Another great week of books and I finally sat down with an epic novel-length Dramione fanfic. Here’s the recap of everything I read this week!

The Escape by Mary Balogh (2014)

Historical romance in Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Survivors’ Club Series. Benedict had his legs injured in the war and now painfully walks with canes (despite having been told he’d never walk again). He’s depressed and aimless and finally coming to terms with the fact that he’ll never regain full mobility and that he doesn’t know what to do with his life (as his younger brother serves as steward to his estate). While visiting his sister, Ben meets Samantha, a recent widow who spent the past five years nursing her injured husband. She’s in deep mourning and oppressed by her puritanical in-laws. They have quite the antagonistic first meeting, but they find their way towards friendship (and eventually more). I expected to enjoy this story and I definitely did! I love how their friendship developed slowly over time and I loved learning more about Samantha’s family history.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Harry Potter Fanfic: Mon Couteau Aiguise (My Sharp Knife) by gillianeliza

Draco/Hermione romance, alternate universe. Epic, novel-length saga. It definitely ended up on my all-time faves list. The story starts during third year when Harry and Ron have been ignoring Hermione after Christmas. She comes across Draco (and later Theo) injured and asks about his condition. Turns out the young Slytherins have been bullied by older students from other houses. They begin and tentative friendship and Draco eventually invites Hermione home to Malfoy Manor over the Summer. Their romantic relationship starts slow and sweet and develops into a smutty soul-binding tale. Meanwhile, Lucius and Narcissa completely approve of Hermione and aim to protect her, even when the Dark Lord returns. Throughout the rest of the fic, we see the events of the remainder of the series unfold, with many of the major events happening as they do in canon, with one exception: Hermione becomes a marked Death Eater spying on Harry for Voldemort. There was so much good plot and romance and friendship in this story, the pages just kept turning for me. Note: Major Ron-bashing in this one and watch the tags and content warnings.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Meant for the Marquess by Alexa Aston (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Second Sons of London series. 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.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Harry Potter Fanfic: Under the Moon by Lilian_Silver

Draco/Hermione One-Shot. Eighth Year. Draco gets detention to avoid being harassed by other Slytherins. Hermione is in detention too and strikes a deal with Draco. Short and somewhat smutty read.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Duke Gone Rogue by Christy Carlyle (2021)

Historical romance in Victorian-era England; Book 1 of the Love on Holiday Series. This was the first book I’ve read from this author and I will definitely be reading more! The Duke of Ashmore has distanced himself and his reputation away from his rogue of a father as much as possible, but has gained himself a reputation as a curmudgeon and a bore. Sent away by his sister, he visits one of his properties in Cornwall for a seaside holiday. While there, he meets Maddie, a local nursery owner who works almost as hard as he does and is part of a dozen committees in town. They start to spend more time together and soften each other’s productive edges. Unfortunately, with their social class differences, they both know that they will have duties and responsibilities that will ultimately keep them apart. Unless someone is willing to compromise.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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The Goode Girls series is the follow up to the Victorian Rebels series. We have another set of high drama historical romances set in Victorian England. And luckily, it’s available to read on Kindle Unlimited! I recommend reading these in order because the events lead up to the next books and there are some pretty hefty plot points given away in previous books. The only exception is Making Merry, which is a holiday novella that doesn’t seem to be connected to the others.

1. Seducing a Stranger (2019)

The Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard is secretly a vigilante by night. He meets our lady and accidentally has a garden tryst while she thinks she’s with a hired man. Months later, he’s at a wedding and summoned to a room where the groom has been stabbed to death. The bloodied bride holding the knife is the woman he trysted with and she denies having killed her groom, stating that she needed to get married because she is pregnant.

Previously published as A Dark and Stormy Knight.

Print length: 294 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

2. Courting Trouble (2020)

As a child, the coal boy of a fancy house falls for the eldest daughter. As a young man, he has an affair with the girl and makes plans to run away with her. When her father catches them, the man’s career is threatened, so the girl cruelly pushes him away and marries another. The beginning of this one is very similar to Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas.

Many years later, widowed and suffering from a gunshot wound, the lady is brought to the man who is now a renowned doctor. 

Print length: 228 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

3. Dancing with Danger (2021)

A lady is found at a murder scene and arrested. She escapes with the help of a known criminal. When they meet again, they end up kissing. And she’s trying to solve the crime on her own and keeps getting into trouble.

