eras within it, but the relationship development was really good.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson (2023)
Nonfiction. As the title says, this book shares a woman’s experience with being a multilevel marketing (MLM) seller. Not only was she a seller, this person was a top-ranked “successful” seller. It was interesting to read about her entire experience from being recruited by a “friend” all the way until she left the company. Her company name and products were renamed (probably due to a non-disclosure agreement) and names of her friends and colleagues were changed as well. This book was a really intense behind the scenes look at the reality of being an MLM superstar and the downsides of the seemingly successful life being portrayed in social media. The messaging of a lot of MLM companies share is that people (particularly women and moms) have the potential to make enough money on the side by sharing the products they love in order to quit their jobs or have more flexibility to spend time with their kids. The problem here is that the money that’s being made is from recruiting people downline, and not really from selling the products themselves.
This book was particularly interesting to read right now since there has been some criticism of the online entrepreneurial space of having similar practices. Many online entrepreneur gurus will promote the ability to make millions of dollars online by teaching courses or selling digital products. Usually, these gurus will share their own sales revenue as “proof” that their method words. However, the gurus are selling courses about how to sell courses and have a higher price point by saying that their students will then go on to start their own business and be able to generate a return on investment. But then what happens is that those students go out and make money by teaching people how to start their own business… and it keeps trickling down. At which layer of this process does anyone make real-life, full-time salary, quit your job money from selling something tangible? It doesn’t seem like anyone does. And all of this messaging is eerily similar to all the things Paulson shares in her experience with an MLM.
This was a really fascinating read for anyone who has ever been affected by an MLM, either as a seller, a family member, or someone pitched to. I consider myself pretty highly educated, but still, a lot of the predatory messaging from MLMs can be pretty convincing. Whoever is in charge of the recruitment marketing knows exactly how to hone in on a person’s pain points and convince them that this is a harmless venture. It’s essential for these cautionary stories to be shared widely so that we can all recognize the signs and help each other avoid them.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
A Tale of Two Lovers by Maya Rodale (2011)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Writing Girls series. Lady Juliana Somerset is the secret author of the gossip column at the weekly paper and has written that Lord Roxbury may have been trysting with another man backstage at the theater. Roxbury’s now-questionable proclivities have made him a social outcast and also forced his father to issue an ultimatum: Roxbury needs to marry within the month or be financially cut off. He doesn’t really want to marry, but even if he did, no proper ladies will receive him with his current reputation. He seeks retribution from the paper and finds that Juliana is the cause of his downfall. They start needling each other at every instance, until they get caught in their own scandal. Juliana is wary of Roxbury, especially since he’s a rake, because of her experience with her late husband (who died in a drunken carriage accident with his mistress), so he has a lot of work to do to get her to trust him. In the background, we’re also trying to uncover the identity of the rival gossip columnist from the rival newspaper, which is a fun little mystery to follow.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Scandalous Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Super quick novella with Elizabeth, the police boss’ daughter, going to proposition Ian for a tryst. Elizabeth would like to prioritize teaching in her charity school for the underprivileged and doesn’t see herself as a good match for marriage, but wants to experience carnal relations before she’s a permanent spinster. She seeks out Ian, one of her father’s employees, since she’s desperately attracted to him. Ian is equally attracted to Elizabeth and has actually been waiting to court her properly after getting a job promotion and earning more money to be able to provide for her. Their tryst is interrupted by a violent crime in the neighborhood and there’s a bit of drama the next day when it seems like her father disapproves. However, this super short novella wraps up pretty quickly without too much angst.
Ebook purchased from Amazon.
Wanton Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Will and Ada meet under less-than-ideal circumstances when Will comes to call upon Ada’s younger sister, thinking that she was his friend’s mistress. Unfortunately, the young and impressionable Beth thought that she was in a loving affair with Will’s friend and has also been missing for several days. Although Ada is insulted by Will’s assumptions, she continues to bump into him as she searches for her sister. These two end up teaming up to locate Beth and very quickly fall in love with each other in their time together. This was a chance meeting type of romance and it was pretty short and easy to read.
