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Trope Round Up: Historical Romance Books Where She Outranks Him

Aug 30, 2023

Only The Valet Will Do by Sophie Barnes (2023)

Historical romance. Regency England. Standalone novella. Lady Lilliana has a meet-cute with her brother’s valet in the woods and feels an instant connection with him. Unfortunately, the disparity in their stations means that it won’t work out and she should stay away from him. However, he may be more eligible than he seems. Tristan is part of the landed gentry and considered a gentleman, but his father’s gambling debts have forced him to seek out employment. Hiding his true identity, he becomes a valet to a viscount and meets his sister Lilliana. Tristan has very little to offer with his diminished circumstances, so he also tries to stay away from the lady who has captivated him. But this is a novella, so it all works out pretty quickly and neatly. Enjoyable read if you need a low-angst bit of fluff.

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To Tempt A Scotsman by Victoria Dahl (2010)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Somerhart series. Lady Alexandra has been thoroughly ruined and is hiding away at her duke brother’s estate. She was the cause of a duel of honor that left Collin Blackburn’s brother dead and her lover fleeing the country. Collin has come to seek information on her wayward lover to exact revenge for his brother’s death. Of course, when Collin actually meets Alex, he’s stunned to find that she is not exactly as she was rumored to be. There’s a push and pull of attraction between them and multiple somewhat clandestine meetings. We eventually see Collin go from an upstanding and honorable fellow to an insanely jealous beast of a man. (Seemed like a quick turn of personality there) Oh, and Alex’s past lover is trying to swindle her out of money.

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Her Lessons in Persuasion by Megan Frampton (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian England. Book 1 of the School for Scoundrels series. Bram and Wilhelmina have an awkward first meeting when he thinks he’s rescuing her from jumping off a bridge, but really, she was just trying to have a better look at the stars. It’s all banter and witty remarks between these two throughout the whole book. They meet again when Bram is being auctioned off to escort someone to the opera with funds going to the boys’ orphanage where he grew up. Wilhelmina’s new stepmother is anxious to get her married off, even though Wilhelmina has no interest in marrying at all and would rather focus on being an astronomer. However, she slowly starts to realize that some of the pursuits that she always avoided because they were popular (going to the opera, reading fiction) are actually enjoyable, and she slowly starts to shift her position on these items. As Bram and Wilhelmina spend more time together, he realizes that he’s in love with her, but is unwilling to declare his intentions since he knows that her goal is to never marry. Slow build to a wonderful and open partnership here and a great found family/friend group with Bram and his other orphan friends. Looking forward to seeing the other men of the group find their own stories.

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The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt (2007)

Historical romance. Georgian Era England. Book 2 of the Princes Trilogy. Loosely tied to the previous book because Harry is one of Edward’s friends that we see briefly mentioned. We start right away with a carriage accident and Lady Georgina and her land steward Harry are stranded in a rainy downpour on their way to her estate. Georgina is a spinster sister to an earl and owns her estate outright from an inheritance from her aunt. Georgina and Harry don’t know each other well and he’s only worked for her estate for a few months, but on this trip, the attraction between the two begins. As they arrive at her estate, they find that the neighboring lands have found poisoned sheet and they believe that Harry is the cause. He’s got a reason to hold a grudge against the neighboring nobleman, so he’s the prime suspect for foul play. Georgina doesn’t believe that Harry is responsible and helps him investigate. At some point of growing closer, they start an affair, but the social class difference and employer-employee relationship causes tension and angst there. Here’s another book with a few alternate points of view from Georgina’s sister and the dastardly neighbor nobleman.

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The Proposition by Judith Ivory (2010)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novel. Mick is a gruff and poorly spoken ratcatcher in London and somehow gets chased into a tearoom and part of a bet between two wealthy brothers and an elocution tutor, Lady Edwina. Daughter of a marquess and now living independently, tall and gangly spinster Edwina makes her money by tutoring young ladies speech and refinement. The wealthy men hire her on to clean up ol’ Mick and present him at a duke’s ball as an actual lord. Edwina and Mick are both agreeable so that they can profit in their own ways: Edwina gets paid for her services, and Mick gets a payout at the end if he can pull it off. Despite being terribly attracted to each other, the social class difference keeps Edwina and Mick at a distance for most of the book, plus Edwina’s deep sense of being undesirable. I definitely loved seeing them slowly come together. Plus, there’s a plot twist in the back quarter of the book that I didn’t see coming!

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The Scandalous Ladies of London: The Countess by Sophie Jordan (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Scandalous Ladies of London series. Miserably married countess Gertrude (Tru) is launching her daughter into the Marriage Mart this year, but her scapegrace estranged husband is willing to sell her off to the highest bidder. A wealthy inn and hotel-owner Jasper is looking to marry a titled and distinguished lady, so entertains the thought of courting the young debutante, until he meets her mother and is drawn to her instead. Loads of drama and the introduction of a female friend group consisting of a miserably married duchess, her courtesan-turned-marchioness stepmother, and Tru’s spinster younger sister, who I’m betting will all have their own books later in the series. This book isn’t too complicated on external plot, just dealing with a prim and proper countess denying her desires and feelings and guilt over wanting her daughter’s suitor. And the villainous husband of hers.