Print length: 214 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

4. Tempting Fate (2021)

Super shy lady (twin to the lady in the previous book) has a soft spot for a disfigured criminal who saved her and is declared dead. He really just had reconstructive surgery and is assuming a new identity. After she is attacked, she hires a bodyguard who turns out to be our sweet criminal all along.

Print length: 261 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

5. Crying Wolfe (2022)

A young lady sneaks into her neighbor’s house to use a telescope. When she’s caught, she runs back to her own house. The neighbor thinks she’s a thief so follows her to her own bedroom and gets caught there. Now compromised, they need to marry.

Print length: 211 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

6. Making Merry (2020)

A spinster is stranded at an inn in a room haunted by a handsome ghost.

Print length: 113 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

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If you’re brand new to reading Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger (from the Harry Potter series) romance fanfiction, it can be a bit overwhelming.

Why do people like this pairing? There can be several different reasons for the appeal of reading this pairing. One is a classic enemies-to-lovers progression from being a Pureblood bigoted Death Eater to being in a place to be able to fall in love with the brainy Muggleborn. Fanfiction does great work at redeeming a villain (Draco) and making him likeable; this brings lots of ways the story can diverge from canon and bring out a lot of author creativity. Many of the alternate universe stories also explore different characterizations of Hermione, by bringing out her devious Slytherin-like traits (she did canonically trap Rita Skeeter in a jar and blackmail her) or by hypothesizing that she is a secret Pureblood, setting up similarities between Draco and Hermione, and ultimately their suitability for each other. And finally, another reason why this pairing may be popular is the fan obsession with putting together actors Tom Felton and Emma Watson, who portrayed Draco and Hermione in the Harry Potter films, respectively; they’ve stated publicly that they are merely friends but have reminisced fondly of the time when Watson had a crush on Felton when they were young.

There are tons of different timeframes and scenarios that are used with this pairing. If you’re reading on Archive of Our Own, the tags or summaries will often specify a general category for the story. I’ve listed as many of the common categories I can think of below with a short description of it. I also tried to include a link to one example within that category. My plan is to write a separate post for each of these categories and give a round-up of recommendations within it. We’ll see how that goes since there are so many!

Sixth Year Retelling

This story will often follow the events on Half Blood Prince, where Draco has been given the task of killing Dumbledore and Hermione is lamenting over her romantic woes with Ronald. These two will often find each other in some vulnerable position and offer comfort to each other.

Example: Clean by olivieblake

Seventh Year Retelling

This story will often be a retelling of the Horcrux Hunt of Deathly Hallows, most often with the story pivoting away from canon at the point where Draco holds Dumbledore at wandpoint at the end of sixth year. Either Draco will escape the Death Eaters on his own or capitalize on an offer of protection from the Order of the Phoenix. There are many fanfics that will combine sixth and seventh year stories together as one continuous story.

Example: Disappearances of Draco Malfoy by speechwriter

Eighth Year at Hogwarts

With the subpar education at Hogwarts with Headmaster Snape at the helm and our trio being on the run during seventh year, fanfics will bring everyone back to Hogwarts for an eighth year of education. Many stories will have Hermione just wanting to get back to normal and/or Draco needing to fulfill the parameters of parole. Stories set in this timeframe often have a repentant Draco making amends for his bigoted past and a forgiving Hermione giving him a chance.

Example: Rebuilding by Colubrina

Post-Hogwarts

Young working professionals who are otherwise unattached are the main characters of these stories. Draco and Hermione will often be working in separate environments, cross paths, and get to know each other in a new setting away from their school days. There is a wide breadth of fanfic in this category with most stories being your generic 20s-aged rom-com.

Example: The Right Thing To Do by LovesBitca8

Epilogue-Compliant

There is a very small sliver of the fanfic universe that plays along with the “Nineteen Years Later” epilogue published at the end of Deathly Hallows. The story will often take place when the second generation of Potters, Weasleys, and Malfoy are late teens or adults. There has been either death or divorce to leave Draco and Hermione single and willing to give each other a chance at romance.

