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Lords in Love Series by Darcy Burke and Erica Ridley / Historical Romance Book Series

Jul 13, 2023

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.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke via NetGalley.

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.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

Romancing the Heiress by Darcy Burke (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Lords in Love series. Leah is back in Marrywell for the annual matchmaking festival as a companion to a young debutante in search of a husband. Of course Leah is still enamored with her childhood friend Phineas, who is considering marrying an heiress to save his secretly impoverished estate. This one is a relatively quick read, with somewhat tragic backstories for everyone involved: Leah had an abusive childhood so she was desperate to escape the village of Marrywell; Phineas had a gambling father who left the estate in dire financial condition; and even the young debutante who is not at all who we’re concerned with has an overbearing managing mother. However, the attraction between Leah and Phineas was a delight to read and their shared history made for a stronger connection. And we get to see the couple from Book 1 of the series again for the festival.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke via NetGalley.

Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Lords in Love series. Titus is the grumpiest earl you ever did meet, eschewing all social niceties and events. He’s tasked by his godmother to take on a twenty-year old ward and comes to the Marrywell festival to meet her. But before he can do that, he’s kissed a stranger behind the potted plants at the assembly, and is aghast to realize that he’s kissed his ward Matilda. She’s out of mourning from her parents, nearly reaching her majority and inheritance, and wants to socialize and make friends with people. This one is very much a grumpy-sunshine story, with tragic backstories for both Titus and Matilda, but they differ greatly in how they’ve moved from their respective tragedies. Another fun and quick read from this series!

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

Matching the Marquess by Darcy Burke (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Lords in Love series. A widow meets a rake at a house party late at night in the library. A potential bedding is interrupted and the two part ways. Months later, Rebecca has become a popular matchmaker and a marquess’ aunt has hired her services for her nephew. Unfortunately, that marquess is the man that Rebecca met in the library, but she needs to employment so sets out to meet with him prior to the Marrywell Matchmaking Festival. Nash has decided it’s time to remarry but he is looking for a business arrangement rather than a love match, after the devastation of his beloved first wife’s death. When he meets his matchmaker, he’s surprised to find the woman that he met before and that he is still very much attracted to her. Both Rebecca and Nash have their past troubles that get revealed while they’re in town for the festival and become more friendly and honest with each other as they spend more time together. This one connects well with Book 3 of the series, which features Rebecca’s younger sister.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Chasing the Bride by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Lords in Love series. Tabitha has been betrothed to her father’s viscount friend since before she was born and with her father on his deathbed, the wedding shall be held in short order. Tabitha has no interest in marrying a lecherous old man, but feels that it is her role as dutiful daughter to comply. She spends some of her last few days of freedom at the Marrywell Matchmaking Festival, but her betrothed has assigned his man of business to watch over her. Hudson has worked for the old viscount for years and has been unwisely pining for Tabitha despite being at a much lower social standing. While he is competent at his assigned tasks, he is dreading the day when Tabitha must submit to marriage to the viscount. When she’s spending time with Hudson, Tabitha realizes true joy and companionship, making her dread her looming marriage even more. She ultimately runs from her wedding day, hoping to forestall her fate for just a little while longer. Hudson eventually catches up to her and she convinces him to spend a week with her before she has to meet her doom again, even though his job is to bring her back to his employer. This book was a lot of fun to read with our two people easily falling in love, but kept apart due to their external circumstances.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Lords in Love series. Donovan is being pressured by his mother to fulfill his ducal duties to marry a young lady and sire an heir. He has no interest in doing so and only has eyes for his valet of twenty years, Geoffrey. Knowing that he would not want to be lusting after his valet when a wife is in residence, he dismisses Geoffrey as his valet. However, Donovan and Geoffrey must first make a visit to the Marrywell Matchmaking Festival so that Donovan can select a bride. While in Marrywell, they’ve agreed to act as friends instead of master and servant and find themselves finally giving into the attraction between them all these years. This one is a quick read with a nice resolution, especially since Donovan has a younger brother besotted with his wife an a bunch of children to take the role of heir.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

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

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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

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

Weekly Reads: July 3 to 9, 2023

Jul 11, 2023

The Bad Luck Bride by Janna MacGregor (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Alex is out to avenge his sister’s death by buying up a certain lord’s debts and having him jilt his fiancee. To save the fiancee Claire from ruin, he proposes to her himself. Claire has her own problems and is known for having a curse around her due to the losses of previous fiances to death, disease, and dismemberment. She’s wary of losing yet another one and feels pressured to go through with the marriage to Alex. She also has trauma and fears related to the death of her parents as a child and she tries to hide her unease from Alex to prevent him from thinking she’s insane. Alex meanwhile is still dealing with his vengeance plot and keeping that a secret from Claire. It’s a big huge mess of people hiding things from each other and waiting for it all to blow up. This story went a little longer than it probably needed to, but it was a good introduction to all the other key players in the series: Claire’s cousins and Alex’s surviving sister.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Recently widowed countess Eliza finds that her inheritance is dependent on her staying away from any scandal. The new earl, Lord Somerton, is the nephew of her late husband and happens to be a former suitor that was rejected when Eliza’s parents forced her to marry. As a widow, Eliza finally has a small taste of freedom when she spirits herself (and her cousin) away to Bath to visit before she makes her way back to her family’s home. Eliza ends up meeting the charming and scandalous Lord Melville and tries very hard to avoid him due to his reputation. Eventually Melville convinces Eliza to paint his portrait and she seizes this opportunity to utilize her artistic talent. Additionally, Somerton has renewed his acquaintance with Eliza and they confront their romantic past. We have a slowly building love triangle here, where you’re mostly rooting for Eliza to break free of her oppressive marriage and reunite with her long lost love, but then we start to see her friendship with Melville develop and wonder where that will lead. Since this book was a single POV (only Eliza’s), it wasn’t clear who the ultimate love interest is going to be, and I was intrigued to find out who she ended up with. There are also some delightful side pairings that we discover along the way as well. Despite this being a super low-steam book, the emotional build-up was really well done and it was an enjoyable book to read.