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Weekly Reads: August 21 to 27, 2023

Aug 29, 2023

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.

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You, with a View by Jessica Joyce (2023)

Contemporary romance. Noelle is in a rough spot right now, living in her childhood bedroom without a job and grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother. When she comes upon some old photos and love letter of her gram with a stranger, she seeks to unravel the mystery of the missing man. One viral TikTok post later, she finds that the man is her high-school rival’s grandfather. Theo has been Noelle’s academic and athletic foil all throughout high school and is the picture of success, while Noelle has not accomplished what she wanted. When she meets with Theo and his grandfather, she uncovers a decades-old love story, including a mapped out honeymoon road trip. With nothing else to do, Noelle decides to embark on the trip herself to feel closer to her lost grandmother. And of course, the two men invite themselves along on the trip too. We get to see smooshy family dynamics, hear about a love story that didn’t work out, plus see Theo and Noelle slowly let down their walls with each other. The emotional connection (and steam) was so good to read in this book. Definitely recommend!

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Earl on the Run by Jane Ashford (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Duke’s Estates series. Jack is a newly inherited earl brought in from America who has quickly run away from his great-grandmother’s critical management. He soon joins a group of Travelers and ends up setting up camp on the grounds of his own estate. Harriet is in the country with her mother and grandfather now that the Season has ended and lives in the neighboring estate. On a walk through the woods, she meets Jack and they quickly strike up a friendship. Her grandfather is cruel and also quite controlling, so having a friendship with Jack is the highlight of her current existence. However, he hasn’t been truthful about his identity and she believes him to be a rogue. The romance here is sweet and light, until it all comes crashing down when Jack’s identity is revealed and Harriet feels betrayed. Luckily, our duchess friend next door is there to assist.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

Scoundrel for Sale by Courtney McCaskill (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Wicked Widows’ League series. Our tragic prologue here has a man dying after being shot in battle asking his best friend to make sure his younger sister marries another man, oh, and by the way, don’t ever touch her yourself. Ouch. Gabe fulfills all of his friend’s deathbed wishes and returns to life in the army. Six years later, Gabe has returned to England as an impoverished viscount who is auctioning himself off to the highest bidder to keep some creditors at bay until he can marry a wealthy heiress. He finds that the winner of his attentions for the night is Abbie, the best friend’s younger sister that he isn’t allowed to touch. It turns out that she had a dreadfully dull marriage to man she didn’t love and wants to experience a night of passion with Gabe, before dealing with even more problems as a lonely widow. This book is short and steamy and I loved seeing Abbie going after what she wants. We also get the side story of how Abbie came to be in such despair and how that drama gets resolved.

Advance ebook provided by Courtney McCaskill.

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.

Blame It on the Earl by Jane Ashford (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Duke’s Estates series. Total strangers, Sarah and Kenver get trapped in a cave overnight and he quickly proposes to save her reputation. While Sarah is the ultimate bookish gentleman’s daughter, she has often been overlooked by men and is usually mocked for her reference to obscure facts. Kenver is the quiet and obedient son of an overbearing earl and countess and doesn’t anticipate all the trouble his parents cause when he brings his new bride home. It’s definitely awkward around the estate where the countess is doing everything she can to keep the newlyweds apart. But eventually, we get some positive intervention in the form of houseguests and Kenver finally learns to grow a spine.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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 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.

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Historical Romance Books Featuring Floyd (A Favorite Stock Photo Model)

Aug 28, 2023

An Improper Christmas by Amy Rose Bennett (2018)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Smutty novella. Young lady catches her fiancee with another woman and runs away from a house party. She ends up riding in a carriage with a notorious rake and then spends the night in his home. Quick and smutty, with a nice little change of heart for our rake.

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Patience for Christmas by Grace Burrowes (2016)

Patience is a newspaper advice columnist in a friendly rivalry with another paper’s advice columnist. Her publisher has suggested that she challenge the other writer with a competition answering readers’ questions. It turns out though that the rival columnist is really the publisher himself, wanting to increase newspaper sales, and also wanting to spend more time with the lady.

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Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson (2021)

Standalone novella, originally published in the Duke I’d Like to F anthology. This one is quick and steamy. Full steam. We have a vicar’s daughter and total spinster who just wants to get ravished. So she hires the local duke to do the job. They proceed to have a month long tryst and try all the things.

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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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Sins of a Duke by Stacy Reid (2015)

Book 3 of the Scandalous House of Calydon series. Revenge trope here. One duke is mad at another duke because he thinks the other man is responsible for his sister’s death. So he sets out to seduce and ruin that guy’s sister. But then he falls in love instead. These revenge stories always go wrong….

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Taming the Rake by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lords in Love series. Gladys the wallflower is at the Marrywell Matchmaking Festival for the fourth time and needs to find a marriage match before her dowry is given to her delightful younger sister. She finds herself kissed in a garden and expected a proposal from the handsome gentleman, but he never shows up, and she was spotted in a disheveled state, so now she’s publicly ruined as well. Her family cuts her off completely and she has to survive on her own. Five years later, she returns to Marrywell to find the man who ruined her and seek revenge. But he’s a lot less rakish than he seemed before and Gladys is at risk of falling in love. I really enjoyed Gladys’ transformation to a confident woman and the development of her relationship with Reuben.