Example: Confessions by SaintDionysus

AU – Marriage Law

In a world where the magical population has been decimated by war, the Ministry of Magic has passed a new law requiring that magical persons need to marry and procreate. There are lots of variations here where the ministry is involved in matching couples together and there may be a letter notifying the person of their match. This story basically forces Draco and Hermione together, mostly due to compatibility in intelligence or other features.

Example: The Beginning of Everything by RiverWriter

AU – Hermione is Muggle Royalty

This one is really really fun. For as much crap as Hermione gets for being a Muggleborn at Hogwarts, Draco is surprised to learn that she is actually a big deal in Muggle England, with servants and everything. Usually a light-hearted and humorous type of story.

Example: Love’s Labour Found by Peanutbuttertoast

AU – Pureblood Hermione

The pureblood Hermione story is usually brought about with Hermione being secretly adopted by the Grangers. She’s possibly the long-lost daughter of a pureblood house and secreted away for her protection. Sometimes, she’s hidden for nefarious purposes but sometimes it’s just unfortunate luck. This type of story can be problematic in that Draco gets to hold onto his bigoted pureblood idealogy sometimes, but most of the time, it’s just a fun little wrench in Hermione’s origin story.

Example: Presque Toujours Pur by ShayaLonnie

AU – Slytherin Hermione

Remember when Hermione blackmailed Rita Skeeter? That is a classic example of Hermione behaving in ambitious and cunning Slytherin ways. In some stories, we can imagine that the Sorting Hat has overlooked the bigoted nature of Slytherin House and put our clever Hermione right into it. We’ll usually see the Slytherins believing in House before blood and accepting Hermione into the fold.

Example: The Green Girl by Colubrina

AU – Hermione is Voldemort’s Daughter

Hermione being Voldemort’s daughter is a spin on the pureblood Hermione story, except that she’s usually kidnapped as a baby away from Voldemort by Dumbledore (or his agents) as revenge or to prevent her from turning dark. I enjoy this type of story because it humanizes Voldemort a little bit and shows him somewhat trying to be a father. Hermione will often end up with Draco here after some show of loyalty to her from the Malfoys.

Example: Riddle This by CJ Red

AU – Dark Hermione

Dark Hermione (or morally grey Hermione) will often coincide with being Voldemort’s daughter. She’ll be fighting for Voldemort’s side of the war and not Dumbledore’s. What’s interesting in these stories is figuring out Hermione’s motives and why she’s supporting what she does. And since she and Draco are on the same side, it’s natural for them to get together.

Example: Step Into Darkness by cleotheo

AU – Voldemort Wins

When Voldemort wins and Harry dies, things are dark. That’s all there is to it. Muggleborns are oppressed. Those who fought for the Order of the Phoenix are either killed or enslaved. It’s not a great setting. The big question is how do Draco and Hermione get together in this terribly tragic environment.

Example: Manacled by SenLinYu (very dark! check content warnings!)

AU – Wartime Continues

In some cases, the war against Voldemort lasts longer than the events of the original seven-book series. As time moves on, the Order of the Phoenix will need to improve their tactics and accept help from Voldemort’s defectors. Oftentimes, Draco (and his friends) will realize that they no longer want to follow Voldemort and then throw themselves into the Order’s protection and ranks.

Example: Not Quite Dark Magic by hiccupfound

AU – Soulmates

I love a great soulmates story, especially if it involves soulmate-identifying marks. At some point, as the magical population comes of age, some scars or marks will appear somewhere on their person to indicate their soulmate. With Draco and Hermione, there will usually be some phase of denial before they accept each other. And with Hermione, there may be an additional layer of skepticism, having not grown up in the magical world.

Example: Initially Yours by HufflepuffMommy

AU – Veela

With the Malfoy’s pale white blond hair and fair features, it is very similar to the description of our quarter-Veela Fleur Delacour. It seems reasonable that the Malfoys could have a bit of Veela ancestry as well. This type of story will typically involve some type of maturation for Draco and a realization that he has a fated mate (Hermione). He’ll need to claim her or perish.

Example: A Thing With[out] Feathers by SenLinYu

AU – Werewolf

Usually Draco will be the werewolf (bitten either accidentally or as a punishment from Voldemort) and Hermione is his fated mate.

