Indiscreet by Mary Balogh (1997)

Regency-era romance. Rex Adams, Viscount Rawleigh, is riding with his friends to visit his identical twin brother Claude for a house party. His sister-in-law tries to set him up with her own sister, but Rex is more interested in the lovely widow he encountered riding through town, Catherine Winters. Although Catherine finds Rex attractive, she rejects his advances. That’s not enough to quell the town gossips though; Rex and Catherine find themselves mired in scandal, especially Catherine with her mysterious past. Looks like Rex’s days of debauchery are over as he tries to do the honorable thing. Plus, we (and Rex) will eventually learn Catherine’s secrets after one of Rex’s buddies recognizes Lady Catherine.

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Impeccable by Darcy Burke (2022)

Historical romance, Book 7 of the Phoenix Club series. If you’ve read all the books in the series including the prequel, you’ll know that Mrs. Evangeline Renshaw is a fake identity for the Phoenix Club manager and patroness. She was actually previously a very sought after courtesan. When she ended his liaison with the son of a duke, he asked her to help him manage his new club. She’s been living under her assumed identity of a respectable widow since. When she visits her sister (who she cannot publicly claim as her sister, since she was also previously a courtesan), she rescues a puppy and befriends the younger brother of the marquess next door. He wishes to court her, but she doesn’t want marriage, so he proposes an affair instead. He’s the absolute sunshiniest fellow ever, probably a bit too good to be true. Their bond over the puppy they find is absolutely adorable though.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke via NetGalley.

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The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne (2015)

You can just imagine that a prologue that starts with two kids in an orphanage becoming friends, teaching each other to read, protecting each other, and getting pseudo-married in the chapel with the guy’s clan tartan is going to lead to heartbreak. And that’s exactly what happens. Our girl-child gets assaulted by a priest, her child-husband stabs him to death, he gets sent to prison, and she runs away. Flash forward to adulthood, she’s a respectable “widow” working for the police station, almost courting the chief inspector, and gets kidnapped by the most notorious criminal in London. High drama indeed.

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A Rake’s Guide To Pleasure by Victoria Dahl (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Somerhart series. Emma is an orphan who is posing as a widowed baroness to gamble her way through London before the Season begins. She’s trying to save up enough money to escape to a seaside cottage and support herself and her maid. With her scandalous gambling, she’s caught the attention of Hart, who is a stern and serious duke with a history of debauched behavior. He insists that she’ll become his mistress, but she is hesitant and shy about it. There’s a lot of chasing each other and bickering in this story, and it seems like Hart is mostly just a distraction from Emma’s real goals. He does sort of ultimately redeem himself, but it’s a long and humbling road for him.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Union of the Rakes series. Our duke friend, Noel, from Book 1 is back this time and he meets an intriguing woman who has a head for business, doesn’t fuss at him for his title, and is entirely attractive. However, Jess is merely a farmer’s daughter hoping to find investors for her family’s soap-making business. When she tries to sneak her way into a business exposition, she’s nearly halted at the door, and ends up pretending to be widowed to a baronet to gain entrance. While there, she tries hard to focus on finding ways to subtly promote the soap business and to avoid the attentions of the duke, but can’t seem to help being drawn to him. I spent the whole book anxious about the impending heartache because I just knew that Noel would be upset at the idea of being used for his connections and money, even though Jess was trying to avoid his involvement at all. I really enjoyed this book though and looking forward to the next one that was hinted at here.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Once a Fallen Lady by Eve Pendle (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Fallen series. This story takes place around the same time as Book 1. We get to follow the lives of the young woman who was ruined and her now ten-year old illegitimate daughter. Lydia has been living as a fraudulent widow in a small village and raising her daughter Annie there. When Annie gets ill, Lydia doesn’t have the money to send for the doctor, but the schoolteacher Alfred notices Annie’s absence and comes to check on them. Over the course of Annie’s illness, Alfred comes to visit, bringing food and books, and helping to run errands for Lydia. This one is a relatively short but super quick read with Alfred definitely falling first and Lydia thinking that she’s not worthy of him. It’s also fun to read about an event that happens in Book 1 from a different point of view. I definitely enjoyed reading these two books back-to-back.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

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An Accidental Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren (2007)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Mistress Trilogy series. Lily fakes her death to escape her stepfather and the man that she’s arranged to marry. She dresses as a boy to travel to London and meets handsome marquess Ethan along the way. When in London to claim an inheritance left by her maternal grandfather, Lily needs to pose as a widow to do so. A short while later, Lily and Ethan cross paths at a society dinner and he pursues her for an affair. There’s a bit of back and forth here as Lily refuses at first and then eventually gives into her desires. Eventually though Lily’s secrets will catch up to her, along with Ethan’s verbal understanding with a young lady’s father.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Outlaw and the Lady by Lorraine Heath (2001)

Historical romance. 1890s Texas. Book 1 of the Daughters of Fortune series. Second generation of characters from the Rogues in Texas series. Angela is out for a midnight stroll in Fortune, TX, when she accidentally interrupts a bank robbery. The robbers believe she’s seen their faces and can identify them, so they kidnap her, not realizing until they’re too far away that she’s blind. Lee Raven is the ringleader of the robberies, seeking revenge on a single man who ruined his family, and gaining a reputation as a wanted murderer. As Lee and Angela are stuck together, she starts to realize that he isn’t as cruel as she thought he would be, and it sounds as though he has the admiration of his brothers who ride with him. This was a book with so much plot going on and so much mystery to unravel that I had to keep reading to find out if my hunch was correct. And it was delightfully satisfying to know that I read all those clues correctly throughout. It was angsty and tragic and amazing to see it all tie together.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Marry an Heiress by Lorraine Heath (2002)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Daughters of Fortune series. We’re in England for this story, with Georgina visiting her friend Lauren (stepdaughter to the Earl of Ravenleigh) for the Season and her wealthy father setting up a match for her with Devon, another earl and cousin to Ravenleigh. Devon’s impoverished estate needs the cash and he agrees to Georgina’s father’s terms for courtship and the appearance of a love match. Upon meeting Georgina at a ball, she sees through him immediately and insists that he not lie to her if they are to marry. We see a quick wedding very early on in the book, followed by a surprising tragedy that sets off resentment and animosity between Devon and Georgina through the rest of the book. It was most interesting to see how Georgina could be sweet and accommodating, but also have strength in her convictions throughout the book. Devon thought he would be getting himself a demure and grateful wife, but instead finds a strong courageous partner worth falling in love with.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Love with a Scandalous Lord by Lorraine Heath (2003)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Daughters of Fortune series. Slightly shallow and naive Lydia is visiting England because her stepfather’s dear old ducal dad is dying. We’ve met Lydia’s family in A Rogue in Texas (Book 1 of the Rogues in Texas series) and learned a bit about some complicated family dynamics. We add another layer here with Rhys, the second legitimate son of the duke is now the marquess and soon to take over the dukedom in pretty short order. He has his own sordid past as the Gentleman Seducer and knows he won’t be able to show his face in society with his new title, since many of the ladies of the ton would recognize him. How he had ended up in this position is a bit of a mystery and slowly gets revealed over the course of the book (hang on though, it’s a juicy story when we finally learn it all). When we start the book, Lydia is in awe of the glitter of the estate and wants to comport herself as a proper lady and believing that the aristocratic lifestyle is superior to her own life in Texas. (Super annoying, really) She’s easily flustered around the very handsome and polished Rhys and he’s drawn to her beauty and innocence, even though he knows he shouldn’t be tarnishing her with his presence. We do eventually get to see Lydia realize that there are more important things than Society rules and frivolity, so she doesn’t stay shallow for too long. This book introduces us to key players in future books, so it’s not one to skip if you’re going to continue reading Heath’s backlist.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Invitation to Seduction by Lorraine Heath (2004)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Daughters of Fortune series. Kitty spends almost the whole book feeling shameful of her lustful desires for the man she spied swimming in the sea and wants to retreat into the safety and comfort of her soon-to-be fiance who stirs absolutely none of these emotions. Richard is a duke who is baffled that his longtime friend will wed an American heiress, since he knows that his friend will be unable to be a good husband. Turns out that’s the guy that Kitty is almost engaged to and Richard tries to steal her away from him. It’s a lot of seduction and maneuvering in this book with Kitty learning to accept her own desires and attraction towards Richard. As always, there’s lots of drama and angst and heartbreak along the way, even though there isn’t too much character growth for Richard himself.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh (2003)