Advance ebook provided by Penguin Random House via NetGalley.

One Season with the Duke by Addy DuLac (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novel. Hettie is the niece of a marquess and suddenly being blackmailed by her slimy cousin (who I didn’t catch or remember how he’s related to her) into marriage. She doesn’t like him at all, but seems to go along with it because she doesn’t want to jeopardize her family’s reputation. Meanwhile, her childhood friend Finn is finally back in London having been away for many years taking care of his estates in Scotland. He’s disappointed to learn that Hettie is already engaged, but offers to rescue her from her dire circumstances. These two elope pretty early on in the book and I was really expecting a road trip romance with a big chase from the blackmailer, but we ended up with an overbearing mother-in-law story instead. Plus Hettie’s still keeping the secrets of what she was being blackmailed with, Finn is both arrogant and self-doubting and insecure, and really, the villain took way too long to catch up with them. The childhood friends to lovers romance was nice and I liked how Hettie stood up to her mother-in-law, but overall, this book was just ok. If you like stories where someone swoops in to save a lady from an unwanted marriage to a villain, I also recommend The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

The Make-Believe Widow by Darcy Burke (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Matchmaking Chronicles series. A matchmaking house party is afoot with eligible widows, widowers, and other single gentlemen. Charlotte is attending mostly to see her friend, the hostess, and is not interested in finding a match. She enjoys her position and independence as a widow in a small village, but is also hiding the fact that she is not truly a widow, as her fiance had died a few days before their wedding. At the house party, Charlotte makes a connection with Roth, a widowed earl looking to remarry and find a mother for his two daughters. He is purposely avoiding a love match because he had loved his first wife dearly and was shocked to learn that she never loved him at all. While Charlotte and Roth have different goals from this house party, they can’t resist starting an affair while they’re there. Short, steamy, easy read.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke via NetGalley.

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.

The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Nick is an earl who has been treated horribly and financially cut off from his ducal father, so he prioritizes business and avoids all emotional entanglements. However, he seems to always be drawn to Emma, a duke’s daughter and cousin-by-marriage to Nick’s only friend. Emma has been distraught over the loss of her friend and is attempting to prove that her friend’s husband is responsible for her death. This all involves some reckless and dangerous action that worries Nick when he finds out about it. These two people are clearly in love with each other, but neither of them know it. Emma doesn’t want marriage since she’s seen how horrible the institution is for women; Nick doesn’t want to crack open all the walls he’s built around his cold and lonely heart. However, all of the external conflict somehow pushes them together since Emma is constantly in danger and Nick swoops in to rescue her. Both of these very stubborn folks need to learn to compromise a bit and let the other person in and they definitely both need prodding from outside counsel to make it all work out.

Ebook and audiobook 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.

Fashioning the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Suddenly a Duke series. Fox is the much younger second son of a duke, never expecting to inherit, when he receives word that his older brother has died, leaving two nieces in his care. At the solicitor’s office, he has a chance meeting with Delaney who is there to sell off her millinery shop after her half-brother has basically barred polite society from shopping there. Delaney is the illegitimate daughter of an earl who was always favored and adored by her father. Fox decides to hire Delaney to assist in outfitting his nieces for the upcoming Season and also pretty much instantly decides that he wants her as his duchess. She doesn’t want to give up her independence or marry, so he’s got some work cut out for him in wooing her. Enjoyable to read and I love how well Fox takes to his responsibilities and his nieces.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Not That Duke by Eloisa James (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Would-Be Wallflowers series. Half of this book takes place in the same timeline as Book 2 of the series, so there are a lot of overlapping events in both books. Stella is bookish and clumsy and awkward and the mean girls make fun of her, but she is definitely attracted to Silvester, even though he will never see her as a potential bride. Silvester grew up with eccentric parents and wants to conform more to social standards, so ignores the possibility of Stella as a wife, even though his mother suggests he. He’s busy pining over another lady for half the book, to the point where Stella knows she definitely has no chance at all with him, even though they’re sort of friends and spend a lot of time together. Poor Stella is just getting the short end of the stick for the whole book and is incredibly insecure, while Silvester is constantly doing and saying the wrong thing and oh so very slow to realize that Stella is worthy of his love and adoration. So much angst over this idiot and you just want to wrap Stella up and choose her first.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Duke’s Virgin Sister by Caroline Lee (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Those Kilted Bastards series. Keith, the illegitimate son of an earl, is tasked with escorting Carlotta, the duke’s sister to Scotland for her sister-in-law’s birthday celebration. Carlotta is engaged to a baron who is an arrogant pompous asshole and we all just want to see him go away; he does make for some comedic lines with everyone around him calling him names behind his back. Keith is a boxer and now owner of his very own castle in Scotland and doesn’t really want to play escort here, but the duke offers him the money he will need to repair his castle. Keith and Carlotta fall for each other pretty quickly here, but he pushes her away, thinking that he will never be good enough for her due to their differences in social station. We get a little bit of road trip hijinks here with travel delays and bandits, and we do eventually learn the reason why Carlotta cannot take the train. Humor and steam in a quick and easy read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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