Example: Becoming Beta by crochetaway

Omegaverse

The Omegaverse is an alternate universe scenario that has a lot to do with mating and breeding. Usually a male character will be the alpha (super strong, bulky, protector type), most characters will be betas (average, nothing special), and a female character will be the omega (small, subservient, to be protected). In this type of Dramione story, oftentimes Draco will be alpha with Hermione as an omega with very poor understanding of scents, mating, phermones, mating heats, etc, since she is a Muggleborn who is unfamiliar with this magical phenomenon. Expect lots of smut in these types of stories.

Example: All You Want SenLinYu

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!

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This historical romance series set in Victorian England has been on my to-read list since I started reading historical romance. I finally was pushed over the edge to read it when an episode of the Fated Mates Podcast mentioned Book 1, The Highwayman, as a total page turner that you could not put down. I knew that with so much plot and drama happening in this series, I needed to pace myself, so I would read maybe a book a week of this series interspersed with other lower-angst books. I highly recommend reading in order since they build off of each other and characters reappear frequently for plot-important reasons.

1. The Highwayman (2015)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

2. The Hunter (2016)

An assassin falls in love with his target. Yep. I totally buy it. This one is another action-packed romance from Kerrigan Byrne. You know with the tragic prologue that our hero is going to have all sorts of emotional damage. The fun part is uncovering the mystery of why our heroine is being targeted in the first place…

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

3. The Highlander (2017)

This one might just be my favorite of the Victorian Rebels series. We have a single dad with a tortured past and a late wife who threw herself off the roof of his castle. And a new governess, who has recently escaped an insane asylum. Loads of drama here. And hints of Jane Eyre…

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

4. The Duke (2018)

So… the blurb on this one made me think it was an amnesia romance at first, but it wasn’t. Our guy just didn’t recognize the lady because she looked different and he met her in a different setting. This book reads more like a standalone than the others. We interact a little with previous characters, but it’s not as strong of a connection to the other books. Overall, I enjoyed this book and really liked how Imogen transformed herself over the years.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

5. The Scot Beds His Wife (2017)

We have the younger brother from The Highlander trying to build his own estate and business and needs the neighboring land to do so. He tries to coerce his neighbor to sell the land, but she’s much savvier than he bargained for. First of all, it’s not even really the neighbor, but a stranger sent in her place. And then we unlock the mystery of why she’s there at all. Great rivals to lovers story.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

6. The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo (2018)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

7. Seducing a Stranger (2019)

Previously published as A Dark and Stormy Knight and also serves as Book 1 of the Goode Girls series. I was not paying proper attention to the way these two series were connected, so I actually read this book (and the remaining Goode Girls books) before starting the Victorian Rebels. I don’t recommend it because all of the couples from the previous books appear here and it totally gave away a major plot point from The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo (Book 6). In either case, I really enjoyed this book and loved the level of drama that happened within the first few chapters. We start with a midnight tryst in a garden while our inspector is trying to investigate a case, fast forward to his boss’s daughter’s wedding where the groom is stabbed to death before the ceremony, and the bride is holding the knife and covered in blood. And was his one-night stand. Oh, and she’s pregnant. If that’s not drama, I don’t know what is. I’ll discuss the rest of the Goode Girls books in another post.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

8. The Earl on the Train (2022)

Novella-length story originally published in the Big Duke Energy anthology. We have our sidekicks from The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo who meet again on a train. He’s set on attacking a gentleman and she’s traveling with and protecting his daughter. The chemistry between these two started in the previous book, so this novella makes more sense after having read that one.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via NetGalley.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

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In the month of October, I finished reading 21 books (17 historical romance, 1 contemporary romance, 2 paranormal romance, and 1 nonfiction). Here are my five favorite books from the month! (listed in alphabetical order by author last name)

The Arrangement by Mary Balogh (2013)

Historical romance in Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Survivors’ Club Series. We have our charming and beautiful viscount who was blinded in the war. He’s escaped his meddling family members and off on his own. A quiet young lady rescues him from being compromised into marriage by her cousin and her guardians toss her out. When our charming viscount learns this, he offers her a marriage of convenience with the knowledge that they’d someday follow their separate independent dreams. This one starts slow, as most Balogh novels do, but sometimes I enjoy reading this slow pace of falling in love and all the character-driven emotion behind it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton (2022)

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.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath (2021)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Merriwell Sisters series. A carefree and jovial earl prevents his mother’s matchmaking from America by writing to her about a fictional fiancee and her tragic tales that have prevented them from marrying. When his mother comes to visit, he hires a woman to pretend to be his fiancee. This book is full of far-fetched tales and silliness and it totally works. Expect a light-hearted and humorous story here. Though there is actually heartbreak in both characters’ pasts, those experiences have made them stronger and most of the book contains witty banter and calamity.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven (2022)

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.

