In the month of December, I finished reading 37 books (35 historical romance, and 2 contemporary romance). Here are my five favorite books from the month! (listed in alphabetical order by author last name)

A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman (2022)

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

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

How To Love A Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne (2019)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 1 of the Devil You Know series. As expected, there was a huge amount of drama and emotional turmoil in this book. We start with a tragic prologue where Alexandra is attacked by her school headmaster, defends herself, and then needs her friends to assist her in covering things up. To help her feel better, her two best friends reveal their own tragic secrets. As expected, the two friends will make up the main characters of the other two books in this series. Chapter one starts ten years later when she’s on her way to a duke’s masquerade ball where her friend is supposed to be announced as his fiancee. What follows is a series of near-death experiences, blackmail, family destitution, and a fearful pull that Alexandra has towards her friend’s intended, Piers. Don’t worry though, her friend is not in love with him at all and it was a marriage contract from many years past. When she finds out about the allowance the future duchess will receive, she proposes that the duke marry her instead of her friend. And then we have even more drama with Piers’ backstory with his family history, being attacked and scarred, being ditched by his fiancee for his cousin, and mistrust of women. These two people have their own reasons for not trusting one another but somehow feel safe and protected when they’re together. Loved seeing them start to slowly melt towards each other.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-ish era England. Julia is the Cinderella in the story, escorting her younger stepsister to a ball while her stepmother is ill. This is Julia’s one chance to find a husband, since her stepmother refuses to let Julia go to any balls. While protecting a rake from being compromised by a lady and called out in a duel by her husband, she kisses him and then runs away, thinking that she’s ruined. When the rake, our duke Gregory, comes to call the next day with her lost slipper, she proposes a marriage of convenience to him: He helps her get out from under her stepmother’s control and she helps him avoid the lecherous women of the ton. Both of these people are deeply insecure and play an emotionally detached role to protect themselves from being hurt. However, they have great chemistry together and enjoy each other’s company. I really enjoyed this debut novel from this author and am looking forward to reading more.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant (2011)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Book 1 of the Blackshear Family series. The blurb on the back tells a story of a desperate widow (Martha) in need of an heir to protect her household from the man who stands to inherit and that she propositions a scoundrel of a man (Theo) to assist her. Going into this book, I expected it to jump straight into high steam, but I surprisingly found a rather cold and industrious woman completely uninterested in the pleasure that her partner could (and is willing to) provide. I started to feel pretty bad for the guy around the 30% mark since it cannot be any fun at all to have an indifferent partner in bed. Our guy has been exiled to this lesser property of his baronet father’s so that he can make some use of himself, rather than be a wastrel in town. And so we have our two very opposite personalities in a business arrangement involving coldly intimate relations. But somehow this book makes it all work… it is a delightful slow burn, with Theo slowly learning to care for the well-being of the laborers on his land, conversing with Martha about land management and his good works, and Martha slowly coming to admire him.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Elusive Wife by Callie Hutton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 1 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. As a stipulation of the late earl’s will, Jason needs to fulfill an arranged marriage to inherit. He is completely drunk through the wedding and abandons his new wife immediately the next morning. The new countess Olivia is appalled and embarrassed with her new situation and goes to London to visit her friend and confront her wayward husband. When they see each other at a ball, he doesn’t recognize her at all and proceeds to flirt with her, even though he at least knows he’s married. While she is angry at him, he’s so besotted that he seeks an annulment from his wife so that he can pursue the beautiful lady from the ball (even though that woman is actually his wife!). A humorous set up and then when the truth finally tumbles out, our earl is trying very hard to woo his wife and make the marriage work, even as she is skeptical and resists.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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I started reading this series on a total whim because the first book was suggested when I was looking at a different book on Fantastic Fiction. While I thought this would be a high-steam type of series based on the premise of the first book, I found instead a much deeper emotional slow-burn. This series makes most sense to be read in order, especially when you get to Book 3 and one of the siblings is dealing with the fallout of what happens in Book 2. Overall, I enjoyed this series quite a bit, even if I didn’t know exactly what to expect.

A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant (2011)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Book 1 of the Blackshear Family series. The blurb on the back tells a story of a desperate widow (Martha) in need of an heir to protect her household from the man who stands to inherit and that she propositions a scoundrel of a man (Theo) to assist her. Going into this book, I expected it to jump straight into high steam, but I surprisingly found a rather cold and industrious woman completely uninterested in the pleasure that her partner could (and is willing to) provide. I started to feel pretty bad for the guy around the 30% mark since it cannot be any fun at all to have an indifferent partner in bed. Our guy has been exiled to this lesser property of his baronet father’s so that he can make some use of himself, rather than be a wastrel in town. And so we have our two very opposite personalities in a business arrangement involving coldly intimate relations. But somehow this book makes it all work… it is a delightful slow burn, with Theo slowly learning to care for the well-being of the laborers on his land, conversing with Martha about land management and his good works, and Martha slowly coming to admire him.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Gentleman Undone by Cecilia Grant (2012)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Book 2 of the Blackshear Family series. Younger brother, Will has returned from his time at war feeling guilty over the death of one of his soldiers. He aims to fulfill a promise to care for the man’s widow and child. In order to do that, he has been gambling to earn some extra cash. While at a gambling party, he meets another man’s mistress, Lydia, who has seemingly swindled him out of money, and he confronts her. Eventually, these two team up to improve their odds of winning. This one is another slow burn from this author, with these two having an antagonistic relationship, moving on to being partners in crime, and fighting their attraction for each other.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Woman Entangled by Cecilia Grant (2013)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Book 3 of the Blackshear Family series. Kate is a barrister’s eldest daughter who is trying to climb out of the social chasm her family is in (her father, son of an earl, married an actress and was disowned by his family) by aiming for marrying a titled gentleman. She comes off kind of annoying here, knowing that she’s beautiful, and embarrassed by her family. Nick is also a barrister and her father’s friend; he had tried to court Kate years ago, but was rejected before he even had a chance. He has his own issues trying to rise above his family scandal (his brother married another man’s mistress in the previous book and the family disowned him). Both Kate and Nick are self-righteous and pretentious in their own ways and need to learn to accept the circumstances that they’re in an embrace the families they each have. This book had characters that had to both grow individually before being able to come together, so the romance of it felt secondary to their separate internal struggles. This book’s premise wasn’t my favorite, but I did like to see these two grow and learn.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Cecilia Grant (2014)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Prequel novella of the Blackshear Family series, takes place years before the first book of the series. This one finds our oldest brother of the Blackshear family, Andrew, out shopping for a hunting falcon as a gift for his sister. When he visits the nobleman that sells the birds, he meets the man’s beautiful daughter, Lucy. They’re complete opposites in terms of personality and adherence to propriety. Through chance and mischief (rain, snow, broken carriages, and Christmas), these two get stuck together for longer than he anticipated, eventually necessitating a fake marriage to keep up appearances in the town where they seek shelter. Over time, Lucy enables Andrew to let go of some of his seriousness and have fun