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

Inconveniently Wed Series by Jane Maguire / Historical Romance Book Series

Jul 6, 2023

Secrets and a Scandal by Jane Maguire (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Inconveniently Wed series. An earl’s heir, Edward, has returned to England after staying away for 6 years and his ill father has informed him of the estate’s debts and that he’s secured a match to a wealthy merchant’s daughter, Eliza. After his father dies, Edward realizes the huge amount of debt he is in and decides to go through with the marriage. Edward is cold and aloof, mostly due to his past experience with a beautiful and fickle first wife, who he refuses to talk about. Eliza has grown up in the country and prefers her garden and herbal remedies to assist those who are ill; she got into some sort of scandal when she was in London for her first Season before being sent back to the country. She doesn’t have any interest in marrying, but understands that being Edward’s wife is preferable to being sent back to her aunt and uncle’s care. After they get married, there’s a lack of honest conversation between these two, mostly because Edward doesn’t want to share anything about his past. However, they’re both dedicated to the improvement of the estate and helping the people who live there, and slowly find common ground. Relatively quick read with somewhat predictable secrets that Eliza and Edward are hiding. Still an enjoyable read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Rumors and a Rake by Jane Maguire (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Inconveniently Wed series. Catherine is the younger sister of the earl from Book 1 and has been shy throughout her season. We start this book at a house party where Catherine is attending with her friend Lavinia, and Catherine is trying to make a match with a gentleman who is quiet and bookish like she is. Philip is a dissolute rake, third son of a marquess, but now the heir due to the deaths of his older brothers. With the marquess in ill health, Philip’s mother had decided to drag Philip to this house party to select a bride. Catherine very much wants to avoid Philip after having witnessed him debauching a lady at a ball, but is still quite attracted to him. However, they keep bumping into each other at this house party and Philip ends up rescuing Catherine from the unwanted attentions of another man, ultimately leading to their marriage. After that, we have both people keeping secrets from each other, but somehow having it all work out.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Longing for a Lady by Jane Maguire (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Inconveniently Wed series. Our friend Lavinia from Book 2 finds herself in a situation where she’s pregnant by an earl who has recently married someone else. To avoid being married off to a much older man to cover up her indiscretion, she seeks out her childhood friend and now surgeon Will for help. He offers her marriage and his protection and she ultimately accepts. Since Lavinia is a baron’s daughter, she has enjoyed the frivolity of balls and society, so moving to a small village as the surgeon’s wife is a big change for her. She loses the pregnancy early on in the book and feels guilty for trapping Will with her. But he’s been in love with her forever and feels like he cannot provide the type of lifestyle that she is accustomed to. Both are poor at communicating their true feelings, which leads to a lot of guilt and insecurity. It was nice to see Lavinia try to show her appreciation for Will, even if her surprise didn’t turn out as planned.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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

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

Weekly Reads: June 26 to July 2, 2023

Jul 4, 2023

Remember Love by Mary Balogh (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Ravenswood series. We meet the Ware family in this series, headed by an earl and his countess. The family is known for its gregarious nature and idyllic estate, where they host a variety of events for their friends and neighbors. While the reader gets to know all the members of the family and their social obligations, we slowly start to wonder about the earl’s behavior while he’s in town for the season without his wife and children. We eventually lead up to a huge summer fete hosted by the family, where his son and heir Devlin is suspicious of a certain new widow in the village. While these thoughts are simmering in the background, we also meet Gwyneth, the girl next door who has had a crush on Devlin for years but thinks that he doesn’t know she exists. We also learn that Devlin is also enamoured of Gwyneth but believes that she dislikes him due to his straightlaced personality. On the day of the summer fete, Devlin and Gwyneth have a promising start to a romance between them, but things take a terrible turn when they catch Devlin’s father and the widow in a compromising situation. Instead of being discreet about the affair, Devlin makes a huge scene in front of everyone in defense of his mother, and somehow gets himself banished from the family home by not adhering to the polite facade. Devlin ends up joining the war against Napoleon for the next six years, coming back home as the newly inherited earl after the war is over. He’s had no contact with his family for all these years and needs to reassert his position and duty. Upon his return, he finds that Gwyneth has not married in all the years he’s been gone and they tentatively rebuild their acquaintance, even though Devlin has a much different personality that he had before. This book spent a lot of time in the set up of the family structure and conflict with a relatively easy romance built in.

Ebook and audiobook 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.

Remember Me by Mary Balogh (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Ravenswood series. Philippa is the eldest daughter and now sister of an earl and on her way to London for her first season, having delayed a few years due to family scandal and then mourning. We learned in the previous book that she had an encounter with a marquess who referred to her as “soiled goods” and completely derailed her confidence. That marquess, Lucas, is the grandson and heir to a duke who is now forcing him to marry a suitable bride of the duchess’ choosing. While in London, we find that Philippa’s mother and Lucas’ aunt are good friends and there are many instances where we find Philippa and Lucas thrown together. After the scandal of her family past, Philippa’s is more apt to confront awkward situations head on and lets Lucas know that she overheard him all those years ago. Lucas is unable to provide her with an explanation at this time, and his excuses seem to suggest that he is hiding more information than he’s willing to share. Once Lucas’ grandparents get to town, they have set their sights on Philippa as the perfect match for Lucas, and circumstances continue to throw them together. We do eventually find out the reason for Lucas’ animosity towards Philippa’s father and it is definitely a juicy secret to hear. And while these two have gotten off on the wrong start, they are clearly quite attracted to each other and slowly build their relationship over the course of the season (with some extra meddling by Lucas’ grandfather).