Judith is on her way to live with her aunt and experiences a stagecoach accident. Rannulf Bedwyn rides by and offers to go to the next town and send help to the stranded stagecoach passengers, and he takes Judith with him. The strangers give each other fake names and identities and spend a steamy couple of days together. They each continue to their intended destinations: Judith is off to her aunt’s as a poor relation to keep her grandmother company while her younger cousin is being trotted out to potential suitors; Rannulf is off to his grandmother’s house where she has found him a potential bride. Of course, they’re both headed to the same town and cross paths when Rannulf comes to call on Judith’s young eligible cousin. Cue awkward social engagements, accusations of lying to each other, one insipid shallow cousin, another aggressive handsy cousin, a layabout brother living beyond his means, and grandmothers who happen to be besties.

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When She Was Wicked by Anne Barton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Honeycotes series. Annabelle Honeycote is an impoverished seamstress with a deathly ill mother and younger sister to support. While working at the dress shop, she overhears various gossip and uses the information to extort money. One of her victims, Owen Sherbourne, a handsome duke, catches her at the drop point and threatens to expose her, but he feels bad for her instead, and brings her home as an indentured servant to make dresses for his sisters. There’s a bunch of miscommunication and secrecy between this couple, mixed with a healthy dose of social class difference, but the insta-lust is such fun to read and this book is a great set up to the Honeycote/Sherbourne family series to come.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Ruthless Rivals series. The Davies and Montgomery families have been rivals for centuries. But it’s a friendly sort of rivalry where the kids played together growing up and mostly just bickered with each other. When Morgan is ready to go out to sea, Harriet gives him a reason to come back, by allowing him three kisses if he survives and returns. A few years later, he survives torture and imprisonment and wants only one thing when he returns: Harriet’s hand in marriage. However, with their history of fighting and dares, he knows that she won’t believe him if he proposes outright, so he plans to seduce her and wear her down. This book was fun and low-angst between our two rivals, aside from a few little brushes with dastardly villains. Overall, I loved seeing Morgan scheme to bring Harriet into his arms and her trying to resist him. And I loved that both of their families were supportive and knew that these two loved each other even before they did.

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

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Duke Most Wicked by Lenora Bell (2022)

Book 3 of the Wallflowers versus Rogues series. Viola has had a massive crush on her employer for as long as she’s known him. Music teacher to his five sisters, Viola is enamored of West, even with his wicked ways. When he realizes that his behavior has tarnished his sisters’ reputations, he seeks to make amends by finding a wealthy heiress to marry and suitors for the sisters. Viola is extra protective of the sisters and argues with him on their behalf. Meanwhile, Viola has been secretly composing music and selling it as her father’s and adamantly avoiding any time in the spotlight. West sees her talent and beauty despite her plain and drab dresses but believes that he doesn’t deserve her sunshine. Overall, great dynamic between our characters and love the flirting and banter they get into.

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A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare (2012)

Book 2 of the Spindle Cove Series. Minerva is our geological scientist here aiming to go to a scientific conference in Scotland with a fossil imprint of possibly a lizard or dino skull in tow. Except she doesn’t have a way to get there. She propositions the town rake, Colin, to fake an elopement with her and escort her to the conference. From there, we face all sorts of road trip calamities with a broken carriage, highwaymen, and more. And there’s a super cute bit where Colin calls Minerva every other M name under the sun because he can’t remember her name. (But he does actually know her name). One of my fave books from Tessa Dare.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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A Wicked Bargain for the Duke by Megan Frampton (2021)

Stuffy new duke Thaddeus decides he needs a respectable wife and has been courting a quiet and reticent lady. Lavinia is the outspoken sister trying to protect her sister from making a match she’s uninterested in. Although total opposites in personality, Thad and Lavinia get caught in a compromising situation and need to marry.

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Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean (2018)

Lady Felicity is a spinster wallflower who I guess was ruined by some sort of scandal. Devil seeks her out to set her up with a suitor that he wants revenge on. But she’s negotiates her own deal with Devil for lessons in passion while they’re together. Honestly, I don’t remember much about this story, aside from Devil having some smuggling operation related to shipping ice and that Felicity is really really good at picking locks. The overall premise of the series is interesting though, with the four children of the duke born on the same day and then where they end up as adults.

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To Wed a Wicked Earl by Olivia Parker (2009)

Picks up at the end of the previous book where Charlotte is not selected as the bride for a man she has pined after for years. Adam is a rakish earl who normally wouldn’t pay a wallflower like Charlotte any attention. Except that he’s been smitten with her for years. They start a somewhat flirtatious friendship, but he thinks she’s still in love with the other guy, and she doesn’t think he would actually be interested in her. These two just need to get it together and trust their own feelings.