Fortune Favors the Duke by Kristin Vayden (2021)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Cambridge Brotherhood series. When I read the blurb on this book, I knew it was going to be younger brother inherits a dukedom, befriends his brother’s fiancee, and then there’d be a bit of a forbidden romance involved. But this book really punched you in the gut with the prologue of a carefree bunch of guys going on a bachelor hunting trip and then tragedy happening. Also, the older brother was really likeable! So you can feel the grief that our hero Quin and the not-quite-widow Catherine are feeling. I really liked this book! Though, I didn’t realize until I was 90% done that it’s closed-door and smut-free. Not my usual type of romance, but the story was compelling and kept me reading, so I didn’t even notice there wasn’t any smut until I was done with the book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

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

Another great week for historical romances! I’ve noted my fave of the week with a “🧡”

🧡 Fortune Favors the Duke by Kristin Vayden (2021)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Cambridge Brotherhood series. When I read the blurb on this book, I knew it was going to be younger brother inherits a dukedom, befriends his brother’s fiancee, and then there’d be a bit of a forbidden romance involved. But this book really punched you in the gut with the prologue of a carefree bunch of guys going on a bachelor hunting trip and then tragedy happening. Also, the older brother was really likeable! So you can feel the grief that our hero Quin and the not-quite-widow Catherine are feeling. I really liked this book! Though, I didn’t realize until I was 90% done that it’s closed-door and smut-free. Not my usual type of romance, but the story was compelling and kept me reading, so I didn’t even notice there wasn’t any smut until I was done with the book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Deal With The Devil by Viola Grey (2022)

Super short smutty historical romance. Not too much to think about with this one. A woman who has been a lady’s companion has been living in a house after the lady had passed away. The owner of the house is back today and finds her. He propositions her to be his mistress and earn her keep. And… yep. Quick and spicy.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shop this book via Amazon

Bridgerton Fanfic: Dressing For Revenge by fade_like_starlight

Penelope/Benedict tryst, one-shot, show-universe. Penelope shows up at one of Sir Henry Granville’s parties dressed scandalously and attracts the attentions of Benedict.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

My Dearest Duke by Kristin Vayden (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 2 of the Cambridge Brotherhood series. New duke Rowles is adjusting to his new responsibilities after the death of his older brother when he’d rather continuing being a theology professor at Cambridge. Also, he is dealing with his mother who suffers from dementia and worries over the gossip surrounding his own sanity. When he sees his best friend’s sister Joan at a ball, they dance, and she’s able to soothe his worries. But she’s got secrets of her own, like being a staunch supporter of women’s rights and being the secret decipherer of forgeries for her brother at the War Office. And then there’s the mystery of why her brother is trying to keep the two apart. I loved how supportive these two were of each other, with Rowles’ ill mother and Joan’s secret work.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.

Bridgerton Fanfic: Start Anew by utterlycliche

Kate/Anthony romance, one-shot, series-universe, plot diverts from end of episode 4. Kate and Anthony are not interrupted in the library scene after their dance, but she tells him that Edwina believers herself to be in love with him and that he needs to end the courtship. Anthony gently lets Edwina down the next day so there is no proposal before everyone journeys back to London. After awhile, Anthony seeks out Kate for morning horse rides and they begin to talk and get to know each other. Sweet and charming.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff (2022)

Nonfiction, oral history of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. This book was not on my radar at all until I received a print copy of it from the publisher. Luckily, I received it about a week before the book was due to be published, so I ran to my library’s Overdrive website to request the ebook and audiobook copies to be purchased. Let me tell you that I was very excited to have received the ebook and audiobook from the library on the same day, and just in time for my commute home for work. I listened to maybe about the first chapter or so on audio before I realized I would enjoy it more in reading (with photographs interspersed throughout the text). I had been a casual viewer of this series for many years and was delighted to be able to read the history of the show and all the juicy behind the scenes. So, this was a really long book, but I was really captivated by the pacing and the style of the narrative and how all the transcripts from interviews with the cast, crew, writers, and guest stars were woven together. If you are a fan of this series, you will appreciate all of the reflections within this book. And I recommend the print or ebook version to see all of the photos!