Ebook purchased from Amazon.
Reckless Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Kate, the sister of Will from the previous book, has been secretly volunteering at a medical clinic in the poor part of town. She knows that she will likely have to give up her charitable work when she finally accepts the proposal of a long-time friend of hers. One of her last patients is a woman who was badly beaten, but will only speak with a specific detective. When Kate seeks out this detective, she finds Ben to be drunk and needing assistance to his own residence. Eventually, he sobers up, and the two team up to find the patient who has gone missing from the clinic. These two have their own past hurts from previous relationships, but it’s nice to see them become so smitten with each other so quickly. We also get rid of Kate’s almost-fiance here and showcase his boorish behavior. Overall, another relatively quick read in this series and good for when you’re looking for a less complex plot.
Ebook purchased from Amazon.
The Tattooed Duke by Maya Rodale (2012)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Writing Girls series. One of the Writing Girls, Eliza, is tasked with getting all the scoop on the newly returned duke in town. She applies for a position as a housemaid in the duke’s house and is able to find out all sorts of gossip to use about him in her new column, The Tattooed Duke. While Sebastian is part of a family infamous for its rakish and inappropriate treatment of female staff members, he is trying to stay vigilant and keep his hands off of the ever-attractive Eliza. Despite finding his estate in disarray and in debt, Sebastian would rather be sailing the world and leading an expedition to Timbuktu. Unfortunately, all of the press about his scandalous reputation does not help him acquire the funding he needs for the expedition. Meanwhile, Sebastian and Eliza seem to be growing closer while she’s in his employ, even though he doesn’t know that she’s the one betraying all his confidences. We also get some fun twisty secrets about both Sebastian and Eliza as we progress through the book, with tons of dramatic fallout along the way.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
A Duke’s Introduction to Courtship by Sophie Barnes (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Gentlemen Authors series. Brody is an impoverished duke who has secretly written a romance novel with two of his friends, but is strapped for immediate cash when a debt collector comes calling for his younger brother’s debts. While out for a walk, he happens across a job opening at a print shop and thinks that he’ll be able to collect a small bit of money while also sneaking in his own manuscript for consideration. While there, he runs into a young man who works as a compositor in the print shop and doesn’t know why he’s drawn to the lad. Harry is actually Harriet and dresses up as a young man to gain employment to care for herself and her younger sister. She has successfully maintained the disguise for several years, but her attraction for Brody might give her away. This book had a slow progression of friendship, caretaking, and a relatively low-angst romance. We also get to revisit the couple from Book 1 of the series, as both Brody and Harriet are friends with the duke and duchess, respectively.
Advance ebook provided by Sophie Barnes via NetGalley.
Three Schemes and a Scandal by Maya Rodale (2012)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3.5 of the Writing Girls series. Lady Charlotte is a walking disaster with all of her scheming. As the sister of a duke, she gets away with quite a bit, but still somehow wreaks havoc on society. She gets herself into a tangle with her once-childhood friend James, which leads to his father’s ire and banishment of James. In trying to help them make up with each other, they get into more trouble together. But as they’ve reconnected after all these years apart, both James and Charlotte are beginning to develop stronger feelings for each other. This novella was quick and humorous to read, with all of the chaos that happens at every turn.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
I Love the Earl by Caroline Linden (2011)
Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Prequel novella of The Truth About the Duke series. Margaret has been a dowdy spinster with no success in finding a husband. When her brother unexpectedly inherits a wealthy dukedom, he settles a large dowry on her. Suddenly, Margaret is besieged with suitors of the fortune-hunting variety. Rhys is an impoverished earl who is hesitant to marry for money, but is intrigued by Margaret’s forthright style of speaking. He decides to slowly court her and win her favor, as he’d very much like to spend the rest of his life with her.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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