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

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Heavy on the fanfiction this week! There’s tons and tons of random one-shots and a few multi-chapter fics linked up for you today.

Harry Potter Fanfic: Love Story for a Bibliophile by Fluffy_Monk

Severus/Hermione, One-Shot, 4k words. As an apprentice at Hogwarts, Hermione finds a comfy reading alcove and shares the space (and conversation) with Severus.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Forbidden Magic by FanonStar

Harry/Hermione, One-Shot, 1k words. Hermione and Harry perform a soul bond ritual. Nothing too interesting here. But it took like 10 minutes to read.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Scissors by MellarkandArt

Harry with MentorSnape. Short, 5 chapters, 8k words. Content warning for self-harm. Snape catches Harry cutting and helps him through it and becomes a father figure to Harry.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

A Lady’s Disgrace by Callie Hutton (2014)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 3 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. Duke’s sister Abigail has just been jilted by her fiancee, who eloped with another woman. With her reputation in peril, her brother arranges for a family friend, country rector Joseph, to marry her. Abigail and Joseph agree to a marriage of convenience and friendly partnership because Abigail is unwilling to put her emotions at risk again. Joseph has admired Abigail for years, but didn’t think he had a chance with her due to the differences in social standing; he hesitantly agrees to the arrangement but plans to slowly woo her into a true marriage. But if general angst isn’t enough for you, there’s also a conniving widow in the village who is dismayed that Joseph has come home with a wife (we get a few passages here and there for her point of view) and then a bunch of random life-threatening accidents that Abigail keeps having. This poor woman nearly dies so many times in this book. I’m pretty sure the audience is meant to know who the villain is here, but it takes a bit longer for Abigail and Joseph to figure it all out.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Harry Potter Fanfic: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Hermione Granger by missparker

Severus/Hermione Romance, Multi-Chapter, 51k words. This fic disregards everything we learned in Books 6 and 7. Hermione falls ill in her sixth year and needs specialized care and treatment from Snape. The ultimate in sickbed/comfort romance with a slow-burn emotional attachment.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own (Must be logged into an AO3 account)

The Baron’s Betrayal by Callie Hutton (2015)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 4 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. Marion is the widowed older sister of the family and faints when she sees her husband at a local assembly. Turns out he was lost at sea, severely injured, and now blind. Tristan thinks that his blindness makes him an incapable husband or father so he stayed away from Marion, allowing her to think him dead, and then remarry to have a happy life. He’s insistent on seeking a divorce from her (even though that is completely scandalous and impractical in this time period). Stubborn Marion wants her husband back, so she moves in with him and follows him wherever he goes. This book has both characters being completely stubborn and unwilling to understand the other person’s point of view. There wasn’t much external plot here and I found the back and forth fighting to be a bit tedious. Not my fave of the series.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Harry Potter Fanfic: Flower of the North by Buddybee13

Viktor/Hermione Romance. Alternate universe; Multi-chapter; 107k words. Hogwarts is closed after the Chamber of Secrets was opened and students are sent to other schools. Hermione becomes a student at Durmstrang and befriends Viktor Krum. Hermione has to adapt to a new environment, language, and wizarding culture. There is some modification of ages here so that the romance between Hermione and Viktor is more plausible. It was interesting to see the story develop, but the end felt a bit anticlimactic to me.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own (Must be logged into an AO3 account)

Harry Potter Fanfic: The Hound in The Fox by Kiridraca

Severus/Hermione one-shot, 5k words. Hermione is an apprentice at Hogwarts and working on her animagus transformation. She and Severus are drawn to each other.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Love, Sex, and Flannel by Kiridraca

Severus/Hermione one-shot, 1k words. Married Snapes enjoy the day that Hermione changes the sheets to warm and comfy flannel.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Seven Minutes in Heaven by Ceilidhchaos

Theo/Draco/Hermione one-shot, 2k words. Eighth year Hogwarts students play seven minutes in heaven and these three go to a broom closet together.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: The Scent of Forever by Ceilidhchaos and KoraKwidditch

Draco/Hermione one-shot, 3k words. Working as Auror partners, Draco protect Hermione from a werewolf attack.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Olivia is set to take over her family business, a matchmaking service in Los Angeles’ Chinatown based on the principles of the Chinese zodiac. We start with a meet-cute in a bakery and a scuffle over a pastry, but she never catches the man’s name. Later, we find that Bakery Boy is actually Bennett, the owner of a new dating app, also based on the zodiac. Olivia sets out to gather more intel, so she uses the app to make herself match with Bennett for a date. She’s determined not to like him, since he’s a business rival and his zodiac animal is incompatible with hers. When everyone finds out who the other person is, they end up making a wager and setting each other up on dates to see which matchmaking service is superior. But Olivia and Bennett spend more time talking to each other than talking to their intended dates; it’s really sickeningly sweet. Olivia’s got her own history of heartache though, so she really believes that Bennett is incompatible and she tends to think the worst in him. This book was absolutely adorable and sweet and smooshy and I really enjoyed it (even though there wasn’t any smut).