Audiobook and ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by Grand Central Publishing.

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

The Duke in Question by Amalie Howard (2022)

Historical romance in Victorian England, America, France, book 3 of the Rules for Heiresses series. Bronwyn, the younger sister of the duke from the previous book is now some sort of female spy known as the Kestrel, and she’s en route to America on her brother’s ship to give a warning of an abduction attempt on the president. Her brother’s best friend and former spy is also on board the ship and aggravated by her silly debutante behavior. Meanwhile, they’re both intensely attracted to each other despite their adversarial relationship. The spy/action-adventure part definitely gets the adrenaline going for these two, leading to lots of steamy scenes where their instincts have taken over logic and control. Seriously, lots of passion in this one. And then of course, the danger of it all and figuring out how everyone will end of up safe and content at the end will keep the pages turning for you.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.

Kit McBride Gets a Wife by Amy Barry (2022)

Historical Western Romance, set in 1880s Montana; Book 1 of the McBrides of Montana series. Kit is a blacksmith in a small town in Montana living with three of his brothers and a chatterbox little sister Junebug. Our dear sister is sick and tired of cooking and cleaning for her four big brothers, so she puts a newspaper ad for a wife for Kit. This whole set up is already hilarious. A sad and destitute maid from Ireland is working for a widow who answers the ad and drags poor Maddy along for the ride. When they get to Montana, the widow has run off and there’s a massive misunderstanding of identity. The writing and the characterizations are really quite funny throughout the book, but it felt like way too slow of a start for me. The main plot didn’t really get going until about 30% into the book. Also, no smut, just kissing.

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Anne Gracie is a historical romance author who I find to be pretty middle of the road on the steam scale and pretty low on the angst and drama side. If you want a comfort read that doesn’t rile you up too much, but gives you all the happy relationship feels, you should read her books. The Chance Sisters series is one of found family: an older sister finds out her younger sister has been kidnapped into a brothel, so she goes to rescue her along with two other young women who are there. The four of them decide to stick together, thinking they’d have a better chance at survival that way. One night, the eldest sister breaks into the seemingly vacant house next door, but instead of finding jewels, she finds a neglected and abused old lady. The old lady ends up adopting all four women as nieces and so our romances begin…

1. The Autumn Bride (2013)

When the old lady’s actual nephew comes home, he wonders who all these swindling women are and what they’re doing to his aunt. We have an antagonistic relationship to start with the eldest sister, but they slowly realize that they both truly care for the elderly aunt.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

2. The Winter Bride (2014)

Fake-dating turned into true affection and defense against toxic family members. Oh, and our hero in this one has my favorite interpretation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

3. The Spring Bride (2015)

This one might have been my favorite of the series, with a meet cute, a mangy dog, and an unexpected love. When Jane thinks she wants steady and reliable, she meets a man who’s adventurous and dashing. And then when she realizes he’s in trouble, she figures out a way to save the day.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

4. The Summer Bride (2016)

Great conclusion to the series with a friends-to-lovers romance. Our gal Daisy just wants a dalliance and has no interest in marriage, while her lover Flynn is looking for a wife. Loved how this series wrapped up with all of our girls in love and gifted with their newfound family.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Christmas Bride (2020)

This holiday novella seems to take place between The Winter Bride and The Spring Bride but doesn’t really give away too many spoilers. Quick little read with a robbery, sick bed, and forced marriage after being compromised. I enjoyed this extra glimpse of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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I’ve talked before how I’m primarily a reader of ebooks, but I do receive copies of physical books from publishers or from giveaways. In order to keep my collection to a minimum, I resell the used books. Here are the platforms I’ve used before plus some tips for shipping supplies.

Photography Process

When I’m photographing books to sell, I try to make sure I’m in a well-lit environment and capture the book as clearly as possible. I will also try to photograph any flaws or signs of the condition of the book (such as dents, cracked spines, torn pages, etc). I’ll use a plain white poster board background in front of a window to set the book on top of and a piece of white foam board to help bounce light. After taking the photos with my iPhone, I’ll use an editing app to brighten the pictures or increase the saturation. This helps make the photos stand out in whatever selling platform I’m using.