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When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn (2004)

We’ve heard bits and pieces about Francesca Bridgerton in previous books of the series, but now we finally get to focus on her story. She marries John Stirling (Earl of Kilmartin), but he tragically dies in his sleep, leaving her a widow at age 22. John’s cousin, Michael, is set to inherit the Earldom. However, he has been secretly in love with Francesca and cannot bear to take John’s place in all his duties. He flees the country. Meanwhile, Francesca has been the steward of the Kilmartin estate and mourns her husband; eventually, when she finds herself longing for a baby, Francesca decides to remarry. She still loves her husband, so she isn’t looking for someone to love. Michael returns from his travels and finds that his feelings for Francesca have not abated. And while Francesca used to see Michael as nothing more than a good friend, she starts to realize that he’s an attractive man. Of course she feels a huge amount of guilt for lusting after Michael, so she’ll need to work that out throughout this book.

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Her Wicked Marquess by Stacy Reid (2020)

In this one, we have a guy with a rakish reputation, but he really just has that as a cover story because he’s trying to find the reason why his childhood love killed herself and get revenge. Meanwhile, our girl Maryann is trying to avoid her parents marrying her off to someone older and creepy. So she spread a rumor about herself getting ruined by the guy. Unfortunately, he has enemies so now she’s made herself a target and now he has to protect her. It’s actually really fun seeing these two get to know each other under these circumstances. He sneaks into her room at night and they talk and play chess and really develop a deep and meaningful relationship. But of course, he’s working on his whole revenge thing, so no time for love and all that.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Wicked in His Arms by Stacy Reid (2017)

Drama in a book here. Olivia is the stepdaughter of a viscount who has been running wild in the country and now sent off for lady lessons with a neighboring countess. She’s mostly trying to avoid her stepbrother’s disgusting advances. While she’s staying with the countess, she catches the eye of Tobias, the son and earl. He doesn’t want anything to do with such an improper lady though and tries to avoid her. He has his own issues with trying to avoid passionate feelings and scandal because of his family history and reputation. Well, that doesn’t actually work out, since they do get caught in a compromising situation and need to marry. And then figure out how to actually be married to each other.

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The Wicked Wallflower by Tracy Sumner (2022)

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

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A Wallflower’s Folly by Amanda Mariel (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Olivia and William were betrothed by their parents as children, but Olivia hasn’t heard from William in about 15 years. She believed that he was not interested in actually marrying her, so she is happy to live as an independent spinster without a husband. William finally decides he needs a wife to assist with his younger sisters’ debut into society, so he comes to collect his betrothed and is surprised to find that she is completely resistant to the idea of marriage. He softens up pretty quickly and feels guilty for having ignored her all these years and attempts to make amends. This one is a quick novella that’s relatively low-angst and fun to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke by Janna MacGregor (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Lady Daphne accidentally gets left in London alone at Christmastime in a mix-up of whether she’s traveling with her brother or her mother. She decides to use this time to focus on her goals of setting up a home for unwed mothers and to establish her own residence. While mulling over her options in the park, her reticule and personal journal are stolen by a young boy and she gives chase. Eventually tracking the boy to a gambling hell, she bumps into Paul, her brother’s former friend and now nemesis who tries to rescue Daphne and protect her reputation. Over the next few days, Daphne and Paul team up to try to recover her journal, while also rekindling their long ago childhood friendship. Daphne is caring and compassionate towards Paul, who has acted the villain in previous books in this series. It turns out he was treated horribly by his father, even after his father’s death with cutting notes and reminders of his wastrel ways. There’s a tiny disagreement about the purchase of a property that Daphne wants to use as her charity house and Paul wants to use as a hospital in honor of his brother’s illness, but that scuffle is pretty minor compared to the risk of scandal Daphne is under if her journal is discovered. And of course when Daphne’s family comes back and starts meddling, we get even more drama.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Thea is supposed to be a countess in her own right, but the local duke is contesting her title and claiming that the earldom should also be his as the male heir to Thea’s grandfather. With the ensuing legal battle, Thea considers marriage and asks for her neighbor’s assistance in finding a match. Our dear old neighbor has a beloved great-nephew who might be perfect for the job. William is the second son of a duke who is generally resistant to marriage because of a previous heartache when he was younger. When Thea and William meet, both agree that a hasty marriage is not ideal and they become friends. Friends who are highly attracted to each other. As Thea meets the Cavensham clan, she quickly becomes smitten of the entire family and sees what a loving household William belongs to. Feeling like a total outsider, Thea doesn’t think that she is a suitable match for William, even though William thinks of himself as unworthy of Thea. This book was a fun slow-burn romance with delightfully meddlesome aunts.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Avalon suffered a terrible marriage with a marquess, but now has freedom as a widow to pursue charitable endeavors at her country estate. Her son’s guardian is suspicious of the funding for the charity, so he sends his vicar brother Devan to the village to investigate. Avalon and Devan have bickered in the past, mostly because she jilted his best friend once upon a time, and Devan has seen her become a cold and icy marchioness. She really just developed a coping mechanism to deal with the horrible husband that her parents forced her to marry and then realized that being cool and distant could prevent her from suffering any further heartbreak. Of course, Avalon is wary of Devan’s new role in her village, especially with his debaucherous reputation and the naughty vicar. As they spend more time together, they slowly develop a friendship and get to know a bit more of each other’s true personalities. I loved how Devan turned out to be such a charismatic and responsible vicar, despite the rakish personality we’ve seen in previous books. Add in a bit of drama with one of the local debutantes, and we see both Avalon and Devan coming to each other’s rescue.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

A Groom of One’s Own by Maya Rodale (2010)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Writing Girls series. Sophie gets jilted on her wedding day in a horribly embarrassing prologue. A year later, Sophie has become a well-known newspaper writer with a column featuring weddings of the aristocracy. She has a meet-cute with a duke (who she doesn’t know is a duke) and is later shocked to find that he is engaged to be married and that she will need to report upon the wedding. Brandon is the ultra-serious and responsible double duke who has decided to marry an equally respectable lady. However, he’s completely distracted and besotted by Sophie, but cannot break his duty to his fiancee. It’s all tricky business being an upstanding fellow. Luckily, his fiancee isn’t actually in love with him and has another suitor in the mix. This book was a fun countdown towards the wedding day and left me wondering how everything would all work out for all four players involved.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke Experiment by Eve Pendle (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Part of the I Like Big Dukes and I Cannot Lie anthology. Quick novella about a duke scientist (Matthew) who is assigned to share his lab space with a female doctoral candidate (Emma). He decides he’s in love with her immediately, but he’s clumsy and awkward so he pretty much ruins his chances. After that, they have a bickering co-worker type of relationship until our duke finally takes the chance to show his affection for Emma.

Advance ebook provided by Eve Pendle via BookSprout.