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In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti (2022)

Historical romance novella. Margo is a scandalous young lady known for causing trouble with her twin sister. When her twin has eloped with a much older man, Margo seeks out the calm and steady Henry (her brother’s solicitor friend) to assist in chasing her down. Of course, Henry has been in love with Margo forever, knows it’s a bad idea to be in close proximity to her, and goes with her anyway. Steamy road trip romance that’s a quick read and I highly recommend it.

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Rogues in Texas Series by Lorraine Heath / Historical Romance Book Series

Aug 24, 2023

A Rogue in Texas by Lorraine Heath (1999)

Historical romance. Post-Civil War Texas. Book 1 of the Rogues in Texas series. A group of English gentlemen are sent to the cotton fields of Texas to work the land. The women of the fields accept the men to work as their own husbands had gone away to war and not returned. Grayson is the illegitimate son of a duke and has never worked hard for anything in his life, despite being often overlooked and unloved. Upon the criticism of one of the widows, Abbie, he’s determined to prove that he can stick it out and work the fields as needed. Abbie is the widowed mother of three who puts up Grayson in her barn, and is wary of men due to her cold and demanding husband. She’s skittish around Grayson’s teasing and flirting, but finds him to be kind to her children and hard-working in the fields. Over time, these two grow closer together, but there are still hardships to overcome in the rough conditions of the land.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Never Love a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath (2000)

Historical romance. Post-Civil War Texas. Book 2 of the Rogues in Texas series. This book takes place right after the events of the previous one, with Harry and his friend Kit working with the saloon owner’s daughter Jessye on their new cattle herding venture. Harry has been flirting with Jessye outrageously but she always rejects him, knowing that he’s a scoundrel. While on the trail together, they get to know each other more and unload some of their complicated secrets, but love is still very much out of reach for various reasons, despite their attraction for each other. There’s all sorts of disaster and danger that happens throughout this book, along with learning all of Jessye’s secrets, keeping the pace moving and the reader wanting to know more. I enjoyed this book and also getting to know a bit more about our friend Kit, who gets his own book next.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Never Marry a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath (2001)

Historical romance. Post-Civil War Texas. Book 3 of the Rogues in Texas series. We start with a tragic prologue here which explains how Kit was in love with his twin brother’s wife who passes away from cancer. We jump back into the town of Fortune, Texas, where Kit has been living for the past few years and even elected as the town marshal. An old friend comes to visit to ask him to grant his sister the dying wish of being a bride. Despite refusing at first, Kit ends up spending the day with Ashton and decides to bring her some joy with a wedding. While their relationship starts as a temporary bargain, the more time Kit spends with Ashton, the more he wants to provide for her and give her experiences to remember. We also get to see Kit’s brother come to town bearing secrets to be revealed and then developing a quick romance with one of the widows in town.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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August 2023 New Releases in Historical Romance

Aug 23, 2023

Tall, Duke, and Scandalous by Amy Rose Bennett (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Byronic Book Club series. Jane gets caught trying to steal a rare book from a duke’s library but instead of getting into trouble, he proposes marriage to her instead. Christopher is the newly inherited duke with a reputation for throwing debaucherous parties, but really, he’s hiding the fact that an assassination attempt has left him unable to recognize or remember faces of the people around him. He needs help navigating the people around him as well as find his killer. Jane has her own burdens, with a scarred face after an accident with her ex-fiancee ten years ago, a gambling mother, and a sudden blackmailer. She takes Christopher up on his offer, mostly because she needs the money, but also because she’s very much attracted to him. Both are slow to trust the other person due to each of their past hurts, but the physical affection starts early and often. Loved seeing them team up against his mystery murderer.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.

Marry Me by Midnight by Felicia Grossman (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Once Upon the East End series. Isabelle needs to marry quickly to prevent her late father’s business partner from pushing her out from the business. She and her grandmother set up a series of festivals where she invites all eligible suitors to attend and plans to declare her betrothed before midnight of the third festival. A chance meeting with the synagogue custodian Aaron intrigues Isabelle, but since he’s not actually a suitable candidate, she hires him to help investigate actual contenders for her hand. Isabelle is stubborn and cold for the most part, seeking a business partner in her future husband, while Aaron is self-deprecating and kind. Even though they eventually give into their attractions, Isabelle is adamant that she must secure her father’s legacy rather than pursue her own happiness. She’s annoyingly stubborn and consistently breaks Aaron’s heart, but luckily Aaron has his own fairy godmother on his side. The first half of the book moved pretty slowly for me, but the second half had much more action and kept me reading to find out how it all gets resolved.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Painting the Duke by Georgina North (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Vivienne is an orphaned lady who lives with her aunt and uncle and is known for refusing multiple marriage offers. She actually has a secret life as an oil painter and many of her anonymous works are showcased at royal exhibitions. This season, a handsome duke, Brick, is back in town after being banished for many years. He’s not exactly looking for a wife, but is intrigued by Vivienne and is somehow egged into betting that he is able to secure her hand in marriage. He definitely has his work cut out for him, since she is very outspoken with him about her desire to not marry. However, he is refreshed by her opinions on art and equality and enjoys spending time with her. She also enjoys his company but refuses to give up her art and worries that he will be scandalized by her secret. This book is definitely a slow-burn romance with Vivienne being the one to learn to let down her walls and share her secret with the world; we also have Brick learning to eschew societal expectations and support Vivienne in every way possible. When she catches him in a lie, he delivers on meaningful displays of affection and support. Excellent read.