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Heir and the Spare by Maya Rodale (2007)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Negligent Chaperones series. Twin brothers Phillip and Devon hate each other and Devon has always gotten the worst treatment from his ducal father as the second son. After fighting in a duel in place of the heir, Devon flees England for many years and his asshole brother tells everyone he’s dead. Back in England to attend to his dying father, he catches a falling Emilia as she clumsily trips over herself at a ball. They share a kiss in the library before he needs to run off. However, everyone believes Devon to be his brother, the horrible scoundrel Phillip and warns Emilia away from him. Phillip needs to marry an heiress and sets his sights on Emilia; she accepts the courtship but is confused by his demeanor and the distinct lack of sparks when she’s with him. These people are just in a confusing mess, Emilia has a meddlesome chaperone, Devon is totally insecure about his own worth, and Phillip is a gross snake. And there’s a secret building up to be revealed by the duke’s butler, so we have that to look forward to. It was still a fun story and it’s helpful to see how awful Phillip is before we get to his book next.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh (1997)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Anthony needs a wife that’ll annoy his ducal father, so he advertises for a governess to find a plain and mousy woman. Charity is the eldest of many siblings who have lost their parents and needs to find a position to support her family after discovering her father’s many debts. She was dismissed from her last position for being too outspoken, so she shows up to her latest interview in drab unassuming clothing. Anthony believes her the mouse she presents herself to be and offers her a temporary marriage and monetary support for the rest of her life. After they marry, Anthony is surprised to find that Charity has a backbone and is quite clever, even though they don’t know anything about each other. When they arrive to the ducal estate, Charity makes exactly the impression that she was intended to do – completely unqualified to be a future duchess. But somehow Charity’s polite and kind demeanor in the face of coldness starts to break down everybody’s walls, including Anthony’s. This book starts with a humorous set up, but really pushes at the dysfunctional family dynamic in Anthony’s household and helps to restore his relationship with his siblings and turns out to be more emotional than expected.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night of Scandal by Darcy Burke (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Wicked Duke Club series. Viola, younger sister to a duke, dresses up as a man to visit the tavern and collect stories for her newspaper column. She gets involved in some sort of political gossip and tries to investigate, but is thwarted by Jack, a member of parliament and friend of her brother’s. He’s known for awhile that Viola was in disguise but has not revealed it to anyone. They work together to investigate the political mystery and grow closer through the process. Another quick-ish read from this series and a relatively low-angst romance.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Rogue and the Rival by Maya Rodale (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Negligent Chaperones series. After the events of Book 1, Philip had left the country for awhile, and somehow ended up back injured and unconscious in at an abbey. He’s being tended to by Angela, a soon-to-be sister who’s been stalling on taking her vows. We learn that Philip was chased down by thugs who he owed money to and Angela was ruined by a man like Philip (but not Philip), charming and rakish and an absolutely scoundrel. These two grow closer, somehow Philip learns how to have feelings and empathy, and Angela remembers that she likes the attentions of men. However, we see an eight month time-jump in the middle of the book, so that’s never a good sign for an easy happily ever after. The second half of the book finds us all back in London and navigating the social waters there. Somehow, we see a pretty believable rake reformation here with Philip, even though it was mostly driven by his desire for Angela.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

The Wicked Heir by Merry Farmer (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Secrets of Nedworth Hall series. Lady Patience is sent off to a summer house party by her mother, hoping that the bookish bespectacled Patience will make a match and marry. The house party is full of intrigue as everyone tries to figure out who the mystery heir to a fortune is. Arden is a renowned rake and scoundrel, but really he just gambles to make money to send to the orphanage that his mother runs. Both Patience and Arden think that the other person is the mystery heir and attempt to seduce the truth out of the other one. The seduction part works to assist them falling in love with each other, at the very least. Quick and fun steamy read.

Advance ebook provided by Merry Farmer via BookSprout.

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

Useful Resources:

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The Seduction Diaries Series by Jennifer McQuiston / Historical Romance Book Series

Jun 29, 2023

Diary of an Accidental Wallflower by Jennifer McQuiston (2015)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Seduction Diaries series. Clare is a viscount’s daughter who is hoping to make a match with a duke’s heir this season but an accidental turn of her ankle sets her on the wallflower line at a ball. She catches the attention of a young doctor named Daniel who is curious about her shuffle and gait. It’s clear from the start that they are totally mismatched in terms of social status, but that doesn’t stop the attraction from developing as Daniel tends to Clare’s ankle over time. Daniel is also very good at managing Clare’s rambunctious younger siblings. It was nice to see the social-climbing Clare realize that her friends are horrible villains, she doesn’t really have a chance with the duke’s heir, and that Daniel is a kind, respectable, and honorable man who is deserving of love and affection.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior by Jennifer McQuiston (2015)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Seduction Diaries series. This book takes place about 4 years after the events of Book 1 and is about Clare’s younger sister Lucy. We actually start the prologue with Thomas, a young drunken marquess, who is at his sister’s funeral and his fiancee has just broken off their engagement. We jump three years after that for the “present day” of the novel. The eccentric Lucy, a viscount’s daughter, is not looking forward to her debut season. With a delayed debut after some family scandal, she is 21 years old and stubbornly set in her ways. She surprisingly receives a package after her aunt’s death with her aunt’s diaries and the keys to her seaside cottage, offering the ability for Lucy to make her own decisions about her future. Unfortunately, meddlesome men make trouble when her father sells the property without her consent or knowledge to Thomas, who has been holed up in the small seaside town for the past three years. Lucy of course denies the sale, refuses all negotiation, and sets off to inspect the property herself. Lucy and Thomas are at odds for most of the story here with Thomas wanting very badly to purchase the property and Lucy not trusting his motives. It’s fun to see Lucy start to see a more honorable side to Thomas in his interactions with the folks in town and I love seeing Thomas appreciate Lucy’s stubbornness and outspokenness.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel by Jennifer McQuiston (2016)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Seduction Diaries series. This book takes place about five years after the end of Book 2. Our prankster younger brother Geoffrey, heir to a viscount, is now an adult who has survived a stint as a naval officer and back in London as a dissolute rake. We first see him urinating on a rosebush in his neighbor’s garden through the fence, where he meets Mary, who is the sister of an earl in town for her twin sister’s confinement. Geoffrey and Mary are instantly at odds with each other, with him being overly cocky and her being prim and meek. Both of these people have their own tragic backstories, but the bottom line is that Mary is nearly a spinster who has hidden herself away in the country and Geoffrey is a prankster with a terrible reputation in society. When they meet again, they get stuck together in the library at a hospital event and overhear an assassination plot. With both their reputations, no one believes the plot to be anything but a joke or an overactive imagination. Oh, and there’s the matter of them being caught alone together in a room and Mary looking terribly disheveled upon discovery. They end up teaming up to investigate what they’ve heard and find themselves drawn together more often. The mystery part of the story was pretty interesting here, but the romance plot was just ok for me; I had a hard time believing that Geoffrey’s redemption from prankster to devoted partner could take place in such a short timeframe because of just one woman. Overall, it was nice to see this series finish out with Geoffrey being responsible and caring.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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Weekly Reads: June 19 to 25, 2023