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

Harry Potter Fanfic: The Reunion by Ceilidhchaos and SarahFraser

Theo/Draco/Hermione, 9k words. The Malfoy-Notts attend Hogwarts’ ten year reunion having been out of the country the whole time. The Potters and Weasleys are surprised at Hermione’s new family.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: feverbreak by thefrenchpress

Severus/Hermione one-shot, 6k words. Severus dreams have flashes of his childhood when a brown-haired woman was kind to him. (It’s Hermione, but how?)

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: A Secret Among Stars by Ceilidhchaos

Theo/Draco/Hermione, multi-chapter, 20k words. “Hermione, Theo and Draco have kept their relationship and family secret for more than ten years. What happens when Hermione’s former best friend uncovers their secret?”

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Sea Life by corvusdraconis and Dragon_and_the_Rose

Severus/Hermione, long one-shot, 11k words. Severus and Hermione meet as children and become friends. Mostly sweet story with some selkie/seawolf bonding. If you’re familiar with corvusdraconis’ work, you’ll be used to all sorts of shapeshifting/creature romance. (And a lot of Lily Evans bashing)

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Night of Surprises by Rycbar2779

Severus/Hermione, one-shot, 3k words. Wedding night for Severus and Hermione after marrying due to a marriage law.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin (2022)

Historical romance, Regency England. Standalone novel. Kitty has shouldered the financial burden of caring for four younger sisters after her parents passed away with mountains of debt. After being rejected by her supposed betrothed, she sets out for London with her prettiest sister in tow to find a husband to pay her debts. She’s set her sights on a second son of an earl with plenty of money, but when his older brother, the current Lord Radcliffe, finds out her scheme, he blackmails her away from his family. But she’s blackmailed him right back to gain entry into high society. These two bicker through most of the story, but there is a slow and quiet build to their affection, and a grand gesture on both their parts at the end. This book is easy to overlook with its illustrated cover, but it’s a quiet romance that is worth reading. (No smut, a bit of kissing at the most).

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Bachelor Earl by Darcy Burke (2020)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 2 of the Matchmaking Chronicles series and Prequel Novella to the Untouchables series. Widowed for two years, Eugenia is slowly re-entering society by attending her cousin’s house party. However, it turns out that it’s a scandalous matchmaking party filled with widows, widowers, and never-married men. She starts a romance with an eligible earl, but she is hesitant to re-marry, especially as she cannot have any more children, and Edmund is looking to marry and have children of his own. Quick read and nice set-up for Eugenia’s stepson’s story in the next book of the Untouchables series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Runaway Viscount by Darcy Burke (2022)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 3 of the Matchmaking Chronicles series. Juliana and Lucas meet at an inn during a snowstorm and have a tryst on their second night there; the next morning, Lucas has disappeared without a goodbye. They meet again two years later at a matchmaking house party (the same party as in The Bachelor Earl) and reconnect. However, there’s a smidge of drama when Lucas runs away, yet again, for some untold emergency. But at least he left a note this time. Another really quick read here and relatively low-angst.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke via NetGalley.

Harry Potter Fanfic: She is Nothing by Sierraismistx

Severus/Hermione one-shot with Lily Bashing. That’s all. Just 1k words of Lily Bashing.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Tell Me A Secret by Sierraismistx

Severus/Hermione one-shot, 2k words. Hermione sets out to seduce Snape and tell him who she really is.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: The Season for Sin by Elle_Morgan_Black

Lucius/Hermione/Draco, multi-chapter, 29k words. It’s mostly smut with a bit of heart. Lucius and Hermione are married and enjoy a fair amount of experimentation in the bedroom. The next challenge for Hermione is to seduce her own stepson, Draco.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own (Must be logged into an AO3 account)

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

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Series overview: Each book jumps a bit into the next and most of our characters are morally grey.

Click here to see the whole series on Amazon.

Duke of Depravity

Lady infiltrates a duke’s home as governess to his sisters to look for evidence of his treason.

Print length: 272 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Prince of Persuasion

Gaming club owner meets young lady who visits the club so she can write a novel. He can use her to gain revenge on his own father.

Print length: 298 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Marquess of Mayhem

Scarred and bitter marquess aims to ruin the sister of his nemesis.

Print length: 285 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Sarah

Lady aims to expose her late sister’s fiance as a scoundrel.

Print length: 106 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Earl of Every Sin

As a debt of honor, an earl marries the ruined sister of another nobleman. They settle on a marriage of convenience.

Print length: 310 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Duke of Debauchery

A drunken carriage race leaves a man gravely injured, and the duke at fault makes amends by marrying that man’s sister.

Print length: 300 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

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

If you’re looking for quick, easy, festive reads to cap off your reading log for the year, here are twelve holiday historical romance novellas I’ve finished recently. Listed in alphabetical order by author last name.

Maid Under the Mistletoe by Annabelle Anders (2020)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Novella. Eligible earl is courting a neighboring viscount’s daughter and expects to announce their engagement at their Christmas house party. However, he finds himself attracted to the girl’s maid instead, who was a vicar’s daughter now in service. Sweet and funny quick read!