Advance ebook provided by Georgina North via BookSirens.

Earl of Passion by Shirley Shadow (2023)

Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Wicked Rakes series. This story is a pretty straightforward best friend’s brother romance. Helena has been in love with her best friend’s brother Alastor since forever but he has always seen her in a sisterly capacity until recently. After seeing Helena in translucent undergarments swimming in the pond, Alastor is starting to see Helena in a new light. Alastor gives in a little bit to Helena’s amorous advances but feels terribly guilty about it since he is meant to be her brother-like guardian and protector and he has no intentions of marrying her. Throw in a few society dances, Helena’s deadbeat father trying to marry her off to someone else, and now suddenly Alastor wants to marry her. The plot here is simple and predictable and the book is full of steamy scenes. However, I found the writing to be overly simplistic and that the characters experienced shifts in emotions very quickly.

Advance ebook provided by Shirley Shadow.

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Forgery, Love, and Other Lies by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Art of Love series. There was once a financially irresponsible marquess who spent his money on art instead of his estate and family and after his passing, he had given away all of the art except for a select few paintings that his children would earn by creating a their own piece of art to their mother’s satisfaction. Unfortunately, the paintings left in their house were forgeries, orchestrated by second son Zander, who rented out the originals in times of financial need. Now that the family knows which paintings are meant to be the inheritance, Zander tries to reclaim the originals but finds the old woman he dealt with (and the artwork) missing. His investigation leads him to find the art forger, who is the daughter of a jeweler, Fiona, and is just as distressed with the disappearance of the old woman and many other counterfeit paintings that could see her hanged. Zander and Fiona team up to track down the woman and the paintings and find themselves in love along the way, although Zander is hesitant to offer anything permanent as he’s in no financial position to marry.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane via NetGalley.

The Surprise Heir by Merry Farmer (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Secrets of Nedworth Hall series. Frank is a mere valet to an earl (who happens to be his cousin) and at the house party at Nedworth Hall. As someone born illegitimate and without knowing who his father is, he is relegated to being a servant and certainly not a prospect for any of the matchmaking that is happening at the party. Meanwhile, Melanie is an American heiress who isn’t interested in marrying into the aristocracy and would prefer to use her dowry money to start her own department store in London. When she and Frank run into each other, she decides that marrying Frank would help release her funds and she would have a built-in business partner in her new husband. Luckily, these two are very much attracted to each other and the marriage will definitely be physical in addition to being convenient.

Advance ebook provided by Merry Farmer via BookSprout.

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.

Duke Seeks Bride by Christy Carlyle (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Love on Holiday series. Our guy Alex is a new duke with a marriage stipulation in his father’s will, stating that he needs to marry in six months in order to keep his castle in Ireland. His annoyingly meddlesome aunt has tried to matchmake him with a wealthy widowed countess and invited her to the castle for a supposed equestrian charity event. The countess sends her secretary instead, mostly to avoid the matching making. Evie is the ultra-organized secretary who has been working with the countess for the past three years but also secretly pens romance novels in her spare time. When she shows up at the castle, she’s shocked to find that they were expecting the countess, even though a letter should have explained the switch. Alex and Evie have actually met briefly once before in the garden of a ball, but Evie is very much aware of her social status and that a romance between her and a duke is impossible. It’s not actually impossible, since this is a romance novel after all, but it takes some time for each person to realize that they really do want and need each other. This book is a relatively low-angst straightforward romance with a quick resolution to external conflict.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books 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.

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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.

A Duke’s Guide to Romance by Sophie Barnes (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Gentlemen Authors series. Impoverished duke Anthony is worrying about how to secure funds for his sisters’ future debut and is considering a marriage to a wealthy daughter of a viscount. He stumbles upon a bookshop and meets the charming young lady, Ada, who works and lives there with her uncle. At first, he hides the fact that he’s a duke and enjoys a friendship with Ada. She makes an observation that romance novels (like those from Jane Austen) sell quite well, and Anthony takes the idea back to his two friends and propose that they should write a romance novel together to sell for money. Anthony and Ada continue their friendship and he does ultimately tell her who she is. It’s a relatively sweet development of their relationship, despite their differences in social station. There’s some meddling and scheming from the lady that Anthony is purportedly courting, but that eventually gets resolved with some open communication. Overall, an interesting start to this series of gentlemen authors.

Advance ebook provided by Sophie Barnes via NetGalley.