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A Duke of Her Own by Lorraine Heath (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Rogues and Roses series. At twenty-six years old, Louisa determines that she has no marital prospects as the impoverished sister of an earl so she takes a job as a chaperone for American heiresses that need assistance navigating through society. Her brother and his two friends are terrible candidates for her charges, so she warns them away. Hawk is one of those determined friends who needs a wealthy duchess so that he can bring his secret and illegitimate younger sister into society. Knowing that Louisa’s approval is necessary, Hawk sets out to soften Louisa’s stance on his courtship of her charge. Of course, Hark is distracted by Louisa herself and is more attracted to her than the woman he’s supposed to be courting.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Harry Potter Fanfic: Sincerely Yours by LovesBitca8

Dramione, Post-War, multi-chapter, 40k words. This one is a super cute (and steamy) You’ve Got Mail retelling, with Hermione being the one opening a new apothecary names Foxglove and Belladonna and Draco with the long-standing family apothecary about to go out of business. They’ve been emailing back and forth as Jane and Nick for years without having met in person, but with the stress of workplace rivalry, they hope to take their online relationship further. LovesBitca8 has been one of my favorite Dramione fanfiction writers for years and we all now know her as published author Julie Soto. If you’ve enjoyed anything she’s written before, you’ll love this fic as well.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Want more Harry Potter fanfic? Here’s a spreadsheet of my all-time favorites.

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Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh (2003)

Judith is on her way to live with her aunt and experiences a stagecoach accident. Rannulf Bedwyn rides by and offers to go to the next town and send help to the stranded stagecoach passengers, and he takes Judith with him. The strangers give each other fake names and identities and spend a steamy couple of days together. They each continue to their intended destinations: Judith is off to her aunt’s as a poor relation to keep her grandmother company while her younger cousin is being trotted out to potential suitors; Rannulf is off to his grandmother’s house where she has found him a potential bride. Of course, they’re both headed to the same town and cross paths when Rannulf comes to call on Judith’s young eligible cousin. Cue awkward social engagements, accusations of lying to each other, one insipid shallow cousin, another aggressive handsy cousin, a layabout brother living beyond his means, and grandmothers who happen to be besties.

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The Duke by Kerrigan Byrne (2017)

So our girl Imogen is a maid working at a brothel by night and a nurse by day. When Cole and his men are at the bar, he requests her services for the night. Some time later, he’s injured from war and in the hospital where she works. He’s a terrible belligerent patient and she saves his life, but he doesn’t recognize her at all. Mostly because she was wearing makeup and a wig at the brothel. While Cole is being a bad patient, Imogen gets into a spot of trouble and is preparing to run away. A sickly old viscount takes pity on her and they enter into a marriage of convenience. We next have a time skip of several years and Imogen is a wealthy widow, living independently. Unfortunately, she crosses paths with Cole again with him thinking she was a gold digger for marrying his elderly neighbor. He’s also been dreaming about and looking for the girl in the brothel he spent that single night with. So then we see what happens as these two grow close again and if Cole ever realizes who’s right in front of him.

And there’s kind of a murderer tossed into the plot too.

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Seducing a Stranger by Kerrigan Byrne (2019)

Previously published as A Dark and Stormy Knight and also serves as Book 7 of the Victorian Rebels series. We start with a midnight tryst in a garden between our gal Prudence and the good Inspector, while he’s there trying to investigate a case. Fast forward to the inspector’s boss’s daughter’s wedding where the groom is stabbed to death before the ceremony, and the bride is holding the knife and covered in blood. And she was his one-night stand. Oh, and she’s pregnant. If that’s not drama, I don’t know what is.

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To Resist a Scandalous Rogue by Liana De la Rosa (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Once Upon a Scandal series. After the scandal that Alethea uncovers in the previous book, her twin brother Finley is at a bit of a loss of direction. At an earl’s debaucherous house party, he meets a woman in the garden and spends one night with her before she disappears on him. Charlotte is a widow who was left with no money, no family, and no protection. She ended up at an earl’s house party thinking to get a maid’s position, but was dismayed to learn that her cousin has offered her an opportunity to be a courtesan. Although she rejects that role, she ended up in Finley’s bed anyway, and runs off before she’s tempted to become his mistress. A year later, Finley is seeking a position in Parliament and Charlotte has become a schoolteacher at a foundling home, and the two cross paths again. With their social class differences, his secrets, her secrets, and his political aspirations, this match is certainly unwise. We get to see them both slowly bring the other person into their confidence and become emotionally entangled. I enjoyed reading this one too and it was a great follow-up to the first book in the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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His Study in Scandal by Megan Frampton (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the School for Scoundrels series. Alexandra is a widowed duchess out of mourning, seeking to take charge of her life by tearing up her mourning gowns, shopping at a modiste her late husband did not approve of, and enjoying a night of pleasure at a hedonistic garden with a handsome stranger. Theo is a wealthy businessman who has just made a deal to marry a duke’s sister but plans to spend one last night at the pleasure gardens before officially meeting her. Theo and Alexandra meet there and spend a steamy night together before parting ways. Complications arise when they realize that Theo has been intended for Alexandra’s daughter, as a way for her stepson, the new duke, to cover the debts that he’s incurred in the last two years. With the brimming attraction between Theo and Alexandra, it’s obvious he cannot marry her daughter, but they need to figure out a way to extricate themselves from this delicate situation or else Alexandra’s stepson will ruin Theo’s business prospects and leave Alexandra and her daughter destitute. With an fun little plot twist of how the daughter gets herself out of the bind.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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One Night with an Earl by Tina Gabrielle (2021)

Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Daring Ladies series. We start strong here right at a brothel, where Ana is trying to lose her virginity before her thirtieth birthday. Ruined by family scandal a decade prior, Ana now works as a chaperone to a young lady making her debut into society. She seeks one night of pleasure and has the brothel madam help her. Oliver is a newly inherited earl after the death of his father and brother (both of whom were irresponsible and gross) and at the brothel with his brother’s friend’s. Of course, Ana and Oliver are instantly attracted and proceed with a tryst. Later, Ana finds Oliver at her house to court her charge and also that his family is the one who ruined hers. So much potential angst and drama here with the intertwined families, plus Ana has been hiding her identity from the world. At some point, I know the lies will catch up to her, but in the meantime, the development of the romance between these two is absolutely delightful.