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon

Merry Miss by Annabelle Anders (2022)

Historical romance set in Regency-era England. Book 9 of the Regency Cocky Gents series. Novella. Delia is on the way to become an elderly lady’s companion and finds some travel difficulty, nearly becoming lost in the snow on the side of the road. While on his way to visit his family, Jack rescues a cold and shivering Delia and brings her to his room in an inn. Quick read and fun to see this rake show care and tenderness to Delia.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

Shop this book via Amazon

All She Wants for Christmas by Amy Rose Bennett (2016)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Novella-length. Bluestocking artist Tessa escapes a ball by going to her art studio. While there, she accidentally witnesses an assignation between a rake and a widow. She’s caught by the rake, Jasper, and he kisses her before she can leave. Their kiss is witnessed and they’re forced to marry. Quick and easy read with our rake finding his intended wife very attractive and not being displeased about the circumstances.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

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.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

Shop this book via Amazon

My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett (2022)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Novella. Young lady breaks into an earl’s apartments to steal back her father’s pocket watch. The earl has a grudge against her father since his own father’s intended eloped with him and left the jilted man heartbroken. However, he has been telling his grandmother that he is courting a girl and will give back the watch in exchange for a fake fiancee. And of course, these two grow closer together, despite the antagonistic start.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon

A Little Christmas Magic by Chasity Bowlin (2022)

Historical romance, Regency/Victorian-era England. Novella. A dastardly cousin is trying to evict a young woman from her home, saying that her brother has died overseas and that he has now inherited the manor. A solicitor from the evil cousin’s law firm has come to town to assist in the eviction, but a romance begins between the lawyer and the young woman instead. The young woman has the gift of sight and has predicted the romance between herself and the lawyer, but isn’t sure whether to believe it true or just wishful thinking. Also, there’s her belief that her brother hasn’t died at all. We have a fun insta-love, trapped in a snowstorm, novella here.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shop this book via Amazon // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

The Duke’s Christmas Miracle by Christina Britton (2022)

Historical romance, Regency/Victorian-era England. Novella. A light-hearted, reconnected childhood friends story. Poppy is at a house party as a spoiled debutante’s lady’s maid and finds that the duke being targeted by all the young ladies is her childhood friend Marcus. When Poppy is cruelly dismissed, Marcus keeps her at the house as his aunt’s companion with the goal of convincing her to stay for good.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon.

Her Christmas Rogue by Christi Caldwell (2019)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Novella. Winnie is in love with her older brother’s best friend but he has only seen her as a younger sister. Having had two unsuccessful Seasons, she fears her mother and friends intend to matchmake at an upcoming Christmas house party. Trent, second son to a marquess and all-around rogue, knows that he’s not worthy of Winnie and avoids her due to his shameful desire for her. Sweet and quick read. I loved how Winnie was direct in telling Trent how she feels.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Cecilia Grant (2014)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Prequel novella of the Blackshear Family series, takes place years before the first book of the series. This one finds our oldest brother of the Blackshear family, Andrew, out shopping for a hunting falcon as a gift for his sister. When he visits the nobleman that sells the birds, he meets the man’s beautiful daughter, Lucy. They’re complete opposites in terms of personality and adherence to propriety. Through chance and mischief (rain, snow, broken carriages, and Christmas), these two get stuck together for longer than he anticipated, eventually necessitating a fake marriage to keep up appearances in the town where they seek shelter. Over time, Lucy enables Andrew to let go of some of his seriousness and have fun

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews (2018)

Historical romance set in Victorian England. Novella-length. Quick read. Sophie is the eldest daughter of a baronet and has been courting Mr. Edward Sharpe for two months and breaks it off because they seemingly don’t suit. It’s mostly because the courtship was awkward and stilted because he was trying too hard to be a gentleman. She decides to give him another chance with his holiday visit to her family’s house, and this time, he knows he needs to win her over. Super sweet read for the holidays.

Ebook purchased as an ebook deal via Amazon.

A Christmas Kiss by Jess Michaels (2015)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Short smutty novella. This quick little five chapter story finds an estranged married couple reuniting for the holidays. We find out that they had married and the next day, the lady finds out that her husband married her for the money, and she left him. Having not seen each other for six months, the husband now wants to make it a real marriage and woo her.

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

Shop this book via Amazon

The Governess Gamble by Tracy Sumner (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Novella, part of The Duchess Society series. While an American heiress is waiting for an appointment, she overhears a very handsome viscount ask for assistance in finding a governess for his new six-year old ward. Looking for the chance to sketch the man before she’s stuck in a cold and lonely marriage, she volunteers for the temporary position. This was a very sweet and quick read, with our American lady being ultra transparent and blunt about her attraction to the viscount. Plus, our impoverished lord trying to resist the lady and slowly melting for his young ward. And of course, they end up having honest conversations about the viscount’s sad financial state, his goals, his hidden profession, plus her ruination that led to her father pushing her to marry. Overall, a worthwhile read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Stacy Reid is definitely one of my favorite historical romance authors. Anything new that she releases, I will definitely be signed up to read. Recently, it was announced that her Sinful Wallflowers series is going to be adapted to a TV series! So exciting. I loved all three books in this series and they can be read as standalones.