Her Rake Fiance by Mariah Stone (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Dukes and Secrets series. Richard is looking for information about his missing brother from a certain prominent criminal and is promised the info in exchange for him marrying the man’s sister. Jane is the legitimate daughter of a baron who was cast out of society after her father’s death due to her connection with her criminal brother, but she has no desire to marry since she wants to run a school for impoverished children. She and Richard strike a deal to help him find the information he needs before the supposed wedding and then they’ll break off their engagement. Of course, as they spend more time together, they slowly start to fall in love, and Richard is the one who proposes that they turn their fake engagement into a real one. Jane is unsure of this since she has her own goals with her school and she doesn’t quite fit into polite society anymore. It’s a bit of a muddle here, but I appreciate that these two communicate pretty well about their past traumas and grow closer because of it.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSirens.

Love Blooms with the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Suddenly a Duke series. We start with a tragic prologue for Willa, the daughter of a playwright and an actress who are in a tumultuous relationship and are negligent parents. After her parents have dramatically and scandalously passed away, Willa has distanced herself from the theater and worked as a lady’s companion and governess. Xander is the fourth son of a duke and often ignored as his birth caused the death of his mother and he very suddenly inherits the dukedom and two troublemaker nieces to care for. In the search for yet another governess, he runs into and hires Willa for the job. While Xander was previously an indolent rake, he has taken up his responsibilities quite well and dedicated himself to the care of his nieces. In getting to know Willa and her teaching strategies, he grows even more impressed with her and sets his mind on making her his duchess. Willa is wary of the former rake due to her past poor experiences with employers and wants to avoid his company to try to avoid temptation. However, we can see how much Xander has turned into a responsible duke who loves this newly built family. Not all is perfect, since Xander has yet to realize Willa’s background in the theater, which could reignite scandal and scorn.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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The Duke’s Daring Bride by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Surprise! Dukes series. Alistair is a reclusive duke who does not speak but makes his case in the House of Lords through letters and support documents; at night, he stalks the streets fighting crime as the Dark Knight. One night, he saves Olivia from ruin while she’s out there looking for a story that might save her newspaper. One of her investors just happens to be Alistair and she shows up at his house the next day to ask for him to reinstate his financial support, not knowing he was the one who saved her. He decides to propose to her in exchange for the newspaper support, mostly because he needs a wife, but doesn’t want to go out into society to acquire one. These two enter into a marriage of convenience, but have an instant attraction for each other. It’s fun to read about Olivia integrating into Alistair’s boisterous family: a meddling mother and two quirky younger sisters. Of course we also get a slow progression of Alistair and Olivia learning to trust each other and fall in love. This one was another great book in the series and I love how everything ties back to the overarching villain of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

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Weekly Reads: August 14 to 20, 2023

Aug 22, 2023

Fearless Duke by Scarlett Scott (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 6 of the League of Dukes series. Grumpy duke Benedict has scared off three typists (who he thought were incompetent) and their typing school owner Isabella has come to pick a fight. They start the encounter completely at odds and somehow Isabella is tasked with proving her competence by serving as Benedict’s typist for the next week. Isabella tries really hard to hold onto propriety and professionalism (as she has learned her lesson in the past with a lord who didn’t marry her), while Benedict can’t seem to keep his hands off Isabella. Add in Benedict’s meddlesome younger sister and we have lots of chances for compromising situations. Eventually, we run into some danger with those Irish terrorists looming in the background of the entire series and Benedict starts to realize the depth of his feelings for Isabella. However, Isabella insists that they cannot be together due to their differences in social station (pretty similar to the other books of the series).

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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The Surprise Heir by Merry Farmer (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Secrets of Nedworth Hall series. Frank is a mere valet to an earl (who happens to be his cousin) and at the house party at Nedworth Hall. As someone born illegitimate and without knowing who his father is, he is relegated to being a servant and certainly not a prospect for any of the matchmaking that is happening at the party. Meanwhile, Melanie is an American heiress who isn’t interested in marrying into the aristocracy and would prefer to use her dowry money to start her own department store in London. When she and Frank run into each other, she decides that marrying Frank would help release her funds and she would have a built-in business partner in her new husband. Luckily, these two are very much attracted to each other and the marriage will definitely be physical in addition to being convenient.

Advance ebook provided by Merry Farmer via BookSprout.

A Duke’s Guide to Romance by Sophie Barnes (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Gentlemen Authors series. Impoverished duke Anthony is worrying about how to secure funds for his sisters’ future debut and is considering a marriage to a wealthy daughter of a viscount. He stumbles upon a bookshop and meets the charming young lady, Ada, who works and lives there with her uncle. At first, he hides the fact that he’s a duke and enjoys a friendship with Ada. She makes an observation that romance novels (like those from Jane Austen) sell quite well, and Anthony takes the idea back to his two friends and propose that they should write a romance novel together to sell for money. Anthony and Ada continue their friendship and he does ultimately tell her who she is. It’s a relatively sweet development of their relationship, despite their differences in social station. There’s some meddling and scheming from the lady that Anthony is purportedly courting, but that eventually gets resolved with some open communication. Overall, an interesting start to this series of gentlemen authors.

Advance ebook provided by Sophie Barnes via NetGalley.