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One Night With You by Sophie Jordan (2007)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Derrings series. Oppressed widow Jane accidentally sees her childhood friend Seth at a scandalous masked party that her friends dragged her to attend. Seth had previously been in love with Jane’s sister and was humiliated by her family before going away to war; upon his return to the country, he finds that his father and older brother had died, leaving him the earl and responsible for his blind younger sister. Although Seth is interested in a tryst with the masked lady he met one night, he is looking for a respectable wife that can cause no heartbreak to help protect his sister. When meeting Jane again in the daylight, he’s attracted to her but refuses to become entangled with her. It was interesting to see how Jane steps away from her terrible circumstances through the support of her friends. I also liked reading more about Seth’s sister and her secondary romance within the book, even though Seth was a stubborn idiot for most of the book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Her Night with the Duke by Diana Quincy (2021)

Book 1 of the Clandestine Affairs series. Two strangers meet at an inn and hook up and go about their merry way. He’s a duke who is going to meet his soon-to-be fiancee, so he gets there and meets with the girl’s family. And her stepmother is the woman he met at the inn! Talk about awkward. They eventually agree never to bring it up again. Everyone tries to do the honorable thing, etc. But the attraction is obviously still there and we’re just waiting to see how it breaks through. And also wondering how the issue with the impending engagement is going to be resolved. Such a sticky situation and satisfying to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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A Scandalous Deal by Joanna Shupe (2018)

We start with a cross-Atlantic ship with a young woman and man meeting on the ship and having a steamy one night stand. When they meet again in New York City, they realize that he’s the owner of the hotel project that she is designing. Yikes. Our gal Eva is an architect who is working on the project, but passing it off as her father’s work, since he’s the famous architect but is very ill. Phillip is the ultra-wealthy hotel owner who is having a hard time wrangling the construction crew who don’t want to listen to a woman. There’s a lot of back and forth here with who’s in charge and keeping things professional, while the these two are so clearly attracted to each other. Plus, there is a fun bit of interaction between Eva and Phillip’s mother, who wants to hire her to work on her Newport cottage renovations.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Lass Who Lost a Shoe by Caroline Lee (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 1 of the Highlander Ever After series. Cinderella-retelling. Ember has been working at her stepmother’s inn and has a chance to show off her specially engraved shoe designs at the masquerade ball. She hopes to impress the man who has come from America to oversee the engraving business her family has run for generations. At the ball, she has a chance to dance with a handsome gentleman before having to run back home so her stepmother doesn’t find her missing. Max is the newcomer and guest of honor, but he has been staying at the inn, and doesn’t realize the lady at the ball and the serving girl he’s enthralled with are the same person. There’s a smidge of miscommunication as they work out who the other person is, but there is definitely an instant spark between Ember and Max, which is a delight to read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Lass Who Kissed a Frog by Caroline Lee (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 2 of the Highlander Ever After series. The Frog Prince retelling. Vanessa has been lauded for her beauty and was expected to make a match with the charming and handsome Roland, but he overhears her making disparaging remarks about his brother and now believes her to be shallow and cruel. He decides to teach her a lesson by disguising himself as a vagabond and riling her ire, but is surprised when she treats him with kindness. Meanwhile, Vanessa is realizing that she has lost her chance with Roland because of her cruel words and refocuses her efforts on helping her sister achieve her goals. When Vanessa needs to travel for a few days, the disguised Roland escorts her, and learns even more about her true (and kind) nature.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Lass Who Loved a Beast by Caroline Lee (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 3 of the Highlander Ever After series. Beauty and the Beast retelling. Bonnie is doing some research for her book on Highland history and visits the grumpy beast Lyon’s castle to do so. They get stuck there together in a snowstorm and grow closer, but Lyon pushes her away. He’s got his own guilt and feelings of unworthiness after his first wife died in a fire. Although sad about Lyon’s rejection, Bonnie is working on her goals of setting up a publishing house for books written by women and hopes that her own book will be the start of future successes. At some point, Lyon’s brother push him out of his castle to go over Bonnie, where he shares the reasons for his hesitance at a relationship with her. And then we get a big dramatic harrowing experience that force these two to declare their feelings and move forward.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Cocky Mister by Annabelle Anders (2020)

Tasked with protecting his friends younger sister, Stone has followed Tabetha as she elopes with a duke. She quickly realizes the duke is a creep and fights her way out of the elopement, just as Stone catches up to her. Somehow, they end up in an argument at an inn, Tabetha falls down the stairs, hits her head, and forgets who she is. Somehow Stone is now playing the role of her husband and feeling terribly guilty about deceiving her when she normally wouldn’t have given him a chance to court her.

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Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh (2004)

Alleyne Bedwyn is thrown from his horse and believed dead. When a few desperate women go searching for loot from fallen soldiers, he is found alive and rescued (although naked and unconscious). He regains consciousness in a brothel and realizes that he has no idea who he is. Rachel has been tending to “Jonathan Smith” and he thinks she’s a golden angel. The women want to get back to England to catch a thief who stole their money; Rachel feels guilty because she’s the one who introduced them. In order for Rachel to gain her inheritance from her uncle, Alleyne (Jonathan) poses as her husband and all her friends come along. What sorts of trouble will they get into? Will they catch the thief? And when will Alleyne remember who he is?

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The Duke Is But a Dream by Anna Bennett (2019)

Secret newspaper columnist dresses as a boy to drop off her report for this week. She accidentally gets in a bar room brawl, hits her head, and loses her memory. A starchy at the bar witnesses this and brings her home to recover. Since the duke is new in town, he doesn’t know who the lady is. She doesn’t remember who she is and needs to recover from the head injury. Since no one knows her social status, it’s hard to know if she’s a suitable match for the duke or not and they try to stay away from each other, despite their attraction.

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The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne (2018)

This book has quite a few time jumps within it. We start with a prison beating and a young man left for dead. Soon after that, a young girl rescues the man from a field, but he has absolutely no memory of who he is. After nursing him back to health and forming a connection, her arsehole brother betrays him and sends him off to sea. Many many many years later, he returns to claim his lady. And we find out how our guy is connected to all the other men in this series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Accidental Wedding by Anne Gracie (2010)

An earl’s brother has a riding accident, bumps his head and is rescued by an impoverished country family. He’s cared for and nursed, but when he wakes up, he doesn’t know who he is or where he was going. Meanwhile, the family he’s with is being run by the eldest sister, who he’s most definitely attracted to. With the compromising situation that these two are found in, our gentlemen will have to do the honorable thing once he remembers who he is.

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Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas (2021)

Merritt Sterling is the daughter of Lillian and Marcus (who were the couple from It Happened One Autumn, Book 2 of the Wallflowers series) now all grown up, widowed, and running the shipping business her late husband left behind. Somehow, she meets Keir MacRae who is a Scottish whiskey distiller, probably trying to sell his product. Well, they meet, they hit it off, they tryst… but Keir is somehow a target for harm, so at some point, he’s attacked and loses his memory, and needs Merritt to take care of him. And… there’s an ongoing joke about him being as handsome as a certain duke that we all know and love from previous Kleypas books. So there’s some sort of connection there that is yet to be uncovered.