Selling Platforms

Since I’m selling books that I’ve received at low or no cost, I have not been overly concerned with profitability. My main goal has just been to get the physical items out of my house and any minimal profit I get is acceptable.

Depop

It’s pretty easy to set up a Depop shop and sell whatever it is you want. There’s a category for books and the seller needs to input all of the title and description information by hand. You are able to duplicate listings, so you can carry over the category information from one product to another. You set your own prices and the shipping fees you want to collect. Shipping labels are not integrated onto this platform and you need to use a separate service to deal with your shipping. Before I realized I could be using Media Mail rates, I would purchase first class or priority mail labels with PirateShip. However, I’ve since learned that I can purchase Media Mail shipping online through PayPal with ShipStation. The listing, selling, and shipping process with Depop is fine, but I haven’t sold that many books on Depop and all of the book information is tedious to enter, especially when other platforms will import this information from a database.

Ebay

Ebay is pretty much your classic auction website for used items. For listing books, you’re able to search for a similar product and the database will import the book-specific information (such as title, author, and summary). There are sections that the seller fills in like the shipping weight and the selling price. You can also customize how the shipping charges are set. Since the traditional format is an auction sale, if a book gets bid on, the seller waits until the auction is over before collecting payment and shipping the item. The website generates a shipping label with USPS Media Mail that can be printed out and used to ship the item. With auctions lasting a limited number of time, unsold items need to be re-listed in order to sell at a later time. I was able to sell a few books though Ebay, but the relisting process for unsold inventory got to be annoying and tedious.

Mercari

I have tried to list a couple of books on Mercari but found the platform to be clunky for listing books. I couldn’t seem to find a feature that let me duplicate a listing (thereby carrying over the category and description) so it was tedious to enter all of the information for each product. I didn’t ultimately make any sales with the few books I listed here, so I did not continue to list books.

PangoBooks

Of all the selling platforms, I have found PangoBooks to be the easiest to use and the one that consistently brings me the most sales. With the quantity of books I have available there, I usually sell about 5 to 7 books per week. The way to use it is to download the app onto your smartphone, register for an account, and start uploading photos of books. I will usually photograph the books, then edit them, and then start the listing. The app integrates a barcode scanning step that will import all the essential book information: title, author, summary, format, weight, etc. You just need to review everything and then set the price. After the book is listed and someone purchases it, you’ll get a notification and an automatically generated shipping label. The buyer pays the shipping fee (unless you have set up free shipping) and the package will ship via USPS Media Mail. As far as fees go, PangoBooks seems to take around 20% of the sale price and then there are no fees for bank deposits (though it will take 4 to 5 business days). The money is made available a few days after the book is tracked as being delivered to the buyer. Overall, this platform has brought me the most consistent sales and ease of shipping and payment.

Shipping Supplies

Label Printing

I usually print my shipping labels on 4×6 inch thermal label paper using my Munbyn thermal printer. Before I purchased a dedicated label printer, I would print with a black and white laser printer onto half-sheet label paper. If you don’t want to purchase label paper, you can print the shipping labels onto plain white paper and use clear packing tape to secure it to your packages.

Packaging Materials

For packing and sending out books, it’s important to protect the books from being bent or dented. I recommend using bubble mailers as a quick and easy way to protect your items. I have also used these heavy duty rigid mailers (which I was gifted by the company to try out) but they’re not as cost-effective as the bubble mailers.

I also like to throw in a thank you card, business card, and bonus bookmarks whenever people purchase my books. This makes for a fun surprise for buyers and they’ve left positive feedback on it.

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It was a mostly historical romance week and light on the fanfics. I’ve been working on my new YouTube channel that just launched this week, so didn’t spend as much time reading. I couldn’t pick a favorite of the week! The three historicals I finished were all great!

Blood Moon by Jillian Graves (2022)

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, novella in the Romancing His Stone Universe. Our witch Hazel has had a stressful week, with a new bar opening across the street from her and poaching her customers. She’s at a party looking for a one night stand to take her mind off of her work problems. When an attractive vampire named Vlad walks in on her taking a shower, a liaison takes off from there. However, she later finds out that he’s the owner of the rival bar. Really quick read and relatively low-angst once you realize that Vlad isn’t really a malicious competitor (he’s just got a really aggressive investor).