All Duke and Bothered by Mariah Stone (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Dukes and Secrets series. New duke Preston wants revenge on his brother’s killer, so he arranges himself in a position to marry Penelope, the young lady that he believes led on his brother and whose father hired ruffians to beat him. She doesn’t know about her father’s misdeeds and is horrified at having to marry Preston, who openly disdains Penelope. Preston believed that Penelope was a shallow flirt who was interested in his brother’s money, but really, she just thought they were friends and liked to talk about art together. Penelope was not interested in marriage at all and wanted to work on her painting. As Preston starts to see that he was mistaken about Penelope’s true personality, he feels guilty for misjudging the situation with his brother and also guilty for marrying Penelope. He’s still preoccupied with getting revenge on Penelope’s father though, and she’s disappointed that he is clearly choosing revenge over the possibility of love and happiness. It’s all a muddle until Preston can share his secrets with Penelope and let go of his quest for vengeance.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke Who Loved Me by Jane Ashford (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Duke’s Estates series. James recently inherited a dukedom and a clutter townhouse of a hoarder. He gets the bright idea to propose marriage to his long-time friend Cecelia so that she can organize and manage all of his problem. Insulted by his unemotional offer, she rejects him. These two have known each other for many years as Cecelia acted as the go-between with James and her father, the person in charge of his trust. While Cecelia has always had a crush on the somewhat shallow and pompous James, he never seemed to treat her as a lady worth courting. After the rejection of his initial proposal, James attempts to spend more time with Cecelia and convince her to accept him. However, Cecelia is suddenly surrounded by a gaggle of younger debutantes who initially wanted social advice for the season and are now loyal friends, so it’s hard for James to get Cecelia alone. Add in another potential suitor in the form of a prince, and James is thwarted almost everywhere. We do finally see James start to learn some self-awareness and realize that he has feelings for Cecelia, but it takes an incident of public humiliation and a retreat from society for him to do so.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Her Rake Fiance by Mariah Stone (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Dukes and Secrets series. Richard is looking for information about his missing brother from a certain prominent criminal and is promised the info in exchange for him marrying the man’s sister. Jane is the legitimate daughter of a baron who was cast out of society after her father’s death due to her connection with her criminal brother, but she has no desire to marry since she wants to run a school for impoverished children. She and Richard strike a deal to help him find the information he needs before the supposed wedding and then they’ll break off their engagement. Of course, as they spend more time together, they slowly start to fall in love, and Richard is the one who proposes that they turn their fake engagement into a real one. Jane is unsure of this since she has her own goals with her school and she doesn’t quite fit into polite society anymore. It’s a bit of a muddle here, but I appreciate that these two communicate pretty well about their past traumas and grow closer because of it.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSirens.

Love Blooms with the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Suddenly a Duke series. We start with a tragic prologue for Willa, the daughter of a playwright and an actress who are in a tumultuous relationship and are negligent parents. After her parents have dramatically and scandalously passed away, Willa has distanced herself from the theater and worked as a lady’s companion and governess. Xander is the fourth son of a duke and often ignored as his birth caused the death of his mother and he very suddenly inherits the dukedom and two troublemaker nieces to care for. In the search for yet another governess, he runs into and hires Willa for the job. While Xander was previously an indolent rake, he has taken up his responsibilities quite well and dedicated himself to the care of his nieces. In getting to know Willa and her teaching strategies, he grows even more impressed with her and sets his mind on making her his duchess. Willa is wary of the former rake due to her past poor experiences with employers and wants to avoid his company to try to avoid temptation. However, we can see how much Xander has turned into a responsible duke who loves this newly built family. Not all is perfect, since Xander has yet to realize Willa’s background in the theater, which could reignite scandal and scorn.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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Round Up of Historical Romance Books Featuring Twin Sisters

Aug 21, 2023

Made for the Marquess by Alexa Aston (2022)

Book 4 of the Second Sons of London Series. This series revolves around a group of gentlemen friends who were all overlooked second sons and now inherited their titles due to unexpected circumstances. We first meet Minta as she’s separating from her twin sister Sera for the Season. Minta is traveling back to London from Canada, while Sera is staying in Canada until next year. These two are total opposites in personality, with Minta being the social and outgoing one and Sera being shy and quiet. When we meet up with our second sons, we find shy and emotionally scarred Marquess, Percy, looking for a wife. He meets outgoing and lively Minta and is smitten. However, he’s afraid that with his nightmares that he’s not deserving of her and tries to push her away. I enjoyed how she was able to understand that he was terribly shy and needed some warming up. And it’s all due to her understanding of her own twin’s disposition. I also loved how the ladies from the first three books welcomed Minta into their circle of friendship so easily.

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Dubious about the Duke by Alexa Aston (2022)

Book 5 of the Second Sons of London Series. This book takes place pretty shortly after the previous one ends. Minta’s twin Sera has just landed in London and seeking her own match for a quiet and comfortable life. Well, Minta’s husband Percy’s cousin Win has recently inherited a dukedom and is also looking to marry. With his parents as an example, Win only seeks a convenient wife upon to beget heirs. When he meets Sera, he changes his tune and has eyes only for her. Sera is terribly shy and does not like to meet new people, but speaks easily with Win. She finds him attractive but knows she is not the ideal candidate for a duchess. When Win takes on his late brother’s illegitimate children, he’s out of his depth and needs help. Sera comes to the rescue, showing the boys affection and care… leading Win to fall even more in love with her.