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How to Forget a Duke by Vivienne Lorret (2018)

A starchy and serious duke hires a matchmaking company to find a wife. But the matchmaker thinks he’s hiding something, so she goes to his estate to investigate. Except on the way there, she gets into a boat accident, hits her head, and loses her memory. And then the duke finds her and has to nurse her back to health. He knows who she is but has been instructed not to tell her anything. Of course now that she’s not investigating the man, she ends up falling in love with him.

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The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn (2017)

A young lady ventures from England to America to find her soldier of a brother, but instead, she finds her brother’s best friend unconscious in the hospital. In order for the doctors to tell her anything about his condition, she lies and says that she’s his wife and that they married on paper while she was on the ship. When he wakes up, he’s surprised to find himself married, but he has forgotten the past six months, so he assumed it must be true. She helps nurse him back to health and he helps to determine what happened to her brother.

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Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne (2022)

This book gets bonus points for just being really weird. We have poor sweet, kind of spoiled, Angelika who is the sister of Victor Frankenstein (the mad scientist). While she’s assisting him with his science project, she makes a creation of her own to be her suitor. The guy she creates though has a very strong moral fiber, and even though he’s attracted to her, he doesn’t act on it because he has no memory of who he is and he might be tied to someone else. So then we start the mystery part of the story where they team up to try to find this guy’s identity. In the meantime, Angelika does catch the attention of another man and there’s a bit of a love triangle thing happening. It’s just kinda crazy how we’re rooting for Angelika to get together with this monster man. And it’s really humorous. Definitely recommend this book.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Print book provided by Avon Books.

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A Gentleman Ought to Know by Jane Ashford (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Duke’s Estates series. Laurence and Charlotte have an awkward first meeting when he nearly runs her over with his horse while he’s on his way to visit her family’s estate for the hunting season. She’s outspoken and believes him to be another one of her brother’s dim friends. Laurence has a lot of anxiety and prefers to avoid conflict, so he’s baffled by the loud and boisterous family that he has come to visit. When Charlotte learns that Laurence’s parents were murdered, she can’t help but want to investigate and solve the mystery. Charlotte was a little irritating in this one with her need to know other people’s business, but she does start to realize her own limitations and feelings towards the end. Laurence also starts to open up and share his experiences with Charlotte, even though he typically would not. I enjoyed Charlotte’s loud and overprotective family and I liked seeing her and Laurence start to talk and grow closer.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

OMG Becky Look at Her Duke by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Part of the Surprise! Dukes series and included in the I Like Big Dukes and I Cannot Lie anthology. Quick little brother’s best friend romance between Amelia, younger sister to a duke, and Kipling, a newly inherited duke. Kipling’s been away from England for the past two years, mostly to fight his growing attraction for the quirky Amelia, but he is back after unexpectedly inheriting a dukedom. Thinking that Amelia would have married someone else while he was away, he is amenable to his mother’s matchmaking with her friend’s daughter. Of course, Amelia has also been pining for Kipling and has not married or moved out of her brother’s house. It’s a low-angst reunion here, topped off with brotherly approval.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

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Sin and Serendipity by Sylvie Sinclair (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novella. Ellie has been pining for the younger brother of a viscount and practicing her flirting skills alone when she’s caught by Robert, the viscount himself. Robert finds himself charmed by Ellie and tries to warn her away from his wastrel brother. She’s adamant that she’s truly in love with Freddy, even though she doesn’t really know him and hasn’t talked to the man. Their matchmaking mothers keep finding reasons to throw these two together, and Ellie grows increasingly confused by her attraction for Robert, when Freddy has been the one that she’s been pining for. But with Robert’s declarations of his feelings for Ellie, she needs to figure it all out quickly.

The Duke Goes Down by Sophie Jordan (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Duke Hunt series. The local duke turns out not to be a duke because he was technically born before his parents got married, so Perry is a mere mister and now looking for a wealthy heiress to marry. The vicar’s daughter Imogen wants to deter Perry from his scheme and protect the women of the village, so she spreads rumors about Perry to dissuade the young ladies. When he realizes that she’s the one spreading rumors, he confronts her (and kisses her) and tries to get her to stop. These two have had a long childhood history of animosity, so the latent attraction springing up in the present is super entertaining to read. We also get a bit of backstory of why Imogen is so cautious of trusting Perry and his motives. This book was a lot of fun, and Imogen’s rumors were hilarious.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

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 Rake Gets Ravished by Sophie Jordan (2022)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

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.

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Useful Resources:

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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.

Girls Before Earls by Anna Bennett (2021)

Historical romance. Regency England. Book 1 of the Rogues to Lovers series. Hazel is the headmistress of a new finishing school and an earl has come to drop off his 15 year old niece who was recently orphaned. The niece has been acting up (understandably) and was kicked out of two other schools recently. Although Blade is willing to pay any cost to enroll his niece and then go back to London and about his miserable existence, Hazel insists that he come back and visit his niece every two weeks. Over the course of those visits, he slowly develops a relationship with both his niece and the fetching headmistress. I enjoyed learning about Blade’s backstory and why he avoids love and heartbreak; you can sort of see the signs of it early on when he talks about his lost love and how he was also estranged from his brother, but it’s still heartbreaking when you see it all laid out plainly. Hazel has her own hurts from the past and tries to maintain her composure and resilience, but then realizes that she needs to open up and go after what she wants. It’s a fun introduction to our seaside town and characters and a nice set up for future books in the series.

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One Duke Down by Anna Bennett (2023)

Historical romance. Regency England. Book 2 of the Rogues to Lovers series. Another fun book from Anna Bennett. Fisherman’s daughter Poppy discovers an injured man washed up on shore who claims to be a duke. She trades him shelter for money while he figures out who might have attacked him. These two have instant rapport and chemistry with each other with a lot of easy teasing and flirting. However, there’s Poppy’s poor history with members of nobility, the duke Keane actually turning out to be a duke, plus the drama of Poppy’s wayward brother, and the mystery of Keane’s assault. Despite all of these obstacles, Poppy and Keane are sure of each other’s character and integrity and never once doubt the other person. Absolutely enjoyable read!

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Beguiling the Duke by Darcy Burke (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Lords in Love series. A duke’s carriage loses a wheel in a small village and he takes shelter in the small village of Marrywell. The village is completely pre-occupied with its annual matchmaking festival, so there’s no room at the inn and no workers to help fix the duke’s carriage. The local squire provides shelter for the week the the duke grows closer to the squire’s daughter. Sadie has been maintaining her father’s home and taking care of her four brothers for years and hopes that this year’s festival will prove fruitful for her marriage prospects. And this time, with the duke at her side, she’s actually getting the attention she deserves. But of course, Sadie and the duke are finding themselves drawn to each other instead. Relatively low on the angst and heartache scale here and a delightful read.