Jun 27, 2023

What’s a Duke Got to Do With It by Christina Britton (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Synneful Spinsters series. We start with a tragic prologue for Katrina, who is the sister of a baronet, enjoying her first flirtatious season. Just as it seems like her flirtation with a young lord might be headed somewhere, he’s called away from a ball unexpectedly. What follows is another lord sneaking into her window uninvited, being caught by her brother, and imminent scandal. Years later, Katrina is resigned to living as a companion to a stern dowager viscountess. And that idiot lord has attempted again to climb into her window, this time falling to his death, and causing tons more scandal for Katrina. Meanwhile, Sebastian (the man called away from that last ball) has been digging his way out of his father’s debts and is on the cusp of marrying a wealthy heiress. He just needs to fulfill one assignment for her father, which is to distract her brother from marrying an actress. Sebastian and his charge find themselves hosted by the dowager viscountess. Sebastian and Katrina have the opportunity to meet again and reconnect, even though both of their circumstances have changed, and for very practical reasons, they don’t have a future together. It was still fun to read how much Sebastian has been pining for Katrina all these years and how Katrina’s odd group of friends rally behind her. And the matchmaking dowager is also the best.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Westcotts series. Jessica, the sister of a duke, has finally decided that she will marry this year (in her sixth or seventh season). While she typically has a court of interested suitors, she’s looking forward to meeting newcomers to the ton. Gabriel has spent the past thirteen years in America after fleeing England due to some scandal and is back now to claim his rightful title and care for those living on the estate. Upon meeting Jessica, he arrogantly decides that he will marry her, since the sister of a duke will fulfill all of the practical criteria he has for a wife. However, Jessica is angry and insulted by his presumption, challenging him to do better if he wants to win her hand. This book was yet another really interesting story in the series with the unraveling of Gabriel’s mysteries and the support that Jessica provides through his ordeal. And while the women of Jessica’s family do not quite understand the pairing, the men are as quick as Jessica is to guess at Gabriel’s true identity.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Odds on the Rake by Sofie Darling (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the All’s Fair in Love and Racing series. Gemma dresses up as a stable hand to infiltrate the Duke of Rakesley’s racing stable and collect information for a rival horseman. Gemma and her twin brother were the illegitimate children of an earl and are running away from his overbearing care. When Gemma gets to the duke’s stables, she has a way with the wild and untrained horse and quickly moves up to being a jockey. While Rake runs an impressive stable, he’s curious about the new stable hand “Gem”. When he finally realizes that his new employee is a woman (and a very attractive one), they start a steamy affair that keeps her feeling guilty about her initial motives for being there.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via NetGalley.

Someone to Cherish by Mary Balogh (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Westcotts series. Ten years after Harry had lost the position of earl due to the discovery of his parents’ illegitimate marriage, he is now somewhat of a recluse at his childhood home after surviving his war injuries. The meddlesome Westcott family is concerned for Harry and want to see him happily settled, tying up the loose ends of the disastrous revelations all those years ago. Nearby, the vicar’s widow Lydia who lives alone in the village is content with her independence, but also desires companionship. When Lydia and Harry are thrown together for a walk one evening, they start a conversation and somewhat form a friendship, with the hesitant possibility of an affair. Lydia’s previous marriage was not as happy as it appeared and it was nice to see Lydia assert her own identity and preferences in this story. This book is another slow-burn to add to the series, with a quiet romance, and the boisterous Westcott family.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

No Dukes Allowed by Jess Michaels (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Kent’s Row Duchesses series. Widowed duchess Valaria has just moved to a street of townhouses full of widowed duchesses. She’s keeping secrets regarding the death of her cruel and terrible husband and is hesitant to make new friends. However, her late husband’s friend Callum is intent on checking on her well-being, even though she wants to push him away. Callum is the ultimate nice guy has admired her for many years but denied his feelings for her due to his friendship. Now that his friend has died, he feels guilty for calling on Valaria, but can’t seem to help himself. And Valaria has always been attracted to Callum as well, not knowing why this seemingly upstanding gentleman was friends with her husband. Callum didn’t know that his friend was completely awful, so he feels even worse when he discovers that Valaria did not have a happy marriage. At some point, these two start an affair, but there’s still a heavy secret between them and Valaria’s overall skittishness to overcome.

Advance ebook provided by Jess Michaels via NetGalley.

In the Eyes of the Earl by Kristin Vayden (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Cambridge Brotherhood series. Collin is trying to investigate the criminals who have been using his name and it leads him back to the town of Cambridge. While there, he visits an old professor and meets the professor’s daughter Elizabeth, who is a scholarly bluestocking. As Collin and Elizabeth cross paths with mutual acquaintances, they end up arguing and bickering, and somehow this turns into attraction and passion. Their romance follows a relatively uncomplicated progression, while Collin’s investigation runs in the background. Nothing too twisty or turny here but still pleasant to see Elizabeth’s supportive father.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.