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The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane by Elizabeth Boyle (2014)

Book 4 of the Rhymes with Love series. Louisa and her twin Lavinia are in town for the Season and her cat runs into her grumpy neighbor’s house. Piers was wounded in the war and now he’s a super grumpy recluse and absolutely does not appreciate the meddlesome female in his house. It’s a pretty simple and straightforward romance here with the grumpy-sunshine dynamic. This one has the fun little microtrope of, the viscount totally being able to tell the twin sisters apart.

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The Knave of Hearts by Elizabeth Boyle (2016)

Book 5 of the Rhymes with Love series. This one has a little bit of overlapping timeline with the previous book. Tuck is the rakish friend of the guy from the previous book and somehow ended up in a bet with his friends that he’d be able to turn the country twins into popular diamonds. However, Lavinia suffers and embarrassing fall at a ball and he definitely has his work cut out for him. She has no idea that he’s helping her because of the bet and probably thinks he’s really interested in her. About as predictable as you’d expect, but most people do love a reformed rake.

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Dancing with Danger by Kerrigan Byrne (2021)

Book 3 of the Goode Girls series. Mercy is at the scene of a murder and immediately accused and arrested, even though she’s the daughter of the police commissioner. Raphael, an actual criminal, is also at the scene of the crime, but he’s not guilty of this one. They decide to team up to find the real killer. I liked how bold and brash Mercy is here and how she goes after what she wants, including Raphael.

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Tempting Fate by Kerrigan Byrne (2021)

Book 4 of the Goode Girls series. This one makes a lot more sense after you read the previous book and takes place about a year after the previous book ends. Felicity is the twin sister of Mercy and dreadfully shy. Gabriel is the very scarred criminal brother of Raphael and has been presumed dead. But really, he had reconstructive surgery and is assuming a new identity where he isn’t sought out by the law. Felicity is now living alone with her sisters married and gone and she was recently attacked. She needs to hire a bodyguard and literally bumps into Gabriel in the street outside her house. She doesn’t recognize him of course, even though she has had a soft spot for the man and he’s been pining for her and clearly watching her house. She hires him and they grow closer, but there’s still that whole hidden identity thing happening. I think this one was my fave of the series. I love that whole over protective pining violent hero.

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The Highlander’s Choice by Callie Hutton (2015)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 5 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. Lady Sybil is in Scotland for her friend’s wedding, but she’s already prejudiced against Scotsmen, thinking they’re brash barbarians. Sybil’s friend’s fiancee has brought his neighbor and friend, Liam, to the estate, and he’s got his own preconceived notions of Englishwomen, thinking they’re spoiled and dainty princesses. Both are terribly wrong for each other, but they seem to prove the stereotypes wrong, and are intensely attracted to each other. Eventually, Liam invites Sybil to his home to meet his family and see if they’ll suit for marriage, and Liam’s mother is secretly cruel to Sybil. It’s a whole lot of drama and these two need to get over their prejudices before anything can be settled.

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The Highlander’s Accidental Marriage by Callie Hutton (2015)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 6 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. Lady Sarah is on the road to see her twin sister Sybil in Scotland and runs into many calamities along the journey. In a carriage accident, she loses her driver and footman, and is rescued by Professor Braedon on his way to his home (which neighbors Sarah’s sister). Sarah’s maid/chaperone falls ill and they need to leave her behind to continue the journey. At one inn, Sarah declares herself married to Braedon so that they can reserve the last available room for the night. Unfortunately, in Scotland, that counts as being legally married. While these two are very obviously attracted to each other, they had no intentions whatsoever of getting married anytime soon: Sarah is about to be a published novelist and has obligations in London, while Braedon is awaiting an opportunity to go on a scholarly expedition in Rome. Both are stubborn and deem their individual pursuits more important than their accidental spouse. There’s definitely a lot of conflict here between these two that needs resolving for any sort of happily ever after.

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Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (2017)

Book 3 of Ravenels Series. Pandora Ravenel is completely uninterested in marriage. She plans to build her business creating board games and is unwilling to hand over control to a husband. However, she gets herself stuck (literally, in fact) in a situation with Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, and finds herself embroiled in scandal. Gabriel has been successfully avoiding marriage for many years, but still tries to do the honorable thing. After some advice from dear old dad (Sebastian from Devil in Winter, the previous Lord St. Vincent, and now the Duke of Kingston), the Ravenels are invited to the family house for a week. As Gabriel and Pandora get to know each other, he finds her charmingly irresistible, and she finds herself torn between wanting him and keeping her independence. Pandora is my absolute favorite with her feminist ideals and outspoken nature. She speaks plainly and directly, leaving no room for misinterpretation of what she wants.

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Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas (2020)

Book 6 of Ravenels Series. Cassandra Ravenel did not expect that her twin sister Pandora would marry so quickly. Feeling lonely and left behind at Pandora’s wedding, she encounters Tom Severin. Railway magnate and overall shrewd businessman, Tom has achieved much in life; however, he is listless and unhappy. Unsure of what his next goal is, he considers marrying. Upon seeing Cassandra for the first time, he decides he wants to pursue her. After talking to her though, he realizes that she is much more than a beauty and she elicits feelings in Tom that make him uneasy. He limits himself to five feelings – more effective that way. We basically have a cold, unfeeling businessman learning to have feelings and the pretty, compassionate woman to bring it out. Lots of time jumps in this one as time goes by between the instances when they see each other. Oh, and we see Tom taking in a street urchin who Cassandra also adores.