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To Resist a Scandalous Rogue by Liana De la Rosa (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Once Upon a Scandal series. After the scandal that Alethea uncovers in the previous book, her twin brother Finley is at a bit of a loss of direction. At an earl’s debaucherous house party, he meets a woman in the garden and spends one night with her before she disappears on him. Charlotte is a widow who was left with no money, no family, and no protection. She ended up at an earl’s house party thinking to get a maid’s position, but was dismayed to learn that her cousin has offered her an opportunity to be a courtesan. Although she rejects that role, she ended up in Finley’s bed anyway, and runs off before she’s tempted to become his mistress. A year later, Finley is seeking a position in Parliament and Charlotte has become a schoolteacher at a foundling home, and the two cross paths again. With their social class differences, his secrets, her secrets, and his political aspirations, this match is certainly unwise. We get to see them both slowly bring the other person into their confidence and become emotionally entangled. I enjoyed reading this one too and it was a great follow-up to the first book in the series.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Scandal by Alivia Fleur (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Tales from Honeysuckle Street series. Childhood friends and neighbors Iris and Hamish are separated when Hamish suddenly becomes the heir to an earldom, losing his mother and older brother in a carriage accident. When Hamish returns to town twelve years later, he’s been instructed by his father to find a suitable wife, but he plans to thwart his father’s plans and create a scandal instead. Meanwhile, Iris has been assisting with her father’s merchant company, traveling the world, and learning the business for the past decade. However, her father’s mental state has been declining for many years and Iris has been keeping it secret. As Hamish and Iris reunite, they have to deal with her heartbreak after he left, their differences in social station, and her need to stay proper so that the board of directors will approve of her joining the leadership of her father’s company. It’s a huge mess competing interests and Hamish is mostly an idiot throughout the book. I did enjoy reading about all of the quirky neighbors on the street and am looking forward to reading more from this series.

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The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt (2006)

Historical romance. Georgian Era England. Book 1 of the Princes Trilogy. Impoverished widow from the village Anna takes a job as the local grumpy earl’s secretary. Edward, the current earl, survived but is scarred from a smallpox outbreak that killed his whole family. The first half of the book moves pretty slowly, with our two people getting to know each other and conversing about the land that Edward manages. As their attraction for each other grows, Edward seeks refuge at a brothel in the city to work out his lust. Anna somehow schemes to hide her identity and have him bed her instead of a courtesan. With their differences in social class and Edward’s desire to have children, a marriage is impossible between these two. Every so often, we’ll see the point of view of other characters in the story: the estate steward, the squire’s wife, and a hired busybody. It adds some interesting perspectives to the overall plot and we can read about potential pitfalls and schemes from outsiders. With Anna’s big secret looming overhead, we’re just waiting for the fallout and angst that will come with it.

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Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Union of the Rakes series. Our duke friend, Noel, from Book 1 is back this time and he meets an intriguing woman who has a head for business, doesn’t fuss at him for his title, and is entirely attractive. However, Jess is merely a farmer’s daughter hoping to find investors for her family’s soap-making business. When she tries to sneak her way into a business exposition, she’s nearly halted at the door, and ends up pretending to be widowed to a baronet to gain entrance. While there, she tries hard to focus on finding ways to subtly promote the soap business and to avoid the attentions of the duke, but can’t seem to help being drawn to him. I spent the whole book anxious about the impending heartache because I just knew that Noel would be upset at the idea of being used for his connections and money, even though Jess was trying to avoid his involvement at all. I really enjoyed this book though and looking forward to the next one that was hinted at here.

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Stealing Midnight by Tracy MacNish (2009)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Beneath the Veil series. I picked this book up because it was the next Fated Mates Podcast deep dive and I was entertained despite its dark beginnings. Olwyn is the daughter of a madman who cuts up corpses to study the meaning of life and death. One day, one of those corpses is not quite dead, and she decides to save him from further harm by threatening her father and running away. When the man wakes up, he thinks that he’s magically entered a different time period because of his rustic surroundings and Olwyn’s dress. Turns out that’s not the case, and Aidan has many responsibilities to get back to, including a fiancee. We get to see a mix of perspectives here, with Aidan’s fiancee and twin brother discovering his death, his grave robbery, and Olwyn’s father’s home. When everyone is reunited and the story of Aidan’s survival unfolding, we get more drama with the severe social class difference between Aidan (a duke’s son) and Olwyn (an isolated villager). Add in a scheming fiancee and a long history of family secrets, there’s a lot to keep the pages turning.

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Catch a Falling Duke by Eve Pendle (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Fallen series. This book takes place about ten years after the first two books in the series, with Hugo (Emily’s brother) having just inherited the dukedom. While Hugo is looking through papers in the study, he finds that his family fortune is founded upon something horribly upsetting. As Hugo runs away from his estate to think, he encounters a woman at an inn and spends the night with her. Beatrice is a lonely widowed farmer, who’s parents have also died, and is looking to find a man named in a letter she found of her mother’s. She and Hugo spend the next day looking for the man, only to be met with disappointment. While Hugo ultimately admits his troubles to Beatrice (and also the fact that he’s a duke), Beatrice insists there’s no future between them due to the differences in social standing and they part ways. At some point, Hugo finds a way to try to prove his commitment to Beatrice, taking whatever part of her life he can get. We get to go back to Bea’s farm and meet all her farmhands and essentially her found family. This was a delightful way to tie things back together and we get to learn how Hugo copes with his grandfather’s ill-gotten wealth.

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Bianca and the Huntsman by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency England. Standalone novella. Snow White retelling here with Bianca being the illegitimate daughter of an earl, orphaned, and taken in by her late father’s wife to serve as a housemaid. The countess who prides herself on being the fairest of the land is angry when her parrot declares Bianca to be most beautiful. The countess hires the Huntsman (really, an impoverished earl named Harry looking for an impressive dowry) to ruin the girl. Instead, he tells her to run away. After that, Bianca befriends seven wallflowers with quirky personality traits, and Harry can’t stay away from her. Fun and short story to read.