Someone Perfect by Mary Balogh (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 9 of the Westcotts series. Last and final book of the series and pivots a bit away from the Westcott family itself though it takes places shortly after the events of Book 8. Here we focus on Estelle, honorary Westcott, and stepsister to Harry, Camille, and Abigail. We first meet Estelle in Book 4, when her father marries the former countess. In this book, she and her twin Bertrand have been living quietly for two years in the country and recently returned home from the events of Book 8. Estelle has an awkward first meeting with Justin, an earl who has come to retrieve his estranged younger sister and bring her home to his estate. These two have a slightly antagonistic beginning, but it’s clear that Justin wants to put his sister at ease, inviting Estelle and Bertrand to come to the estate for a few weeks to help their friend settle in. While we know a lot about Estelle’s backstory from former books, this one delves deeper into Justin’s history and the cause of his estrangement from his family and his sister. We get to learn the depth of Justin’s character along with Estelle and see her slowly falling in love with him. This one was another book in the series that I really enjoyed reading, even though I could almost predict the reason why Justin was banished by his father. From a series perspective, this book didn’t necessarily need to be included, since the last book featuring Harry would already be a strong ending to the series. It was still nice to see Estelle get her love story, especially as we’ve gotten to know her through many of the other books, and actively seen her during the London season. It’s curious that Bertrand did not also get a story in this series, but I have a feeling that we may see him at a later time in another series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Lessons in Pleasure by Victoria Dahl (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novella. Quick read with a married couple discovering pleasure in the bedroom. The lady of the story thinks that she’s got hereditary insanity and that he wantonness is a sign of her demise, but really, it was just a charlatan of a doctor who was treating her mother and spreading misinformation in his book. Her husband explains that she’s perfectly normal and things are fine.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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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.

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.

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

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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June 2023 New Releases in Historical Romance Books and One Contemporary Romance

Jun 26, 2023

The Beast and the Bookseller by Eva Devon (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Elizabeth is the daughter of a bookshop owner and basically runs the shop while her father drowns himself in alcohol after the death of her mother. It turns out that her father has been shirking his duties to a cold and starchy duke who normally receives weekly deliveries of books at his home. The duke, Garrett, comes calling at the shop to demand the bookshop service that he pays for or else he will remove his patronage to the shop. Elizabeth agrees to start making the book deliveries herself and they both find that they have their love of reading in common. Garrett has his own issues with his crusade against treacherous mental asylums and he has been somewhat of a cold recluse. With Elizabeth’s visits, they grow closer and he wants very much to care for her. The romance part of the story progressed pretty quickly with some conflict related to Elizabeth’s father and Garrett’s general coldness. It was a relatively quick read and fairly light on the angst.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

Kiss the Rake Hello by Tracy Sumner (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 13 of the Wicked Widows’ League series. This one is a pretty quick novella where a widow, Alexandra, and her childhood neighbor, Cortland, meet again. He’s had a crush on her forever and she’s looking for a night of pleasure after her disappointing marriage. A pretty uncomplicated plot but sweet to see Cort shy and fumbling around the woman he’s loved since he was a kid playing pranks on her. Super short to read and enjoy.

Advance ebook provided by Tracy Sumner via BookSirens.

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Designs on the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Suddenly a Duke series. Tragic upbringing for Elijah, who’s crusty old duke of a father accused his wife of being unfaithful and tossed the pregnant duchess off to a small cottage at one of his estates with no money or support. She gave birth to twins and eventually sent them off to war. While in battle, the elder of the twins passes away, leaving Elijah to be the heir. He then receives a letter that his father has died, leaving his brother the next duke, though his brother is gone too, meaning Elijah is the new duke. He’s back in England to reclaim his birthright and set things to rights. Unfortunately, the crusty old duke was a spiteful piece of work who sold off every single piece of furniture in the house. Luckily, they run into Abby, who is soon to open her own furniture shop filled with her designs. Abby lived in poverty until her father’s death, when her new guardian took her own and brought her with him in his worldwide travels. With all the knowledge gained in traveling the world, she has developed a keen sense of style and design. Neither Elijah or Abby are interested in marriage: Elijah doesn’t want to continue his horrible father’s bloodline and Abby doesn’t want to cede her independence. But as they start working together to furnish his home, they begin to admire each other’s strength and honor more than even their initial attraction.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Chasing the Bride by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Lords in Love series. Tabitha has been betrothed to her father’s viscount friend since before she was born and with her father on his deathbed, the wedding shall be held in short order. Tabitha has no interest in marrying a lecherous old man, but feels that it is her role as dutiful daughter to comply. She spends some of her last few days of freedom at the Marrywell Matchmaking Festival, but her betrothed has assigned his man of business to watch over her. Hudson has worked for the old viscount for years and has been unwisely pining for Tabitha despite being at a much lower social standing. While he is competent at his assigned tasks, he is dreading the day when Tabitha must submit to marriage to the viscount. When she’s spending time with Hudson, Tabitha realizes true joy and companionship, making her dread her looming marriage even more. She ultimately runs from her wedding day, hoping to forestall her fate for just a little while longer. Hudson eventually catches up to her and she convinces him to spend a week with her before she has to meet her doom again, even though his job is to bring her back to his employer. This book was a lot of fun to read with our two people easily falling in love, but kept apart due to their external circumstances.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

Her Scandalous Scot by Jennifer Haymore (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Highland Knights series. Previously published as Highland Awakening in 2015 and this version is updated with content changes. This book is connected to the House of Trent series. Lady Esme is the socially awkward sister of a duke but also a secret author of romance novels. While doing research at a brothel. She runs into Camden, while he is on protection duty of an earl. He doesn’t know who she is at first, but uncovers her identity while at the duke’s dinner party. She’s nearly engaged to a seemingly safe family friend and is trying not to succumb to Cam’s advances. These two are argumentative throughout the book, with Cam being overbearing about Esme’s social standing and obligations but also impressed by Esme’s secret career. We also have a deadly threat against Cam’s friends to contend with in the background. After reading this book, I’m interested in going back to read about Esme’s siblings from previous books too.