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In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti (2022)

Historical romance novella. Margo is a scandalous young lady known for causing trouble with her twin sister. When her twin has eloped with a much older man, Margo seeks out the calm and steady Henry (her brother’s solicitor friend) to assist in chasing her down. Of course, Henry has been in love with Margo forever, knows it’s a bad idea to be in close proximity to her, and goes with her anyway. Steamy road trip romance that’s a quick read and I highly recommend it.

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In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint by Alexandra Vasti (2023)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 2 of the Halifax Hellions Series. There’s so much going on in this book that it’s hard to summarize it all in one line. Matilda is a twin and scandalously known as one of the Halifax Hellions; she and her sister Margo have a reputation of behaving outrageously and getting into trouble. However, Matilda has a secret that no one knows about: she draws naughty pictures and sells them to printers who put together erotic pamphlets. Christian finds himself the subject of these naughty drawings and confronts Matilda. He has his own problems with scandal and speculation since he was rumored to have murdered his wife. Matilda is apologetic and wants to make it up to Christian, but he won’t allow it; she finally wears him down and convinces him to let her come to his home to serve a painting tutor for his younger sister and they set off on the road. Matilda leaves a note for her sister that she’s eloped, hoping that she won’t be followed. (We see twin sister Margo’s perspective in the previous book) From there, we have an easygoing road trip, a confrontation with Margo, a rescued cat, arrival at a dusty castle, a reluctant sister, and finally an honest conversation with Christian. This book will keep all the pages turning for you because you want so badly to find out what happens next.

Advance ebook provided by Alexandra Vasti.

The Husband Trap by Tracy Anne Warren (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Trap Trilogy series. This book starts right with the action (which I love). Violet is on her way down the aisle to marry Adrian, except that she’s pretending to be her twin sister Jeannette who wanted to call off the wedding two hours earlier and somehow convinced Violet to take her place. Shy and bespectacled Violet knows that she won’t get another chance like this and takes it because she’s already been in love with Adrian. The rest of the book involves Violet playing the part of a spoiled and bratty Jeannette, while sometimes slipping into her actual good-natured self, and hoping that her husband won’t notice. Of course Adrian can’t believe his good luck that maybe his snobby and shallow bride actually has kindness and depth, so he doesn’t suspect anything at all. But you know that the secret will eventually come to catch up with Violet in the most heartbreaking ways. Such a good book that I dived right into the second one immediately!

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The Wife Trap by Tracy Anne Warren (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Trap Trilogy series. Well, after Jeannette is found out for the scandal from Book 1, she’s banished from her home and sent to Ireland to live with her elderly cousins. On the way, she meets a middle-class Irishman, Darragh O’Brien who is brash and boorish. Glad to be rid of him, she’s surprised to see him again at her cousins’ home, where he’s the architect in charge of renovations on the property. So, for most of this book Jeannette is a spoiled and bratty snob with no regard to country life, hard work, or character. She interferes with estate construction on multiple occasions just because she wants to sleep late, like her usual party going London ways and doesn’t realize that her actions can withhold laborers’ ability to get paid. This type of story usually involves some sort of maturation of the spoiled main character, but it was a painfully slow sort of growth here. Add in the part where the plain old architect is actually an earl who works hard to pay off his family debts, Jeannette looks even more selfish and spoiled in comparison.

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York Family Series by Victoria Dahl / Historical Romance Book Series

Aug 17, 2023

A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl (2010)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the York Family series. Younger sister of a baron, Marissa, has gotten herself caught in a compromising situation with a man who she doesn’t want to marry. Marissa is shallow and flighty and just wanted to find some pleasure (even though the fumbling man she was with did not provide it). But with the potential for scandal, her baron brother insists that she marry. Her other brother’s friend Jude steps up and volunteers for the job, despite him being the illegitimate son of a duke and someone who has completely escaped Marissa’s notice until now. Jude has been intrigued by Marissa’s wickedness and hopes to make her his wife in truth. She’s just hoping for a fake engagement for the time-being until the scandal blows over and she can get back to dancing and frivolity. I generally don’t love books with shallow spoiled women, but somehow this one works, with her slow realization that she really is callous and cruel towards Jude. There’s also a lot going on with other characters at the house party and it’s fun to see how the players all interconnect. And there was a nice set-up her for brother Aidan’s story next.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

It’s Always Been You by Victoria Dahl (2011)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the York Family series. Aidan, second son of a baron, had loved and lost when his sweetheart died at sea. After that tragedy, ten years prior, he turned into a cold and unfeeling rake. In a small shipping town on business, he sees a woman that looks like his old sweetheart, Kate and follows her into her shop. Well, it turns out Kate didn’t die and her parents lied about the death and married her off to a plantation owner in Ceylon. After suffering a horrible marriage, she’s fled and built a new identity and business in England. While Aidan and Kate reconnect, find out what thwarted them all those years ago, Kate is still keeping secrets about her marriage. Enjoyable read, even if somewhat predictable.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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