1. My Darling Duke (2019)

Our poor wallflower Kitty is desperate. So she starts a rumor that she’s engaged to a reclusive duke, hoping that it will help her younger sisters land good marriage matches. She figures she’ll just break the engagement after her sisters are married and go about her wallflower-spinster way. Except things don’t go exactly as planned. All of a sudden, she’s being given credit and all of the duke’s staff are treating her like she’s really his fiancee. And then when he hears about it in the newspaper, he finally shows up in London just to see what this audacious girl is all about. So there’s a reason why the duke is a recluse in the first place. He was terribly injured in a house fire, leaving him scarred and with impaired mobility. There’s a lot of underlying insecurity there and these two have a lot to work through.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

2. Her Wicked Marquess (2020)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

3. A Scoundrel of Her Own (2021)

This one has a very sweet prologue with our two kids surviving in a cottage together alone for a few days. They become friends and vow to marry each other one day. Until the girl is rescued by her noble family and the poor boy is cut off from her forever. Many many many years later, Ophelia finds out from her father that her mother was a singer (and not the noble lady her father is married to). She wants to find out more about her mother, so she sings at clubs at night in disguise to get more information. Meanwhile, that poor boy turned into one of the wealthiest men in London, owning a gambling hell. He has pined after Ophelia for many years and finally has an opportunity to provide her with assistance. The years have definitely hardened both of these characters, but it’s delightful seeing them meet again as adults.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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This year was my second year of voraciously reading historical romance books and my first year actively requesting and reviewing advance reader copies of books. That means that I was able to read many of the new releases of the year before they were published and keep up with the latest and greatest. I’ve picked out twelve of my favorites here and they’re listed in alphabetical order by author last name.

Duke Most Wicked by Lenora Bell

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

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 1 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Odd-girl Bronwyn aspires to be a published entomologist, much to the dismay of her social-climbing parents. They push her to marry a titled gentleman and are even more abrasive after a past heartbreak and a recently lost chance at courtship by a duke. Meanwhile, Ash is trying to recover his runaway wards and shield them from his own dukedom’s cruel reputation. They literally bump into each other in the street, and unexpectedly meet again at his manor when she visits his playful and inquisitive wards. Ash gets the bright idea to marry a woman who will care for the wards and proposes to Bronwyn. We have a delightful marriage of convenience, where they do participate in the marriage bed, and a supportive friendship between the two. Loved seeing these two slowly learn to trust each other, but they’re both still hanging on the past hurts and betrayals. I love how quick Ash is to defend Bronwyn’s intelligence. Basically, any support of a partners’s aspirations as an A+ in my book.

Advance ebook provided by Forever via NetGalley. Print book provided by Forever.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Indecent by Darcy Burke

Book 4 of the Phoenix Club series. Prudence (lady’s companion) gets accidentally kidnapped by Bennet (Viscount Glastonbury) because he really wanted to elope with her charge Cassandra (a duke’s daughter) so that he could claim her dowry money. Bennet is super apologetic and very sweet; he needs money very badly to support his many aunts who are mentally ill. With the weather, Pru and Bennet get stranded at an inn, and this poor guy just can’t catch a break: his carriage gets destroyed in a storm. Stuck together for the time-being, they start a friendship and a dalliance, but he needs to go marry money and she has her own personal mission to find her birth mother. Overall, this one was my fave of the Phoenix club series, mostly because you would think that a kidnapper would be a rake or some sort of scoundrel, but no, he’s just a poor bumbling nice guy who wants to take care of his family.

Shop this book via Amazon

Lady Meets Earl by Christy Carlyle

Historical romance set in Victorian England. Book 2 of the Love on Holiday series, but it doesn’t seem connect to the first book from what I can tell. Our poor guy James is being threatened by a loan shark after losing all his money from his shipping business; he’s inherited and earldom from his estranged uncle but finds that estate in debt with only one property potentially worth selling. In another part of town, Lady Lucy is living her ever-helpful nearly-spinster life and gets invited to visit her feisty aunt for awhile. While traveling to the estate via train, she bumps into James and they make friendly acquaintance with each other. Unfortunately, they soon find out that they’ve ended up in the same destination: Lucy’s aunt is occupying the house that James needs to sell. While it seems like this could be a major conflict, Lucy is mature about the situation and strives for transparency in communication. It’s delightful reading these two open up to each other and communicate.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Much Ado About Dukes by Eva Devon

Book 2 of the Never a Wallflower series. Two fiery and independent people agree on their political aspirations, but William wants nothing to do with passion or love. Beatrice needs the duke’s support for her political endeavors so continues to seek him out. They are thrown together when his brother wants to marry her cousin and they strike up a friendship. When she finds her uncle has lost all her money, he proposes a marriage of convenience to help her situation. I loved reading these two very supportive friends and partners.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

We have a presumed dead, best friend romance here with a trans woman who left her previous name and title away after being declared dead in the war. She’s now living as a lady’s companion to her sister-in-law and visiting her previous best friend, who has been grief-stricken since he believes his friend died. They reconnect with new understanding of each other and their identities but still have to deal with the societal expectations of him being a duke. This was a very sweet story about finding joy and love with the person you’ve been connected with your entire life. And Viola’s family is the best most supportive family ever.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart by Vivienne Lorret

Book 4 of the Mating Habits of Scoundrels. Prue is our ruined friend who caused her friend group to want to research scoundrels in the first place, to prevent other girls from being ruined. Well, Prue found herself seduced by a gentleman, caught, and exiled by her father. She wants to reclaim the jewelry that she is owed, so she decides larceny is the way to go. On the way back to London, she runs into Leo, a rakish marquess who is drawn by the naive innocence of Prue. He offers to assist her with her heists as well as offer protection if she becomes his mistress. I liked learning about Leo’s backstory and how he became the dissolute rake that he is and I absolutely love how warm and smooshy and protective he becomes of Prue.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean

Book 2 of the Hell’s Belles series. This one is a road trip romance with a starchy duke and a criminal’s daughter. Adalaide is one of our Belle’s, part of an underground Victorian girl gang network and she’s tasked with protecting a young lady who witnessed a murder. Before she can catch the girl, that girl runs off an elopes with a duke’s brother. The same duke that she had previously run into while stealing something from her old man’s warehouse. So now Adalaide and Henry are racing each other to find his brother and bride-to-be, until they need to team up together. Henry’s got a big dark and scary secret that he needs to protect, while Adalaide is also trying to hide her connection to her estranged father (and overall crime boss). My favorite part of this book is that Adalaide prides herself on being hidden in plain sight, but Henry has always noticed her everywhere and can’t understand how anyone could overlook her.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Lovelocks of London series. I pretty much picked this up because Julia Quinn (author of the Bridgertons series) posted about it on Instagram. We have a neurodivergent heroine in this one who aims to solve a missing mathematics proof (tbh, the math in this book went over my head and I skimmed it) but her stepmother insists she participates in society. Our hero is a destitute earl who needs to marry rich to salvage his estate. It takes probably 25% of the book for them to meet and contrive a chaste marriage of convenience (which the heroine proposes). Once they start interacting and get married, we’re off to their country estate and we get to see the sweetest slow burn ever with caretaking galore. It was absolutely delightful to watch these two people slowly fall in love. And the heartbreak when they each think the other isn’t interested. The last third will have you tearing up from the longing. Such a great read. (Also, sets up the future couples in Book 2 and 3 nicely as well).

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

How to Win a Wallflower by Samara Parish

Historical romance, Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Rebels with a Cause series. We have our duke’s sister Charlotte, who’s the younger sister of the hero from Book 2 and she’s in her like 4th Season and uninterested in any suitors. She mostly spends her time helping her brother’s political causes and charitable causes. Charlotte is the ultimate do-gooder social butterfly and clearly not the wallflower in this story. That goes to our guy John who is Charlotte’s brother’s friend who has spent the past ten years away from the London scene, working on his various scientific inventions. He’s back in town though because his older brother died, leaving him as the new viscount and in a whole a lot of debt. John needs to figure out a way to pay off all these debts, so he can go back to his very solitary lifestyle in a cabin in the woods. Charlotte’s had a crush on John for years and years, so she decides to help him with his debt problem. They need to work together and they get closer, even though our dear brother duke has already warned each person away from the other. We’ll see how that actually turns out…

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

A Matter of Temptation by Stacy Reid

With forced proximity, a grumpy earl, and a totally bold and intelligent ruined woman. This one had all the elements I love in a historical romance. We have a lady who disguises herself as her twin brother to fight a duel with an earl, and ends up earning his respect when he realizes how skilled she is and that she’s a woman. He hires her on as his secretary after seeing her skill and intelligence. The forced proximity here is perfect, even though she’s holding onto some secrets of her past. And of course, he’s a political do-gooder, fighting for the rights of the common man and women.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

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

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

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

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

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A bit jumpy to start with a few random fanfics, but overall a great reading week. I managed to finish a whole series by Kerrigan Byrne this week and started another series from Callie Hutton that’s available on Kindle Unlimited.

Harry Potter Fanfic: Debts by Dracosalive (livesybaby)

Draco/Hermione smutty one-shot. Hermione is married to Ron and he’s acquired many debts, the owner of all those loans is Draco, so she goes to strike a deal with him. He’s asked for a night with her to pay off the debts of her husband.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Naughty or Nice by morriganmercy

Draco/Hermione one-shot. We start with a group of friends hanging out and drinking a mysterious potion that tells the drinker if they’ve been naughty or nice this year. Hermione is curious about Draco’s results.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Harry Potter Fanfic: Then We Found Us by CindyBV

Draco/Hermione, Dark!Hermione, short story, 12k words. Hermione has found out that her weasel of a husband has bound her in an irreversible marriage. This story is how Hermione turns to dark magic to set herself free.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Lovelocks of London Bonus: Harry’s Christmas Present by Felicity Niven (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Bonus short story related to Convergence of Desire, Book 1 of the Lovelocks of London series. See my review of the entire Lovelocks of London series here on Substack and on YouTube. This short story will make the most sense if you’ve already read Convergence of Desire. Consider it a bonus epilogue, taking place the second Christmas of Harry and Thomas’ marriage. Harry is a tough time reading people and doesn’t know how to give gifts; she is struggling to find the perfect present for her husband, and in this steamy story, I think she achieves success.

Ebook available for free with the author’s newsletter. Click here to sign up.

How To Love A Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne (2019)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 1 of the Devil You Know series. As expected, there was a huge amount of drama and emotional turmoil in this book. We start with a tragic prologue where Alexandra is attacked by her school headmaster, defends herself, and then needs her friends to assist her in covering things up. To help her feel better, her two best friends reveal their own tragic secrets. As expected, the two friends will make up the main characters of the other two books in this series. Chapter one starts ten years later when she’s on her way to a duke’s masquerade ball where her friend is supposed to be announced as his fiancee. What follows is a series of near-death experiences, blackmail, family destitution, and a fearful pull that Alexandra has towards her friend’s intended, Piers. Don’t worry though, her friend is not in love with him at all and it was a marriage contract from many years past. When she finds out about the allowance the future duchess will receive, she proposes that the duke marry her instead of her friend. And then we have even more drama with Piers’ backstory with his family history, being attacked and scarred, being ditched by his fiancee for his cousin, and mistrust of women. These two people have their own reasons for not trusting one another but somehow feel safe and protected when they’re together. Loved seeing them start to slowly melt towards each other.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Bridgerton Fanfic: And All At Once (you are the one) by fade_like_starlight

Benedict/Penelope romance, post-Season 2, 23k words. Sweet little read about Benedict realizing how lovely Penelope is and decides to pursue her. It’s after the events of Season 2, Benedict is in an artistic funk, Penelope is on the outs with Eloise and has had an honest conversation with Colin, and Benedict has asked Penelope to pose for a portrait. They get to talking and seeing each other in a new light and realize they have much in common. Loved this quick read!