Advance ebook provided by Jennifer Haymore via NetGalley.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (2023)

Contemporary romance. Elsie is a recent PhD grad with no money and way too many adjunct teaching positions who is on a fake dating app for extra money. One of her clients has an older brother Jack who seems to hate Elsie. Except he doesn’t. And one of the parameters of Elsie’s gig has her being vague and untruthful about her real identity and personal information. When Elsie shows up for a physics faculty job interview, she’s surprised to see Jack there as one of the other faculty members. Jack is upset because it seems that Elsie has been lying to his brother, but Elsie can’t tell Jack the truth about the fake dating without her client’s permission. It’s a huge mess that is complicated by the fact that Jack is in charge of the rival branch of physics and there’s another candidate for the job. But really Jack just feels terrible for having had a crush on his brother’s “girlfriend” all this time and he’s even more impressed with her once he realizes she’s also a physicist. This book has all the humor and awkwardness you’d expect out of an Ali Hazelwood novel.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley Romance via Edelweiss.

Portraits, Passion, and Other Pastimes by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Art of Love series. A financially irresponsible marquess puts his family’s livelihood in danger by overspending money on art and frivolity, rather than care for his estate. When his eldest son, Raph, learns of the financial state when the steward quits, he’s shoulders the burden of responsibility to keep them afloat. Unfortunately, he also needs to dismiss his sister’s governess, Matilda, because there’s no money to pay her, but he promises to always help her find a suitable position. Fifteen years later, the marquess has passed away and Raph is still struggling with all the bills. His father has donated all his art, leaving none for his children to sell, except for five items which each person must earn by creating a piece of art themselves and presenting it to their mother for approval. With no talent and not enough time for frivolity, Raph knows that he will not be able to come up with anything to his mother’s standards; nevermind the loud wailing and grieving that his mother is doing to distract him. He decides to hire his mother a companion and seeks out Matilda as the best candidate. She has served as a governess and a companion in the past fifteen years and will soon move to her own cottage. While she rejects the offer from Raph at first, the lady she’s currently serving suggests they go together to help the marchioness with her grief. Raph is also attempting to save the estate by marrying an heiress, but does not feel anything for the ladies he’s courting. With everyone back at the marquess’ estate, Raph and Matilda spend more time together and try to resist their attraction. After all, Matilda is used to a life of work and solitude and Raph needs to marry for money. It was interesting to read all of the family interactions in this story and the support they all have for each other, despite the begrudging feelings towards the old marquess’ spending habits.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane via NetGalley.

Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Lords in Love series. Donovan is being pressured by his mother to fulfill his ducal duties to marry a young lady and sire an heir. He has no interest in doing so and only has eyes for his valet of twenty years, Geoffrey. Knowing that he would not want to be lusting after his valet when a wife is in residence, he dismisses Geoffrey as his valet. However, Donovan and Geoffrey must first make a visit to the Marrywell Matchmaking Festival so that Donovan can select a bride. While in Marrywell, they’ve agreed to act as friends instead of master and servant and find themselves finally giving into the attraction between them all these years. This one is a quick read with a nice resolution, especially since Donovan has a younger brother besotted with his wife an a bunch of children to take the role of heir.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

Painting the Earl by Lexi Post (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Marrying a Mabry series. Amelia is the youngest Mabry sister who is focusing on her painting and aims to paint a masterpiece before settling into marriage. When a handsome earl proposes to her unexpectedly, she offers him a counterproposal: serve as her nude model before they marry. Andrew is in dire financial circumstances due to debts his father left behind and needs to marry for money quickly, but he is intrigued by Amelia’s proposition and agrees to it. As they spend more time together, he quickly falls in love with her and hopes that she will someday see him as a desirable husband rather than just a handsome subject of art. We get to interact a bit more with Amelia’s sisters, and there’s definitely a strong set up for sister Mariel’s future book. This one was relatively low-angst and easy to read.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Scandal at the Savoy series. Max is doing a favor for his cousin by collecting research and plans for a dinner party from bookseller Evie; when he meets her, he’s tailed by a few boisterous younger men who disparage Evie’s plain and bookish demeanor. He ends up wagering that with a bit of polish, she’ll be able to fill her dance card at a ball in six weeks time. Max tries to enlist Evie to be part of his wager, but she refuses at first, until a boiler bursts in her bookshop, closing it down and leaving her without a place to stay. Evie has basically been alone in running her shop and barely making ends meet and has never experienced any balls or parties, so Max’s offer forces her to experience new things. Meanwhile, as a duke with no heirs, Max is seeking the perfect society wife and trying to learn from the mistakes he made with his first wife, who was ostracized in society. While Max and Evie grow closer with their talking and banter, they both know that the social class differences between them would be unrealistic to try to overcome. This was a fun book to read and I liked reading about Evie gaining more self-confidence through the book.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Forever Books.

A Study in Desire by Jane Maguire (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rockliffe Dynasty series. Impoverished widow, Theo, has no option except to move herself and her two sons into her estranged mother-in-law’s house. The dowager marchioness and managing and strict, so it really was the last resort to accept her assistance. There’s of course family drama behind the scenes, with Theo’s late husband being the second son a marquess and estranged because of his occupation as a poet and his choice of bride. The marquess himself is embroiled in his own scandal and away from England, and Theo’s sister-in-law is a spinster who still lives with the dowager marchioness. As Theo’s sons are settling into their new home, they’re assigned to a new tutor. Jeremy has had his own recent troubles with a broken engagement and lack of career. Even though he is new to teaching children, he exhibits creativity and care with his charges. Theo and Jeremy interact sparingly at first, but the attraction and longing between the two is strong. It was nice to see Theo start to thaw towards Jeremy and trust him, as she’s seen him continually be supportive and caring. This book had a good blend of external drama and a build up of the romantic relationship within. I’m excited to see how the rest of the series plays out as well.