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The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe (2023)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Book 4 of the Fifth Avenue Rebels series. If you’ve read the first three books in this series, you’ll have seen hints of an uneasy relationship between Nellie and the Duke of Lockwood. Nellie is everyone’s scandalous best friend with knowledge about affairs and men. Meanwhile the destitute Duke of Lockwood needs an American heiress to marry for money. In Book 1, he was engaged to Maddie for about a day before that didn’t work out. In Book 2, he’s almost courting our favorite sweet Alice, until he realizes Kit is in the picture and bows out. In Book 3, he’s sworn off courting anyone from this unlucky friend group, but still friendly with Katherine. Well, we finally get to see his true nature and desires here in Book 4 with our dear Nellie. We go back to the beginning of the Newport house party from Book 1 and 2, where Lockwood and Nellie meet as strangers at the beach at midnight, and after some flirting, and kissing, they plan for a tryst the next day. However, when Lockwood shows up at the house party the next day and is introduced to all the guests, he and Nellie realize that the connection is impossible and over. We meet again in six months after Nellie’s other friends are all settled and Nellie’s feeling listless and aimless since all her friends are married and don’t need her anymore plus Lockwood’s still looking for a docile and wealthy bride. What starts as angry flirting turns into an angry affair with neither of them wanting to engage their hearts. Lockwood’s got some secrets of his own with a health condition, plus Nellie is unwilling to risk her emotions after her mother died at a young age. An important side story here is Nellie’s work in educating women on contraception and taking control of their reproductive rights. I appreciated seeing this play out in a historical setting and seeing Nellie’s championing of women’s education on the subject.

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One Wedding and an Earl by Tracy Sumner (2023)

Historical romance. Regency England. Book 4 of the Duchess Society series. Tragic childhoods for both Ollie and Necessity have made them both wary of romantic entanglements. Oliver, now an earl, has had a shady history of opium dens, brothels, and getting slashed in the face in a gambling hell back alley. He’s now a recluse fixing up the estate where he suffered from his abusive father. Necessity, orphaned when cholera killed her whole family, is soon-to-be the most sought after landscape architect in England. When Necessity is recruited to fix up Oliver’s garden, they give into the attraction, but neither ask for anything more, knowing their own personal traumas and their vast differences in social standing. However, these two are delightfully fiery together and are certainly destined for greater things, if they would just allow themselves to ask for more. Also, a great intro to another street thug with a suspicious history and I’m looking to reading more about him in a future book.

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The Duke Buys a Bride by Sophie Jordan (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Rogue Files series. Marcus has run away from his ducal responsibilities after he catches his best friend with his stepmother in a compromising position and is on his way to his estate in the north of Scotland. On the way there, he happens across a village wife auction and buys/saves the girl who is being so crudely sold off. Alyse has been married in name only to her late father’s friend since the age of 15 and provided care of the man’s children and household. Her childhood friend was supposed to bid on her during the auction so they could start their new lives together, but that man disappeared and didn’t show up. Although she is purchased by Marcus, she has no idea who he is or if he’s trustworthy. He declares that theirs won’t really be a marriage and that he will employ her as a housekeeper at his estate. We end up embarking on a road trip romance here, traveling on horseback and stopping at various inns along the way. This book had a really interesting set up and it was nice to see Marcus slowly let down his walls and realize what a privileged life he has led thus far.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

When the Duke Loved Me by Lydia Lloyd (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rake Chronicles series. If you enjoy historical romances that involve a mystery or quest, this one will definitely be for you. We start with a garden tryst that ends badly when a duke’s heir and a country miss find out that the person they’re trysting with is a longtime family enemy due to prior scandal. We jump seven years later to find that John, the new duke, is stuck executing an arduous component of his father’s will in order to prevent further scandal to be heaped upon his sister’s reputation. He needs to find his father’s former lover and give her an annuity to fulfill the will and save his sister’s dowry. John needs the help of the woman’s niece, Catherine, who has also borne the brunt of the old family scandal and now lives in poverty with the family of a baronet. Over the course of the book, we learn that the old duke’s indiscretion was revealed loudly and caused a great deal of upheaval for both families involved. Catherine agrees to help John locate her aunt in exchange for money, but she has little hope of finding the woman who ran off and was never seen again. While John and Catherine try to stay serious and professional with each other, it’s clear that they are still attracted to each other, and wish that their family circumstances weren’t so complicated. I really enjoyed learning more about the past scandal as bits and pieces of history unfolded as these two try to locate her aunt. Everything tied together so well and was really interesting to uncover. And of course, the steamy romance between John and Catherine was exceptional.

Advance ebook provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley.

Knockout by Sarah MacLean (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Hell’s Belles series. Lady Imogen is the chemical explosives expert of the Belles and is often spotted at the scene of the crime collecting her own evidence, much to the dismay of Scotland Yard’s Detective Inspector Tommy. While these two aren’t exactly teaming up, they’re both trying to solve the same crimes and keep running into each other. At some point, Tommy is tasked with finding an earl’s missing sister to keep himself in line with a promotion. That sister is of course Imogen and she’s not really missing at all. Throughout the book, Imogen is the pursuant and Tommy is the one who hesitates due to his social station (or lacktherof), but Imogen’s self-esteem takes the rejection much differently. Once they do finally team up, the sparks are well worth it, though Tommy will have to decide whether to trust Imogen and the Belles or the side of police authority. Another excellent book in this series, with women fighting for themselves and their rights.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

An Earl to Remember by Stacy Reid (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Unforgettable Love series. Georgianna is an impoverished orphan caring for her three younger sisters but hopes to make a living as a fancy chef to aristocrats. When she gets the opportunity to cater an earl’s yacht party, she is excited at the prospect, despite the earl’s scandalous reputation. However, an argument aboard the ship leads to Georgianna being sent home without proper payment. Sometime later, our rakish earl Daniel somehow falls off the ship and is recovered along a shore near Georgianna’s village with no memory of who he is. He does vaguely recognize Georgianna and to prevent further scandal, she claims him as her husband. She brings him home with her to recover and help assist with the chores around the house, in retaliation for her owed wages. Of course, she feels terribly guilty along the way but also grows to admire his work ethic and his kindness towards her sisters. Daniel’s memory returns in bits and pieces but he is charmed by Georgianna and respects the way that she unselfishly cares for her family. I enjoyed reading the slow-burn wary romance between Georgianna and Daniel, despite knowing that he will likely eventually be upset at her deceptions.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

In Which Winnie Halifax Is Utterly Ruined by Alexandra Vasti (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Halifax Hellions series. Winnie just wants to rent a cottage and start a sheep farm but isn’t able to secure the lease as a single woman, so she makes up a fake estranged husband by the name of Spencer Halifax to secure her position. Ten years later, Spencer is notified by his solicitor-best friend of the possibility of actually being legally married to a conwoman using his name. He travels to her farm in Wales to find her and to bring her back to London to settle their annulment. Along the way, Spencer and Winnie find themselves attracted to each other and wanting more. However, Winnie is hesitant to overburden Spencer since she has already inconvenienced him with the fake marriage and she is wary of becoming selfish and manipulative like her mother was. Spencer is an all-around nice guy here and hungrily lusts after Winnie. This book is humorous and steamy in all the best ways and we get to hear about Margo and Matilda’s respective exploits from Spencer’s POV. An excellent addition to the Halifax Hellions series!

Advance ebook provided by Alexandra Vasti.

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.