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Their Marchioness by Jess Michaels (2023)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 1 of the Theirs series. A marquess plans a birthday treat for his wife of ten years. When they go to a cottage for the week, he invites the man that she was in love with as a young lady to join them in the bedroom. While the marchioness gets to live out her fantasies of enjoying the intimate attentions of both men, the marquess gives into his own desires for the other man as well. There’s not much in this book plot-wise, it’s mainly about the physical and emotional relationships between these three people and the stodgy marquess dealing with his own repressed emotions.

Advance ebook provided by Passionate Pen via NetGalley.

Shop this book via Amazon

All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne (2020)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 2 of the Devil You Know series. This is the type of book that makes most sense when reading in series order, but still works perfectly well on its own. The prologue starts with Cecelia as a child being cruelly punished by her vicar father (who turns out not to be her father). Cecelia gets locked in an isolated cell and deprived of food and water. She ultimately gets rescued and taken away and sent to school by a mysterious benefactor. This is where she eventually meets her friends who make up the rest of the lead characters in the other books of the series. The other main character of the story is Ramsay, the older brother of the duke from Book 1. He’s also had a harsh childhood and eventually has become one of the most powerful lawmen of England. He’s very much attracted to Cecelia, but refuses to give in or to trust her. Suddenly, Cecelia inherits a gambling hell/slash women’s school from her aunt and is also accused of abducting young girls by our Lord Ramsay (even though he doesn’t know it’s her at first). These two end up in an antagonistic relationship with Ramsay being overly accusatory, but also protective at the same time. There’s eventually a need to escape the city and hide for protection and a dramatic subplot with a seven year old ward that Cecelia has also inherited. High drama, but in a good way.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Seduction in the Stars by Jess Michaels (2021)

Historical romance, Regency England. Long novella. Duke’s daughter Evangeline is uninterested in a typical ton marriage because she has seen her mother, sister, and sister-in-law be controlled by the men in her life. While chatting with another lady who wants to avoid marriage, she helps scheme to get the lady ruined in purpose. Evangeline has been eyeing her friend Henry, the third son of a viscount, to suit her purposes of a docile and accommodating husband. Henry has been studying astronomy and developing calculations to potentially discover a new planet; his father disapproves of his work and threatens to cut him off financially if he continues. It seems that both Henry and Evangeline will benefit from a union together; however, Henry makes it his mission to prove that a loving marriage would be worthwhile.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

My Present This Year by Sierra Simone (2022)

Contemporary smutty novella. Let’s just pretend this one is a one-shot fanfiction based on the Folgers commercial where the siblings seems to have a questionable affection for each other. But this one is a stepsibling arrangement with the stepbrother coming home from the Peace Corps and the stepsister is a grad student. Both are home for Christmas while the parents are out on a cruise vacation. What kind of trouble can these two get into while all alone?

Ebook free from the author’s website.

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne (2021)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 3 of the Devil You Know series. We start with another tragic prologue telling us about the Mont Clair Massacre, where the entire household was slaughtered and burned. It seems that Pippa (the cook’s daughter) has survived and now assumes the identity of Francesca (the new countess) and is seeking revenge. As she gets deeper into infiltrating her enemy’s lair, she catches the attention of a spy, Chandler, who is also targeting the same enemy. It turns out that Chandler is her childhood friend who she loved and saved her, but he was in love with Francesca and believes her to have truly survived the massacre. It’s a tangle of lust and secrets here and slightly heartbreaking for the woman who is actually in front of the man she loves.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Elusive Wife by Callie Hutton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 1 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. As a stipulation of the late earl’s will, Jason needs to fulfill an arranged marriage to inherit. He is completely drunk through the wedding and abandons his new wife immediately the next morning. The new countess Olivia is appalled and embarrassed with her new situation and goes to London to visit her friend and confront her wayward husband. When they see each other at a ball, he doesn’t recognize her at all and proceeds to flirt with her, even though he at least knows he’s married. While she is angry at him, he’s so besotted that he seeks an annulment from his wife so that he can pursue the beautiful lady from the ball (even though that woman is actually his wife!). A humorous set up and then when the truth finally tumbles out, our earl is trying very hard to woo his wife and make the marriage work, even as she is skeptical and resists.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke’s Quandary by Callie Hutton (2014)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 2 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. Best friend of the man from the first book, Drake, a new duke is seeking the perfect wife this Season. While chaperoning his sisters through the marriage mart, his mother is also hosting another young lady, Penelope, who is an orphaned acquaintance. Penelope is clumsy and awkward in society and she would much rather be in the garden pursuing her botany. Drake and Penelope are the worst match possible, but they are undeniably attracted to each other, so it was entertaining to see how they work out their differences.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

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

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

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

Series overview: A group of friends meet at school. They’re all second sons and not expected to inherit their fathers’ titles. As they’re away at war, they each get called back home to take up their new titles as their elder brothers meet tragic ends. In coming back home, they seek to marry and carry on the line with heirs.

Click here to see the whole series on Amazon.

Educated by the Earl

A new earl wants to find a wife quickly and avoid all the balls of the marriage mart. He attempts to save a young woman from a thief and irritates her instead. Despite her dislike for him at first, he attempts to woo her.

Print length: 270 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Debating with the Duke

Shy and serious duke initially seeks a quiet and agreeable wife. He agrees to assistance from an outgoing and vivacious matchmaker, but finds himself attracted to her instead.

Print length: 254 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Empowered by the Earl

The new earl doesn’t want to be tied down and intends to bed as many women as he can before settling down. He meets the cousin of his friends’ wives and changes his tune quickly.