Advance ebook provided by Jane Maguire.

The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Chessmen series. There’s a scandalous book written anonymously about the seductive exploits of a Lord K and the ton suspects that the Earl of Knightly, known as Knight, is the man in the story. In reality, he is the subject of the story which is written by Regina, the illegitimate daughter of an earl whom Knight jilted on their wedding day five years prior. We see a few chapters told from the past interspersed with present day chapters and learn more about the past and present relationship between Knight and Regina. He basically left her heartbroken and ruined all those years ago and she has been trying to rebuild her life since then. The notoriety of this book has drawn them back together, but there is still a lot of resentment on Regina’s side of things and lots of guilt from Knight’s. It’s interesting to see how they ultimately overcome the issues that kept them apart all those years ago and learning the truth about Knight’s betrayal.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Appointment in Bath by Mimi Matthews (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Somerset Stories series. Meg and Ivo are from neighboring rival families, but that doesn’t stop them from hesitantly forming a friendship (and further attachment). This book takes place in the same timeframe as Book 3 and results from the rivalry of Book 2, so it will make the most sense reading in order. Even without the backstory, the shy and stammering Meg slowly learns to stand up for herself and go after what she wants with the confidence built from her friendship with Ivo. She interprets Ivo’s kindness as pity and is dismayed that he only sees her as a friend. However, Ivo believes that their friendship is precious and hopes to mend the rift between their families (even if he doesn’t know all the details of how bad things are between the parents). This one was a pretty quick and straightforward read.

Advance ebook provided by Perfectly Proper Press via NetGalley.

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Gilded Age Heiresses Series by Harper St. George / Historical Romance Book Series

Jun 22, 2023

The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Gilded Age Heiresses series. A semi-tragic prologue starts the series with Camille, an American heiress, being married off to a much older and impoverished duke in England against her wishes. August is one of Camille’s friends who sees how awful the whole situation is and is thankful that her own parents would never do such a thing to her or her sister. Fast forward to a few months later, when August visits England with her parents and younger sister, and her parents are doing exactly what she feared. They attempt to set up a match between younger sister Violet and impoverished duke Evan, but August intends to thwart it. It doesn’t much matter since Evan prefers the fiesty August instead and tries to convince her to marry him. He needs the money because his father’s antiquated ideals have left the estate in much debt and the tenants on his lands are suffering. August refuses because she would prefer to stay working for her father’s company and has no interest in becoming a duchess. There’s a lot of cajoling involved here, even though these two are very clearly attracted to each other. The romance was great here and I enjoyed seeing August’s family dynamic. We also get to meet all the key players in future books of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Gilded Age Heiresses series. This book deals with August’s younger sister Violet and Evan’s best friend Christian in a road trip escape from the suitor that Violet’s parents have selected for her. Believing that she is safe from her parents’ meddling now that her sister has settled with the duke in Book 1, Violet is caught off guard when she realizes that her father has agreed to a match with a viscount. She plans to run away and is aided by an earl, Christian, who has his own designs on her and hopes to force a marriage when they’re caught together. Of course, during the trip, these two actually talk and get to know each other, so Christian feels guilty for his planned betrayal. Violet is also opening up to the idea of marriage, since she feels so connected to Christian. In the background, Violet is working on writing a novel and has based her main hero on Christian without him realizing it. This book has all the calamities you would expect in a road trip novel plus the added dread of uncovering Christian’s deception. We also introduce the pairing on Violet’s brother Maxwell with her friend Lady Helena when they team up to chase after the runaway pair.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Gilded Age Heiresses series. Maxwell (older brother to August and Violet) is called back to England from America after his father suffers from heart problems; he’s tasked with marrying and siring the next generation to take over the company or else his sister August loses her business deal. When he crosses paths again with widowed Lady Helena, the attraction he feels for her is reignited. Knowing that they don’t really have a future together on opposite sides of the ocean, he proposes a fake courtship and subsequent fake engagement so that he can appease his father long enough to not jeopardize his sister’s project. Lady Helena is facing her own parental pressure to marry in order to continue her charity work with abandoned women. She agrees to Maxwell’s proposal since she cares about his sister as well, but Helena does not want to marry in truth because she knows that she is unable to have children. But of course these two are highly attracted to each other and cannot seem to keep from being heartbroken. Add a subplot with some property dispute and Maxwell not understanding Helena’s mission and purpose, we have a high amount of angst here. It was really fun to read Helena and Maxwell’s flirting and banter here and we continue to see the rift between Maxwell and his siblings versus their parents.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Gilded Age Heiresses series. We revisit the woman from our tragic prologue of Book 1, Camille, an American heiress who was married off to a much older duke. Throughout the first three books, we’ve seen bits of the cruel treatment she has endured from her husband, ultimately seeing his death in the bed of his mistress at a house party. Now a widow for the past two years, Camille is slowly trying to reclaim her identity and participating in causes her husband would have disapproved of, like the home for young women or the women’s suffrage movement. She also seeks to determine if she can find sex pleasurable and propositions a man to assist her. Jacob is the illegitimate son of an earl and half-brother to Christian from Book 2. He refuses Camille’s proposition at first, not wanting to make things awkward as their social circles overlap. He ends up needing a fake fiancee to prove his stability for a business arrangement and asks Camille to play the part; of course she only agrees in exchange for the sex lessons she wanted in the first place. We soon realize that Camille has underlying fears of the act due to the ill treatment from her husband and Jacob needs to be gentle and patient as well as allow Camille to be in control of their intimacies. We get to see our charming rakish hero slowly fall in love with Camille and help in her journey towards empowerment. Overall, this was a great way to conclude the series and see our poor Camille finally get a happy ending.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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