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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House of the Dragon Fanfic: now I’m covered in you by fkevin073

Sweet story between Jace and Heleana and how they might have stopped the war with their marriage.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 2 of the Merriwell Sisters series. Our second sister, Diana, is the main character here who is known to work at a newspaper as a grammarian. Her family thinks she secretly writes for gossip columns, but she actually secretly does hardcore investigative journalism (which is very dangerous). She warns family-friend Giles of an impending engagement, which he confront his emotionally distant father about. Turns out his father (a duke) is planning to marry in order to secure his succession due to a big secret from the past that renders Giles at risk for not being the true heir. After the duke’s sudden death, Giles has to clean up the estate and uncover the evidence before it can be used against him and he teams up with Diana to do so. Whew. Lots happening here. Plus Diana’s family being obnoxious matchmakers and pushing her to Giles. Enjoyable read, and the secret-hunting has a great payoff.

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

Bridgerton Fanfic: An Urgent Message by TeaBrigadier

Anthony/Kate one-shot. What if Lady Danbury set these two up from the very beginning? Cute and sweet.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

A Perilous Flirtation by Felicity Niven (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 3 of the Lovelocks of London series. The youngest Lovelock, Arabella has been in love with Dr. Alasdair Andrews since she first laid eyes on him by chance. However, the good doctor has not come to call, so after some time passes, she finds herself enjoying the attentions of another man. That man has ruined her reputation, turned out to be married, and left her to scandal. Arabella runs off to Scotland, where she hasn’t been seen by her family in two years. Meanwhile, Alasdair has been pining for Arabella the whole time and unable to believe he deserves her, so he never makes a move. When he finally asks Arabella’s sister where she is, he finds out about her scandal and disappearance. Circumstances bring Alasdair to Scotland and Arabella’s sister asks him to find her an bring her home. We then embark on a flirtatious road trip, snow storm, fake marriage, and a run-in with the ruiner from the past. This book was great with the delicious pining, the road trip hijinks, and you almost even felt sorry for the scandal-maker towards the end.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited. Advance ebook also provided by Felicity Niven.

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton (2022)

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.

One Scandalous Season: Four Holiday Novellas by Grace Burrowes, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jennifer Haymore, and Christina Britton (2021)

Historical romance anthology of four novellas. I love reading quick and easy novellas in between other novels. I find them to be relatively short reads with pretty low-drama and low-angst. Since I had just finished reading a book by Christina Britton, I picked the one novella by the same author from this anthology to read next. It was a light-hearted, reconnected childhood friends story and took me less than 2 hours to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon

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

Read an introduction to 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.

A former teacher at a ladies’ finishing school throws a house party and invites her unmarried students. Each book is novella length and a quick and easy read. I like how they all tie together and in a very short timeline. I recommend reading these in order. Entire series available on Kindle Unlimited.

The Matchmaker and the Marquess Scarlett Scott (2021)

Lady matchmaker is happy to stay unmarried and match up other couples instead. She gets caught in a compromising situation with a rake and they feign an engagement.

Print length: 129 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

The Angel and the Aristocrat by Merry Farmer (2021)

Sweet and naive lady has been sheltered for the past few years caring for her sick father. She’s instantly smitten with the marquess who was recently jilted by his former fiance.

Print length: 158 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

The Scholar and the Scot by Caroline Lee (2021)

Studious bluestocking gal would rather read an archeology journal than socialize. Luckily, she meets a gentleman archeologist at the house party.

Print length: 192 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

The Venus and the Viscount by Scarlett Scott (2021)

Opposites attract with a scandalous hoyden of a lady and a boring straightlaced viscount.

Print length: not available

Click here to get the book on KU

The Buccaneer and the Bastard by Merry Farmer (2021)

American heiress seeks a business partnership and instead finds a marriage of convenience with one of the other guests’ valet (and illegitimate cousin). All their friends are against the scheme and her father shows up to add to the drama. 

Print length: 156 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

The Doxy and the Duke by Caroline Lee (2021)

Over the course of the house party, single parent strangers meet at a lake with their kids, who become fast friends. The two families meet regularly but never reveal their identities. For some reason, they haven’t formally met even though they’ve both been guests at the same house party, neither realizing that she’s a proper lady and he’s a duke.

Print length: 202 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

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

Useful Resources:

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

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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.