Print length: 259 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Made for the Marquess

One outgoing and sociable twin sister is back in England after a few years in Canada and meets a super shy and reserved new marquess. Despite their differences, opposites attract quite quickly.

Print length: 246 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Dubious About the Duke

The shy and quiet twin of the lady from Book 4 arrives in London. She gets along well with her brother-in-law’s cousin, but he is not looking for a bride. When our hero takes in his rowdy illegitimate nephews, he needs help caring for them and our lady steps in to save the day.

Print length: 258 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Valued by the Viscount

A viscount who has been rebuffed several times by women earlier in the series meets a vulnerable widow at a house party.

Print length: 255 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

Meant for the Marquess

After her father’s death, Lady Julia’s older half-brother tossed her out and forced her to find employment. She’s now the governess to the duke’s nephews from Book 5 of the series and has accepted her place as a mere miss and upper servant, never to take her place in Polite Society again. The duke’s army friend, Devin, has appeared at the big house to visit, after having recently been injured and sent home from the army. He’s looking for a purpose now that his military career has ended and learning how to use his left hand after his right was maimed. Devin and Julia meet and are instantly attracted to each other, though neither believe they are worthy of the other’s attentions. I enjoy reading the instant attraction and I love how both characters interacted with the six-year old nephews; however, I disliked how pushy Devin was towards Julia. It all works out in the end (as it often does in these books) and there’s a sweet little epilogue to tie up the entire series.

Click here to get the book on KU

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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Support this page with a donation

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

Before Olivie Blake became the superstar best-selling author of The Atlas Six, she had written and published dozens of Harry Potter fanfics. I have read almost all of them and enjoyed so many of her works. The fun part of Olivie Blake’s work is that every fic tackles a different writing style, different trope, and different situation. It’s like she used the opportunity to write about familiar characters and familiar settings to blow it all up and stretch her skills as a writer. There are so many of her fics to love that you will spend weeks upon weeks reading her work on Archive of Our Own. Here’s my overview of my fave picks from her backlist.

Clean

Draco & Hermione (Dramione) Romance. 6th year at Hogwarts. Draco and Hermione are paired together in Potions class to make an advanced potion together. Enemies-to-lovers trope. Draco’s mission for the year complies with Half-Blood Prince. How does Hermione factor in if/when she finds out what his mission is? This story is probably very similar to other 6th year fics where Draco and Hermione somehow overcome their prejudices and get together. This one stands out as my favorite of the 6th year fics because of the depth of their relationship and what Hermione is willing to do for Draco.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Marked

Draco & Hermione (Dramione) Romance. Follows the events of Clean. Draco is presumed dead and joins the trio in the Horcrux hunt. Things take a dark turn both at Hogwarts and on the hunt. Hermione has seemingly broken down psychologically. How will our heroes recover from their situation and ultimately defeat Voldemort? It may look bleak, but keep reading.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Paradox

Draco/Hermione action-adventure romance. In this one, we find Draco and Hermione thrown into a parallel universe and having to team up with their alternate selves. We spend time in both the Potterverse (canon, as we’ve known it) and the Grindelverse (a world where Grindelwald defeats Dumbledore and sets up his militaristic regime) and follow the adventures there separately. This fic is heavy on the plot and light on the smut, but you can tell how witty and clever the writing is. It’s a fun one, but will make your brain spin.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Nightmares and Nocturnes

I meant to re-read this one before I made this post, but I know I’m not going to get to it. This one is war-time and Hermione is emotionally scarred in many ways. Somehow she’s at Malfoy Manor and remembering bits and pieces of her time in battle as fairy tale allegories. This is a complicated and emotionally wrenching fic. It was fun to try to identify the fairy tales being referenced and how they play into what actually happened to Hermione and what the current war status is. This one will keep your brain engaged.

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How to Win Friends and Influence People

Post-war, Draco/Hermione romance, ensemble characters. Hermione runs away from her wedding to Ron and sees Draco at a bar. There’s a cute little exchange between them, but then Hermione is basically off the grid for many years. I’ve forgotten most of the details, but I think she and Draco had sometimes crossed paths along the years, but very briefly. Years later, they’re both back in England and Hermione is an underground fighter and Draco (and his friends) are hired assassins. There’s also an interesting plot connected to the Peverell brothers. I’d consider this one an action-adventure story with a good bit of humor.

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Divination for Skeptics

Draco/Hermione compatibility spell romance. The Weasleys have invented a charm to let users identify the percentage compatibility with their friends and partners. In her quest for the perfect mate, Hermione checks her score with everyone and ultimately lands on Draco as the highest scoring partner. It’s been awhile since I read this one, but I think it’s more lighthearted romantic comedy.

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The Commoner’s Guide to Bedding a Royal

This one is a Muggle alternate universe fic where Hermione is an American exchange student and Draco is a Royal Prince. Multi-year ensemble epic story with romantic comedy vibes. Treat this one like a multi-season sitcom. There’s a sequel to this one too, but I haven’t read that yet.

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Modern Romance

Multiple Pairings. Post-Deathly Hallows. Witch Weekly publishes a romance (*cough*sex*cough*) diary column from an anonymous person each week. We get to follow our favorite characters as they tell their romantic adventures in diary entries. Since it’s an anonymous column, the identity of the writer (and all their friends) is unknown. One of the most fun things in this fic is to identify the writer, the cultural reference for their choice of codenames, and the characters they interact with. It’s a massive tangle of characters and you almost want to build a crazy web of red string to keep it all straight. The other awesome thing is how true-to-character the writing for each chapter/POV feels. Expect infidelity, cross-generational romance, and triads. Even though each chapter is technically standalone, the overarching plot advances from chapter to chapter, and you will see recurring characters (with different codenames) and their romantic progress.

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